Lammas

1588: A Calendar of Crime #3

by Shirley Mckay

Lammas is the third instalment of 1588: A Calendar of Crime, a collection of short stories published in step with the sixteenth century calendar.

Lammas day, a day of celebration for some.Elspet, a serving girl at the harbour inn has been told for years by the inn's owner, Walter Bone, that she is ugly and that no man will ever want her. Then, after years of being shut away from the world she unexpectedly catches the attention of a young labourer and realises she has been lied to all these years. She meets her lover in secret at the Lammas day fair, but her dalliances do not go unnoticed . . .

Hew Cullan finds himself retained by a man with a mind for murder. Walter Bone makes clear his intent to kill Elspet's lover, and seeks Hew's help to ensure his will is upheld when he is inevitably hanged for the act. But his jealousy has unexpected consequences. When Elspet disappears without a trace several innocent fair-goers and patrons are dragged into a web of suspicion, rumour and accusation. It falls to Hew to unravel the twisted threads and figure out the truth of the matter.

Genres: Historical Fiction

93 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2016

About the author

Shirley McKay was born in Tynemouth but now lives with her family in Fife. At the age of fifteen she won the Young Observer playwriting competition, her play being performed at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs. She went on to study English and Linguistics at the University of St Andrews before attending Durham University for postgraduate study in Romantic and seventeenth century prose. She was shortlisted for the CWA Debut Dagger. Shirley works as a freelance proofreader.

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am thoroughly enjoying the short books which make up the Calendar of Crime. Each book is self-contained, take about an hour to an hour and a half to read, and follows Hew, a professor at St Andrews University, Scotland, in 1588, as he solves a mystery, whether murder or otherwise. As I am reading the stories the world and its characters really come alive, and I will definitely be reading more.

[Lorraine Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

The third of the short stories about Huw Cullan that follows on from the novels I so enjoyed. This is another cracking story - in fact, I believe I like the short stories best as they are more focused in their plot. Some creative ideas here.

[Debbie Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brings history to life

Set in a town I know well, I enjoyed following the characters through familiar streets and wynds. The language is authentic and the characters interesting. The Lammas fair is still celebrated in St Andrews.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having already purchased a mystery featuring 16th-century lawyer Hew Cullan based in St. Andrews, Scotland, I decided to meet him for the first time in this novella. This didn't turn out to be one of my better impulses because I walked right into the middle of a story in which everyone else was well-acquainted with Hew and I was not. This put me at somewhat of a disadvantage, but I still enjoyed the slice-of-life historical aspects of the story. I did feel as though I were walking the streets of St. Andrews in 1588, and I did enjoy trying to deduce what happened to the missing Elspet. The vernacular that McKay uses in her dialogue was a bit confusing from time to time, but the author does include a glossary in the back which helped a great deal.

Will I be meeting Hew Cullan again in the future? Yes, I do believe I will.