Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture Audio for allowing me to listen to an ARC of this book.

Because the title so closely resembles The #1 Ladies Detective Agency, I was expecting a similar book--low-key with much humor. It does not resemble it at all except that both agencies are run by two women. This book takes place in 1911, while there was still 'society' in the UK. Maud McIntyre sets up the Detective with her ladies maid, Daisy. They quickly have three seemingly different cases which take them all over Edinburgh.

This is a delightful book. It was well narrated by Helen McAlpine. I thought it all plausible for a highly intelligent woman of 1911 who'd been brought up with a great deal of self-confidence. Daisy was a fun second, completely dependable and forward-thinking.

I look forward to the second book in this series.

Sorta dull. I had higher hopes for this having more personality. I almost didn’t finish it and for me that’s saying something.

The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency is the first in a new historical cozy series by Lydia Travers. Released 27th April 2023, it's 306 pages and is available in paperback, audio, and ebook formats. . It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free.

This is a fun and well written historical cozy with an appealing cast of female private investigators (a well born young woman and her assistant, who was also her former lady's maid) during the early 1900s, set in Scotland. Protagonist Maud has set up as a private enquiry agent, despite strongly sexist discouragement, and is overjoyed when a real case comes her way. She and her sidekick, Daisy, are off to a country house weekend to try to prevent, or solve, a spate of jewel thefts at other stately homes in the area.

The plot is well organized and the characters are rendered (mostly) believably. It's a historical cozy, so there are some period appropriate bits of dialogue and commentary which give the book a historical feel, but not so much as to be awkward or yank readers out of their suspension of disbelief. It's a light read; there's no graphic violence or rough language. Well written and civilized, readers who enjoy early golden age country house mysteries will likely find it an appealing read.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 9 hours 37 minutes and is narrated by Helen McAlpine. She has a light alto voice with a warm Scottish accent, but does an impressive job of a range of Scots regional accents -as well as- Irish and English without making it a wince-fest; quite an achievement. Ms. McAlpine's voice is relaxing and well rounded and easy to listen to. Sound and production quality are high throughout the read.

Four stars. It works perfectly well as a standalone read, but readers who enjoy series cozies will be happy to hear that there won't be a long wait; book 2 is due out in May '23, and the third volume is slated to release in July '23. All are currently listed on Kindle Unlimited to borrow with a subscription to KU.

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

I loved the characters in this book. The humor was perfect, and the setting was brought to life nicely. I did feel like the book dragged on a lot though. I wish it was broken into several novellas which each novella focusing on one of the detective jobs instead of trying to intertwine the first major case into so many smaller ones. Overall, it was an entertaining read with some great details about the history of feminism.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency' by Lydia Travers.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Lydia Travers, Bookouture publishers and Bookouture anonymous


Publication date 27th April 2023.


This is the first book I have read by this author. It is also the first book in her 'Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency'' series.


I was originally drawn to this book by its fantastic eye catching cover and its intriguing synopsis and title. The synopsis stated that this book is 'A warm historical whodunnit, perfect for fans of the mysteries of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey, and Catherine Coles.' I am a huge fan of both Helena Dixon and Verity Bright so am looking forward to seeing if this lives up to this statement. I must admit I was also biased due to the publisher being Bookouture. I have yet to read a book published by Bookouture that I haven't enjoyed. Hopefully this won't be the first... Watch this space! (Written before I started reading the book).


This novel consists of 30 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!



This book is based in Edinburgh, Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿, UK 🇬🇧. The bonus for me of books that are partly or fully based in the UK is that I live in the UK and have sometimes visited places mentioned in the book which makes it easier to picture. I have actually holidayed in Scotland many time so am intrigued to see if I recognise places based on anywhere I visited while there.



This book is written in third person perspective and the main protagonist is Maud McIntyre. The benefits of third person perspective are that it let's you see the bigger picture of what's going on and you get to know more characters more, what they are thinking and what they are doing. It feels like you get to see the whole picture and not miss out in anything.


