I do like the Scottish settings. Bleak countryside all towering hills, desolate moors, dour, strong, manly men and huge castles especially in this story.

Angie is the bride to be, a Gothic bride at that. The castle fits the theme. Owned by Ewan the local laird,plus being the law of the area he knows everyone and everything that happens in his little world. The doctor who has taken over the local practice has dealt with one murder, and hopefully believes that this wedding will go without a hitch. When a man, not an invitee of the wedding is found murdered, Ewan and Emilia the doctor, acting as Coroner hope that they can find out who the victim is and solve the crime, because they are snowed in. No one has a way in or out. However it is not as easy as it looks. The pointers are to several suspects but they all fall by the wayside and the informal investigation continues with murder attempts several times on several key guests including the bride and Doctor Emilia.

This was a good mystery murder - good characters and very scenic settings.

The doctor from America, Emlie McRoy, is back for a second installment in the Scottish area of Sea Isle. There is a wedding at the Morigan Castle, owned by Ewan Campbell, the Sea Isle constable. The three-day celebration goes downhill quickly as Emilie sees what looks like a murder in one of the castle's turrets. During a surprising snowstorm, all the wedding guests and party are now stuck at the castle with the murderer. Will Emilie and Ewan solve the murder?

I like books set in Scotland and in a castle, yes please! It was okay, but I found the beginning of the book droning on and did not become invested in the story until the second half. I enjoyed the first installment much more than the second book. Emilie was almost annoying and overbearing in this book. The murder was just ok, but the reveal fell a bit flat, in my opinion. I probably will not continue this series as it does not fit my idea of a cozy murder.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The second installment of this series and it was definitely enjoyable, as I very much liked the first in the series, and was happy to be with the characters again. There was a bit of a lag in the middle of the book while it seemed there was a lot of theorizing and not enough action. But then there were great clues throughout the read, so maybe it just needed to be shorter in length. The beautiful Scottish castle was a fabulous setting and a snow storm just added to that great atmosphere. I will be quite happy to visit with these characters again!

Dr. Emilia McRoy is an American transplant to Scotland. She's accepted the position of Sea Isle's doctor and coroner. However, when she's invited to a wedding at an historical castle, she doesn't expect to have to do either job. It's a good thing her assistant Abigail keeps her traveling medical kit ready, because Dr. McRoy was wrong on both counts.

When she sees what she suspects is a murder, no one believes her. At least until she finds a dead body in one of the turrets. Now Constable Ewan Campbell knows there's a killer in their midst. When a major snowstorm hits, everyone is trapped -- with the killer, no less.

After finally identifying the body, no one can figure why the dead man was there. He wasn't an invited guest, but he did know several of those in attendance. When the bride begins having "accidents" Emilia vows to keep an eye on her to find out who is trying to kill her. But how can she do that without telling the guests someone was murdered?

Then the attacks escalate, and Emilia is now in the crosshairs. She'll need to move fast if she wants to save the wedding, and more so, if she wants to save her own life...

This is the second book in the series and I am sad to say that I have not read the first. But I plan to remedy that soon. Ms. Connelly is a talented storyteller, and she writes with aplomb, bringing you into the Gothic atmosphere of an historical castle. It makes one feel as if they are in Scotland, enjoying the festivities with the guests, although I'm not too sure about having to avoid a killer!

Once you begin reading, it is difficult to put this book down. The tale weaves through the castle like a tapestry on the wall, bringing the threads together one by one and twisting them into a convoluted story of greed and revenge. Of course, since those are two of the most ancient reasons for murder, they blend together well.

When we come to discovering the murderer and the reason why, it is almost too late for Emilia, but I loved how she managed to free herself (as we know she must since she is our protagonist) and give us a satisfactory ending to the murder.

In the epilogue, we have all that it should be and gives us a reason to read the next book, which I look forward to. Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but it in no way influenced my review.

This cosy mystery murder is book two in a series, but you don’t need to have read the first instalment to enjoy it. I was drawn in by the Scottish Isle setting, as I do love Bonnie Scotland, would totally go back one day, and so I’ll happily take a virtual visit via a good crime book anytime. The main character in Death at a Scottish Wedding is ex-pat American doctor Emilia McRoy, so it does makes sense that the writing and dialogue is American-style, but it was a bit disappointing that it didn’t feel Scottish in setting and the characters after all. That feels like a lost opportunity. Anyway, in this book, Doctor Emilia attends a friend’s wedding at a local castle, a three-day affair spiced up by the guests being snowed in by a blizzard. Oh, and by Emilia discovering a dead man in one of the turrets. Nobody can leave, the wedding is going on, and the murderer isn’t finished. The good doctor intends to uncover the killer and the killer intends to finish what they started.
Death at a Scottish Wedding didn’t live up to my expectations, but I still quite enjoyed it, and many fans of cosy murder mystery series will lap it up. For me, 3.5-4.0 stars.

