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The idea behind ‘Bloodlines – Touch Not The Cat’ is an intriguing one. Two threads of a story taking place a century or so apart on either side of the Atlantic are brought together in alternate chapters culminating in an absorbing mystery that has been shrouded in secrecy for generations.

What begins with American David Stewart tracing his Scots heritage becomes increasingly murkier as the action shifts from North Carolina to the Scottish Highlands and a modern-day detective hunt by his homicide cop wife Cathy.

Vividly told, the story fairly rattles on through very convincingly fleshed-out characters as details from Victorian Scotland begin to merge with Cathy’s 21st century quest.

Written by first-time authors Tom McKerley and Ingrid Schippers, Touch Not the Cat is a triumph not only for pulling together two intriguing tales across the centuries but also in overcoming the strategic difficulties involved in the pair liaising from their homes in Troon, Scotland, and the Netherlands respectively.

Full of great characters and packed with fascinating detail – including the fact that Ballindalloch Castle which features in this work of fiction actually exists – this is a rewarding read for anyone interested in genealogy and historic novels as well as those who enjoy a good yarn well told.

Gerry Cassidy, The Word on the Street Magazine, October 2016

Bloodlines – Traces

US cop Cathy Stewart stays on in the Highlands to defend the Macpherson family from the inquisitive DI Duckett over the bones of Gordon Macpherson.

But she finds herself entangled in a 120-year-old scandal involving the laird’s daughter, Katherine, at the University of Edinburgh. Meanwhile, her estranged husband David continues the genealogy quest into the WWI atrocities of Gallipoli, where his ancestor Alexander Stewart is said to have died.

Following Cathy’s trail, New Yorker Diane Cox confronts present-day patriarch Angus Macpherson, when she boards the luxurious Royal Scotsman to heir-hunt her way to the Ballindalloch Estate.

But just as the paths of David and Cathy reunite, and all threads come together, Angus disappears.

This is a page-turner of a novel which sequels the hit debut of Tom McKerley and Ingrid Schippers and takes in many places familiar and not so familiar to Strathy readers, including Grantown and Boat of Garten, as the plot twists through time.

It reveals the challenges of women’s suffrage, poverty in Edwardian Scotland and the disastrous strategy of a young Winston Churchill in the Great War. Like its predecessor, Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat, it’s a well-researched genealogy mystery novel. Its multi-layered narrative combines an atmospheric Gothic romance with a gripping contemporary murder mystery.

McKerley had become somewhat of a genealogy expert having spent time tracing his family tree back to the 1790s so was the perfect foil for the pair’s debut novel with the plot coming in a dream to Schippers.

McKerley constructed an initial synopsis for the first Bloodlines, “just for fun really”, and on a hunch went looking on the web for a location to set the scene. He found Ballindalloch Estate, family home of the Macpherson-Grants since 1546.

The pair started creating a story that would not let them go. Quickly the short-story turned into their first novel. Their second book picks up where novel one left off.

Bloodlines Traces is now on sale priced £8.99 by Would You Believe That Publishing. There’s a free download of the first four chapters on www.touchnotthecat.com

Gavin Musgrove, Strathspey and Badenoch Herald, September 2016

Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat

I thoroughly enjoyed the read and my comments are shown below.

The book was ‘easy on the eye’ due to lots of white space, font style and size and spacing between the sentences. Each chapter clearly reminds us of date, time and location. Excellent for keeping the mind focused if you have to take a break from the book for any reason.

I loved the feel of the book and the chosen size meant it felt comfortable in the hand. I liked that acknowledgements are explained and not just a list of names. It shows how people can research for their ancestors and also gives a wealth of knowledge on history, life style differences. It also showed how position in life impacted our way of thinking , restrictions and control.

Thank you again for such a lovely book.

Linda Luman, Troon Writer’s Club

Will you be our August 2016 winner of  your very own copy of Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat or Bloodlines – Traces, to be send to an address of your choice in Europe, the U.S.A or Australia?

Send in your Review of Share a Blog and tell us about it by sending a mail to info@touchnotthecat.com.
Closing date: September 1st.

On Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat, our July winner Jorine Janssen wrote:

“Normally I’m not one for different timeframes in fiction, but in Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat, it provided more depth and suspense.
To me the Bloodlines series are tales of courage, following up on chances paved by our ancestors through time, the quest to find what really matters.
The Bloodline characters work around the inevitable obstacles life brings while thinking out of the box”

The pace of the book is one of a steady flow, like the river Spey, with surprising turns. Refreshing and enchanting!!

