Set in two distinctive time periods, "A Cold Highland Wind" is mysterious, full of twists and turns, hidden clues, connections between the past and more present, history. and so much more. Whenever I picked up this book, I was whisked back in time, and found myself on the edge of my seat trying to solve what happened.

Firstly, this cover is stunning!

Set in Scotland, when a man is murdered in the later timeline, Lady Emily (and her family) set out to solve whodunit. Soon, they discover a connection to the past in the mid-1600s with two women named Lady MacAllister and Tansy, and an accusation of witchcraft. I do not want to say too much about the plot due to spoilers. but, I will say, this novel has so much in it: moments that will have you guessing, moments that will have you holding your breath, moments that will shock you, and moments that show unexpected connections. The author does a brilliant job of putting the various puzzle pieces of her mystery together in exactly the moment they need to in order to push the plot forward, and I simply could not put this book down. What secrets does a book hold? You will just have to read to find out!

If you enjoy Historical Mysteries, I highly recommend this book! I hope this series continues for a very long time!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-ARC of this book, and to Minotaur Books for sending me a physical ARC as well! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book reads like a cosy mystery in which Lady Emily helps her husband to solve a mystery. I enjoyed the easy-going nature of the story as well as the references to witch hunting and the ramifications of slavery on those who had been forced into it.

Two stories in one- in 1904 Lady Emily and her gang are trying to solve the murder of her friend Jeremy’s games keeper in his castle in Scotland.,; story two is of two women in the 1700s who have been ejected from the castle and are trying to make their way in the world. The very tenuous connection is a damaged Shakespeare folio that Jeremy has found in his collection. Honestly I liked both stories but didn’t really feel they fit together.
Thanks Netgalley for the arc. My opinions are my own.

Tasha Alexander did not disappoint in A Cold Highland Wind. Lady Emily is on point with her usual suspicions and eye for detail.

Excellent historical mystery.

Although this is the 17th in a series, this is only the second one I have read. Now I find that I want to go back and start from the beginning. I love the character of Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, as well as their extended family and friends. The 3 sons are a lot of fun and make for some humorous moments in the story.

In this installment, in the summer of 1905, the family visits an old friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, at Cairnfarn Castle in the Scottish Highlands. After a welcoming Ceilidh that lasted into the wee hours, the Duke's gamekeeper, Angus Sinclair, is found dead along the banks of the loch. Although the women of the village wanted to marry him, he certainly had some secrets and at least one enemy. Some strange clues are found during the investigation that lead back to 1676 when the madness of witchcraft trials reached the castle and a previous occupant, Lady MacAllister. Told in alternating points of view and shifting in time periods 1905 and 1676, the secrets and lies are revealed.

I like the writing style and the characters in this novel and the plot was complex but interesting. There were some surprises along the way as Lady Emily and her husband talk with the villagers and try to find the truth. I listened to the audiobook that I got from my local library while also reading along in the e-book ARC provided by the publisher and I liked the narrator very much, especially the Scottish accent and proper pronunciation that enhanced the atmosphere and setting of the story.

I'd recommend the series and I plan to continue reading additional installments.

This is my first book by Tasha Alexander, but it won't be my last. I think I need to know more about Lady Emily's story. This one takes place in the highlands of Scotland. I know! I was excited to read a whodunit set in the early 1900's in the highlands. It mainly focuses on Lady Emily, but I loved that really her whole family was involved in solving the murder especially her husband. Since this is book #17, I have a lot to learn about the family. I have at least 16 books to get me started. That being said, it was totally understandable as a stand alone book. You'll have no trouble following along. It has two timelines. One from the 1600s and one from the 1900s, but it's really easy to follow and cool how it all connects in the end. I loved all the characters and it was a good mystery.

This was a very interesting book! I enjoyed the dual timeline and learned a great deal about this time period. I will have to check out other books by this author.

A Cold Highland Wind is 17th book in the Lady Emily historical mystery series. This is the first Tasha Alexander novel I have read. I enjoyed the double historical timeline as well as the ending tying the two together. I think however my favorite parts were the crocodile. Trust me if you enjoy historical mysteries this is a good one and besides there’s a crocodile to find out about.

