What a wonderful book and a great way to start a new series, and one which I am sure to enjoy. 'Majestic mountain views, whisky by the fire and… a murder to solve? Join Ally McKinley at her cosy little guesthouse in the Scottish Highlands as she tackles her first puzzling case!' This made me want to read it even more and I have read it twice now so I can then read the next instalment

I really love Ally McKinley as a character and the tiny village of Locharran as a setting as they just make the story and the book what it is. This is Scottish Cosy Murder Mystery at its best and the story, the mystery, the charm, the people and even the humour make it such an easy book to read that both times I read it I had it done in no time at all. What a wonderful book to curl up with.

Can't wait to see what comes next and how the series will pan out. Keep them coming!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This was definitely a very cosy crime novel, I warmed to Ally almost instantly, I really did love her character. The story was easy to follow with little twists and turns that kept you hooked. It was just very enjoyable, the only thing I wish for was for it to be a bit more descriptive as it was set in Scotland!

Cute cozy mystery with an older, confident amateur sleuth. Murder in the Scottish Highlands takes place in rural Scotland, and the author's love for the landscape really shines. The story moves quickly, and the reader is introduced to lots of colorful characters in the tiny village of Locharran.

3.5 stars

An engaging cosy mystery that avoids much of the genre’s cutesiness but maintains all its charm.

Ally McKinley has opened a bed and breakfast in a historic malthouse in the Scottish Highlands, but her peaceful working retirement is interrupted when one of her guests is murdered. Ally, a retired television researcher and cheerfully independent widow, is a fun and capable, yet practical, protagonist to follow.

The murder mystery itself was nothing special, but in a cosy, it’s really the vibes I’m interested in. The Highland village is a picturesque setting populated with genuinely interesting and not-too-quirky side characters, who I think would be fun to catch up with in later series installments.

Overall, a solid first entry into a series.

This was a fun series debut. I will read any and every cozy mystery series set in the Scottish Highlands. I'm excited to continue reading this series.

✨ Publication date: September 2, 2024✨

Murder in the Scottish Highlands is a new mystery series by Dee MacDonald. This was my first by this author and it was a cute cozy mystery based in the Scottish Highlands.

Ally McKinley is retired widow who recently moved to the small village of Loccharran after renovating the old malt house into a cozy bed and breakfast. After finally opening her doors, Ally finds herself in the middle of a murder mystery when the body of one of her guests is found in her yard.

The problem is, just about everyone in the village is a suspect! The murdered guest was an American tracing his roots only to make an outlandish claim that he was the true Earl of Loccharran and once he was able to prove it, would be taking back his land to build an amusement park.

As each of the villagers come into suspicion, Ally is determined to help solve the mystery. Until the case is solved, she’s not likely to get anymore guests and her dreams of running a successful bed and breakfast will be ruined.

Will Ally be able to help solve this crime so the village can get back to normal? This was a good cozy mystery! I enjoyed the writing and it was a fairly quick read. There were a lot of characters to keep track of which may have been more because it was the first book in the series and an introduction to the characters. It was sometimes hard to keep track. This is a 3 star read for me!

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

#NetGalley #deemacdonald #murderinthescottishhighlands

A brilliant ‘whodunnit’ murder book. Ally, the main character, left her home in Edinburgh to live in a small town called Locharran where she opens The Auld Malthouse as a B&B. When her first guest is found murdered on her doorstep Ally couldn’t help but get involved to try and solve the case.

I loved Ally, she was such a strong main character and I loved watching her relationships with the locals evolve. I loved the humour, the picturesque descriptions and the cosy feeling that this book brought with it despite it being a murder thriller😂 This the first book in a new series and I can’t wait to read more and discover Ally’s next adventure.

Murder in the Scottish Highlands is a cozy mystery that is set in a small village in Scottland and that follows Ally as she opens a charming guesthouse. Ally is excited to get to explore her new home and get to know the locals. As she welcomes her first guests, Ally is determined to make their stay memorable. Unfortunately, one of her guests is discovered murdered in her backyard. Now, instead of making friends with the locals, Ally is putting everyone on her suspect list, including the Earl of the village. Then, two unexpected visitors show up on her doorstep claiming to know the deceased. They too want answers for the guest's murder. Ally doesn't know who to trust and is worried that her time owning the idyllic guesthouse will be short-lived.

While Murder in the Scottish Highlands is a cute cozy set in a charming village, I just didn't find the main characters overly interesting. I also thought the mystery was quite predictable. The 'twists' weren't really that surprising. I did like the malthouse and the village locals. I always think it's fun to get to know the town and the people right along with the main character. With that said, while I think plenty of people will enjoy this series, it just wasn't for me.

I loved this book. I love everything about Scotland and as I was travelling to Scotland before reading this book I felt like this was a true glimpse back into the wild and beautiful Scottish highlands. And I'm up for a good murder mystery any day. I also enjoyed that the characters weren't in their 20s, but rather a second change at the dream and a second chance love. So sweet!

This was fun. Definitely the epitome of a cozy mystery. Older woman in a bed and breakfast in rural Scotland has to take it upon herself to solve a mystery. She obtains a puppy, goes for drives and walks through the heather, meets with the colorful locals. The setting was really fun, the characters interesting. I actually didn’t guess whodunit either, until right around when Ally did. The writing was quaint and British, just like many cozy mystery fans want.
Deducted a star because the plot was a bit slow. It was a short read but a slower one, if that makes sense. But it may also simply be that I was in the mood for a quicker paced read at the time, being a mood reader, so it’s hard to judge whether it was a flaw or a personal preference.
The author is clearly well versed in what is expected of the genre, so if a cozy, quaint mystery with a sudden high stakes ending is what you want, go for it.

