The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency by Lydia Travers

A fledgling female detective, Maud McIntyre, and her ladies-maid turned assistant, Daisy, open their own detective agency and set out to solve a series of high profile crimes in 1911 Edinburgh.

Tasked with finding a jewel thief in their first week on the job, the ladies travel to a Scottish country estate where a murder is committed during a jewel heist gone wrong. When the perpetrator is quickly apprehended, Maud feels unsettled about the outcome of the case. Things fall into place so easily that, to Maud, it seems too good to be true.

The detective agency is immediately offered more cases upon their return to the city and are now employed to find a collection of missing letters, a missing Pomeranian, and a missing person. When some of the same suspects of the murder case are also key characters in the new series of cases, Maud and Daisy begin to wonder if all of the crimes are connected and if the man originally apprehended for the murder and jewel theft was actually innocent. As the ladies connect the facts and close in on the real perpetrator they find themselves being threatened by the criminal they pursue. Can the detectives solve the crimes and outsmart their suspect before they become his or her next victims?

This was an intriguing, entertaining cozy mystery. The plot was solid and easily followed while also not allowing for the mystery to be instantly solvable. The characters were funny and insightful and there may even be a budding romance for future installments. The audio version was narrated extremely well by Helen McAlpine, with plenty of authentic sounding voice variation between the multitude of characters. The Scottish accents were heavy, which at times made some words or phrases difficult to distinguish but ultimately didn’t detract from the story as a whole. All in all, this was a light, enjoyable whodunnit that would pair perfectly with a cup of tea and a rainy day. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5)

Thank you Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency in exchange for my honest review.

Book: The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency
Author: Lydia Travers
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Crime/Mystery
Places Featured: Edinburgh, Scotland
Review Score: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I love audiobooks, I love mysteries, I love strong female characters, and I love Edinburgh…but I didn’t really love this book. It’s one that might have been better in physical form, because I had a hard time following along. The narrator’s Scottish brogue adds authenticity, but takes a bit to get used to and the story jumps a bit. It’s the story of Maude McIntyre, her maid Daisy, and their new detective agency in 1911 Scotland–a challenging time to start a women’s detective agency, but they soon get their first case and head off to an estate to begin investigating a string of thefts. It’s a decent enough mystery and I might try more in the series, because I did like the main characters.

Maud McIntyre has set up her own detective agency, helped by Daisy, her former ladies maid. After being invited to a Duchess’s house for the weekend with the goal of discovering who has been stealing jewels during house parties.

While at the Duchess’s, a murder occurs and Maud and Daisy must work to solve not only the theft, but the murder.

I was given the arc from NetGalley.

#TheScottishLadiesDetectiveAgency #NetGalley

The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency was a delightful surprise find for me. Lydia Travers penned an authentic and creative cozy mystery. I really enjoyed Maud’s tenacity and cleverness. She is bold, resourceful, unafraid, and doesn’t back down. Daisy is the comedy relief and balance to Maud. The two complement each other very well and drive the reader to focus on different aspects of the story. I enjoyed the various settings and supporting characters. The mysteries were tied together well and explained in all the right places. I felt myself guessing at the right places and trying to stay a few steps ahead of Maud (unsuccessfully). It was a fun afternoon read and I would gladly recommend this clean, historical cozy mystery to others.
I had the privilege of listening to an audio version and will confess, that’s probably what brought this story to life in my mind. The narrator successfully captures personalities, moods, and nuances so well, which makes it a win for me.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

I love this book! I love the narrator, I love the characters, I love the surprises and I love the way the characters interact. It was delightful and kept me on the edge of my seat with the mystery!

Edinburgh, 1911: When Maud McIntyre and her former lady’s maid, Daisy Cameron, form a detective agency, they never dream their first case will take place at a glamorous house in the Scottish Highlands. But when the Duchess of Duddingston, concerned that a notorious jewellery thief will target her lavish weekend party, employs Maud to go undercover as a guest to find the culprit. But when one of the house guests is discovered dead, Maud and Daisy realise they’re not only hunting precious gems, but a murderer. As Maud and Daisy investigate, they realise that a connection in Edinburgh might hold a vital clue that will help them solve the case. Travelling back to the city, Maud hopes that what she and Daisy uncover will help them piece together the mystery. But when Maud receives a telephone call from the Duchess requesting urgent assistance, she realises that the murderer didn’t have just one victim in mind.
A new author to me & a new series, which was a delightful read. I really liked Maud & Daisy & loved how they complemented each other. They soon have four cases to solve & to begin with thought this was too much but there are some links. Maud has built a host of disguises to help them with their enquiries. There’s humour & the pace ambles rather than runs. I listened to the audiobook as well as reading this enjoyable mystery. Helen McAlpine did a stellar job of the narration & I must admit she brought the book to life especially in the slower parts. There’s also a mild love interest with Lord Uraquart & I’m interested to see where this will lead in future books
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Spoiler Free Review

Finished reading 6 - 25 April 2023

Less than 5-word critique: Compelling and unexpected.

