Book 3 of a series. Haven't read the first 2. Interesting character and premise. Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book

CONTENT WARNING: blood, murder, emotional abuse, suicide, mention of torture, violence, panic attack

This is one of my newer favorite series, and I haven’t seen a single person talking about it. I can’t figure out why, since this is a really great series! It’s a combination of dystopian and urban fantasy and mystery, it’s diverse, and I can not get enough of it!

To start with, we’ve got Ropa with her foot kind of in the door to getting a legit gig. She’s been scrounging by as a ghosttalker, but she knows the real path to success is getting admitted as a magic practitioner. However, anyone trying to improve their socioeconomic status from the bottom of the barrel into a society that includes people from the upper crust of society is going to face opposition, and Ropa certainly does. I’m sure her black lipstick, neon dyed locs, colorful language, and tendency to pop off at the worst possible times doesn’t help her cause.

In this book, Ropa is in attendance at the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ conference, held on the Isle of Skye at the creepy and haunted Dunvegan Castle. There are some notable guests in attendance, particularly the high wizard of Ethiopian magic and the Sorcerer Royale of England. But when a shocking act of violence occurs so that a priceless magical scroll can be stolen, the whole castle is placed on a magical lockdown and Ropa is tasked with investigating.

This is where Ropa really shines. She may be a 15-year-old dropout, but she’s no slouch. Supplementing her education with books whenever possible, she uses the knowledge to boost her skills when working for the Society, or even when doing her ghosttalking work. But her best attribute by far is the way that she isn’t afraid to rely on others when there’s something she doesn’t know. And while there is a lot she doesn’t know, Jomo and Priya make up the difference a lot of the time.

As far as diversity goes, we’ve got loads in this book. Ropa and Jomo are Black, and Ropa is very close to her African roots. She incorporates her heritage into her magical work by using an African instrument to facilitate speaking to ghosts. Priya is of Indian descent, and is a wheelchair user, but doesn’t let that hold her back in any way—in fact, I’d dare to say that she’s one of the most badass characters in the series. She’s definitely one of my favorites.

The story is full of surprises and twists that I never saw coming. While trying to figure out who was behind the theft, I couldn’t figure it out until it was spelled out for me. Huchu is fantastic with leaving behind a number of red herrings, and with so many people trapped in the castle, this is a locked room (castle?) Mystery that is done exceptionally well.

Overall, this is a fantastic addition to the series. I can’t wait to see where this goes next, and as usual I’m sitting on the edge of my seat for the next installment. Hopefully, more people will be exposed to these stories soon, and it will be taking over social media soon because I want everyone to be exposed to this amazingness! So go out and start the series if you haven’t yet!

Another great story in the Edinburgh Nights series. I love that Ropa and her group of friends don't let other people dictate how they view a situation. I also love that Ropa does not let others bully her into going against her moral code. I am very much looking forward to the next book, I cannot wait to see what situations Ropa and friends get into next.

It took me a bit to get into this book. The setup was a slight slog. BUT once the story kicks in, it's a rocking ride and I absolutely love every reference from military history to Marvel. There's a few gaps in there, and I'm hoping they come into play for the next installment. The trifecta mentioned by Ropa as a throwaway remark early on; well I wonder if it's misdirection. Or maybe I'll be looking back on this review in a year and see I was completely off. That's what makes a series enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Receiving this book was a great incentive for me to finally buy and read the first two installments in this series, which had been on my radar (and Amazon wishlist) for ages, so thank you very much to Julia at Tor! This was another very fun installment in the Edinburgh Nights series, that expands on the lore and characters (although, can I say how sad I was that Izwi, Ropa's grandmother, and River never make an on page appearance?). If you were expecting this volume to conclude the series, think again. I'm really looking forward to reading more and uncovering all the layers of plots at play here.

Also, I feel silly, but I JUST noticed that the color of the book cover in all the books in this series correspond to Ropa's hair color in that book. A fun little touch that just tickled me. Can't wait to see what hair color/book cover color we get next!

Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle by T. L. Huchu is the third book in the bestselling YA fantasy series, Honestly, I had always thought this book was adult fantasy, so I was surprised to see it categorized as YA. I think that adults of all ages will enjoy this book, too. The story revolves around Ropa, who has the ability to talk to ghosts. She finds herself in a haunted castle in the middle of the mysterious disappearance of a valuable magical artifact. Can she solve this mystery with the help of her friends?

Here is a humorous excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Boom. Lassie from the slums winds up in a castle. Ain't that a right old fairy tale? If I didn't know any better, I'd have done up my dreadlocks, worn a tiara, and called myself princess. Nah, screw that Disney malarkey. I'm just loving the Isle of Skye right now. This must be what being on holiday feels like. Though how would I know? Seeing as I've never done nothing posh like that.
Frances Cockburn wouldn't let me bring my fox, River, along. Her being a boss lady type, with a big ol' stick up her arse, who doesn't want me working in Scottish magic. She said no pets allowed on this particular jaunt, or some such jazz."

Overall, The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle is a magical mystery for fans of Magic for Liars or the Rivers of London series. One highlight of this book is the Scottish accent/dialect, which you can see in the excerpt above. It really transported me to a different setting: magical Edinburgh. Another highlight of this book is the original premise: a ghostalker who solves mysteries.

One final highlight are the moments of humor and levity throughout the book. If I had to complain about 1 thing, I would say that if you haven't read the previous books in a while, it's difficult to remember who's who. There are too many characters to keep track of. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of fantasy books in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book, which is available now!

Ropa Moyo, 15-year-old ‘ghostalker’ and resident of a post-‘Catastrophe’ Edinburgh, still might not be too chuffed that her magical apprenticeship was downgraded to an unpaid internship, but there seems to be some benefits when she gets to attend the Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ biennial conference. Well, until she realises that she’s there to lug chairs about and bow and scrape to self-important mages. But then someone steals the powerful magical scroll at the centre of the ceremonies, and the whole castle is put into lockdown – literally, encased in a magical bubble. With tempers and air running out, can Ropa figure out ‘whodunnit’ in time? And perhaps more importantly, why?

This third book in the Edinburgh Nights trilogy feels like it’s reached a certain maturity, even as its lead has a momentary falter backwards from it. While it’s a shame to leave Edinburgh, my home city, Dunvegan Castle provides a tightly enclosed location for this ‘locked room’ mystery – the castle, the enclosing barrier, and the island itself.

It makes for a tense battle of wits and wills, between Ropa and the more classically trained school pupils, between Clans, between human mages and the fae (nasty little things that there are, here!), and – oh, of course! – a growing power struggle between Scotland and her right to self-govern, and the English (mages) seeking to assert control. Topical or what? 😉

Ropa remains a very likeable protagonist, street smart and quick with a clever word. Or, some less than clever ones, as she does lose her temper rather dramatically at one point. It was a sign of how engaged I am with the character that I cringed hard on her behalf, even as I very much felt her need for lashing out given the circumstances. Ropa is both a girl in a man’s world, and constantly hitting class barriers. It’s a joy to see her given the authority of being Sir Ian’s apprentice, even as the head of the Society faces challenges to his own command.

If I had any complaints about the book it’s the way that this 15-year-old is given so much importance in the proceedings – as tends to happen in any YA-type book. I can accept pixies and spell casting more easily than adults giving a teenager any kind of responsibilities or respect, it seems 😉

That small point aside, this was a really fun read. With less setting up to do than the previous two volumes – both well worth a read – this one felt like it was trying a little less hard to explain the world, and just having a lot of fun in it. Recommended, and I’m thoroughly looking forward to many more adventures in this series.

