A cozy murder mystery set in Scotland, the second in an ongoing series.

Very atmospheric, full of place and time specific details circling around life in the Highlands in the early 1900's for an upper class lady turned-detective (Maud), and her maid (Daisy) turned-snappy-sidekick.

An enjoyable read, would be especially good for moments on road trips as these two are often heading somewhere with Purpose. And don't forget your indian clubs for exercising!

*A sincere thank you to Lydia Travers, Bookouture, and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review independently.* #MurderintheScottishHills #NetGalley

Lydia Travers thrills and delights with the second terrific installment of her series, The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency: Murder in the Scottish Hills.

Edinburgh, 1911 and Maud McIntyre and her assistant Daisy receive a letter from a maid called Rose who shares her suspicions about the strange occurrences taking place at the house in the Highlands where she works. Maud and Daisy decide to do some investigating so they head off to this beautiful part of the world – only to be stopped in their tracks while at the station when a man’s body falls right in front of them while they are changing trains. The man has been shot in the head and despite the fact that the intrepid detectives believe that somethings shady is afoot, the police rule it out and claim that this was a tragic and unfortunate accident. However, Maud and Daisy are convinced that there is more to this case than meets the eye…

As they arrive in the small Highland village, Maud and Daisy find themselves having to juggle two different cases and as they go undercover, they begin the hunt for the murderer while keeping a close eye on Rose’s employer, a local art dealer. Maud and Daisy cannot shake off this feeling that the two cases might be linked somewhat – and when another body is discovered, they realise that they need to work as fast as they can possibly to prevent a dangerous killer from getting away with murder again!

An enjoyable historical cozy mystery with two fantastic sleuths, tension, action, wit and plenty of red herrings, Murder in the Scottish Hills is a fun page-turner ideal for fans of Kerry Greenwood and Verity Bright looking for a new author to add to their must-read list.

Lydia Travers beautifully brings the early years of the twentieth century to life and her entertaining cozy mystery will have readers eager for more adventures featuring The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency.

WOW! This book is so intriguing, cozy mysterious, full of twists and turns, intriguing, enthralling, and so much more! Whenever I picked up "Murder in the Scottish Hills", I was whisked back in time to the Edwardian Era, and when on quite the journey with this story.

This is the second book in Lydia Travers "The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency", and, oh my gosh, this series is SO GOOD!

I do not want to say too much about the plot due to spoilers, but, I will say, this novel kept me guessing. Maud and Daisy are traveling to Scotland on a case. On the train on the way there, Maud and Daisy see a body. Soon, as mystery after more mysteries begin to show themselves, Daisy and Maud must find out what is really going on, and find the link between them all, if there is one. What is really going on? You will just have to read to find out!

I am curious to see if there is a budding romance beginning to deepen for Maud as well!

if you enjoy Historical Cozy Mysteries, I highly recommend this book! I look forward to reading what Ms. Travers writes next!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC of this book! All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Enjoyable read. Lovely cosy mystery which is well written and keeps you guessing to the end. Couldn’t ask for more. The characters are engaging and the storyline has several twists and turns. The subplots throughout the series are also coming the fore (well I hope I’m right!)

Thank you Netgalley

Murder in the Scottish Hills is the second Scottish Ladies Detective Agency historical cozy by Lydia Travers. Released 26th May 2023, it's 323 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. For Kindle Unlimited subscribers, this book is currently included in the KU subscription library to borrow and read for free, alongside the other books in the series.

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 drawn into adventure and danger again when she and Daisy literally find a body on a train.

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 mysteries will likely find it, and the other books in the series, appealing.

The unabridged audiobook has a run time of 8 hours 43 minutes and is read by series narrator 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 enjoy all three books, and it would make a nice short binge/buddy read. 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.

This is a delightful new series. This is the second book in the series, which if you have not read the first one, I found it easy enough to jump right in. It is set at the turn of the 20th Century. Maud is from an upper class family, but she does not want to do the accepted thing and get married. Maud is a detective who takes great pride in her costumes. Daisy used to be her lady’s maid, but is now her associate.
In this case, they decide to go to a small village in the Scottish Highlands to investigate some suspicious circumstances. On their way there, a man is murdered in another carriage of the train they are traveling on. The mysteries continue to abound in the village when they arrive.
Of special note is the liberal use of Scottish words, which are very easily understood in context. I also found Lydia Travers’ descriptions of the Highlands and the culture of the time very good.
The only quibble I have is with the reveal at the end as it felt a bit underwhelming and predictable.
I gave this book four stars and I definitely recommend it for anyone who is planning a trip to Scotland or who enjoys historical mysteries. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookoutre for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy in exchange for an honest review.

