This was a generally enjoyable cozy mystery set in the Scottish highlands. I enjoyed the main character and many of the inhabitants of her little town. I found the mystery to be interesting enough to keep me engaged and lots of little hints were dropped here and there that I had a pretty good idea of some of the pieces by the end. That being said this was pretty typical of this type of cozy mystery and there wasn't anything that really set it apart from others of its type. I am undecided if I would read a follow-up.

I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I just loved this book! It’s the first book I have read by this author and it was very good and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series. The book is about Ally McKinley who after visiting with a friend she just loved Locharran and notices that there is a building for sale and thinks why not I’m on my own my children are grown up, I’m going to do this for me and so she does and she renovates and makes the building called the Malthouse into a b&b when she is sorting things in the morning and realises that one of the guests isn’t there as normal so she thinks I’ll check his room and upon checking his room notices that the bed hasn’t been slept in and as she looks out of his bedroom window she hears a scream and looks down to see her cleaning lady Morag stumble upon the guest she was looking for only he’s dead and has been murdered. This then sets off a chain of events until they find the murderer. I really enjoyed reading this book as the story was good and also the characters in this are a hoot. There are the two unmarried sisters who run the shop and love a good gossip, the earl who likes the women and a lot more. It was just so good that I couldn’t put it down.

I would highly recommend reading this book if you like a good murder mystery that has lots of quirky characters.

I would like to thank Bookouture and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book early and I look forward to the next book in the series.

I enjoyed this one. It had good pacing and kept me turning the pages. I can recommend and plan to read more in the series.

Thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley, and the author for an advanced reading copy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dee MacDonald, and Bookouture for providing me with an e-ARC before publication.

3.25 ⭐️ rounded to 3⭐️ for GoodReads and NetGalley.

First of all, cozy mysteries with retiree sleuths have become a favorite genre for me. Murder in the Scottish Highlands was a great fit for this. The whole cast of characters is funny and truly on point for what I believe a small-town cast would act like. ☺️

Ally, the main character, is such a cute little old lady. I loved her back story as a TV researcher. I don't think I have ever encountered this as a character background. ❤️

I found Hamish, the earl, hilarious! Though I have to be 100% honest, he did give me the creeps a little at the beginning 👀, but I think that is what makes his overall character so much more likable in the end.

The plot was interesting. A regular "Who dunnit?" story, though a bit slow at times. Part of the story felt a bit stilted, and some of the dialogue just didn't work for me: particularly when the American characters were talking. They were using way too many British English expressions to sound authentic in their "Americaness".

I did enjoy the romance aspect of the story. I love to see characters of older age get a second chance at love 🥰

Overall a nice cozy read that I'm sure will give warm fuzzy feelings to anyone who loves a good retiree sleuth solving crimes 😉

Thanks to NetGalley and Bookoture for the ARC e book. This was the first book I've read from Dee MacDonald and overall it was pretty good. I traveled to Scotland last year and absolutely loved it there so when I saw the title of the book and what it was about I just knew I had to read it! I really liked most of the characters in this book and overall it was an interesting read. Ally moved from Edinburgh to the Highlands to open a guesthouse. It isn't long after, that there is a murder and she's bound and determined to figure out who killed her guest. It was a light, easy read that I highly recommend.

#MurderInTheScottishHiglands #NetGalley

I've read all of Dee MacDonald's Kate Palmer series and really enjoyed them, so when this new series began I was keen to read it too. This time we are in the Scottish Highlands with Ally McKinley, who has moved there to open a guest house from Edinburgh after the death of her husband. She has converted an old malt house and now is looking forward to hosting her guests, unfortunately, one of her first guests turns up dead on her doorstep and she finds herself trying to get to the bottom of what happened.
I really enjoyed the new characters introduced in this book and the setting for the story. The murder itself took a little figuring out, but I think I got there just a bit before Ally. I also liked the way that her new puppy and then potential love interest were all added into the mix.
This is a good read and a strong start to a new series. I'm looking forward to hearing more from Ally soon.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own and given voluntarily.

As much as I wanted to love it. There wasn't anything special about it. There wasn't anything compelling or gripping me to read it.

A new author to me though I see she has written many other crime novels. I chose this because it is set in the Highlands and I am Scottish. The story is a bit Midsomer Murders and a bit Agatha Christie - not a bad pedigree. Village life is depicted well - every one knows everyone’s business. Surprising then that they didn’t discover whodunnit! Parts of the story were predictable and I did work out the major plot line but it was an enjoyable read. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC.

The mystery wastes no time getting started. We are barely introduced to the protagonist, Ally McKinley, before the body is found.
I really liked the main character, as well as many of the villagers, being an older age. It gave a unique perspective in many areas of the story. I also appreciated that Ally, using the back of a frame, with post its, to walk herself through the various suspects and theories. Because it also helped the reader to keep the clues straight. I did find this to be a bit repetitive which left me feeling bored in quite a few spots. And I did not care for the abrupt change in some of the characters personalities to make the plot work. Unfortunately, just not a book for me.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I haven't ready any of Dee MacDonald's books before so was intrigued by the setting and the fact that it was the start of a new series of Ally McKinley mysteries.

A light, easy read and one which I really enjoyed.

If you want a cosy murder mystery, then this book is for you. A great introduction to all the characters in the village. I really enjoyed reading this.

