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2019 Agatha Award for Best First Novel (nominee)
This atmospheric debut mystery “is a Scottish delight that will keep you on your toes” with its riveting blend of real history, island legend, and unforgettable characters (Carlene O’Connor, USA Today–bestselling author of the Irish Village mysteries).
On a remote island in Scotland, an American antiques dealer a brutal killing staged to recreate a centuries-old unsolved murder.
Autumn has come and gone on Scotland’s Isle of Glenroth, and the islanders gather for the Tartan Ball, the annual end-of-tourist-season gala. Spirits are high until an unexpected turn of events takes the floor.
A recently published novel about island history has brought hordes of tourists to the small Hebridean resort community. On the guest list is American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton. Kate returns reluctantly to the island where her husband died, determined to repair her relationship with his sister, proprietor of the island’s luxe country house hotel, famous for its connection with Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Kate has hardly unpacked when the next morning a body is found, murdered in a reenactment of an infamous unsolved murder described in the novel—and the only clue to the killer’s identity lies in a curiously embellished antique casket. The Scottish police discount the historical connection, but when a much-loved local handyman is arrested, Kate teams up with a vacationing detective inspector from Suffolk, England, to unmask a killer determined to rewrite island history—and Kate’s future.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
On a remote island in Scotland, an American antiques dealer a brutal killing staged to recreate a centuries-old unsolved murder.
Autumn has come and gone on Scotland’s Isle of Glenroth, and the islanders gather for the Tartan Ball, the annual end-of-tourist-season gala. Spirits are high until an unexpected turn of events takes the floor.
A recently published novel about island history has brought hordes of tourists to the small Hebridean resort community. On the guest list is American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton. Kate returns reluctantly to the island where her husband died, determined to repair her relationship with his sister, proprietor of the island’s luxe country house hotel, famous for its connection with Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Kate has hardly unpacked when the next morning a body is found, murdered in a reenactment of an infamous unsolved murder described in the novel—and the only clue to the killer’s identity lies in a curiously embellished antique casket. The Scottish police discount the historical connection, but when a much-loved local handyman is arrested, Kate teams up with a vacationing detective inspector from Suffolk, England, to unmask a killer determined to rewrite island history—and Kate’s future.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Praise for this book
"Masterfully plotted with compelling characters and a setting rich in history, A Dream of Death is, in one word, beautiful. An absolutely stunning debut." - Gretchen Archer
"An antique casket, buried secrets, old grudges and unsolved murders make for an unforgettable, heart-pounding mystery in the windswept Scottish Isles." - Duffy Brown
"Delightfully steeped in the flavors of Scotland past and present...Berry is a deft storyteller who weaves together murder, secrets, and historical tragedy with a smooth hand. A Dream of Death grabbed my attention from the start and didn't let up." - Bailey Cates
"I loved this book! The plot is deliciously twisty and unexpectedly romantic. Add elegant prose and you have a dazzling debut that's beautifully crafted and thoroughly enjoyable." - Jane K Cleland
"Deliciously atmospheric and beautifully written...this mystery will keep you up late turning the pages." - Peg Cochran
"Wonderful...the murder mysteries, past and present, are so intricately interwoven that readers won’t be able to stop turning pages until they reach the novel’s very satisfying conclusion." - Kaitlyn Dunnett
"A Dream of Death is as satisfying as a full Scottish breakfast, entertaining as a highland fling, and mysteries as the Loch Ness monster." - Sherry Harris
"Connie Berry’s debut novel has it all - atmosphere, suspense, a cracking-good mystery, and characters I want to meet again soon. I can’t imagine a better way to spend an afternoon." - Molly MacRae
"With an arrow straight-to-the-heart, Connie Berry whisks you away to Scotland where a present murder harbors echoes of the distant past. Layered with antiques, puzzles, and treats, A Dream of Death is a Scottish delight that will keep you on your toes until the very end." - Carlene O'Connor
"A fresh new series that captures the Scottish scenery perfectly with suspenseful layers of intrigue and intelligent characters. Riveting...I couldn’t put it down." - Hannah Reed
"What a treat! A modern day Outlander... Charming, authentic, surprising - and completely irresistible." - Hank Phillippi Ryan
"I was caught from the first page...Scotland, a current mystery, and an ancient puzzle - what’s not to love?" - Fran Stewart
"An antique casket, buried secrets, old grudges and unsolved murders make for an unforgettable, heart-pounding mystery in the windswept Scottish Isles." - Duffy Brown
"Delightfully steeped in the flavors of Scotland past and present...Berry is a deft storyteller who weaves together murder, secrets, and historical tragedy with a smooth hand. A Dream of Death grabbed my attention from the start and didn't let up." - Bailey Cates
"I loved this book! The plot is deliciously twisty and unexpectedly romantic. Add elegant prose and you have a dazzling debut that's beautifully crafted and thoroughly enjoyable." - Jane K Cleland
"Deliciously atmospheric and beautifully written...this mystery will keep you up late turning the pages." - Peg Cochran
"Wonderful...the murder mysteries, past and present, are so intricately interwoven that readers won’t be able to stop turning pages until they reach the novel’s very satisfying conclusion." - Kaitlyn Dunnett
"A Dream of Death is as satisfying as a full Scottish breakfast, entertaining as a highland fling, and mysteries as the Loch Ness monster." - Sherry Harris
"Connie Berry’s debut novel has it all - atmosphere, suspense, a cracking-good mystery, and characters I want to meet again soon. I can’t imagine a better way to spend an afternoon." - Molly MacRae
"With an arrow straight-to-the-heart, Connie Berry whisks you away to Scotland where a present murder harbors echoes of the distant past. Layered with antiques, puzzles, and treats, A Dream of Death is a Scottish delight that will keep you on your toes until the very end." - Carlene O'Connor
"A fresh new series that captures the Scottish scenery perfectly with suspenseful layers of intrigue and intelligent characters. Riveting...I couldn’t put it down." - Hannah Reed
"What a treat! A modern day Outlander... Charming, authentic, surprising - and completely irresistible." - Hank Phillippi Ryan
"I was caught from the first page...Scotland, a current mystery, and an ancient puzzle - what’s not to love?" - Fran Stewart
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