Press Kit

David is the author of the Major Gask Mysteries series which has received 5 star awards from reviewers at Readers' Choice and the Historical Novel Society amongst others.  He also wrote the two volume Helots' Tale series, a true story about the transportation of two teenagers from England to Tasmania in the early 19th century which has received 5 star reviews and was selected by the Female Factory (the prison that held female convicts) in Hobart Australia for their in-house library and  bookstore.  His book, Bushranger Gold, was a spinoff novel - a true story about the 'Great Train Robbery' of its time in the Australian goldfields.

An expert on 19th century western society history, he has spoken on podcasts and at libraries and museums.


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Biography

David Cairns, the Baron of Finavon (a Scottish title that goes back to the 13th century), has always been a student of history and enjoys creating emotional connections with his writing. Many readers have remarked on his ability to create an atmosphere and three–dimensional experiences with his writing style.

Until a few years ago, he was a technology entrepreneur with many successful (and – as he points out – one or two unsuccessful) ventures to his credit.  He has lived and worked on four continents and as a result has sampled and been moulded by the history of London and Boston, the buzz of Chicago, Nashville and Silicon Valley, the pioneering atmosphere of the South African bush, the lazy lifestyle of the Bahamas, the cultural diversities of Europe and the laid-back lifestyle of Australia, which is where he makes his home these days.  He has spoken at conferences on topics such as the Impact of Globalization and technology topics and keeps himself up to date with technology trends.

Reviewers of his historical novels have commented:  ★★★★★     Wonderfully descriptive narrative,  ★★★★★     Found myself transported back in time,  ★★★★★     Could not put the book down,  ★★★★★     Loved the characters and story,  ★★★★★     Suspenseful and engaging ,  ★★★★★     Echoes of Dickens 

He uses extensive research to build a richness and authenticity into each novel which also adds to the ability of the reader to place the story within the framework of their own experiences:  a description of a pub that still stands, streets that still wind through old towns, half-forgotten memories. 

True to the adage that you can take the Scot out of Scotland but not Scotland out of the Scot, on St Andrew’s Day and at Hogmanay you will probably find him in his kilt, celebrating with a glass of uisge beatha - the 'water of life' - his favourite is a Linkwood single malt. 

Media Coverage

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Issue 111 (February 2025)

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Writing Historical Fiction

https://awriterofhistory.com/2026/01/29/historical-mysteries-a-follow-up/

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Other Information

David is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in the UK and a Fellow of the CPA's in Australia.  He graduated with an MBA from Cranfield University, England.  He had a successful career in the technology space, having taken two software companies public on NASDAQ (one with a $2 Bn market capitalization) and was CEO of a logistics software company that was sold to Oracle for $100m amongst other ventures.  An active author, he currently serves as Vice Chairman of Software Australia.

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