Scottish Book of the Week: The Sign of the Black Dagger

For this week’s instalment of reading my way around Scotland through children’s books, we have The Sign of the Black Dagger by Joan Lingard, which takes us to Edinburgh with a mix of history and mystery.

Book Details

Title: The Sign of the Black Dagger
Author: Joan Lingard
Genre: Historical, Mystery
Recommended reading age: 8+

Scottish Setting

The book is set in Edinburgh, over two parallel timelines – one in contemporary Edinburgh, and one in 1796. Familiar Edinburgh places mentioned include George IV Bridge, the Palace of Holyrood House, the High Street and Canongate, Holyrood Park and Arthur’s Seat, St Giles Cathedral, Advocate’s Close, and the Port of Leith.

“Beyond the abbey lies Holyrood Park, in the middle of which stands the hill that we call Arthur’s Seat.” (Chapter 2)

Plot Summary

In contemporary Edinburgh, Will and Lucy’s dad disappears. They find a mysterious package hidden in the fireplace of their Edinburgh flat, containing a cloth-bound book with a drawing of a black dagger on the front page. The books draws them into an older mystery linked to their family and to Edinburgh’s past, where events in the present begin to echo those from more than 200 years earlier.

The historical storyline is set in 1796 and follows another pair of children, William and Louisa, who are dealing with the consequences of their father’s debts. As they investigate the black dagger, they uncover a dangerous plot and must try to save their own father. The novel alternates between the two time periods, gradually revealing how the two families and mysteries are connected

“The journal of Louisa and William Cunningham, begun on the sixth day of January, 1796, and completed on the thirty-first day of the same month in the same year…We have taken it in turns to write this account. It is the story of our father, Ranald Cunningham, and what befell him in January of this year, 1796.” (Chapter 1)

Conclusion

What I liked most about The Sign of the Black Dagger is the way the two timelines mirror each other – the Edinburgh old town setting, the two sets of children with similar names, a father in trouble, the race against time. The whole time I was willing each set of children on to save the day, and at the same time full of suspense what the connection between them was. It’s an easy read, but one with enough twists and atmosphere to keep you turning the pages. I think it would appeal to readers who like historical stories and a good pinch of mystery.

Bonus Info

The front of the book includes a map of Edinburgh, specifically the area around the Royal Mile, in 1796, which helps you to follow along with the story.

The Sign of the Black Dagger appears to be out of print, but you can sometimes find second-hand copies through third-party sellers on Amazon, and I’ve also come across it a few times in Edinburgh’s many charity (book)shops.