Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

It seems to be the season for me to read 'Locked Room' mysteries where weather provides the physical barrier (the locked room)
Despite having had a gap from reading the Costello and Anderson series, I found myself firmly engrossed from the beginning as the characters familiarity made me sink into a confortable chair and succumb to the ride.
Set just before Christmas time in the Scottish highlands when a suspicious death has Costello and Anderson leaving their homes and ending up cut off from the rest of the world as they investigate, the Red Red Snow is a combination of extreme weather coping strategies, domestic noir, police procedure and small community intrigue.
Beautifully plotted, Ramsay weaves varying strands together subtly and thus the narrative flows perfectly as the two struggle to work out who is keeping secrets form them and why.
Compelling and thought provoking this is a commentary on entitlement, community, loyalty and more.
Loved it!

The Red, Red Snow was decent but is quite far along in the series. I did like the story at the heart of this book, but there were so many details. I do like detailed books, but I found myself getting lost in some of the chapters. Overall, the writing is good and the plot is decent, but the pages are loaded with too many extra details at points.

Thank you to NetGalley and Severn House for this ARC.

I used to enjoy the Anderson and Costello series in the beginning but I have failed to enjoy the last few, so I don't know why I keep requesting them. Probably in the hope they will improve somehow. I really disliked "The Sideman" (though I did persevere with it) and this one I just could not get into.

The chapters are long and descriptive to the point where there is so much being said that I forget the whole point of the last several paragraphs or even the chapter! And I get completely lost in Caro Ramsay's descriptions that I end up wandering aimlessly looking for help to get me out of here.

I usually write lengthy reviews outlining some of the story, usually enough to draw a reader in, whilst at the same time giving my opinions on the book. I can't really be bothered writing a lengthy review because I was so bored and lost, I wouldn't know what to say to keep things neutral.

I don't like giving negative reviews, but I think I will have to ditch Anderson and Costello from now on. THE RED RED SNOW ended up being a big big bore.

I would like to thank #CaroRamsay, #NetGalley and #SevernHouse for an ARC of #TheRedRedSnow in exchange for an honest review.

Murder Amidst Snowbound Setting....
Atmospheric murder mystery with credible and charismatic protagonists amidst a snowbound setting. Book eleven in this series and each has been an excellent mystery. Well plotted, taut and suspenseful in equal measure.

The Red, Red Snow is the 11th book in the Anderson & Costello series by Caro Ramsay. Released 2nd June 2020 by Severn House, it's 256 pages and available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.

This is a modern procedural with a returning ensemble cast with a complex interwoven past both together and severally. I hadn't read any of the previous books, so the very intricate and involved interrelationships took a while for me to sort out in my own mind. Like many police procedurals, there are lots of disparate plot threads which wind together more tightly as the book goes on. All of the action is set against a backdrop of approaching Christmas holidays in Scotland. The author is quite gifted with immersive atmospheric ambience and the Glasgow setting was believable and encompassing. It *felt* cold and dark. The characterizations are superb, and the characters are distinct from one another and well delineated. The dialogue is believable and never rang false for me.

The denouement (especially the epilogue) was top notch, well written with an extra twist which I definitely didn't see coming. It was a satisfying end to a very well written book. I'll go back and pick up the earlier books in the series, though there are major spoilers in this book which will color earlier installments. If readers are planning to read this one, I would recommend picking up the backlist first.

Four stars. This is a really well written modern murder mystery with believable characters.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This book really demanded my attention with all it’s different twists and turns. I will definitely be
reading more by Caro Ramsay. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read it.

I started this gritty series at book ten with The Sideman which was probably, with hindsight, a little reckless, nevertheless, I was still keen to read this taut story The Red, Red Snow.

This gritty police procedural is set in Glasgow and features DI Costello and DCI Colin Anderson. The instalment begins with the stabbing of the owner of the Inkermann tattoo parlour, Eric Callaghan, in a jam-packed fast food restaurant at a thronged Christmas ice show. Even though there was so many people around, the police have no witnesses or leads and CCTV has revealed nothing for DS Mulholland and DC Gordon Wyngate. Meanwhile, two bodies are discovered at a holiday cottage in a remote highland glen. German couple Elise and Henning Korder, both geologists, have been murdered at the isolated Rhum Cottage after a party. DCI Anderson is keen to head off there and leave Glasgow and his turbulent home life behind for a while, along with DI Winifred Prudence Costello.

