Murder on a Scottish Island by Lydia Travers

 A dead body and a missing sapphire pendant? Lady Poppy Proudfoot is on the case!

Scotland, 1924: When Lady Poppy Proudfoot is invited to her friend’s hotel on the Isle of Skye, she is looking forward to a holiday. But all thoughts of relaxing vanish when she discovers the body of a strangled woman in a church.

The police believe the widow’s death was a robbery gone wrong, as a pendant was stolen from the scene. But Poppy is sure it’s murder. Ignoring the police’s warnings to keep her nose out, she enlists her friend Inspector MacKenzie, and her loyal Labrador, Major, to unpick the case.

Poppy suspects one of the hotel’s guests knows more about the murder than they are willing to admit. Could it be Miss Buccleugh, the avid button collector? Or the travelling guru, who conveniently disappeared just after the murder? Or was it Mr Henderson, so desperate for money he was driven to murder?

When Poppy sees the victim’s sapphire pendant on the neck of another guest, she is convinced the killer is targeting widows in the hotel, and luring them in with jewellery. But to prove her theory, she will have to offer herself up as bait. It’s risky, but her only way of catching the killer… Can Poppy con a con-man, and make it out alive? Or will she be the next wealthy widow on the killer’s list?

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

My Review

Murder on a Scottish Island is the second in the Lady Poppy Proudfoot series. There are all the elements here: A plucky, female amateur detective, a fun pet dog, a dashing male detective and a murder mystery to solve.

Poppy is very keen to try and solve the mystery herself and starts to track down clues straight away when she discovers a dead body. She does seem to see herself as a professional detective, even though her previous experience is only what she gained in the previous book and her ability to accidentally find murder victims.

I enjoyed this, but at the same time, there were a few little niggles for me. Poppy is a little bit too keen and full of her abilities. I also found her continual lusting after the inspector a little bit much. I prefer a slow burn romance in a murder mystery series, but Poppy seems ready to rip both of their clothes off and dive on him at any minute. Major, the dog is fantastic though.

This is a good, solid, second book and I will be keen to read the next one, despite my misgivings.

Author Bio:

Lydia Travers was born in London.  She moved progressively north until settling with her husband in a village on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. She has raised children, bred dogs and kept chickens; and for as long as she can remember has written for pleasure. A former legal academic and practitioner with a PhD in criminology, she now runs self-catering holiday accommodation, sings in a local choir and is walked daily by the family dog.

Lydia also writes as Linda Tyler and her first novel under that name, Revenge of the Spanish Princess, won a 2018 Romance Writers of America competition for the beginning of an historical romance. Her second novel The Laird's Secret was Commended in the 2021 Scottish Association of Writers' Pitlochry Quaich competition for the beginning of a romantic novel. Mischief in Midlothian won the 2022 Scottish Association of Writers' Constable Silver Stag trophy. She has had a number of short stories published in magazines, journals and anthologies in the UK, the USA and Australia.

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Buy Link:

Amazon: https://geni.us/B0F74CDTMJsocial

Fear in First Gear - Karen C. Whalen

 In the midst of a merciless blizzard, shoe-a-holic tow truck driver, Delaney Morran, finds herself in a race against time—and her own sanity. After discovering a dead woman buried in a snow-locked vehicle, she barely escapes an avalanche that obliterates all evidence of her shocking find. Distrust shadows her every move, as the police suspect she hallucinated the whole thing, and friends joke about her "body count." Fueled by guilt and a fierce determination for justice, Delaney plunges into a perilous hunt for the truth. Solving the crime would be a nice I-told-you-so, too. Can she discover the killer before becoming the next victim in this comical who-dun-it?

My Review

Who wouldn't love the idea of a female tow truck driver, who goes out to work in heels? I haven't read the other books in this series, but I soon got into this great murder mystery read. I love strong female characters and Delaney certainly fits the bill in that reguard.

This cosy murder mystery was lots of fun (seems an odd thing to say about a murder mystery!) I really enjoyed it and it kept me guessing right until the end. 

This might be my first Two Truck Murder Mysteries book, but I'm sure that it wont be the last.

Washed up at Sea Oats Beach - Karen C. Whalen

One sun-drenched morning at Sea Oats Beach, Breanna Hart stumbles on the dead body of a
surfer washed ashore. As the reality of her grim find sinks in, a movement in the water catches her eye—a chocolate Lab perched on a surfboard. Did the dog belong to the surfer or someone else? With no answer to that question, Breanna fosters the traumatized canine and learns about the incredible world of dogs who surf—an unexpected yet fascinating sport.

What began as a tragic encounter quickly escalates into a homicide investigation when the authorities determine that the woman’s death was no accident. Driven by her desire for justice for the woman, and healing for the Lab, Breanna sets out to connect the lost dog to his people and unravel the secrets hiding in the tide. Will she discover the truth, or will it remain as mysterious as life under the waves?

