T.L. Huchu is back for another fantastic addition to the Edinburgh Nights series with The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle. Ropa has bagged a ticket to the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ biennial conference on the Isle of Skye, but of course, it comes with strings attached. She’s there as Sir Callander’s apprentice and that gives her a seat at the dinner table with the magical big wigs. But that’s only dinner, and until then she answers to Frances Cockburn, Director of Membership Services at the Society of Sceptical Enquirers and general thorn in her side. Cockburn has had it out for Ropa from the start and doesn’t believe that Ropa belongs in the Society. She has her running about doing all sorts of chores in preparation for the conference, jobs that Cockburn sees as being more fitting for Ropa as a ghosttalker.

The guest of honour at this year’s conference is the high wizard of Ethiopian magic, Qozmos, who has brought one of their most valuable magical scrolls to exchange with Scottish magicians. It all seems like everything is going to go well until the scroll is stolen moments after it leaves Qozmos’ hands. The scroll is stolen and tragedy strikes as someone is killed during the heist. In hot pursuit alongside Qozmos’ assistant Kebede, Ropa almost gets her hands on one of the perpetrators before being foiled by an invisible wall.

Believing it to be a trick utilised by the thieves, they return to learn that the wall is in fact a spell Sir Callander has conjured to stop the thieves from leaving. A giant bubble is now keeping everyone, including the thieves, in Dunvegan Castle and it’s grounds. With limited supplies, space and tensions rising, Ropa needs to find the thieves and fast. There’s added pressure from Sir Callander, who only trusts her to investigate, the Extraordinary Committee breathing down her neck and then England’s Sorcerer Royal who turned up unannounced, Ropa needs to be at the top of her game otherwise there are going to be some very serious consequences for Scottish magicians everywhere.

Joining Ropa in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle are her best friends, Jomo and Priya, and together the three of them have a maze of secrets and politics to investigate. Rather than narrowing down their list of suspects it seems like their list gets bigger with every single person they speak to. To top it all off Ropa is struggling when she needs to be on top of her game. Everyone is watching her, and too many people are waiting for her to make a mistake. She doesn’t need her body to let her down, so when she starts having panic attacks her first instinct is to try to ignore them, to deny that they’re even happening.

I’ve read many books that include scenes of panic attacks, however, this is the first one that has ever mentioned pins and needles in limbs, something that I’ve personally experienced during an extreme panic attack. Huchu has taken great care when writing Ropa’s panic attacks, and in how Ropa vocalises how the loss of control makes her feel. As a healer, Priya instinctively and professionally recognises what her friend is going through. Rather than pressuring Ropa to accept it she is there for her friend, waiting for Ropa to open up to her. Only then does she broach the subject of panic attacks and rather than try to fix Ropa, Priya’s support is unwavering.

When Ropa is ready to ask for help Priya talks her through what is available, explaining that there isn’t a magic spell that can fix her. I appreciated the way that Huchu handled this sensitive topic, especially as he is writing in a fantasy setting. Too many authors see fantasy as an excuse to ignore mental and physical health, to sweep it under the magical rug. The fact that Huchu has not chosen to do this in a young adult novel is extremely important and there is a great scene between Ropa and Priya that I believe will be very insightful to young readers.

Priya herself is another example of the way Huchu doesn’t use fantasy as an excuse. As a wheelchair user she has been alongside Ropa in her adventures from day one, right in the middle of all the chaos and danger. Unlike other authors who push their disabled characters off into the sidelines and would never dream of letting them near a battle, Huchu has created a disabled character who is a spell slinging fighter that uses ambulatory magic to move around. In The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle we get to see just what Priya can do, and she’s a complete badass!

There is also a character, Murdo, the Castle gardener that may be autistic-coded or coded for an intellectual disability. Ropa doesn’t have the knowledge or the language to recognise Murdo’s disability, but the way he is described and how other characters react to him suggests that he may be.

The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle brings us more information about the way magic and politics work in Scotland and England. There are many moving parts in this one and from the moment the Lord Sashvindu Samarasinghe, England’s Sorcerer Royal, appears it is clear that things are never going to be the same after this conference. The setting of a conference also means that we get to meet a lot of interesting characters, and see one’s we’ve already met before. A personal favourite of mine was Mrs. Featherstone who has some cracking lines. Speaking of language, Ropa’s pop culture slang keeps getting better with each book and some of my personal favourites this time include “frostier than Bobby Drake”, “prick to the nth power” and “I need the Prince of Persia’s rewind button”.

