Do you know what happened in your family seven generations ago?
Spiritual insight and genealogy research are the heart of Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat and its sequel Bloodlines – Traces, the mystery series on cultural inheritance by Thomas McKerley and Ingrid Schippers.
Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat
The story of American homicide detective Cathy Stewart from Raleigh, North Carolina leads the reader to Ballindaloch Castle in the Highlands, the home of the Macpherson family for over 450 years. Although reluctant at first, Cathy gets drawn into a mystery set in motion by her own ancestors.
Victorian period flashbacks reveal the life and times of Alexander Stewart, born in 1875 as son of the Ballindalloch gamekeeper, who emigrates to America, where a dream comes true.
→ More about the book and the storyline
Download a pdf with the first four chapters of Bloodlines – Touch Not The Cat.
Bloodlines – Traces
After doing the unthinkable and despite the inquisitive DI Duckett, homicide detective Cathy Stewart stays on in the Highlands, to research the clues she has uncovered, leading to the history of her American family.
Intrigued by the Victorian/Edwardian stories of her husband’s Scottish ancestor Alexander Stewart and the laird’s daughter Katherine Macpherson, Cathy sparks a sequence of discoveries guiding her to an astonishing outcome.
→ More about the book and the storyline
Download a pdf with the first four chapters of Bloodlines – Traces.
Praise for the Bloodlines series
As a double act Thomas McKerley and Ingrid Schippers have an assured, unique literary talent.
Arts and Travel writer Vivien Devlin, proofreader of Bloodlines – Traces, February 2016
“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. An auspicious debut and the perfect starting point for a series.”
The Daily Record, The Daily Record book review by Shari Low, Saturday 16th June 2012.
“ Ballindalloch Castle, ancestral home of the Macpersons, is the setting for a long ago tragedy to be revealed. A compelling read. ”
The Scotland Magazine, May/June 2012 edition.
“ This gripping mystery slips easily between past and present, drawing the reader into a rich, multi-layered tale that focuses on the fascinating family history of Ballindalloch Castle. The gripping dual narrative follows Cathy from North Carolina on her journey to the Scottish Highlands as she fights to uncover a family mystery, interspersed with flashbacks to the life of Alexander Stewart in 1875. It’s a page-turning combination of mystery and romance, history and genealogy that will appeal to fans of both detective fiction and family history. ”
Scottish Field, May 2012 edition,
“Cover to Cover” review of Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat: 4 out of 5 stars.
The books and their narrative
Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat: The disappearance of Ballindalloch laird Gordon Macpherson in 1895, sets in motion a chain of events, affecting the lives of 7 generations on both sides of the Atlantic.
Bloodlines – Traces: Following the trail through time to Edinburgh University in 1896, and the WWI battlefields of Gallipoli in 1915, Cathy Stewart finds some curious twists and turns in the family tree.
The authors
‘Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat‘ and ‘Bloodlines-Traces’ were written by author duo Tom McKerley and Ingrid Schippers. Tom and Ingrid are both first-time mystery novel writers. By combining their fortes of down-to-earth structure and spiritual insight, they make a remarkably compatible writers team.
Buy the books
Bloodlines – Touch Not the Cat is published by WYBT Publishing.
ISBN: 978-90-819514-0-1
The paperback version has 316 pages and is priced at £8.99 / $13.50 / €12,96.
It is available on Amazon:
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Amazon.de (free shipping to the Netherlands)
The Kindle e-book edition is available for £2.32 / $2.96 / €2,67:
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Amazon.de
Bloodlines – Traces is published by WYBT Publishing.
ISBN: 978-90-819514-2-5
The paperback version has 328 pages and is priced at £8.99 / $13.50 / €14,95.
It is available on Amazon:
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Amazon.de (free shipping to the Netherlands)
The Kindle e-book edition is available for £4.99 / $ 7,20 / € 6,39: