![\"imposter\"](\"https:\/\/melanierobertson-king.com\/wp02\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/blog-tour-header.png\")
<\/p>\nToday, at Celtic Connexions, I’m sharing an extract from Marsali Taylor’s latest novel, An Imposter in Shetland, and my review!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
When an internet lifestyle influencer arrives on Shetland to document her ‘perfect’ holiday, the locals are somewhat sceptical.<\/p>\n
Joining a boat trip to the remote islands of St Kilda with sailing sleuth Cass Lynch and her partner DI Gavin Macrae, the young woman seems more concerned with her phone than the scenery.<\/p>\n
But when it’s time to leave, there’s no sign of her. Despite mounting a desperate search, she’s seemingly vanished without trace – from a small island in the middle of the sea.<\/p>\n
As a puzzling investigation gathers pace, there are more questions than answers – and uncovering the truth will reveal dark and long-hidden secrets…<\/p>\n
![\"imposter\"](\"https:\/\/melanierobertson-king.com\/wp02\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/book-cover.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Use three words only to describe your book to make us want to read it?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Mysterious \u2013 fast-moving \u2013 fun.<\/p>\n How did you get started writing?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019ve always written, from when I was a child, and I was a compulsive reader too. I love stories, right from when Mum read the Narnia books to us at bedtime, and when I\u2019m writing it feels like there\u2019s something inside me uncoiling, struggling to get out. In terms of published writing, I\u2019d written two historical romances and a detective trilogy, all still unpublished, before I invented Cass and found a publisher. I also wrote articles for our local magazine,\u00a0Shetland Life<\/span>, which was great training for word-count and deadlines. I\u2019d advise anyone who wants to write to try submitting stuff to a magazine you enjoy. Check the word-count and what else is needed, and try imitating that. That\u2019s how I ended up being a columnist for\u00a0Practical Boat Owner.<\/span>\u00a0I get lovely letters from fellow-sailors all round the world,\u00a0beginnign\u00a0with phrases like, \u2018You mentioned your leaking windows in your column \u2013 have you tried …?\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n Vaila\u00a0and Dawn dress Cass up to go clubbing:<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \u2018Clothes first, Cass,\u2019 Dawn said. She was grinning too. \u2018And don\u2019t look so worried. You\u2019re going to look fashionably gorgeous.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Gorgeous I can live with. It\u2019s the fashionably that\u2019s worrying me.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018We reckoned you and\u00a0Vaila\u00a0were not far off the same size,\u2019 Dawn said, ignoring that, \u2018so we got Mam to take us over to the Eid charity shop, and found you gear to go clubbing in.\u2019<\/p>\n They led me through to their shared bedroom, where an array of clothes was laid out on the bed.<\/p>\n \u2018How about this?\u2019 Dawn asked. She held up a white top with only one shoulder, and an incredibly short leather skirt.<\/p>\n \u2018Do I get leggings under the skirt?\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Absolutely not. The more leg on show, the better. It\u2019s a good thing you\u2019ve been in the sun these last few\u00a0months,\u00a0the white leg look is definitely not cool.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018She\u2019s dark,\u2019\u00a0Vaila\u00a0said. \u2018Shit.\u2019 She gave me a minatory look. \u2018When did you last shave your legs?\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Never,\u2019 I said.<\/p>\n \u2018See, I told you.\u2019 She dug under the tops for a pair of black\u00a0pvc\u00a0trousers. \u2018Try these. And these.\u2019 She picked up a pair of white shoes with impossibly high spike heels.<\/p>\n \u2018Bag,\u2019 Dawn said. \u2018To match the shoes.\u2019 She shoved a white clutch bag the size of\u00a0a \u00a0slice\u00a0of toast into my hand. \u2018You tuck it under your arm.\u2019<\/p>\n I squeezed into the clothes, then the lasses led me off like a lamb to the slaughter back into the living room, shoes in one hand \u2013 I wasn\u2019t going to try walking in them till I had to. \u2018If I can walk in them at all,\u2019 I muttered.<\/p>\n \u2018Good idea,\u2019 Gavin said. \u2018Change her height.\u2019<\/p>\n I was just about to see if the trousers would let me sit down when Peerie Charlie charged in, pink from his bath and looking unbelievably cute in dinosaur pyjamas. \u2018Hello,\u00a0Dass, hello, Gavin!