“A compelling read” Roddy Martine, Scotland Magazine

August 2013 Bloodlines-Touch Not the Cat Kindle Sale.
at your local amazon store. From GPB 8,99 NOW: GPB 1,99 ($ 3.08, euro 2,31)

Download the first four chapters for free or go to your Amazon store:

Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Amazon.de

Read on for the Dutch-English translation of Offringa’s review in Whisky Passion magazine:

Bloodlines Touch Not the Cat

During the last edition of the Whisky Live Holland festival in The Hague; my eye caught this book, of which a number of copies were for sale at the Whisky Passion booth.

The cover showed Ballindalloch castle. I know the owner and the castle, complete with Aberdeen Angus herd, and have used it as background once for a television documentary.
Recently, during the Speyside Festival 2012, Mrs Russell and I had the honor to open a culinary event at the Craiggellachie hotel.

All this amounted to more than one reason for me to pick up this book.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and did so within a few days.
The authors, a Scottish IT-consultant and a Dutch Yoga teacher, have written a real page turner.
The last chapters of the book include the prologue of the sequel, which I will definitely read once its published, as I’m curious to know more on what will happen next.

By weaving two story-lines together, one set more than a hundred years ago and one set in present day time, McKerley and Schippers have constructed an appealing brand of suspense, that tempts you to read yet another chapter, while you feel you should actually switch of the light and go to sleep. Chapeau!

Some whisky is being consumed as well in the book by the way, particularly Glenlivet and Cragganmore. Oddly enough no Glenfarclas, while that is to be found only a stone’s throw away from Ballindalloch.

It is a debut novel. Every now and again, the authors are a little hurried, particularly in the setting of time, character development and dialogue;
so do not expect it to be a literary thriller.

The novel grew to be an interesting mix between genealogy, drama and murder mystery.
Until the very end there is tangible suspense on whether or not a murder has been committed and on the matter of “whodunnit”.

The credit for this goes to both authors. I am looking forward to the sequel.

For editorial information regarding Whisky Passion: Ronald@wiskypassion.nl

To get a copy or subscription:

Abonnementenland, Postbus 20, 1910 AA Uitgeest, 0900-2265263, FAX: 0251-310405 or www.bladenbox.nl

The success that has befallen the spiritual genealogy mystery novel since its publication was awarded June 5^th 2012 with a very special event at the main location of the novel: Ballindalloch Castle.

At the invitation of the current Lady Laird; Clare Macpherson-Grant Russell, the fictional inhabitants of the Ballindalloch Estate and their authors were welcomed in the charming castle tearoom.

As an extra wonderful surprise, the passengers of the famous ‘Royal Scotsman Train Journey’, that includes Ballindalloch Castle in its excursion program, visited the event.

Among the passengers was Arts and Travel writer Vivien Devlin, who shared her views on inspirational train journeys and talked to the authors about the sequel: Bloodlines – Traces, they are currently working on.

“What could be more appropriate”, Viv Devlin said “than to follow in the footsteps of Agatha Christie and have a murder or mystery on board the Orient Express Royal Scotsman train”.

With the words of Shari Low in mind, who in her Daily Record review of Bloodlines Touch Not the Cat described the novel as ”the perfect starting point for a series” this might well be another dream come true in the sequel, where the Royal Scotsman will bring an American passenger “who has a story to tell” to Ballindalloch castle…

Links

Photo album Ballindalloch June 5^th event

More on the Royal Scotsman by Vivien Devlin

The other day Tom even sent an e-mail to the local weekly of Wake Forrest, North Carolina and yes indeed received an enthusiastic answer back. Bloodlines –Touch Not the Cat is now in stock at the town’s local bookshop. ☺

It’s this sort of persistence that brought our book to Shari Low, author and book reviewer of Scottish Newspaper, the Daily Record. We are very very happy with her review:

The Daily Record book review, Saturday 16th June 2012

Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat by McKerley and Schippers

“Once upon a time there were two authors with a clever idea for a new novel.
They worked together over month and miles, and the result has all the elements of a great read; family feuds, suspicious deaths, betrayals and a compelling narrative that switches effortlessly between the past and the present.

Detective Cathy Stewart, nee Macpherson, is coerced into visiting the Scottish home of her ancestors, Ballindalloch Castle. But her investigative skills are soon back at work, on the trail of answers to a mystery that has gone unsolved for over a century.

An auspicious debut and the perfect starting point for a series.”