2.5 ⭐️

This had some enjoyable elements, but unfortunately, it wasn't quite the book for me.

What I liked:
I enjoyed the charming, cosy Scottish town setting — I love the atmosphere and the sense of community that these kinds of mysteries typically bring.

What I didn't like:
The writing style wasn't my personal preference, and the pacing felt slower than l'd have liked, making it harder to stay fully invested in the plot. Also, a few threads felt unresolved by the end of the book. That said, as this is the first in a series, I'm sure those elements will be resolved in later books.

Overall, I don't think I was the intended audience for this book, though I can see it appealing to those who enjoy a gentler, more laid-back cosy mystery.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A Murder In The Scottish Highlands, An Ally McKinley mystery by D McDonnell, Allison McKinley a pensioner went to the West Highlands in Scotland for vacation and loved it so much she moved there and after renovating her cottage she started renting out rooms to make her money go even further but when one of her first guest Wilbur, the American on a mission is murdered, Ally is astonished and doesn’t know what to do. At first however she truly believes investigating inspector constable Rigby does but when no progress is made on the case and there is another murder Ally takes it upon herself to solve the crimes. Just to give a quick overview because there’s lots to the book Allie is gifted a dog by one of the lead suspects Wilbur‘s brother and fiancé both come to stay in Ally‘s guest rooms, despite her age she has Queenie at the one and only grocery store thinking she is man crazy, because she starts dating the most eligible bachelor in town. Aly is making new friends but her investigation also causes her to lose her loyal employee. Can Allie solve the crime save her reputation get her friends/employee back and continue to be happy in the Highlands? You have to read the book to find out I laughed out loud while reading this book more than once. I do want to say however to Miss McDonald if someone who is American would use their birthday the date would come after the month and not vice versa but that’s neither here nor there not a negative nor positive just an observation from a big fan. This is a great start to a funny cozy mystery that I definitely want to continue reading. #NetGalley, #DMcDonald, #AMurderInTheScottishHighlands

It's autumn already and quite the perfect timing for a cosy mystery. I love mysteries in general but cannot claim to have read more than a few 'cosy' mysteries. This one is set in the beautiful and pristine Scottish Highlands - the land of whiskey. While these lands are in my travel wish list, this cosy book set a perfect parlance of life in the apparently quiet but gossipy villages.
A few days after Ally McKinley retired and set up a B&B in an old malthouse in the village of Locharran, her first guest, an American, was found murdered with a skean dhu. Events spiralled like the biggest ripple in the quietest pond and more murders happened. Ally, determined to save her B&B and genuinely concerned to solve the mystery, joined hands with a few allies.
I liked the characters and the backdrop, perfectly set and moulded by the author. It is the plot and the writing style that did not entirely agree with my psyche. The plot is, well, basic and the writing is a little archaic to my taste. It was alright as a one time read.

I am clearly in the minority here, but I never felt drawn into this story enough to care about any of the characters. So much explaining (how many times do we need to hear that Ally was formerly a TV researcher?). At times the verbiage bothered me (that a character would "freak out," for example, did not seem fitting here), and at other times I was bothered by patriarchal ideals I guess, such as saying a character might look attractive "if introduced to some makeup," which struck me as a strange way for a female author to describe a female character, albeit through the perspective of the FMC.
Just not for me, and I probably would have DNFd except that I received an early copy from NetGalley and thought I should try harder to finish by the deadline.

Ally, recently retired, now runs a new B&B in a small village in Scotland far from the bustle of Edinburgh where she worked as a tv researcher. When one of her residents is murdered in her own yard, and the local police seem baffled, Ally decides to take things into her own hands. Wilbur Carrington, an obnoxious American who believes he is the right Earl of the local area, had grand plans for the estate which would mean most of the villagers who were dependent on the estate for both their living and their housing, and the Earl himself, had plenty of reasons to want him dead. Plus when his less than grieving brother and a suspicious fiancée show up, Ally is nearly drowning in all the possible suspects.

This is the first in a new cozy series so there is time spent on the introduction of characters and the background of how Ally came to be in this location but the murder happens in the first chapter which moves things along nicely. I enjoyed the characters who weren't bland: from the lecherous laird to the overbearing postmistress, her cranky housekeeper, the warm and competent main character and an adorable dog holds promise for a good ongoing series.

The mystery was satisfying with plenty of suspects, red herrings and a satisfactory end. I would definitely read more of this series. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Love a main character that is female and not 25. Women don’t disappear after we grow up :) Ally is a smart woman and I enjoyed getting to know her in this first book. The mystery was well thought out and started in the first chapter, which is always nice! The local gossip and Queenie and her sister are such a fun part of a small town mystery. Can’t wait to get more acquainted with these characters as the series grows, as I enjoyed this enough to want to read the next in the series whenever it release.

I really enjoyed this book, a very easy read. I cared about the characters and the plot was interesting - I read the book within 24 hours. I physically read the book, but I think it would be good as an audiobook. I think busy people (such as mums with young children) would like this book as it’s easy to read, follow the plot even when distracted. I want to read the sequel now.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the free ARC ebook.

I really enjoyed reading this one. I spent a lot of time in Scotland over the summer and got this book purely for the setting. I thought it was well written and a fun cozy mystery. I'm really looking forward to this series and where it will go from here!

A solid start to a new cozy mystery series. I loooove the setting and the mystery was satisfying. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I opted to request this ARC solely for the Highland vibes - I love a Scottish cozy. While I didn't find the plot or character development to be top notch, this was a quick and easy read that had the wild and perilous turns towards the end that I've come to expect from this genre.