About the author... Sue Lawrence

She was an early winner on UK MasterChef and since then has become a successful food writer and now also a novelist. She was raised in Dundee and now lives in Edinburgh.

This novel was inspired by… “The love of my hometown of Dundee and the tragedy that affected most of the city’s population in 1879.”

I wanted to be a novelist because… “Having trained as a journalist and always used to stating facts, I felt ready to write something non-factual (although based on real events). I also wanted to take time to create characters, dialogue and, most importantly, hopefully an engaging plot.” What I love about historical fiction is… “To be transported back to an era where everything was slower, where life was hard without the immediacy of water, heat and light. Historical fiction allows the reader to be able to do that from the comfort of a modern home.”