Donald S Murray
Writer and poet Donald S Murray is an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Scottish Literature who has won the Society of Authorsโ Paul Torday Memorial Prize (2012, for As the Women Lay Dreaming,) and the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award (2021), among many awards for his historical fiction, creative non-fiction and poems. 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 and as a live performer.
In a Veil of Mist
Read an extract
HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH, THE TIMES LONGLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE 2021 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 OF In a Veil of Mist
โWhere the book really scores is in Murrayโs familiarity with โฆ [the island] culture โฆ a living community of varied characters with generations of history behind them, giving his story depth and solidity.โ Herald
โA wonderfully evocative book โฆ brought to the page โฆ with consummate skill โฆ We'd strongly recommend [it to] anyone looking for really strong and memorable fiction about Scotland โฆ outstanding.โ Undiscovered Scotland
"A well-written and well-crafted novel from an author at the height of his powers.โ Eric Macintyre, Oban Times
โHuman and relatable โฆ beautifully depicting life in the Outer Hebrides. A gripping, intelligent and often humorous read.โ Scottish Field
โSet in [Murrayโs] native Lewis as firmly as the stones at Callanish โฆ it is so credibly drawn that the book is almost a ticket to the island โฆ it seems an even more impressive achievement than ever.โ David Robinson, Books from Scotland
โShows yet again how a good novel is capable of making you think and feel at the same time โฆ a rich and sympathetic portrayal of island life in all its diversity โฆ timely and compelling โฆ a novel to savour.โ Allan Massie, Scotsman
โAdmirably atmospheric and engaging.โ Scotsman
โA moving portrait of a place and its people โฆ a quiet, sad but brilliant novel.โ Antonia Senior, Times, Book of the Month in best historical fiction, March 2021. Read more
