This Door of the Seas: Darkland Tales

by Val McDermid, Jo Sharp

The Darien Venture was the singular event at the end of the seventeenth century that fundamentally altered Scotland's future.

It took place on the other side of the world, amid the jungle-coastline at the junction between the continents of North and South America. And most of us know next to nothing about it.

Now it's time to remedy that. Award-winning novelist Val McDermid and Geographer Royal for Scotland Jo Sharp unite in this revelatory novella to trace the story of Scotland's only trading colony, which turned from a dream of prosperity to a nightmare that bankrupted an already impoverished nation and propelled it towards political union with England.

Written as a series of letters home from expedition scientist Dr James Wallace to his wife Eliza and Sir Robert Sibbald, the first Geographer Royal, this epistolary tale offers a devastating account of the forces that doomed the endeavour and completely changed the history of the British Isles in the process.

Kindle Edition

Expected publication August 6, 2026

About the author

Val McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.

She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.

She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Katie Bogdan · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

If there is one thing that I love reading about, it's niche historical events that I've never heard of before. This Door of the Seas promised to deliver a sharp look into the little-known Darien disaster that bankrupted Scotland and ultimately contributed to the country's unification with England. Told through letters from a fictional member of the party, the book promised "an immersive story of betrayal and injustice"; for me, this did not hit the mark.

Part of this reason that this did not succeed for me is that I think that the format in which these authors are trying to tell this story does not match the scale of what they are trying to achieve. It is clear that they want to educate people about this little-known event and how it completely changed the history of their country; a 100-page novella told from a single POV cannot give readers the breadth of information that they sorely need to contextualize this. Every letter felt like a paint-by-number of every colonial adventure story and neither author does a convincing job of giving the historical information necessary to connect the failure of Darien to the Scottish union with England. The saving grace of this book was that it was short enough to not completely offend me; if someone wants to write a non-fiction book about this, I would definitely prefer that!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Monthly Press for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

[Chris Chanona · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting read about the true history of Scots daring to voyage to South America in search of better lives. Known as the Darien Venture and told by Val McDermid and Scotland’s Geographer Royal, Jo Sharp. The research appears meticulous and it only lost a star because, for me, I don’t like epistolary tellings. It means there are only reported conversations which takes away a degree of liveliness which might be expected from this tale.

It is late 17th century, before the Union with the English. There are many pitfalls to be faced in trying to set up a Scots colony: shipwrecks, fever, loss of tools and resources, and the opposition of Spanish who have colonised before the Scots. But in Scotland these brave souls face starvation.

I was particularly taken by the account of the Union from the Scottish people’s point of view and learned some new things. I did not know the value of ‘Scotland’ was meticulously worked out to the nearest penny and paid in a form of reparation. The afterword was interesting and points to sources and truths.

I read an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publishers. Thank you.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

An epistolary novel based on the true story of the ill fated attempt to establish a trading community in Panama at the end of the 17th century is quite a departure from Val McDermid’s usual area of expertise. Working with Geographer Royal for Scotland Jo Sharp, she has created a fascinating piece of historical fiction which I found intriguing and educational. Told from the perspective of expedition scientist James Wallace, the story of the Darien Venture begins with widespread optimism that embraces not only the prospective settlers but also the many Scots back home who had invested in the hopes of establishing a lucrative trade route between the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Through a combination of ill luck, hostile conditions, mismanagement and a lack of support from the English Crown, hope gives way to resilience and a determination to salvage something from the wreckage of a dream that indirectly contributes to the financially compromised Scots agreeing to the union with England. ‘This Door of the Seas’ is written with a lightness of touch and brevity that makes for a powerful reading experience.

[Louise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another piece of history I knew nothing about!
I admit I only picked it up because I like a McDermid book.
It has educated me on something I've never thought about.
Well written letters conveying every single emotion felt on the crossing and the journey onwards.
An enjoyable tale


Thanks to netgalley for the free digital copy

[Lottie C · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

I loved the adventure and atmosphere of this novel. It’s short, but it is definitely worth your attention. It’s broader themes of survival and colonialism were also quite interesting to me

[Lynn Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and brilliant read. The letters and notes of Dr. James Wallace read as if they could have been true, making you sometimes forget you’re reading historical fiction. You are transported to 1698 and taken along on the voyage to Caledonia. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading about sea voyages.

Thanks to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this review copy.