In a Veil of Mist
Published on 11. March 2021
Book
Paperback/Softback
288 pages
978-1-913393-00-7 (ISBN)
Description
SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2021 HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE
A poisoned breeze blows across the waves ...
Operation Cauldron, 1952: Top-secret germ warfare experiments on monkeys and guinea pigs are taking place aboard a vessel moored off the Isle of Lewis. Local villagers Jessie and Duncan encounter strange sights on the deserted beach nearby and suspect the worst. And one government scientist wrestles with his own inner anguish over the testing, even if he believes extreme deterrent weapons are needed. When a noxious cloud of plague bacteria is released into the path of a passing trawler, disaster threatens. Will a deadly pandemic be inevitable?
A haunting exploration of the costs and fallout of warmongering, Donald S Murray follows his prize-winning first novel with an equally moving exploration of another little-known incident in the Outer Hebridean island where he grew up.
A poisoned breeze blows across the waves ...
Operation Cauldron, 1952: Top-secret germ warfare experiments on monkeys and guinea pigs are taking place aboard a vessel moored off the Isle of Lewis. Local villagers Jessie and Duncan encounter strange sights on the deserted beach nearby and suspect the worst. And one government scientist wrestles with his own inner anguish over the testing, even if he believes extreme deterrent weapons are needed. When a noxious cloud of plague bacteria is released into the path of a passing trawler, disaster threatens. Will a deadly pandemic be inevitable?
A haunting exploration of the costs and fallout of warmongering, Donald S Murray follows his prize-winning first novel with an equally moving exploration of another little-known incident in the Outer Hebridean island where he grew up.
Reviews / Votes
"A moving portrait of a place and its people ... a quiet, sad but brilliant novel." -- Antonia Senior * Times, Book of the Month in best historical fiction, March 2021; * "A wonderfully evocative book ... brought to the page ... with consummate skill ... We'd strongly recommend [it to] anyone looking for really strong and memorable fiction about Scotland ... outstanding." -- Undiscovered Scotland "Set in [Murray's] native Lewis as firmly as the stones at Callanish ... it is so credibly drawn that the book is almost a ticket to the island ... it seems an even more impressive achievement than ever." -- David Robinson * Books from Scotland * "A well-written and well-crafted novel from an author at the height of his powers." -- Eric Macintyre * Oban Times * "Shows yet again how a good novel is capable of making you think and feel at the same time ... a rich and sympathetic portrayal of island life in all its diversity ... timely and compelling ... a novel to savour." -- Alan Massie * The Scotsman * "Where the book really scores is in Murray's familiarity with ... [the island] culture ... a living community of varied characters with generations of history behind them, giving his story depth and solidity." -- Herald 'Admirably atmospheric and engaging.' -- Scotsman Books of the YearMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Glasgow
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 125 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
226 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-913393-00-7 (9781913393007)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
A son of the Hebrides, Donald S Murray is a writer and poet whose work has been awarded The Society of Authors' Paul Torday Memorial Prize and the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award (Scotland's National Book Awards, 2021). His critically acclaimed books bring to life the culture and nature of the Scottish islands, and he appears regularly on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland.