When Eight Bells Toll is a first-person narrative novel written by Scottish author Alistair MacLean and published in 1966. It marked MacLean's return after a three-year gap, following the publication of Ice Station Zebra (1963), during which time he had run several restaurants.When Eight Bells Toll combines the genres of spy novel and detective novel. MacLean calls on his own Scottish background to authentically portray the rugged weather, people and terrain of western Scotland. Source: Wikipedia (en)