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Glasdrum
One town. Five women. Dark events.
Life is not easy for the women of Glasdrum...
A skeleton is unearthed, too many walkers are falling to their deaths off mountain cliffs, and the local pub doesn’t know how to make a decent raspberry daiquiri.
Single mother Megan is a hill runner and cannabis dealer, an unlikely friend of well-to-do Finella, whose confident appearance hides struggles with her unpleasant husband and unruly children.
Vicky is Finella’s child-minder, and when Finella’s husband starts digging about in her past, he discovers she has a secret. How far will she go to protect it?
Glasdrum is a culture shock to Londoner Sarah, but she finds friendship with local journalist Catriona, recently returned to her home town but haunted by memories from her past.
The women battle through daily life while the spectre of death looms over the town. Could one of them be living with a killer?
Life is not easy for the women of Glasdrum...
A skeleton is unearthed, too many walkers are falling to their deaths off mountain cliffs, and the local pub doesn’t know how to make a decent raspberry daiquiri.
Single mother Megan is a hill runner and cannabis dealer, an unlikely friend of well-to-do Finella, whose confident appearance hides struggles with her unpleasant husband and unruly children.
Vicky is Finella’s child-minder, and when Finella’s husband starts digging about in her past, he discovers she has a secret. How far will she go to protect it?
Glasdrum is a culture shock to Londoner Sarah, but she finds friendship with local journalist Catriona, recently returned to her home town but haunted by memories from her past.
The women battle through daily life while the spectre of death looms over the town. Could one of them be living with a killer?
322 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2017
28 people are currently reading
66 people want to read
About the author
Fiona MacBain
2 books39 followersFiona is the author of two published thrillers, Daughter, Disappeared and Glasdrum. She grew up in Fort William, graduated from Edinburgh University, then worked in London as a Recruitment Consultant before moving to Tunisia where she ran a watersports base near Sousse with her local husband (more about that at fionamacbain.com). She returned to the UK with her 6-month old daughter in 1999 and has since worked as a Customer Services Trainer, a French Tutor and an Administrator, writing in her spare time. She lives in Inverness with her two younger children.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 13, 2017
I received this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I really enjoyed this tale of the lives of various women. All different, all with secrets and reasons to be afraid. They are all very strong characters who although different, and characters who would normally have no common ground gel extremely well for reasons of self preservation.
I actually like Megan who starts off as a person you’d not want as a friend, to have more depth of character and loyalty than you’d give her credit for. She starts off causing mayhem and then... read it and find out!
Everyone has secrets and I feel we might find out more in coming books. This is a stand-alone book but the next book is to come.
I really enjoyed this tale of the lives of various women. All different, all with secrets and reasons to be afraid. They are all very strong characters who although different, and characters who would normally have no common ground gel extremely well for reasons of self preservation.
I actually like Megan who starts off as a person you’d not want as a friend, to have more depth of character and loyalty than you’d give her credit for. She starts off causing mayhem and then... read it and find out!
Everyone has secrets and I feel we might find out more in coming books. This is a stand-alone book but the next book is to come.
August 31, 2019
Really well structured and fast paced plot, overlapping character chapters done expertly, with a very satisfying conclusion!
July 9, 2025
I didn’t enjoy this one as much as her other book. The storyline just wasn’t for me.
July 25, 2017
I really tried hard to read Glasdrum slowly but I couldn’t! It had me hooked from page one and I just had to find out how events were going to unfold. I loved the way the story was told from the different viewpoints of the five women. Same events but all with a slightly slant made for compulsive reading. All of them had things in their lives that they tried to conceal. At times they were annoying or funny or impulsive or just plain stupid and some were definitely more likeable than others. The plot fairly moved along and at times had me thinking ‘What! Oh No! I wanted to shout at them! Brilliant and atmospheric with a terrific and dramatic climax I don’t think I would have braved that Ben on a sunny day never mind in the rain. I do think there’s a wee question mark over the actions (or lack of action) of one of the women, but maybe that’s another story. I can hardly wait for the next one.
