My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Joffe Books , for letting me read and review an advanced copy of ‘Murder In The Trossachs’, by Daniel Sellers.

Detective Lola Harris needs a break, and an invitation from her sister to go for a weekend to a nice cabin in the woods sounds like a good idea. When she finds out her sister wants her to give some advice about threatening letters left for the staff at a wellness retreat just opened at Ardaig Castle, she is not so excited.

Naturally, the threats lead to a suspicious death, the castle is isolated due to a storm, and Lola is forced to investigate. Rest and sleep are not an option, and even though she has no official status, she takes control, while trying to track down a killer.

This was a very interesting story, and there were plenty of twists and turns that kept the reader engaged in solving the investigation.

Another really great book in this series.
Storyline was good. It's so good to read about the characters again. It's like reading about friends
4****

Thank you to NetGalley, Daniel Sellers, and Joffe Books for the eARC of this book. This is number 5 in the DCI Lola Harris series.

DCI Harris has most recently been working on a white collar crime investigation with Police Scotland. While a huge feather in her cap to be asked to head this up, Lola is not happy at it. Her sister, Frankie, suggests a weekend away at Ardaig Castle, a wellness retreat run by an old friend of Frankie's. Upon arriving Lola finds out it's a setup. Frankie has promised her friend that Lola will provide advice and help investigate a series of nasty poison pen letters received by members of the staff. Lola isn't happy by this turn of events but does agree to providing advice. It's not long before one of the staff are killed. While not Lola's jurisdiction, she's forced into action as a severe storm makes the the road into the retreat impassable.

I really enjoyed this version of a locked room mystery. I've read two of the previous DCI Lola Harris books, they're all good, but this by far is my favourite. 4 out of 5 stars.

Detective Chief Inspector Lola Harris, near to burnout from an exhausting job, is convinced by her sister Frankie that she needs a break and where better to go than Rose Cottage on the grounds of Ardaig Castle? The Castle is being renovated to serve as a luxury resort for the wealthy to recover from emotional problems. Unfortunately for Lola, Frankie has other plans for her visit. The staff at the castle has been receiving anonymous notes, first revealing things they have long held secret and now becoming more threatening. Lola is not happy to give up her weekend away to meet with Catherine, the castle’s general manager but she does and decides to help. She doesn’t anticipate the violent, destructive storm that washes out roads, topples trees and isolates the castle. Nor does she plan on more threats, a murder and a guest list of suspects. She begins a careful, thorough investigation, hoping to find the killer before they find another victim…or Lola herself.

Death at Ardaig Castle is a carefully plotted Scottish police procedural. Lola Harris is a captivating character, drawn into a complicated mystery against her better judgement. Ardaig Castle provides an atmospheric location with its hidden doors, spiral staircases and entire empty floors that have not been restored. The storm is a character itself. You can practically hear the wind as it rattles the windows and knocks down trees. While this is the fifth in a series, it can be read as a standalone. I can’t wait for the next! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Joffe Books and Daniel Sellers for this ARC.

This is a really good, cosy mystery featuring Detective Lola Harris. It is set in Scotland and is well plotted with interesting characterisation. It is a bit slow paced but there are plenty of suspects for Lola to investigate when a body is discovered at a castle retreat where she is spending the weekend with her sister. A good addition to the series which I would recommend.

Something of a good old who done it mystery. Never read Agatha Christie, so no idea if it is akin to her work. With a host of characters, it could also be considered as like a game of Cluedo.
Decent all round read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for this Ebook ARC in return for an honest review.

Lola soon discovers that someone is sending poison pen letters to the staff. They’re growing more malicious each week. The latest reads: Why have you employed a killer among your staff?

Could not put this book down, kept me gripped from start to finish. This is book 5 in the detective Lola Harris series, I didn't read the first 4 books but i say it didn't take away from the book and there wasn't much callbacks to the previous books, I will however will be going to read them.

This book kept me gripped, and I couldn't work out the killer/s until near the end when DCI Lola made the connections herself. There were plenty of twists, and it kept you guessing.

