cover image An American in Scotland: A Scottish Isle Mystery

An American in Scotland: A Scottish Isle Mystery

Lucy Connelly. Crooked Lane, $22.99 (304p) ISBN 978-1-63910-350-8

In need of a change of scene, Seattle ER doctor Emilia McRoy, the narrator of Connelly’s promising debut and series launch, makes a leap of faith by accepting a position as the sole practitioner in the town of Sea Isle, Scotland, where she has family roots according to a DNA test. Emilia warms to Sea Isle’s quirky residents, except high-handed Ewan Campbell, “constable, mayor, and laird of Sea Isle,” who has a knack for getting under her skin. Then a corpse appears in her office, only to disappear overnight before her other duty as coroner can begin. No body, no autopsy, no crime? After threatening letters arrive, she must work with Ewan to discover what’s going on. As the tension rises, Emilia’s ER experiences become crucial to saving not only her own life but others’ as well. Jane Austen fans will relate to Emilia, a complex lead with more than her share of emotional baggage, trust issues, and self-doubt. Hopefully, Emilia will be back soon for an encore. Agent: Jill Marsal, Marsal Lyon Literary. (Apr.)