Campbeltown tractor talk inspires new Argyll crime thriller

The plot of the new novel centres on a gruesome discovery in the fictional village of Baldrishaig, where local busybody Ellen McIver is found dead – run over repeatedly by a tractor.

“The murder weapon in this story is a tractor,” said Daniel, “and Iain at Glenside Tractors in Campbeltown was kind enough to tell me all about tractors and even let me sit in one.”

Despite the real-world research, Daniel was careful to ensure his fictional setting didn’t ruffle any local feathers.

He said: “I loved researching The Knapdale Murders, though I decided in the end to invent a fictional village, somewhere between Dunmore and Loch Stornoway, in case anybody thought I was writing about them!”

The story introduces DI Anna Vaughan, who moves from Glasgow to the Highlands. Seeking an escape from her personal life, Vaughan is thrust into her first murder case as a DI, assisted by local DC Jo McLean.

What initially looks like a tragic accident involving an elderly farmer with dementia soon reveals a darker undercurrent. 

According to the publisher, the novel explores a community living under a “cloud of fear”, where a murderer hides in plain sight behind the picturesque scenery of the West Coast.

Victoria Britton, editorial director at Boldwood Books, said: “Daniel skilfully takes readers into the heart of small town life in the Scottish Highlands, where nothing is as peaceful as it seems, and behind the picturesque beauty of the Argyll coast, a murderer hides in plain sight.”

Fans of Daniel’s work won’t have to wait long for more Argyll-based intrigue. The author confirmed that the second book in the series is already in the works and will shift the action across the water to the Isle of Mull.

Daniel, who grew up in Yorkshire and lived and worked in Liverpool, Glasgow, Dublin and Finland before settling in Helensburgh, is a frequent visitor to Kintyre with his wheaten terrier, Rasmus. 

He continues to find the dramatic landscapes of the peninsula the perfect inspiration for his “dark and pacy” whodunnits.

The Knapdale Murders by Daniel Sellers is published by Boldwood Books and will be available from March 1.