The photo on the cover of Dust to Dust is Melrose Abbey, not only very similar to the story's Rudesburn Priory, but just up the road from it.


I made this cover from a photo of a spoils pile at the Roman fort in Corbridge, which is (sorry) in England. The smaller image is the famous statue of Robert the Bruce on the battlefield at Bannockburn, and the background is still Campbell tartan.


Back-in-Print Edition: The new cover is a photo of Melrose Abbey in Scotland, which is almost in spitting distance from Rudesburn and is mentioned in the story. Unfortunately the picture was taken on a cloudy day so you only get a hint of the lovely pink/red color of the stone.

The original title of this book was Cold in the Clay, from an old Scottish ballad. "Too cold", said the publisher.

January 2000
Back-in-print.com
ISBN 0-595-09446-5



My editor, thank goodness, caught the original sketch for the cover of Dust to Dust before it went into production--it was of a cemetery thick with tilting crosses and a Halloween cat. The cover that was used is a bit better. At least the woman is in sweatshirt and jeans rather than a nightgown, and the building in the background is based on a postcard of Jedburgh Abbey, which is down the road from my fictional Rudesburn. I've always thought this cover was too smeary and murky, though.

August 1991
Diamond Charter
ISBN 1-557-73547-6