The Master of Stair

"The Master of Stair" by Marjorie Bowen is a gothic dark novel set in the 1690s. The plot revolves around the 1689 Massacre of Glencoe in the wake of the Glorious Revolution. It is also known by the alternative title of The Glen o' Weeping. Sir John Dalrymple (anti-hero) is a snobbish sociopath. He had a troubled past and a family curse that is insinuated but not fully explored. He orally and mentally abuses his wife, and his political maneuverings and attitudes cost the lives of several innocent civilians.