Step aside, Sherlock and Watson. There are new detectives in town.
Satisfyingly entertaining and mysterious, The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency is perfect for fans of the mentioned detective and Agatha Christie.
And this is my first audiobook approval from NetGalley.

Edinburgh, 1911. Young lady Maud McIntyre and her lady’s maid and assistant Daisy open their very own detective agency. They are surprised when they're employed by the Duchess of Duddingston who invites them as undercover guests to an extravagant party where a jewellery thief might target next. The ladies realize that they may not only be trying to find a robber, but a murderer as well.
During the investigation, the two ladies are also called for more cases.

Brilliantly and delightfully written.
The narrator: Helen McAlpine, narrates the story with humor and excellence.

Recommended to those who enjoy:
*Whodunnit mysteries
*Historical fiction
*Stories set in Scotland
*Feminism
*Female detectives
*Strong protagonist and sidekick

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for a copy. I really appreciate it.

Great historical murder mystery!! And a bit of girl power thrown in there too!! Very easy to read and follow. A nice amount of clues to catch and a few solved cases by the end of the book! I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator! Lots of different voices and accents! It was great!

Maude McIntyre and her ladies maid, Daisy have started their own Female run detective agency. The first case has Maude going undercover as a house guest at a Duchess of Duddingston's mansion in the Scottish Highlands to catch a jewelry thief. Not only do precious jewels disappear, but a murder also takes place. Maude is not on the hunt for a thief and a murderer. This story is set in Edinburgh in 1911. Lydia Travers does a great job of weaving women's rights into a delightful murder mystery with enough twists to keep you guessing. The audiobook enhanced the story experience. Definitely one to be added to a library or personal collection. Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this book.

Sign me up to join Maud and Daisy as they solve mysteries! This cozy mystery takes place in the highlands of Scotland where the ladies are hired to stop a jewel thief (or find the jewels if they are taken) but it quickly turns into a murder mystery. Never fear because these two are on the case! The story keeps unraveling with several other problems for the ladies to solve. I love how all the problems come together in the end for a very satisfying conclusion. I can't wait to read the next book and follow Maud and Daisy's adventures.

I wanted to like this more than I did in actuality. It just felt a bit disjointed and fell a little flat. It was neither a Daisy Dalrymple, high society sleuth (books by Carola Dunn), nor a servant solving the cases below stairs. The "lady" and the maid instead, worked in tandem.

It's a cosy mystery set at the beginning of the 20th century. Suffragette movements are mentioned and the period seems reasonably adhered to.

The narration could be off-putting to someone unused to a Scottish accent. There was no need to use the dialect, it adds nothing to the story. Not the fault of the narrator, she was very pleasant to listen to - more the fault of the author, forcing some "authentic" words in there.

My thanks to Bookouture Audio for a review copy via NetGalley of the unabridged audiobook edition of ‘The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency’ by Lydia Travers. The audiobook is narrated by Helen McAlpine. I was also invited to take part in the publication week blog tour.

I enjoy historical cosy mysteries and it’s lovely when a new series comes out, especially one as promising as this.

Edinburgh, 1911. Maud McIntyre has just set up a detective agency. She is assisted in this new venture by Daisy, her former lady’s maid who has become a close friend. This book sees these fledgling lady detectives investigating their first few cases.

The first case involves them going undercover at a stately home in the Scottish Highlands. There has been a recent series of jewellery thefts at posh house parties and the Duchess of Duddingston is concerned that the thief might target her upcoming lavish weekend party. However, the case quickly becomes more complicated when one of the house guests is discovered dead.

I won’t say more about that case in order to avoid spoilers. In addition, when Maud and Daisy return to Edinburgh they are hired to solve three other cases including finding a missing heiress, retrieving a cache of compromising letters, and locating a lost Pekingese. Regarding this last case, Maud comments to Daisy that “‘Missing pets are the bread and butter of detective agencies.” They then return to Duddingston House for the final denouement.

