Welcome back to the tiny Highland village of Locharran, where Ally McKinley – guesthouse owner and accidental detective – is about to stumble upon another dead body… and her next case.

When Ally McKinley hears that well-known novelist Jodi Jones is going to host a writers’ retreat at the hotel just down the road, she’s delighted to offer rooms at her little guesthouse for some of the attendees. Ally is thrilled to join the group for one of their first sessions – but the retreat has barely begun before she finds the famous writer strangled in the ladies bathroom!

The cake tin and teapot come out as Ally begins to question her bookish guests. Accusations of plagiarism and infidelity start flying and it’s clear that more than one of the retreat attendees had a grudge against Jodi. But could any of them have resorted to murder?

When Ally discovers a diary in Jodi’s bedroom at the guesthouse with several pages ripped out of it, she thinks she’s close to cracking the case. But the plot thickens when another of the aspiring writers is found dead, only hours after she said she knew the identity of Jodi’s killer.

Not only is the murderer still in Locharran, they’re desperate to stop Ally getting to the truth. With her faithful puppy Flora by her side, can Ally unravel the clues and solve the mystery before she’s written out of the story for good?

A totally gripping and bookish cosy mystery set in the Scottish Highlands from bestselling author Dee MacDonald. Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, Faith Martin and Clare Chase.

What readers are saying about Dee MacDonald:

‘Brilliant mystery… I found myself racing through this one, eager to find out who did what – and to who! A terrific read.’ Grace J Reviewer Lady, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘OMG!!!!!… Absolutely brilliant… I just HAD to know what happened next and before I knew it I had devoured the whole book in one sitting in a few hours!!!… Heart-racing… Absolutely spine-tingling, heart-racing page-turner!!!… Fantastic, addictive and gorgeous!!!… I LOVED it.’ Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘The most mic-dropping ending… OMG… Wow, I really love this.’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘All of the world’s best female detectives rolled into one… Made my cozy-crime-loving heart dance… I loved every second of it!’ NetGalley Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘An absolute delight and a must-read… This rapid page-turner is one that will keep you up reading, unable to stop until the very end. I absolutely loved it!’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Superb… The perfect novel to curl up with… delightful.’ Brianne’s Book Reviews, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fantastic murder mystery, a charming whodunit… Lots of red herrings to keep you guessing until the last page!… I’m hooked.’ Goodreads Reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘Fantastic… I devoured in a single sitting… Plenty of red herrings, twists and turns… Kept me hooked from page one until the very last… Fast-paced, compelling and immensely enjoyable.’ Bookish Jottings ⭐⭐⭐⭐

‘I couldn't put it down… Igenuinelyloved it… So vivid, like I was right there with them… I would definitely recommend it.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