“The book is a good interesting solid read and pulls your interest along with the changing timescales and characters. They are well constructed and you find that you care about their lives and difficulties.

The structure is good, clear and carefully worked out. The tension at the end of the book and the tensions between Cathy and David heightened the interest and leads naturally on to wanting to know more. Billy is a good foil traditional dour Scot to Cathy’s brash American “can-do” bravado. So, the many angles at the end makes for an exciting read.

The main characters are well rounded, e.g. Alexander, in particular his relationship with Katherine. Cathy at a crossroads in her life and her “possession” by the undercurrents and tensions in the castle are particularly well written. Cathy, brittle so sensitive to otherness comes across well.

The book flows well and in all a good enjoyable read.”

Marjory Marshall, owner of the Bookmark Bookshop, Grantown-on-Spey

“A thoroughly good read. The story struck a perfect balance of history, intrigue and mystery, keeping me interested and turning the pages well past my bedtime.

The characters were brought to life through their personalities and I had genuine feelings about each of them.

The details and descriptions of the places where the story takes place were so good, they were also brought to life for me, and although I have never visited them, (I want to now though), I felt they were made feel familiar and I think were I to visit, I would feel I had been there already.

The switches between past and present were seamless and very clever – as a lover of historical and modern-day stories I was given the best of both worlds.”

Libby Banyard, Dunfermline

“When I read about your book in the local paper (Strathspey and Badenoch Herald) I immediately put in an order with Amazon. – I was not disappointed. The book arrived Friday and with no chance to open it over a hectic weekend I started it yesterday and finished it today. Last night was late night shopping in Grantown-on-Spey for switching on the Christmas lights so I popped in to the Bookmark to have a chat with Marjory and share some ginger wine. I apologised for not buying the book through her but will definitely get the sequel here. When is it coming out? Most of my reading is mystery/police/forensic but I also enjoy researching my family tree so enjoyed an opportunity to have that included. I shall definitely recommend the book locally – I really enjoyed it – thank you.”

Mrs Alex Bodman, Grantown-on-Spey

“I finished the book at about 1 AM on the Nov. 16… after I got home that day I couldn’t put it down.  It’s the first time in a decade that I’ve been so absorbed in a book.

The entire story had a “symmetry” which I thoroughly enjoyed – stories within stories with relationships that only became clear as the story progressed.  The characters were great (I especially like “Uncle T”), and I was intrigued by  the “experience” of 19/20th century life in Scotland and Boston.  The attention to detail (historical and whiskey-related) gave additional depth to the characters and their experience.

A few highlights:
- The “Pre-Prologue” was an unexpected twist; I knew that there was some aspect of Catherine’s relationship to the MacPherson’s and David that was missing, but I didn’t foresee the adoption of Katherine’s child by John.
- The description of Ellis Island was very good, and something that has direct relevance to my family history – in 1907, my Grandmother’s sister was sent back to Polandbecause of an eye infection (her mother went with her and died before she could return to the US).
- I’ve always wondered what it’s like for families to live in a home/tourist attraction (I used to live in Charleston, South Carolina where there are a number of old mansions).  I laughed out loud (unfortunate at 11 PM, with my wife sleeping next to me) when Maggie was speaking with Catherine and sat in a chair labeled “DO NOT TOUCH” for the tourists.

I’d like to thank you for a great book!  Now, when’s the next one ”

Jeff Pinkler

“ I have just thoroughly enjoyed a real page-turner, co-written by Ingrid Schippers and Thomas McKerley. Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat takes us to the heart of the Scottish Highlands where an American homicide detective, a member of the Macpherson clan, finds herself drawn into a mystery set in motion by her ancestors a hundred years earlier.

Cathy is reluctant to go back to her roots at Ballindalloch Castle, the home of the Macphersons for over 450 years but instinct takes over and she comes face to face with the family mystery, the disappearance of the laird over a hundred years earlier.

Flashbacks take us to the life and times of Alexander Stewart, the castle gamekeeper, ancestor of Catherine’s partner. We share his love for an earlier Katherine Macpherson and witness the evil way he is separated from her by the laird, and suspected of involvement in the inexplicable disappearance of Gordon Macpherson, the laird.

The story is beautifully paced, moving deftly towards the climax that we have been anticipating since Cathy arrived in the castle.

A wealth of Scottish colour fills this delightful sortie into genealogy as, with Cathy, we experience the land of her ancestors: tartan, midges, highland games, even an explanation of that clan motto, ‘Touch not the cat!’ ”