Loved this book. A great second title in the series and it does not disappoint. I found this a head scratcher and truly did not know ‘who done it’ until the murderer was revealed. Fabulous characters bring a great colour to these books and I really enjoy them.

Thank you Netgalley

The author does a great job of creating a unique and quirky cast of characters that are very entertaining as are the several dogs that appear throughout this mystery. The plot is great and full of twists and turns to be you guessing and lots of laugh out loud moments and so much drama for a small village. A very enjoyable and entertaining read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A fav author so I know I am going to enjoy Dee Macdonald’s latest and even though this is only Book 2 in the new series the village, characters and ‘feeling’ of the series was set in Book 1 and continues…

Hamish, the ‘wandering eye’ Earl of all he can see is set to be married to Elena, however the marriage lasts literally hours and after his first wife’s demise questions are being asked, the Police are getting nowhere so of course Ally starts to investigate

The local shop owner is a wonderful gossip with many tales to tell as is Ally’s cleaner, who being the postman’s wife hears rumours first and sniffily but robustly passes them on….both wonderful characters

Along with the Earls Brother and his demanding wife the book is christmas cake
character rich and if you like this genre you will love it, if like me you love this author you will already know you are going to read it

A pleasure as always to read

This one was a little slower than the first one. I loved the characters but things got really slow and boring in the middle.

Dee MacDonald offers another delightful installment in her Ally McKinley series with “Murder at the Loch,” a tale that will leave you guessing until the very end.

When Ally, along with the Earl of Locharran Hamish Sinclair, discovers a body floating in Loch Soular, she’s intrigued as to who the mysterious victim is. When officials discover she’s a woman coming to marry a local barman, townsfolk all wonder who in the world would want to murder this stranger.

Soon after, Hamish announces his impending nuptials with a much-younger woman he recently met, Elena Alexandrescu. But when Elena is found dead hours after their wedding, Ally and her boyfriend, retired veterinarian Ross Patterson, decide to dig into the two deaths. Are they linked? Why were the two women killed? And can they prevent friends from being falsely accused?

MacDonald does a great job of once again creating a unique and quirky cast of characters, all while developing a plot filled with twists and turns, including drama, laugh-out-loud moments, aggravating characters and several adorable dogs.

Fans of cozy mysteries and series like Ian Moore’s “Follet Valley Mystery” series, Amanda Ashby’s “The Widows’ Detective Club” series and Peter Boland’s “Charity Shop Detective Agency Mysteries” will love this, which is due out March 3.

Five stars out of five.

Bookouture provided this complimentary copy through NetGalley for my honest, unbiased review.

Kindly being allowed to read this before publishing was a treat, as i've now discovered another author to follow.
Murder at the loch had many twists in the story, and the ending was not who i was pinning it on, I honestly surprised in a good way.
Highly recommend Murder at the Loch if you are wanting Scottish drama with the town gossip.

Dee MacDonald's "Murder in the Loch" was an excruciating slog that should have been a DNF, but due to my liking of the first book in the series, Murder in the Scottish Highlands, I grudgingly pushed through. However, any hope for a rewarding read quickly evaporated.

The book crawls out of the gate with a laughably forced insta-love plotline that felt completely out of character and absurd. As if that wasn't bad enough, the middle drags on with the lifelessness of a coma. Without a single break in the tedium, the narrative was an aimless shuffle.

Revisiting every single character in the village repeatedly, paired with an unending monologue, made for an experience as monotonous as a washing machine stuck on the rinse cycle. The repetitive nature was soul-crushingly dull and had me desperate for an escape.

And then, the ending... or the final insult. The conclusion dropped in like a last-minute afterthought, providing no satisfaction. It only cemented the realization that this book was a colossal waste of time and should have been a DNF from the first chapter. All in all, "Murder in the Loch" was a severe disappointment, sorely lacking any redeeming qualities that its predecessor had.

What a great follow up book. I think these stories are just getting better and better. A mystery set in Scotland that almost makes me smell Heather and haggis. They are just great comforting stories. More please .......

I really enjoyed Murder in the Scottish Highlands, the first book in this excellent series by Dee Macdonald. So I was thrilled to be asked to review book 2, Murder at the Loch.

This time around, Ally is enjoying some lovely scenery when she discovers a body floating in the loch. Then follows her usual escapade of investigating!

I really loved this story. I love the setting of Locharran. I love the characters who live there, some of them more quirky than others. It was fun to catch up with how Ally, Flora, and their friends were getting on.

The mystery was a good one. There were plenty of suspicious characters, some new ones, and some who live in or around the village. This was enjoyable because I couldn’t see for certain which one it was, though of course I had ideas.

Overall, this was a really excellent mystery. I definitely recommend it. I can’t wait to read the next book!

I was given a copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

"Murder at the Loch” the 2nd instalment in An Ally McKinley Mystery series by Dee MacDonald set in the in the quaint village of Loccharran.
Recent retiree Ally McKinley has stepped out with her puppy Flora for a walk by the loch in the tiny village of Locharran, taking a break from running the cosiest little guesthouse in the Highlands. But Ally’s peace and quiet is sunk when she and Flora find the body of a mysterious woman floating in the water…

Before she knows it, Ally finds herself wading into the middle of a new investigation.

The plot is engaging, with numerous twists and turns that kept me guessing until the very end. I appreciated the author's skillful pacing and character development, which made it easy to become invested in the lives of the protagonists. The novel's conclusion was satisfying, and I am eager to see how the series evolves in the third instalment.

Recommended for fans of cozy mysteries, Scottish settings, and amateur sleuths
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Boldwood Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is the second book in the Ally McKinley mystery series by Dee MacDonald and it was so fun to read!

I was excited to pick back up with our characters from book 1 as another murder mystery unfolds! And it happens relatively quickly into the book, so you do get to spend most of the book figuring it all out!

I was definitely guessing up until the very end about who it may have been, but ultimately my hunch was right!

If you are looking for a cozy mystery with fun characters that also happens to be a quick read, I recommend giving this book (and this series) a try 💜

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall Rating | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I have read only one other Dee MacDonald mystery before this one, and I think I need to go back and read her back catalog! Murder at the Loch is a fast-paced mystery that I finished in an afternoon, Amateur sleuth Ally is a quasi-retiree from Edinburgh who has moved to the Highlands and made a home in her new community. When two visitors to the town are found dead in the span of about two weeks, Ally has to step in and solve the case. I look forward to reaading more in this series!

Ally McKinley has settled into her routine running a bed & breakfast. She’s happy with her little dog, Flora, and is enjoying the new relationship with retired vet, Ross.

On one of her walks with Flora, she bumps into local earl, Hamish Sinclair, where he informs her he is getting married to Elena, a young lady he met in London. As they chat, they notice something in the Loch, which turns out to be a body.

With Detective Rigby struggling to find the killer, it’s not long until there is another death. This time, it is Hamish’s bride - hours after their wedding!

Can Detective Rigby solve the case with the help of Ally?

I am enjoying this new series from the author. The characters are believable and on the whole, likeable.

These stories are quick reads, and I find myself completely immersed in the characters lives.

There are plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing, and I didn’t work out who the killer was until near the end of the book.

My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

3/5 stars: This is the second entry in MacDonald's Ally McKinley Mystery series which is a British Isles Senior Sleuth B&B Cozy Mystery set in Scotland and features a widowed recently retired Scottish TV researcher who's lovingly restored an old malthouse as a guesthouse B&B. After discovering a mystery woman's body floating in the village's loch, she puts on her sleuthing cap to uncover her identity and why she was killed. When a second woman's murdered, the local septuagenarian earl’s new decades younger bride found poisoned on her wedding day, she'll have to work fast before the next person found dead is her. With plenty of twists and turns, MacDonald has deftly crafted a mystery that balances the suspects and weaves in plenty of clues and red herrings that will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. Heartfelt and humorous, MacDonald's writing and character work are excellent; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. Ally's a joy and I really enjoyed getting to know her and the folks in and around the quaint village of Locharran. I also look forward to seeing where her relationship with Ross, the semi-retired veterinarian. Oh and one mustn't forget to mention Ally's adorable Labrador puppy, Flora. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Murder in the Scottish Highlands.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

Murder at the Loch by Dee MacDonald is the second book in the Ally McKinley series. Ally, a 70ish retiree, runs a B&B in a small village in the Scottish Highlands. Since the move there was recent, she is now settling into her new friendships when she discovers a body in the small scenic lake. Not long after there is another similar murder.

I really enjoy these characters; they are realistic and likeable although they have their quirks and bad moods. Ally’s kids worry about their aging mother, and she ignores them. She isn’t one of the mystery protagonists that just irrationally heads off into danger by herself either, and she doesn’t present herself to be doddering while secretly smarter and healthier than everyone in the room. Her neighbor, the Earl, is entertaining, her friend Linda is warm and supportive, and her significant other is smart and funny.

The mystery itself was quite good as well. There were plenty of suspects, and it was not easy to guess the killer. Plus, there were lots of amazing settings for investigating.

There were a couple of things I did not like as much. Typically, in mysteries, the main characters will summarize their findings of motives, suspects, etc., as a way to keep themselves focused (and the reader on the same page) but Ally does this pretty frequently to the point where it gets a little annoying. Also, I didn’t love the storyline of the engagement of a much older man to a younger women (40 year age difference). She is in her 30s so clearly is capable of making her own decisions about her life, but the power dynamic because of his wealth and age didn’t sit quite right. It did make sense for the progress of the story, however.

Overall, this was a fun mystery, and I will look forward to the next in the series.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for the eARC.

