Death in a Scottish Tower - Lydia Travers

One body falling from a tower could be considered an accident, but two is definitely murder… And Lady Poppy Proudfoot is determined to find the culprit!

Scotland, 1924: When Lady Poppy Proudfoot is invited to Glasgow University to celebrate a scholarship she generously established, she’s excited to return to her old stomping grounds. But the delightful champagne reception is interrupted by screams when a body plunges from the tower to the ground below…

While everyone exclaims at the tragic death of the young student, Poppy is instantly suspicious. Just moments before the body fell, tutor Mary Christie told her a student died falling from the very same tower eighteen years ago. Convinced another death is no accident, Poppy and the distractingly handsome Inspector MacKenzie begin to investigate.

As they do, they discover the murderer left behind clues – a threatening note referring to the death eighteen years ago, and a replica of the previous victim’s dress. Could it be Malcolm Kennedy, the porter with a grudge against privileged students? Or Mrs Lorimer, the jealous wife of a professor, who has a deft hand with a needle and thread? Or perhaps Mary Christie, who told Poppy about the first death, and might know more than she’s letting on?

When another young female student is found dead, Poppy knows that time is running out. And when she receives an anonymous note, asking her to climb the tower at midnight, she is terrified of what she might find. Can Poppy unveil the murderer before she, too, plunges to her certain death?

A gripping and page-turning whodunnit, this historical cozy crime novel is perfect for fans of the mysteries of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles.

My Review

Death in a Scottish Tower is the third book in the Lady Poppy Proudfoot mystery series. This time, Poppy finds herself with another dead body while visiting Glasgow University, where she has set up a scholarship for women. She quickly throws herself into investigating and assists the charming and handsome Inspector MacKenzie, whom she is quickly falling for.

I like the balance of murder, historical setting and romance in these books. It's obvious that eventually something is going to happen between Lady Poppy and her Inspector (who asks her to call him James), and I enjoy this element of the story as well as the mystery side.

I didn't think that this one was too hard to solve, and I got to the bottom of things before either Poppy or Inspector MacKenzie. That's half the fun with these kinds of reads, though. I much prefer those that I can at least try to solve. 

I'm sure that we'll be back with Poppy and her handsome inspector before long, and I'll be interested to see what she has to solve next and if she manages to progress her romance with the inspector. I'm sure that anyone who enjoys a good murder mystery would enjoy Death in a Scottish Tower.