A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO LYDIA ON A PAGE TURNING SUCCESSFUL START TO WHAT PROMISES TO BE AN EPIC SERIES!!


This book is a successful unputdownable cosy mystery by the very talented Lydia Travers. I'm always a bit dubious with books based historically as I worry about not being able to 'deal' with the language used but I absolutely love how Lydia has written her books. The language used is perfectly suited to the era whilst being easy to read and making it quite humorous on several occasions. The atmosphere and descriptions were perfect. The synopsis and cover also suit the storyline.


This may be the first book I have read by this fantastic author but it most certainly wont be my last and I am looking forward to getting stuck in to the second book in this fantastic series which is called 'Murder In The Scottish Hills' so keep your eyes out for my review of that which is coming soon!! In this gripping story we meet Maud McIntyre and Daisy Cameron who set up their detective agency in Edinburgh in 1912. Maud is asked to come and investigate the theft of jewellery at the Duchess of Duddingston's manor at the weekend. Daisy accompanies Maud and acts as Maud's maid. This storyline is based in a time when it is uncommon and practically unknown for a female to participate in detective work and is also set during the suffragette movement. The fact that Lydia has done her research shines through the storyline. It is one of my pet hates when an author does not do enough research on the topic they are writing about as it can lead to unnecessary mistakes which can spoil the storyline for me so a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS LYDIA on researching your history well!! Daisy, acting as Maud's maid has the ability to discover what is being said amongst the other maids and staff and passes them back on to Maud. Between Daisy seeing what goes on 'under stairs' and Maud finding out more from the guests they slowly start building a bigger picture of the guests and end up trying to solve more than just the mystery of the jewel thief. I thoroughly enjoyed disappearing into the past and it felt like I was on a beautiful holiday to Scotland losing myself in the fresh air and the Scottish dialect. I became completely hooked and every time I would tell myself one more chapter and then I will get on with something else each chapter ended in a way I just had to carry on listening and in the end I completely devoured it in several hours! Lydia's evocative writing skills and Helen's fantastic narrative ensures the reader is completely captivated throughout. I found the storyline to start slow but pick up pace extremely fast likening it to a rollercoaster ride where you are quickly pulled to the top and then taken on fast twists and turns until you get to the mind blowing ending!! It is ram packed with friendship, lies, murder, crime, mystery, history , tension, suspense and everything you could ask for in a cozy mystery. Lydia had me laughing, shocked, angry at the lack of respect fior women and absolutely hooked throughout!! This is definitely one of those books that can be read in front of a fire, on a beach or relaxing in the garden and it sweeps you away to the beautiful Scotland in times gone by. The storyline had me hooked immediately and I love the way that Maud and Daisy go about their detective work. There was so much going on that it kept me entertained thoroughly throughout with mystery after mystery and clue after clue. It was filled with suspense, mystery, laughter, murder, clues, deceit. tension, suspense and so much more!! I never did work out who the thief was and was completely shocked when they were discovered. A great achievement as I am a huge crime fan and tend to work out who did what quite early on, especially considering I have read so many of Verity's books yet she manages to get me every time. The atmosphere was perfectly suited to the mystery. One of the things that I loved the most was that although this is predominantly a crime book is that it has plenty of moments of humour throughout which lightens up the atmosphere and had me giggling away one moment and shocked the next! An absolutely perfect start to what promises to be a fantastic and addictive cozy mystery series and I cannot wait to get stuck into the next book especially after reading the teaser chapters at the end of this one!!


This is one of the few books that I have listened 100% on Audiobook. If I listen to a book on audiobook I usually also read the physical book between but I listened to the whole book and I was impressed! I must say a HUGE congratulations to the narrator Helen McAlpine who did a great job bringing this story to life. I would listen to it in the car and while walking at any opportunity and Helen did a fantastic job on both male and female characters voices as well as accents!!! I'm not only looking forward to reading more books by Lydia but also to listening to more books narrated by Helen!

