I take unto my body three pure of heart, three pure of spirit, three pure of flesh. -Lady Faireborne, Faerie Queen of the Deep Wood
BACKGROUND
On a random Sunday night, I came across an episode of 60 Minutes that mesmerized me. The segment was about the Isle of Islay, off the coast of Scotland. I saw a unique paradise known for producing some of the world’s finest Scotch.
The focus was on one of the five distilleries on the island, BRUICHLADDICH, and the process of aging and distilling, which the people if Islay have been perfecting for over five hundred years. But what caught my attention was how the distillers would age the Scotch in the same wood from casks that held Kentucky Bourbon, that came in on regular shipments.
Then there was Islay’s charm, captured through the locals, that depicts an idyllic life centered around family and tradition. The setting was so unique, something I’ve never seen before. And this direct connection between Kentucky and Islay was fascinating. Then I dove in deeper, into Scottish Lore and the history of the island, and back to this connection between Kentucky and Islay. This connection is the inspiration for THE ANGELS’ SHARE.
THE SHOW
THE ANGELS' SHARE is a mystery drama, with elements of folk horror, set on the fictitious Isle of Sonas in the Hebrides, off the coast of Scotland, inspired by the real Isle of Islay. The series follows FBI Special Agent Drew Lennox and Scotland’s Detective Laura McCloud as they investigate the arrival of three identical female bodies, "The Three Graces," encased in honey inside wooden casks shipped from a Kentucky bourbon distillery. Drew, an outsider to this insular community, must navigate the island’s close-knit, secretive society, while Laura, returning after years of exile, faces a deeply personal reckoning with her past.
SONAS
The island of Sonas is home to five distilleries that produce world-renowned Scotch whisky, yet its serene beauty hides dark secrets steeped in Gaelic traditions, ancient pagan rituals, and superstition. The investigation into the mystery of the Graces not only pulls Drew and Laura into the island's history but also brings them face-to-face with their own buried desires and unresolved traumas. Drew’s Appalachian roots, which share a history with the early Scottish settlers, link him unexpectedly to Sonas. Laura, who was born and raised on theisland, finds herself thrust back into the power struggles of the ruling families, known as the Lairds, and into a confrontation with her past.
Sonas is more than a backdrop; it is a living character in the series. This isolated paradise is deeply influenced by its long-standing Gaelic customs and superstitions, where the ancient pagan worship of nature and the feminine still lingers. Key to the story is the practice of mellification, an ancient method of preserving bodies in honey, which plays a pivotal role in the fate of The Three Graces. As Drew and Laura dig deeper, they uncover layers of secrecy, and what starts as a straightforward murder mystery becomes a journey into the island's spiritual undercurrents—rooted in a time when ritual, sacrifice, and superstition governed life.
THE LEAD CHARACTERS
LAURA MCCLOUD
Raised on the prestigious Blackwood estate, Laura grew up as the daughter of the manor's staff but was closely tied to the island’s ruling families. As a child, she shared adventures with the Laird’s son, Allistair, but as she grew older, she became aware of her lower status. Her defiant nature led her to explore the island’s ancient rituals, and she witnessed an intense May Day (Bealtienne) pagan ceremony, which awakened her desire for power. This pivotal moment ignited her obsession with the feminine power rooted in Celtic mythology, and she eventually led her own rituals in the island’s woods. When her involvement was exposed, Laura and her family were exiled. Now a detective, Laura returns to Sonas with a deep personal agenda, determined to reclaim the power she lost and disrupt the old guard that controls the island.
DREW LENNOX
Drew is an FBI agent with roots in rural Kentucky’s Appalachian region, raised by his grandmother, a “granny witch” versed in mountain magic, a blend of Celtic and Cherokee traditions. Drew’s childhood was a mystical one, full of folk rituals, dreams, and an intimate connection to nature. But his enchanted world was shattered when his grandmother was murdered by a local crime syndicate, with roots in the Pentecostal faith. Drew buried his belief in the supernatural, but his vivid dreams remained—a mixture of haunting omens and deep spiritual insight. His past shaped him into a driven, determined FBI agent, but his assignment on Sonas pulls him back into the mystical world he thought he had left behind, forcing him to confront both his heritage and his future.
