Out of the Deep I Cry (Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mysteries)

Julia Spencer-Fleming's debut In the Bleak Midwinter reached unprecedented heights amongst the mystery world awards, receiving the Agatha for Best First Mystery as well as the Malice Domestic, the Anthony, the Dilys, the Barry and the Macavity Awards, making Spencer-Fleming the first author to win all six awards for a first novel. Her follow-up A Fountain Filled with Blood was also a smashing success. Now, Spencer-Fleming delivers her best novel to date with Out of the Deep I Cry...

A DARK PAST THAT COULD BRING ...

On April 1, 1930, Jonathan Ketchem's wife Jane walked from her house to the police department to ask for help in finding her husband. The men, worn out from a night of chasing bootleggers, did what they could. But no one ever saw Jonathan Ketchem again...

DEADLY CONSEQUENCES TO THE PRESENT...

Now decades later, someone else is missing in Miller's Kill, NY. This time it's the physician of the clinic that bears the Ketchem name. Suspicion falls on a volatile single mother with a grudge against the doctor, but Reverend Clare Fergusson isn't convinced. As Clare and Russ investigate, they discover that the doctor's disappearance is linked to a bloody trail going all the way back to the hardscrabble Prohibition era. As they draw ever closer to the truth, their attraction for each other grows increasingly more difficult to resist. And their search threatens to uncover secrets that snake from one generation to the next-and to someone who's ready to kill.

"In Agatha winner Spencer-Fleming's triumphant third novel (after 2003's A Fountain Filled with Blood), Clare Fergusson, Anglican priest and ex-army helicopter pilot, and Sheriff Russ Van Alstyne investigate the hidden secrets, past and present, of a prominent Millers Kill, N.Y., family — and must also face the hidden secrets of their own hearts. When the roof of St. Alban's Episcopal Church springs a leak that threatens to destroy a beautiful stained-glass window, Clare calls an emergency vestry meeting only to discover that paying for the repairs is more complicated than she expected. Mrs. Marshall, a wealthy parishioner, agrees to donate the money, though it will mean the withdrawal of funds from the town health clinic. Shortly after hearing the news, Dr. Rouse, the clinic's respected director, disappears under baffling circumstances. Since her first outing, In the Bleak Midwinter (2002), Clare has grown in complexity, as shown in a number of exquisitely described scenes between her and Russ in the church. The season of Lent serves as a most fitting backdrop, starting with Ash Wednesday and culminating in the Great Easter Vigil. The author expertly portrays the power of grief, guilt, greed and love and their effect on good people in a story as chilling as the month of March in Millers Kill. A subtle sense of humor further enhances this poignant and provocative mystery. (Apr. 21) Forecast: A national author tour soon after Easter can only help build Spencer-Fleming's fan base among mystery-loving Episcopalians and readers of thoughtful, sensitive fiction generally." Publishers Weekly (Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information, Inc.)

"Brings new airs and graces to the traditional small-town mystery...this is a very small town, but under Spencer-Fleming's grave and tender touch it becomes a world that you want to visit and hate to leave." The New York Times Book Review

"Despite an anemic mystery, the most ambitious of Clare's first three cases...scores as an unblinking account of betrayal, revenge, and human frailty." Kirkus Reviews

"A comfortable mix of police procedural and village cozy." Booklist

Julia Spencer-Fleming was born at Plattsburgh Air Force Base and spent most of her childhood on the move as an army brat. She studied acting and history at Ithaca College, and received her J.D. from the University of Maine School of Law. She lives in a 180-year-old farmhouse outside of Portland, Maine, with her husband, three children, and their beloved big dog.