The Unforgiven Dead Fulton Ross 9781950301577

You could have saved her.

Sure as the tide against his Highland shores, the refrain beats into Constable Angus 'Dubh' MacNeil's mind. For years it has haunted him, accompanied by the faces of those he could not save-the Burned Man, the Strangled Woman, the Drowned Boy. All witnesses to a secret he cannot share and a gift he now refuses to embrace.

You could have saved her. The refrain drives Angus to the seashore at dawn, where a girl lies on the unblemished sand. She wears a green cloak and cradles a corps creadha, a Highland voodoo doll. She has suffered a ritualistic, three-fold death-her head bludgeoned, her throat cut, and symbolically drowned.

It is Faye Chichester, daughter of an American billionaire whose mission to reintroduce wolves to the Highlands has embroiled the village of Glenruig. But even as media and police swarm the area, that refrain-you could have saved her-echoes in all Angus's thoughts. For he carries a burden, a blessing, a curse, a secret-da-shealladh, the second sight of Gaelic lore.

Gills MacMurdo, noted folklorist, academic, and Angus's oldest friend, confirms what the da-shealladh is warning. Just as Faye's death was three-fold, so must the murder victims fulfil the ancient pattern. More will die, unless Angus does what he must-close his eyes and see.

National media coverage, including a national radio campaign

Submission to all trade publications, literary, mystery, and thriller

Strong focus on early blurbs for advance reader copies

Targeted Outreach to Top Mystery, Thriller, & Suspense Blogs and Websites. Goodreads Giveaways.

Saturation of the thriller marketplace focusing on podcasts, websites/blogs, and Instagram thriller/horror influencers

Open to co-op opportunities across indies

Submissions to All Relevant Thriller/Mystery Awards

Digital marketing and social media campaign with a strong emphasis on activating our current Instagram book blogger contacts cultivated with publishing A Gentleman's Murder

Adult Fiction, Mystery, and Thriller Book Club Outreach

Goodreads giveaways and $5,000 ad spend

About the Author
Fulton Ross is a writer and journalist from the Scottish Highlands. A graduate in Scottish literature and history from Glasgow University, he has worked on national newspapers for more than a decade. Inspired by Gaelic folk tales, The Unforgiven Dead is his debut novel. Set amidst the brooding landscape of the West Highlands, the novel is envisaged as the first in a series featuring Constable Angus 'Dubh' McNeil. Fulton now lives in Northern Ireland with his wife and three children.

Reviews
"Writing so vivid you can feel the kiss of the Highland mist on your cheeks ... a richly textured debut that is not to be missed by lovers of crime fiction." - Douglas Skelton

"Spellbinding. PC Angus MacNeil must confront the curse of his own hidden gift if he is to prevent another brutal murder." - Andrew James Grieg, 2020 CWA New Blood Dagger Longlist and McIlvanney finalist

Book Information
ISBN 9781950301577
Author Fulton Ross
Format Hardback
Page Count 432
Imprint Inkshares
Publisher Inkshares