I could keep going on and on about this book and every book in the Edinburgh Nights series. Huchu delivers a fantastic book every time and I can’t wait for the next Ropa adventure.

The fabulous third instalment in the Edinburgh Nights series by T.L.Huchu. We follow our MC Ropa Moyo, ghost whisperer and apprentice magician, in her continued journey to develop her magic and earn enough cash to keep her family afloat.
Ropa is a fifteen year old with life experience double her age. She is an excellent protagonist, feisty, streetwise and a wily investigator. As part of her (unpaid) internship Ropa is assisting at the international Society of Skeptical Enquirers' biennial conference held at Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. However she still finds time for the odd side hustle for those who need help with their dead plus getting an in with the locals and castle staff.
Ropa is reuninted with Priya and Jomo who are also attending the conference, which is fortunate as things are about to get hairy.
Magicians from Ethiopia come with a gift of a rare scroll from their magical tradition, however in the handover a heist occurs which leads to the loss of the scroll and death of a librarian. Due to the quick actions of her mentor Sir Callender a magical barrier is put in place trapping everyone in the Castle including the perpetrators.
A classic murder mystery with Ropa in the investigative lead unfolds, with twists, turns, ghosts, Scottish feuds, and English magical interference. Ropa is tested and has to look hard at the magical world she has fought to enter and assess whether it really is for her. The story ends at a crossroads and I am eagerly awaiting the next part of her story.
I love this series and if you haven't read it yet please go and do so.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for access to this ARC all views are my own.

This was definitely my favourite of the series so far, a murder mystery in a castle makes for an absolutely beautiful plot, add in all the other aspects from the series and you get a spectacular book!

I loved that we got to explore yet another place in this book, and the new characters made it so much more interesting - I especially liked learning that the way you learn magic is different depending where you are in the world - the whole magic side of things is really well thought out in this, even if it goes over my head a bit! I don't know how the author managed to think up all of the things he did, it seems like very complex world building.

I just want the next book already so I can see what happens to Ropa after that amazing ending!

Ropa Moyo has been seconded to the worldwide Society of Sceptical Enquirers’ biennial conference on the Isle of Skye, just in time for a priceless scroll to go missing and the entire castle to be put under lockdown. As assistant to the Discoverer General, it’s up to Ropa to catch the thief and recover the stolen scroll.

As this is the third book in the Edinburgh Nights series, the characters and the magical world are very well established by this point. Ropa is as tenacious and ballsy as ever, and the new setting of Dunvegan Castle on Skye made a refreshing change from the streets of Edinburgh.

The plot of this book is much more tightly focused than the previous two, which made it more streamlined and cohesive, but I did miss the ghostly, paranormal elements as they are greatly reduced in this one. Ropa only has one or two meaningful interactions with ghosts, which felt a little off to me as the entire story originally stemmed from her being a ghost-talker.

I also found it more than a little unrealistic that an entire murder and theft investigation would be left to a teenager, even if she is the assistant to the Discoverer General, and I didn’t particularly appreciate the portrayal of English magic as all-consuming in it’s efforts to absorb Scottish magic, but I did quite like the introduction of the Sorcerer Royal and I’m very intrigued to see where the story will go next.

As part of her internship, Ropa finds herself playing host to a bunch of hoity-toity magicians at Dunvegan Castle. She’s not getting paid so she plans on liberating a little bit of something for her efforts. Before she can get her hands on anything shiny, the entire event turns into a locked room mystery: magic edition.

‘Everyone is a suspect.’

I absolutely adore Ropa. She has a distinctive voice, her education is pretty much courtesy of the school of hard knocks and she’s currently sporting orange dreadlocks and black lipstick.

One of the things I love about this series is Ropa’s relationships with her Gran and younger sister, Izwi. While both were mentioned in this book, neither had page time and I really missed their interactions. I also missed River, Ropa’s vulpine companion. Thankfully, Ropa’s friends, Priya and Jomo, are Under the Dome with her, as are the Hamster Squad, who we met in the second book.

“They’re the admin gophers where I work.”

Ropa is a ghostalker. She puts food on the table by delivering messages from ghosts to their loved ones. There was less ghostalking in this book than the previous ones.

