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From Catriona McPherson, Agatha Award-winning author of Quiet Neighbors, comes Strangers at the Gate: a twisty, fascinating mystery that asks the question: who do you turn to when everyone's a stranger and you've stopped believing your own eyes?
Finnie Doyle and Paddy Lamb are leaving city life in Edinburgh behind them and moving to the little town of Simmerton. Paddy's been made partner at the law firm in town, and Finnie has snagged a job as a church deacon. Their rented cottage is quaint; their new colleagues are charming, and they can't believe their luck.
But only days after moving into the gate house, Finnie begins to have doubts. She keeps hearing strange sounds, and the thicket of trees make her feel claustrophobic rather than safe. When they witness the bloody aftermath of a brutal murder, it changes everything. They've each been keeping secrets about their pasts. And they both know their precious new start won't survive a scandal. Together, for the best of reasons, they make the worst decision of their lives.
And that's only the beginning. The deep, deep valley where Simmerton sits is unlike anywhere Finnie and Paddy have been before. They are not the only ones hiding in its shadow and very soon they've lost control of the game they decided to play...
"McPherson is a master of atmosphere, delivering a few nifty twists while weaving a creepy slow burner of a mystery that takes full advantage of its isolated setting...Another unsettling and cleverly plotted winner." - Kirkus Reviews
"McPherson spins a tense tale of murder and deception. Fans of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca will find much to like." - Publishers Weekly
"Finnie Lamb is a stalwart character who brings a quiet religious tone in the face of death to this enthralling stand-alone from McPherson." - Booklist
This information about Strangers at the Gate was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Photo: Neil McRoberts
Catriona McPherson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and lived there, in Ayrshire, in Dumfriesshire and in Galloway before moving to California in 2010. McPherson is the author of the Dandy Gilver historical mystery series, which was nominated for a Macavity Award in 2012.
Author Interview
Link to Catriona McPherson's Website
Name Pronunciation
Catriona McPherson: pronounced Katrina
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