I’m delighted to welcome Marsali Taylor to my blog today as part of her tour for An Imposter in Shetland.
Thank you to the organisers, Reading Between The Lines for allowing me to be part of this tour 🙂
1. What inspired you to write An Imposter in Shetland?
Two things: firstly, a wonderful voyage to the islands of St Kilda, off the west coast of Scotland, and, until the 1930s, Britain’s furthest inhabited islands. How the islanders came to leave their home for the mainland is a fascinating story, and the place itself is beautiful, haunting and melancholy.
The other thing that I wanted to write about was how the lives of teenagers today have changed, particularly in response to being constantly bombarded with idealised images of beauty. My sailing heroine, Cass, is mate aboard Shetland’s own tall ship, the century-old fishing vessel Swan, on a voyage to the Western Isles of Scotland, and the plot centres around a gorgeous and mysterious influencer disappearing from St Kilda…
2. What kind of research did you have to undertake for An Imposter in Shetland?
My research is always a lot of fun. The minute I saw Shetland’s own tall ship, Swan, had a trip to St Kilda I signed up. Swan’s my home from home, sailing-wise, and I brought my big sister along for her first sailing voyage. We had a great trip, and I spent a good bit of it scribbling down descriptions of place and weather. Luckily, no passengers went missing.
I’m absolutely not an image person – my usual wear is non-designer jeans and a charity-shop jumper – so I also had to research influencers. I was startled and rather horrified to discover there are also AI influencers who are so lifelike that people send them fan-mail – except in their looks, which a real human would only achieve with serious dieting, exercise and surgery.
Finally, Gavin, Cass’s DI partner, is involved in the EncroChat affair – an absolutely fascinating radio 4 series, Catching the Kingpin, which I heard part of while driving to a panto rehearsal, and went back to listen to it all, notebook and pen in hand.
Extract 1: the opening of the book: Cass meets influencer Tiede:
The girl standing on the pier above us didn’t look real. She had ripples of tawny mane flowing over one side of her face from a side parting. Her eyes were green as a cat’s, fringed with jet lashes, and her brows were groomed into perfect arches. A soft rose colour flushed her peach-bloom cheeks. She had a slim nose above full lips and a delicate chin – in short, to describe her, I was having to resort to romantic novel clichés. I turned to our engineer, Duncan Thomason, expecting to see him wide-eyed with admiration, and was surprised by the scowl on his face.
‘My neighbour,’ he muttered.
‘Really?’ I knew Duncan lived not far from where I’d grown up, on the Shetland island of Muckle Roe, in a croft house surrounded by other croft houses. I couldn’t imagine this girl living in even the most upgraded of them. Those slim light-blue jeans and suede boots had never been worn for carrying peats into the house; the gipsy-style blouse wouldn’t keep out Shetland winds. I hoped there were sailing clothes in her kitbag.
‘She’s an influencer,’ Duncan added. I had only the vaguest of ideas what that was, but this wasn’t the time to find out. Magnie, our skipper, a retired fisherman now looking at his most official with his best anchors pattern gansey on, his ruddy cheeks freshly shaved and a navy cap over his reddish-fair curls, was giving his briefing to the rest of the trainees at the bow of the boat, and he’d paused to let her come aboard and join them. The others were staring at her. I moved to the boat’s centre and tilted my head back to greet her.
‘Hi, I’m Cass Lynch, mate of the Swan. You’re Tiede Barton? Welcome.’
‘Thanks,’ she said, in one of those pouring honey voices, and handed her kit bag downwards. I stowed it on deck with the other bags while she paused to take a photo from above, then climbed languidly down, as surefooted as if she’d scrambled down piers all her life. I noted that in her favour; maybe she’d fit in on board after all.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland’s scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland’s distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women’s suffrage in Shetland. She’s also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.
BLURB
When an internet lifestyle influencer arrives on Shetland to document her ‘perfect’ holiday, the locals are somewhat sceptical.
Joining a boat trip to the remote islands of St Kilda with sailing sleuth Cass Lynch and her partner DI Gavin Macrae, the young woman seems more concerned with her phone than the scenery.
But when it’s time to leave, there’s no sign of her. Despite mounting a desperate search, she’s seemingly vanished without trace – from a small island in the middle of the sea.
As a puzzling investigation gathers pace, there are more questions than answers – and uncovering the truth will reveal dark and long-hidden secrets…
HOW TO BUY
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Imposter-Shetland-Marsali-Taylor-ebook/dp/B0DWXB6NDZ
SOCIAL MEDIA LINK
Author Facebook Page –https://www.facebook.com/MarsaliTaylorAuthor/
WEBSITE LINKS
Website – https://www.marsalitaylor.co.uk
Amazon Author Page – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Marsali-Taylor/e/B0034PACI8/
