Lynne Marie Taylor

I recently found out from Ancestry DNA that I may have some Scottish ancestry. As far as I knew, I was Welsh and English but it appears there may be nearly 20% Scottish blood as well. So perhaps one reason why I love Scotland so much.

The name Sam McQueen is stolen from my in-laws. My mother-in-law was a McQueen; her father was Alec and his brother was Sam. I’ve always loved the name (and the tartan). I wanted to make the detective in my historical mystery story a real outsider. The idea of a Scot from the Edinburgh Police being sent to the island of Malta, with its rich Catholic heritage, and in the heat of summer, was one that had great appeal.

He certainly is deeply uncomfortable at first, struggling with the climate and the distinctly unfriendly reception from the Police Superintendent, but gradually Malta begins to work its magic on him.