Thanks to Daniel and NetGalley for allowing me to read Murder at Ardaig Castle prior to the publication date.

DCI Lola Harris has been seconded to a team which is investigating donations to Scottish political parties. She soon realises that the role is less detective and more project manager.
Her line manager suggests that she stays in the role for at least 6 months as that will look good at her next promotion board. (With politics involved, is this really in Lola’s best interests or is she being set up to carry the can for the outcome of the investigation?)
The offer of a role in her boyfriend’s P.I. agency looks increasingly more appealing.

Physically and mentally exhausted, Lola accepts her sister, Frankie’s invitation to spend a weekend at a cottage in the Trossachs.
On arrival, Lola discovers that the cottage is in the grounds of Ardaig Castle, the latest Wellness Retreat owned by a tech billionaire. She is furious when she realises that she has been tricked by her sister and will be expected to use her skills to identify the individual who is sending poison pen letters to the staff.
She decides to stay overnight as a storm buffets the area, bringing down trees onto the only road to the castle. Worse is to come when part of the road is washed away.
When a body is found in the hallway and with no idea who can be trusted, Lola has to step up to contain what might be a crime scene.
The story is now a locked room mystery, but on a much larger scale in the renovated and extended castle. The description of the dark narrow passage ways and the basement is creepy and very atmospheric.
The author has chosen to provide a glossary of terms for the benefit of readers.

This book was so good! I'm a sucker for a Scottish setting and the mystery and plot in this book was well thought out and kept me guessing! I will be keeping an eye out for more by this author!

Detective Lola Harris is persuaded by her sister Frankie to have a weekend away. Frankie has led Lola to believe that they’re staying in a cottage, but neglects to say that it’s in the grounds of Ardaig Castle, which is now a health and wellness retreat for the rich and famous.

Not only having deceived Lola about the location, Frankie has also not been entirely truthful about the reason for choosing the castle. Frankie knows the manager of the castle, Catherine, and has promised her that Lola will investigate the poison pen letters that Catherine and several other staff have been receiving.

Despite being cross at Frankie for manipulating her, Lola still agrees to help get to the bottom of what the anonymous letters are all about. The latest one mentions there being a killer amongst the castle’s staff so Lola starts digging, and uncovers more than she thought when a body is found on the premises.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for my copy of Murder at Ardaig Castle.by Daniel Sellers.
I didn't realise this was number 5 in the series until I had finished the book. It did not spoil my enjoyment at all and I thought it worked well as a standalone. Lola is being treated to a weekend away by her sister, at a posh new health retreat. Until she finds out about the poison pen letters sent to the staff there, and when a body is discovered Lola puts her Detective Inspector hat on. Cut off by the storm Lola must preserve the scene and keep everyone else alive.

Once again, we again find Lola out of her natural environment. A weekend break with her sister turns into a consultation with an old friend of Frankie's. She works at the titular castle, now a wellbeing centre, and has had issues with poison pen letters. Of course, this turns into a more serious crime. And as a storm cuts off the castle, Lola is the only one who can investigate.

The plot is a good one, with all suspects effectively confined in the one building. Lola has to figure out relationships. past misdeeds and lies to solve the crime. But this actually comes at a good time for her - frustrated in her current Police Scotland role running a unit looking at white collar crime, she finds she is in her element at the sharp end of a murder.

NOTE: this book has been renamed "Murder at Ardaig Castle".

"This was what she'd been missing the last several weeks - the thrill of the chase and the support of dedicated and truly loyal colleagues."

Lola Harris is back, in #murderinthetrossachs (#murderatardaigcastle) by @danielsellersauthor. Lola is "tricked" by her sister Frankie into traveling to castle Ardaig for a relaxing weekend. In reality, Frankie wants Lola to investigate the source of some threatening and anonymous letters sent to employees of the elite castle. A locked-room mystery of sorts, as the weather blocks access to the castle, and we have a dead body. Even though Lola is off her patch, she dives into the situation and does her usual excellent job of ferreting out the perpetrators. Another winner in the series, highly recommend.