Ropa speaks to spirits, helping some move on peacefully and banishing others that have more malicious intent. Although she is one of the best at it, this profession is looked down on by the rest of the magic community. Now that she has made her way into a powerful magic society, she is happy to be learning so much more about magic. Although she is still somehow an unpaid intern, her duties have her attending a high profile magic conference on the Isle of Skye.
This is her first time outside of Edinburgh and being a city girl through and through the rural parts of Scotland are new to her - somehow the Isle is teeming with spirits from ages long past.
But when her friend Jomo, almost gets killed and an artifact in his care gets stolen, she is hot on the trail tracking down a thief. Jomo is determined to find the artifact or die trying, but Ropa wont let anything happen to her hapless companion. This thief is cunning and brutal, killing someone right in front of the most powerful magic users of Scotland, England and Ethiopia and Ropa is the only one prepared to do whatever it takes and question whomever she suspects, regardless of status. Our charismatic and witty hero is right at home in this third book in the series as she is given the task of getting in the face of the magical elite. This locked room mystery is a welcome change of pace in the series, and Huchu strikes a great balance between mystery, fantasy and a thrilling chase for a killer. The characters Huchu has created are endearing and the world he has built is thoughtful and compelling.

I will be the first in line to defend my love of Ropa Moyo to the death. In this latest adventure involving Scottish magic and our favorite ghost-talker, we find our heroine attempting to solve a locked room murder at a magical conference on the Isle of Sky. Once more, the readers are blessed with Ropa’s acerbic wit and hilarious, yet accurate observations of the magical community in which she has found herself scrambling to find her place in.

As far as plot, this was certainly the weakest in the series thus far with a sort of rushed ending and a cliffhanger to boot. Although Ropa’s character remained true, I kept feeling like something was missing. What I realized is the lack of supporting characters who love Ropa as much as us readers do. Gone was her sister and grandma, the gutter orphans, and although Priya and Jomo were along for the ride, they barely existed on the page. Despite this, I still thoroughly enjoyed the story and look forward to the next installment..

Hopefully the next book in the series will bring back all of the quirky characters that make up Ropa’s posse and forego her solving the mysteries on her own. I really, truly missed them this time around.

Recommended for fans of Edinburgh Nights, T. L. Huchu and cozy mysteries with fantastical elements. I would not, however, pick this up without having read the first two in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, T. L. Huchu, and Tor Books for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
I really loved the first book in this series, and highly recommend it (5 stars) The second books was good, but a bit too chaotic for me - I lost track of the plot or goal of the characters too many times, but the world building rocked (4 stars). For me, this book is another step down (hence the 3 stars).
I'm not a fan of 'locked room' plots, as for me they just clamp down on a lot of possibilities.
I know that Ropa's a plucky underdog character, but the author seems to have it in for not only her, but her friends Prima and Jomo too. There are a couple of pieces that are added to our knowledge of the world (some very intriguing teasers about Africa) but there's not a lot more we get to know about the magical system, and Ropa doesn't really learn anything new.
The setting is a magical conference on Skye, and for reasons, everyone attending is 'locked down' in the castle where it's taking place. There's a subplot involving the head of British (vs. Scottish) magic pulling rank. There are huge swathes of rambling about the politics of magic in its current state, and because of the 'locked room' aspect there's no opportunity to go anywhere and look for answers. There's a great duel at about 98% of the way through the book. There's a cliffhanger ending.
I'm hoping there's another book where Ropa will get to kick ass adventuring and magic again...

I want more please. That was wonderful! I love the idea and the characters. I wish I had a more intimate understanding of the Scottish castles and the Isle of Skye, but this book makes me want to go and find these places that these events happened. AND I know T. L. can not be done because the last few lines left me saying, "Whaaaa!" This book makes me think of Harry Potter and Anthony Lockwood blended and made better. What's next?? You should read it, but I want the next one!

