3.75 stars

This reliably entertaining historical series featuring the intrepid Lady Emily and her hunky husband Colin is always fun. This story finds their family at a castle in Scotland with lots of atmospheric weather and references to witchcraft in days of yore.

As usual, the author intersperses their adventure with another story from long past, in this case the tale of a young Moorish woman abducted from her home in Tunisia and brought to Scotland as a slave, a disturbing and sad tale loosely based on an actual scenario.

The two narratives blend well and there's lots of action to keep you turning the pages. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This is another in the Lady Emily series. In 1905 Lady Emily and her family travel to the remote Scottish estate of their friend the Duke of Bainbridge for the summer. Shortly after their arrival the gamekeeper is murdered. There are a number of suspects. Lady Emily and crew investigate and find a link to a 1676 witchcraft trial.
Thanks to NetGalley for an eGalley of this title.

Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, does like an excuse to dress up, and his dear friends coming to visit him en famille at his estate in Scotland means it's time to break out the Bainbridge tartan, a flamboyant concoction of bright turquoise, scarlet, and yellow designed by his late lamented Uncle whom he inherited Cairnfarn Castle from. Emily, Colin, and their three children are headed north to visit Jeremy because of one of their children. Henry is very persuasive and upon learning that Jeremy is in possession of a menagerie he demanded to inspect the living conditions of the animals. And yes, this would be the same Henry who walks around with his crocodile Cedric on a lead. He seems to think that animals should be free, but what's safest for the animals might not be safest for the residents of Cairnfarn. Luckily there is a new danger on the horizon, that of a murderer. On their second day at Cairnfarn the village hosted a ceilidh for their new doctor. A new doctor who happens to be a woman! There was dancing, drinking, storytelling, a punch that packed a punch, and Jeremy in Bainbridge tartan from tip to tail, and, before the night was out, murder. Only the body of Jeremy's gamekeeper, Mr. Sinclair, wasn't found until the next morning. By Emily's precocious children. His body was a bloody sight and on his forehead lay a single stone with a rune carved in it. One would think that such brutality couldn't exist there beside the loch in quiet splendor. But that's one thing Emily has learned over the years, death can happen to anyone at anytime. Now they just have to figure out the who and the why. And there are plenty of candidates, especially when you're victim is a handsome stranger in a new place who kept to himself. When Mr. Sinclair arrived in Cairnfarn he left behind a fiance in Edinburgh to steal the hearts of the local lassies. One lassie in particular loved him desperately but her affections were not returned. Could either of these spurned ladies have been the culprit? Or perhaps the young farmer in love with the girl Mr. Sinclair spurned? When love and lust is at play anyone could be capable of murder. And Cairnfarn has a dark history of witchcraft. And everyone knows though shalt not suffer a witch to live...

Having reached seventeen volumes and an ever expanding cast of beloved characters I'm always wondering who will be drawn into Lady Emily's current case. Will her mother-in-law deign to make an appearance? Will the ghost of Kristiana von Lange loom large? Will Cécile du Lac be lured away from Paris and yet another paramour? Could Emily's dear friend Ivy Brandon stop by? Or what about the formidably smart American Margaret Seward? Or could it be just Jeremy, the Duke of Bainbridge? While I love all these characters more than I can say I was not the least bit disappointed to see that just Jeremy was on board for the latest adventure. As much as I love every single entry in this series the two books that top my list are The Adventuress and A Terrible Beauty. And The Adventuress gives us so much wonderful Jeremy I could die happy, he wouldn't have died happy, but thankfully he got away from his fiance. His minute cameo at the end of the last adventure wasn't enough, I needed more and thankfully Tasha somehow knew. What's more, here we have Jeremy attempting to adult and being almost nearly useful. In a kilt. Sadly, there is no Colin in a kilt. Once you meet Jeremy's Greats you will hope that perhaps they will be able to force Colin into a kilt for their own amusement, because they know a fine specimen of a man when they see one, but sadly it was not to be. And I'm sorry for that slight kilt spoiler, but I think that it's important to make sure you don't suffer the same crushed dreams I did. But at least there's Jeremy, you think he's growing up, taking on responsibility, and then he has the vapors and has to go lie down for a bit, have a drink, and possibly a game of billiards. As Tasha said, "The Ducal Struggle® is real." Yet thankfully we are introduced to some of Jeremy's relatives who are very much wanting to get their fingers into all the pies versus keeping their hands as clean as possible with their nails as nice as the valet can make them. I'm talking about the aforementioned Greats. These are Jeremy's great-aunts, Miss Adeline and Miss Josephine. They have sequestered themselves in their own salon in Cairnfarn from which they know all and see all and desperately want to know about the murder. They are my new favorite characters and if they don't minimally get their own novella I shall have a fit of the vapors myself.