February 2, 2022
Five women, all with a past - in the small Scottish town of Glasdrum. What secrets do each of them hold and what secrets are about to unravel? When one of the main characters uncovers a shock during a house renovation, it brings up a past she'd hoped was long buried.
An explosive first chapter then takes us on a journey of head hopping between these five main characters, unravelling who they are and in some cases - dispelling our initial perceptions.
And what of the murders? What link, if any, is there to what was uncovered?
My only complaint is I feel the editing could have been a little tighter for a thriller, with fewer dense paragraphs, but that is more of a personal preference. I prefer such books to move quickly and my eyes to glide through the text waiting to get to the next revelation.
An explosive first chapter then takes us on a journey of head hopping between these five main characters, unravelling who they are and in some cases - dispelling our initial perceptions.
And what of the murders? What link, if any, is there to what was uncovered?
My only complaint is I feel the editing could have been a little tighter for a thriller, with fewer dense paragraphs, but that is more of a personal preference. I prefer such books to move quickly and my eyes to glide through the text waiting to get to the next revelation.
April 17, 2017
Wow
Another brilliant book by Fiona MacBain! Can't wait for the next one . Gripping story right to the end. Excellent
Another brilliant book by Fiona MacBain! Can't wait for the next one . Gripping story right to the end. Excellent
August 20, 2019
It's not normally a genre I would read but I'm glad I did. I read it in three bursts, all at some ungodly hour of the morning (the best time to read). The characters were believable, the story progressed perfectly, no question marks along the way with some surprising twists that kept me wanting more. Well Fiona, let's just say, if there's ever a Glasdrum book two published, I'd read it. Great storytelling!
April 2, 2018
“Life is not easy for the women of Glasdrum... A skeleton is unearthed, too many walkers are falling to their deaths off mountain cliffs, and the local pub doesn’t know how to make a decent raspberry daiquiri. Single mother Megan is a hill runner and cannabis dealer, an unlikely friend of well-to-do Finella, whose confident appearance hides struggles with her unpleasant husband and unruly children. Vicky is Finella’s child-minder, and when Finella’s husband starts digging about in her past, he discovers she has a secret. How far will she go to protect it? Glasdrum is a culture shock to Londoner Sarah, but she finds friendship with local journalist Catriona, recently returned to her hometown but haunted by memories from her past. The women battle through daily life while the spectre of death looms over the town. Could one of them be living with a killer?”
As someone who grew up in a rural Scottish village I would be the first one to say that this much excitement couldn’t possibly be going on and therefore this is completely unbelievable? But it’s a testament to Fiona Macbain’s writing that when you are reading this book you do becoming involved and invested and it is completely believable. You empathise with these women who are just doing their best in the same sort of circumstances that many of us find ourselves in with kids, home and work and then on top of that have other harrowing and disturbing issues heaped on top of that.
The characters are all truly believable. I particularly liked descriptions of Megan melting when her wee one gives her a big smile and at the same time how Finella feels overwhelmed and all at sea with her uncontrollable boys. I think for me though, that Vicky was my favourite character and her fear at her past catching up to her was palpable and I was truly scared for her at times and desperately wanted to know how her issue resolved.
The descriptions of locations and the way the locals interact with each other is spot on and the way the Fiona writes how the locals talk about having ‘a good season’ resonates with me as someone living and working in an area where the economies are subject to the whims of the weather.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the quality of this self-published edition was exceptionally good in my opinion. I couldn’t put it down and will be recommending it to those looking for new and refreshing Scottish Crime Fiction.
As someone who grew up in a rural Scottish village I would be the first one to say that this much excitement couldn’t possibly be going on and therefore this is completely unbelievable? But it’s a testament to Fiona Macbain’s writing that when you are reading this book you do becoming involved and invested and it is completely believable. You empathise with these women who are just doing their best in the same sort of circumstances that many of us find ourselves in with kids, home and work and then on top of that have other harrowing and disturbing issues heaped on top of that.
The characters are all truly believable. I particularly liked descriptions of Megan melting when her wee one gives her a big smile and at the same time how Finella feels overwhelmed and all at sea with her uncontrollable boys. I think for me though, that Vicky was my favourite character and her fear at her past catching up to her was palpable and I was truly scared for her at times and desperately wanted to know how her issue resolved.