This book, the second in the series, is as engaging as the first. The scene is a lavish wedding being held in a bonafide Scottish castle. Since the guests are all stranded there due to a massive storm, the book is a bit like a closed room puzzle.....which of the people in our confined midst is a murderer? The setting is evocative, the plot is twisty and absorbing and the characters are entertaining. This series should continue for a long while! Highly recommended.

American doctor Emilia McRoy returns in the second Scottish Isle series, a cozy series featuring an American doctor who has left a busy Seattle ER practice for a quieter life as village doctor in a small, remote Scottish village. This book opens with her traveling to a new friends wedding at the foreboding Morrigan’s Castle, owned by the local constable and Laird. The locked door mystery has plenty of suspects when the wedding party and many of the guests who have arrived for the four days of festivities are snowed in, no one from the outside could have killed the man Emilia saw collapse in a tower. With nearly everyone suspect. Including the groom, Emilia and crew have their work cut out for them as friends lives are threatened by the murderer(s?), including the groom. A fun read with great descriptions of the atmospheric castle and Scottish wedding customs that I was lucky enough to read as an advance copy through NetGalley and the publisher Crooked Lane Books.

Yet another locked room cosy mystery (this time a snowed in Scottish castle). Though atmospheric, unfortunately it is formulaic and light in substance as most in this genre (let's be real, nobody is going to improve on the original Agatha Christie).

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5727094154


I was not really keen on this one . I did not really take to Emilia, the American GP now living and working in Scotland. She is very absorbed with the life in the village and her family of friends there, which seems a bit excessive within 3 months. Another question is how on earth she gets to practice in another country within such a short period of time. I had to push myself to finish the book and my attention wandered regularly.
So they all take off for a wedding to a Scottish castle where they get snowed in. The first evening two of her friends become unwell and a body turns up, all presumed to be as a result of ingesting antifreeze. Dr Em saves the day with her bottomless medical supplies and her colleague, Abigail, who can not only put an IV in less than perfect circumstances (handy all the IV fluids that they had with them) but also test blood and set up shop for an autopsy in the wine cellar. Stretching the realms of credibility ? Perhaps a little !
The plot was confusing and full of too many people, most of whom chased around behind Dr Em singing her praises . The evidence didn't really add up for me either, so will give this series a miss in the future.
Sorry I couldn't like this book more, but thanks to Net Galley for giving me the chance to read it


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July 28, 2023 – Started Reading
July 28, 2023 – Shelved
August 1, 2023 – Finished Reading

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Copy/paste the text below into your blog. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127547374-death-at-a-scottish-wedding" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Death at a Scottish Wedding (A Scottish Isle Mystery)" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1681105826l/127547374._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127547374-death-at-a-scottish-wedding">Death at a Scottish Wedding</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22927757.Lucy_Connelly">Lucy Connelly</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5727094154">2 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
I was not really keen on this one . I did not really take to Emilia, the American GP now living and working in Scotland. She is very absorbed with the life in the village and her family of friends there, which seems a bit excessive within 3 months. Another question is how on earth she gets to practice in another country within such a short period of time. <br /> So they all take off for a wedding to a Scottish castle where they get snowed in. The first evening two of her friends become unwell and a body turns up, all presumed to be as a result of ingesting antifreeze. Dr Em saves the day with her bottomless medical supplies and her colleague, Abigail, who can not only put an IV in less than perfect circumstances (handy all the IV fluids that they had with them) but also test blood and set up shop for an autopsy in the wine cellar. Stretching the realms of credibility ? Perhaps a little !
The plot was confusing and full of too many people, most of whom chased around behind Dr Em singing her praises . The evidence didn't really add up for me either, so will give this series a miss in the future. Sorry I couldn't like this book more, but thanks to Net Galley for giving me the chance to read it.
www.goodreads.com/review/list/11418967-annie

This was a cute and fun new mystery that was full of adventure and had Scottish charm. . It also has intriguing characters with enough details to make the town sound interesting. There was also some unexpected surprises throughout the story.

