Member Reviews
Ally McKinley a retired TV researcher fell in love with the tiny village of Locharran, so took the plunge bought the old malthouse, had it restored & now is the proud owner of the Auld Malthouse guest house. Before long she is making friends with the locals, including Hamish Sinclair, the Earl of Locharran a womanise who owns the nearby castle. But things take an unexpected turn when her first paying guest, American tourist Wilbur Carrington, is found sprawled across her cobblestoned courtyard with a dagger in his back. With the police baffled, Ally’s instincts get the better of her, and she can’t resist launching her own investigation. In no time at all she and her new Labrador puppy Flora are on the case, making enquiries over tea and excellent shortbread.
The start of a new series & a very well written cosy mystery. The author did a very good job of setting the scene for hopefully a long series, the descriptions of the area had me easily visualising it, the characters were a good mix from the down to earth Ally, the womanising Earl, the very appealing semi retired vet, the feisty cleaner, the blue eyed hotel owner, to the gossiping shopkeeper. I also enjoyed the murder mystery & was left guessing as to who the villain was. I must admit the murder seemed to take second place to getting to know the inhabitants of Locharran, which I didn’t mind at all it just made me want more in the series
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own
Murder in the Scottish Highlands by Dee MacDonald barely gets started when Ally McKinley, who has just opened The Auld Malthouse Bed and Breakfast, finds one of her guests dead. I like the fact that Ally is an older protagonist as well as a number of the villagers. Ally shows that it is never too late in life to begin a new venture. The mystery was straightforward. The detective in charge of the case comes across as incompetent, which is why Ally began looking into the case. She does not want the murder to derail her business just as it was getting started. Ally asks questions and searches for clues. I like how Ally kept track of the details regarding the case. The particulars of the whodunit are repeated several times (which left me bored and skimming forward). The mystery was a cinch to solve. Unfortunately, the mystery took a backseat to Ally’s potential romantic interest (who had beautiful blue eyes like Paul Newman’s). The dialogue takes a little getting used to. I believe the author was trying to capture the way people speak in small Scottish towns. Murder in the Scottish Highlands is a nice story, but it was not my cup of tea.
I unfortunately DNFed this book. I didn’t love the writing style or the characters. I feel as though it might be better suited for someone that is new to the mystery genre!
A very cosy murder mystery in an idyllic setting. I found the book completely engrossing and did not guess who did it! The characters are engaging and colourful set against a background of Scottish village life. I really hope there is more to be added to this series. Great read.
Thank you Netgalley
Murder in the Scottish Highland is a very cozy mystery. The supporting characters are what made this book even if they are pretty standard in any small town/village. You have the newly arrived widow looking to start over, handsome lord, even more handsome vet, and a whole menagerie of colorful villagers.
I liked that Ally’s backstory was that she was a researcher for television, but I wish we had gotten to see more of her skills. It felt more like she just stumbled into the revelations rather than use any investigating expertise.
If you are looking for a quick easy read then you will probably enjoy this book.
Ally Mc Kinley has lived in Edinburgh for a long time but now she is retired she decides it is time for a change. Having fallen in love with an old malthouse in Locharran she decides it is the perfect place to open a B & B. It does not start well when one of her first guests is found stabbed in the back outside. He had been in the area looking for his ancestors & seems to have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. As it happened on her patch & not being impressed by how the local police seem to be dealing with it she decides to investigate.
Being a great fan of the Kate Palmer books I was delighted to see the start of a new series set in the Scottish Highlands (always a plus for a book!) Maybe it was because I loved the Kate Palmer books so much that this one was a bit of a let down for me. It was an easy read but as yet the characters have not really made much impact- although I did like Ally & am hoping the series will grow on me. Thanks to Netgalley & the publisher for letting me read & review this book.
I quite like the books by Dee MacDonald that I have read previously. She doesn't go in for the cliche young supermodel protagonist but makes her characters more mature, homely and with a decent appetite too.
The community that she has created is quirky and very much like a Highland village in their ways. The gossips and the rumourmongers, the dotty clergymen and the somewhat old fashioned and sexist roles in and around the community.
She has started the series well, introducing her characters with room to grow and each with little foibles of their own. I'd like to see where this series goes next!
