"The Flowers o' the Forest are a' wede awa'."< P>Death in the Highlands. It came by claymore and cannon fire in 1745, when Bonnie Prince Charlie's men died at Culloden, and the last Stuart fled back to France, leaving his followers to death and his gold hidden in the heather for others to find. After a thousand years of bloody history, death in the Highlands is nothing new. But it should not be happening now. Jean Fairbairn has a coin from Prince Charlie's hoard, and a story. Until the story comes to murder, and Jean isn't just a reporter, she's a prime suspect. Nose to nose with Chief Inspector Alasdair Cameron and self-proclaimed "Charles" expert Rick MacLyon, Jean finds herself entangled in a story that's getting grimmer than the Dark Mile by Loch Arkaig and more twisted than Stuart politics. And it's all too likely to end with Jean trapped by a murderer, on her way to becoming the MacLyon mansion's newest ghost.< P>Lillian Stewart Carl has published novels and short stories in many genres. < I>The Secret Portrait< /I> is her twelfth novel. She has lived for many years in North Texas. Her web site is http: //www.lillianstewartcarl.com