It is 1938 and the final days of the British Empire. In a bungalow high up in the green hills above the plains of Ceylon, under a vast blue sky, live the Ferguson family: Bella, a precocious eight-year-old; her father Henry - owner of Pitlochry, a tea plantation - and her mother Virginia. The story centres around the Pavilion in the Clouds, set in the idyllic grounds carved out of the wilderness. But all is not as serene as it seems. Bella is suspicious of her governess, Miss White's intentions. Her suspicion sparks off her mother's imagination and after an unfortunate series of events, a confrontation is had with Miss White and a gunshot rings off around the hills.

Years later, Bella, now living back in Scotland at university in St Andrews, is faced, once again with her past. Will she at last find out what happened between her Father and Miss White? And will the guilt she has lived with all these years be reconciled by a long over-due apology?

About the Author

Alexander McCall Smith is the author of the highly successful No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series, which has sold over twenty-five million copies. Since then he has devoted his time to the writing of fiction and has seen his various series of books translated into over forty-six languages and become bestsellers throughout the world. These include the 44 Scotland Street novels, first published as a serial novel in the Scotsman, the Isabel Dalhousie novels, the Von Igelfeld series and the Corduroy Mansions novels.

Reviews

'The ever fecund Alexander McCall Smith continues to surprise as well as please... This is one of the most enjoyable of his many enjoyable novels'

-- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *

'Most of the historical novels I review are so unrelentingly dark or dramatic that it makes a nice change to read one with so many touches of gentle humour ... The characters are so well observed that I had to remind myself that the book is written by a man from a mostly female perspective, because he captures the nuances of female interactions so well'

* Historical Novel Society *

'this utterly engaging standalone novel shimmers with atmosphere and family tension ... a stirring, evocative psychological mystery set in 1938 as the British Empire limps through its final days'

* Lovereading.co.uk *

'Strong characters and beautiful settings, from the mountainous tea plantation in Ceylon to the rolling hills of the Scottish countryside'

* Asian Review of Books *

'Paints a vivid and atmospheric story of life in a tea plantation towards the end of the British Empire... Cleverly layered with intrigue, suspense, romance, and warmly drawn characters'

* Sixtyplusurfers *

'Offering a child's perspective, the novel chimes with Harper Lee's 1960 classic To Kill A Mockingbird'

* Sunday Post *

'Esteemed writer McCall Smith brings us a new and exciting enigma'

* Scottish Field *

'A window to an era when the British knew the time had come for them to leave'

* MintLounge *

'Insightful, sometimes poignant and often humorous, whether his setting is in present day London, Edinburgh, Botswana or pre-war Ceylon, McCall Smith's grasp of people and relationships is superb'

* GoodReads, 5 stars *



Book Information
ISBN 9781846975868
Author Alexander McCall Smith
Format Paperback
Page Count 240
Imprint Polygon An Imprint of Birlinn Limited
Publisher Birlinn General
Weight(grams) 229g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 130mm * 20mm