In the summer of 1905, Lady Emily, husband Colin Hargreaves, and their three sons eagerly embark on a family vacation at Cairnfarn Castle, the Scottish estate of their dear friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge. But a high-spirited celebration at the beginning of their stay comes to a grisly end when the duke’s gamekeeper is found murdered on the banks of the loch. Handsome Angus Sinclair had a host of enemies: the fiancée he abandoned in Edinburgh, the young woman who had fallen hopelessly in love with him, and the rough farmer who saw him as a rival for her affections. But what is the meaning of the curious runic stone left on Sinclair’s forehead?

This latest installment in the Lady Emily mystery series may be the best yet. Set in the beautiful Highlands of Scotland, the story moves between her investigation of the gamekeeper's murder, and the tale of a Moorish servant caught up in the witch hysteria of the 1600s. Readers can always depend on Tasha Alexander to tell a great story, underpinned by the accuracy of her period research. Mystery fans will love this one! Highly recommended. #AColdHighlandWind #NetGalley #SaltMarshAuthors

While this cover looks like a cheesy romance novel of the past, don't be fooled! This is a historic murder mystery with a strong, confident woman at the helm solving the murders: Lady Emily.⁠
When Lady Emily goes on vacation with her family to a friends estate in 1905 Edinburgh, a dead body turns up and we learn the complicated nature of our victim (and our suspects). In addition, there is a dual POV in the late 1600s surrounding the witch hunts that took place in Scotland. This POV provides important context and history to compliment the present day.⁠
Clocking in at just over 300 pages this is a quick one, and one that I think others who enjoy historical mysteries will enjoy.

In 1905, while vacationing at Cairnfarn Castle, the estate of a dear friend, Lady Emily investigates the sudden death of the gamekeeper.

Alternating chapters reveal the story of widowed Lady MacAllister and her Moorish companion, both thrown out of Cairnfarn Castle in 1676 by the new laird.

While this book was interesting, there was no connection between the two stories other than the location. The synopsis implied the past story of witchcraft would hold the key to solving this murder, but I really don’t think there is any evidence to support that claim.

Overall, this cozy mystery was a light, easy read that kept my interest.

Note: You don’t need to have read previous books in series to enjoy this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC.

Thank you, NetGalley and Minotaur Books, for my free digital copy for review.

The charm of the small-town setting in this novel, along with the dynamics within the protagonist's family, is truly endearing. I found it captivating how Emily and her husband employed traditional detective work, questioning everyone and encouraging readers to piece together clues while delving into suspects' motives.

Another captivating aspect of this book is its historical component, which explores a time when witch-hunters targeted women who often suffered torture and death. However, the relationship between these two women adds depth to the narrative. Despite their contrasting backgrounds - one being enslaved and the other born into privilege - they form a friendship that is not without mistrust and misunderstanding due to their differing religions and social backgrounds.

The connection between these two timelines converges through an intriguing tome. Reading this book felt like experiencing two intertwined stories, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

This seventeenth book in the Lady Emily Mysteries takes place in Scotland. Emily, her husband and three sons are visiting Emily's friend Jeremy who is the Duke of Bainbridge. When the body of Jeremy's gamekeepers is discovered near the loch after a party, Emily and Colin are on the case.

I enjoyed the Highland setting. I also liked the way the personalities of their three sons are developing and I enjoyed watching Emily and Colin as they interacted with their children and fought for some private time of their own.

With a variety of suspects including a number of women who were romantically interested in the gamekeeper, there was a lot of investigating to do. Throw in that the gamekeeper wasn't who he said he was, and a nice mystery develops.

I will admit that I wasn't very happy with the resolution of the mystery but can see that it was appropriate to the time and place. I was a little confused about the flashbacks to 1676 and really don't see how they were relevant to the 1905 story.