With its mixture of clever plotting, suspense and the atmospheric Scottish location of Glen Riske, The Red, Red Snow is an exhilarating read. There is some switching of perspectives from different characters and events until the story settles mainly on DCI Colin Anderson's viewpoint. DI Costello is there with the snarky comments and antiseptic realism. A great cocktail of tricky investigations and domestic woes, the connection between what happened to Eric Callaghan and the German couple eventually becomes clear in the well plotted narrative. With a sizeable chunk of good twists and unexpected surprises I have been inspired to read more from this series and accomplished author.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Severn House via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

EXCERPT: Eric Callaghan paused as co-worker Simon chucked some ketchup and salt sachets on top of the fries,then picked a Santa balloon from the display behind him and tucked the string under Geraldine's diet coke.

Simon wished him a happy Christmas.

Eric wished him a better career.

He could see Geraldine through the Santa balloons and light sabres. Suddenly, he coughed, balancing the tray on one arm as his body jerked. He tried to resist another cough; his mouth tasted blood. Leaving the crush at the counter, he needed fresh air. The heat in the food court was oppressive, making him feel dizzy, even a little faint. He leaned against a bin, catching his breath. The small snakes of potato wriggled across the tray, turning his stomach. He bumped into a grey-haired woman holding onto two Santa balloons, thinking that the mild collusion in such a tight space did not merit the look of alarm on her face. She asked him if he was okay, a gloved hand touching his arm, the kindness of a stranger, and then Geraldine was at his side as his eldest daughter lifted the tray from him. It all went rather colourful and pretty as the Santa balloons danced around the room.

'I'm fine.' He looked around him, lifted up his jacket, his black T-shirt wet with sweat. The tail of his peacock tattoo wound round his lower ribs, curving to his abdomen. The tail feathers were blue and purple, their tips turning crimson as the blood ran and dripped.

ABOUT THIS BOOK: A family man is stabbed to death at a crowded Christmas Ice Show. Murdered in plain sight. No clues, no witnesses, no known motive.

A week later, two bodies are discovered at a holiday cottage in a remote highland glen: one in the kitchen; the other sprawled outside on the icy lawn. The killer would appear to have arrived and left without leaving a trace, not even a footprint in the snow.

What secrets are lurking within this isolated, superstitious community? As the snow piles higher, detectives Anderson and Costello put their wits to solving a seemingly impossible crime, and gradually uncover a twisted tale of greed, obsession - and cold-blooded murder.

MY THOUGHTS: I haven't been hiding in the salt mines of Siberia, or even in remote parts of the Scottish highlands, so how come this is the first ever Caro Ramsay book that I have read, and #11 in the series at that?

I loved this complex and atmospheric mystery/police procedural. Even starting this series at #11 didn't diminish my pleasure.

There are multiple mysteries in The Red, Red Snow. Why would anyone take the risk of stabbing a family man in plain sight in a crowded food court? Why would anyone stab him anyway?

And the elderly German couple in a holiday cottage in the remote Scottish Riske Glen, who would want them dead?

How did the killer get in? There are no footprints in the snow...

There is talk of Skirfin and nuckelavee, which are by no means the creepiest things in this book. No, that honour goes to the coffin bridge, a remarkable contraption that has you lay inside a coffin and, using an arrangement of ropes and pulleys, pull yourself across the river. No way would I ever climb inside that thing!

The characters are very real, their lives as complex as this case. But in no way do their private lives overshadow the main storyline, indeed it complements it. There is obviously a bit of back history between some of the characters of which I am unaware, and this has piqued my curiosity. Amongst the characters is a bad-tempered DI, a lovestruck forensic scientist, a pathologist obsessed with choosing her new curtains, and a woman called Suzette and, I quote, 'I do apologise for my horrible daughter. I wish I could blame it on some disorder, but I'm afraid she is just an evil little cow.' There is even a character called Arthur 'Conman' Doyle, and a wonderful Staffie (I love Staffies) called Nesbit.