P.S. thanks to #netgalley and @joffebooks ARC program for the ARC.

A secluded retreat. A storm closing in. A killer among them. Detective Lola Harris is persuaded to take a much needed break in the remote Scottish Highlands. She’s expecting peace and quiet. But Ardaig Castle, an exclusive wellness retreat for the rich and famous, has its own dark secrets. Lola soon discovers that someone is sending poison pen letters to the staff. They’re growing more malicious each week. The latest reads: Why have you employed a killer among your staff?! Good book! This book had suspense, intriguing, murder, good mystery, a good who done it and a few crazy twists! The story was interesting! I definitely recommend reading this book! Thank you NetGalley and Joffe books for sharing this book with me!

I don't know I thought this book would be better than the previous whole the settings and plots are unique that potentially could make for outstanding they are woefully let by the paint by numbers style of writing, the weak and frankly annoying written lead character Lola. This book should have stood out for me as I love a locked door old school mystery but this completely lacked all the successfully elements needed, many writers use the base of bones of the great Agatha Christie but this read like a bad Nancy Drew. Lola doesn't read like a strong woman she is full stereotypical traits that only a man trying to write a female lead would include she is whiney, full of self importance and worse of all her main motivations in life is the love of "her man" tho I will say in this at least we have been spared the first love saga with Joe. These books lack any grit for books based around a Glasgow police officer they have none of dark Glasgow humour or chat that's is needed, in fact the only comical part is the glossary of English for the US readers at the end which is frankly an insult and highlights the lack of real true writing and highlighting the way the author casually throws in little sayings to get give the book a proper Glasgow feel which if anything only reads like lazy writing. While I think the plots are always very good and interesting the writers style and tone never matches the potential of them and that's a real shame. I have given this two stars as I think the plot could have worked in the right writers hands and because I liked setting. I won't be reading any more of Lola I think after reading the first five I know by now they are not for me. I wish the author all the best on publication but I think this is designated to be another 99p or free kindle read at the very best. As a side bar I do like how the authors makes political comments subtly and on the whole remains unbiased unlike some of the more famous Scottish writers yeah am talking to you Val, last book read like a love to the SNP only good thing about it was laughing after the all scandal came out, so I do rate this written for achieving that at least

Thank you NetGalley and Joffe Books for the eARC.
Detective Lola Harris is talked into visiting Ardaig Castle, a wellness centre, by her sister, for a relaxing weekend. It proves to be anything but - there's a nasty case of poison pen letters going around and unbeknownst to Lola, her sister promised the woman who runs the centre that Lola would look into it.
Angry at first. Lola, who's hating her current work situation, starts to enjoy the investigating. It becomes more and more of a tangled web and soon there's a murder. I did guess a tiny bit, but there were many shocks towards the ending! All this while there's a tremendous storm going on and the roads are closed, hemming them all in.
A really clever 'locked room' mystery featuring the wonderful Lola Harris. I love her and the series!
This is a very clever 'locked room' mystery

Isolated castle, secretive guests all their for their own agenda and all with secrets - threats getting more and more serious - and of course a raging storm! All ingredients for a closed door mystery when a corpse joins the crowd. Solid mystery with great atmosphere.

Tense novel set in an exclusive hotel in Scotland where there has been a spate of poison pen letters received by the staff. The guests there are recovering from addictions and mental issues so the owner is reluctant to have it investigated by the police. Lola is a police officer and is tricked into investigating on the Qt by her sister. Then a body is found and there is a storm that cuts off access to the hotel so Lola is forced to take charge. A good read that I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.

A suspenseful book set in the Scottish Highlands My kind of book for a snowy day. A detective accompanies her sister to a weekend get away to a resort. What she doesn't know is that her sister wants her to investigate a series of threatening letters that the employees of the resort have been receiving. Add a torrential rain storm that cuts off access to all surrounding areas and a murder that follows, you have a great story to read. Highly recommend to readers of Scottish mysteries.