Loosely based around the local legend of Finella, Sandra Ireland’s novel is being serialised in The Courier. She gives Gayle Ritchie an insight into what to expect.
Boasting a sheer drop to the gorge below, the Den of Finella is a dangerous place – not for the faint-hearted.
But as Sandra Ireland stood gazing down at the vertiginous falls, she knew the book she was writing, which was linked closely to the location, would be a cracker.
A psychological thriller, The Unmaking of Ellie Rook is arguably the Carnoustie-based author’s most captivating and compelling novel yet.
The inspiration for it came to her when she learned of the legend of Finella – two people mentioned it to her separately in the same week. “I took that as a sign!” she says.
The legend goes Lady Finella murdered King Kenneth II of Scotland in 995 to avenge the killing of her son and, to avoid capture, she hurled herself 150ft down into the foaming waters of a gorge near St Cyrus. It’s since been known as the Den of Finella.
“What struck me about the story is Finella’s strength of character,” says Sandra.
“Not only did she bear weapons and avenge her son at a time when men held most of the power, but she took control over her own life and death. I tried to find parallels between this theme and the contemporary story of Ellie Rook, living in a world of toxic masculinity.
“Ellie has to find her own strength, and she visits the Den and calls upon Finella to help her achieve her aims.”
The novel follows Ellie, who was brought up in a scrapyard, and is summoned home from her new life abroad when her mother mysteriously disappears, seemingly falling to her death at a waterfall (the Den of Finella).
Unwilling to accept her mother is gone for good, Ellie undertakes her own search with the help of a childhood friend, uncovering inconsistencies and family secrets.
What struck me about the story is Finella’s strength of character.”
SANDRA IRELAND
A twist reveals a darker plot line. Domestic violence becomes part of the sinister tale, which ultimately sees Ellie come face to face with demons she’s suppressed for years.
“The novel questions whether a long-dead queen holds the key to Ellie’s survival and asks how far she will go to right a wrong,” says Sandra.
“I also wanted to make the character of Lawler Rook, Ellie’s father, quite dominant. He had to be the ‘king’ of his own realm for the theme of coercive control to work.
“He’s a tyrant, and I thought a scrapyard was quite fitting. He’s lording it over all these abandoned and broken things and Ellie and her mum have become damaged by his actions.”
Sandra says her psychological thriller allows readers to “look inside a few heads”, and the setting is “quite claustrophobic”.
She adds: “It’s easy to see why Ellie left, and I’m sure readers will be urging her to run!”
Sandra believes the serial, which began in The Courier earlier this month, has universal appeal.
“I’ve had feedback from readers, mostly women, who have been subject to coercive control and have left or wanted to leave an abusive relationship. It’s a thought-provoking story and for that reason I think men should read it too.”
Ultimately, she hopes Courier readers will enjoy the serial.
“They have been very supportive and complimentary about the serialisation of my first two novels, Beneath the Skin and Bone Deep, and it’s been lovely to get that feedback from a local audience!
“I’m sure they will love Ellie and her determination to get to the truth and for that reason, they’ll want to keep reading.”
The serial flies the flag for rural and coastal Angus, which Sandra reckons is under-represented in the literary world.
“We have so much going on here. It’s an area rich in storytelling and folklore, and I like the challenge of making something new with a flavour of the past.”
Born in Yorkshire, Sandra lived for many years in Limerick, before moving to Scotland in 1995.
She was awarded a Carnegie-Cameron scholarship for an MLitt in Writing Practice and Study at the University of Dundee, graduating with a distinction in 2014.
She is the author of Beneath the Skin (2016), Bone Deep (2018), The Unmaking of Ellie Rook (2019), and Sight Unseen (2020).
- For more information on Sandra’s novels, see sandrairelandauthor.com/
