Earth to Earth
Seth Ludington and his pregnant wife Fiona are cornered into leading a small tour group to Scotland. While on a remote island in Orkney, that windswept cluster of islands layered with history and legend, one member of the group goes missing. His body is discovered in a remote Neo-lithic tomb called the Dwarfie Stane with sod stuffed into his mouth. The police suspect his murder to be the third in a series of similar hate crimes. Ludington and his sidekick Harriet van der Berg agree at first, but come to suspect otherwise. They reluctantly conduct an investigation that inevitably focuses on members of their own tour group and leads them into a thorny moral quandary. The book explores the contrasting ethical ideals of the pre-Christian and Christian worlds, as well as the lengths to which love is willing to go.
Reviews
“This is a beautifully written account of a highly unusual trip to Scotland and strange goings-on in the Orkney Islands. There is enough local detail to satisfy anybody who is interested in Scottish history, and enough suspense to keep the rest on the edge of their metaphorical seats. A well-researched and intriguing novel. A lovely book in every respect.”
- Alexander McCall Smith, author of the Ladies’ No. 1 Detective Agency and Scotland Street Mystery Series.
“As detective stories go, this is a truly exceptional one because of its intelligence and completely unexpected twists. But it is much more… It considers love and loyalty when severely tested, various human weaknesses, bottled-up anger and a bold attempt to redirect it. Set in Scotland, it builds to a climax in the Orkney Islands. It is a profound and enthralling novel addressing our human condition. I highly recommend it.”
- Iain Torrance, former President of Princeton Theological Seminary and Pro-Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen.
“If you seek a taste of Scotland in your crime novels, this tale from a father-daughter writing team is for you. From Edinburgh to Orkney, history braids into mystery as a minister-sleuth and his sidekick follow a twisted trail to expose a calculating killer. A satisfying read with a surprise ending.”
- Katherine Ramsland, award-winning author of “I Scream Man” and “How to Catch a Killer.“
About The Series
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More Books To Come
Ashes to Ashes and Earth to Earth are the first two books in the Ludington = van der Berg series. The third, Dust to Dust, is slated for release in the summer of 2024.
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Earth to Earth
Seth Ludington and his pregnant wife Fiona are cornered into leading a small tour group to Scotland. While on a remote island in Orkney, that windswept cluster of islands layered with history and legend, one member of the group goes missing. His body is discovered in a remote Neo-lithic tomb called the Dwarfie Stane with sod stuffed into his mouth. The police suspect his murder to be the third in a series of similar hate crimes. Ludington and his sidekick Harriet van der Berg agree at first, but come to suspect otherwise. They reluctantly conduct an investigation that inevitably focuses on members of their own tour group and leads them into a thorny moral quandary. The book explores the contrasting ethical ideals of the pre-Christian and Christian worlds, as well as the lengths to which love is willing to go.
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Dust to Dust
Seth Ludington, minister of a struggling church in the Yorkville neighborhood of NYC, forms a friendship with Daniel Gelman, rabbi of a neighboring synagogue, following an act of anti-Semitic vandalism in the synagogue's sanctuary. That event is followed by the sudden death of a wealthy member of the synagogue. As accidental as the death appears to authorities, Gelman, Ludington and Harriet van der Berg come to share suspicions of foul play. The trio deepens their friendship as they investigate the vandalism, suspicious death, and a wildly dysfunctional family. The book explores the complexity of family relationships, the scourge of anti-Semitism, as well as the long and often fraught relationship between Judaism and Christianity.