Additional information
by Doug Johnstone (Author)
David's best mate died falling off a cliff - and he was the last to see him alive. Fifteen years later, he returns to Arbroath, where another death forces him to face the past. A darkly funny, gripping debut from one of Scotland's finest writers - newly reissued.
20th ANNIVERSARY EDITION
INTRODUCTION BY CHRISTOPHER BROOKMYRE
Very funny, with a touching and believable romance thrown in Kate Saunders, The Times
[A] pacy debut thriller. . . Johnstone skilfully coaxes the reader into identifying with these difficult-to-love characters and maintains the tension and drama Metro
[Leads] to comparisons with the Scots writer Christopher Brookmyre ... with a touch of romance [and] a gripping action sequence in the final chapters Scotsman
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Your best mate just fell off a cliff in mysterious circumstances. You were the last person to see him alive. What do you do?
If you're David Lindsay from Arbroath, you leg it - and don't go back. Not for fifteen years.
Then Nicola Cruickshank - yes, that Nicola, the girl you always fancied but never had the guts to speak to - gets in touch. She wants you back for a school reunion. At the very place it happened. Of course you say yes. Not to lay ghosts to rest, but because you still fancy Nicola.
The thing is, if you are David Lindsay, then returning to Arbroath isn't going to bring closure. Because when someone else tumbles off the cliffs - an act the locals now call tombstoning - David has a choice: run away again, or finally find out why people around him keep dying...
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Detailed and atmospheric descriptions ... funny and sparky dialogue Sunday Herald
Excellently written, intriguing storyline, and different from anything else around. A very impressive debut Allan Guthrie
A brilliant new author ... a rollicking tale of mystery set in Auld Reekie and the east coast town of Arbroath... The List
A vibrant and engaging debut, by turns humorous, irreverent and poignant Bill Duncan
A seductive and thrilling evocation of what lurks beneath the surface of small-town Scotland - or, indeed, small-town anywhere Christopher Brookmyre
Praise for Doug Johnstone
Tense, funny and deeply moving Mark Billingham
Nobody portrays modern Edinburgh better than Doug Johnstone ... speaks volumes about the power of story Val McDermid
An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertones Herald Scotland
Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and brave Sunday Times
Gripping and blackly humorous Observer
A must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonists Publishers Weekly
This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, please Guardian
Some of the most unique characters in crime fiction Daily Express
Underlines just how accomplished Johnstone has become Daily Mail
Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader can't ask anything more Sun
A thrilling, atmospheric book ... Move over Ian Rankin, Doug Johnstone is coming through! Kate Rhodes
Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punch Gytha Lodge
One of the greats of Scottish crime fiction Luca Veste
Author Biography
Doug Johnstone is the author of fourteen novels, including The Great Silence, the third book in the acclaimed Skelfs series, which has been optioned for television. In 2021, The Big Chill, the second in the series, was longlisted for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, while in 2020, A Dark Matter, the series opener, was shortlisted for both the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Novel of the Year and the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Independent Voice Book of the Year Award.
The series continued with Black Hearts (book four, 2022) and The Opposite of Lonely (book five, 2023). Several of Johnstone's novels have been bestsellers and award winners, and his first science fiction novel, The Space Between Us, was selected as a BBC2 Between the Covers pick.
Alongside writing, Johnstone has taught creative writing, served as writer-in-residence at various institutions, and worked as an arts journalist for over twenty years. A musician and songwriter, he has released five albums and three EPs and plays drums with the band The Fun Lovin' Crime Writers. He lives in Edinburgh.
