Novel in Scotland of Anthony Trollope. In the late nineteenth century, a number of Scottish-born authors achieved international reputations. Robert Louis Stevenson's (1850–94) work included the urban Gothic novella "Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (1886), which explored the psychological consequences of modernity. Stevenson was also crucial to the further development of the historical novel with historical adventures in books like "Kidnapped" (1886) and "Treasure Island" (1893) and particularly "The Master of Ballantrae" (1888), which used historical backgrounds as a mechanism for exploring modern concerns through allegory. Arthur Conan Doyle's (1859–1930) "Sherlock Holmes" stories produced the archetypal detective figure and helped
Kidnapped (novel) now set forth by Robert Louis Stevenson." "Kidnapped" was first published in the magazine "Young Folks" from May to July 1886, and as a novel in the same year. The central character and narrator is 17-year-old David Balfour. (Balfour is Stevenson's mother's maiden name.) His parents have recently died, and he is out to make his way in the world. He is given a letter by the minister of Essendean, Mr. Campbell, to be delivered to the House of Shaws in Cramond, where David's uncle, Ebenezer Balfour, lives. David arrives at the ominous House of Shaws and is confronted by