Lydia Travers

Scottish hi jinx!

Another adventure with our intrepid duo Miss Maud McIntyre, and Daisy Cameron, Maud’s former maid. This time they’ve gone to Braemar near Balmoral Castle to investigate the possible forgery of paintings supposedly by Zurbarán. A pro bono case
They don’t even reach the place before they discover a dead body in the carriage they were about to enter when changing trains. Suicide or murder? Maud and Daisy are leaning towards the latter
Well this is just the beginning of show more another of our detective duo’s deductive skills bringing justice to a situation that ends up being complicated by all sorts of diversions.
Slightly tongue-in-cheek (at least I’m taking it that way). This includes Maud’s exercise regime improvements, the ladies penchant for disguises, their falling into situations. Although the reappearance of Lord Urqart is in no way to be sneered at. Mmm!
A cozy mystery that’s fast approaching the ‘Perils of Pauline’ farcical realm.

A Bookouture ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. show less

I need to preface this review with the admission that I love Verity Bright and her Lady Eleanor Swift mysteries. When I saw Mystery in the Highlands, I was definitely channeling all the snappy, quick witted and really interesting Lady Eleanor Swift installments. I was eager and excited to try an author dealing with a murder mystery set in the Scottish highlands. The setting was not unfamiliar and many of the descriptions of Edinburgh and Fort William and the surrounding areas were accurate show more 100+ years later.

It’s November, 1911 and Maud McIntyre and her ladies maid, Daisy are a female detective duo known as the McIntyre Agency located in Edinburgh. Daisy receives a letter from her cousin imploring them to travel to Fort Williams in the Highlands to investigate what may be two suspicious deaths. Off they go with a full description of their traveling costumes. Maud is precise and often ponderous while Daisy is sharp and just a wee bit impetuous. And that describes much of this book. There was too much detail about hats and clothing, too much vernacular and subsequent parsing of its meaning. There was commendable social commentary although I thought it was misplaced and slightly gratuitous and just another example of a sentence that is part of the story and then takes a left turn. Informative definitely, but unnecessary.

Comparisons are often unfair but once it is read it is hard to forget. Travers writing is fine, well reasoned and thoughtful just not what I anticipated and that is no fault of hers. I am rounding up for great descriptions, a well thought out murder mystery that is handled with interesting characters. Thanks to Bookoutre and NetGalley for a copy. show less

1910s, Scotland, private-investigators, historical-novel, historical-research, series, women-sleuths, cozy-mystery, multiple-murder, investigations, local-law-enforcement, misogynistic-era, threats, suspense, class-consciousness, riddles, friendship, friends****

This is a fun and relaxing series perfect for obnoxious weather!
Maud and Daisy are a formidable team of sleuths in 1911 Scotland and have been drawn in to a weird "game" of threats disguised as riddles followed by murders.
The plot is show more interesting and reasonable including unexpected twists, strange red herrings, and a frustrating amount of overt misogyny. I loved it and am looking forward to following the ongoing series!
I requested and received an EARC from Bookouture via NetGalley. Thank you! show less

The first in the series is enjoyable, fun and insightful. And we learn that women can do difficult work no matter what the men of 1911 or 2025 believe(d).

Maud and Daisy are smart, caring and opinionated. They have excellent instincts.