Dark, atmospheric crime fiction rooted in Scotland’s ancient coast.
Rachel Bremner writes mysteries set on the rugged Aberdeenshire coastline — where local legend is never quite as innocent as it seems, and a detective’s fresh start can end with a body on the first morning.
“If you love Ann Cleeves, LJ Ross and Elly Griffiths, you’ve just found your next obsession.”
A killer who believes murder is justice.
When a young woman’s body is discovered at the foot of Dunnottar Castle’s ancient cliffs, DCI Surinder Taws wants to believe it was suicide. She can’t.
Carved into the victim’s skin is a red spiral — a mark tied to a centuries-old legend the locals call the Crimson Keep.
Then a second woman is found. Same mark. Same killer. And now he’s getting bolder.
Set on the breathtaking and unforgiving Aberdeenshire coast, The Crimson Keep is a gripping debut mystery that weaves ancient myth into modern murder — perfect for readers who love their crime with atmosphere, place, and a detective you’ll want to follow for many books to come.
Meet DCI Surinder Taws.
She came to Stonehaven to escape her past. She found a murder instead.
Sindy is smart, stubborn, menopausal, and not remotely interested in playing politics. She’s exactly the kind of detective you root for from the first page — and exactly the kind Stonehaven’s killer didn’t expect.
Debut Author
Rachel Bremner
Rachel grew up making summer pilgrimages to Aberdeenshire to visit her grandparents — a coastline of ruined castles, cliff paths, and sea haar that worked its way permanently into her imagination. The Crimson Keep is her debut novel, the first in a series featuring DCI Surinder Taws.
Rachel Bremner is the pen name of Emma Dhesi