Shirley Mckay Books in Order

This illustrated introduction explores Fife’s fishing villages, historic towns, beaches, and cultural landmarks. From Dunfermline and Culross to Kirkcaldy and St Andrews, it presents the variety of a region shaped by royal history, industry, education, and coastal life.

Returning to St Andrews in 1579, young lawyer Hew Cullan finds a friend accused of murdering a teenage pupil. His investigation uncovers concealed passions and corruption beneath the austere respectability of university and religious life.

Hew Cullan travels to Edinburgh in 1581 to complete his legal training and publish his father’s work. A brutal murder and an older mystery draw him away from those plans and into conflict with a dangerous adversary.

A wrecked ship brings a mysterious survivor and a coveted windmill to St Andrews. Asked to discover its origins, Hew Cullan travels to the Low Countries, where ownership disputes and unexplained deaths complicate a seemingly straightforward inquiry.

Amid political and religious divisions in 1583 Scotland, Hew Cullan investigates a mysterious incident that turns suspicion toward him. Spies, old grudges, and the king’s escape from captivity threaten both his loyalties and his future.

Recalled to Scotland, Hew Cullan hopes to marry an Englishwoman despite hostility following Mary Stuart’s execution. King James makes approval conditional on solving the mystery of a disturbing painting, while a painter’s death adds another puzzle.

Across the quarter days and Yule of 1588, lawyer Hew Cullan investigates five mysteries in St Andrews. Murder, a disappearing corpse, and apparent supernatural disturbances expose the fears and rivalries of a Scottish town living through a turbulent year.