And the Corpse Wore Tartan

by Stuart MacBride

From Stuart MacBride, the Sunday Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Logan McRae series.

Move Over Miss Marple . . .

The great and the not-so-good are gathered at Skirivour Castle Hotel, in the heart of the Highlands, for the wedding of the year – but they weren’t expecting Detective Sergeant Roberta Steel to crash their party. And get horribly, horribly drunk.

The whole valley’s been cut off by a massive thunderstorm and the phone lines are down, so when the father-of-the-bride’s body is discovered – decoratively impaled on a stag’s head in the hotel lobby – it’s up to DS Steel to find out whodunit. Which isn’t easy when you’ve got a monstrous hangover and only a world-weary sergeant and a halfwit police constable for backup.

With no witnesses and every wedding guest a suspect, Roberta will need to use every one of her little grey cells if she’s going to catch the killer and get out of there alive.

Praise for Stuart

‘MacBride is a damned fine writer’ – Peter James, author of Picture You Dead

‘Dark and brilliantly written’ – Linwood Barclay, author of I Will Ruin You

‘Crime fiction of the highest order’ – Mark Billingham, author of The Last Dance

Genres: Audiobook

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 12, 2026

About the author

Aka Stuart B. MacBride

The life and times of a bearded write-ist.

Stuart MacBride (that's me) was born in Dumbarton -- which is Glasgow as far as I'm concerned -- moving up to Aberdeen at the tender age of two, when fashions were questionable. Nothing much happened for years and years and years: learned to play the recorder, then forgot how when they changed from little coloured dots to proper musical notes (why the hell couldn't they have taught us the notes in the first bloody place? I could have been performing my earth-shattering rendition of 'Three Blind Mice' at the Albert Hall by now!); appeared in some bizarre World War Two musical production; did my best to avoid eating haggis and generally ran about the place a lot.

Next up was an elongated spell in Westhill -- a small suburb seven miles west of Aberdeen -- where I embarked upon a mediocre academic career, hindered by a complete inability to spell and an attention span the length of a gnat's doodad.

And so to UNIVERSITY, far too young, naive and stupid to be away from the family home, sharing a subterranean flat in one of the seedier bits of Edinburgh with a mad Irishman, and four other bizarre individuals. The highlight of walking to the art school in the mornings (yes: we were students, but we still did mornings) was trying not to tread in the fresh bloodstains outside our front door, and dodging the undercover CID officers trying to buy drugs. Lovely place.

But university and I did not see eye to eye, so off I went to work offshore. Like many all-male environments, working offshore was the intellectual equivalent of Animal House, only without the clever bits. Swearing, smoking, eating, more swearing, pornography, swearing, drinking endless plastic cups of tea... and did I mention the swearing? But it was more money than I'd seen in my life! There's something about being handed a wadge of cash as you clamber off the minibus from the heliport, having spent the last two weeks offshore and the last two hours in an orange, rubber romper suit / body bag, then blowing most of it in the pubs and clubs of Aberdeen. And being young enough to get away without a hangover.

Then came a spell of working for myself as a graphic designer, which went the way of all flesh and into the heady world of studio management for a nation-wide marketing company. Then some more freelance design work, a handful of voiceovers for local radio and video production companies and a bash at being an actor (with a small 'a'), giving it up when it became clear there was no way I was ever going to be good enough to earn a decent living.

It was about this time I fell into bad company -- a blonde from Fife who conned me into marrying her -- and started producing websites for a friend's fledgling Internet company. From there it was a roller coaster ride (in that it made a lot of people feel decidedly unwell) from web designer to web manager, lead programmer, team lead and other assorted technical bollocks with three different companies, eventually ending up as a project manager for a global IT company.

But there was always the writing (well, that's not true, the writing only started two chapters above this one). I fell victim to that most dreadful of things: peer pressure. Two friends were writing novels and I thought, 'why not? I could do that'.

Took a few years though...

Reviews

[Shannon M (Canada) · Rating 4 out of 5]

AND THE CORPSE WORE TARTAN is a short Roberta Steel novel. I was entertained by the comedy, but I felt there was too much repetition. It should have been a novella. To increase its length to meet the short novel format, all the good jokes were rehashed—several times.

