A YOUNG woman discovers a murdered newborn baby in the garden of an Irish convent school, sparking a media storm that forces her to flee to a remote farm.
A detective then finds himself struggling to solve the case as the church tries to suppress the furore.
These are the bare bones of the plot that has earned Nicola White the £10,000 Dundee International Book Prize.
Her crime thriller, In The Rosary Garden, was chosen out of more than 350 entries that came from as far afield as Texas and Japan.
A judging panel including TV personality Lorraine Kelly, actor Brian Cox and novelist AL Kennedy described Nicola’s book as “courageous and intelligent” and decided she should get a deal with Cargo Publishing that will see her book released today.
The plot was inspired by a real-life case of infanticide in Ireland in the 1980s.
Nicola said: “Winning the prize feels like finding the express elevator after five flights plodding up the stairs.
“I did have some early success with the manuscript in that it brought me an agent and a New Writer Award from the Scottish Book Trust, but things stalled after that and it hibernated in a virtual bottom drawer for a couple of years.
“I’m just very pleased that the book gets to be ushered into the world in the best way, with editorial care and a bit of fanfare and the money is no small thing.
“It’s altogether wonderful. I want to sincerely thank all the team at Literary Dundee and Cargo Publishing who have been a real pleasure to work with.”
Although In The Rosary Garden is Nicola’s first novel, her short stories have been published widely and broadcast on radio. She grew up in Dublin and New York and now lives on the Clyde coast.
The Dundee International Book prize is a joint venture between the Dundee One City, Many Discoveries campaign, Cargo Publishing and Dundee University.
Councillor Will Dawson, city development convener, said: “It never fails to surprise and impress me that each time the prize is awarded, the number and quality of entries is so high.
“It has now taken its rightful place as one of the premier competitions for debut novelists and has helped to cement Dundee’s position on the world literary map.
“This year’s winner has received high praise from the judges and I am looking forward to seeing it in print so that I can read it for myself.”
Anna Day, director of Literary Dundee, said In The Rosary Garden was more that just a smart, sophisticated thriller.
“It’s a coming-of-age tale, a morality tale and, most of all, a brilliant read,” she said.
“I couldn’t put it down and am very proud that the Dundee International Book Prize brought this marvellous book to fruition.”
Cargo’s managing director Mark Buckland said one of the goals of the company was to bring exciting new voices to the reading public.
“Nicola White is one of the most exceptional debut authors I’ve encountered. the book is thrilling but is also deeply moving.
“I’m delighted that the Dundee International Book Prize has once again unearthed a unique talent with so much to say about how we live.”
Nicola was presented with her prize at a gala dinner last night as part of the Dundee Literary Festival.