I’ve really enjoyed this odd little series, and I was delighted to see that The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle was a locked room mystery! I love a good whodunnit, especially when it’s mixed in with plenty of fantasy elements to further complicate matters. This time, rather than exploring the streets of Edinburgh, Ropa is on the Isle of Skye at Dunvegan Castle preparing for the big meeting of Scottish practitioners. Though she is Sir Ian Callendar’s assistant, she’s been drafted to assist in the set up of the meeting.
Things are going well enough until a murder occurs and a magical scroll is stolen right from beneath their noses. The Ethiopian magicians who gifted the scroll are up in arms, threatening to tear the castle apart and, to make matters worse, England’s Sorcerer Royal showed up to join the party too. Ropa is charged with investigation while Sir Callendar holds up the barrier that prevents anyone from leaving - something he must stay awake to do.
This installment is a lot less… weird than the previous two books. In fact, though I love a locked room mystery, this was not the setting in which Ropa excels and as a result I was less enthused by this book than I thought I would be. She’s surrounded by ‘real’ practitioners who largely don’t respect her and her only supporters are Priya and Jomo since Callendar’s otherwise occupied. The paradigm shift will ultimately change the direction of the series going forward and I’m curious to see where Ropa goes from here.
Overall, I enjoyed this story though it lacked the good weirdness that made me enjoy the previous two installments so much. In a way, this seems like it’s a bridge leading to a new path for Ropa in any future installments. Ropa’s voice was smothered by the traditional magicians and the requirement that she be properly professional and, well, I see what the author was doing but it made for a less enjoyable read.

I always have such an amazing time reentering the world T.L Huchu has created with Ropa and his cast of characters. This time taking place at Dunvegan Castle, the Scottish Clan McLeod's castle and a place of faery magic and discourse. As a magical conference is taking place to bring peace between magical members from around the world, the lights go out, a man is killed, and a sacred scroll is stolen. This is where the mystery begins and Ropa is tasked by her mentor Callander to try and solve the crime while he holds a forcefield around the castle keeping all possible suspects close enough for questioning. It's a race against time for Ropa to find the killer before Callander's power gives out from holding the forcefield.
I cannot stress how much fun this book is. She is such a fun and sometimes infuriating character to follow but that makes her all the more human and believable as a person. She also has lingering panic attacks which plague her through this novel and she has to try and work through them usually with the help and support of Priya. This series is sassy and fun, witty, and a little crass. All the fun things I love about a good murder mystery. There is great drama, good character development, and some decent backstabbing. I do not think you'll be disappointed f you give this and the previous two novels a chance.

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle is the third book in the Edinburgh Nights series, an urban fantasy series set in Scotland. The main character is a 14-year-old ghost talker that wants to hustle her way into a better life. Through books one and two, she was slowly making that happen.

The books are as much mystery as they are urban fantasy as our main character works as a detective solving paranormal crimes that she usually finds herself directly involved in. While the MC may be young, the books themselves are adult fiction.

The books are told in first person, with the narrator having a Scottish accent that is written into the page. It may take some getting used to but isn’t overwhelming, usually. However, I found this book to have an abundance of runaway internal monologue and incomplete sentences. I listened to the first two books via audiobook and read this one, it may be that I prefer this series via audiobook, or it could be the book itself.

The plot for this third book was also slower. The big event is a theft of a magical object, and I just wasn’t connected to the object to really care about it. There was no larger diabolical theme, and yet the theft and not even the greater crime was the intention. Honestly, it was a boring plot that needed a bit more. There was so much cut away about the history of Scotland and of these two imagined clans, much of it repeated multiple times that it felt like a third-book slump. I still love the series, but this one was not a winner for me.

Huchu had me from "boom". I was tempted to give this book a 4-star rating after the first page, so very glad was I to meet Ropa again. But in the interests of impartiality, l'll expand a little.
Huchu's greatest achievement in this series is his ability to draw credible characters; Ropa is one of my favourite characters of all time (up there with Granny Weatherwax), but all the others are nicely realised too, and are perfect vehicles for the more important socioeconomic points the author has to make. Yes, this is a good old stolen scroll/murder mystery, with ghosts and magic thrown in, but what makes the Edinburgh Nights series a good cut above most current fantasy reads is his (Ropa's) dedication to learning and her (his?) cynical but truthful view of class and privilege.
The world-building is excellent, and a far more likely "end of world" scenario than is touted in most dystopian fiction. The magic is complicated and riddled with politics, both internal and international, as it would be if real. And Huchu's introduction of the Ethiopian magicians, and a call for antiquities to be returned to their country of origin, is a welcome stand against the continued consequences of colonialism.
These factors all add substance to a fun story, but for me it's Ropa, her hard-learned cynicism, her generosity and wonderfully foul mouth, that makes this third installment an absolute jewel.
Oh! And the ending! "My, how he laughs." Beyond sinister, and augurs a superb next book - can't wait!
My thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, all opinions are my own.

