The Night Before Morning

(Paperback)

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Description

June 1945. Hitler has triumphed, Britain is under German occupation and America cowers under the threat of nuclear attack.

In the dead of night, a figure flits through the ruins of Dryburgh Abbey, searching for a hidden document he knows could change the course of history. The journal he discovers, by a young soldier, David Erskine, records an extraordinary story.

When the Allies drive the Germans out of France and victory seems imminent, Erskine is in Antwerp, where he witnesses a world-changing reversal of fortune. From a high vantage point, he watches a huge mushroom cloud rise over London: an atomic bomb has been detonated by the Germans in a last desperate roll of the dice.

Captor becomes captive and Erskine is held as a POW in his own land. As the brutal grip of the occupying forces tightens, he is determined to join the resistance. A daring escape leads him and his fiance Katie on a breathless chase to the university town of St Andrews, where the Germans have established a secret research laboratory. When it becomes clear what its purpose is, David, Katie and their small, trusted band must adopt a desperate and audacious plan to thwart Nazi domination . . .

Reviews

'A gripping and atmospheric tale with a powerful sense of place'

-- Kirsty Wark

'Beautifully crafted an exciting and moving tale of adventure, a what-if story of subtlety and power'

-- Alexander McCall Smith

'A gripping and emotional story'

-- Tom Conti

'Immensely readable derring-do in a terrifying vision of Scotland'

-- Sally Magnusson

'Ingeniously plausible a fine galloping story. Dwells lovingly on the scenery and atmosphere of the Borders and St Andrews. A fine act of homage to Buchan. Comfort reading, whether we are subjected to another lockdown or lucky enough to escape'

-- Allan Massie * The Scotsman *

'Fans of John Buchan and Robert Harris have a rare treat in store in this ambitious re-imagining of the aftermath of the Second World War'

* Sunday Post *

'This all too plausible and atmospheric reimagining of the end of WW2 hits hard as it turns history on its head. Moffats ability to walk through time with his words [makes it] all too easy to fall into this story and believe it is real. Action-packed and succinctly told, a chilling slice of speculative fiction'

* LoveReading *

'Moffat stretches the tension to breaking point in a gripping but dark thriller'

-- Alastair Mabbott * Herald *

'Action packed, a great work of imagination. [Moffats] wealth of experience and knowledge of Scotland, its landscape, its people all comes together here in this debut novel'

* Oban FM *

'A chilling tale, vividly told Moffat an accomplished popular historian has come up with a rattling yarn built on an intriguing premise'

-- George Rosie

'Few can write evocatively of our country's past as Moffat. Stepping away from his usual historical tomes, he reimagines WWII through this extraordinary piece of speculative fiction. Not only a fictional triumph, it is a thought-provoking, powerful tale of derring-do, and a plausible suggestion of the Scotland we might have known'

* Scottish Field *

'A thriller and a paean to Scotland. Moffats love of his land shines through. Easy to read, paced to entice the reader onward, and fun to see landscape, history, resolute people and copious whisky all come together to resist the Nazis devilish plans'

* Historical Novels Society *

'A fascinating historical "what-if" thriller set in an alternative Britain in 1944 and 1945. A rapid-fire plot and some engaging characters help keep the reader hooked. An entertaining read'

* Undiscovered Scotland *

'A chilling thriller packed with action, period and historical detail'

-- Loretta Mulholland * Dundee Courier, Scottish Book of the Week *

Author Bio

Alistair Moffatwas born in Kelso, Scotland in 1950. He is an award winning Writer, Historian and former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Director of Programmes at Scottish Television. He is the founder of Borders Book Festival and Co-Chairman of The Great Tapestry Of Scotland.