\u2019 He gave my clothes a doubtful look and decided to ignore them. \u2018Mam, can I watch them making\u00a0Dassup? It\u2019s Saturday. I don\u2019t go to bed for ages.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018No,\u2019<\/span>\u00a0I said.<\/p>\n \u2018You can watch a film,\u2019 Inga said, coming in behind him. \u2018Gavin, are you waiting to put Cass to Lerwick once the lasses have finished torturing her? Coffee? Have a seat on the couch.\u2019 Gavin and Peerie Charlie settled comfortably facing the telly. The blaring opening of one of the\u00a0Ice Age\u00a0<\/span>movies filled the room, and Dawn and\u00a0Vaila\u00a0protested in chorus. Inga turned it down, warned Peerie Charlie to leave it there, and put a plate of yo-yos in front of me. Peerie Charlie dived for two each for Gavin and him. I grabbed one before they all went, sat down and prepared to suffer.<\/p>\n It took the whole of the film to get me done. The 25-minute make-up influencer was a whizz-kid by comparison. They started with my nails, buffing and filing them before bringing out a box of plastic ones to lay on the table. There was a bit of discussion on which ones were which hand, then they put a dab of glue on each nail and held it on.<\/p>\n \u2018These will come off again?\u2019 I asked. \u2018And are you going to leave them this long?\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Yes and no,\u2019\u00a0Vaila\u00a0said. \u2018Yes, they\u2019ll come off, and no, we\u2019re going to cut them. Hold still.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Bless!\u2019 Dawn said.<\/p>\n Even cut, they were still a good inch above my fingertips. I held out both hands to be painted on simultaneously \u2013 they were going for scarlet talons \u2013 and swallowed the complaints rising in my throat.<\/p>\n My skin came next. \u2018Folk\u00a0understand\u00a0how important skincare is these days,\u2019 Dawn said, wiping my soap-clean, thoroughly moisturised skin with stuff on cotton wool balls. Then there was toner and moisturiser. After that they put something called primer on, then stopped to discuss the snail-trail scar across my cheek, little-finger-width and bullet straight.<\/p>\n \u2018People\u2019ll\u00a0ken her from it,\u2019\u00a0Vaila\u00a0said. \u2018We\u2019ve got to make it disappear.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Say less,\u2019 Dawn replied, and they tried various creams, with a good deal of discussion of which would work best under foundation, and the occasional calling Inga out from the kitchen to agree or disagree. After that came what they called contouring, followed by cream blush, bronzer and highlighters, using a variety of pots and brushes.<\/p>\n \u2018Brows next,\u2019 Dawn said. She selected what looked like a miniature flue-brush and began brushing my eyebrows upwards.<\/p>\n \u2018Not the gelled ones,\u2019 I said firmly.<\/p>\n \u2018Soap brows,\u2019\u00a0Vaila\u00a0said. \u2018Got to. Everyone has them.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018You don\u2019t,\u2019 I pointed out.<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m younger. Can you see the\u00a0spoolie, Dawn?\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018I\u2019m on it.\u2019 Dawn produced a wider version of a mascara brush. \u2018Lucky natural brows are in.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018There\u2019s nothing natural,\u2019 I retorted, \u2018about having two spiky caterpillars crawling across your brow.\u2019<\/p>\n \u2018Womp womp!\u2019 Dawn said, incomprehensibly. Peerie Charlie took his attention temporarily from a mammoth and sabre-toothed tiger trading insults to look over, say \u2018Womp womp!\u2019 in reply and make a hand gesture I didn\u2019t get the significance of. \u2018Is Dass being difficult?\u2019 he asked.<\/p>\n \u2018No,\u2019 I said.<\/p>\n \u2018Not very,\u2019\u00a0Vaila\u00a0added, \u2018but she might be soon. We\u2019ll need to pluck a few stray hairs. Hold still.\u2019<\/p>\n An influencer disappears on the isolated island of St. Kilda. But is that what really happened?<\/p>\n There were plenty of twists and turns, good guys and bad, and a couple of murders sprinkled in to add to the flavour.<\/p>\n Excellent read. I’m looking forward to her next Shetland novel.<\/p>\nEXTRACT<\/h2>\n
REVIEW<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/melanierobertson-king.com\/wp02\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/5-stars.jpg\")
I’ve read earlier books in Marsali’s Shetland series, starring Cass and Gavin. This one certainly did not disappoint.<\/p>\nHOW TO BUY<\/span><\/h2>\n