Today I am delighted to be taking part in the blog tour for a brand new cosy crime series. May I introduce you to The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency by Lydia Travers and published by Bookouture.
Synopsis
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.
My thoughts
You may know that I am a massive Agatha Christie fan and I just absolutely adore a good Murder mystery. For quite some time now I have been regularly reviewing the Lady Eleanor Swift series by Verity Bright and so I was delighted when the team at Bookouture invited me to review the first in a new series, The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency.
It is set in 1911, the early turbulent years of the 20th century. The rumblings of the war can be heard in the distance and women are fighting for the right to vote. This is the time of the suffragette and change is coming in more ways than one.
Enter Maud McIntyre, a single woman who decides to set up a detective agency with her former ladies maid Daisy. Of course this is the early 20th century and so Maud does this with the blessing of her much loved father. I did enjoy this aspect of the story as we do meet a fair few men with less savoury opinions of what women should (and should not) be doing in society.
It is a detective story and so I am not going to reveal much of the plot. I think the synopsis above gives you a good idea of that. I can honestly say that it was a very enjoyable read. These are great books to have on the kindle and read before bedtime…and into Sunday morning. The main characters (Maud & Daisy) are very likeable and I look forward to seeing their relationship develop. This was after all a time when the lines between classes were beginning to blur and also when women were carving out careers of their own. It’s interesting to see the dynamics between Daisy and Maud – although Maud is still very much the woman in charge.
There are plenty of historical references to the story which I found interesting and added a sense of time to the setting. It will be interesting seeing this move on as the series continues. The crimes themselves were intriguing and with a few red herrings thrown in weren’t completely cut and dry from the start.
All in all a highly promising and enjoyable start to a brand new series. It was a lovely read and I very much look forward to reading the next in the series – which is already waiting for me on my kindle.
Thank you so much to lovely Sarah at Bookouture for inviting me to take part in this tour. I shall look forward to visiting Maud and Daisy again on their next adventure!
About the author
Bio:
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.
https://www.facebook.com/LindaTylerAuthorScotland
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Buy Link:
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0BT57ZCF5social
Audio:
UK: zpr.io/njjM8E4CGPCV
US: zpr.io/B6n6ugVAPE56
Listen to a sample here:
You can sign up for all the best Bookouture deals you’ll love at: http://ow.ly/
Thank you for stopping by today. ❤️
Tales Before Bedtime 