There’s been a sensational murder at historic Castle Kinloch, a gothic fantasy of grey granite on a remote island in the Highlands of Scotland. Literary superstar Brett Saffron Presley has been found dead—under bizarre circumstances—in the castle tower’s book-lined study. Years ago, Presley purchased the castle as a showpiece for his brand and to lure paying guests with a taste for writerly glamour. Now it seems, the castle has done him in…or, possibly, one of the castle’s guests has. Detective Chief Inspector Euan McIntosh, a local with no love for literary Americans, finds himself with the unenviable task of extracting statements from three American lady novelists.
The prime suspects are Kat de Noir, a slinky erotica writer; Cassie Pringle, a Southern mom of six juggling multiple cozy mystery series; and Emma Endicott, a New England blue blood and author of critically acclaimed historical fiction. The women claim to be best friends writing a book together, but the authors’ stories about how they know Brett Saffron Presley don’t quite line up, and the detective is getting increasingly suspicious.
Why did the authors really come to Castle Kinloch? And what really happened the night of the great Kinloch ceilidh, when Brett Saffron Presley skipped the folk dancing for a rendezvous with death?
A crafty locked-room mystery, a pointed satire about the literary world, and a tale of unexpected friendship and romance—this novel has it all, as only three bestselling authors can tell it!
PJ's Thoughts:
I call this book the tale of two halves. I found the first half a bit too easy to set aside, which I did, on several occasions. It's the stage-setting portion of the book and, while interesting, it's not exactly attention grabbing. At least, it wasn't for me. A number of characters were introduced, creating confusion as to who was who and what their roles were in the castle/community/story. It took me a while to get them all straight and settle into the story. It also took me a while to warm up to the three main characters - the American authors - in much the same way as it took them time to warm up to one another. The highlight of the first half for me was the Detective Chief Inspector, a character we only see (in the first half) through the dialogue of his interrogations. Kudos to the author(s) who wrote those lines!
Part two of the book was a completely different story (pun intended). This is where the action picked up, the tension heightened, and the characters began to unravel...then slowly rebuild into stronger, more authentic versions of themselves. This half I could not put down. In fact, I read it entirely in one sitting, through dinner, and well beyond my normal bedtime. The authors (the writing ones, not the characters) kept throwing in twists and turns that had me gasping with delight and guessing right up until the final reveal. In addition to that, the second half is where the characters really came alive. Their public personas were stripped away, allowing readers to see the authentic, complex women underneath and allowing them to forge the bonds of friendship that would carry into the future. We also learned how they were connected to the deceased Brett Saffron Presley and the traumatic impact he had on their lives. Suffice to say, the not-so-dearly departed was not a nice man.
While there were tough topics discussed in this book (date rape being one), the overall tone was one of cheeky humor wrapped in gothic mystery with justice prevailing in the end, and women wronged who not only survived but thrived. Those three women with whom I could not connect in the first half of the book? By the time I turned the final page, they felt like dear friends and I could not have been happier for them. And that Detective Chief Inspector I couldn't get enough of in the first part of the book? Well...I'll let you find out what happens to him yourselves but let's just say he gets even better as does the unexpected happy ending awaiting him.
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Have you read Williams, Willig, and White?
Do you enjoy British/Scottish police procedurals (either TV or book)?
Who else enjoys the twists and turns of a compelling Gothic romance?
One randomly chosen person who posts a comment before 11:00 PM, December 18 will receive a hardback copy of The Author's Guide to Murder.
*U.S. only
*Must be 18
I have read novels by these talented authors. Yes, I do enjoy British and Scottish Police procedures and have read many books set in Scotland and Britain. They are compelling. The series and movies are captivating, well acted and excellent. The locales interest me as well as the mystery. Gothic Romance is a favorite of mine and I have been reading that genre for many years.
ReplyDeleteGothics by Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart were my introduction to romance reading.
DeleteI haven't read anything by these authors. I love Gothic romance. When I was in middle school, Victoria Holt and Mary Stewart hooked me on it.
ReplyDeleteI have read Willig but not the other 2. I see they have another book they worked on together. I do enjoy British/Scottish police procedurals, having followed several on PBS. I have a box of old gothic paperbacks (1950's to 1980's). and pull one out every so often when I am in the mood for a gothic. I like them, but have to be in the mood for them depending on how much of the supernatural has been thrown in. I love stories with good twists and turns that keep us on our toes.
ReplyDeleteI'm a giant fan of British anything in books. I think that is partly because the British police procedurals, or anything to do with British investigations just draw me in immediately. I grew up with Agatha, and she made me want to be involved with every murder.....says a lot about me. I am familiar with these authors and I know what they write will be lovely.
ReplyDeleteI have read these authors both together and as individual authors. I do enjoy British & Scottish police procedurals as well as Gothic everything.
ReplyDeleteI have read and enjoyed books by Lauren Willig. Thanks for the chance!
ReplyDelete