Whenever there’s a list of who’s who in the zoo before you get to the first chapter, a part of my brain shuts down. I assume that if there are so many people I need to know about that I need a list to help me, I’m never going to be able to remember them all. This then becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. I’m pretty sure I ignored the lists in the previous books and didn’t have a problem. Here, there were details of the principal magical institutions, places and characters. I read them all carefully. My brain then went into panic mode and never recovered.

There was a lot of discussion about the history of magic, which I found interesting, and I learned of the existence of the biblioparadise, where I’ll be spending my afterlife.

“A realm within the astral plane where every book written and unwritten sits on shelves high enough to touch the sky.”

This book felt like a bridge between what we already knew about Ropa’s world and something big that’s on the horizon. Ropa seemed to tread water a bit in this book and as a result I wasn’t as invested as I usually am in this series. I am absolutely ready for what’s coming, though, and am really looking forward to the next book.

Favourite no context quote: “Thing about kangaroo courts is, the conclusion’s baked in before the dough’s in the oven.”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor, an imprint of Pan Macmillan, for the opportunity to read this book. I’m rounding up from 3.5 stars.

The setting of the latest in TL Huchu's Edinburgh Nights fantasy series shifts to the Isle of Skye where the biennial conference of the Scottish Society of Sceptical Enquirers is taking place at Dunvegan Castle, family home of the MacLeods. Ropa Moyo is delighted to be there, she has never been to Skye and finds it an eye opening experience. Despite still being an unpaid intern to Sir Ian Callender, having to run around doing menial tasks and prepare by learning the details of all the expected delegates, she is looking forward to adding to her knowledge and hobnobbing with the great in the magical world. Matters are improved with the presence of friends, Jomo and the fabulous healer, Priya.

The chaos and mayhem that results at the start with the arrival of delegates that were not expected, such as the MacDonalds, sets the scene for the darkness, danger and terror that is to follow. The powerful Ethiopian delegate's The Book of the Shaded Mysteries of Solomon as Recounted by the Queen of Sheba, containing secret knowledge, is stolen, and the librarian Sneddon is murdered in a locked room mystery. Ropa is tasked with finding the perpetrators by Callender, whilst he finds himself challenged with maintaining a demanding magical forcefield spell that traps everyone, leading to them becoming increasingly frustrated. Contrary to her expectation of encountering the best of Scottish magic, she is denigrated and met by arrogance, rivalries, politics, and a desperate hunt for opportunities to improve their current status.

There are those with hidden agendas, the privileged throwing their weight around, efforts to settle old scores, and it emerges many are far from loyal to Callender, their greatest magic seems to lie in their ability to bend reality, to turn light into darkness. All of which makes Ropa question her ambition of joining this ghastly motley crew as she finds herself tempted by an offer that would give her everything she has ever wanted. Ropa learns about Ethiopia, the issues of race, a colonial history of killing, the ransacking of the riches of Ethiopia and worse, the stealing of their sacred objects. It was an absolute joy to be immersed in Huchu's beautifully imagined post-catastrophe world, the conclusion of which promises great adventures to come. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

Huchu has such a distinctive voice and I quite enjoyed this next instalment. It continues to build on the world in a compelling way!

The third installment in the Edinburgh Nights trilogy begins with a glossary, and thank god for that! There's no chance I'd have remembered all the places and positions of power without it.

Written in first and continuing from the perspective of main character Ropa Moyo, Huchu introduces us to Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye.
My main endearment to the Edinburgh Nights books is Huchu's style. Ropa has one of the most unique voices I've encountered, written as if she's either chatting to the reader or having a constant internal monologue. I love the Scottish dialect and slang, her directness and occasional laugh out loud foul language.

I must admit to skimming some of the conversations- especially within the first few chapters, so dense was it with geography and history, (two of my least favourite subjects, even with a twist of fiction!) I just could not engage.
The info dumps are heavy and frequent in The Mystery of Dunvegan. Whilst Huchu does a great job of recounting the main characters backgrounds from previous books without spoilers I'd still recommend you read them first as the character investment is what kept me reading.

If you're looking for detailed world building this is the book for you, swathes of our history are rewritten to include magical goings on by way of character conversations, the effort and imagination to write these alone are incredible- but for those as impatient as I who need a faster moving plot you may start to fidget.

Overall I still really enjoyed the story and was surprised by the final reveal, I hope the adventures of Ropa Moyo continue- either way I'm excited to see what Huchu puts out next.

