AN award-winning author has brought the Border reivers back to life in his new historical crime mystery The Trail of Blood.

The novel marks a return to A.K Nairn’s origins.

Born in Borders, he moved to London where he gained recognition as a business writer.

His 2021 marketing book Go Luck Yourself became a bestseller, with it being translated in markets such as China and Korea.

The Trail of Blood, however, takes place along our Border region.

The story opens in 1516, when a torso is discovered right on the border between Scotland and England.

As more bodies pile up, a French diplomat called Antoine de Lissieu is reluctantly dragged in to investigate.

But he’s shunned by both sides of the divide and plagued by traumatic memories from his past.

As time runs out and the bodies mount up, Antoine has to catch the culprits and prevent a war - before his own demons catch up with him.

“I’ve always been fascinated by the bloody history of our region,” said Andy.

“For hundreds of years, the reivers ruled a huge stretch of land from Whitehaven to Dunbar. But today, many people don’t know their story.

"My hope is to create a unique detective series that will bring the brutal world of the reivers to a wider audience," he said. 

The Trail of Blood by A.K. Nairn is available now and can be bought in local bookshops as well as on all the usual online platforms.