Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
Midnight on the Scottish Shore by Sarah Sundin takes readers on a journey to the Scottish shore. This is one of her best, as she intertwines WWII history, spy craft, espionage, military intelligence, family disputes, strong character development, along with an emotionally wounded hero and heroine.
The plot has Cilla van der Zee as a member of the Dutch resistance who infiltrates the local Nazi Party to gather intel. Because it is becoming more dangerous for her, she decides to escape the country by coming up with a plan. She agrees to be trained as a Nazi spy and sent to the U.K. Once dispatched to Britain, she plans to abandon her mission and instead aid the Allies. But her scheme is thwarted when naval officer Lt. Lachlan Mackenzie finds her along the Scottish shore and turns her in to be executed. This is where the Scottish legend of the Selkie comes into play.
British intelligence realize she is more valuable as a double agent. Readers will be fascinated to learn about the work of MI5’s Double Cross program, turning German spies into double agents. British intelligence employs her to radio misleading messages to Germany from the lighthouse at Dunnet Head in Scotland–messages filled with naval intelligence Lachlan must provide. If the war is to be won, Lachlan and Cilla must collaborate. As Cilla and Lachlan work together, his initial distrust turns into curiosity and then attraction as the pair bond.
There are also interesting facts about the Scottish Separatists who initially refused to fight for England. Sundin brings this into focus with Lachlan’s brother Neil.
This plot has nail-biting suspense and escalating tension that is eased with humorous banter between Lachlan and Cilla, who start out as enemies and slowly become friends.
Elise Cooper: Is this a series?
Sarah Sundin: This book, the book that came out last year, and the book that comes out next year have a loose connection where the characters are all cousins. The stories are disconnected although there are cameos in each book.
EC: Why the setting of Scotland?
SS: My husband and I are part Scottish. He has been bugging me to write a book set here for years. As I explored it more, I found things that fascinated me. Then my youngest son, a mythology buff, gave me some suggestions, the Scottish legends, especially the story of the Selkie.
EC: What is the legend of the Selkie?
SS: This woman who lives as a seal at sea, but as soon as she comes to shore, she sheds her seal skin, turning into a beautiful woman. I started to imagine a German female spy landing in Scotland and being captured by this Scottish man who traps her on land by hiding her seal skin. In this case the skin was her rubber raft.
EC: Is it based on the Rapunzel fairy tale?
SS: It came to me as I writing this story. She was trapped in this tower the same way my female heroine was trapped in this lighthouse. Cilla feels very trapped here.
EC: How would you describe Cilla?
SS: She is fun loving, free spirited, and wants her freedom. She is confident, kind, respectful, lonely, isolated, determined, courageous, loyal, witty, and headstrong. She is trustworthy but no one sees her that way, so she needs to prove herself to them.
EC: How would you describe Lachlan?
SS: He is determined, frustrated, honorable, ingenious, passionate, honest, vulnerable, dedicated, and protective.
EC: What about the relationship between Neil, his brother, and Lachlan?
SS: Their backstory emphasizes a house divided with a long history of betrayal. Neil has hurt Lachlan deeply and Neil was hurt by Lachlan even though he did his duty. They hate each other. At the beginning of the story, they are opposites. Lachlan is fighting for the allies while Neil has fallen in with a group of Scottish separatists.
EC: The story explains about the Scottish separatists. Please explain.
SS: I made up the group Free Caledonia. The real separatists were a fringe group before the war that continued during the early years of the war. They did not want to be a part of the allied war effort because they saw it as the “English War.” Neil was involved with this group and was imprisoned because he refused to register for conscription. He feels that Lachlan has portrayed Scotland by wearing an English uniform. I put in this book quote, ‘The Germans love to divide. That is how they conquer.’ If they saw a separatist group, they supported it.
EC: How would you describe Neil?
SS: In the beginning he was rude, unkind, treacherous, angry, and has resentment. He does have redeeming features because he is dedicated to his cause.
EC: Was the Double Cross Program true?
SS: Yes. It was established in September 1940. The German military intelligence sent out spies to the United Kingdom. MI5, Britian’s intelligence group, caught every single one of the German agents. Germany never had an effective agent during the war. Of the Abwehr (German) Agents caught, sixteen were executed, but about three dozen were turned into double agents. Some were extremely effective including one agent that convinced the Germans that the D-day invasion was not going to Normandy but Pas de Calais. Regarding Cilla, I knew there were Dutch women agents who landed in Scotland, so I created my own character. She is much milder than the real spies.
EC: How would you describe freedom for Cilla and Lachlan?
SS: The theme was freedom. Cilla defines freedom as not having to follow any rules or listen to anyone. To her, true freedom was nothing could hold her back. For Lachlan freedom is security, when he feels able to be secure. These are clashing ideas. They both seek internal freedom.
EC: What were the role of Lachlan’s parents?
SS: They want to see their sons reconcile. They basically adopted Cilla. The mom sees her as a very lonely young refugee in a foreign land. They were very hospitable.
EC: How would you describe the relationship between Lachlan and Cilla?
SS: They are opposites that attract. At first, he only saw her as a German spy. They do not trust each other and do not like each other. She blames him for turning her in to possibly be executed. She sees him as a fuddy duddy. They are forced to work together and the more they spend time together they see each other’s true character, willing to trust each other. She is sociable and teases him. They can get into each other’s thoughts. The banter and how they sparred together was fun to write.
EC: Next book?
SS: I will probably not say who the other German double agent, Diamond, was, and if I do it will be a few books out. The next book does not have a title but will come out in February 2026. It is set in Jersey, a small island in the English Channel. It was conquered by the Nazis. The main female character, Ivy, is a physician, who meets up with Garrett, a Dutch resistance fighter. He puts on the German uniform to spy on them.
EC: THANK YOU!!