I dindn't like it as much as the first one. Maybe I should have wait before reading it. It's a good story but to me no so fun

In this instalment of the Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency series, Maud McIntyre and her assistant, Daisy Cameron, are off to the Highlands. A case comes to them through a newspaper column where a maid suspects her employer of wrong doing through the art gallery he owns in Braemar, a small village near Balmoral. With no other cases on their books and a need for action, Maud and Daisy pack their bags and travel to Braemar, but before they reach their destination, they become involved in a suspicious death, which also has links to the village.

As they immerse themselves in village life, take in the scenery and sights, and follow the few clues they have, the body count rises. Before they finally crack the case, Maud and Daisy will undertake some housebreaking, catch a thief, meet royalty, aid an eloping couple and engage in a madcap pursuit of a murderer.

This, as the first book in the series The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency, is an entertaining read with two delightful main characters, Maud and Daisy, who are still novices when it comes to their new careers as private investigators. When stumped, they do not lack imagination or courage and often use outlandish methods to garner evidence to support their suspicions. While not always successful, it does add a sense of anticipation as you never know what these two will undertake to solve a case.

Once again there are multiple mysteries to be solved, which has the story line going off in different directions. While at the time they seem to have no bearing on the main case, they do actually serve a purpose. I love a mystery with lots of red herrings.

In addition, my interest was captured by the lovely descriptions of the countryside, the area's history, information on art and ornithology, the humour, details specific to the time (the popularity of wooden Indian clubs for exercise and the launching of the RMS Titanic, for example) and a plethora of new and recurring characters, one of whom is the handsome Lord Hamish Urquhart whose presence is not welcomed by Maud. After their first encounter, she believes he wants her agency to fail, which makes their subsequent meetings very amusing. While she professes to dislike him, her inner thoughts suggest she is not as immune to the handsome lord as she would have others believe.

Murder in the Scottish Hills is a quick read, lots of fun and a great addition to the series.

Great second book in a new series

Strong female protagonists, beautiful scenery, good research and charming stories

When Maud and Daisy’s private detective business is a little slow, maid is offered the opportunity to pen a column in the newspaper. A reader reaches out for advice on the possible illegal goings on in the house where she works Maud and Daisy catch the train up to the highlands where they encounter a dead body From there the story starts piecing together This arthur writes diff mysteries for maud and daisy to solve that seen independent of each other but end up all being connected

As with any cozy, we can not leave out the handsome Lord

Unlike other stories, our Lord stays on the sidelines allowing Maud and Daisy all the credit

Not to be missed series!

Maud McIntyre, a newly established lady detective and her former ladies’ maid now assistant and friend, Daisy, have headed to the Highlands to help a maid, Rose who has contacted them via letter. Rose is seeking help based on her suspicions that something nefarious is going on in her employer’s household. Along the way, Maud and Daisy encounter a dead body on the train and more mysteries for them to unravel. In this second installment of the series Maud has dropped some of her prim and proper behavior making her even more likable and relatable. This was particularly evident in Maud’s interaction with Lord Urquhart where there were clearly inferences of a growing romantic interest, at least on his part when he encounters her in the village of Braemar. It is a quaint Scottish village with a cast of eclectic characters that both enrich and complicate the plot. As is typical of author Lydia Travers work, the reader is treated to a plot with plenty of twists and turns that will keep them guessing. I did not anticipate the culprit in the murder or the surrounding mini mysteries that enhanced the story. In fact, as I’m reading the story these acts often seem to be unconnected at first, but Travers’ deft hand competently makes use of them in an effort to provide the reader with potential red herrings and a complicated plot that when revealed gave me great satisfaction. My thanks to #LydiaTravers, #Bookouture, and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Maud and Daisy in the first book, solved their first couple cases and now feel they have successfully started their detective agency, but they are not getting any business. During a dinner party at a friends house they were discussing the sufferage movement and an editor for a newspaper was interested in having her write a column about her opinions. This leads to her get a lot of mail from women who wanted her opinion on things. Maud working for the paper was helping her and her friend Daisy be able to keep the detective agency open in hopes of some business.