Eh, I wasn't super crazy about this one. The dialogue was stilted, the conversations repetitive, and the mystery wasn't particularly mysterious. I think my biggest issue with it, however, was that the main character, Emilia, would not stop going on about how wonderful her friends were, how they were her family, how they were the greatest people ever, how she'd never felt so close to anybody before, etc., etc., etc. into what felt like infinity. Which, I mean, that's great and all, I suppose, but she'd only known these people <i>for three months</i>. It just all seemed a little too much, too soon (and even without the “too soon” it still would have been too much), but I'm also an antisocial introvert so what do I know? I only get this effusive about my dog (who, by the way, is awesome and wonderful and beautiful and the bestest hound ever and you guys are so lucky that I can't pull out photos right now).

Ahem.

On the positive side, I thought that the setting was great (a Scottish castle, yay!), and despite it's flaws, it wasn't exactly an unpleasant read. It wasn't my favorite book of all time, but it was light and fluffy and a mentally untaxing way to spend a few hours. I also thought that the second half of the book was better than the first – the dialogue definitely improved and the plot got a bit more interesting.

Will I read any additional books in the series? Probably not. Will I add photos of my dog to this review once I'm back home and not on a train with slow and unreliable internet? Possibly.***

***Okay, not really but the idea is tempting.

The second book in the Scottish Isle mystery series is an intriguing read. A locked room mystery that's fun to solve. Guests are attending a wedding while a body is found in the hallway. A person nobody claims to know! Set in a lovely Scottish castle during a blizzard which was enjoyable since we are in a heat wave. Characters are well developed. You don't have to have read the first book in the series to get this one. There are some references but nothing pertaining to this mystery. I enjoyed this read. Thanks #Netgalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

The second installment of the Scottish Isle Mysteries, Death at a Scottish Wedding, by Lucy Connelly, finds Dr. Emilia McRoy and her friends traveling to
Morrigan Castle to attend the wedding of her best friend, Angie. Although bad weather is expected (and makes it so many guests can’t get there for the prenuptial festivities), the body of the bride’s ex is found in a turret. Nobody seems to know why he is there, since Angie hasn’t had any contact for years. There are also some attempts to murder the bride and other guests, and Emilia is determined to get to the bottom of it.

Connelly has captured the delightful culture of Scotland, and introduces marriage customs that can get a bit wild, unlike American weddings. Since Emilia has only been in Sea Isle for a few months, she is just getting introduced to them too and finds them charming, as readers will. However, there are several guests that oppose the wedding. Since Emilia is a coroner, she does an autopsy of the body and suspects that he was poisoned.

The characters in this delightful mystery are well-developed, and readers will almost be able to hear the Scottish accents of most of them. They are definitely believable. Of course there are some characters that are very rich and believe that their money can influence the outcome, but Emilia won’t let that stop her investigation.

All told, this is a well-written and fun cozy, filled with good characters. Most readers will want to go back and read the first installment while waiting for the third.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Who wouldn't love a book set in a huge Scottish castle nestled in the Highlands? And add to that, a monster snow storm that isolates the characters--this was right up my alley!

The characters have gathered for a wedding. The main character, "Em, is an American transplant to Sea Isle, Scotland. She is now the local doctor and coroner. Accompanying her and her friends is the mayor and constable of Sea Isle--and the laird of the castle.

This book has all the goodies--murder, poisoning, and mayhem. The mystery is fun and allows the reader to get to know the characters as they try to discover the culprit. I hadn't read the first in the series but was able to jump right into this one--and now I'm very anxious to go back and read the first. Cozy mysteries can be hit or miss, but this is a well-written one and, while only second in the series, should serve for a long, successful run!

The premise intrigued me and so the characters i enjoyed the cozy mystery but there wasn't any exciting part about it but nevertheless it was still an enjoyable read.

Thank you netgalley and the publisher for the arc!

An enjoyable locked room mystery, Death at a Scottish Wedding is set in a beautiful atmosphere is a lovely castle.
The guests are all present and a body is discovered in a hallway. No-one claims to know the victim. An incoming blizzard keeps the police away and it is up to guest to figure it out

There are a lot of good things to say about Connelly's 'Death at a Scottish Wedding'.

Even though this is Book 2 of the Scottish Isle Mystery series, you don't need to read the first book as it does well as a standalone novel. There's only a few vague references to the first book but nothing that brings you out of the immersion.

Speaking of immersion, Connelly does a fantastic job of setting up the atmosphere and the plot.
It's the middle of the summer as I'm reading this book, and it's quite interesting to get into the cozy winter-time feel of the Scottish castle hit by a blizzard. The writing really does a great job of setting up the backdrop which adds to the suspense and mystery elements.

