I have lost interest in this title since requesting to review. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this one.

Honestly, I never read this book. I requested it and downloaded it but was hit with a massive season of depression where I couldn't read anything at all. Thankfully I am on the mend and do indeed plan to read the books I had requested. I am thankful for the opportunity for advanced reader copies. I do love reading.

Carter Matheson is a librarian on a mission to enjoy his first trip abroad--visiting sites in Scotland incorporated into the mystery-thrillers of his favorite author Vanessa Rayburn--even if he has to spend it with his ex, Trevor, and his ex's new boyfriend. Carter considers this the trip of his lifetime, and the way the intrigue unfolds it might just be his last.

Carter is one of few uncoupled people on the tour, and due to the Trevor fiasco he's sharing his room with an unknown man, John Knight, who is pithy and mysterious in his own right. Carter is nearly killed by a shove into traffic, and later his room is trashed, presumably by someone with a vendetta. Thing is, the mischief maker must be someone on the tour, because who else would be perfectly positioned to strike? It's a busload of middle-aged mystery buffs, so everyone had a theory, and they aren't all that quiet about sharing them. Plus, Trevor's really laying it on trying to work a jealousy angle--or maybe win Carter back. Carter's confused, and not just about his relationships. He's got an eye on John, whose behavior isn't bordering odd--it's downright fishy at times. But, Carter's also a bit attracted to the man, and he's not sure if John's staging all the trouble, or the target of it.

I loved the way Carter thinks, and analyzes the situations. He's not super intrepid, but he does strive for logic, which is a departure from some of his tour mates. He's quick to see through Trevor's shenanigans and note the idiosyncrasies of the people he meets in his travel party. He and John become allies of a sort, and they do connect in that bump and grind way without a whole lot of preamble. This is more of a mystery than a romance, and there's just enough of a flavor for these guys to add a further complication. I liked how there was more than one set of nefarious activities happening and that put Carter and John at cross purposes, at least for a little while. The descriptions of the Scottish countryside, travels and manor homes are just intriguing enough to tempt a would-be traveler. The end is super fast paced, with Carter figuring out the big murder mystery and John being in the right place at the right time to make the ending happy. For strangers on a European tour, the resolution provides a glimmer that these guys have more than a vacation fling. Fun, engaging, fast-paced and with lots of blind ends and hair pin curves, I really liked this one.

This should have been one of the highlights of Carter Matheson’s life. When he planned the guided tour of Scotland more than a year ago, he was chuffed. The tour theme centered around the locales made famous in the works of Carter’s favorite author, Vanessa Rayburn, and he was looking forward to sharing the experience with his boyfriend. Except between booking the tour and attending the tour, things turned south between Carter and Trevor. Instead of a precursor to marriage, they were caput. Rather than let the pre-paid trip go to waste, though, Carter is determined to enjoy himself…if he can stand seeing Trevor fawn all over his current man.

The excitement of touring Scotland helps Carter forget (at least, not when he’s trapped on the tour bus with Trevor), but even better is the enigmatic roommate that joins the tour at the last minute. John Knight is easy on the eyes and, to Carter’s surprise, rather good company. Especially when Trevor and his beaux start making the trip difficult for Carter by spreading rumors and staging confrontations, John Knight proves he’s got no problems calling Trevor out on his bad behavior.

Things take a turn for the weird, however, when Carter learns John’s got some ulterior motives—ones he’s not at liberty to share with Carter. To add to tension, Carter finds himself running into some bad luck. An accidental push sends him sprawling into the street and very nearly under the wheels of a mini cooper, the room he shares with John gets broken into, and more than one of his fellow tourists rope him into a salacious story about how a guest on the same tour last year wound up dead. As Carter gathers more and more puzzle pieces, he begins to wonder if there truly isn’t something foul afoot—and if it’s coming after him.

I could not put this down. Okay, that’s a bit of a stretch, but when I DID put it down, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. While I think the book reflects what I guess has become Lanyon’s ‘bag’ (that is, an author who writes about authors…often involving murder/thriller/mystery aspects), I was still enormously entertained. I suppose this is proof positive that even an old bag can be a good one, provided it’s well written.

