“Loch Down Abbey” by Beth Cowan-Erskine is a delightful blend of mystery and historical fiction set in the 1930s Scotland. The story unfolds within the walls of Loch Down Abbey, where the Inverkillen family is grappling with a mysterious illness sweeping over Scotland and the sudden, inconvenient demise of their nanny. The plot thickens when the Earl of Inverkillen is found dead under mysterious circumstances, prompting the head housekeeper, Mrs. MacBain, to investigate.

The novel is praised for its intricate plot, reminiscent of a Russian nesting doll, with layers of family drama, quirky characters, and a touch of romance and humor. The Inverkillen family is described as eccentric, and their interactions are laced with jealousy, envy, and resentment, all of which are magnified by their close quarters and strict household routines.

Beth Cowan-Erskine’s writing is commended for providing a fascinating insight into the British aristocracy’s peculiar ways, with a cast of characters that are both numerous and vividly portrayed. The book has been well-received for its entertaining narrative and the author’s ability to keep readers engaged despite the complex web of relationships and secrets.

Overall, “Loch Down Abbey” is an engaging read that offers a unique combination of suspense and historical charm, making it a recommended pick for fans of the genre.

First of all, I would like to thank NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

This is a difficult review to write. I very much enjoyed parts of this novel. I liked the set-up: a country estate in Scotland. I liked the cast of characters at the beginning of the book. I loved the use of the children in the novel in the background. The children get up to crazy hijinks, yet the author deliberately never names most of the children. I liked a lot of the characters.

However, there were a couple things that didn’t work for me. It had a slow beginning. It was marketed as a mystery and while there are some things that we need to uncover it seems to be more a novel commenting on family relations and whatnot. Hence my difficulty in recommending it. I am unsure as to who I would recommend the book. However, I would stress that the mystery part was not that important to the book as other parts are. Ultimately, I gave this book three stars.

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

"Loch Down Abbey" by Beth Cowan-Erskine is a delightful and charming historical mystery novel that seamlessly blends elements of humor, intrigue, and a vivid sense of time and place. Set against the backdrop of a Scottish estate during World War II, this novel is a captivating and cozy read for fans of both historical fiction and mystery.

The story introduces readers to the charming and quirky characters of Blaize Castle, a remote estate that has been turned into a convalescent home for wounded soldiers. The unique blend of characters, each with their own quirks and secrets, adds depth to the narrative and makes for an engaging and memorable cast.

The plot takes an unexpected turn when the body of a nurse is discovered, and the isolated community at Blaize Castle becomes a setting for a murder investigation. The mystery unfolds at a leisurely pace, giving readers ample time to savor the rich atmosphere of the Scottish countryside, the vivid descriptions of wartime life, and the distinct personalities of the characters.

Cowan-Erskine's writing is witty and engaging, and she manages to infuse humor into even the darkest moments, creating a unique tone that keeps the story feeling light-hearted despite the murder investigation. The novel's historical accuracy and attention to detail transport the reader to a bygone era, and the author's love for the Scottish landscape shines through in her vivid descriptions.

"Loch Down Abbey" is not just a mystery but also a story of camaraderie, resilience, and the indomitable spirit of the people during a challenging time in history. It's a wonderful blend of genres that offers an enjoyable reading experience. Fans of Agatha Christie-style mysteries and historical fiction will find this book to be a delightful and satisfying choice, and it's a perfect read for those looking to escape into a different time and place.

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.

Loch Down Abbey is a light, quick and easy read that kept me entertained. The pun in the title suggested to me that it would be an amusing novel and the publishers describe it as a playful, humorous novel set in 1930s Scotland. I think it’s quite like a cross between a P G Wodehouse novel and a country house mystery, with elements of farce.

Loch Down Abbey, is a large rambling house with 125 rooms, not including the servants’ quarters, and 5 thousand acres of land on the shores of Loch Down. It has been the home of the Ogilvy-Sinclair Clan for six centuries. I found it quite bewildering at first as there are so many characters. I had to keep going back to the List of Characters to remind myself who they all were.

It’s partly a cozy, historical murder mystery, but mostly a family saga. Lord Hamish Inverkillen is found dead, and at first it looks like an accident, but the housekeeper Mrs MacBain thinks it could be murder. It becomes clear that the Abbey, as well as their whisky distillery is in debt, so much so that the only way they can survive is to sell the house, the distillery and land. There’s a mysterious illness known as Virulent Pernicious Mauvaise spreading around the country. Loch Down Abbey has to go into lockdown! Most of the servants catch the disease and have to be isolated away from the family, meaning that the family have to make their own breakfasts, light the fires in the bedrooms and make their own beds – unheard of for aristocrats! And as Nanny has died the children run wild causing all sorts of mayhem.

As Mrs MacBain and Inspector Jarvis investigate Hamish’s death, lots of secrets and scandals are revealed. I really liked the descriptions of the Abbey itself complete with secret passages, reminding me of Enid Blyton’s novels and I thought the ending, though a bit unbelievable, was inevitable.

My thanks to the publishers for a review copy via NetGalley

Enjoyably, I finished this in a small whirlwind, a dervish perhaps, and couldn't exactly tell you what it was about. I find that...novel and therefore sort of fun.

Cover: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Setting: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Characters: ⭐⭐⭐
Mystery: ⭐⭐⭐
Twists: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Ending: ⭐

Overall: 4 ⭐

POV: Multi - Third person

There wasn't as much 'murder mystery' as I'd been hoping for, but it was entertaining and the book does succeed in making it feel 'Downtony'. The setting was very well done and there is plenty of family drama.

