Books by Malcolm Archibald

A fascinating insight into life in the Highlands and Islands as the forces of law and order battled to bring peace to a troubled land.

Hugging the coast and crammed between two rivers, Aberdeen grew up isolated from Scotland's other urban centres. The North East seemed to breed a number of women who lived their lives by deceiving others. One such was Mrs Gordon Baillie from Peterhead. This book tells her story along with other crimes of 19th century Aberdeen and the North East.

There were also infamous murders and an astonishing variety of crimes by women, as well as highly unusual crimes such as the theft of a whale at sea. It was a tough job in a tough city, but the punishments were severe as the authorities fought hard to bring law and order to nineteenth-century Dundee.

There cannot be many cities where crime could mean anything from stealing a ship to singing a seditious song, but nineteenth century Glasgow was a unique place with an amazing dynamism. This book chronicles the century long struggle of the forces of law and order to bring peace to a troubled city.