Doubling Down

A very cleverly and well written double mystery, taking place centuries apart. Gullible is one word I took away from this story, not that I recall it necessarily being used, but that it applied to several of the characters. Redemption is the second word that comes to mind, and is the stronger description. Plan to wallow in the pleasure of visiting Scotland in two completely different earlier eras. What remains constant is the vagaries of people, whose hopes, dreams, goals, desires, failures and foibles rule the world over.

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley for the eARC of A Cold Highland Wind! All opinions in this review are my own.

Despite being the 17th book in the series, this was my first Lady Emily mystery. I didn't expect the two timelines so I was really curious to see how they would connect after the mystery had already been presented in Lady Emily's timeline.

While this was a quick read, I had a hard time being truly immersed in the mystery. I loved the setting but I think the short chapters from one timeline to the other confused me at times. I also think I would have liked it better as an audiobook for the Scottish pronunciations.

I have been provided with a review copy of A Cold Highland Wind from NetGalley for an impartial review. I just really enjoyed this story and I just didn’t want it to end. I just lost myself in and I just couldn’t get enough of these interesting characters. I can’t wait to see what’s next from this author.

Lady Emily and family is on vacation. The friend has a castle that sounds amazing. There is a dance and the punch is spiked. The town folk are having a fun time. But then a dead body is found. Lady Emily and her husband step in to help the police. As bodies pile up the mystery becomes more involved.
At the same time we follow this story, there is another story being told. Every other chapter is the story of Tansy, The story takes place long before the mystery. Tansy was taken from her home in another country. She is part of the castle's early story. Never really saw the need for this story but I read it. I preferred the Lady Emily part of the story.

I absolutely loved this book. Disclaimer, I have not read any other books in this series. I feel like it was fine reading it without reading the other books. I'm sure there are things I would have enjoyed more having read the others, but I'm still happy I read it.

This story follows dual timelines and it was one of the rare times where I enjoyed each timeline equally. I was fully invested in the mystery and the lives of these characters.

This is the perfect story for someone looking for a fun book set in Scotland with a lot of mystery and a little witchcraft.

I can't wait to pick up the rest of the series, now.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I found this book to be ok. I didn’t like the jumping back and forth between Tansy’s point of view and Lady Emily’s. I found I wasn’t all that interested in either pov and I didn’t see the point of Tansy’s story. When the reveal happened, it wasn’t all that interesting.

Historical murder mystery set in Scotland with 2 different timelines. One is in the early 1900s, when a woman and her husband and sons go to visit a family friend and end up investigating a murder. The second timeline takes place in the 17th century and involves slavery and accusations of witchcraft. I preferred the later timeline for the story and the characters. People were awful in the earlier timeline!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a free e-ARC of this book.

In this duel timeline story set in the Scottish highlands, the plot shifts between Lady Emily and her family in 1905 and a Tunisian woman in the late 1600s. While the mystery is well-plotted, my real enjoyment came from the historical details and the antics of Emily's children.

I’ve read most of the books in this series and I’m impressed how the author is able to keep it fresh and has me wanting more even after 17 books in this series. Well done!

Sometimes jumping into an ongoing series works and sometimes it doesn’t. I think, in this instance, reading some of the previous books would have made this one more enjoyable.

This story has a lot of characters and a lot going on. I didn’t get a good sense of anyone’s personalities beyond the basics. People started blending together.

I also didn’t think the second timeline was necessary, and maybe it actually detracted a little from the main plot.

While I wasn’t wowed, I can see why this series in general would be popular.

*Thanks to Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the eARC.*

A story marketed as being set in the Scottish highlands revolving around an ancient story of witchcraft and murder? SIGN ME UP. This book had absolutely beautiful story-setting. I felt truly immersed in the environment and am now ready to move to Scottland. This was very fun one for me! I really loved the word usage of the author and the descriptions given which made it extremely immersive.

Very interesting read! The book pulled me in from the start and I wanted to see how it ended. Try it and see if this book is for you!