There are so many things I enjoyed. First, I liked that the characters are a bit “older.” Stories featuring young, nubile characters are a dime a dozen, but life doesn’t end after your 20s so this was a change of pace from the other books I’ve been reading. Next, I really liked that these characters are *interesting.* There is sort of a love triangle present between Carter, John, and Trevor. I think Lanyon does a great job introducing the bitter disappointment Carter has over the sour end to his and Trevor’s relationship, then brings Trevor himself onto the page in a way that had me wondering if I ought to be rooting for a “lovers reunited” kind of story. Lanyon keeps this will-they-won’t-they theme on the back burner. Almost immediately after this is established, though, we get introduced to John. Here, too, I really liked how the character gets worked into the on-page dynamic. Even better, he’s funny. I’ve read a few Lanyon titles, but this is the first time I feel like I can state, unequivocally, one of the characters just feels like he’s got perfect timing (note: John is certainly NOT a comedian, nor is this a comedy; rather, John is a character who can defuse a situation with a well-placed remark). The more I saw John on-page, the more I wanted to see him and Carter get together.

Next, I personally identified with the sprit of adventure. This is Carter’s first trip abroad (first trip period, really) and the way the scenes are described reminded me of my own travel to the UK. Perhaps this is due to my own personal feelings about the UK, but Scotland has such a great sense of mystery and excitement that it made for a great setting for Carter’s trip. The prose is peppered with just enough description to recall my own mental images of Scotland without bogging down whole sections with descriptive writing. Much of the action takes place in the manor houses-turned-hotels, which adds to the air of mystery in my opinion—drafty old buildings with history, old artifacts, twisty halls, and so on.

As far as the plot goes, well, you know there’s going to be a murder or at least an attempt. The way the bad apples figure into the story was clever. Given that this is a book-themed tour of Scotland, you have a small and regular cast of repeating characters—so the guilty parties are there from the beginning. Yet until the action started to unfold during the climax, I didn’t feel 100% confident of crossing anyone but our narrator Carter off the “guilty” list. That said, some elements of why the murder was going to happen were unclear to me, even after they were spelled out (but then, I’m no avid reader of mysteries so maybe my brain just isn’t trained to fit so many puzzle pieces together).

Nevertheless, the climactic scenes are still climactic and Carter’s relationships with John and Trevor really kept me turning pages. Lanyon does hit on one phenomenon: spending time in close quarters with the same group of people breeds familiarity. While we’re meant to understand that this is how Carter develops rather deeper connections to all his tour-mates than you’d otherwise expect, I think Lanyon captured this dynamic excellently between Carter and John.

On the whole, if you like Lanyon, you will like this book. Otherwise, it’s a great choice for a lazy day or anyone who enjoys mystery/thrillers. The romance is well paced and feels genuine despite how short of a time John and Carter are actually together. The drama runs high with a tour bus full of mystery buffs and ends with a bang when these fans of murder novels are thrown into their very own whodunit scenario.

Totally worth the read! Which is as per usual with Josh Lanyon. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Look, Josh Lanyon is a must buy for me. Murder mystery? Check. Angsty romance with ex? Check.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to review this book and to be an early reader via NetGalley! However, I will not be writing a review for this title at this time, as my reading preferences have since changed somewhat. In the event that I decide to review the book in the future, I will make sure to purchase a copy for myself or borrow it from a library. Once again, thank you so much for providing me with early access to this title. I truly appreciate it. Please feel free to contact me with any follow-up questions or concerns.

The fact that the book is happening in Scotland was one of the reasons I've requested this book as I adore the land. However, I did not end up enjoying the book much.

There aren't many Lanyon books that I'm not gonna love and this is no exception. The backdrop of a Scottish holiday tour group is perfect for a murder mystery. I have such a warm spot in my heart for Carter. 1) He's a librarian (yes!) and 2) he's doing his best to avoid this awkward situation. Thank goodness for John Knight, his roommate on the tour. I love John's mysterious side. I only wish we got to know a little more about him...even just a few more clues.

All in all, another wonderfully entertaining Lanyon read!

Another clever mystery from Lanyon. An amateur sleuth caught up in an interesting case, with lots of great background in Scotland.

In the Murder Takes the High Road, Carter is taking part in a tour of Scotland visiting the places his favorite author writes about in her books. A murder and disappearance takes place and he works to try to solve what is going on. I'm not sure if I mis-read the synopsis when I got book For some reason, I was expecting a cozy Scottish mystery.

For me, the book was just OK. It did start off with that "cozy" mystery vibe and I liked Carter. However, it ended up turning into a kind of underwhelming romance with a boring mystery. The "romance" came out of nowhere and was a bit more involved than I was expecting. I don't mind M/M graphic sex scenes, but it just didn't fit with the atmosphere of the book. Maybe a fade to black would have been more fitting? It just felt forced and unnecessary.

