I received a copy of this title from the publisher; all thoughts expressed are my own. Secrets of a Scottish Isle is the most recent title to feature Jane Wunderly. She is undercover to help her fiancé Redvers vet a potential source. Jane traveled to a remote Scottish island ahead of the solstice where the Order of the Golden Dawn has assembled under the guise of being interested in joining order. A member of the order is found murdered with some strange injuries. There isn't a shortage of suspects and a second murder following close on the heels of the first adds even more confusion as to how may have done.. Jane and Redvers work together, with Jane doing much of the work this story, tp bring the killer to justice.

This book was a bit of a slow start for me, but after a few chapters, I was thoroughly engrossed. The mystery has some interesting twists and turns and I found it to be very satisfying. There as some nice development in the relationship between Jane and Redvers, but I do wish we had more interaction between the two in this story. I'm looking forward to future titles in this series.

Isle of Iona 1927

What is better than a mystery on a Scottish Island? Well getting away with your life intact!
Jane ends up with her fiance Redvers hiding her identity and getting into a secret cult to uncover the truth about the leader.

When murder occurs, it seems that the others are not in the "real" world but on another plane! Trying to get off the island with her life just might be hard to do!

Great mystery and pageturner!

Isle of Iona, 1927& Jane’s latest assignment depends on concealing her identity and blending in at an occult gathering. Not even her fiancé, Redvers, can be too close as she uncovers the truth about Robert Nightingale, enigmatic leader of the Order of the Golden Dawn. When a woman tries to escape to the mainland only to be found murdered in the moors, the shocking scene reveals it’s easier to join the Golden Dawn than it is to leave.
The fifth book in the series & it can be easily read on its own but if like me you have to read a series from the beginning then you won’t be disappointed as Jane sets out to solve the murder. I love how her relationship with Redvers has developed but missed some of their banter in this book as they seemed not to be together as much as in previous books. I’ve never been interested in cults but did enjoy the amount of research the author had done. Whilst not my favourite of the series it was still a very well written interesting mystery
My review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

Things I like about the Jane Wunderly series and this book:

It is not necessary to read the previous books in the series, but since I’ve enjoyed them all, I highly recommend it! Jane has grown from someone with no sleuthing skills to one who is helping her fiancé, Redvers, with an investigation
Redvers, works for an unnamed organization, lending even more mystery to the stories. Not a government agent, he’s got mad James Bond-like spy skills.
The relationship between Jane and Redvers. Jane is Redvers equal in his eyes, even in 1927. End of story
Each book has a distinct setting. While I was initially brought to this series by an adventure in Egypt, she then went to Istanbul and now on an island in Scotland. Jane is a well-traveled woman.
Including W.B. Yeats as a character in the story. Adding a real-life person to a work of fiction is a tricky business. However, as someone who reads a lot of historical fiction, I enjoy when an author successfully weaves fact and fiction together. I don’t know anything about
A believable motive for mystery. Sometimes you come away from a mystery and can’t help but wonder why a person would kill another. That’s not the case here.
The descriptions of the setting, a remote island off the coast of Scotland, made me able to picture the Isle of Iona.
The characters are well-drawn. You can really tell a lot of thought was put into the characters.
It wasn’t clear to me until very late in the book who the murderer was. As someone who avidly reads mysteries, that’s not always the case. Kudos to the author as I was stumped for the longest time!
Things about this particular book that I thought could be better:

The author says in her notes that she did a lot of research into the real-life mystery that happened on this Scottish Isle in the 1920s and had so much information, she scaled it back a lot. I think even more could have been done, as at times it felt like an info dump on the occult. I don’t mind reading about subjects that don’t personally interest me, it did make parts of the book kind of a slog.
If you didn’t read the blurb and hadn’t already been introduced to the series, you’d have no idea what time period this book was set in except sometime in the past. It isn’t until well into the book when some historical context is added. A simple date at the beginning of the chapter would have helped.
Overall, a very good historical mystery in a series I continue to enjoy.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the complimentary eBook; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Erica Ruth Neubauer's Jane Wunderly series has become one of my favorites to read. Especially when I never thought I could enjoy a historically cozy mystery. I am hooked! I totally recommend this book…and the books in the series before it.

3.5 rounding up to 4.

I really enjoyed the earlier books in the series and was excited to get an ARC of this one.

I'll start with the pros:
1. This one kept me guessing. There weren't many suspects but it was not obvious, at least to be initially, who dunnit. Toward the end I caught on, but it took me a while.
2. It can be a bit dangerous to include actual people in a work of fiction, but I think the author did a good job of blending the real with the fiction.
3. The motive made sense. In real life I don't think any motive justifies murder but in the world of fiction it bothers me when I come to end and think "he/she murdered someone over THAT?" In this book the motive makes sense.

