Books with author Catherine MacPhail

Col McCann is used to being in trouble. It is always the McCann family, in particular Mungo, Col's brother, who the police think of first. But Col has recently acquired a new fan - Dominic. Col saves Dominic from drowning in the local loch and discovers what it is like to be a local hero.But Col sees something in the loch, something that leads him to a devastating truth about his brother . . . and brings his loyalty to his family and his need to do what is right into direct conflict.

A school trip goes disastrously wrong when five troubled high school students find themselves trapped in an underground cave. Their best chance of escape is to stay together. But when a member of the group disappears, their hope of finding a way out starts to fade. Does one of the remaining four know more than he or she is letting on, or is there something evil lurking in the caves?

Col McCann is used to being in trouble. It is always the McCann family, in particular Mungo, Col's brother, that the police think of first when trouble comes to their town. But when Col saves a boy from drowning in a nearby loch and discovers what it is like to be a local hero, his loyalty to his trouble family wavers. Beyond that, Col has seen something underwater in the loch, something that is still submerged in his memory. When it resurfaces, Col is led to a devastating truth about his brother. His loyalty to family and his need to do what is right collide as he races to uncover Mungo's darkest secret yet. A fast paced novel set in the fascinating and mysterious land of the Scottish lochs.

Kevin is determined that he'll never join a gang but his path crosses the Tribe's when he saves one of them from a rival gang. Invited to take their initiation test, Kevin plans to break the oath of secrecy and tell everyone. But he falls under the spell of the gang leader, Salom, and becomes a member. Kevin then discovers how hard it is to break away from the Tribe's rules and Salom's power, for when he's challenged Salom always makes you sorry. In this case he fastens on to Kevin's little sister, Glory, and Kevin is forced to take the initiation test again as his sister freezes with horror crossing a beam high above a ruined building.

Maxine's parents have had to do perhaps the worst possible thing: confirm the identity of her brother Derek's body by the clothes he was wearing when he disappeared. So the brother who was missing is now officially dead. But then the worst possible thing really happens: Maxine receives a telephone call from somebody saying he is her brother. She can hardly believe her ears. Has Derek come back from the dead? In this pacy thriller the author manages to confront many issues including: how different people deal with grief/the very under-rated effect of severe bullying at school/sibling rivalry - all in a fast-paced compelling narrative voice.