Edinburgh Nights has seamless LGBT and disability inclusion with loveable characters Ropa and Priya. England are very much portrayed as bad but I honestly didnt mind that! I recommend the trilogy to all fantasy lovers.

In Book 3 of Edinburgh Nights, our incorrigible heroine Ropa is caught up in a murder mystery/theft far away from home, on the bleak island of Skye. With the elite magicians still looking down on her, can she solve the mystery before Scottish magic is plunged into disarray?

While the first two books in the series wrapped up nicely, book.3 feels more like a bridge novel: a lot of questions about Ropa and the forces opposing her are left unanswered. Ropa’s interactions with her family and the troubled ghosts of Edinburgh are the “heart” of the previous stories, and we got almost none of those interactions here, sadly. However, I liked learning more about Ropa’s mentor Sir Callendar. He’s been (mostly) on her side throughout the series, albeit in a distant way, so it’s nice to see their partnership strengthen. I also thought the tight focus on the stolen artefact/murder made this a more cohesive story than book 2.

Basically, if you enjoy this series you’ll enjoy spending more time in this world. If book 4 is the last in the series it has a lot of ground to cover and questions to answer…but I’m curious to see what happens!

I received an advance copy of this book, and I am voluntarily leaving a few.

I enjoyed this as I love a bit of supernatural and quirky crime and all set in a castle.

I think I should have read the others beforehand to get a better overall angle to the whole affair but its made me want to do this,

I have just binged all three books in this series and my, were they good. I love urban fantasy with a strong sense of place and it's so nice to see Edinburgh being represented in this series, although this particular book, the third, is set on Skye. If you love Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series these are for you. Ropa is a brilliantly realised character who, thanks to her unique position is able to comment on class and privilege without it feeling forced. This ticks all my boxes for strong female characters, inclusive and diverse writing and kick ass magic, fantasy. I can't wait to read the next one already.

Lowly magical apprentice Ropa can’t think of anywhere she’d rather be than being bossed about as she helps to set up a magical conference at the dilapidated castle of the MacLeod clan on the Isle of Skye, but she knows it’s a means to an end. Used to being downtrodden and forgotten about she’s determined to get something out of her time at Dunvegan Castle even if it means being a little ‘light-fingered’ along the way. But when a librarian is murdered in cold blood and a coveted magical Ethiopian scroll presented by the conference’s special guest is stolen right under the magical society’s nose Ropa has to put her own plans on hold. With a magical force field surrounding the castle and it’s grounds tensions amongst the delegates are running high and everyone is a suspect, but will Ropa be able to solve the mystery before time runs out?

This instalment of Edinburgh Nights has a significantly different feel to it, but I absolutely loved it none the less. Despite being away from the city and the familiar backdrop of the trailer park where Ropa lives we still have all her friends from the magical society on board for the new adventure and I really enjoyed being privy to and gaining a better understanding of the hierarchy and systems in other parts of Scotland and over the border in England too. I found this book an easier read in the sense that the second book, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments, was quite content heavy, teaching us the magical understanding and intricacies of the world, subsequently allowing us as the reader to continue the series without the need for further explanation.

Whilst the previous books also had mysteries at their core the locked in/closed room style of Dunvegan’s puzzle was even more compelling as the suspects were laid bare from the beginning and left me questioning every little scenario and turning the page right up until the story’s ‘whodunnit’ climax. I loved that the plucky, fearless and outspoken Ropa is back with a bang and is trusted to take the reins in this story, both growing in confidence and also learning her worth within a society where she has always come bottom of the pile. Ropa’s character has definitely become one of my all-time favourites, her sarcasm and humour has me sniggering to myself throughout!

My only real miss of this instalment was the inclusion of Ropa’s Gran and her sister Izwi who I hope will feature more heavily in the next book as I loved to read about their character’s as well as the wonderful dynamic the trio share. It’s clear though that whatever is going to happen next in this story is something explosive and thrilling as the ending left me with that dull, exciting ache of expectation and I’m just sad that I’m going to have to be patient and wait to find out what’s next for Ropa! If you like the sound of this book I’d highly recommend reading the series in order as you would definitely struggle to understand some of this books content thanks to T L Huchu’s superb world building from the previous books – also what are you waiting for……run, don’t walk to the bookshop and jump straight in to this magical world you won’t be disappointed.