The writing was smooth and descriptive. The plot lost steam in the middle unfortunately and it got a tad samey for a while. The climax came and I found the killer easy to guess.
A good little cosy to curl up with! My thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Dee MacDonald for allowing me to read this ARC. The opinions are my own.
A cosy mystery set in the Scottish Highlands. Had me thinking of Hamish Macbeth and rugged scenery. Also had me thinking eccentric characters, small towns that love gossip and hate incomers, and many mentions of cups of tea. Basically everything I imagined ended up in the pages of this book.
Dee MacDonald has certainly gone all out on the cosy elements in this book. There's a great cast of characters and they do have that Scottish Highlands feel. By the end of this book, you will feel like you've known many of the characters for years. A good sign, especially if we expect to see more books in this series. The book is also filled with good-natured humour and believable characters, giving this story a truly comfortable vibe that is immediately relaxing.
The mystery was fine. I was happy following protagonist, Ally, as she donned her amateur sleuth hat to solve the crime. One part of this did not make sense to me, that Ally would welcome the help of two guests in her B&B in the investigation. I'm trying to understand how it would be a good idea - given the feeling the locals have towards incomers and that the guests were so closely linked to victim. It felt a strange addition to the plot, and not something that made the plot stronger.
Still, this ticks a lot of cosy mystery boxes for me. And I'm wondering what will be in store for Ally next.
This was so so cozy!!! I LOVE a cozy mystery. Ally was positively delightful and I honestly wanted to jump into the book and help her solve the case! It was a crazy twist so early on that her FIRST customer ended up dead. I'd want to shut up shop and never come back, that is so mortifying! But at least it spurs her on in wanting to solve the case because it not only is a great mystery - why HER guesthouse? But it also gives the mystery a personal touch which always makes us root for the main character even more to give us the answers we crave! And then just when you think there won't be another twist, there's another one right around the corner!! It kept me on my toes the whole time. Dee is a really talented writer and clearly has a really beloved fanbase.
Ally McKinley is a retiree living her dream—she’s renovated an old malthouse into a B & B in the tiny Scottish village of Locharran, in the Western Highlands of Scotland. Things are off to a good start until one of her guests, American Wilbur S. Carrington, is murdered and the body found in her courtyard. A murder at a recently opened B & B isn’t going to bring in paying guests, and guests is what Ally needs. She decides she needs to solve the murder herself, so she can get her business back on track.
My Thoughts
Murder in the Scottish Highlands is a quick, fun read. Even though there is a large cast of characters, they don’t blur together. The mystery kept me guessing throughout the story. There are no loose ends by the end of the book. I enjoyed reading this book, and I hope there are more to come.
4/5 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of the ebook. All opinions are my own.
Tea & whisky for comfort when murder strikes🏞
Cute, easy read with a great rural setting and a very likable amateur sleuth of a certain age with a lot of life left in her. The strength of this cozy mystery for me was the cast of characters, who I presume would come back if this turns into a series. I felt that there was almost as much movement and drama in female lead B&B owner Ali McKinley's social life as in the murder mystery investigation. And the busybody villagers! There's even a resident ghost!
Although I did not find the mystery as unpredictable as I would have liked, there were some nice complications and twists and an exciting, action climax. I would definitely read more by the author.
Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
Another interesting twist- an older lead character, deciding to follow her dream and buy a run down building in the highlands, that she and her husband had seen, and now without him, make it into a bed and breakfast. Things seem to be going well, with bookings, until murder literally comes to her yard and her guestbook. Now it is up to Ally to hunt for clues, when the victim's extended family de4scend upon the village and could cause the ruin of her new venture. A fun cozy, with a leading character who isn't afraid to speak her mind and stick to her goals, this quick read will have you looking for book 2!
AND right now the book is on Kindle for UNDER $3, so run and grab your own copy!
This was an amazing read to curl up by the fire with! Both heartwarming and quirky for a murder mystery with the amazing cozy backdrop of the Scottish Highlands. Best enjoyed with a warm cup of tea!