Fans of the series and of historical mysteries will enjoy this story.

Trigger warning: sexual violence, spiritualism, racism

Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves, and their three sons are accompanying their friend, Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, to his castle in the Scottish highlands. But, as always, a murder interrupts their peaceful vacation and they embark on an investigation--first, to learn the true identity of the murdered man, and second, to find and bring to justice his murderer. But some clues seem to tie the murder to another time and another century, when people were being burned at the stake. We also follow two women from that time period, a White woman and her Moorish companion, who are trying to survive their suddenly reduced circumstances in that same small, Scottish town, and who seem doomed from the start.

I really do enjoy this series! I really appreciated that this installment spent more time exploring the personalities of Lady Emily and Colin's sons. As always, the place and both time periods seemed well-researched and came alive through the story. I love learning about them! I am still not a fan of the "impending doom" cliffhanger statements that usually end each of the older timeline (in this case, that of 1676), but I understand why they are employed. I did, however, appreciate the exploration of power dynamics between genders and the different parts of society in that time period, especially between Moorish slaves and the White majority. Alexander never disappoints!

Thank you to @NetGalley and St. Martin's Press/Minotaur for my advanced electronic copy. All opinions are my own.

Lady Emily, her husband, and their three sons are vacationing at their friend’s castle in Scotland. On the first night there, the body of the gamekeeper is found murdered on the beach of the adjoining loch. And curiously, there is a runic stone sitting on his forehead. Who killed the gamekeeper and why? And what is the connection between a former Moorish slave, the former lady of the castle, and a trial for witchcraft in 1676 and the murder in 1905?

I am a sucker for Scotland and will buy/read any book set there. So, when I saw this book in the SMP Influencer email, I accepted the invite. I didn’t know (mainly because I didn’t pull it up on Goodreads) that this was the 17th book in the series. I admit I had second thoughts about reading it. But the lure of Edwardian-era Scotland was too big of a pull, and I dove right in.

A Cold Highland Wind is the 17th book in the Lady Emily Ashton Mystery series. Yes, you read that right, book 17. But, surprisingly, readers can read this book as a stand-alone. There are mentions of past cases that stay just mentions.

A Cold Highland Wind is a slow-paced book. I tend to read books relatively fast; this book took me two days to read. But, the slow pace worked. There were parts of the book where I wanted it to move more quickly, but that was just me.

The first storyline centers on Lady Emily’s investigation into the gamekeeper’s death. This well-written storyline had me guessing who killed the gamekeeper (and the housekeeper later in the book). She was a thorough investigator who left no stone unturned during the investigation. The lead-up to the big confession was heartbreaking (for all involved), but what happened after shook me. I was teary-eyed at the end of that storyline.

The second storyline held my attention more than the first one. It follows Tansy (or Tasnim), Rosslyn, and a witchcraft trial. Again, this was a well-written storyline. But Tansy’s plight kept my attention more than the 1905 storyline. She was kidnapped, sold as an enslaved person, suffered unimaginable situations, and ended up in Scotland. I was astonished at how this storyline ended up. From how it began and what it ended up as was different from what I expected.

The characters in A Cold Highland Wind were interesting. I liked that Lady Emily and Tansy bucked the traditional perceptions of women of their times. I did find some of the secondary characters a little flat, but they weren’t the ones that were important.

The author keeps the two storylines separate for the entire book. They are only connected at the end of the book when Lady Emily’s friend mentions items prevalent in the second storyline.

The mystery angle of A Cold Highland Wind was terrific. The author did a great job of keeping me guessing what would happen in the 1676 and 1905 storyline. With 1676, I expected the last half of the storyline to go differently than it did. I thought it was going to go another way. In the 1905 storyline, I did not expect the killer to be who he was or what that person did. As I stated above, I was distraught by what happened and got teary-eyed.

The end of A Cold Highland Wind was typical. The author wrapped up both storylines and connected them. I liked how she left enough room to wonder if another book would be.

I recommend A Cold Highland Wind to anyone over 16. There is violence and a very mild sex scene but no language.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Tasha Alexander for allowing me to read and review A Cold Highland Wind. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

We are transported to the Scottish Highlands in book 17 of the Lady Emily series. I’ve enjoyed these books from the beginning and am always happy to travel the world with Lady Emily and her family circa 1905. The books can be read as stand alone as well. The author must have so much fun writing these books!

