When Maud McIntyre sets up her own private detective agency, she never imagines her first case will involve murder… A mystery in the Highlands? The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency is on the case!
Edinburgh, 1911: When Maud McIntyre and her lady’s maid, Daisy, form a detective agency, they never dream their first case will take place at a glamorous house in the Scottish Highlands. But when the Duchess of Duddingston, concerned that a notorious jewellery thief will target her lavish weekend party, employs Maud to go undercover as a guest to find the culprit, the agency has its first case to solve…
Undercover with Daisy as her maid, Maud follows a trail of clues across the Duddingston House estate. And as she meets the weekend guests, she hopes one of them will reveal themselves as the jewellery thief. But when one of the house guests is discovered dead, Maud and Daisy realise they’re not only hunting precious gems, but a murderer…
As Maud and Daisy investigate, they realise that a connection in Edinburgh might hold a vital clue that will help them solve the case. Travelling back to the city, Maud hopes that what she and Daisy uncover will help them piece together the mystery.
But when Maud receives a telephone call from the Duchess requesting urgent assistance, she realises that the murderer didn’t have just one victim in mind. Speeding down the drive to Duddingston House, Maud and Daisy hear gunshots ring out across the estate. Will they reach the Duchess in time to save her? And might they catch the murderer in the act?
A warm page-turning historical whodunnit, perfect for fans of the mysteries of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles.
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Audio:
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MY THOUGHTS:
Author: Lydia Travers
Series: The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency #1
Publisher: Bookouture
Publisher: Bookouture
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Audio and Kindle ARC
Narrator: Helen McAlpine
No. of Pages: 340
Date of Publication: April 27, 2023
My Rating: 5 Stars
She may not rival Sherlock Holmes, but Maud McIntyre forms a female detective agency with her dear friend Daisy. It is 1911 Edinburgh and the suffragette movement is underway. Maud has no intention to live by convention and takes on as many cases as she can. With the support of her father and her stalwart friend and partner, Maud dons various disguises and roles for the times they have to go undercover.
Maud and Daisy’s first case is to try and locate a jewelry thief. They find much more. In fact, a murder takes place which naturally makes things far more serious. Their new business is certainly underway. What a delightful start to a new series. The setting, characters and intrigue were all done wonderfully, and this promises to be an engaging series. I really am looking forward to the second book in the series, Murder in the Scottish Hills.
I loved that I was able to get this book for review as an audiobook. The narrator Helen McAlpine was new to me and I really enjoyed her Scottish accent. Her exceptional narration made a wonderful book all that much better.
Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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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