Consequently, I read over and over again about Steel's discomfort with her new panties and bra (sexy ones that wife Susan purchased for her), her hangover ("If she wasn't dead, she was dying."), the garish castle filled with tartan everything ("Hollywood's idea of how Scotland was meant to look."), her misidentification as a DCI (instead of her current status as a DS, following her demotion)—all jokes that hit home, the first (or even second) time I read them, but then became too repetitious.

Eventually, the story did move onto a murder mystery, but again there was too much repetition. Roberta walked through the miserable rain too often ("Going to catch her death of mildew at this rate.") Chasing clues. Interviewing suspects. Assisted by two locals who simply didn't have the personality of her regular sidekick, Logan McRae. Logan adds gravity to McBride's Aberdeen based series, whereas Steel adds humour. I loved the humour, but missed the insight that I usually find in Stuart MacBride's novels.

AND THE CORPSE WORE TARTAN was written as a homage to one of Agatha Christie's most famous works, Murder on the Orient Express. Personally, I didn't find the ending satisfactory, but other readers might. It was, overall, a fun read. However, it didn't provide the depth that I have come to expect from author Stuart MacBride. Luckily, it doesn't take long to read. 3.5 stars.

Thanks to Pan MacMillan for providing an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinions.

[Jackie Roos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting a spoof, really disappointed. Totally over-egged the pudding. Had expected a proper Roberta Steel episode not a slapstick lightweight romp.

[Kath · Rating 5 out of 5]

To say that Roberta Steel is an acquired taste is a HUGE understatement. She's also very much not everyone's cup of tea. She is very much front and centre herein - I believe her first main character starring role (previously shared the limelight with Tufty in a full length book and also maybe starred in a couple of shorts) and she is definitely larger than life, so, basically, I really wouldn't let this be your first meeting with her...
And anyway... If you haven't already read the author's Logan MacRae series... where have you been...
So... we start with a wedding in a posh Castle Hotel in the Highlands. DS Roberta Steel crashes it, joining her wife Susan who is a guest. Now, if you have read the Logan McRae books, you'll know that our Roberta is not a wilting flower who nods and grins. No... she is full on, in your face, rip roaring life of the party, definitely not on her best behaviour, which is illustrated nicely by her opening scene...
Long story short... there's a death, the Hotel is isolated by the weather, there are two local cops also attending the wedding but Roberta takes the lead as she "forgets" her demotion when introducing herself and becomes highest ranking officer...
We then follow her as she tries to solve the murder by basically making it up as she goes along with absolutely hilarious results and more than a nod to the golden age and Christie.
As I laid down already, Roberta is not everyone's cuppa. But I love her, always have. And the way she is written, her mannerisms, her complete lack of filter when talking, just fits my sense of humour. And don't get me started on her relationship with Susan who must be an absolute saint!
And is all that wasn't enough, the murder she is trying to solve is an absolute doozy. Especially as she has to go proper old school with no scenes of crime, no forensics, no wet weather clothing, and no link to the outside world.
And the jokes, the one liners, the dark humour, all had me laughing out loud - yes I read it on the bus, complete with strange looks and all that...
But yeah... loved it... and it's one I will definitely revisit in Audiobook as soon as I can get my hands on a copy. And, now we all know that she can hold up a book on her own, maybe we can have more of her flying solo in the future... please... My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

[Mary Carbajosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is brilliantly written and an absolute joy to read, it is a unique and fiendishly clever story that manages to combine a crime caper with a large dose of dark, Scottish humour in a way that may challenge some readers, but for me, worked so well (maybe being Scottish helps) I could not put it down and read it in a day, albeit it is a short book.

In this one, we are reintroduced to D S Roberta Steele, who has appeared alongside D I Logan McRae in many of Stuart MacBride’s previous novels. However, in this story, she is the main protagonist, and we follow her while she tries to investigate a murder at a remote Scottish castle-cum-hotel, where a wedding has just taken place, and where all the guests and staff are now suspects. To make matters worse, they are all cut off from the outside world due to some extremely bad weather.

I laughed out loud at Roberta’s foul-mouthed crudeness, her sarcasm and her irreverence. She is definitely an unconventional, rule-breaking member of the police force, and as such, probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but I enjoyed every bit of nonsense that came out of her mouth. This tale certainly showcases the author’s madcap penmanship and highlights him to be a pure comic genius. There were so many quotes I loved, but my favourite was : “Everything from the waist down’s dripping, and no’ in a sexy way” - and the pages are chock full of these.

