Welcome to the first day of the Books On Tour blog tour for Death in a Scottish Castle by Lydia Travers. I am thrilled to be taking part. I do love a little escapism in the form of cosy crime and this series is becoming rather lovely. The blog tour runs from today until the 15th so do be sure to check out what others are saying about Death in a Scottish Castle too!

The publisher tells us…

When Maud McIntyre and her assistant Daisy travel to a remote Scottish castle, the last thing they expect to find is a locked room murder mystery. Can they prise open this case and catch a killer?

Scotland, 1912: When Maud and Daisy travel to Clachan Castle on the Isle of Mull to investigate the theft of a valuable statuette, at first the case seems straightforward. But when their prime suspect, bad-tempered fellow guest Mr Tremain, is found dead in his bed, the detective duo realise the castle is under attack…

At first, it appears the murder is impossible. All the doors and windows to the room were locked from the inside, and there was no way for the killer to escape. But then Maud and Daisy find a secret panel with the stolen statuette hidden behind it, and learn that the mysteries are linked!

When the local sergeant investigating the case is found dead, the crime suddenly seems to have more twists and turns than the castle’s sweeping staircases. And with the estate full of potential suspects, Maud and Daisy must work fast to uncover the murderer. Could it be the castle’s owner, Magnus Carmichael, avenging his stolen statuette? Or pretty Jane Tremain, disgruntled daughter of the deceased?

Facing their most difficult case yet, Maud and Daisy must find the key to solving the mystery. But with so many suspects, which one will finally unlock the truth?

An unputdownable historical whodunnit, perfect for fans of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles.

My thoughts…

Are we really on book four already!? Time (and books) do fly when you’re having fun. And that is exactly what this delightful series is – fun. Cosy crime is rather popular these days and there are countless to choose from and it may not be for everyone but if you are looking for some pure escapism without too much trauma then a cosy crime novel may just be to way to go. So what is different about The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency series? Well it takes us back to pre First World War England. The world is changing both home and away, and women are becoming more and more vocal about their place in it. We can see these changes beginning to emerge as Maud and Daisy battle against prejudice and sexism. These ladies are an unlikely partnership for the time (Daisy was initially Maud’s ladies maid) but the things they have in common: courage, an innate sense of right and wrong, ambition and compassion, make them a formidable pairing. I like them very much and very much enjoy the bond they have.

In this latest instalment, Maud must use all her skills to get to the bottom of a locked room murder (or two) as quickly as possible. Daisy is herself under suspicion and therefore in danger of being arrested for murder if Maud can’t find the real culprit. It is a head scratcher and I love looking out for clues as I go along, I am almost finished and I think I know who the culprit is but as is often the case with this type of fiction a red herring or two can deftly be thrown in without me noticing. 🙂 Do you think you could work out who the murderer is (and their motive)?

If you love a light-hearted novel with a puzzle to solve then it might be worth giving cosy crime a try and The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency could be a very good place to start. These books are also perfect for young readers. There is no bad language or graphic descriptions and they are intriguing enough to hold their interest. Murder mystery is also a very popular genre and so this could also be great for fans of A Murder Most Unladylike series by Robin Stevens.

Thank you so much to Sarah at Bookouture for inviting me to take part in this blog tour and for sending me a digital copy via Netgalley for review purposes.

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Happy reading!