It took events spanning three decades of the latter half of the 19th Century in Scotland, Ireland, England, Crimea, North Africa and India to turn Iain MacKinnon, an offspring of British Royalty and one of the first recipients of the Victoria Cross, into an assassin.

Spurred on firstly by the Irish Republican Brotherhood (later the I.R.A.), and subsequently by political machinations in the Suez Canal region, his target is a renowned British monarch. Why would he do it? Was it his destiny?

The answers emerge in this superbly researched, action-packed and engrossing narrative, which exposes the true nature of MacKinnon's persona and ingenious guile.

Standing against him is Detective Inspector Allan Skelton of New Scotland Yard, whose dedicated, fascinating and sometimes fortuitous investigations lead to a heart-stopping climax in the streets of London.

ON THE TRACK OF AN ASSASSIN

KILL VICTORIA! - a 19th Century assassin.

Iain MacKinnon is raised in an orphanage and is rumoured to be an illegitimate child of Queen Victoria – something he doesn’t know.
When the time comes to leave the orphanage he joins the British Army. It is here that he becomes one of the first recipients of the Victoria Cross, but soon after leaves the army. He becomes a game keeper and farm manager for a country lord.
Things start to go wrong – he is asked to assassinate the Queen, prompting him to leave the country. He finally ends up in India where he meets an Irishman and the two soon strike up a friendship, which develops into a business partnership.
With things going from strength to strength, fate deals him a cruel hand and once again MacKinnon is back in England, bearing a grudge he needs to settle. The Queen is in his sights again.
Glenn Macaskill’s novel Kill Victoria! grabbed me and I had problems putting it down. He has mastered the skill of telling a story in which he transports the reader to the places and the times in which it is set.

Andrew Beet - PRETORIA NEWS: 21ST APRIL 2007

“Succinct description displays to excellent effect this carefully constructed story and the characters that inhabit it. Shaded nuances lend credibility to their individual personalities and allow the reader to easily visualise them, and engage with the story and its historical context... well written... the pace is at all times sufficient to maintain the reader's interest.”

Judging panel, Sunday Tribune/Reach Publishing Writer's Competition 2006.

Kill Victoria!: A 19th Century Assassin by Glenn Macaskill. ISBN 0620310022

Glenn Macaskill has come of age with his third book, an intriguing tale told over three decades in the 19th Century.
Orphan Iain MacKinnon, purported to be a bastard child of Queen Victoria, has recently done service during the Crimean War where he was awarded the Victoria Cross. He is a crack marksman and his skills have attracted the attention of a high-ranking government official with links to the Irish Republican Brotherhood (later the IRA). He is commissioned to assassinate Queen Victoria but instead runs off with the initial payment and makes his way to India under an assumed name. Years pass and he becomes a successful businessman.
Then, when his business interests are threatened, he decides to go after Queen Victoria again. But he is up against top Scotland Yard detective Allan Skelton, and a game of wits begins.
This is a superb narrative, carefully researched and skillfully written. Macaskill keeps you going until the last page.

Rod McGillivray - CITIZEN :THURSDAY, 8th March 2007