Scotland, 1685

With Monmouth and Argyll planning to overthrow James VII and II, the Covenanters see an opportunity to further their own cause, but dissent among the faithful causes factions to start appearing.

As tensions heighten and rumours of an invasion spread, John Steele must continue to evade capture in an ever-tightening net.

From the shepherds and the farmer's wives of the Lanarkshire hills, to the innkeepers, the apothecaries and the washerwomen of the towns, Ethyl Smith portrays with exquisite detail the lives of the ordinary men and women of 17th century Scotland.