This story about family ties, enveloped in mystery, makes a good preface to this thrilling story about life in the Scottish Highlands. The fact that the author is originally from this area adds a sense of authenticity to the story, as does the fact that she studied at Oxford and her protagonist came from London. Overall, this seems like an intriguing and thought provoking story written by a professional with a doctorate in physics, and I'd love to read the rest of it.