There were way too many people introduced in the book to keep track of them. They all blended together after a while. Except Trevor. He cropped up constantly and was annoying. Seriously, how many times did he have to approach Carter to discuss him being on the tour and how much he knew Carter wanted him back? It got old very quickly. As I said before, the mystery was just OK/ I did find myself skimming more than I would have liked. This is the fist book by this author that I have read. I'm not sure if this is his usual style of writing. I may give him another try in the futur

MURDER MYSTERY IN THE HIGHLANDS. This was, for the most part, an entertaining story. The story works on introducing us to the characters and a tour of Scotland, but it definitely picked up around the 60% mark. That is a bit to read before getting to the main part of the story that keeps you on your toes. It's almost a shame it's a one-off and not part of a series, because I would love to read more adventures with Carter and John. The story is told solely from Carter's POV, so John is a bit of a mystery and nothing is really revealed about him until closer towards the end of the novel.

This story is about Carter Matheson, a librarian who is stubbornly on vacation in Scotland as part of a bus tour for fans of a mystery author. He had booked this trip months ago with his then-boyfriend and when they broke up, Carter was not giving up his chance of a vacation and his seat to his ex's current boyfriend. So, this trip starts off pretty awkwardly for everyone involved when his ex DOES bring his current boyfriend with him and their relationship is flaunted in front of Carter the entire trip.

That also leaves Carter without a roommate, and he is stuck with a mysterious last-minute addition to the group - John Knight. His presence is a big question mark, because he seems to know stuff about the author the tour group revolves around, but not really enough. Because wouldn't only the superfans be willing to pay the kind of money it takes to go on this trip and visit all the places that are mentioned in the author's books? John is one big mystery, while there's a more sinister mystery lurking around the tour group when people keep dying or disappearing from their tour group.

Unlike other Josh Lanyon books, this story takes a while to ramp up the story. I find the location interesting, but this story really got bogged down in over-explaining Scotland. Like a tour book to Scotland. The mystery about the murders is interesting, but I just found it hard to connect with the characters and learning about who each of the characters were. There's a lot of people on this trip, and when you're getting introduced to them all at once...it's a little too much.

This is my first time reading a Josh Lanyon standalone, and that wasn't part of a series. And frankly, I think I'd rather stick to her series books. The relationship between Carter and John just wasn't really there for me, because the attraction was pretty instant, and with very little build-up. And before you knew it, it's over and no chance to follow-up with them in a sequel.

All-in-all, I felt this was a pretty average story rather than the usual on-your-toes romantic suspense mystery stories I'm used to reading from the author. It's okay as a standalone, and offers a wild ride at the end. The story offers an interesting look at what would happen among a bunch of fervent mystery readers who now see themselves involved in a real-life murder investigation.

***Thanks to Carina Press for providing me an ARC on NetGalley***

I was in the mood for something different when I picked up Murder Takes the High Road by Josh Lanyon and the plot got me hooked right away. This murder mystery turned out to be just the ticket, with a plot full of twists and turns and a vacation romance too.

Carson had booked seats on 'Tours to Die For!' bus tours to follow the murder mystery plots of famed author Dame Vanessa Rayburn for him and his boyfriend Trevor months ago. When Trevor turned out to be cheating on him and they'd broken up, Carson had decided to go on the trip anyway - as had Trevor with his new boyfriend Vance. It makes for an awkward situation, especially when Trevor keeps seeking him out to complain about his presence with an annoyed looking Vance clearly jealous.

Fortunately there are other things to occupy Carson's mind. First off, his new hotel roommate John has a habit of disappearing in the middle of the night and returning hours later. The attraction between them seems to be mutual and now that Carson has firmly moved on from Trevor, he's free to indulge in some passionate encounters with John. But then the rumours start, about a previous tour and a possible murder. And when a mysterious death happens on their trip, things become even more suspicious. What's going on? Will Carson figure it out before the bus trip is over? And will his fledgling relationship with John survive the fallout?

This story is part romance, and a lot of mystery and suspense. One thing after another happens, and I don't want to give away too much of the plot except to say that some things I guessed correctly and other things I was completely surprised by. The overall effect is a wholly engrossing and engaging story.

Like any vacation bus tour, there is an eclectic mix of characters of different ages and interests but they all have in common their love of the author's books and have read and reread them multiple times. The stops on the tour correspond to points from particular books. The setting in the Highlands and the creaky old hotels that they stay at in between driving days on the bus are well described and the meals in the book are mouth-watering!

The final destination is a visit to meet the author herself on her private island. There's an overall atmosphere of suspense very early in the story that culminates in some heart stopping moments before we get to a happy ending for Carson and John. There's more than one plot thread that runs through the book so just when you think you know what's going on, you find out you don't! If you like murder mysteries and romance combined, you should definitely add this to your to-read shelf.

