Praise for Pat McIntosh: “McIntosh’s characterizations and period details are first rate and bode well for future entries in this series.”—Publishers Weekly “McIntosh provides an intelligent, authentic, and suspenseful historical whodunit that will please the most demanding of Ellis Peters’ fans.”—Booklist Gil Cunningham, a young notary, has escaped a life in the Church to become the archbishop’s questioner, only to be accused of causing a man’s death by witchcraft. Gil and his young wife must solve the mystery to save him. Pat McIntosh was born and brought up in Lanarkshire, Scotland. She worked in Glasgow before settling on Scotland’s west coast.

Praise for Pat McIntosh: “McIntosh’s characterizations and period details are first rate and bode well for future entries in this series.”—Publishers Weekly “McIntosh provides an intelligent, authentic, and suspenseful historical whodunit that will please the most demanding of Ellis Peters’ fans.”—Booklist Gil Cunningham, a young notary, has escaped a life in the Church to become the archbishop’s questioner, only to be accused of causing a man’s death by witchcraft. Gil and his young wife must solve the mystery to save him. Pat McIntosh was born and brought up in Lanarkshire, Scotland. She worked in Glasgow before settling on Scotland’s west coast.

Glasgow, 1492: Gil Cunningham returns to his old university for a night of food, theater, and revelry, only to find one of the actors dead in the coal house, and becomes tangled in a web of espionage and blackmail.

The crows are gathering above Glasgow, watching the movements of the clergy and townspeople alike...Tied to St Mungo's Cross by the cathedral to be cured of her madness overnight by the saint, the young woman is found in the morning beaten and strangled, still tied to the cross. But is she who she seems to be? And who would flout the saint's protection like this? Gil Cunningham must trace the dead woman and find her enemies, track down the thieves and murderers and identify the watchers in the shadows, particularly the elusive fourth person who holds the secret of what happened that night. Questioning cathedral staff and apprentice boys, pilgrims and tradesmen, he uncovers only more puzzles. And then there is another death. How is it connected to the first? While his wife Alys deals with the tensions within their family, Gil has to untangle the threads of the mystery to find the solution to all the crimes.ReviewPraise for Pat McIntosh’s Gil Cunningham series:"McIntosh's characterizations and period detail are first rate."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review"Gil's adventures continue to provide satisfying, albeit convoluted, mysteries larded with historical detail."—Kirkus Reviews“McIntosh artfully interweaves intrigue and history into this suspenseful medieval murder tale.”—Booklist "Will do for Glasgow in the fifteenth century what Ellis Peters did and her Brother Cadfael did for Shrewsbury in the twelfth."—Mystery Readers JournalAbout the AuthorBorn and brought up in Lanarkshire, Pat McIntosh lived and worked in Glasgow before settling on Scotland's west coast, where she lives with her husband and three cats.

Could Davey have been carried off by the fairies only to reappear forty years later, seemingly not a day older than when he vanished? What about other Scottish sweet singers who are missing?From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. The baffling return of David Drummond, who vanished as a child three decades earlier, is but one of several intriguing puzzles Gil Cunningham investigates in McIntosh's excellent sixth mystery to feature the 15th-century Scottish constable (after 2008's The Rough Collier). David was about 11 when he disappeared without a trace from Glen Buckie, but somehow he's aged only five or six years in the meantime. Cunningham must also ascertain the fates of four men, all choir members, who have recently gone missing. Some locals believe only the supernatural can explain these inexplicable events—one is sure the devil himself is behind them. Cunningham, who seeks a more mundane agency, doggedly interviews those who might be responsible for the abductions, including David's older brother, Andrew, whose singing voice has been damaged and who may resent those with uninjured voices. McIntosh does a solid job of blending plot and period detail. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistHusband-and-wife sleuthing team Gil and Alys Cunningham are as mystified as the local residents on the shores of Loch Voil when Davie Drummond, a young Cathedral singer who vanished more than thirty years ago, reappears, seemingly having aged but a few years. When they begin their investigations, it appears that a number of church song men in the area have recently gone missing, leading the Cunninghams to believe that the past and present disappearances may somehow be related. After a fatal fire, Gil and Alys must sort through Highland suspicion and superstition to piece together the pieces of a puzzle that reaches back decades into the past. McIntosh provides a signature twist at the end that serves as an unexpected bonus for readers already enthralled with the medieval mystery she has spun. --Margaret Flanagan