The characters are really well fleshed out and really do play off each other really well throughout the novel, subtle romance plots are alluded to, mischievous dealings, all against the Gothic architecture of a castle, all add to a pretty great, albeit, cozy mystery novel.

Although the story does start off quite slow, it finds its pacing around the second half of the novel, with all the twists and turns - it does make for a great read.
This is my first read of the series, but I'm definitely keeping an eye out for her other books, as 'Death at a Scottish Wedding' does what it's set out to do - give you a cozy mystery in a fun setting.

Thanks again to Lucy Connelly, Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for letting me read this ARC.
Expected release date: 9th January 2024

Rating - 3.89 / 5

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read "Death at a Scottish Wedding" in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book in the Scottish Isle Mystery series. Dr. Emilia McRoy is the doctor and Coroner in Sea Isle, Scotland where she lives and works in a 500 year old church. She moved to Scotland from America and has created a wonderful close-knit family for herself from the friends she has made since arriving. Ewan Campbell is the laird, mayor and constable of Sea Isle and they often clash as he tries to keep her out of "ongoing investigations" but she feels as coroner she has a right to know information. Her sleuthing often puts her in dangerous situations.

In this book the friends - Abigail, her brother Tommy, Marci, and Jasper are attending the wedding of their other friend Angie. The wedding is taking place at Ewan's family castle - where an avalanche traps them all in the castle. Strange things are happening. A body is found in the castle turret, Angie and Mara who barely had anything to drink appear incredibly drunk. When the lights go out there is another attack and then Emilia herself is the victim of an attempt on her life.

There is suspense and tension throughout the story and the reader will worry about Emilia taking chances and getting in trouble by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. There is humour in the book as well when everyone refers to the wine cellar as the "dungeon" and Ewan keeps reminding them that it is a wine cellar.

The most important theme of the story however is that family can be related by blood or just people that mean the world to us and that we would do anything for. Hopefully there will soon be further adventures for Emilia and her friends in this wonderful series. Worth much more than the 5 allotted stars!!

Death at a Scottish Wedding is the second book in the Scottish Isle Mystery series. This series is set in Sea Isle, Scotland and Emilia (local doctor and coroner) and her friends are going to Ewan’s (constable of Sea Isle) castle for the wedding of Angie, one of their friends. Things are off to a rocky start with the death of an uninvited guest and poisoning of Angie and her friend Mara with antifreeze. Who is the guest and how did he get to the castle? Why would someone want to kill the bride-to-be? Thrown into the mix is a huge snowstorm where nobody can get in or out and the mystery is set.

I found it interesting that Angie’s former stepmothers all attended the wedding while Angie’s father didn’t make it. The easy suspect is the groom-to-be’s father due to his not liking Angie. There was a lot of busyness as Em and Ewan, as well as Abigail (Em’s helper and friend), Mara, and others tried to find out who the killer was. I got the sense that Ewan wasn’t as hard on Em investigating this time around as he was in the previous book. There was a lot of back and forth of a viable killer and motives and I felt the ending with the exposure of the killer was fairly dramatic. I’m sure many people figured out the killer but I didn’t and I enjoy being surprised.

I did enjoy Em talking about enjoying living in Scotland versus the United States and how loved and welcomed she felt by her new friends. Maybe she feels this way because she was too busy in the USA in her career and didn’t have time for friends and close relationships. Now that she is living a slower life in Scotland, she can actually cultivate friends and relationships. The cast of characters are fun and enjoyable in their interactions with each other. I will eventually read the first book and look forward to a future book in this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 2nd installment in the Scottish Isle mystery series. Emilia McRoy is an American doctor who recently moved to Sea Isle Scotland. She has made many friends and among them is Angie who runs a family tartan store in Sea Isle and Emilia is attending her wedding at Ewan’s (Laird and constable) castle. Emilia is being introduced to Scottish wedding traditions and at the hen party where she steps into the solarium only to see the form of a body up in the turret which is to be off limits. She of course goes to investigate and finds a dead body of an uninvited guest. Emilia and Ewan have an investigation on their hands as they are snowed in and Angie and their friend Mara are sick of an apparent poisoning and the same poison that killed the body in the turret. It is learned that the victim is Angie’s ex and then Angie is attacked. Ewan and Emilia and friends have a race against time to find a killer before Angie’s wedding. I really enjoyed this mystery as I was back and forth as to who the killer was and I love the interplay between Ewan and Emilia and her relationship with all her new friends in Sea Isle. I think this is a great series and I cannot wait for the next installment to see what is in store for everyone. Highly recommend.