There are definitely a lot of characters and POVs to get your head around in this book - as is the nature of a household like this. Thankfully by about a third of the way through, I was able to stop referencing the character index. Because there are so many characters to write for, I was pleasantly surprised that they all managed to have distinct voices. We don't get too much depth, but they are all believable, and I liked that.

I didn't like the ending, but that's just me. (I haven't been able to bring myself to complete the series, maybe that's how the show ended. Goodness, I hope not!)

*Free e-copy received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. There are more twists that a rollercoaster. My head was all over the place trying to figure out what was going on and who it was happening to.

I thought it was so well written and had more than a little Agatha Christie-ish which I loved. Very fast paced and funny.

This book is like Downton Abbey, but boring.

It tells the story of a very privileged family, in the twenties in Scotland.

Everything is going well, or apparently fine, until the father of the family dies, and a variety of calamities begin to unleash things that no one can comprehend.

The housekeeper believes that it was a murder, the wife of the deceased disappears, their children have fights (they are adults), the brother of the deceased wants to keep a part of the inheritance, the grandmother is the one who orders everything in the house, which is a chaos because many members of the servants are dying or sick, and many secrets are revealed.

It's entertaining, I'm not going to lie, and trying to find them similar to the characters, with the Crawleys it was a lot of fun, but then there is how desperate the family is, since almost all the characters are quite annoying and the ending that the author gave it, it was pretty bad.

It's a debut novel, so the author and her writing style might improve a lot.

This was an absorbing story partly about the way the aristocracy behave in their own homes and the hard work of those that serve them. The characters were so well depicted that they almost walked off the page. So many ups and downs, including an illness which brought down most of the staff. I thought the conclusion was very well thought out with a great finale

A sharp and absolutely hilarious spoof of the country house murder mystery and a delightful skewering of the slow deterioration of old money.

Loch Down Abbey is a bit lengthy for what it is, but aside from that, it’s exceptional. What do you do when your wealthy(?) family finds itself suddenly…broke? Such is the conundrum of one Scottish family chronicled here, a terrific band of misfits and misanthropes facing financial ruin after the (murder?) of the incumbent Earl.

Did poor, head in the sand Hamish merely have a fishing accident, or was he bumped off by one of the many suspicious characters who make up his extended family? There’s plenty of motive amongst this crowd, and the staff is determined to get to the bottom of this before the abbey is sold and the family is left homeless and the servants jobless.

The whodunnit is a fun one, but it’s really the satiric look at the landed gentry that makes this such a fantastic read. I laughed out loud reading this many times, never more so than at the very end of the epilogue. Terrific stuff.

My first book, that I have read by this author, absolutely brilliant! Highly recommended, and I will definitely read others written by this author!

Loch Down Abbey follows the classic family murder mystery route but with a twist. I read it at Christmas time which I hoped would add to the suspense and it really did. Its set in the 1930s in Scotland in the midst of a pandemic (!) It follows the noble Inverkillen family who are locked down with a murderer when the head of the family is killed in mysterious circumstances and they can't leave the house for fear of the mystery illness ravaging the outside world. I loved it and would highly recommend.

What could be better than a murder mystery set in a Downton Abbeyesque setting, that also reflects the situation we all felt ourselves in this last two years? Well if I ever get to read one I'll let you know because this isn't it! I don't know if it's a victim of deceptive marketing but this just didn't hit the mark. The "murder" takes a back seat to far too much detail about how the house was run which often became interminably boring. I don't care about teacakes! I care about the mystery. It's a damned shame as there are flashes of humour in this that if explored more would have made this far more interesting. It picks up towards the end but unfortunately this really didn't appeal to me.

I didn't go past a few chapters. I was unable to form any connection with the bool. All the characters fell flat for me, and the plot felt uneventful. And when something did happen, it felt unrealistic and forced.

This one wasn't for me, i think is more about me and the pacing i like on thrillers than the book not being good.

This is a family drama set in the Scottish village of Lochdown with mystery elements. If you love aristocracy , their obsession with grandeur and complicated relationships, this one is for you. The setting of a lofty manor with the right mix of both snobbish and sensible ladies and cocky and practical men was entertaining. However, don't get carried away by the blurb, since I went into the story believing this to be an Agatha Christie type mystery novel. This is more apt for a movie with mystery elements, rather than a mystery novel.

This is billed as Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie against a satirised pandemic backdrop, and that is exactly what you can expect to get.

There are A LOT of characters and, even with a character list in the book to keep referring back to, I ended up having to create my own Inverkillen family tree with character notes, so that I could keep straight who was who and how they were related! Occasionally the narrative point of view jumps to a different character, with no marker when it happened, so that all got quite confusing in places.

The author draws clever and witty parallels between the lockdown / Loch Down aspects of the book – mask-wearing issues and toilet paper shortages – which I found very entertaining, and adds in some romance, mystery and family drama too, so there is plenty going on and lots to enjoy here.

I did find that with so much packed in, the plot felt a little directionless shifting between class politics, family intrigue, murder, sickness, and back again, with no clear focus on any particular thread. And the ending was pretty far-fetched, in my opinion!

However, I loved the updated, where-are-they-now, character list at the end – ALL books should do this! – and found the whole book an entertaining experience when taken with a large pinch of (unrationed) salt.

Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Light and entertaining .. read it on one gallo (since maybe it's not entirely credible if you dwell on it too long) .. a rich family with aristo pretences in Scotland battleceach other cas the estate losses out financially .. lockdown hits and everything's turned upside down .. the situations saved in unlikely but satisfying way .. and we are played! Very enjoyable.