Sue Lawrence

Lawrence has also written a number of historical novels featuring dark aspects of Scotland's past.^[5] Her debut novel, Fields of Blue Flax, was published in 2015 by Freight Books. She published a historical thriller titled The Night He Left in 2015. Another novel The Last Train was published in 2016 by Freight Books in the UK, and Allen and Unwin elsewhere.^[6] This novel features the 17 day aftermath of the Tay Bridge Disaster in 1879, but includes a modern story.^[7] Down to the Sea, her first historical mystery of several to examine the injustices faced by women in Scottish history, was published by Contraband in 2019 and concerns the fragile and often dangerous circumstances of women working in the fishing industry in the harbours of Victorian Scotland.^[8] 'The Wee Review' described this book as a "fast-paced and enjoyable read" that "cements Lawrence as a skilled creator of historical mysteries".^[9] The Unreliable Death of Lady Grange, published in 2020, is a fictionalised account of the life of Rachel Chiesley, Lady Grange, who was summarily abducted at the hands of agents of her husband and exiled on the Monach Isles and then to St Kilda, where she ultimately died.^[10] The novel is viewed from Lady Grange's point of view, while until recently her husband's account has been better known and documented. 'The Edinburgh Reporter' described it as a "superlative page-turner", crediting it for offering a "clear-sighted look at the treatment of women".^[11] A forthcoming novel, The Green Lady, examines the fate of the wives of Alexander Seton, 1st Earl of Dunfermline, when Lilias Drummond,daughter of Patrick Drummond, 3rd Lord Drummond, and successive wives failed to produce a male heir.

• Glenfiddich Food and Drink Awards - Best Regional Writer 2003^[12]