About The Shetland Smolder
The novel opens during the Shetland Up-Helly Aa festival in Lerwick. Freya Helgason, owner of "The Runes & Resins" craft shop, and her friend Inga Jacobsen witness the burning of a Viking longship, a spectacular climax to the festival. However, the next morning, Captain Magnus "Mackerel" MacLeod's prized dirk, a family heirloom, is found among the ashes, bearing a suspiciously modern burn mark.
This discovery throws the community into suspicion, with the blame potentially falling on several individuals. Freya and Inga, along with the help of the local police, begin their investigation. Suspects include Brenda "Braidy" Peterson, a rival craftswoman with a collection of soldering irons; Alistair "The Anchor" Ainsworth, a historian critical of modern Up-Helly Aa; and Willa Wallace, a mysterious tourist with an interest in metalwork.
As they delve deeper, Freya and Inga uncover hidden rivalries, resentments, and secrets within the seemingly tight-knit Shetland community. Through a series of clues and deductions, they unravel a complex web of deceit, ultimately exposing the true culprit behind the scorched dirk and clearing Captain MacLeod's name.