The descriptions of locations and the way the locals interact with each other is spot on and the way the Fiona writes how the locals talk about having ‘a good season’ resonates with me as someone living and working in an area where the economies are subject to the whims of the weather.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and the quality of this self-published edition was exceptionally good in my opinion. I couldn’t put it down and will be recommending it to those looking for new and refreshing Scottish Crime Fiction.
July 27, 2018
I read a few books on holiday this year, but Glasdrum was by far my favourite. Set in a fictional town in the Scottish highlands, Glasdrum makes for a masterpiece of pathetic fallacy – the backdrop is gloomy and grey, the rain is lashing down and summer is stubbornly refusing to arrive. I found the setting in particular to be very powerful and on more than one occasion found myself shuddering as MacBain’s prose made Scotland’s beautiful west coast seem suddenly so forbidding.
Glasdrum is a third person narrative pieced together from the points of view of several women as they grapple with tricky personal lives which are not made any easier by recent unnerving events, the deaths of hikers in the mountains nearby, and the literal skeletons found in the back garden. I found MacBain’s characters to be well-drawn, realistic and easy to relate to. I particularly liked Megan, a rough-round-the-edges single mum, whose unlikely friendship with well-to-do-but-falling-apart Finella injected just the right amount of humour into the story.
In addition to the heroines there are, of course, a number of villains in Glasdrum. I don’t want to say too much about them as I wouldn’t like to spoil the story, but suffice to say that for me there were one or two who I really loved to loathe. Whether they’re the murderers…well, you’ll have to read it to find out. Certainly, if you’re anything like me you won’t easily manage to guess ‘whodunnit’ – MacBain’s plot is a fairly complex one which takes the reader through a good number of twists and turns and keeps you wondering until the very end.
A gripping read, perfect for enjoying from the comfort of your sun lounger. Five stars.
Glasdrum is a third person narrative pieced together from the points of view of several women as they grapple with tricky personal lives which are not made any easier by recent unnerving events, the deaths of hikers in the mountains nearby, and the literal skeletons found in the back garden. I found MacBain’s characters to be well-drawn, realistic and easy to relate to. I particularly liked Megan, a rough-round-the-edges single mum, whose unlikely friendship with well-to-do-but-falling-apart Finella injected just the right amount of humour into the story.
In addition to the heroines there are, of course, a number of villains in Glasdrum. I don’t want to say too much about them as I wouldn’t like to spoil the story, but suffice to say that for me there were one or two who I really loved to loathe. Whether they’re the murderers…well, you’ll have to read it to find out. Certainly, if you’re anything like me you won’t easily manage to guess ‘whodunnit’ – MacBain’s plot is a fairly complex one which takes the reader through a good number of twists and turns and keeps you wondering until the very end.
A gripping read, perfect for enjoying from the comfort of your sun lounger. Five stars.
August 17, 2018
Been meaning to read Glasdrum for a while, so glad I did. From the start the story kept me turning the pages and if it wasn’t for pesky work would have read in one sitting. I didn’t want it to end, I wanted more, the story was great and kept me guessing. I felt so sorry for Sarah, uprooted from the city lights of London into chaos of family life, Megan’s shock at the revelation of family secrets and friends not what they appear to be. Looking forward to the next book.
September 5, 2018
I was traveling to the Highlands on holiday and stopped in The Highland Bookstore. I asked for a fiction book by a local authors and she recommended Glasdrum. I’m so glad she did! I couldn’t put this book down. Fiona weaves the stories of each character together seamlessly. Looking forward to reading part 2 in 2019!! You have a big fan in America.
November 8, 2019
The characterisation and the plot twist of this book was amazing. Fiona has improved as a writer and it is seen in this book. I really felt for the characters and believed their story.
For a full review, visit littleseabear.com
For a full review, visit littleseabear.com
April 8, 2018
Wow from bodies in the garden to deaths on a mountain and twists and turns from the start to the end, Fiona keeps you gripped from page one, really looking forward to the sequel
February 19, 2019
Fabulous read by this talented author, look forward to reading more from her.
