THE DEVIL’S ROCK

A bookclub historical crime novel for fans of Laura Shepherd-Robinson, Emma Stonex’s The Lamplighters and Alis Hawkins.

Late
1600s

Seventeen months after a daring escape, a group of former prisoners has forged a fragile society on Bass Rock, a cruel and grey volcanic island where only the toughest will survive.

Life on Bass Rock is far from easy. And with the remote island under siege from the Scots and supplies running low, Lieutenant Hal Halyburton needs to maintain order as tensions rise. But when a fellow officer is murdered and suspicion falls on him, Hal enlists the help of Fleur, the local tavern keeper, to uncover the truth.
Locating the murderer should be easy when there are only a few residents on the rock, but when a second body is found floating in the harbour, secrets unravel and loyalties shift.
Facing a difficult choice between justice, survival and his own conscience, Hal must solve the crime and clear his name before his community tears itself apart.