I love MacBride’s style of writing, as he normally incorporates some dark cop humour into otherwise serious crime cases, but this book felt different, in my opinion it was more of a Brian Rix-type farce rather than a true crime thriller, but no less readable for that. For my money, this is the author’s homage to Agatha Christie’s Murder On The Orient Express, à la Stuart MacBride, of course.

All in all, this is a book that will divide readers for sure, but taken with a little pinch of salt it’s a really great book, which rockets along at a good pace, has a fantastic setting, intriguing characters and some pretty ingenious dialogue.

Publication date - 12th February 2026

Thanks to Net Galley and Pan MacMillan for the advanced copy.

[Aimée · Rating 4 out of 5]

~ Werbung, weil NetGalley Rezensionsexemplar. Alle Meinungen meine eigenen. ~



Roberta Steel, ihres Zeichens ungeschlachte Polizistin ohne Blatt vor dem schottischen Mund, will ihre Frau bei einem romantischen Wochenende überraschen. Das Problem? Ihre Frau Susan ist bei einer Hochzeit in den schottischen Highlands und Roberta steht nicht auf der Gästeliste.



Was passiert, wenn man eine lesbische Polizistin, die sich bei jeder Frau vorstellt, wie sie wohl im Bett ist, in einen Raum voller erzkonservativer Tories steckt? Richtig, die gute Frau besäuft sich, um das zu ertragen und ruiniert dann die Hochzeit, weil sie den Vater der Braut vermöbelt, weil der ihre Frau angegangen hat.

Problem: Am nächsten Morgen gibt's eine aufgespießte Leiche und die hart verkaterte Frau muss einen Mordfall lösen, denn es gewittert heftig. Dadurch sind die Telefonleitungen (und sporadisch auch der Strom) tot und die einzige Brücke raus bricht unter der Wasserlast zusammen...



Roberta Steel ist Lesenden der Logan McRae-Reihe wohlbekannt, dies ist ihr erstes eigenes Abenteuer - ich habe die Reihe nicht gelesen und kann euch daher sagen: Ihr könnt dieses Buch bedenkenlos als Einzelband betrachten. Es gibt zwar einen Bezug darauf, dass ihre Visitenkarten veraltet sind, aber das ist nicht wirklich handlungsrelevant.



Das Ambiente ist herrlich schottisch - von den zahlreichen guten Whiskys, die die gute Roberta verputzt, über die Landschaftsbeschreibungen hin zu den zahlreichen Tartans, deren Buntheit ihr verkatertes Auge quälen, fühlte ich mich direkt wohl.



Mit dem Ende war ich allerdings nicht einverstanden... aber das muss wohl jeder mit sich selbst ausmachen.



"[Her tongue felt] like a mouldy flip-flop marinated in someone else's vomit, then set on fire."

~ 08.02.2026

[Robert Goodman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stuart MacBride is one of the great exponents of Scottish crime fiction, aka Tartan Noir with a couple of awards and plenty of shortlists to his name. In his latest book And the Corpse Wore Tartan he brings to the center one of his most beloved and annoying creations – Detective Sergeant Roberta Steel - and drops her into an Agatha Chistie-style murder mystery, although one with plenty of sly winking to the readers.
And the Corpse Wore Tartan declares its intentions from the first page in which Roberta Steel is found spectacularly hungover in a field outside a stately castle hotel in the Scottish Highlands. It turns out that she came to surprise her wife who was attending the wedding of a work colleague and managed to spectacularly disgrace herself at the reception. Things go from bad to worse when the father of the bride is discovered half naked and impaled on a stag’s head and the hotel is cut off from the rest of the world by a storm. Fortunately the father of the groom is a policeman and, together with his offsider, is dragooned by Steel into investigating.
The fun of this book comes from MacBride’s own enjoyment in putting the foul-mouthed, hard drinking, always hungry, judgmental Roberta Steel in the middle of an upper-class manor house mystery full of secrets and suspects. Being Scotland, the incessant rain (which Roberta often finds herself out in) feels like a character in and of itself. And then there are the nods to the grand traditions of the golden age of crime (Murder on the Orient Express even gets name checked at one point) which Roberta blithely ploughs through.
DS Roberta Steel may well put some readers off. But she is certainly unique and possibly an acquired taste (her long suffering wife Susan obviously thinks so). And she is the driving force behind this slyly enjoyable Scottish crime novel.

