IN MARGARET’S WORDS – THE BACKSTORY

“Who is Anna? Why was she murdered? Who did this terrible deed in quiet little Lyndale? It was a real murder that was never solved in real life. An ancestor of my own was accused of it, but it wasn’t him. He left the Island soon after and never returned. The place it occurred can still be seen if you know where to look. Locally it is known as “Anne Beaton’s Hollow” or “Goblin’s Hollow.” It is said to be haunted. The character of Anne Beaton was, as my uncle put it, “no better than she should be.” But I questioned that assumption in the novel. In real life they called in the constable who couldn’t solve the case. He was followed by an army colonel who decided that it was a crime of passion committed by a woman. He left it there. This was a story begging to be told in a fictional way. I had a lot of fun writing it and solving the puzzle.”