Charles II is on the throne, the Episcopacy has been restored, and southern Scotland is in ferment.
The King is demanding superiority over all things spiritual and temporal and rebellious Ministers are being ousted from their parishes for refusing to bend the knee.
When John Steel steps in to help one such Minister in his home village of Lesmahagow he finds himself caught up in events that reverberate not just through the parish, but throughout the whole of southern Scotland.
From the Battle of Drumclog to the Battle of Bothwell Bridge, John's platoon of farmers and villagers find themselves in the heart of the action over that fateful summer where the people fight the King for their religion, their freedom, and their lives.
Set amid the tumult and intrigue of Scotland's Killing Times, John Steele's story powerfully reflects the changes that took place across 17th century Scotland, and stunningly brings this period of history to life.
"...a remarkable and compelling debut " Jan Fortune
"Ethyl Smith brings history vividly to life in a novel bristling with energy, with her acute ear for the nuances of dialogue (in which what is cannily left unspoken is gratifyingly imagined by the reader). She has a gimlet eye for detail, illuminating home, courtroom, army barracks and battlefield." - Catholic Herald