I loved the sisters in the local store and the earl. In fact the earl is my favourite character. And I want to know more about him.

The twist wasn't a major shock. I guessed something was not right with that situation. Sorry I'm trying not to give spoilers!

Rating: 2.2/5

Whenever possible, I like to pick up a new book series at the outset rather than joining the party further down the track. So, when I saw that "Murder in the Scottish Highlands" was not only the start of a new cosy mystery series, but also set in a part of the world that I have a great affinity with, I couldn't resist picking it up.

Ally McKinley is a widow and recently retired. She decides to relocate to the Scottish Highlands and run a B&B from an old converted malthouse that she has purchased. However, Ally's expectations of a quiet, idyllic lifestyle are very soon up in the air, when an American resident of her guest house is found murdered.

This book seems to be pitched at the "Richard Osman market", with a retired amateur sleuth as the central character and a front cover style that is not unlike those on Mr Osman's cosy crime novels. Personally, I would suggest that the mystery element of the story has more in common with the "Agatha Raisin" series than it does "The Thursday Murder Club". Aside from that, there is also just as much emphasis - or perhaps even greater emphasis - on Ally's potential romantic interests as there is on solving the crime. Consequently, this book feels like more a case of cosy women's fiction than cosy murder mystery. Overall, it is a pleasant enough read, but quite run-of-the-mill for the genre.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for supplying an ARC in return for an honest review.

This is my first novel by Dee MacDonald, and it will not be my last. For fans of cozy crime books, and I have to mention Richard Oseman, this book is perfect. I found myself falling a little bit in love with Ally, and her way of solving the case. There is just something about an older woman who has truly LIVED. You do not mess with Ally, and she wants everyone to be happy. The side characters are living rent free in my brain, and I need more of them.

I adored the writing, it made me read so fast I had to go back and read it again in case I missed some clever clues. I had absolutely no idea who the murderer was until the reveal and I love that. I do not want to be smarter than Ally. She is funny, clever and cannot wait for the next one.

This novel needs to become a BBC series quickly, its written so vividly already.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC.

Fans of classic whodunits and atmospheric thrillers will delight in Dee MacDonald's latest novel. "Murder in the Scottish Highlands" is a page-turner that will transport readers to a world of danger, intrigue, and stunning natural beauty.
Thank you for the ARC

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for an ARC of this book!

The perfect cozy mystery for a rainy day! The atmosphere and setting of Scotland created the perfect reading environment. “Murder in the Scottish Highlands” follows Ally McKinley, a woman who has recently opened a guest house in the quaint Scottish village of Locharran. Ally quickly establishes herself in this small community and welcomes guests to her inn. Yet, when an American Tourist is found dead in his room, Ally launches her own investigation into this mysterious death.

This book gave the same vibes as “Murder, She Wrote”! This book is a great cozy and easy read when you are looking for a mystery to sweep you away! The immersive writing in this book will make you want to visit the Scottish Highlands! I would definitely recommend this book for any mystery lover!

Ally starts a Bed & Breakfast and then a guest is murdered, right outside! The local police force doesn’t seem up to the task so Ally starts investigating. This was a fun cozy mystery and I enjoyed it!

It was a cozy, easy-to-read mystery that I couldn't put down. I gave it 5 stars because I genuinely loved reading it. Although it was a bit predictable, it was such an enjoyable and straightforward read. I fell in love with the main character, Ally, and was eager to follow her story. The characters were well-developed, and the setting felt so vivid, like I was right there with them. It really kept my attention, and I would definitely recommend it.

A wonderful new cozy mystery series.by Dee MacDonald. Widower Ally McKinley has recently retired and almost on a whim buys and restores an old malt house to open as. B and B. It's nice to read a book that features middle age characters finding fulfillment in their retirement years. The
plot is fairly simple, I figured out the killer early on, but the main characters are like able and the setting in coastal Scotland is icing on the cake. As a fan of the author's Kate Palmer mystery series set in Cornwall I hope this is the start of a new series.

Cute, cozy mystery. Ally is in her 60s, opens up a B&B, discovers an America guest has been killed and sets out to help find the murderer. A lot of characters who could be suspects, felt like the reveal was good and made sense, cute interactions throughout.

There really wasn’t much growth in any character, and a little conflict point near the end (someone finding out that Ally was listing out suspects) didn’t feel needed or even resolved well, didn’t find myself dying to know what happened, but overall enjoyed this read.

It was a cosy read, but nothing extraordinary.
The book dives in the story (murder) right away, on the first chapter. The setting of the story is cute - a bed & breakfast in an old malthouse, near a remote village in the Scottish Highlands (with a bonus : a ghost story - that unfortunatly isn’t used in the story at all).
The writing was sometimes a bit too oldschool for me (page 51 : « was there a Mrs Rigby to ensure he had breakfast before he ventured out to do his sleuthing each day » … is Detective Rigby a little baby that needs a woman to feed him ???) and a bit cliché (The American = entitled and rude man that wants to turn the village into a theme park).
The middle of the book is quite slow as nothing new is happening regarding the murder investigation.
Also, and that’s the animal rights activist in me speaking but … when Ally wanted to get a dog, why not go to a shelter instead of a kennel ? Why did she specifically want a pure bread Labrador puppy ? I mean, if she wanted protection, why a puppy then ?
Finally, the murderer’s identity was pretty easy to guess.
Despite everything, I overall enjoyed reading it.