The writing of the book was smooth and easy to follow and the mystery itself was good, though I did not like the characters. They were all one dimensional with no growth throughout the book.

I can understand the fascination with Mrs. Maple but I don't understand the concept of making your main character so old, if you want them to run about, and be in accidents. Ally also doesn't seem to have a lot for financial sense, and spends a lot of money on things like paintings and dog when she is trying to stay afloat. Also what is the infatuation with Blue eyes.

The character of Hamish seems a little too much everything, playboy at the age of being a grandfather (no, I am not an ageist, but it was just over the top), too brazen and too pushy.

The women of the highlands also seem to have nothing to do except gossip (again I understand it's a small town) and have no character whatsoever, and mostly just want a guy for themselves or interested in who is sleeping with whom.

All the men in the book are so full of themselves that they think women can't do anything beyond cook, clean and manage home and look down on them if they try to solve a crime. I would have understood this thinking if the book was set in the 1800s maybe, but not in this time and age. I was really put off when Ross asked Ally, "Are you one of these independent, feminist-type women?" when she wanted to pay for herself.

Another thing I disliked was the continuous promotion of pedigree dogs. Ally wanted a dog so that she could feel safe and also have walks, but instead of trying to adopt one, she went to buy one.

Unfortunately this was not a book for me.

I received an advance copy of the book and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

3.5 but rounded to 4. Overall, I enjoyed it! It was a fairly light-hearted read considering it was about a murder. You can tell it was the first in a series because it felt like a lot of the book was you getting acquainted with the town and all of its interesting characters. I think there were times where the book felt more focused on that than on solving a murder, which is why I'd give it a 3.5.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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 was a fun start to what hopefully will be a long running series. Interesting characters and a beautiful locale, this book was hard to put down.

A light, cozy, and unpredictable mystery starts off a new series by Dee MacDonald. Taking place in the Scottish Highlands, this story is just radiates the beautiful serenity that comes with a Scottish setting.
Even in the midst of murder... I was still engrossed in the rich setting that MacDonald provides.

Ally, the heroine, is in her 60s. She's widowed with grown children and decides to embark on a dream of owning a type of B&B. She's determined to make it work--regardless of the murder that takes place very soon into her endeavor.

Ally makes a great sleuth, as she uses her wits to help solve the case of the American that was murdered on her property. Was it the ghost that everyone says haunts her home? Or was it someone right under her nose?

Filled with many unique and quirky characters, Murder in the Scottish Highlands is a charming mystery that serves as a very promising beginning to a new series.

3 🌟 Read
Murder in the Scottish Highlands
By: Dee MacDonald

This was definitely a cozy read.
I enjoyed all cooky characters, the quaint little Scottish town, the possible romances, but I felt like that was most of the book. Even thought the murder happens at the very start of the book, it didn't feel like the focus to me.

Ally McKinley, a retired widower, decides to pack up and move to the country. She's found the perfect old malt house and has turned it into an adorable bed & breakfast.
In the first few months of her being open the quit little town is shook by its first murder in ages, Ally's first paying guest.

Follow Ally as she navigates her new quirky community and investigates a murder.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC.

What an entertaining read, I could not put the book down! Ally McKinley has recently set up a new business in Locharran called the The Auld Malthouse Bed and Breakfast. Ally, is a sixty something retired and widowed lady is a brilliantly developed character. The story begins with the death of one of her guests. The police are called in to investigate. However, Ally, B&B owner, decides she wants to investigate the crime. Along with some help from her new friends and her new puppy, Flora, discovers there is more to the crime and becomes heavily involved with using her former career as a researcher to seek the truth. A fast paced and engrossing read where all the sub plots including a few red herrings come together with a dramatic conclusion. I hope there is a book 2!

Ally McKinley renovates a property in the Scottish Highlands, turning it into a B&B. Following the loss of her husband, she knew it was time to move on with a new adventure.

She certainly wasn’t expecting her new adventure to include her first paying guest!

