Sawney Beane — Frieda Gates

Sawney Beane's clan of brutal thugs grabs comely young Elspeth Cumming as she journeys to meet her betrothed. Her abductor, Sawney Beane's eldest son, holds Elspeth captive in the clan's secret hideaway deep in the caves off the coast of Galloway. The caves are home to Beane's inbred extended family  -- 48 in all, each worse than the last  -- and exhibit acts of unspeakable brutality. As she witnesses the horror of the clan's vicious way of life, Elspeth realizes that the dreadful rumors whispered about the Beane clan are all too true. And as she comes to know and relate to her captor, Elspeth also sees just what the clan has in store for her  -- and that escape from the caves is near impossibleÂ...This compulsively readable historical thriller immerses readers in one of Scotland's most colorful legends.