"And you are telling me," said Gil Cunningham, "that David Drummond vanished away forty years ago and is now returned, seemingly not a day older?" "That''s about the sum of it," agreed Sir William Stewart.

In Sir William''s remote part of Scotland it seems almost possible that a young boy could have been stolen away by the fairies and returned forty years later, no older - and if he isn''t Davie Drummond, who is he? And then he suffers a succession of near-fatal ''accidents''.

Could there be a connection with four other local singers who have vanished, one of them with political information of value to Scotland''s enemies? Gil and his wife Alys have been sent into Perthshire to investigate.

Gil''s pursuit of the missing singers leads him to a vision of the Devil and the reappearance of an old adversary, while Alys finds herself drawn deeply into the affairs of the Drummond family, particularly the mysterious Davie.

Praise for Pat McIntosh:

''McIntosh''s characterisations and period detail are first rate.'' Publishers Weekly

''The next Cunningham adventure is to be welcomed.'' Historical Novels Review

''Will do for Glasgow in the 15th century what Ellis Peters and her Brother Cadfael did for Shrewsbury in the 12th.'' Mystery Readers Journal

''McIntosh does a solid job of blending plot and period detail.'' Publishers Weekly, starred review