While looking through the letters she finds one from a young lady named Rose who is working for an art dealer and she is worried that her boss might be doing some bad things and wanted to know what she should do. She really liked her job but didn't want to work for a criminal.

Maud decides that they should meet this young lady and see if they could help, even if it was probably for free because the young maid couldn't afford to pay them. She was making enough money from the paper to be able to do a job without pay and maybe it would help them in the long run for their detective business.

On the way there by train they end up finding the dead body of a man who lives in the same town they were headed too and of course curiosity gets to them. They find out from Rose that she thinks her boss is selling forgeries and they start investigating that, but can't forget about the dead body, so also look into that. They are staying at a hotel where they even get into a small investigation there.

I really like Maud and Daisy as characters. I also like Lord Urquhart and hope he becomes the love interest for Maud. That being said I also thought that storyline was very slow moving and I am not sure if it's because there are so many different things they are trying to solve or if I just found it boring but I didn't like it quite as much a I did book one. I also think the author is putting in modern feminist thought in a historical with Daisy and that just makes me roll my eyes but hey that is my opinion.

I will be trying the next one as like I said I do like Maud and Daisy. If you like historical mysteries you might enjoy this series, so give it a try.

I was really hoping to listen to this book as an audio, but the ebook did not disappoint. Maud and Daisy are back in a new cozy mystery. I really enjoyed this story and look forward to the next in the series. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC.

An engaging second book in the Scottish Ladies Detective Agency series set in 1911 in Scotland. Maud and Daisy take on a case for free and discover they must also solve a suspicious death. I like the two main protagonists. They have different skills that complement each other, making them a good investigative team. The cast of characters is vividly created and easy to visualise; the historical detail and literary references add authenticity to the story. Socio-political themes explored through Maud and Daisy's characters make them believable and vibrant. The mystery is engaging, making this an enjoyable, often humorous read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Things have been quiet at the detective agency since their last successful case. Maud and Daisy take on a case for free when someone suspects art forgery is taking place in a small village. But on the way there, the pair discover a dead body on the train...
Murder in the Scottish Hills is the second book to feature Maud and Daisy as they seek to establish themselves as private detectives in Scotland during the 1910s. I have previously reviewed the first book in the series, The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency, and there are some spoilers about the outcome of that book so I would suggest reading the books in order.
A maid suspects that her employers are selling forgeries and Maud offers to investigate free of charge during a lull in paid work. She and Daisy head to the small village of Braemar, just outside Balmoral (yes, there is an encounter with King George V at one point!) They become embroiled in another matter when they find a body on the train. Could there be a link between the forgeries and the murder or is it coincidence?
Maud has mixed emotions when she spots Lord Urquhart and the romantic tension and gentle antagonism continues. I enjoyed the historic detail that underpins the plot and the characters dynamics. The Scottish dialect brings the speech parts of the book to life. The case itself, combined with the murder, maintained the mystery until the end, although for me it was of secondary interest to Maud and Daisy's exploits.
Murder in the Scottish Hills is a very enjoyable murder mystery.

I am positively enchanted by this series!

In this installment, Maud and Daisy are contacted by a maid who works for an art dealer. She fears the gallery is dealing in forged art and engages the agency’s services. They travel to the village of Braemar to investigate, and on the way, Maud literally has a man’s dead body drop into her lap.

They don’t intend to get involved in the murder investigation. But as they dig into the possible forgeries, there’s another murder, this time of the artist who may have been creating the fake works of art. Maud and Daisy realize that all three crimes may be interconnected.

I just love the relationship between Maud and Daisy! They aren’t superior and servant, they’re friends. And I like Maud, but Daisy seems like someone I would really enjoy hanging out with. I also appreciate the way Travers incorporates Daisy’s accent into the story. It isn’t written in such a way that it’s distracting to read, but it does help me “hear” it in my head. I had to look up a couple of the words she used, and “sweetiewife” may have just added itself to my vocabulary.

The mystery wasn’t extremely convoluted, and as I read through the story, the big reveal of the murderer’s identity wasn’t a tremendous surprise. The village of Braemar is small, and the cast of suspects was limited. But the reveal itself was clever, and it’s fun to see our lady detectives learn and work to improve their skills. I certainly don’t think I’d have the pluck to set myself out as a private investigator!

