Mistress of the Just Land

Here is Jean Brash centre stage in all her splendour - clever, cheeky, generous, alluring, hard-headed, yet prone to the occasional burst of crazy romanticism, an old friend who is full of surprises. I find her as irresistible as McLevy does: she's my favourite character and David Ashton's writing is as delicious, elegant and compelling as she is. Siobhan Redmond (Jean Brash in BBC Radio 4's McLevy series) Ashton is an old hand at milking the Old Town, New Town and Leith for their maximum atmosphere, suspense and air of criminality. That, combined with the intriguing premise of a crime-solving brotel-keeper, makes Mistress of the Just Land a most diverting page turner Herald PRAISE FOR THE INSPECTOR McLEVY SERIESMclevy is a sort of Victorian Morse with a heart, prowling the mean wynds and tenements of the endlessly fascinating city. David Ashton impeccably evokes Edinburgh so vividly that you feel the cold in your bones and the menace of the Old Town's steep cobbles and dark corners Financial Times An intriguing Victorian story... elegant and convincing The Times McLevy is one of the greatest psychological creations and Ashton the direct heir to Robert Louis Stevenson Brian Cox, CBE - Award-winning actor David Ashton's writing is excellent, his characters thoroughly convincing and his narrative grabs you The Sherlock Holmes Society Ashton's McLevy is a man obsessed with meting out justice and with demons of his own Scotsman A real page-turner Sunday Post