This review has been posted at Amazon. It will be featured at Harlequin Junkie and feedback updated with the link.

Murder Takes the High Road once again proves that this author can take mysteries and imbue them with delightful tongue-in-cheek humor while maintaining the solid elements a good whodunit requires. With quirky characters, rabid fans, and a quiet librarian on the rebound, the focus of the fan tour to Scotland is perhaps the most fascinating character in the story. It’s not often a novelist turns out to be a former murderess who shrouds herself in just enough mystery, including owning her own castle located on a remote island, to make the trip to visit her estate an event all in its own.

When Carter Matheson decides to go on the trip he actually scheduled for himself and his former cheating boyfriend, Trevor, he does so knowing that it’s strictly to stick it to said boyfriend. Trevor had tried to convince (read: shame) Carter into not going since he was taking his new flame, Vance, the very man he cheated with, which ended his and Carter’s three year relationship. Awkward doesn’t begin to describe the trip as Vance’s hostilities toward Carter take a rather dangerous tone while Trevor is angrily trying to make Carter leave the tour. But it’s the late arrival of a roommate for Carter, John Knight, that really sets Carter on edge—and not for necessarily negative reasons. John is kind, mysterious and appealing. Carter finds himself attracted and John is willing to act on that attraction.

However, suddenly tour participants turn up dead or missing, Carter’s and John’s rooms are ransacked, Carter is thrown into harm’s way, not once but twice, and they haven’t even made it to the castle yet. Something is not quite right on this tour, and Carter is swept up in some amateur sleuthing that may take a deadly turn before the mystery is solved.

I love mysteries and when they come mixed with a touch of romance and a hefty dose of humor, I am delighted. As usual it’s the characters that drive this story, and Josh Lanyon can write realistic, endearing characters like no other. Carter and John have fun on this tour—and that is the key to why they are so entertaining to read. There is no real heavy angst, although there is some personal evaluating going on by Carter and some revelations that both sober him and set him free when it comes to his reactions to Trevor, his ex. John is so easy-going and able to settle Carter when he is stressed and defuse the tension when things just don’t feel right on the tour. Add to these men the older cast of adoring fans, and there is a genuine feel to this story that earmarks it as a Lanyon novel. And while all these folks were plenty to keep me riveted, I must admit it was the person whom the tour revolves around that I found most fascinating.

Making Vanessa Rayburn a teenage murderer and then giving her an incredibly prolific and lucrative career, post-prison, was a bit of a genius premise for a novel. Placing her home on a remote, privately owned island that only has access twice a year for the tour’s coming and going only heightened that reminiscent “and then there were none” atmosphere Agatha Christie created in her novel of the same. But that is the only comparison one can make to Dame Christie, for author Josh Lanyon has her own voice and it shines in each of her novels. Plus, we got the extra bonus of some lush prose describing various parts of Scotland as the group toured them, and these passages really allowed for the reader to feel fully immersed in the setting and action of the novel.

Murder Takes the High Road ranks right up there with another duo I love of Lanyon’s, Holmes & Moriarity. I found Carter and John incredibly endearing and well suited to each other. Here’s hoping that there are a few more novels featuring this duo in the future.

Oh Josh Lanyon, how I have missed thee!!

I have always enjoyed Josh’s stories and this on didn’t disappoint!

If you looking for constant hot and heavy…this isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for a great mystery with some romance thrown in, this is it!!

You have Carter, a man who has planned this trip of a lifetime for two years with his partner, to be stuck going with not only his now ex partner, but also the ex’s new boyfriend. And get this, the Ex wanted Carter to pay for the new dudes ticket…uh…NO!!! Can you say a**hole!!! Oh and spoiler alert…he doesn’t change.

So now Carter is kinda stuck alone on a trip that, come on lets face it, any of us would sooo go on, to tour his the locations of his favorite authors books, and to possibly meet them as well. But alas, there is a last minute addition that is added to the tour, and well don’t ya know Carter just so happens to be without a roommate. They hit it off right away, but this new man seems to not only be a bit mysterious, but also has mystery following him around.

I give this book 4 stars.

I haven’t read a lot of Josh Lanyon but I always get in a mood to try one after hearing great things about a book. However as with the few books I’ve read in the past by Lanyon, I find myself struggling to actually get into it. I’m not sure if it’s the story, the characters, the writing style or if it’s me and my mood. Whatever it is, I just can’t connect.

