Author: Lucy Connelly
Genre: Mystery
Hardcover; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781639105410
Crooked Lane Books
272 Pages
$29.99; $17.99 Amazon
January 9, 2024
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Finally feeling like Sea Isle , Scotland is becoming her new home, American doctor Emilia McRoy is delighted when she is invited to a wedding at Morrigan's Castle. Her friends have warned her that it's a three-day party and it's bound to get wild, not to mention the impending snowstorm. Constable Ewan Campbell, owner of the castle, ensures their safety with the blizzard. What he doesn't ensure, is that all of his guests would survive the night alive. When Emilia explores the impressive castle, she finds a dead man in one of the turrets.
The snowstorm hits and the local police can't reach the castle until it lets up. With no one able to leave, the family insists they carry on with the wedding, which makes Emilia's job as the coroner a bit easier -- the suspects are in one place -- and complicated because the killer has Emilia in his sights. The fact no one claims to know the victim isn't helping. Why would someone no one knows be murdered at a castle in the middle of nowhere?
It's up to Emilia to uncover the mystery who the victim is, so the killer doesn't get away Scot free.
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Dr. Emilia McRoy is an American transplant to Scotland. She's accepted the position of Sea Isle's doctor and coroner. However, when she's invited to a wedding at an historical castle, she doesn't expect to have to do either job. It's a good thing her assistant Abigail keeps her traveling medical kit ready, because Dr. McRoy was wrong on both counts.
When she sees what she suspects is a murder, no one believes her. At least until she finds a dead body in one of the turrets. Now Constable Ewan Campbell knows there's a killer in their midst. When a major snowstorm hits, everyone is trapped -- with the killer, no less.
After finally identifying the body, no one can figure why the dead man was there. He wasn't an invited guest, but he did know several of those in attendance. When the bride begins having "accidents" Emilia vows to keep an eye on her to find out who is trying to kill her. But how can she do that without telling the guests someone was murdered?
Then the attacks escalate, and Emilia is now in the crosshairs. She'll need to move fast if she wants to save the wedding, and more so, if she wants to save her own life...
This is the second book in the series and I am sad to say that I have not read the first. But I plan to remedy that soon. Ms. Connelly is a talented storyteller, and she writes with aplomb, bringing you into the Gothic atmosphere of an historical castle. It makes one feel as if they are in Scotland, enjoying the festivities with the guests, although I'm not too sure about having to avoid a killer!
Once you begin reading, it is difficult to put this book down. The tale weaves through the castle like a tapestry on the wall, bringing the threads together one by one and twisting them into a convoluted story of greed and revenge. Of course, since those are two of the most ancient reasons for murder, they blend together well.
When we come to discovering the murderer and the reason why, it is almost too late for Emilia, but I loved how she managed to free herself (as we know she must since she is our protagonist) and give us a satisfactory ending to the murder.
In the epilogue, we have all that it should be and gives us a reason to read the next book, which I look forward to. Highly recommended.
I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but it in no way influenced my review.
More on Lucy Connelly's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/lucy-connelly/
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