Dive into the sequel to the award-winning Mystery at Sea Oats Beach featuring a colorful cast of characters including the island town of Sea Oats Beach itself. Sit back and relax, unwind, and escape to the shore!

My Review

Washed Up at Sea Oats Beach: A cozy mystery beach read by Karen C. Whalen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love a good cozy murder mystery and Washed up at Sea Oats Beach certainly fits that criteria. Bree hasn't lived near Sea Oats Beach for long, but she seems to have found herself in the middle of a mystery for a second time (although I haven't read the first book as yet). She finds the body of a woman on the beach, as if washed up from a surfing accident, but with strangulation marks around her neck, showing this is anything but an accident.
I loved the setting of this book, as Bree tries to find her way in this new community, juggling her own insecurities and her brother's issues, as well as trying to get to the bottom of this murder. She also takes care of a dog who was at the scene and seems to enjoy surfing and skateboarding just as much as some of the locals.
On a slightly different note, I also hadn't heard of 'sea oats' before, but they clearly belong to the same family as other dune grasses such as toi toi and I can see how they got their name with their almost feather like seeds. What a great name for them and this beach community.
This was a light hearted, but gripping read, although I hadn't a clue who was responsible by the end. It all added up and made sense though and I really enjoyed this read. I think I may have to go back and read others in the series and I'm looking forward to what happens next for Bree and her friends.

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A Sour Note - Jill Piscitello

When murder provides a welcome distraction…

On the heels of a public, broken engagement, Maeve Cleary returns to her childhood home in Hampton Beach, NH. When a dead body turns up behind her mother’s music school, three old friends land on the suspect list. Licking her wounds soon takes a back seat to outrunning the paparazzi who spin into a frenzy, casting her in a cloud of suspicion. 

Maeve juggles her high school sweetheart, a cousin with a touch of clairvoyance, a no-nonsense detective, and an apologetic, two-timing ex-fiancé. Will the negative publicity impact business at the Music Box— the very place she’d hoped to make a fresh start?

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EXCERPT:

With his mouth set in a grim line, he waited.

If anyone else had enough nerve to presume she owed them an explanation, she would respond with a solid mind your own business. Instead, the seventeen-year-old still inside her refused to tell him to get lost. “He was hiding money in his office.” This was one of those times when learning how to wait a few beats before blurting out inflammatory information would come in handy. Each second of passing silence decreased her ability to breathe in the confined space. She turned the ignition and switched on the air conditioner.

“How do you know?” His volume just above a whisper, each dragged-out word hung in the air.

“I found it.”

“When were you in his office?” He swiped at a bead of sweat trickling down the side of his face, then positioned a vent toward him.

“Last night.” When would she learn to bite her tongue? Finn’s switch from rapid-fire scolding to slow, deliberate questioning left her unable to swallow over the sandpaper lump in her throat.

“Where was Vic?”

She stared at the back of the building, wishing she’d kept her mouth shut. “He’d left for the night.” If she averted her gaze, she could pretend his eyeballs weren’t bugging out of his head, and his jaw didn’t need a crane to haul it off his chest.

“You were at the town hall after hours? Did anyone see you?”

“A custodian opened his door for me.” She snuck a glance. Sure enough, features contorted in shock and horror replaced his boy-next-door good looks.

 

My Review:

There's something just so enjoyable about a good murder. In a book that is, when you can try and work out who is behind it all without endangering yourself at all. It's hardly surprising that when heroines such as Maeve in A Sour Note, can't help but try and get to the bottom of who the murder is, when faced with a mystery.

Maeve has recently returned to her home town, after the breakdown of her engagement. If she was hoping for a quiet life, then she is sadly disappointed. After discovering the dead body of a self-proclaimed local celebrity, the problem isn't that Maeve can't find out who might have killed Trixie, but rather that there are far too many candidates.

This was a fun cozy mystery. I didn't manage to solve it myself, although I think that I was heading in the right direction. Maeve is a headstrong character, who thinks nothing of putting herself in danger to try and find out what's going on and who might be behind the murder.

I enjoyed the setting of this book and the other characters that made up the pages. These are people that Maeve has known all of her life, but hasn't been around for quite some time.
I really enjoyed this murder mystery and I'd been keen to read more about Maeve and The Music Box in the future.

About the Author:

Jill Piscitello is a teacher, author, and an avid fan of multiple literary genres. Although she divides her reading hours among several books at a time, a lighthearted story offering an escape from the real world can always be found on her nightstand.

 

A native of New England, Jill lives with her family and three well-loved cats. When not planning lessons or reading and writing, she can be found spending time with her family, trying out new restaurants, traveling, and going on light hikes.

 

 

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