We follow Ally as she decides to become an ‘armchair detective’ and try to solve the case.

This was a fun cozy mystery. I found the story flowed well and effortlessly.

There were some great characters, and some funny moments that had me laughing.

The story was entertaining and I flew through it. There were plenty of red herrings to keep me guessing too. Overall, a fun and enjoyable read.

This is my first book by this author, and it certainly won’t be my last.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Sixty-something Ally opened a B&B and one of her guest gets murdered. She wants to find out who ddid it. I enjoyed reading this book. It's a fun, light cozy mystery that kept me entertained. Nice characters, good story, nice writing style and easy to read. I'd love to read more stories about Ally & Co.
I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley/Bookouture and I'm leaving a voluntary and honest review.

I started reading this mystery and couldn’t put it down until I turned the last page. Yeah, it’s that good!

A solid cozy mystery set in Scotland, with plenty of red herrings, laughs, and intriguing that will keep you guessing until the end. But most of all, it will keep you reading until the end because you cannot put it down

This is the first book in a new series and a new author for me. I found this to be a pleasant, fast-moving, cozy mystery with some interesting characters and a beautiful setting. Set in the scenic Scottish highlands, we have an older widow that has bought an old malt house and had it remodeled to host a bed and breakfast. I like that Ally has a sense of adventure, and while still trying to find her feet in her new small village, she is accepting guests. When one of her guests is murdered in her back garden, after revealing to everyone at the local hotel, that he was actually the Earl of the local area and was determined to get his title and estate back, there by making most of the village jobless and homeless the line of suspects is long! Come along for the ride while Ally tries to figure out what's going on while trying to make her new home and business pleasant and successful. I will definitely be interested in the next in the series.
Thanks to #Netgally, #Bookouture, and the author for a chance to read. #MurderintheScottishHighlands #DeeMacDonald #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

Fantastic book!
As a Scot myself, I loved the detailed descriptions of the locations & the storyline was fantastic & extremely gripping!
Absolutely blown away by the twists near the end!
Highly recommend

Dee MacDonald delivers a delightfully quirky cozy mystery with “Murder in the Scottish Highlands.”

After retirement, widowed Ally McKinley has turned the old malthouse in the Scottish Highlands town of Locharran into a bed and breakfast. Unfortunately, her very first guest, American Wilbur S. Carrington, has been found on her property with a dagger in his back. And when his brother and fiancee show up to look into his death, Ally gets drawn into the search for a murder suspect.

Since Carrington was in town to lay claim to the local earlship, there are plenty of suspects. Will Ally be able to figure out who was responsible, all while staying safe herself?

MacDonald does a great job of creating a unique and quirky cast of characters, all while developing a plot filled with twists and turns, including drama, laugh-out-loud moments and maybe even a bit of a budding romance.

Fans of cozy mysteries and series like Ian Moore’s “Follet Valley Mystery” series and Peter Boland’s “Charity Shop Detective Agency Mysteries” will love this, which is due out Sept. 2.

Five stars out of five.

Bookouture provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

This cozy murder mystery was an amusing and entertaining read. Set in Scotland, this mystery about a B&B owner who finds one of her guests murdered and the ensuing events made for an enjoyable book that I couldn’t put down until I finished.

The potential relationship of the main character was fun to read about, the gossipy side characters were funny as you can imagine the type of ladies they are, especially in a small town. And don’t get me started on the Earl, hilarious character that he was.

Overall, the book was great. Easy to read, enjoyable setting, and definitely cozy, I look forward to reading more from this series and checking out some of the author’s other works.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Get a cup of coffee, a comfy seat and dive in to this cosy mystery. I really enjoyed this book, it was light and entertaining. As a Scottish person living just south of the Scottish highland region I thoroughly enjoyed the description of the local area in Locharran.

The protagonist Ally McKinley opened her quaint B&B, and found herself solving the mystery of the murders of one of her guests and a local man. The ending perfectly wrapped up the story.