Ramsay writes with a lightness of touch, a sensitivity to the situation, and a wry sense of humour.

I now have another series to add to my list to read from the beginning. And rest assured, I will be first in line for the next Caro Ramsay book.

🤩🤩🤩🤩

#TheRedRedSnow #NetGalley

'She wondered vaguely what had happened to the rise of feminism, and if it applied in adverse weather conditions.'

'It's Christmas. People fight about everything.'

'I can read you like a book. Just not a very good book.'

THE AUTHOR: Caro Ramsay was born and educated in Glasgow. She has been writing stories since she was five years old, developing a keen interest in crime fiction and a passion for the genre that lead her to write Absolution, her first novel.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Severn House via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of The Red,Red Snow by Caro Ramsay for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review and others are also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

An excellent mystery with a great story-line and an interesting cast of characters.
The plot is well crafted and kept me hooked, the mystery is solid and the characters well thought.
I enjoyed it and it's recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I had not realised that this book is part of a series. I really liked the setting and the characters and I would read more books about them.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Anderson and Costello have a bizarre case to solve.

Eric Callaghan has been out with his family to Planet Burger when someone bumps him and stabs him with a tiny instrument. He can’t be saved, and his death becomes a murder that looks like a random killing.

Elise and Henning Korder, both geologists, have finished a series of lectures in London and decide to head to Scotland to a little cottage in Glen Riske for a break.

Suzette Catterson, her husband Jonathan and their two children, Jon and Juliet, always spend Christmas in a cottage at Glen Riske. Suzette arrives before her family – it’s the only time she’ll be able to relax before these irritants arrive and destroy her calm. Suzette is enjoying the solitude when Elise and Henning arrive. They should be in the cottage called Eigg, but when Suzette sees that Henning has a cast on his leg, she offers them the cottage she had booked, Rhum as it has a bedroom and bathroom downstairs which will be easier for Henning to use.

Young Charlie Priestly arrives at Rhum to clean up after the party that Suzette always holds there each year, only to discover a body and blood splatter everywhere. He panics and leaves in a hurry to call the local police.

PC Jim McIver is one of two policemen stationed in Glen Riske. After examining the crime scene, he decides it’s far too complicated for him and his fellow officer, Dan Priestly, to investigate, especially as Charlie, Dan’s son could be a suspect. He immediately calls DCI Colin Anderson who agrees to head up the investigation. DI Winifred Prudence Costello (known to everyone only as Costello) together with Dr Jessica Gibson and Mathilda McQueen travel with him to Glen Riske and arrive shortly before the village is closed off by heavy snow.

It’s going to be a complicated investigation as it’s soon apparent that the Korders were not the intended victims. Every suspect seems to have a perfect alibi. The snow doesn’t help matters either.

This is such an excellent series. The characters are so well-drawn and so alive. However, I think it’s time that Costello did something about the way Anderson treats her! She’s far too kind to him, whereas he’s rude and obnoxious to her. I’ve never fully understood their relationship, but Costello might be hard on the outside, but she’s an empathic person, and I don’t think Anderson could do his job without her. Do you hear me, Colin Anderson?? I was tempted to deduct a star only because Anderson is turning into such a grump!

Rony

Elite Reviewing Group received a copy of the book to review.

Anderson and Costello (but Anderson the most) are almost happy to be sent out of Glasgow to the sale town of Glen Fiske to investigate the murder of a German couple. Anderson's personal life, described at length in the beginning, is chaotic and confusing to him while crime makes sense. The mystery opens with a stabbing at a fast food place and you might wonder how will relate to the Glen Fiske but trust that it will all come together in the end. It's nicely atmospheric - the weather plays a role- and a snappy read. I like the interplay between Anderson and Costello (never short of a pointed remark). It would help, I think to have read one or more of the earlier books to appreciate the dynamic here but if not, know that this slim volume (and short ebook) has some really good twists readers of procedurals will appreciate. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm looking forward to the next one.

When I requested this book, I did not realize it was #11 in a series. There was too little backstory for me to understand the police characters. I could not finish it.

