A Grown-Up Highland Romance

I just finished reading Blood on the Tartan by Chris Holmes and thought I'd share my review:

Chris Holmes weaves a bittersweet tale worthy of a clan storyteller against the backdrop of the Highlands of Scotland. The year is 1854 and the economy of the Highlands is shifting -- from tenant crop farming to sheep farming. And sheep need room to graze. Landlords all over Scotland are "clearing" their tenants in place of four-footed clansmen, and the lord of Strath Carron is no different.

Catherine Ross is no stranger to the Clearances. Displaced from her childhood home, she made a life with her husband in the village of Greenyards. Now a widow, she has only her son and her home in the valley of Strath Carron, for generations her family's place.

Ian Macgregor is a constable newly stationed in Strath Carron. Idealistic and full of faith in Victorian justice, he acquaints himself with the villagers of Greenyards, and the attractive young widow Catherine.

Their growing sweet romance will be put to the test when the Clearances come to Greenyards. Catherine urges her neighbours to resist the unjust evictions, while Ian is trapped between his love for her and his duty to uphold the law.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read -- the characters are vibrant, bringing to life all the emotions and motivations behind the tumultuous period of the Highland Clearances. Chris Holmes has a true bard's voice.