The Grey Man is an 1896 historical novel by Samuel Rutherford Crockett, set in western Scotland around 1600, featuring the feuds of Clan Kennedy, the machinations of the titular Grey Man, and the horror of Sawney Bean and his Cannibal Clan.
- Antagonist Title: The (briefly) mysterious "Grey Man" is the villain.
- Artistic Licence – History:
- The many years of the Cassillis-Bargany feud are condensed into a few months. John Mure is even executed before the Union of the Crowns.
- Kinnaird's second exile from Edinburgh, which historically began nearly two years before Culzean's murder, happens a few days after.
- Much is made of the contrasting liveries of the two branches of Clan Kennedy, with Launcelot taking pride in wearing the "royal" blue-and-gold of Cassillis and disdaining the red-and-white "butcher's colours" of Bargany - but these are the wrong way round.
- Belligerent Sexual Tension: Launcelot and Nell radiate this from the first chapter (long before either realises it).
- Beware the Nice Ones: Sweet, gentle Marjorie becomes utterly implacable after her father's murder.
- Cannibal Clan: The story features one of the most infamous: Sawney Bean and family.
- Cannibal Larder: The Beans' cave has smoked human limbs hanging from the ceiling.
- The Cavalier Years: Set circa 1600.
- The Clan: The two branches of the Kennedys, literally so (as in they're extended families plus feudal followings that operate as part of the historic Scottish clan system); also the Beans (who may lack the official status but are still a large sprawling family operating as a unit).
- Contrived Coincidence: Immediately after King James declares the Mures innocent of William Dalrymple's murder and leaves the justice-eyre with them, they stumble upon Dalrymple's body washed up on the beach.
- Corrupt Politician: The King himself is perfectly willing to carry out a monstrous Miscarriage of Justice in order to protect an ally and further his quest for the Kelwood Treasure.
- Evil Is Not Well-Lit: Sawney Bean's cave is pitch dark when the heroes stumble into it, and they have to find their way by touch.
- Feuding Families: There is a long-running feud between the Cassillis and Bargany Kennedys, which leads to several murders and full scale battles.
- First-Person Perspective: Launcelot Kennedy narrates his own adventures.
- Historical Domain Character: Loads of these show up, most notably the Earl of Cassillis, the lords of Bargany and Culzean, and Bruce of Kinnaird among the main cast - and of course the Grey Man himself, John Mure of Auchendrayne, a real Carrick landowner whose role in the Kennedy feuds is pretty much historical. There's also a surprise appearance by King James VI.
- Historical Hero Upgrade: Bruce of Kinnaird is portrayed as a model of courage and piety, with no mention of his involvement in witch-hunting.
- A House Divided: Downplayed Trope. The two branches of the Kennedys are at feud but are only distantly related.
- Hypocritical Humor: Launcelot moves easily from one woman to another but is shocked when they show favour to other men. Also: the slightly older Launcelot narrating the story has found religion and considers his younger self's lack of piety an Old Shame, but is not the least bit abashed by anything he actually did, be it womanising, vengefulness, or his attachment to the obviously dubious cause of the Earl of Cassillis.
- King Incognito: King James attends the justice-eyre in disguise.
- Kissing Cousins: Launcelot and Nell are second cousins once removed. (Her father is actually surprised and gratified to find the relationship closer than he thought it was!)
- MacGuffin: Everyone's hunting for the Kelwood Treasure.
- Manipulative Bastard: John Mure incites the Bargany Kennedys against the Earl of Cassillis with the ultimate aim of eliminating the leadership of both factions, acquiring the Kelwood Treasure, and becoming the only power in Carrick. He has the ear of the King, and even when exposed, manages to get his accusers imprisoned instead.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast:
- In case you don't know enough about Sawney Bean to be scared of his real name, he also goes by "the Earl of Hell".
- Thomas of Drummurchie is known as the Wolf.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Launcelot and his friends realise that the cave in which they've taken shelter is the lair of Sawney Bean himself.
- When Auchendrayne's companion at the Earl's justice-eyre drops his plaid from before his face, there's a Mass "Oh, Crap!" from the Earl and his followers, in which a puzzled Launcelot doesn't share... because he's never met the King.
- One-Steve Limit: Thoroughly averted by history, with multiple Johns, Jameses, and Thomases. Half the cast being members of Clan Kennedy means that many share full names and are distinguished by their territorial titles.
- Public Domain Character: The legendary cannibal Sawney Bean is an ally of the bad guys.
- Refuge in Audacity: Trapped in a cave and can't move without a pack of wild cannibals hearing you? March out openly playing the bagpipes and get away while they're still boggling at your boldness and/or convincing themselves you're real.
- Self-Deprecation: The narrator is from Carrick and has an oft-voiced low opinion of Galloway folk; Crockett came from Galloway.
- Serial Romeo: Launcelot's affections flit from Kate Allison to Marjorie Kennedy, then back to Kate, before settling on Nell. He is repeatedly called out for this and for his ready reuse of the same chat-up lines.
- Settle for Sibling: Launcelot initially fancies himself desperately in love with Marjorie Kennedy, but ends up with her sister Nell.
- The Unreveal: John Mure is the Grey Man! This is entirely unsurprising by the time it's made explicit.
- Villainous Valour: John Mure may be irredeemably evil but he faces danger and death without fear when others crumble.
- Would Hurt a Child:
- James Mure murders young William Dalrymple in a vain attempt to cover up the Mure family's responsibility for Culzean's murder.
- Sawney Bean has children's limbs alongside adults' in his cannibal larder, and casually kills one of the Bean children for biting him.
- Zillion-Dollar Bill: The Kelwood Treasure is so valuable that even the King is after it.