Cons:
It took me a while to get into it. I think there are a couple of reasons. 1. The occult factors heavily into it and I have never really had an interest, but I do like reading things a little out of my interests. 2. The premise was a little hard to swallow. Jane and Redvers are sent to a small Scottish isle to see if a leader of an occult group would be a useful source of information to the government. As Redvers is known, Jane had to join the Golden Dawn. I have a couple of issues with that. Would the government take the leader into serious consideration as an information, going so far as sending an operative? And why would they send someone who is not in their employ? Even if Redvers was unusable I would think another operative would be used.

I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Erica Ruth Neubauer's Jane Wunderly series has very quickly become one of my faves! Set in the 1920's, each book brings the reader to a different location around the world (Egypt, Turkey, England, the Atlantic Ocean), and Secrets of a Scottish Isle takes us to the remote island of Iona off the coast of Scotland. Combine a cult, Redvers' secret work, and a couple of murders, and cozy lovers have all the ingredients for an afternoon well spent reading in a comfy chair with a nice mug of tea! I cannot recommend this book and this series enough! A+++

Secrets of a Scottish Isle by Erica Ruth Neubauer is the fifth in the evocative Jane Wunderly Mystery series. In 1927 on the Isle of Iona, intrepid Jane finds herself in a situation she couldn't have predicted, that of a cult initiation ritual. She must convincingly inveigle by becoming a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn to uncover secrets. But unexpected death happens. She and her fiancé Redvers investigate murder...and this time Jane is in charge. Mythological bits add to the intrigue.

Though smitten with this series, this is not my favourite installment. Scotland settings always grip me as it did here but my hope was for more enchantment and razor-sharp wit. The continued banter and relationship between Jane and Redvers was enticing and the red herrings kept coming. I like the compelling subplots and the rich historical details. Parts were predictable but this series is still very much worth jumping into headfirst.

My sincere thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this fun novel.

Jane and Redvers are on a Scottish Isle to find out more about an occult cult. Jane is pretending interest, while Redvers does spying behind the scenes. When the young woman sharing her lodging dies, Jane begins asking questions. I enjoy this series and this book is a good addition. The setting was interesting and a good piece of the story. I appreciated Jane's lead in the sleuthing and look forward to more in the series.
I received an ARC of this book in return for a review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Erica Ruth Neubauer for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Secrets of a Scottish Isle coming out March 26, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I actually have all the books in this series, but this is the first one I’ve read. I was intrigued by the Scottish setting. I loved that there was a lot of action right away. Jane infiltrates a secret society and learned their rituals. I thought the plot was really interesting. I definitely need to go back and read the other books.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical cozy spy mysteries!

3.5 Stars
Cozy mystery series fall into two categories: one in which each installment can be read genuinely as a stand-alone and the other in which it's much better if the reader follows the book order of the series. This historical cozy falls into the second group as there were gaps of backstory I think would have made it easier to follow. That being said, this was still a good armchair travel mystery. I relished the beauty of the Scottish island and its portrayal as a character. I like that real historical events and people were included in the storyline as well. The themes and characters were intriguing and the mystery was okay, although there is room for improvement with the next mystery. I enjoyed this novel well enough (especially the international travel bits, although I cannot conceive someone not liking Scottish whisky) that I plan to go back and read the previous books.

Net Galley Feedback

Grave Danger…?
The fifth instalment of the Jane Wunderly Mystery series finds our protagonist on the Isle of Iona. It is 1927 and Jane is intent on preserving anonymity - or, at least, her real identity - as she investigates a local occult gathering, more specifically the leader of the group. It’s not too long, however, before murder arrives on the island and, as bodies begin to pile, Jane realises that she may well be in grave danger. Another enjoyable outing in this entertaining series with a likeable protagonist, a deftly drawn cast of characters and an engaging plot with a well imagined and atmospheric setting,

So I really love this series and have since the beginning, but this was not my favorite. I love the idea of the setting off the coast of Scotland with Jane trying infiltrate a group for Redver's employers. It just could not connect with it and felt like the Jane was pigeon-holed into the story that the author had wanted to tell. I missed the other characters that we have come to love and the mystery itself was okay. I'll keep reading the series and look forward to its next mystery!

Jane and Redvers are back in this latest addition the series (which honestly might be most enjoyed by those who have followed their journey). This time, they're investigating a cult leader who claims he can support the British government (he claims a lot of things) on the island of Iona. Of course there's a murder and secrets are slowly teased out. I liked the setting and this is nicely atmospheric, Jane and Redvers as always make a good pair. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Don't miss a cameo from Yeats.

