David Cairns, the Baron of Finavon—a Scottish title dating back to the 13th century—writes historical fiction that transports readers straight into the past. Renowned for his atmospheric storytelling, three-dimensional characterization, and meticulous research, David grounds his suspenseful mysteries in authentic history, bringing old winding streets, historic taverns, and forgotten memories vividly back to life. Readers and reviewers alike have called his work "suspenseful and engaging," noting its "echoes of Dickens" and its uncanny ability to make them feel as though they’ve stepped back in time.
Before turning his focus to fiction, David spent decades as a global technology entrepreneur, living and working across four continents. His journey spans the historic depths of London and Boston, the energy of Silicon Valley and Chicago, the pioneering spirit of the South African bush, the quiet rhythms of the Bahamas, and the relaxed shores of Australia, where he now makes his home.
His fourth entry in the award-winning Major Gask Mysteries series reached #1 on the Amazon Best Sellers list and won a prestigious Book Excellence Award.
David Cairns, the Baron of Finavon—a Scottish title dating back to the 13th century—writes historical fiction that transports readers straight into the past. Renowned for his atmospheric storytelling, three-dimensional characterization, and meticulous research, David grounds his suspenseful mysteries in authentic history, bringing old winding streets, historic taverns, and forgotten memories vividly back to life. Readers and reviewers alike...
Uncover the secrets history tried to bury… The Case of the Hydegild Sacrifice thrusts readers into the shadowy aftermath of one of America’s darkest moments—the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. Perfect for fans of historical fiction, political thrillers, and courtroom drama, this gripping tale blends high-stakes...
Is it really possible that you have stumbled across a secret lost for centuries? A secret that that could change the world order?
From the bustling gold rush and the streets of Melbourne in 1864 to the ancient city of Edinburgh in Scotland, three friends flee from a secret society out for revenge, only to find themselves at the centre of a...
Step back in time to 1863, when Melbourne was a melting pot of opportunity, ambition... and murder. The Gold Rush is in full swing, transforming Melbourne and the northern gold towns like Ballarat and Bendigo into a dazzling, yet dangerous, frontier. The promise of wealth lures prospectors from far and wide, but where there is gold, there is also...
During a recent, otherwise delightful visit to the historic Heywood Hill bookshop in Mayfair, Her Majesty, Queen Camilla made a confession that sent a collective shudder through a particular section of the literary cosmos. When asked during a reading consultation if there were any genres she simply could not abide, the Queen replied without a moment's hesitation: “I hate sci-fi”. Pronouncing it with an endearing yet dismissive “sky-fi,” she laughed and doubled down: “No science fiction. No, I...
Where to start? It’s almost an impossible task to limit yourself to just five books but, as my own scribblings focus on historical crime, mystery and adventure I suppose I should stay within this genre. So here goes with the subject matter in chronological order:
My first book is Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, a foundational work in historical fiction. It is set in 12th-century England, during the turbulent times of the Norman conquest and follows the noble knight Wilfred of Ivanhoe as he...
We have seen it in the movies: In 1973, the Six Million Dollar man envisages a man rebuilt with bionic limbs and sensors; in 1987, RoboCop, where a police officer is reborn as a cyborg. The pace increases as the years roll by: in 1995, the Ghost in the Shell, in 1999, the Matrix and so on.
As with all science fiction, the initial idea is a matter of thinking forwards until the impossible becomes possible. But today, these visions of the future are taking seed. Much of RoboCop’s mechanical...
The world is currently burning, drowning, and suffocating under a relentless assault of extreme weather, yet it remains far too easy to shrug off the infernos of North America and the sweltering heatwaves of Europe as mere blips on a radar. They are not blips. They are the opening drumbeats of a march toward a very different planet. When former leaders dismiss raging wildfires as "wilful negligence," visionaries like Mark Carney rightfully pivot the petulance into a battle cry for climate...
I am very excited to announce that The Case of the Hydegild Sacrifice , the latest Major Gask and Erroll Rait adventure, where they become embroiled in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in 1865, has reached #1 on an Amazon Best Seller list.
First, thank you to everyone who has read the story and let me urge everyone else to have a look. It seems to have captured the imagination of reviewers and was a Winner of a Book Excellence award:
wstzaygrgxaa1m43h77r7rcyk9fd379.78 KBI was particularly...
iycxzx0kkg83qlxguxyjocz3eajx64.42 KBI am sitting at my keyboard looking towards the Pacific Ocean, overlooking a calm lake on the Gold Coast of Australia, watching black swans glide across a mirror-like surface. The swans remind me of 'black swan' events - rare, unpredictable, high-impact occurrences that are inappropriately rationalised in hindsight as having been obvious. These outliers fundamentally change systems, often causing catastrophic economic or social damage. Examples include the...