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

And the Corpse Wore Tartan is a wickedly entertaining blend of dark humour and classic crime thriller chaos — the kind of book that lets you laugh at the absurdity of murder one moment and lean in, genuinely tense, the next.

DS Roberta Steel is an absolute menace in the best possible way. She crashes the Highland wedding of the year with all the grace of a wrecking ball, gets catastrophically drunk, and then wakes up to find herself the only detective available when the father of the bride turns up artistically impaled on a stag’s head in the hotel lobby. It’s grisly, it’s dramatic, and it’s exactly the sort of crime scene Steel deserves to stumble into.

The storm‑cut valley and isolated Skirivour Castle Hotel give the story a deliciously claustrophobic edge. With no way out, no phone lines, and a lobby decorated with a corpse, every wedding guest becomes a suspect — and Steel, nursing a hangover that could qualify as a medical emergency, has to piece together the truth with only a weary sergeant and a constable who’s… let’s say not firing on all cylinders.

MacBride’s trademark dark humour shines here. The dialogue snaps, the character interactions are gloriously unfiltered, and Steel’s internal monologue is a masterclass in chaotic brilliance. Yet beneath the comedy, the mystery is genuinely tight: clever clues, sharp twists, and a killer reveal that feels earned.

It’s a crime thriller that never forgets to have fun — sharp, irreverent, and just twisted enough to keep you on edge. A brilliantly dark, laugh‑out‑loud murder mystery with a beating thriller heart. DS Steel steals every scene, and the Highlands have rarely felt so deadly or so entertaining.

My thanks to Stuart McBride, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

[Michael Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stuart MacBride is a very talented writer of murder mysteries having the ability to create interesting characters and weave them into a storyline full of suspense and surprise but keeping within the bounds of credibility. The whodunit question is never obvious and his descriptive narrative places the reader into the middle of every scene. Added to this is a wicked sense of humour portrayed through his unconventional characters. Top of these is DS Roberta Steel who takes the leading role in And the Corpse Wore Tartan, with his long time protagonist Logan MacRae notably absent. For this who do not know her, she is a larger than life DS who would make Andy Dalziel seem almost civilised! Put it this way, she fiddles more with her bits than he does, drinks more than he does and, though hard to believe, seems more inventive at insulting people than him!
It is an enjoyable read with MacBride really fleshing out the characters of Roberta and her long suffering wife, Susan, who is the opposite to Roberta. The setting is a castle hotel in the Scottish Highlands which has been cut off by heavy rains and thunderstorms when one of the guests' body is found impaired on a stags head in the lobby. Roberta has to work with two local police officers to solve the case in the absence of outside support. In true Agatha Christie style, the killer is among those stranded in the vicinity so it becomes a process of elimination until the storm subsides. Once again the Scottish Tourist Board are not going to be happy with MacBride's constant references to the persistent rain and cold ...a feature of his early books set in Aberdeen which did little to encourage readers to vacation in NE Scotland!
If you enjoy a good mystery but also enjoy some light relief then this is the book for you.

[Peter Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skirivour Castle Hotel in the Highlands is hosting the wedding of the year, and Detective Sergeant Roberta Steel is just about to crash it.
Much to the surprise of everyone including her wife Susan. She promises to be on her best behaviour, but that doesn’t last long and she ends up very drunk.
The following morning she and the rest of the guests wake up to discover the body of the bride’s father impaled on the decorative stag in the hotel lobby. This is not the only disaster, the valley has been cut off by the weather. So with no way of getting help, DS Steel takes charge of the investigation. With a raging hangover and two other officers to help, and every guest a suspect, this is going to push our detective to her limits.
Can Roberta catch the killer, or is she next on the list?
Every time I read a book by Stuart Macbride I find myself smiling He has such a way of writing that can’t be copied. His books are always so well written and his sense of humour is delightful.
This particular novel is a perfect example of that. It’s a brilliant story, set in a remote place, with a superb cast characters and great laugh out loud moments. This was a true delight to read and I highly recommend it.

