When the sleepy Scottish village of Cuddyford is colonised by well-heeled retirees and big-city commuters, Jigger McCloud, a Jack-the-lad local farmer with a talent for playing the fiddle and an eye for the ladies, isn't slow to make a quick buck at their expense. Life seems rosy for Jigger and his oddball-but-loveable family, until he tries to scam a mysterious foreign millionaire, who arrives on the scene with plans to develop the area in ways that appeal neither to Jigger nor his milch cow incomers. The folk of Cuddyford, native and otherwise, promptly close ranks. Comic shenanigans, quirky characters and sinister ploys abound, and it's Bert, Jigger's scruffy little hamburg-craving dog, who turns out to be the hero of the piece as the McClouds and their beloved Cuddyford teeter on the brink of disaster.
About the Author: Peter Kerr, the best-selling Scottish author, was born in Lossiemouth, Morayshire, in 1940. His award-winning 'Snowball Oranges' series of five Mallorcan-based books have sold in large numbers worldwide and have been translated into eleven languages. They recount the often hilarious adventures experienced by Peter and his family while running a small orange farm on the Spanish island during the 1980s. 'Thistle Soup' is a prequel to these books and is a humorous though sometimes poignant account of his boyhood in East Lothian, 'The Garden of Scotland', where he eventually followed in his farming grandfather's footsteps. Peter now concentrates on writing fiction. His first novel, 'The Mallorca Connection', was a rare mix of suspense and comedy and has been followed to date by four other equally quirky yarns, with both Spanish and Scottish settings. In the 1960s, Peter was a jazz musician - the clarinettist-leader of Scotland's premier jazzband, 'The Clyde Valley Stompers', with whom he recorded the hit version of 'Peter and the Wolf' for Beatles producer George Martin. From 1970 onwards, Peter combined farming beef and barley in East Lothian with freelance record production, hitting the jackpot with the biggest-selling instrumental single of all time, The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards 'Amazing Grace'. He also wrote the music and lyrics (some say bizarrely!) for The Krankies' trademark song, 'Fan-Dabi-Dozi'. Peter, married with two sons, now lives in East Lothian and has recently published his first historical novel, 'Song of the Eight Winds', which is set in 13th century Mallorca. Website: www.peter-kerr.co.uk