This is book 11 of this series and although the main story is self contained, if you want to get the very best from it with regard to character backstory and development, and you have time and inclination, you could do well to go back and start from book one and read in order.
We start with an isolated incident in a fast food place at a busy Christmas Ice Show where a man was stabbed to death. Despite the volume of people there, or maybe because of it, the police have absolutely no clues as to what really happened and why. Meanwhile, in a remote Highland village a German couple are found murdered. Whilst Mulholland and Wyngate concentrate on the stabbing, Anderson and Costello are dispatched to Glen Riske to investigate the double murder. It's a bit of a puzzle all told with a possible case of mistaken identity. With little to go on initially, especially given the witnesses and locals, they flounder a little. The weather also plays its part in their frustrations, as does the isolation. Can they cut through the noise to try and figure things out...?
This was a bit of a slow burner for me with quite a bit of early confusion. There is, however, a point in the book when it suddenly all comes together and the author's skill at plotting really comes good. I say this mainly as I do fear that the time it takes to really get going may frustrate the reader but, in my opinion, if you are feeling this way, please do carry on. Another thing with this book is that there is quite a bit of the detectives personal stuff creeping in. Not enough to really overshadow the case being investigated but, given the low page count, definitely something the author may need to keep an eye on. That said, certain things are resolved in the book for one of our detectives so maybe that's just that door shutting.
Although not the strongest book in the series, it's a good addition nevertheless. It definitely kept me on my toes with its intricacies and interconnected plotting. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Christmas is approaching but also death as at Planet Burger a man is stabbed. But with no why and how it makes the case difficult to investigate
Then DCI Colin Andersons' potentially disastrous Christmas is saved. As up in the highlands, at Glen Riske, a body is discovered in one of the holiday lets. Could it be murder.
I found the mystery part of the story, interesting and enjoyable. But for me there was too much extraneous, and boring details about the Anderson and Costellos' personal lives. So overall I liked the mystery, but didn't love the final story. Also the two main police characters are really not that likeable.

I always look forward to Caro Ramsay's latest addition to the gritty Scottish crime series featuring DCI Colin Anderson and the spiky DI Costello series which I have followed from the beginning, set in Glasgow. This one begins with Eric Callaghan, a family man, running the Inkermann Tattoo Parlour, stabbed to death in a crowded fast food restaurant at a packed out Christmas Ice Show. Having been murdered in plain sight, the police have no leads, no witnesses, and scouring CCTV has so far turned up nothing for DS Mulholland as he entices DC Gordon Wyngate whose strengths lies in such areas, to return to the team. Anderson's home life is chaotic, he has no idea who is in the house, and whilst theoretically he knows life would be substantially easier without baby Moses, he loves him.

He has been astonished how his family have accepted Moses, helping to take care of him, including Brenda, still his wife, although she has acquired a partner, Rodger, both of whom live in his house, along with Peter, Claire, Paige Riley and god knows who else. No-one takes any notice of Anderson, but he finds himself disappointed and worried about Claire, who seems to have gone off the rails, and he is having difficulties contacting his bank after some financial irregularities. Amidst conflict with Brenda over how many are invited for Christmas dinner, he heaves a sigh of relief when he and Costello leave behind Glasgow for a strange puzzle of a case at Glen Riske in the bitterly cold, dangerous, and snowy Highlands where a German academic couple, geologists Elise and Henning Korder, have been murdered at the isolated Rhum Cottage after a party.

Ramsay writes an atmospheric and complex mystery with a great sense of the remote winter Highlands, its sinister overtones of Mordor with its woods and mountains, the coffin bridge, its folklore and superstitions, with locals who believe in the Skirfin snow sprite and the nuckelavee having a hand in what appear to be the impossible deaths. This is a dark, intense and compulsive crime read, with strong elements of the bonkers and turbulent family life that is overwhelming Anderson, and the presence of the odious and entitled Juliet and Jonathan Catterson and their despairing mother, Suzette. The connection between what happened to Eric Callaghan and the German couple eventually becomes clear in the well plotted narrative. I love this series, and am already looking forward to the next in the series. Many thanks to Severn House for an ARC.