Lady Emily, her husband Colin, and their twin sons as well as their ward, are all in Scotland. The year is 1905. They are visiting Cairfarn Castle and their friend Jeremy, the Duke of Bainbridge. The boys are looking for adventure and Emily and Colin are looking for a restful holiday.

When the boys find a dead body, Emily and Colin automatically want to help solve the mystery. They do not want Jeremy and all the people who live there to be distressed.

There is also another story which is intertwined with the main story. That story takes place in 1676 and the narrator is Tansy, a Moorish woman who was taken from her home and forced into slavery. She has become the companion of Lady MacAllister. When they are removed from their home in the castle, their life in a small cottage becomes a nightmare. There is an accusation of witchcraft.

The two stories are intertwined. Lady Emily must use her talent to piece together information she has gathered in order to solve the mystery.

Ms Alexander is an author who has refined her craft to near perfection. She is a precise writer who draws the reader into her story and provides a fast moving plot.

This is my first Lady Emily story, yet I did not feel as though I were lost at any time.

The characters are very well drawn. Each of the characters are complete people. Emily and her family are all whole humans. I felt I got to know each of them. The boys are real boys who act like real children. Emily’s inner humor comes across as we get to know her thoughts on secondary characters. In other words, these characters feel very real.

Lady Emily’s powers of deduction are in full view here.

I received this book from the publisher in the hope of an honest and fair review. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are completely my own.

It may be time to retire this series. It feels like the fun., excitement and joy is gone as these books Crome increasingly formulaic and devoid of earlier suspense.

It is rare to pick up the 17th book in a series and be able to understand and enjoy the mystery. But this was my first Lady Emily Ashton novel, and it was an enjoyable read! The pacing was a little slower than I typically like in a mystery novel but I really enjoyed the murder plotline! The characters were engaging and even though I guessed the murderer pretty early on, I enjoyed watching the twists and turns to their investigations. But I didn't understand why there was a subplot set in he 1600s. The plotlines barely mixed and the chapters set in the 1600s really slowed down the storytelling. But overall, it was a sweet mystery and makes me interested in what happened in the first 16 books in this series!

Thank you to Minotaur Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was another fun installment of the series. They’re reliably fun, descriptive, and mysterious. They can be a bit predictable in their characters but the plots are always unique with twists and turns.

This is a reliable entry in this series. It wasn’t my favorite but was a fun, easy read with familiar characters. The dual timeline was interesting but it felt a little like reading two different books. This was not memorable but would recommend for fans of the series. I received an ARC from the publisher through NetGalley and I appreciate the opportunity to read this book. This did not influence my opinion.

This story is told in two time frames - the 1600s and the 1900s - and set in the Scottish highlands. A murder happens just as Lady Emily and her family are vacationing and so they must help in the investigation.

I really enjoyed this installment of the lady Emily mysteries. I love that it was set in the highlands. The mystery was very intriguing, I only started suspecting who the murder was towards the end of the book. Someone was making it very difficult for lady emily to focus on the mystery by distracting her with reminders of her mother. I loved getting to know their children more. Henry is funny but definitely a handful. As with the most recent books this one also includes a story from the past. However I did not enjoy this story very much. I felt like it took away from the current timeline. Overall this was a great book and I always look forward to the next lady Emily book.

I was happy to read the latest adventures of Lady Emily and her family, this time taking place in Scotland. The mystery was engaging, there were a lot of suspects, and I was surprised by who the murderer turned out to be.

The parallel story, set in the 1600s was also interesting, though personally I would have liked a little more closure to that storyline.

Although this is part of a series and enjoyment is heightened by knowledge gained of the characters in previous books, it could definitely work as a standalone as well.

Thank you to NetGalley for the early read.

Agatha Christie meets Alice Hoffman in this "Lady Emily Mystery Series". The tale takes place in Cairnfarn, Scotland and alternates between 1905 and 1676. It has everything you need to keep the pages turning: murder, witchcraft, unrequited love and a mysterious false identity. My favorite part of this book was the finely drawn characters and witty prose. In spite of the mostly serious situations, I laughed out loud multiple times at the dialogue between some of the more eccentric inhabitants. Enjoyment start to finish.