This was a delight from start to finish. Maud is a wonderful character and is very keen on following the adventures of various fictional detectives, including Sherlock Holmes. Indeed, she often takes cues from him in terms of their disguises and sleuthing techniques.

Lydia Travers also includes social issues linked to the period, including the Scottish government’s response to the Women’s Suffrage Movement. There’s also a number of comic incidents that had me giggling.

With respect to the audiobook, its narrator, Helen McAlpine, is an experienced voice actor working across a number of genres. In 2022 she won the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s Narrator of the Year.

Aside from bringing Maud and Daisy vividly to life, I was also impressed with her voicing of the novel’s minor characters and found her comic timing spot-on. I hope that if audiobooks are produced for future titles in the series that Helen McAlpine will be invited back as their narrator.

Overall, I felt that ‘The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency’ was a highly promising start to this new series of Scottish historical cosy mysteries. I am already looking forward to Book 2, ‘Murder in the Scottish Highlands’, due out at the end of May.

Maude and Daisy are new Private Detectives who were ask to find a jewel robbers that are attending events.
It sems that their cases are connected a missing ,dog, a missing person a murder and the jewelery theifs.
A good mystery wih twists and surprises.
Enjoyed listening to the narrative and narrator.
Voluntarily reviewed.

A light- hearted and singularly unrealistic crime novel set in early 20th C Scotland. The characters are fun and the style of writing light hearted. However, personally I found it all a bit too twee and annoying that, for example, a murder was seemingly overlooked for the sake of a jewel theft. Nether less, a fun book to pass the time and not particularly alarm you or keep you up at nights.

The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency is about two female detectives in the 1900s - Maud McIntyre and her assistant, Daisy. When the Duchess of Duddingston asks them to find a jewelry thief, they never thought that the investigation would become a murder investigation.
It was interesting to read about the female detectives. The historical context is also given which makes this story feel more authentic. The book had good story, well developed characters, a lot of interconnected cases, and so on.
The audiobook was wonderful and highly interesting to listen. The narrator did a wonderful job of giving life to the characters.
Fans of Sherlock Holmes, will surely like this book.

The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency follows a young detective who is seeking to develop her business and reputation. I'm not sure if it is categorized as a cozy mystery, but I would consider it one. The mystery is pretty lighthearted in that the characters are pretty docile compared to what you would find in a suspense mystery. There are several mentions of affairs and smutty romance novels, but both are spoken of negatively or indifferently.

I found the audiobook, which I received from NetGalley, very enjoyable to listen to.

Wasn’t sure how this book was going to go but I’m glad I stayed with it. It was wonderful. I love how the author connected everything together. Can’t wait for the next book. Highly recommend

I love a good cosy murder mystery and this one was brilliant. The characters were great, especially the strong females set in this time and I liked the references to the suffragettes.
In some ways the book was fairly predictable, however there were still a couple of surprises.

This was fun! I will read the next one! I have a really hard time with most cozy mysteries. I really don't want to come across as a genre snob here, because I love genre. LOVE IT. But in my experience, most cozy mysteries are just not that well-written. And by that I don't just mean I don't like them, which is what most people say when they don't like something but can't figure out why. I mean that characters are usually flat, dialogue is pointless or not-real sounding, sometimes poorly described (and sometimes well-described!) settings like restaurants and libraries and coffee shops are made to heft a lot of weight of the narrative. The mysteries are usually not well-plotted or interesting. The relationships seem constructed. The prose is not well-constructed enough to slip into the background and let you believe what you are reading is real.

All that said, this book fell into exactly none of those above problems! The characters are fun, the dialogue is sharp and at times witty, the mysteries are well-thought out and reveals well-placed. The settings are fun and described just enough to give you a nice picture in your head. The main conflict of the series (a woman detective starting her own business in a time where that type of thing is simply not done) is inherently interesting and used well. The prose does what it needs to and gets out of the way. We don't learn much about our two main characters, Maud and her former ladies maid and now employee Daisy, in terms of concrete backstory, but we come out of the story knowing exactly what kind of people they are anyway. We see it in their actions and their words (and in what they don't say and do as well).

The narrator, Helen McAlpine, does a fantastic job, and listening to her accent for eight hours was a good time.

So I have finally found a cozy mystery series that I genuinely like, and I will definitely be continuing on. Worth noting, I think this book would appeal to people who don't generally like cozier mysteries, but who just like a good mystery, no flash or fuss, as well.

Cute clean mystery book. We solved so many mysteries In this one book. Missing dog. Check. Missing human. Check. Murder. Check again. And that's just a few of them!