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**FROM THE AUTHOR WHO “BRILLIANTLY EVOKES THE LIFE OF A SMALL SCOTTISH TOWN” (*RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH *) COMES A NOVEL THAT UNCOVERS THE DEEP AND LASTING DIVISIONS OF A COMMUNITY AND ITS PEOPLE. ** When a small-town Scottish woman discovers a severed leg in the boot of one of the local hockey players’ uniforms, it’s a big scoop for the *Highland Gazette*. But reporter Joanne Ross wants a front-page story of her own, and she hopes to find it in Mae Bell, an American jazz singer whose husband disappeared in an aircraft accident five years ago and who is searching the Highlands for her husband’s colleagues. Things take a very sinister turn when Nurse Urquhart, who dis-covered the limb, suffers a hideous and brutal attack. Even stranger, she was the recipient of letters warning her to keep her nose out of someone’s business—letters that Mae Bell and the staff of the *Highland Gazette* also received. What could it all mean? Unfolding against a gorgeously rendered late 1950s Scottish countryside, *North Sea Requiem* captures the mores and issues of another era, especially in Joanne Ross—a woman wrestling with divorce, career, and a boss who wants to be more than just her superior. The result is a poignant, often haunting mix of violence, loss, and redemption in a narrative full of unnerving plot twists and unforgettable characters. ** ### From Booklist It’s 1958 in the Highlands of Scotland. A small weekly newspaper covers social events, animal sales, and sports. When the wife of the coach of a local shinty (the precursor of ice hockey) team finds a severed leg in the boot of one of the team uniforms she is cleaning, it’s big news. When that same woman is disfigured in an acid attack, the incident crosses from grotesque prank to violent assault. The heroine of this series, Joanne Ross, is a woman who escaped an abusive husband, found a job as a typist at the paper, and now works as a full-fledged reporter for the Highland Gazette. Besides covering the ghastly news of the misplaced leg and the acid attack, Ross does some enterprising reporting on a glamorous American jazz singer searching for information on her husband, whose aircraft went down in the North Sea during WWII. This is not as spare and well crafted as the previous three mysteries in the series (too much information on nitpicking of children’s heads, literally). But it’s still an atmospheric mystery, with a wonderful, plucky reporter-heroine. --Connie Fletcher ### Review **PRAISE FOR* NORTH SEA REQUIEM*:** "An atmospheric mystery, with a wonderful, plucky reporter-heroine." (*Booklist*) **PRAISE FOR *BENEATH THE ABBEY WALL:* **"Beautifully written and atmospheric, *Beneath the Abbey Wall* transports the reader to the bleakness of Scotland after World War II. This has everything I enjoy in a book: a terrific sense of place, real people, complicated relationships and a suspenseful peeling away of layers of back-story.” (Rhys Bowen, New York Times bestselling author of Hush Now, Don't You Cry) "Scott vividly evokes Scotland of the period…The well-drawn characters, who come from a range of backgrounds, give a broad view of the social milieu.” (*Publisher's Weekly*) “A plot that’s ingenious, characters that are both believable and surprising, and evocative Highlands atmosphere make this another must-read.” (*Booklist (starred)*) **PRAISE FOR *****A DOUBLE DEATH ON THE BLACK ISLE: * * * "Set against the bleak beauty of the Highlands, Scott's second continues to explore the slow transformation of Scotland from a highly ordered society while presenting a fine mystery with engaging characters." (*Kirkus Reviews (starred)*) "Another stunner...Lots of action, lots of atmosphere, and above all, lots of fun." (*Booklist (starred)*) “Readers…should enjoy Scott's careful attention to creating characters who convincingly belong to a past era's attitudes and values.”* * (*Publishers Weekly*) “'A Double Death on the Black Isle' is like a visit with an old friend in front of a fireplace on cold wintry night. It’s a place you won’t want to leave.” (*Suspense Magazine*) “Filled with alliteration and atmosphere…he end result is worth sticking around for and readers will be left anticipating the next installment.” (*Bookpage*) “As patrician and working classes prepare to do battle, Scott’s well-written mystery is lyrical and arresting, Joanne persevering in spite of the obstacles of the time." (*Curledup.com (blog)*) **PRAISE FOR A SMALL DEATH IN THE GREAT GLEN: **"Scott brilliantly evokes the life of a small Scottish town and touches on issues that continue to perplex and horrify us. Score a big victory for* A Small Death."* (*Richmond Times-Dispatch*) "Oh what a delight, this book! Almost perfect in every way. A.D. Scott’s fine debut novel deserves a spot this year on everyone’s 'must read” list'." (William Kent Krueger) "This splendid debut mystery has everything going for it…Scott’s writing is engaging, and her plotting Macbethian…The characters of the crusading small-town newspaper are skillfully drawn and will have readers rooting for them unequivocally…captivating on every level." (*Booklist, starred review*) "A.D. Scott’s beautifully written debut novel brims with intimate knowledge of the Scottish Highlands and of the dark secrets that lie behind the walls of a quaint rural village. Vividly realized with memorable characters and a stunning setting, A SMALL DEATH IN THE GREAT GLEN is a novel to savour." (Malla Nunn, author of A Beautiful Place to Die) "An impressive first novel. Scott uses the background of religious intolerance, prejudice and petty jealousies, to bring together an engaging cast of warm and colorful characters." (Ann Cleeves, author of Red Bones) "Once you start reading, you'll find it hard to put down." (Peter Robinson, bestselling author of The Price of Love) "This mystery is a delight to unravel, with its lively dialect-spouting players, inhabiting a lavishly described, forbidding but beautiful landscape. A rollickying, cozy escapade" (*Kirkus*)