The Ritual is a fictional story that focuses on the relationships between three teenagers living in an isolated community on the rugged west coast of the Scottish Highlands. David is the fifteen-year-old son of the local doctor. He is innovative, adventurous, and keen on sports (especially shinty). He also leads the 'Crew'- an unusual village youth group organised by the youngsters themselves without adult supervision. David's latest passion is sea kayaking, and he has started up a summer grocery service where he uses his sea kayak to carry supplies to isolated houses situated on the shores of the loch. Shona is the same age as David and desperately wants to go out with him, but she hasn't yet plucked up the courage to make her feelings known. Shona shares the responsibility of running the house with her mother and helps to keep her younger brother, Mark, in check. Mark is an energetic ten-year-old, capable of saying and doing the most unpredictable things. He is David's 'aide-de-camp' in the 'Crew' and is fiercely loyal to him. However, he has also sworn an oath of secrecy to Shona about her feelings towards David. As a result, Mark is caught between two loyalties and has to navigate the potential pitfalls laid unintentionally in his path by both David and Shona. Throughout the plot, the reader is exposed to a complex mixture of emotions. There are frequent humorous incidents involving the main characters, but these are interspersed with moments of sadness, tension, mystery and danger. David, in particular, endures a series of incidents and personal confrontations that seriously threaten his physical and mental wellbeing and force him to rely on the friendship, loyalty and courage of those he trusts most. There is also an element of mystery surrounding Mark. Every morning, he performs a daily ritual which he refuses to explain to anybody. At the end of the story, Mark finally reveals the secret behind his ritual.