[Louise Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The great and the not-so-good are gathered at Skivivour Castle Hotel, in the heart of the Highlands, for the wedding of the year - but they weren't expecting Detective Sergeant Roberta Steel to crash their party. And get horribly, horribly drunk. The whole valley has been cut off by a massive thunderstorm and the phone lines are down, so when the father- of-the-bride's body is discovered - decoratively impaled on a stags head in the hotel lobby, it's up to DS Steel to find out whodunit. Which isn't easy when you've got a massive hangover and only a world-weary sergeant and a halfwit police constable for backup.

What a fantastic book this is. DS Roberta Steel has appeared in the DI Logan McRae series. She is attending a wedding at Skivivour Castle Hotel with her wife. She's not everybody's cup of tea, but she gets the job done. Even though a murder is being investigated, there is also some humour to.

Published 12th February 2026

I would like to thank #NetGalley #PanMacmillan and the author #SturatMacBride for my ARC of #AndTheCorpseWoreTartan in exchange for an honest review.

[Mara (tailsandtales.streetlibrary) · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sassy, sapphic sleuthing in Scotland…honestly, what more could I ask for?

Corpse Wore Tartan opens with a cracking bit of foreshadowing and had me hooked straight away. I did go in a little apprehensive…second book in a row set in the Highlands and the last series I jumped into mid-way didn’t work for me…but the Scots obsession quickly won out.

DS Roberta Steele may have appeared in earlier books (I’ve not read), but even coming in fresh, I connected instantly. She’s written with such confidence and bite that I fell for her within pages. Her hangover description alone is gold:

“There was an orchestra of bastards trapped inside her skull, doing death-metal covers on bin lids with sledgehammers. And they were crap at it too.”

And her coffee order:

“…it’s two and a coo in that coffee…”

Remote castle. Wedding aftermath. Murder. Everyone cut off. Dark, filthy Scottish humour throughout. It won’t be for everyone, but it absolutely worked for me — fast, sharp, and wildly entertaining.

Publication date: 12 February 2026

Thanks to Pan Macmillan for the advanced copy.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

The great and the not-so-good are gathered at Skirivour Castle Hotel, in the heart of the Highlands, for the wedding of the year – but they weren’t expecting Detective Sergeant Roberta Steel to crash their party. And get horribly, horribly drunk. The whole valley’s been cut off by a massive thunderstorm and the phone lines are down as is the bridge, so when the father-of-the-bride’s body is discovered – decoratively impaled on a stag’s head in the hotel lobby – it’s up to DS Steel to find out whodunit.
Your enjoyment of the book will depend on whether you like or loathe Roberta Steel as she’s definitely an acquired taste, on the whole I like her but she does make me cringe at times, she also makes me laugh & also shake my head – she’s certainly an original. The case is intriguing & I was engrossed partly to see what Roberta would do next! I thoroughly enjoyed it & look forward to more of Roberta’s cases
I voluntarily read and reviewed a special copy of this book; all thoughts and opinions are my own

[Anabela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was an entertaining, darkly funny read with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments — even if it dragged a little in parts. Set during a wedding at a remote, crumbling mansion in the Scottish Highlands, the atmosphere is delightfully claustrophobic: a violent storm cuts everyone off from the outside world, with no roads and no phone service.

When the thoroughly unpleasant father of the bride is found murdered, it quickly becomes clear that every single guest has a motive — and no shortage of reasons to want him dead. Enter the detective in charge: politically incorrect, gloriously quirky, and nursing a monumental hangover, backed up only by a world-weary sergeant and a halfwit constable. The character dynamics are a highlight and where much of the humour really shines.

While the ending was a bit of a letdown for me, the journey getting there was still fun, sharp, and often ridiculous in the best way. Overall, a darkly humorous, locked-room-style mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously and makes for an entertaining read.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

At long last, Roberta Steel gets her very own case to solve and I am delighted to report that it’s exactly the sweary, distastefully funny experience that I, along with her many other fans, would have expected it to be. Stuart MacBride definitely focuses more on the humorous aspects of the case and his delightful turns of phrase had me laughing out loud. You’re never too old to appreciate a good bodily function themed gag! ‘And the Corpse Wore Tartan’ is also a tightly plotted whodunnit that pays tribute to Agatha Christie in its reworking of the isolated hotel as the setting for dark deeds. Roberta channels her inner Miss Marple as she tries to deduce which one of the arch Tories is the killer - a task that the author likens to trying to find a Mars Bar in a swimming pool full of jobbies! The strength of this novel is that, if you put the humour to one side, it still succeeds as a concise and engaging murder mystery. The reader gets to enjoy the best of both worlds.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of ‘And The Corpse Wore Tartan’ by Stuart MacBride, due to be published on 12 February 2026 by Pan Macmillan.

