'An immersive and entertaining read' – Alistair Mabbot, The Herald

The year is 1317, and young squire Benedict Russell has joined the English-held garrison of Berwick-upon-Tweed after the spectacular Scottish victory at Bannockburn three years earlier.

Serious and self-doubting, he can’t wait for his time there to come to an end. Living on the disputed territory between Scotland and England is a precarious existence, and as the Scots draw ever closer and the English king does nothing to stop them, Benedict finds himself in a race against time to solve the brutal murder of a young girl and find the traitor who lurks within Berwick’s walls.

'Dark Hunter offers a fascinating glimpse of how the Scottish Wars of Independence may have been perceived from the other side'

'A lifetime of extensive research has resulted in the firm grasp of period detail that makes Dark Hunter an immersive and entertaining read'

'Watson, a medieval historian, brings to vivid life the sights, sounds and smells of this 14th-century world, especially the claustrophobic, volatile atmosphere of Berwick, with encroaching danger outside the walls and treachery nestling in the nooks and crannies of the streets'

'As a portrayal of a mediaeval town under siege, the novel is excellent'

'Choc full of joys'

'A masterful debut novel'

'The story is well told and captures beautifully the time and essence of the 14th century… For lovers of historical fiction, this is a book to be enjoyed by the fire on a cold evening’

'An excellent medieval mystery novel that is pacey and full of tension, but which is also historically fascinating and informative'

'The historical background in this novel is impeccable... definitely worth a read'

'brings the tension of a dangerously claustrophobic 14th century Berwick-upon-Tweed to life' 

Fiona Watson is a medieval historian and writer specialising in medieval warfare in particular, and Scottish History more generally. Among her many publications are Macbeth: A True Story (2010), A History of Scotland’s Landscapes (2018), Traitor, Outlaw, King. Part One. The Making of Robert Bruce, (2018) and Scotland’s History (2020). A former senior lecturer in History at the University of Stirling and presenter of the 2001 TV series, In Search of Scotland, she is now venturing into historical fiction to make the most of the limited evidence for medieval Scotland.