January 8, 2026
A rich, gripping, and deeply human small-town thriller you won’t want to put down. Glasdrum is more than a crime novel it’s an intimate, atmospheric portrait of five women whose lives intertwine in unexpected, dangerous, and moving ways.
Fiona MacBain masterfully balances dark mystery with tender humanity in this story of secrets, survival, and suspense. From a single mother selling cannabis on the side to a journalist haunted by her past, each character is vividly drawn, flawed, and utterly real. When a skeleton is unearthed and fatal accidents mount, the tension builds with subtle, compelling force.
Perfect for fans of character driven mysteries like Big Little Lies or Ann Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope series, Glasdrum immerses you in a community where everyone has something to hide and someone might be living with a killer. Atmospheric, smart, and impossible to forget, this is a must read for anyone who loves crime fiction with heart, grit, and soul.
Fiona MacBain masterfully balances dark mystery with tender humanity in this story of secrets, survival, and suspense. From a single mother selling cannabis on the side to a journalist haunted by her past, each character is vividly drawn, flawed, and utterly real. When a skeleton is unearthed and fatal accidents mount, the tension builds with subtle, compelling force.
Perfect for fans of character driven mysteries like Big Little Lies or Ann Cleeves’ Vera Stanhope series, Glasdrum immerses you in a community where everyone has something to hide and someone might be living with a killer. Atmospheric, smart, and impossible to forget, this is a must read for anyone who loves crime fiction with heart, grit, and soul.
April 7, 2020
Great story, couldn't stop reading it.
Excellent story, easy to read, loved seeing from different characters perspective, nice to see Fort William's name in a book!
Excellent story, easy to read, loved seeing from different characters perspective, nice to see Fort William's name in a book!
August 8, 2020
A very quick read.
Started this book at 5am this morning. Couldn't put it down i was just so taken with plots twists and turns
Started this book at 5am this morning. Couldn't put it down i was just so taken with plots twists and turns
October 25, 2022
A good read!!
June 14, 2023
What fun to read again a murder mystery with great characters/relationships set in a beautifully described Scotland!
August 23, 2024
Loved this book! Loads of twists and turns! Great wee read!
April 30, 2025
Excellent pace of story, I was hooked and could really envision the setting and the characters. It just felt very real.
December 29, 2025
Very similar style to Graham Norton books. Very enjoyable read!
September 28, 2024
After being blown away by Daughter, Disappeared, I immediately picked up Glasdrum, and once again, Fiona MacBain delivered an absolute 5-star read. This book is centered around five women, each with fascinating and deeply layered backstories, and MacBain masterfully weaves their lives together in a way that keeps you guessing throughout.
What really sets Glasdrum apart is the strong emotional connection you feel with each of the characters. Their individual journeys are compelling, and the depth of their personalities made me feel invested in them from the very beginning. The way MacBain explores their relationships, struggles, and secrets creates an immersive reading experience that’s both suspenseful and heartfelt.
The storytelling is tight, and the mystery keeps you engaged the whole way through, but it’s the character development that truly shines. MacBain’s ability to create such authentic bonds between the characters and with the reader is simply brilliant. If you’re a fan of complex, character-driven mysteries that are both gripping and emotionally resonant, Glasdrum is an absolute must-read. Fiona MacBain is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine! So please get writing that 3rd book.
What really sets Glasdrum apart is the strong emotional connection you feel with each of the characters. Their individual journeys are compelling, and the depth of their personalities made me feel invested in them from the very beginning. The way MacBain explores their relationships, struggles, and secrets creates an immersive reading experience that’s both suspenseful and heartfelt.
The storytelling is tight, and the mystery keeps you engaged the whole way through, but it’s the character development that truly shines. MacBain’s ability to create such authentic bonds between the characters and with the reader is simply brilliant. If you’re a fan of complex, character-driven mysteries that are both gripping and emotionally resonant, Glasdrum is an absolute must-read. Fiona MacBain is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine! So please get writing that 3rd book.
September 26, 2019
My favourite book has to be Glasdrum. Possibly because it's based in Scotland, fantastic author and would highly recommend her books xxx
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews