The deaths of a series of young Eastern European women in Glasgow leads to a stately home in the Scottish countryside, and back to the Second World War, where a group of young soldiers made their own, shocking rules… Saltire Prize shortlisted author David F. Ross returns with an extraordinary, dark mystery – first in a new series.

‘A thoroughly researched and well imagined historical mystery with echoes of David Peace’ Guardian

‘A novel of real ambition and verve … ranges from wartime Italy to sixties Glasgow to explore the past’s dark hold upon the present. Harrowing and compelling in equal measure, this is David F. Ross at the top of his game’ Liam McIlvanney

‘A masterpiece from one of Glasgow’s finest authors … epic in scale but told through the deeply personal accounts of its luckless, damaged characters. Told with a wit as sharp as any razor’ Callum McSorley

‘Righteous anger drives us through the narrative at a ferocious rate … All of Ross’s novels so far have been accomplished works, but The Weekenders is certainly one of the most compelling, with the dynamism of a thriller and the power of a stirring sermon’ Herald Scotland

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Glasgow, 1966: Stevie ‘Minto’ Milloy, former star footballer-turned-rookie reporter, finds himself trailing the story of a young Eastern European student whose body has been found on remote moorland outside the city. How did she get there from her hostel at the Sovereign Grace Mission, and why does Stevie find obstacles at every turn?

Italy, 1943: As the Allies fight Mussolini’s troops, a group of young soldiers are separated from their platoon, and Glaswegian Jamesie Campbell, his newfound friend Michael McTavish at his side, finds himself free to make his own rules…

Glasgow, 1969: Courtroom sketch artist Donald ‘Doodle’ Malpas is shocked to discover that his new case involves the murder of a teenage Lithuanian girl he knows from the Sovereign Grace Mission. Why hasn’t the girl’s death been reported? And why is a young police constable suddenly so keen to join the mission?

No one seems willing to join the dots between the two cases, and how they link to Raskine House, the stately home in the Scottish countryside with a dark history and even darker present – the venue for the debauched parties held there by the rich and powerful of the city who call themselves ‘The Weekenders’.

Painting a picture of a 1960s Glasgow in the throes of a permissive society, pulled apart by religion, corruption, and a murderous Bible John stalking the streets, The Weekenders is a snapshot of an era of turmoil – and a terrifying insight into the mind of a ruthless criminal…

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‘An alchemical epic that flies through decades while managing to remain deeply grounded in real lives and the battle for truth. Bravo!’ Ewan Morrison

‘This fiction is furious. David F. Ross goes deep and dark, in an attempt to understand the criminal mind … [and] writes with a righteous anger as he examines the evil that men do’ Alistair Braidwood, Scots Whay Hae

‘David Ross has a seemingly natural gift for pungently memorable phrasing and dialogue that feels you’re listening in rather than reading’ Damian Barr

‘Stark, uncompromising and gritty, David F. Ross takes us to a dark place that is no easy weekend away’ Douglas Skelton

‘Excruciating vulnerability meets the harsh daily realities of sixties’ Glasgow and the brutal machismo of its poisonous, smoke-filled institutions. Told with a wit as sharp as any razor, David F. Ross’s style has been honed to perfection’ Callum McSorley

‘A gripping tale of secrets and excess, and a stylish, mesmerising thriller, boldly delivered in Ross’ signature style’ George Paterson

Praise for David F. Ross

'A dazzling, time-hopping patchwork of pop and politics, sewn together with wit and compassion' Kirstin Innes

'This amiable and ambitious transatlantic extravaganza is a busy social tapestry pegged to real-life events in Scotland and the US … Ross's affection for his characters shines through. There's so much going on here that value for money is pretty much all but guaranteed' Daily Mail

'A mesmerising road trip through the America of Kerouac, Warhol and Reagan. Dashboard Elvis may be dead, but this book is full of vibrant, authentic, colourful life' Stuart Cosgrove

'Few do raw, authentic, almost palpably believable characters better than David F. Ross' The Times

'A masterclass in transatlantic intertwining storytelling from one of Scotland's finest writers' Derek Steel, Razur Cuts

‘David Ross carved out an enduring place for himself among contemporary Scottish novelists’ Herald Scotland

'Few do raw, authentic, almost palpably believable characters better than David F. Ross ... a novel that deals with profound themes' Patrick Barclay, The Times

'A heartfelt working-class novel from a Scottish author who wields his pen like a stiletto … No reader will come out unscathed, but each will be richer for the experience of reading' New Books Magazine

'If you enjoyed Shuggie Bain, you will adore this book … filled with honesty and written with a tenderness that is faultless. One of the best books I've read in years' Anne Cater