Crown & Dagger

'Crown & Dagger' combines two ingenious detective stories set in Edinburgh involving discontented historian Max Quillan.

'Stolen Honours' sees Max back in Edinburgh where he spent his youth. The Honours of Scotland (the oldest Crown Jewels in the world) are stolen from Edinburgh Castle by activists for Scottish independence. Arrests are made but the Honours remain hidden. Max's lady-friend Rosie is the KC defending the activists, and her best friend DCI Helen Dyer is leading the police investigation. He manages to annoy both by discovering where the jewels are hidden during an entertaining journey which links the colourful history of the Jewels to the current political climate in Scotland.

'To Kill a Crimewriter' uncovers a plot to kill four famous crime writers who all live in Edinburgh. Arthur Conan Doyle, who was born in the city, is being honoured at a dinner at which the writers are speakers. Max picks up a discarded menu on which someone has sketched methods of murder against the names of the writers. When the first actual attempt is made along the same lines, Max sets out to find out which of the dinner guests might be responsible. Links to a recently released murderer suggest he is being used as a proxy killer in a chilling game. When Max finally unmasks the evil mentor it brings disastrous consequences to someone he holds dear.