STORY ARCS
The investigation begins when Drew arrives on Sonas to examine the mysterious bodies of The Three Graces. He is immediately paired with Laura, who has her own reasons for returning to her homeland. Together, they explore Sonas’ intricate social and spiritual hierarchy, encountering the powerful Lairds, who have held sway over the island for centuries. As they meet local figures, including the island’s master distiller and members of the ruling families, Drew and Laura discover that the island's wealth and beauty are built on ancient traditions that go far beyond mere whiskey-making.
Through flashbacks, we learn of Drew’s earlier life in Kentucky, where he infiltrated and took down "The Holiness," a criminal organization deeply rooted in Appalachian culture. This operation has left Drew a marked man, constantly looking over his shoulder. Meanwhile, Laura’s past as a rebellious youth unfolds, revealing her involvement in secret pagan rituals, her banishment, and the shame that forced her family to leave Sonas.
As Drew and Laura delve deeper into the mystery of The Three Graces, they uncover the island’s darker side. The practice of mellification, used to preserve bodies in honey, is linked to ancient sacrificial rites that the island’s elite families, the Lairds, still uphold in secret. The ritualistic nature of the Graces’ deaths points to a larger pattern—one tied to the pagan festivals that mark the changing seasons on Sonas. Drew soon realizes that Sonas and Kentucky are more closely linked than he ever imagined, connected by bloodlines and a shared Celtic heritage that stretches back centuries.
As the investigation unfolds, Drew becomes increasingly addicted to Sonas' local moonshine, "Blood of the Selkie," which clouds his judgment and blurs the line between reality and his dream world. Laura, on the other hand, starts to embrace her true identity as the daughter of the Laird of Blackwood. She claims her birthright and begins to challenge the Lairds for control, determined to end the cycle of ritualistic sacrifice that has governed the island for generations. Their personal agendas complicate their relationship, leading to moments of both intense connection and deep conflict.
The summer solstice and a rare full moon approach, heightening the island’s tension. As pagan festivities ramp up, Drew and Laura learn that another group of Graces may soon arrive, intended as part of a sacrificial offering. Drew becomes increasingly torn between his duty as an FBI agent and his growing infatuation with Laura, who is now poised to assume the role of Neachneohain, the Queen of the Faeries. The story reaches a critical point as Laura stakes her claim to power, and Drew must decide if he will continue to serve his FBI mission or sacrifice everything for her.
The season closes with Drew and Laura travelling to Kentucky to find and stop the next shipment of Graces. They uncover a farm where the Graces are raised in isolation, protected, and cared for but ultimately bred for sacrifice. The contrast between the pastoral beauty of the farm and the horror of its purpose adds a chilling dimension to the story. Drew and Laura dismantle the operation, freeing the Graces, but their victory comes at a steep cost—by liberating them, they have exposed the Graces to a world far more brutal than the one they left behind.
ARC SUMMARY
At its core, The Angels’ Share is the journey of two individuals—Laura and Drew— driven by their respective pasts, linked by fate, and bound by their shared exploration of power, sacrifice, and the mystical. Drew, haunted by the death of his grandmother and the mystical traditions of his Appalachian upbringing, is drawn into the ancient beliefs that still hold sway over Sonas. Laura, scarred by her exile and driven by a need to reclaim her lost power, returns to Sonas to seek vengeance against the elite who once ruled her life. Their paths converge as they uncover the true meaning of The Three Graces and the island's dark legacy.
They are from different worlds physically, but spiritually they occupy the same realm.
Both characters undergo profound transformations. Drew, initially there to do his job as an FBI agent, finds himself caught in a web of ancient beliefs and personal obsession. His desire to protect Laura and the unprotected draws him deeper into Sonas’ world, forcing him to confront not just the island’s pagan past but also the unresolved guilt and longing he has carried since childhood.
Laura’s arc is one of empowerment and revelation. Her return to Sonas not only uncovers her true heritage but also enables her to take control, ending the island’s ancient cycle of sacrifice and reclaiming her role as Neachneohain, daughter of the Divine, Goddess, THE QUEEN.