But it's also because of something personal. My mother and father met while playing chess, so I've always had a fondness for the game. If it weren't for chess, I might not be here.

It was held on Saturday 15 October 2011 with readers gathering in locations around the world at 13:00 (1pm) local time to toast the author. The second volume which was written after the Niccolò series was completed also contains a bibliography of many of the hundreds of primary and secondary sources Dunnett used in her historical research. These books provide background information to historical characters and events featured in the Lymond Chronicles and The House of Niccolò as well as explanations of classical allusions and literary and other quotations used in the two series notes to sources of these citations and many maps.

She also wrote a novel about the real Macbeth called King Hereafter (1982) and a series of mystery novels centred around Johnson Johnson a portrait painter/spy. She is best known for her six-part series about Francis Crawford of Lymond The Lymond Chronicles which Dorothy Dunnett followed with the eight-part prequel The House of Niccolò.