It is always worrying when starting a new series as you have no idea who the characters are. It is very important for me to bond with not only the lead protagonists but also any characters that may make repeat appearances during the series too.


I absolutely loved these new characters which are all realistic, well rounded, have a mix of personalities and each work their part perfectly in the book! Thanks to Lydia's evocative writing skills and Helens amazing narrative they all jump out of the pages and come to life before the readers eyes. They are all larger than life, realistic and a complete breathe of fresh air. Maud is an amazing and very likeable character, strong willed and made me laugh on several occasions, she is absolutely unique as well as a very strong female lead which is a great bonus for myself being female. She is keen to follow in the footsteps of fictional detectives that include Sherlock Holmes and uses his techniques in her own discovery work which included sleuthing and disguising herself! It would not have been easy trying to make a name for herself in a time where the main roles were predominately filled by men and there was the Suffragette movement ongoing but Maud and Daisy held strong and made themselves known. She is determined and when she does make mistakes she ensures that she learns from them. I absolutely love her calm determination and strong personality and I really cannot wait to see what she gets up to next!! Daisy is another loveable lead character who I adored. She made me laugh on several occasions also and is cheeky, loveable and funny. She is definitely a woman that I would love to be around when I'm doing my work!! They are both young women with Maud being 25 and Daisy being 24 and in a "mans world" where woman are taking a stand and these are two fantastic women to have around at the time! They both take their investigations seriously but also have some fun ways to get the information they need which included several lots of fancy dress items!! I loves the fantastic dynamic between them and enjoyed watching their characters and friendship develop. They both complimented each other and worked perfectly together sometimes not even having to talk to know what the other needs/wants making them a great, strong female duo! I loved meeting them along with several other characters that we come across in this fascinating funny page turner. I can't forget the absolutely adorable Gladstone who is an adventure in himself!!!. I cannot wait to meet them all again and see what they get up to in the next "episode".

Love, love, love this fantastic and explosive start to a promising new series that I cannot wait to get stuck back into!!

An absolutely explosive start to a promising new series Lydia!! Congratulations and welcome to my favourite cozy mystery author list! A page turning and unputdownable success! Here's to looking forward to your next book 🥂

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the first two chapters of Lydia's 'Murder In The Scottish Hills' which is the second book in this series and promises to be just as addictive as this book!! Keep your eyes peeled for my review of it coming soon!!


Overall a fun and easy to read page turning cozy murder mystery with the perfect amount of crime and humour that will keep you turning the pages.


Genres covered in this novel include Historical Mysteries, Romantic Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Thriller, Murder, Mysteries, Suspense, Historical Romance, Cozy Crafts & Hobbies Mystery, Cozy Culinary Mystery, Romantic Suspense, 20th Century Historical Romance, Women's Detective Fiction, Cozy Animal Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller, Romance and Crime amongst others.


I would recommend this book to the fans of the above as well as fans of T E Kinsey, Agatha Christie, Verity Bright, Helena Dixon, Catherine Coles, Lee Strauss and anyone looking for a very easy, addictive, page turning and fun read.

306 pages/ 9 hours 37 minutes


This book is just £1.99 to purchase on kindle, free on kindle unlimited, £8.99 in paperback and £16 for the audiobook at time of review via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!


Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.


Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews


#TheScottishLadiesDetectiveAgency #LydiaTravers #ScottishLadiesDetectiveAgency #Bookouture #BookoutureAnonymous #BookReview #BlogTour #BooksOnTour #Goodreads #NetGalley #Amazon #AmazonKindle #Bookstagram #Bookblogger #KindleUnlimited #Audible #Audiobook

@TheScottishLadiesDetectiveAgency @LydiaTravers @ScottishLadiesDetectiveAgency @Bookouture @BookoutureAnonymous @Bookworm1986 @bookworm86 @Goodreads @Netgalley @Amazon @AmazonKindle @KindleUnlimited @Bookstagram @BookBlogger @KindleUnlimited @Audible @Audiobook


https://kcmw86.wixsite.com/bookworm86


https://m.facebook.com/Bookworm1986/?ref=bookmarks


https://m.facebook.com/Bookwork86/?__tn__=%2As-R


https://www.instagram.com/bookwormwhitlock86/


https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/34299953-kirsty-bookworm86


https://mobile.twitter.com/kcmw86

This is a charming book with incredibly likeable characters. I love detective novels and this did not disappoint.

The narrator definitely added to the whole experience too.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

She may not rival Sherlock Holmes, but Maud McIntyre forms a female detective agency with her dear friend Daisy. It is 1911 Edinburgh and the suffragette movement is underway. Maud has no intention to live by convention and takes on as many cases as she can. With the support of her father and her stalwart friend and partner, Maud dons various disguises and roles for the times they have to go undercover.

Maud and Daisy’s first case is to try and locate a jewelry thief. They find much more. In fact, a murder takes place which naturally makes things far more serious. Their new business is certainly underway. What a delightful start to a new series. The setting, characters and intrigue were all done wonderfully, and this promises to be an engaging series. I really am looking forward to the second book in the series, Murder in the Scottish Hills.

I loved that I was able to get this book for review as an audiobook. The narrator Helen McAlpine was new to me and I really enjoyed her Scottish accent. Her exceptional narration made a wonderful book all that much better.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

I've never listened to a mystery audiobook and really enjoyed this one. I loved the voices that narrator did for all the characters - really brought the story to life. It was little "elementary" at points for a mystery, but a cute cozy mystery overall.

It's about Maud and Daisy who are starting their first detective agency and looking for clients. She helps her first client, an duchess who invites her to her country home to keep an eye out for jewelry theft since there's been a string of robberies. The weekend has some twists and she comes back to the city to a couple of new cases. They all end up being related in one way or another, but Maud and Daisy are the heroines and solve them all!

#indigoemployee

Setting the Scene: In 1911 Edinburg, Maude McIntyre is living her dream, setting up her own detective agency with her former lady's maid, Daisy. It may be the 20th century, but a female detective is almost unheard of, outside of fiction, and a detective agency owned and run by a woman is preposterous, at least to some. In fact, their first potential client declines to engage them once he learns there is no Mr. McIntyre. Fortunately, her second potential client, the Duchess of Duddingston, is much more open to Maude's endeavor and hires the agency to go under cover at her weekend party to protect her guests from a notorious jewelry thief and hopefully catch him. After a necklace is stolen and a guest murdered, Maude finds she is not just investigating a jewelry theft but a murder.

What I Thought: This was an enjoyable first outing for Lydia Travers' Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency. Maude and Daisy are wonderful characters, with a compelling combination of intelligence, determination, and sass. Turn of the 20th century Edinburgh and the Scottish Highlands are rich in atmosphere providing a perfect backdrop, and the plot was well developed with some interesting twists and turns to reach the ultimate outcome. There were some instances where the story lagged a bit, but it was more the result of world building than a deficiency in the story. All in all, I look forward to more adventures with Maude and Daisy.

The narrator has a pleasant voice and transitioned well from female to male voices.

The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency was a fun and lighthearted murder mystery story! Well, I think I would actually call it a cosy mystery rather than a murder mystery, as there are a few crimes, and only one of them is murder.

The book follows Maud McIntyre and her former lady's maid, Daisy, in 19th-century Scotland as they open up their own detective agency.

This was an enjoyable read, and there were many twists, turns and plots that kept me really entertained. The characters were enjoyable, and the different cases kept me hooked.

I will say I listened to the audiobook version of this book, and the narrator was phenomenal!

I look forward to the next one.