Praise for the Gil Cunningham series: “Another hearty meal stuffed with fascinating period tidbits and a satisfying mystery.”—Kirkus Reviews “McIntosh artfully interweaves intrigue and history in this suspenseful medieval mystery tale.”—Booklist The third mystery in the Gil Cunningham medieval Scottish series. Gil Cunningham’s friend Augie Morison is a merchant. When he opens a barrel sent from the Low Countries that is supposed to contain books, he finds a decapitated head—and a treasure. There is an inquest the next day before the Provost at which Morison is accused of the crime and imprisoned. He implores Gil to help him. The trail of the treasure and of the barrel containing it, which they attempt to follow in order to identify the dead man—and his murderer—leads Gil and his betrothed’s father, a French Master Mason, from the royal court of King James at Stirling, to a cooper’s yard in Linlithgow, and then to another corpse, found intact, lying on the bare slopes of the Pentland hills.

Could Davey have been carried off by the fairies only to reappear forty years later, seemingly not a day older than when he vanished? What about other Scottish sweet singers who are missing?From Publishers WeeklyStarred Review. The baffling return of David Drummond, who vanished as a child three decades earlier, is but one of several intriguing puzzles Gil Cunningham investigates in McIntosh's excellent sixth mystery to feature the 15th-century Scottish constable (after 2008's The Rough Collier). David was about 11 when he disappeared without a trace from Glen Buckie, but somehow he's aged only five or six years in the meantime. Cunningham must also ascertain the fates of four men, all choir members, who have recently gone missing. Some locals believe only the supernatural can explain these inexplicable events—one is sure the devil himself is behind them. Cunningham, who seeks a more mundane agency, doggedly interviews those who might be responsible for the abductions, including David's older brother, Andrew, whose singing voice has been damaged and who may resent those with uninjured voices. McIntosh does a solid job of blending plot and period detail. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistHusband-and-wife sleuthing team Gil and Alys Cunningham are as mystified as the local residents on the shores of Loch Voil when Davie Drummond, a young Cathedral singer who vanished more than thirty years ago, reappears, seemingly having aged but a few years. When they begin their investigations, it appears that a number of church song men in the area have recently gone missing, leading the Cunninghams to believe that the past and present disappearances may somehow be related. After a fatal fire, Gil and Alys must sort through Highland suspicion and superstition to piece together the pieces of a puzzle that reaches back decades into the past. McIntosh provides a signature twist at the end that serves as an unexpected bonus for readers already enthralled with the medieval mystery she has spun. --Margaret Flanagan

“McIntosh's characterizations and period detail are first rate and bode well for future entries in this series.”—Publishers Weekly “The next Cunningham adventure is to be welcomed.”—Historical Novels Review Novice lawyer Gil Cunningham finds his true vocation not as a priest but as an investigator. This meticulously researched historical mystery is the debut of a medieval Scottish investigator. Gil Cunningham is a recently qualified lawyer whose family expects him to enter the priesthood. At the May Day dancing at Glasgow Cross, Gil notices an attractive woman who is subsequently murdered. When he finds the body of the woman in the new building under construction at Glasgow Cathedral, he is asked to investigate. The corpse was the runaway wife of cruel, unpleasant nobleman John Semphill. She had left him to live with a blind harper whom she bore an infant son. With the help of Maistre Pierre, the French master mason whose lovely daughter has captured his heart, Gil identifies a callous multiple murderer that no one would have suspected. Born and brought up in Lanarkshire, Pat McIntosh lived and worked in Glasgow for many years before settling on the West Coast. The Harper’s Quine is the first in the Gil Cunningham medieval mystery series.From Publishers WeeklyLovers of quality historicals will welcome McIntosh's debut, a convincing whodunit set in 15th-century Glasgow. Lawyer Gilbert Cunningham, a progressive and empathic young man, is letting entropy propel him toward a life in the priesthood. His natural intelligence, curiosity and logic serve him in good stead when he stumbles across the corpse of a young woman on the grounds of a cathedral. The victim proves to be the estranged wife of a nobleman who had left him for a harper. Assisted by the forward and independent daughter of a local mason, Cunningham carefully examines forensic clues as well as the mysteries of the human heart to uncover the twisted soul responsible for a number of deaths. Impressively, the author manages to avoid false or anachronistic notes in depicting Scottish life in 1492. While some historical references will be obscure to an American audience, they don't detract from a clever plot, littered with fair clues to the puzzles. The rough justice that befalls the villain is a little contrived, but there's every reason for the legions of fans of the late Ellis Peters to anticipate the next Cunningham mystery. Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Review"'McIntosh's characterisations and period detail are first rate and bode well for future entries in this series.' Publishers Weekly 'The next Cunningham adventure is to be welcomed.' Historical Novels Review"

