Tombstoning

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 EDITIONINTRODUCTION BY CHRISTOPHER BROOKMYRE`Very funny, with a touching and believable romance thrown inn 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 draman Metro`[Leads] to comparisons with the Scots writer Christopher Brookmyre … with a touch of romance [and] a gripping action sequence in the final chaptersn Scotsman____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…____`Detailed and atmospheric descriptions … funny and sparky dialoguen Sunday Herald`Excellently written, intriguing storyline, and different from anything else around. A very impressive debutn Allan Guthrie`A brilliant new author … a rollicking tale of mystery set in Auld Reekie and the east coast town of Arbroath... n The List`A vibrant and engaging debut, by turns humorous, irreverent and poignantn Bill Duncan`A seductive and thrilling evocation of what lurks beneath the surface of small-town Scotland - or, indeed, small-town anywheren Christopher BrookmyrePraise for Doug Johnstone`Tense, funny and deeply movingn Mark Billingham`Nobody portrays modern Edinburgh better than Doug Johnstone … speaks volumes about the power of storyn Val McDermid`An engrossing and beautifully written tale that bears all the Doug Johnstone hallmarks in its warmth and darkly comic undertonesn Herald Scotland`Wonderful characters: flawed, funny and braven Sunday Times`Gripping and blackly humorousn Observer`A must for those seeking strong, authentic, intelligent female protagonistsn Publishers Weekly`This enjoyable mystery is also a touching and often funny portrayal of grief ... more, pleasen Guardian`Some of the most unique characters in crime fictionn Daily Express`Underlines just how accomplished Johnstone has becomen Daily Mail`Keeps you hungry from page to page. A crime reader can't ask anything moren Sun`A thrilling, atmospheric book … Move over Ian Rankin, Doug Johnstone is coming through!n Kate Rhodes`Johnstone never fails to entertain whilst packing a serious emotional punchn Gytha Lodge`One of the greats of Scottish crime fictionn Luca Veste