Dee Macdonald has ( inc me ) a big loyal following and her Kate Atkinson books were going to be hard to follow up, of course though this first book in a new series is just as good, as we knew would be
We meet Ally who has moved to Locharran and set up a B and B, no sooner is she having paying guests when one is murdered and body found in her backyard, Ally then becomes a sleuth as she tries to solve the murder and what follows next in the story
As always there are a plethora of wonderful characters, including the thin lipped village store owner and her sister who thrive on gossip, Morag the fiesty cleaner and the local Earl who is the village Casanova, brilliantly written and I pretty much loved every character met
Very nicely set up for a new series and Ally and the village are both going to be new favourites with readers, old and new alike
Such a good author who writes books to make you remember why you enjoy reading so much
Ally McKinley had left her home in Edinburgh, travelling to the small hamlet of Locharran and the Auld Malthouse she'd purchased, turning it into a B&B. Her guests were light on at the moment, but she hoped things would improve when the summer months arrived. But when her daily help, Morag, arrived one morning, Ally was startled by a loud scream, which she saw was from Morag when she looked out the window. Beside her was the body of one of her guests, the American man who'd been causing disruptions in the community.
As the local police officer, Rigby, attempted to discover the killer's identity, Ally felt sure she would do a better job. The townsfolk were disturbed by the thought of a killer among them, and when a second person was killed, Ally knew she needed to help Rigby so they could all go back to normal. But would she discover who the culprit was?
Murder in the Scottish Highlands is the 1st in An Ally McKinley Mystery series by Dee MacDonald and I enjoyed it very much. I loved Ally's new puppy, Flora; Hamish was a fun character, and Ross, the vet, was a lovely guy. Ally is a perfect MC with her B&B in Locharran, Scotland; even gossipy Queenie and her sister Bessie are likeable characters. I'm looking forward to Ally's next adventure. Highly recommended.
With thanks to NetGalley & Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dee MacDonald for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder in the Scottish Highlands coming out September 2, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really love cozy mysteries, especially set in Scotland. It’s a beautiful country and I love the descriptions of Ally’s home. I love that she lives near a castle. Ally is older, so it feels more like a Miss Marple type story. But I loved it! It was fun she got a dog to keep her company. She still has men interested in her, but she’s comfortable in her life. I really enjoyed her character. I thought the mystery was really good. I loved the writing. I would definitely read more books in the series.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!
A Murder in the Scottish Highlands by Dee MacDonald
Ally, is such a sweet woman, widowed, and relocated to open a B&B. When one of her guests is murdered, she joins the hunt to try to find the killer.
This is a super cute and fun little murder mystery with and older protagonist and small town charm! I really loved how she was able to capture the gossip and drama of a small town.
The mystery is pretty straight forward but makes for a fun and quick read. Ally is new to the town so you get to go along with her as she meets new people and builds relationships. The world and character building isn't super complex. I found it easy to read and follow along. I also really liked Ally and enjoyed how friendly and welcoming she is. It's great to see that she tackles starting a new career and life path later in life! She's living my retirement dream! Although, I think her personality is better suited for it.
Retired and ready for a peaceful new life, Ally McKinley opens a guesthouse in the charming Scottish village of Locharran. Her tranquility is shattered when a guest is found murdered. Unable to resist a good mystery, Ally launches her own investigation. With the help of her loyal Labrador puppy, she digs into village secrets, uncovers family scandals, and faces down a killer determined to protect their secrets.
This is a fun and heartwarming read with quirky characters and an intriguing mystery. I enjoyed the Scottish setting.
Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This is the first in a new series from, for me, a new author. The book is well written as might be expected from an established author and spends a lot of time on scene setting and character introductions. This is a charming cosy murder mystery set in the Scottish highlands with a likeable protagonist who shows a great deal of promise. I look forward to reading future books in the series and also investigating the author’s back catalogue. Recommended.
Ally McKinley opens a bed and breakfast in a small village outside Inverness. Only a few months go by when all of a sudden someone is murdered outside. She tries to solve it with the help of others to figure out why this happened (here of all places) where nothing like this happens. The murder happens quickly, within the first chapter of the book and while cozy, it takes some time for Ally to start investigating. She works with other characters in the book (most who were not likeable) to figure out why someone would want to murder this person. The murderer starts to become more obvious as we reach the end of the story.
Despite its slow moments and unlikeable characters, the story was both cozy and entertaining. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.