Val McDermid and Jo Sharp have collaborated on a historical novel that revisits the ill-fated 17th-century Scottish expedition to establish a trading colony in Darien, a coastal region fraught with environmental and geopolitical challenges. Their book, *This Door of the Seas*, delves into the disastrous attempt to set up a settlement in a location claimed by Spain and dominated by dense jungle terrain, which complicated the colony’s prospects from the outset.

The narrative is crafted through a series of letters penned by Dr. James Wallace, a scientist involved in the venture, addressed to his wife Eliza and Sir Robert Sibbald, Scotland’s first Geographer Royal. This epistolary format allows the authors to explore the personal hardships faced by the settlers alongside the wider geopolitical and financial failures that undermined the project.

The Darien scheme was marked by a confluence of misfortunes, including illness among the colonists, insufficient supplies, flawed leadership, and the disengagement of influential Scottish landowners, often referred to in the book as "lazy laird sons." These factors combined to transform what was initially envisioned as a promising commercial outpost into a devastating loss for the settlers and their sponsors. Many of those involved had left famine-stricken Scotland in search of improved fortunes but were met with hardship instead.

McDermid, a best-selling crime author, and Sharp, who holds the title of Scotland’s Geographer Royal, bring extensive research to the project, blending historical accuracy with accessible storytelling. Their portrayal highlights the complexity of the Darien expedition, the geopolitical tensions of the era, and the human toll endured by those who participated in the ill-starred enterprise.

Published by Polygon at £12, the 160-page book offers a detailed yet concise account intended to engage readers interested in Scottish history and colonial ventures. By focusing on firsthand correspondence, *This Door of the Seas* provides a vivid reconstruction of a colonial enterprise that had lasting consequences for Scotland’s economic and political trajectory in the years that followed.