DCI Surinder Taws Mystery Series
Atmospheric Scottish crime fiction set on the Aberdeenshire coast — where ancient legend bleeds into modern murder, and a detective’s instincts are the only thing standing between justice and the tide.
The Returning Woman
1. The whole story – free
A full prequel novella — not a sample, not a taster. The complete story, delivered to your inbox.
2. Meet Surdiner Taws before Stonehaven
Meet Sindy Taws in Glasgow, before everything changes — and understand exactly who she is by the time she arrives in Stonehaven.
3. Nothing you didn’t ask for.
Occasional news from Rachel when there is news to share. Nothing more, and unsubscribe any time. No spam, just crime.
The Crimson Keep
1. A fresh start that begins with a body
DCI Surinder Taws came to Stonehaven for a quieter life. Instead, her first morning on the job brings a young woman found dead beneath the ancient cliffs of Dunnottar Castle. The death looks like suicide. Sindy knows better.
2. A killer with a motive unlike any other
Carved into the victim’s skin is a red spiral — a mark tied to a centuries-old local legend. When a second woman is found bearing the same symbol, Sindy uncovers something deeply unsettling: a killer who doesn’t believe he’s committing crimes. He believes he’s delivering justice.
3. Scotland’s coast as you’ve never seen it
Set on the breathtaking and unforgiving Aberdeenshire coastline, The Crimson Keep weaves ancient myth into modern murder. If you love crime fiction that puts you somewhere vivid and specific — somewhere with sea haar, clifftop ruins and history pressing up through the grass — this is the series for you.
“Where the cliffs keep their secrets and folklore hides the darkest motives.”
Murder rooted in myth.
Set on Scotland’s ancient coast.
The DCI Surinder Taws mysteries are set in and around Stonehaven — a real harbour town on the Aberdeenshire coast, in the shadow of Dunnottar Castle. Each book weaves the legends and landscape of this extraordinary stretch of Scottish coastline into a crime investigation that is as much about the place as the mystery.
If you love crime fiction that puts you somewhere specific — somewhere with haar and cliffs and history pressing up through the grass — you’re in the right place.
Recent Blog Posts
The Real Stonehaven Legends (and the Story Behind The Crimson Keep)
Discover the real Stonehaven legends, Dunnottar Castle, and how they inspired The Crimson Keep, a Scottish crime novel.