I love the Edinburgh nights series and this was a fantastic entry. Ropa is the best main character imaginable – unconventional, confident and snarky, with a nose for trouble. This adventure featured a haunted castle which was right up my street. The mystery was pacy and entertaining and the woven in strands examining race and privilege were interesting. A great book in a brilliant series.

Another rollicking ride with Ropa! Edinburgh Nights is fast becoming one of my favourite ever fantasy series. It is just so vibrant and fun and intelligent.

This time Ropa and Co. (Jomo, Priya, Sir Ian etc.) are holed up at Dunvegan Castle, an imposing if slightly dilapidated family seat of the MacLeods on the island of Skye. There they are preparing for the annual magical conference with delagates from all over scotland and guests from the proud and powerful magical nation of Ethiopia. Ropa is roped into the drudgery of setting up the event and attending the guests as a (still unpaid) intern while also representing Sir Ian Callendar as his unusual apprentice. As usual she has to deal with the snobbishness of the establishment, especially the elite magical schools, with all its backstabbing, feuds and manipulation. Things only get more complicated when the Sorcerer Royal pays an unexpected visit, a valuable loan goes awry and a librarian is murdered...

As ever, Ropa is an incomparable main character and narrator. Punchy, self-assured and determined she often makes me laugh out loud with her snarky asides and Scots turns of phrase. I missed some of the other characters in this outing, her grandmother, her sister, and the roving gangs and while there is a creepy and moving episode of her usual ghost-talking at the start I also missed her interactions with with normal people. Edinburgh itself was a sore loss as it really is a character in its own right in Huchu's wonderfully realised world. Still, the more bounded setting of the ancient haunted castle, packed to the gills with fractious magicians and lingering remnants of the Fae was a worthy stand in. It's the perfect place for a murder mystery and several new characters were enjoyable additions. The way Huchu tackles issues of race, colonialism and privilege is fundamental to this story and this world and it is refreshing to see this in fantasy, reminding me of Zen Cho and RF Kuang. Speaking of which, maybe Ropa could travel back in time and enter Cho's Regency Sorcerer Royal world. I'm sure the authors could make it work...

Another highly enjoyable jaunt into post-Catastrophe Scotland. Something big is clearly coming and I can't wait to see how Ropa handles it.

I am a bit of a newbie when it comes to the fantasy and mythology genre, but, I am widening my perspectives and so far loving it. The author has done this brilliantly. The story is beautifully written, the characters come alive on the page, the settings pop and all characters have believable voices. One of the key elements of this book is world-building, the author has created an intricate and detailed world, complete with its own histories, cultures, and languages.

The E-Book could be improved and more user-friendly, such as links to the chapters, no significant gaps between words and a cover for the book would be better. It is very document-like instead of a book. A star has been deducted because of this.


This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and I would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

Ropa is back in this the third in the series. she’s a Ghostalker and is being mentored by Sir Ian Callander. When they go to Dunvegan Castle to attend a magical convention, she expects to prove to herself, and others, that she’s right for the job she’s been given,. But when a librarian is murdered, and a precious artefact stolen, she finds herself charged with finding the people responsible. A difficult task for a 14 year old, especially in a castle full of intrigue, corruption, suspicion and greed. Is it really worth it?

I really like Ropa, a feisty, street wise urchin, old beyond her years, but also her friends, Priya and Jomo, who both have integral roles in the investigations. There’s lots of twists, turns, red herrings and down right sneaky devils. The world building is excellent, lots of baddies, and characters you find yourself rooting for. Really enjoyable, with an unexpected ending, and , hopefully another book in the offing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book

I had loved the first two books in the Edinburgh nights series so I was excited to receive this arc from NetGalley and the publisher for review

Once again we rejoin Ropa the ghostalker with her sidekicks in this third book in the series.
This time Ropa is attending a magical convention at Dunvegan castle on the Isle of Skye.
For Ropa, it's the perfect opportunity to finally prove her worth. Then a librarian is murdered and a precious scroll stolen. Suddenly, every magician is a suspect, and Ropa and her allies investigate.
Trapped in a castle, with suspicions mounting, Ropa must contend with corruption, skulduggery and power plays.

I have loved these books as the humour is always so good while I love the adventures around Edinburgh and Scotland. There’s always an interesting mystery and this is no different. Fun and interesting characters combined with magic and history. Hopefully there will be more to come!