In Glasgow, Eric Callaghan of Inkermann Tattoo Parlour had been to the ice show with his wife, Geraldine and daughter, Lisa when he was stabbed in Planet Burger. He died within minutes, but his murder seemed motiveless and there were no clues. He was a genuine man and a talented artist: those investigating his death had hit a dead end. There were two deaths to investigate in the north of Scotland: it wasn't thought wise to involve the local murder team as someone on the Glen Riske police force was indirectly involved in the case. Christmas - and a lot of snow were rapidly approaching.

Two German tourists were staying at Rhum Cottage. They should have gone to Eigg Cottage but that didn't have a downstairs bedroom and bathroom. Suzette Catterson, whose family was occupying Rhum Cottage, was happy to make the swap: her husband, the obnoxious Jonathan and her even more obnoxious daughter were not so happy, but that didn't displease Suzette. The tourists were quite happy about the party which was happening that night in Rhum Cottage - 'the gathering', as it was known - and joined in the fun.

Charlie Priestly earned some extra money by going in and cleaning up after the party each year, but the next morning he was found curled up in the bottom of the shower at home, bloodied and incoherent. When he'd got to Rhum Cottage he'd found one of the tourists dead - and there was a lot of blood. When DCI Colin Anderson and DI Costello got to Glen Riske there was another body - the tourist's wife - who was in the garden. Snow should help when it's at a crime scene but on this occasion, it created more of a mystery. The only footprints were those that could be accounted for: surely this wasn't down to the snow sprite, stories of which so terrified children?

Anderson and Costello were joined in Glen Riske by DC Morna Taverner, who you'll remember from The Sideman. If you haven't read The Sideman but are intending to then you'd best read it before The Red, Red Snow, as there's quite a spoiler in there. Anderson's marriage is on the rocks and Brenda has made it plain that she wants a divorce and to move on her relationship with Rodger - who has moved into the Anderson household. Anderson isn't particularly worried - and you get the feeling that it wouldn't take a lot of encouragement for something to start between him and Morna Taverner.

It's a big cast and Caro Ramsay handles it with aplomb, but it is easier to keep track of who's who (and why) if you have some knowledge of what's gone on in previous books. I've now read the last three books in the series but I still keep getting caught out by references to something which went on before I joined the party. It didn't spoil my enjoyment though!

The plot is very good - I was completely taken aback when the solution was revealed, despite all the clues being there. It's a clever story, almost harking back to the golden age of crime fiction in its ingenuity and it brings the north of Scotland (in winter) to life in all its chilly glory. I'd like to thank the publishers for letting Bookbag have a review copy: I just hope that it's not too long before we meet Anderson and Costello again.

A family man's stabbing leaves Anderson and Costello and their teams baffled. The perpetrator left no clues. No motive emerges. No witnesses identified themselves. Two more bodies show up a week later at a cottage where the family intended to spend Christmas. Investigation uncovers dislike for these victims. The novel spends a little too much time discussing problems within the detectives' families and explored some things which needed omission to tighten the novel. Those who read previous series installments may appreciate some of the detectives' family problems more than I did. I did not feel I knew the detectives because I missed earlier installments. I may try the first couple of books in the series to see if I warm to the series. If so and I continue reading the series, I may revisit this installment to see if it improves with the background from earlier cases and without the distractions of reading in a time of COVID-19. I received an electronic copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A man is stabbed to death at big Christmas event at the mall. They have no suspects. Then on Christmas Eve a couple is killed at a house where there was a big party earlier. Again there are no suspects...

Severn House and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It will be published June 2nd.

It's a small private gated area so they begin looking over all the families. Many of them have secrets. Among those secrets some are not all normal. Some have mental health problems.

They question everyone. Some think it must be the rumored monster that lives in the woods. Their main suspect is young man who had blood on him from the dead man. He had gone to clean up after the party and said he found the man dead. As it happens, the man died from natural causes. But his wife didn't.

The more they talk to, the cloudier it gets. They begin talking to the teenagers and they can tell some are lying. They keep pressing.

The worst part was that the deaths were unnecessary. It's sad what some will do for love...