I'd definitely recommend this if you enjoy a lighter mystery with a great storyline.

Such an addictive murder mystery. I didn't want to put it down. Can't wait for the next book.

Thank you Dee MacDonald, Bookouture and Netgalley for the ARC

Ally McKinley, 68 years old, fell in love with the Scottish Highlands on a visit, and has started a new life there as the owner of a renovated malt mill, now a bed and breakfast.

The murder of one of her first guests, an American seeking to claim the local earldom, propels the plot.

Ally, a vigorous, attractive, and engaging woman, had a full life in Edinburgh, as a wife, mother, and TV researcher. Now widowed, she decides to make this major move. The author makes clear why Ally loves the landscape and enjoys the people, trying as some of them can be.
The premise is appealing, but the characters and plot are rather pedestrian. There is a rumpled, plodding policeman, a lecherous earl, a catty, gossipy woman store owner and her passive sister, a plump American woman always dressed in pink. Eventually there is a charming love interest. Ally is 5’10”, and almost everyone is introduced in relation to her height, with many of the men being shorter.

Ally is a very likable protagonist, and this is a pleasant read, though not a particularly exciting one. As the first in a projected series about Ally, perhaps the author can make both plot and other characters a bit more complex.

British Cozy Mystery about a recently retired Scottish TV researcher who's plans for her B&B are threatened after an American guest's found dead on her property.

4/5 stars: This is the first entry in MacDonald's Ally McKinley Mystery series which is a B&B Cozy Mystery set in Scotland and features a widowed recently retired Scottish TV researcher who lovingly restores an old Scottish malthouse as a guesthouse B&B. She puts on her sleuthing cap after an American guest, who was looking into proving his claim to the local earldom, is found sprawled across her cobblestoned courtyard with a dagger in his back. With plenty of twists and turns, MacDonald has deftly crafted a mystery that balances the suspects and weaves in plenty of clues and red herrings that will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Additionally, MacDonald's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Ally's a joy and I really enjoyed getting to know her and the folks in and around the quaint village of Locharran. I also look forward to seeing where her relationship with Ross, the semi-retired veterinarian. Oh and one mustn't forget to mention Ally's adorable Labrador puppy, Flora. This is a great start to a new series and I can't wait to read more!

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I'm a sucker for a cozy mystery set in quaint villages with a "lady of a certain" as the MC. Throw in eclectic supporting characters and a little romance and I'm a goner! Murder in the Scottish Highlands was a quick, charming read that had me excited for future books. Ally McKinley is going to become a favorite for sure.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

I’m fairly new to mysteries and was so delighted to get the opportunity to read and advanced copy of the first book in the newest series from Dee Macdonald!

I absolutely loved the main character, Ally McKinley! I loved how no-nonsense she was and how she always stayed true to her character. Her curiosity and amateur sleuthing was something that any fan of true crime might be able to relate to!

I thought that the plot was very interesting and I appreciated that we get right into it with the initial murder happening very early on. And even though I did guess the murderer correctly, I enjoyed the journey and the possibilities along the way.

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery to curl up with, I would recommend giving “Murder in the Scottish Highlands” a read when it comes out on September 2nd!

Finally thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley, and the author, Dee MacDonald for providing this ARC!

Lowland Scot Ally McKinley, widowed 60-year-old, splurges and purchases a dilapidated Scottish highlands malthouse (where whisky was malted). After renovating it and opening a small B&B in the tiny town of Locharran, she’s now praying for a steady stream of guests to help pay the renovation loan. When her first guest turns up dead in her courtyard, things steadily get stranger. With the local policeman unwilling to see the clues in front of his eyes, Ally’s determined to sleuth and prevent her guesthouse from failing before it really begins.
Filled with quirky local characters and a few odd visitors, the setting for this cozy is good. There’s a potential love interest and, of course, a new puppy. This series has potential to continue with lots of stories. I look forward to seeing how it develops.