The Wild Isle
2 total works
‘A gripping new series . . . beautifully told by one of our most prolific and talented writers’ - Santa Montefiore on The Last Summer
A reluctant bride. A forbidden romance. An island full of secrets . . .
It’s the summer of 1929 and Mhairi MacKinnon is in need of a husband. As the eldest girl among nine children, her father has made it clear he can’t support her past the coming winter. On the small, Scottish island of St Kilda, her options are limited. But the MacKinnons’ neighbour, Donald, has a business acquaintance on distant Harris also in need of a spouse. A plan is hatched for Donald to chaperone Mhairi and make the introduction on his final crossing of the year, before the autumn seas close them off to the outside world.
Mhairi returns as an engaged woman who has lost her heart – but not to her fiancé. In love with the wrong man yet knowing he can never be hers, she awaits the spring with growing dread, for the onset of calm waters will see her sent from home to become a stranger’s wife.
When word comes that St Kilda is to be evacuated, the lovers are granted a few months’ reprieve, enjoying a summer of stolen hours together. Only, those last days on St Kilda will also bring trauma and heartache for Mhairi and her friends, Effie and Flora. And when a dead body is later found on the abandoned isle, all three have reason enough to find themselves under the shadow of suspicion . . .
The Stolen Hours is Book Two in Karen Swan's bestselling Wild Isle Series.
Praise for The Last Summer (Book One):
'Powerful writing and a wonderful premise make this a novel you’ll simultaneously want to savour and race through. I loved it and can’t wait for the next in the series!' - Jill Mansell, author of Should I Tell You?
'The most exciting, enchanting and evocative story of forbidden love I’ve ever read. I truly loved it and am waiting feverishly for the second installment.' - Cathy Bramley, author of The Lemon Tree Café
An epic, sweeping historical novel of second chances and lovers reunited . . .
Flora MacQueen has always dreamt of more than life on the small Scottish island of St Kilda. So, when she catches the eye of visiting adventurer and wealthy businessman James Callaghan, her future seems brighter. Winter seas separate the lovers, but the island’s evacuation the following summer promises to reunite them – until tragedy strikes.
Heartbroken and needing to support her family on the mainland, a chance meeting offers hope. Soon, Flora is the toast of glamorous Paris; fame and fortune are hers for the taking. But at a high price.
When a scandal erupts back home, Flora is implicated, along with her friends Effifie and Mhairi. But as dark secrets come to light, it is a lie by a fellow islander that changes everything . . .