The hints of potential romance between Maud and Lord Hamish Urquhart are a treat, too. Maud really twists herself in knots trying to avoid admitting even an inkling of feelings for him, while he’s much clearer about his feelings for her. I hope we see more developments between them in future books.

And I loved the detail about Maud learning to work out with Indian clubs! My husband uses them to strengthen his arms and shoulders. I’m glad to know Maud won’t be a shrinking violet if she finds herself in a sticky situation. Maybe Daisy should quit poking fun at Maud over them and try them herself.

Kudos to Lydia Travers for an engaging series. Hopefully one day I’ll get to see Scotland for myself. Until then, I’ll live vicariously through our lady detectives.

Book two was even better than book one! If you haven’t found this series yet, start it now! Our two Scottish lasses find themselves in the Highlands with more than one mystery to unravel! With frolics over the hills, moody artists, and secretive townsfolk, can they solve the murder and more?

The dialogue is a delight again as is the scenery! I enjoy the pacing Lydia Travers creates! It’s interesting but unrushed which is unusual and lovely! I highly recommend it, it’s a five out of five on the enJOYment scale.

Thank you to Bookouture and Netgalley fr this ARC. I'm really loving this new series. Only book 2 so far but the characters are great, its well written and the plots are twisty. Looking forward to No 3

Miss Maud McIntyre and Daisy Cameron have started their Detective Agency at Edinburgh. They solved mysteries cases. One such client case was Lord Uruquart whose love letters were missing.

One such day, she was invited to gathering at her school friend Eleanor. There she met the editor of famous Edinburgh Times newspaper. He asked Maud to write a piece for his paper on women’s issue. She even writes advice on the name of “Mrs.Fraser”. Her piece of writing made a hit. A new case pop-ups through Rose Glimour, a live-in maid for an Art dealer. She suspects that her employer or his son are involved in Forging of arts.

They start their journey to Braemar to further proceed with their detective work on the case of Rose Glimour. On her journey to train she found a dead boy while opening the door. She was stumbled upon this incident.

Author has kept the thrilling narrative till the end of the book. It’s the second of the book of the series. What I loved is the strong women character with so much intelligence. Thanks for the ARC copy @netgalley @bookouture @lindatylerauthorscotland

Qotd: Have you read any detective agency story with women centric stories?

#lydiatravers #murderinthescottishhills #detectiveagency #maud #daisy #braemar #davidanderson #forgery #linseedoilpaint

Murder in the Scottish Hills by Lydia Travers is the second book in the Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency series. It is a cozy mystery series about two women, Maud McIntyre and Daisy Cunningham who have opened a detective agency in 1910 in Edinburgh, Scotland. In this book, they travel into the highlands to solve a mystery about an art dealer who may be selling forgeries in his art gallery. During their travels and investigation, they come upon several additional cases that need to be solved. Lord Urqhardt, a client from the first novel, makes an appearance again in this novel as a possible love interest for Maud, who is trying to fight this at all costs.

This was a light, easy read which was engaging and entertaining. It even had its’ laugh out loud moments. After reading a few heavy books over the past month, this was a nice break. I find I enjoy the author’s writing style and the palate cleanse of a good, clean, innocent story about women who were pursuing a career which society considered a job for men. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, you may find that this is a series for you. I am voluntarily submitting this honest review after reading an advanced complementary copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture..

This wasn't as good as the first one, to my chagrin. I was hoping the second book in the series would be a bit more cohesive in terms of the story, and although this story at least all unfolds in one location - a small town in the the Scottish hills called Braemar - there are so many threads and none of them seem that important. Maud and Daisy travel to this small town because they get a letter from a concerned maid about a possible art fraud ring, and on their way there, a man is murdered on the train. Are these two things related?

I liked Daisy quite a bit in this but Maud seems a bit of a shrew. I think the author is trying to show us she's trying to resist the charms of Lord Urquhart (who happens to be in the area as part of the King's hunting entourage) but she instead comes off as stubborn and mean. She refuses to dance with him, decides to march home in the rain rather than accept a car ride home from him and overall just seems holier-than-thou with everyone,

I think there's a good story here with a young woman who starts her own PI business. It's just striking the right balance of historical detail with compelling story.