This is the fifth in the Jane Wunderly series - a fact I was unaware of when I began reading the book. As a result, I was lost for several chapters. A quick bit of research and a summary of the first in the series put me in the picture. Jane and fiance Redvers are on the island to find out about the leader of an occult group who has offered his services to the British Secret Service. Jane is undercover, posing as an aspiring member of the group. She meets other group members, one of whom,Netta is staying in the same B & B. When Jane finds Netta's dead body on the machair her undercover work takes on a more serious motive. The cult leader is a shady character as are others in the group. When Netta's father is found murdered She suspects the members of the Golden Dawn are involved.
Having spent lots of time on Iona, I was drawn to the book. The author does a good job with the island's setting and sites. All the characters are well-drawn , even W.B Yeats who plays a role in the plot. One small quibble, the Argyll Hotel faces the Sound of Iona/Ross of Mull , not the Atlantic Ocean.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington for the opportunity to make a fictional visit to one of my favorite places.

a

Having fallen madly in love with the Jane Wunderly series last year, I was excited to receive an ARC of this fifth installment. Imagine my surprise when a combination of a reading slump and a slow start to the book dampened my initial enthusiasm for the book. It took me about 30% to get really into the groove on this one, but once the story picked up, so did my enjoyment of it!

This installment had a different tone than some of the others, as Redvers and Jane were concealing their connection for much of the tale. I missed the full brunt of their flirty co-investigation, but it was such fun to explore this little island and all of its residents - and see all of their secret meetings. I did enjoy the bit of role-reversal that Jane and Redvers played with, putting Jane smack dab in the middle of everything with Redvers having to be brought up to speed. That was clearly more fun for Jane than for Redvers, but it’s only fair for Jane to get her turn!

The island was a great setting for this mystery, as it allowed lots of walking - and made me want to take some beautiful nature walks of my own - possibly in slightly warmer weather than Jane’s. I kept wanting the audiobook to be available already. Sarah Zimmerman is my very favorite narrator, so I have no doubt that the audiobook will be an excellent walking companion upon its release! The confined setting for this book was a nice change of pace with some great character development. I look forward to seeing the ramifications in the books to come! If you haven’t checked out this series yet, I definitely recommend starting with Murder at the Mena House and following Jane all over the globe on her magnificent adventures.

4.5 stars

Secrets of a Scottish Isle by Erica Ruth Neubauer is the 5th in the series of Wunderly mysteries, but it works fine as a stand-alone.

In what is essentially a closed room mystery, American Jane Wunderly and her finance, Redvers are sent to investigate Robert Nightingale for his suitability for recruitment to Redver’s shadowy government agency. Nightingale is the leader of the real-life Golden Dawn society that started in the late 1800s, and there are all sorts of mysterious going-ons including a death in the membership, and her possibly fake will.

So, a mystery with a secret occult society that takes place in the 1920s in Scotland with a headstrong, smart, rational, non-traditional, funny main character who is supported and encouraged by her equally likeable finance? I’m definitely in! This novel is well-paced, with interesting characters, and a solid mystery. The setting is beautifully described and seems spot on for that part of the country.

This was a delightful story, and I’m excited to read the others in the series now, too.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing the digital early reader copy.

I'm a big fan of Jane and Redvers and it's lovely to see how far their relationship has progressed. Due to Redvers having been "outed" Jane is lead investigator on this case, and she loves it. She does not enjoy being separated from Redvers though. Her investigation (and the story) drags a little as she has to make frequent walks across the island to share her findings. I did enjoy the inclusion of W.B. Yeats as a character and was surprised to find that some of the other cult characters were real people, as was the cult.

While I read the others in this series I didn’t find this title as entertaining or interesting. I thought it was odd to include Yeats as a character and the use of “WB”
As a familiarity seems out of place. Also, the use of her fiancée in this case hindered the story’s development. Overall, a disappointing addition to the series.

"Spirited American Jane Wunderly must investigate a secret society on an isolated isle off the western coast of Scotland where esoteric rituals blur the line between what's real, what's illusion, and what's deadly...

Isle of Iona, 1927 Cast away on a remote locale, Jane's latest assignment depends on concealing her identity and blending in at an occult gathering. Not even her fiancé, Redvers, can be too close as she uncovers the truth about Robert Nightingale, enigmatic leader of the Order of the Golden Dawn - a group made up of supernatural ceremonies, influential people, and an undefinable darkness. When a woman tries to escape to the mainland only to be found murdered in the moors, the shocking scene reveals it's easier to join the Golden Dawn than it is to leave.

Jane, set on solving the crime and catching the next ferry with Redvers, realizes she may be among the few still grasping reality. One high-ranking member searches for the killer by attempting to access otherworldly planes of existence, while others become immersed in a strange solstice ritual. Then there's Nightingale and the rivals who discarded him to start a new temple. As a second death brings fresh clues into focus, Jane needs to navigate a frightening dilemma - playing along won't help her crack the mystery, but revealing too much could be a fatal mistake..."

I mean, I'm always here for local author Erica Neubauer, but this volume? Scotland? An occult gathering? Sign me up!