Solway Sleuth-Hounds: The First Recruit

This is a mystery and adventure story set in south west Scotland at the time of Robert Burns. It is fiction which has the added intention of illuminating the history of the region and making it easily accessible. It has been carefully researched and there is a reference section at the back including comprehensive notes on the background history as well as on the main sources. There are also sketch maps - including one of Dumfries in 1793. Also included are several modern photographs of historic buildings in Dumfries such as the Old Bridge House. The age range given is 12 to adult and it may be classified as young adult but it is actually for anyone interested in the history of south west Scotland.The Story- here are some details of the actual story. With her husband in jail young Gretna Marshall, one of the Galloway travelling people, is feeling alone and vulnerable so she is delighted when she is asked to become the first recruit to the Solway Sleuth-Hounds, the Laird of Longcrags' band of private investigators. She is relieved to have found the protection of a powerful patron but all too soon she finds that the service of the Laird means danger. But with the help of the remarkable Sawney, the young lawyer of the future, stern Michael the leader of a tribe of tinklers, and Rooskie her little dog who brings his own individual talents to the pack, Gretna struggles on.The story moves between the Solway shore, Dumfries and the notorious village of the Bridgend with its underground labyrinth of cellars, that hiding place for refugees and felons. These were turbulent times and the Sleuth-Hounds find themselves involved with Solway smugglers, Robert Burns, the effects of the French Revolution, even the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745 although it happened fifty years earlier. There are also enough dogs and horses to keep any animal lover happy.The Reference Section - the historical background of 18th century Dumfries and Galloway has been carefully researched and there is an extensive reference section. this is divided into two main parts. The first part consists of a number of black and white photographs of places which are important to the story. There is a short historical note attached to each photograph. A few examples are the Mid Steeple, Dumfries, Devorgilla Bridge, the Old Bridge House and the Burns House. At the beginning of this section is a sketch map of Dumfries at the end of the eighteenth century. Another similar group of photographs and notes is centred around Southerness on the Solway and features such prominent landmarks as Southerness Lighthouse and Criffel, the highest hill in the district.The second main section consists of more detailed notes about people and events which come into the story. Some of these are local but other notes have a wider significance. There are detailed notes on the Jacobite Rebellion of 1745, Robert Burns, Fletcher Christian and the mutiny on the Bounty, and the government's fears aroused by the French Revolution. More local issues covered are droving, smuggling and the gypsies and travelling people of the Solway. There are also descriptions of the villages mentioned. Detailed references are also made to the sources used, both primary and secondary, such as "The Statistical Account of Scotland", 1790s edition, William McDowall's "History of Dumfries" and John Pebble's "Culloden". Finally there is also a short glossary of the Scots words used in the text. The reference section could be a useful starting point for those wishing to research the topics mentioned further.Solway Sleuth-Hounds is more than just a good story. It is also a fun way of learning history.

About the Author :
Mary Moffat has always been interested in history. She has an MA with second class honours in History from Glasgow University. She has worked both as a teacher and a schools librarian. She is now acting as the Children's Review Editor for the Historical Novel Society. Although fiction her books are very carefully researched with a strong factual basis. She hopes that her stories will help to make the history behind her stories more accessible. She put it another way when talking about Solway Sleuth-Hounds. She described it as a fun way of learning history. She enjoys doing the research for her books. She does this in two ways. Firstly she uses both the primary and secondary sources. Wherever possible she likes to use original materials. For example, for Solway Sleuth-Hounds she used the 1790s edition of The Statistical Account of Scotland. She also used commentaries on the laws of Scotland regarding crime written by one of the leading lawyers of the day - in 1798. Extra material was found in the newspapers of the time. Secondly she personally explores the physical backgrounds. She likes to visit the actual places she writes about and soak in the atmosphere. For example when writing The Canine Cavalier she walked all over Newmarket Heath with her little dog Moff. And when writing her Solway books she has taken long walks along the shores of the Solway Firth with her dogs. This leads on to her other great interest - dog training. She competed with two Papillons - Dusty and Moff - in Obedience before taking them into Working Trials where they both gained the coveted Kennel Club award of CDEx. (Companion Dog Excellent). She is now competing in the new canine sport of Heelwork to Music or Canine Freestyle with another Papillon Rooskie, who is called after a little dog in Solway Sleuth-Hounds. He also gave his name to the Rooskie Press. Mary and Rooskie can be seen practising on YouTube. To find out more go to Mary's own web site at http://www.marysmoffat.co.uk/ To see Mary and Rooskie on YouTube go to the home page of YouTube and go to the search box at the top of the page. Type in Mary's user name - marysmoffat - and click and this should bring up all her clips. http://www.youtube.com/