Gil Cunningham is the Archbishop’s questioner—his investigator. Nanty and Danny were rivals for the affection of Agnes, the apothecary’s daughter. Danny dies, apparently of poisoning, after drinking from his friend’s flask. But what was the poison? Is Nanty guilty? Then more murders ensue, and Gil’s wife, Alys, joins the investigation.From Publishers WeeklyIn McIntosh's busy seventh Gil Cunningham mystery (after 2009's The Stolen Voice), the 15th-century Scottish constable investigates a series of poisonings. When actor Dan Gibson falls down deathly sick at the end of a mummer's play performed on All Hallow's Eve at Gil's sister's house in Glasgow, it appears Dan was poisoned by the drops of medicine fellow actor Nanty Bothwell, who was playing an apothecary, gave him. Many of those present saw Dan and Nanty, who were rivals in love over the actress playing the apothecary's daughter, quarrel beforehand. Since Nanty is as distraught as everyone else at Dan's demise, Gil isn't so sure of Nanty's guilt. Soon more victims fall prey to the unknown poisoner. While the action gets off to a fast start, the onslaught of characters and conversation makes the plot somewhat difficult to follow. Series fans will be pleased to revisit old friends, but newcomers may find themselves lost in the Scottish hills. (July) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistIn McIntosh’s latest medieval mystery starring Glasgow sleuth Gil Cunningham, a fast-acting poison is claiming some unlikely victims. First, actor Dannie Gibson dies after being dosed by fellow actor Nanty Bothwell during a performance, but even though the two men were romantic rivals for apothecary Francis Renfrew’s daughter, Agnes, Cunningham questions whether Gibson’s death was deliberate. A second poisoning causes circumstantial evidence to point to the dysfunctional Renfrew family, between whose three generations of members little love is lost. As Gil works to uncover the composition of the poison and the motive for murder, his wife, Alys, is badly shaken by unintentionally witnessing a difficult childbirth. Despite a somewhat hasty wrap-up, the seventh in the series (after The Stolen Voice, 2009) is notable for its well-rounded characters and authentic historical background. Readers should be aware that the authenticity extends to language; McIntosh provides a Scots dictionary Web site, but a brief glossary (noting, for example, that the pig of the title is an earthenware vessel) would have been helpful. --Michele Leber

The warden of St Serf's has been found dead in the almshouse garden. He appears to have been killed on the previous night but there are those who are convinced he was present at that morning's service, The elderly residents, the almshouse nurse and Humphrey, her deranged favourite, have all been set against one another by the dead man's scheming - and then there is the discarded mistress and almshouse ghost to consider. Tracing the dead man's last movements between the Cathedral precinct and the shores of the Clyde, Gil Cunningham is both helped and hindered by his two sisters who have come to Glasgow for his wedding to Alys. An uncanny event followed by the arrival of Gil's godfather, precipitates the crisis. Finally, it is Alys who helps Gil identify the warden's killer. PRAISE FOR PAT MCINTOSH 'McInotosh's characterisations and period detail are first rate and bode well for future entries in this series.' Publishers Weekly 'The next Cunningham adventure is to be welcomed.' Historical Novels ReviewReview"* 'McInotosh's characterisations and period detail are first rate and bode well for future entries in this series.' Publishers Weekly * 'The next Cunningham adventure is to be welcomed.' Historical Novels Review" About the AuthorLike her protaganist Gil Cunnigham, Pat MacInstosh is a graduate of Glasgow University, She lived and worked in Glasgow before settling on Scotland's West Coast.