Every time I read a book by Josh Lanyon, I love it, so this is one author I should definitely read more of in the future. I love that while there is a romance in this one, it’s also very much a mystery novel and that takes the forefront. I like when mysteries have romance, but I also don’t want the romance to overshadow everything else. Murder Takes the High Road had a fun premise as a group of people are on a Scottish tour based around their favorite mystery author’s books. How fun, right? The latter half of the book even takes place in the author’s large home where she allows the guests to stay and get to know her more.

Since these guests are all murder mystery fans, it’s no wonder some of them become intrigued by the news that someone died on the last tour…and then when things start to happen to their own group, it really amps up the mystery! This book has a couple twists and turns that really do keep you guessing, which I love. As for the romance in the book, librarian Carter is roomed last minute with John Knight, who doesn’t seem to even be a fan of the author’s, pinging Carter’s curiosity as to why he’s on the tour. Regardless, the two strike up a relationship of sorts over the course of the trip and I thought they were wonderful together – especially since Carter’s ex, and the ex’s new boyfriend, are also on this trip! Murder Takes the High Road is definitely recommended by me!

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Sarah – ☆☆☆
This is the story of Carter, an American librarian who joins a coach tour around Scotland with a group of murder mystery superfans. After a lengthy tour, the group finds itself enmeshed in a real life crime story and ultimately stranded in a castle together during a fierce storm.

Carter is a bland but likeable main character. He quickly finds himself caught between a jealous ex and an attractive – if slightly suspicious – roommate. The book is full of relationship dramas and a little bit of insta-love. I liked Carter’s amateur sleuthing, but he feels much older than mid-thirties and I’m not sure we ever really understand why all of the men on the tour seem slightly obsessed with him.

While Carter’s observations of his American travelling companions are entertaining, his observations of Scotland are tired tourist clichés. The romanticised American view of Scotland in this book deprives the story of the depth and grit of my favourite Scottish mysteries by authors like Ian Rankin and Val McDermid.

As far as mysteries go, this is a relatively gentle ride. The characters are white, middle class and range in age from middle aged to elderly. A few slightly younger gay men are thrown into the mix for some added colour. It’s a slow mystery without any gore and a tiny bit of action and suspense at the very end. Most of the story is about the American tour group’s experiences in Scotland and the actual crime element of the book doesn’t come into play until the final quarter of the story.

This story really didn’t hold my attention very well. The American coach tour is as tedious as it sounds, and the staged Scottish cultural experiences are cringe worthy. The actual mystery is over before it really starts and I didn't really engage with any of the characters or their relationships.

Can't believe I'm so late reviewing this! I loved it. It's a classic cosy mystery setup with the participants taking a coach tour around Scotland to meet a reclusive writer that they're all fans of (or claim to be). Carter goes on his longed-for trip even though he's just broken up with his ex, and his ex insists on going along with his new boyfriend. Carter can either forge something new or lick his wounds. But pretty soon they all have more important things to think about, as a murder of one of the tourists is announced. A fun and engaging read.

I’m pretty far behind with my Josh Lanyon reads. Murder Takes the High Road is only the third book I’ve read by this author. (Fatal Shadows & Dangerous Ground) I have no idea why it’s taken me this long to pick one up, but now that I’ve gotten a taste for this author’s style, I’ll definitely be checking out more.

There was a lot going on in Murder Takes the High Road, but it didn’t make things confusing. It simply made the pages turn faster. There was the fact that Carter had to dodge his ex at every corner (along with his new significant other), the mystery of who exactly John was and what he was doing on a tour centered around a specific author who he obviously knew little or nothing about, the mystery of death apparently plaguing the trip and the actual tour itself.

The romance was sweet, the mystery was intriguing and the suspense was nail biting… I loved every minute of it. 😉 Twists, turns, mysteries within mysteries, a fairly unlikely suspect and just a little bit of romantic heat. The perfect mix. 😉

This was a pretty fun book and probably the only reason I didn't rate it higher is because mystery is not really one of my top genres. I think it's because you're supposed to be totally into figuring out 'whodunnit' and I can just never manage to muster up the necessary enthusiasm for it. But I did like the characters and was also impressed that they all had pretty distinctive personalities because usually I get completely lost in big casts and we've got 20+ people regularly showing up here. The romance is definitely a minor part of the plot compared to the mystery but I thought it fit together nicely and there are a few short steamy scenes for people who are into that.

I was not entirely satisfied with the explanation for the murders, especially since the main character made a very self aware statement of how ridiculously elaborate murder plots are in most mystery books and then the book launched into what I thought was a ridiculously elaborate murder plot. But like I said, I'm very hard to please with mystery books so I was mostly picked it up because I like to read M/M romance that also has a bit of plot to go along with the romance ;) This definitely did that so overall I enjoyed it, even though I thought it got a bit out there at the end.