This was so cute!!! I loved the narrator and I would love to continue this series. Maude and Daisy are a dynamic duo.

4 out of 5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me to read this in exchange for a review.

I enjoyed this fun and rather funny Victorian mystery. I enjoy a good historical mystery and if it is set in the UK I am predisposed to love it already! Maud and Daisy were a really fun team. One of the things that I really enjoyed about this book is that the ladies were tackling more than one case which is not something you normally see in PI novels very often.

Helen McAlpine was a great narrator. Their voices for all of the different characters were very distinct. I totally recommend this.

This audiobook was a delightful discovery. It is a cozy mystery book about two young women in the beginning of the 20th Century who have just opened a detective agency in Edinburgh, Scotland. Maude and her former ladies maid, Daisy, are anxiously awaiting their first cases.. The women are good friends as well as roommates. During the book they solve four cases that all have interrelated characters and elements which impact each other. It was enjoyable to listen to these women solving their puzzles within a backdrop of discussion of women’s suffrage and other issues of the time. I will certainly be looking for additional books by Lydia Travers to enjoy in the future! I am voluntarily submitting this review after listening to an advanced complementary copy of this audiobook supplied through Netgalley.

This was a darling read! Maud and Daisy were delightful detectives, and this was the perfect cozy mystery. It reminded me a lot of the PBS show Miss Scarlett and the Duke, which is one of my favorites. Plus the narrator had a Scottish accent, which was the icing on the cake!

The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency is a good start to a new Cozy Mystery series. The story is set in Edinburgh in 1911 and the main character Maude and her former lady's maid Diasy run a new detective agency. The characters were relatable and the mystery plots were engaging. I can't wait for more of this series.

*I received a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley

Maud and Daisy open a detective agency in Edinburgh in the early 1900’s. As they fight cultural norms they solve one of the biggest mysteries at the time.

Great read!

I am sucker for historical mysteries featuring lady detectives and this one is straight up my alley. And it didn’t disappoint me. I loved Maud and Daisy, their friendship and no-nonsense way of solving the crimes. This one is such a quick yet enjoyable read. I liked how the author created such interesting characters. I appreciate how the author weaved historical facts into the storyline making it more intriguing. I can’t wait to read the next books in the series. I highly recommend this clean and captivating mystery.

This was an enjoyable cozy mystery with such interesting and likeable characters. This book started out strong but the pacing ended up being too slow for me. I found myself zoning out and not paying attention a few times. But what I did love was getting to know these interesting characters. I enjoyed how the author portrayed the difficulty of being a female detective during that time period. The narrator was amazing and I loved the extra depth her voice brought to the characters. So if you like cozy mysteries and don't mind slow pacing I highly recommend this one. I'm looking forward to reading something else by Lydia Travers soon.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a delight! If you’re searching for cozy mystery, look no further.

Set in 1911, it follows the adventures of detectives Maud and Daisy as they attempt to get their fledgling detective agency off the ground. Obviously as women, they face the typical discrimination of the era.

My favorite parts:
Scotland, obviously. The characters Maud and Daisy are wonderful. Snarky and motivated yet realistically naive and doubtful of themselves as they navigate life. The narrator did a great job. I’m notoriously picky about narrators especially if there’s lots of dialogue between characters. Every character was well done.

A few other thoughts:
The book started really strong. However, it gradually seems to lose focus. There are numerous mysteries to be solved and I think that causes the pacing to be uneven. I also found myself wondering why the author included so many references to other detective novels. Regardless, this was such a cozy book that I’m willing to look past all of that. I will be on the lookout for more in the series—it seems promising!

Thank you NetGalley for the the ARC audiobook.

A fun, feminist intriguing whodunnit with vibes of Agatha Christie and Sherlock Holmes. Murder, thieves, dog-napping, disguises and a car chase…great, relaxing historical crime fiction.
Can’t wait for the next adventures of Maud and Daisy.