Gil Cunningham had hoped that the first time he set foot in the brothel on the Drygate it would also be his last, but by the time all was settled he felt quite at home within its artfully painted chambers. The bawdy house, along with the neighbouring property and two more in Strathblane, are all part of a deal offered to Gil and his wife Alys by the forceful Dame Isabella. Her proposal also involves Gil’s young ward, and matters are further confused by an outbreak of counterfeit coins in Glasgow, which Gil has been ordered to investigate. Then Dame Isabella is found dead in strange circumstances, and the more Gil pursues the cause of her death, the more false coins he finds. And then the bawd-mistress, the enigmatic Madam Xanthe, gets involved and rumours circulate that the Devil is abroad in Strathblane. By the time Gil and Alys have untangled matters, some very surprising – and sinister – thing have come to light…Review"Suspenseful . . . McIntosh deftly balances plot and period detail."--"Publishers Weekly ""Gil's adventures ("A Pig of Cold Poison", 2008, etc.) continue to provide satisfying, albeit convoluted, mysteries larded with historical detail."--"Kirkus Reviews""A good pick for fans of the series and the genre."--"Library Journal""Will do for Glasgow in the fifteenth century what Ellis Peters did and her Brother Cadfael did for Shrewsbury in the twelfth."--"Mystery Readers Journal" About the AuthorBorn and brought up in Lanarkshire, Pat McIntosh lived and worked in Glasgow before settling on Scotland's west coast, where she lives with her husband and three cats.

'The tale seems very improbable,' Gil Cunningham said. 'How should the Devil enter a religious house and carry off one of its members?'How indeed? But Arnold Fleming, the widely dislike pensioner, or corrodian, lodged in the Dominican's house in Perth, has vanished from a chamber, and a local knight and his mistress claim to have seen the Devil abroad that very same night. Three of the friars are accused by their fellows of involvement, documents found in Fleming's lodgings suggest he was blackmailing somebody, and when Gil is called in to investigate, he reveals theft, ancient murder - and more recent secrets.Then a body turns up - then a second one. Are these deaths connected to Fleming's disappearance, or to the victim of his blackmailing activities? Gil's questioning uncovers some of the truth, but it is Alys who discovers the answer, with the help of the Dominicans' redoubtable lay-brothers and the priory kitchens.Praise for Pat Macintosh:'Will do for Glasgow in the fifteenth...

Glasgow 1492. Gil Cunningham remarked later that if he had known he would find a corpse in the university coalhouse, he would never have gone to the Arts Faculty feast. In this mysterious adventure Gil Cunningham returns to his old university for the Nicholas Feast, where he and his colleagues are entertained by a play presented by some of the students. One of the actors, William Irvine, is later found murdered and Gil assisted by Alys, begins to disentangle a complex web of espionage and blackmail involving William's tutors and fellow students. Matters are further complicated by the arrival of Gil's formidable mother who is determined to inspect his betrothed. Little do Alys and Gil realise that it will be she who provides the final, vital key to unmask the murderer and lay his motives clear.

In the ninth Gil Cunningham mystery set in medieval Glasgow, the crime-solving notary investigates the slaying of a woman found dead outside a cathedral. Tied to St. Mungo's Cross by the cathedral, to be cured of her madness overnight by the saint, a young woman is found in the morning beaten and strangled, still tied to the cross. Who would flout the saint's protection like this? And who is stealing cathedral property? The crows are gathering about Glasgow, watching the movements of clergy and townspeople. Gil Cunningham must investigate the dead woman, track down the thieves, and identify the watchers in the shadows, particularly the elusive fourth person who holds the secret of what happened in the night. While his wife Alys deals with tensions within the family, Gil questions cathedral staff and apprentice boys, pilgrims and tradesmen, but he uncovers only more puzzles. And then there is another death. How are the murders connected?