I’ve been an editor, copy editor, and managing editor in publishing for over 45 years; my “retirement” is owning a bookstore. Perhaps if I started with the first of these books, this particular tile would be appealing to me and to my customers, but I couldn’t get past the first chapter. It’s twee, the Scottish “accent” is forced and inconsistent (my grandmother was from Glasgow — this isn’t even close to a Skye accent or a true Scottish accent, other than a parody of one written by a non-Scots), the first person writing seems forced, and the character herself like a caricature.

Hard pass.

I absolutely adore this series and this installment was no different! A locked room fantasy? Yes sign me up. I loved following Ropa and the gang this time as they work to solve a murder. I couldn’t put it down!

When I received this book from Tor, I was overjoyed, because I'd been eyeing the first 2 books for a while. I quickly binged them, and was ready to swallow The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle. And I did.

This time around, Ropa Moyo and her merry gang are helping organize a magical conference in the Scottish Highlands. All set to hobnob with the elites, half of whom have a thing out for her, things go off-kilter, when a precious scroll just gifted to the library is stolen. Sir Ian Callander appoints Ropa to find the scroll and the murderer (who kills a sweet character to make off with the scroll).

The plot is as racy and surprising in its twists, as ever. There were many moments where I thought Huchu was getting predictable but he took the rug off from under my feet. The story was so descriptively magical that I could see it all happen in my mind. That being said, this book is less watertight compared to the previous books. I enjoyed it less because there was entirely too much rambling this time around, while the book was also rushed.

Huchu makes it clear at the book's end that there's a lot more coming, and I am still invested in knowing more.

This is one the best urban fantasy series in these years and I loved it since I read the first book.
There's a lot of comparison with other famous series but this a very original and entertaining one and the world building is intriguing and well done.
We move from Ediburgh to Skye in this novel and I loved how the characters were able to adapt to a very different environment and how the well plotted story found a great setting in this place.
There's humour, action and an excellent story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
A gothic atmosphere and an aura of ancient Scotland are entrenched within the castle and grounds, helped not insubstantially by the bickering Macleod and MacDonald clans. I can see why Highlander is given the odd reference here and there.
The storyline is very straightforward no dangling threads leading the reader astray; it's imaginative, inventive, sometimes verging on the outlandish but always exciting. Expect the odd twist and a bit of misdirection along the way because it's not all straight up and down.
Highly recommended.

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle
by T.L. Huchu
Edinburgh Nights #3
YA Fantasy Paranormal Dystopian
Ages: 15+
NetGalley ARC
Release Date: August 29, 2023
Tor Publishing Group

Ropa, a fifteen-year-old ghost-talker is attending the Society of Skeptical Enquirers' biennial conference, both to work and as an intern of the Library. While there, a magical scroll is stolen, her friend is hurt, and a librarian is murdered. Enlisting her friends to help, Ropa finds that the politics among the leaders of the magical world are cutthroat, and they won't hesitate to throw anyone, from the lowest of people to their most respected magical leaders, under the bus.

I understand that this story takes place in Scotland, and Ropa grew up there, but once again the story is littered with slang. (I listened to the audio of the first two books, and the narrator, her accent and flat tone was even harder to understand.) I like slang, and it's cool to see/hear the terms from other countries, but too much is too much! Sure, Ropa is only a teenager with a limited education, but she talks like an '80s valley girl, even though she is (like) trying to prove her (gnarly) worth to the (gag me with a spoon) uptight male (dude) dominated magic society.

I do love how she will only take so much of their BS before speaking her mind, but at the same time, nobody is going to respect a 'nobody' teenager who acts like a ten-year-old in a professional setting.

The plots of this series are terrific, the world and the people are interesting, and I would like to read more, but it's the immaturity of Ropa that makes it hard to respect and cheer for her in the professional setting she is trying to be a part of.

It was a quick read, though some of that might be due to the skimming I did because of the slang and constant rambling of Ropa.

2 Stars