Hi, everyone!
Today I am sharing my Feature Post and Book Review for MURDER IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS ((An Ally McKinley Mystery Book #1) by Dee MacDonald.
Below you will find a book description, my book review, and the author’s bio and social media links. Enjoy!
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Book Description
Majestic mountain views, whisky by the fire and… a murder to solve? Join Ally McKinley at her cozy little guesthouse in the Scottish Highlands as she tackles her first puzzling case!
For recently retired Ally McKinley, the tiny village of Locharran is the perfect place to open the guesthouse of her dreams in a lovingly restored old Scottish malthouse. Before long she is making friends with the locals, including Hamish Sinclair, the earl who owns the nearby castle. But things take an unexpected turn when her first paying guest, American tourist Wilbur Carrington, is found sprawled across her cobblestoned courtyard with a dagger in his back…
With the police baffled, Ally’s instincts get the better of her, and she can’t resist launching her own investigation. In no time at all she and her Labrador puppy Flora are on the case, making enquiries over tea and excellent shortbread. She finds that Wilbur, a keen amateur genealogist, was convinced that he was the rightful Earl of Locharran… Even worse, he had plans that would put many people out of their jobs and even their homes.
But which of the locals resorted to murder? The hotel owner furiously trying to save his business? Locharran Castle’s fiercely loyal housekeeper who’d do anything for the earl? Or the earl himself, whose entire way of life was threatened by what Wilbur knew?
Looking for clues, Ally finds a faded photograph in a hidden drawer in Wilbur’s room. Could this be the key to solving the mystery? But when one of her suspects dies in a suspicious accident, Ally realizes that things are getting a wee bit too close for comfort…
Can she uncover the truth or will a killer get off scot-free?
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0D388V9HPsocial
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My Book Review
RATING: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
MURDER IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS (An Ally McKinley Mystery Book #1) by Dee MacDonald is an entertaining guesthouse cozy mystery set in the Scottish Highlands. This is the first in this new series featuring a retired TV researcher, Ally McKinley, who is widowed and starting over in an old malthouse converted to a guesthouse.
Ally McKinley believes she is in the perfect place for her next phase of life. The old Highland malthouse has been beautifully converted to a guesthouse with three rooms to let besides her own living quarters and a room for family or friends. When she hears her cleaning lady scream, Ally finds she has discovered her first paying guest, an American, stabbed with a dagger in his back outside the back door.
Ally feels the local police are getting nowhere, so her inquisitive nature takes over and as she meets all her new neighbors, she begins to take their measure and piece together the mystery. The small village Highlanders do not like outsiders, especially when they threaten to destroy their livelihoods and take away their homes. No one is sad the American is dead, but when one of their own is murdered, Ally becomes determined to uncover the killer.
This story was a mixed bag for me. I loved the author’s descriptions of the highlands which were vivid. Ally and the cast of village characters were entertaining with dialogue that made me laugh at times, especially the gossip mill that was faster than the wind. I also enjoyed Ally trying to pretend there is no ghost in her one guest bathroom. I loved meeting everyone, and would enjoy reading about them again, but it also took too much of the story away from the murder mystery plot. I do not mind that it was easy to solve, but there were times I felt you had to believe the police were incompetent and Ally was only simi-involved in solving the crime until the last few chapters.
I enjoyed Ally and the villagers, but I hope now that they are introduced the next book in the series has more cozy mystery plot intertwined throughout and Ally as a researcher is more involved than just the last few chapters.
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Author Bio
Aged 18, Dee arrived in London from Scotland and typed her way round the West End for a couple of years before joining BOAC (forerunner of British Airways) in Passenger Services for 2 years and then as a stewardess for 8 years.
She has worked in Market Research, Sales and at the Thames TV Studios when they had the franchise.
Dee has since relocated to Cornwall, where she spent 10 years running B&Bs, and only began writing when she was over 70!
Married twice, she has one son and two grandsons.
Social Media Links
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDeeMacDonald
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dmacdonaldauth
Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Dee MacDonald here: https://www.bookouture.com/dee-macdonald
Purchase Link
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0D388V9HPsocial
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