Book Review: Murder in the Highlands by Dee MacDonald

Murder in the Highlands by Dee MacDonald is a captivating Scottish cozy mystery that delivers charm, intrigue, and a touch of humor. With its picturesque setting, lovable protagonist, and clever whodunit plot, it’s a delightful treat for fans of Agatha Christie and Faith Martin.

The story introduces us to Ally McKinley, a recent retiree running a cozy guesthouse in the tranquil village of Locharran in the Scottish Highlands. Her peaceful life takes a shocking turn when a morning walk with her adorable puppy, Flora, leads to the discovery of a mysterious woman’s body in the loch. Ally’s curiosity—and her knack for solving mysteries—soon embroils her in a web of secrets and lies.

The stakes rise when a second victim, the new bride of local earl Hamish Sinclair, is found poisoned after her wedding. With the police casting suspicion in all directions, including Ally’s, she dives headfirst into the investigation. From uncovering secrets in the earl’s turreted castle to sniffing out clues in the village’s tight-knit community, Ally proves herself a resourceful and determined amateur sleuth.

MacDonald’s writing shines in her vivid descriptions of the Scottish Highlands, bringing Locharran and its quirky residents to life. The village’s charm is beautifully juxtaposed with the dark mysteries that lurk beneath its surface. Ally herself is a delightful protagonist—clever, warm-hearted, and armed with a sharp wit that makes her a joy to follow. Her loyal dog Flora adds an extra layer of coziness to the story, while the dynamic cast of villagers provides plenty of humor and intrigue.

The mystery is well-paced and filled with twists that keep readers guessing until the very end. MacDonald expertly weaves together the two murders, crafting a satisfying puzzle that unravels with each new clue Ally uncovers. The stakes feel real, and the suspense builds as the killer’s identity comes closer to being revealed.

Murder in the Highlands is more than just a mystery; it’s also a celebration of community, resilience, and the joys of life in a small village. Fans of cozy mysteries will adore its blend of charm and suspense, and the gorgeous Scottish setting adds an extra layer of magic to the story.

Perfect for curling up with on a rainy day, this book is a must-read for anyone who loves a clever mystery, a strong female lead, and the beauty of the Highlands. With its engaging plot and endearing characters, it’s sure to leave readers eagerly awaiting Ally McKinley’s next case.

This is the second in the series so characters beginning to develop. A gentle, cosy murder mystery. Two murders , days apart in a remote Scottish village - very unusual. People move there because nothing happens so it’s big news for the local gossips when things do happen. I shall look out for the next in the series. Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC Ebook

Murder at the Loch is the second cozy mystery in this series set in Scotland. I liked the main character Ally McKinley a retired TV researcher that has moved to the Scottish Highlands and opened a bed and breakfast. She has a full life and has settled into the area with her dog Flora and has a boyfriend Ross who is a retired veterinarian. Of course it isn’t long before Ally discovers a dead body that sets the story into motion and gets her involved in the investigation. And there’s another murder that hits closer to home.

This was a nice cozy in terms of setting and characters. The cast of characters in the village are very likable. The descriptions of the countryside put you there in the midst of beautiful scenery and small town living. The suspects in the case range from friends and acquaintances in the village to snobbish relatives of the second victim’s husband. Although there were things that I liked about this cozy mystery, it was a bit drawn out for me. It didn’t give a lot of clues along the way. But then I felt there was a major clue which helped me figure it out and it was quickly over from there. I had suspected the killer, but had nothing to go on until that point. Although I might have missed a clue.

I would read more from this author but feel the story could have been tightened up a bit. Many readers might not have been bothered by this. I usually have several books on the go, so it seemed too long to me.

#MurderattheLoch #NetGalley

2.5 stars

A good cozy to pass the time, but not memorable or particularly well written. Pick it up if you’re craving cozy mystery vibes, not if you’re looking for a good mystery story.

The bad: The dialogue is hard to sit through with a straight face. Rarely do I believe that a character would actually say the words coming out of their mouth, nor does any of it feel natural. The mystery was also a bit of a let down; the setup was intriguing, but the solving process was lackluster and the culprit clear long before Ally put the pieces together.

The good: The dogs steal the show and are delightful. The murder itself was an improvement over the last book’s. I also still really enjoy the side characters in Ally’s little village, even if they’re more caricature than character at times. The more they deviate from the ‘tiny town, nosy, provincially close-minded’ stock cozy mystery character fare, they more interesting they get.

I read the first book in this series, and JUMPED it my seat when I saw book 2 was here. I love this series so much, It's like reading all of the worlds best female detectives rolled into one unstoppable force of a woman, and I am HERE for it. Dee MacDonald is such a talented writer, she writes with so much heart and wit, and it made my cozy-crime loving heart dance. This book is even better than the first, and I loved every second of it, Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc. I am ready for number three!