DS Roberta Steel rocks up at Skirivour Castle Hotel to surprise her wife Susan, and attend a society wedding, which is her worst nightmare. She promises Susan she’ll be on her best behaviour, but manages to embarrass her by drinking way too much and passing out.

The next morning, a macabre discovery is made, when a body is found suspended from a giant stag statue in the lobby.

Along with two police officers who are wedding guests, Roberta sets out to find who the killer is and bring them to justice.

The story is full of comedy, the slapdash way that the team investigate makes it a surprise that they get any kind of result! It’s a lighthearted, quick and fun read - well described scenes and characters.

[Pgchuis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley and am quitting at 25% (at which point the body has only just been discovered). The blurb sounded fun, but now that I read other people's reviews, I see that how fun you find it will depend on how much you love the character of DS Roberta Steel. Apparently she is in other books by this author, which I have not read.

If, like me, you find her deeply unpleasant, you will not enjoy this book. On the other hand, if your reason for buying the book was because she was in it, then I am sure you will love it. For the record, I fail to believe she could ever have risen to the rank of DCI (she got demoted apparently) with her entire lack of empathy/tact/normal human emotions/ability to read a room, and her objectification of every woman she encountered disgusted me.

[Miki Jacobs · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Roberta Steele drives to a remote highland hotel to surprise her wife at a wedding she was not intending to be investigating a murder the following day.
When she is woken up lying in the grounds of the hotel by the gamekeeper with the biggest hangover ever, she is not surprised that someone has bumped off the father of the bride as he was a slimly Tory wanker (her words). Wha t she doesn't expect is everyone at the wedding giving such a positive account of his character, all using similar words.
Contending with rising temperatures and driving rain from a storm, she has not back up other than the two local guys, she strives to find out the truth in her unique manner.
Funny and frustrating.

[Lost Vegas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I understand the want to write a very chaotic, female character, but did we need such detail on how grotesque she was physically? Definitely not and this just felt like a misogynistic take on an otherwise sharp and fun character. I want more female characters but not like this.

To follow that bad start, there was nothing special here. Some poor jokes, repetitive sequences and oddly timed sex with her wife? Is this all a female detective is capable of?

The mystery was fine, but formulaic and no one at any point (despite their clear ability), had the ability to see what was going on.

Lame duck

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me an eArc of the book in exchange for and honest review.

[Patricia Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything written by Stuart MacBride is worth a read in my world. And this quick irreverent delve into the murky world of Roberta Steel brought a bit of joy into a snowy Saturday morning for me. It was silly and probably wouldn't stand up to too much deep investigation but I didn't read it like that. I read it for a laugh. Foul mouthed Robbie stuck at a toffee nosed Tory wedding. Horrendous weather, a locked room murder and lots of whisky and you have a recipe for disaster! A Logan novel it's not but I found it very enjoyable nevertheless. Thank you Stuart for cheering up my snowy weekend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

[Aya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stuart MacBride wanted to pay tribute to the Golden Age of detective fiction with And the Corpse Wore Tartan but too bad I don't think he succeeded.

It took me some time to get used to the writing style, then it took me more time to get used to the babbling of Roberta. She didn't do much investigating, she had such a loud mouth and appetite that she didn't get much done. She was just running around in the rain, soaking all wet and complaining all the way.

3 stars, compared to the Queen of Crime Agatha Christie this was a terrible mistake. I couldn't make head nor tail what Stuart MacBride was trying to do. Weak protagonist and planning, the writing didn't help much either.

[Jo-anne Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprising and then embarrassing her wife at a fancy highland wedding, Roberta Steele finds herself managing a crime scene when the father of the bride is murdered. Trapped in an isolated castle with no roads passable due to weather and no mobile signal Roberta has to find the suspect from a wedding party of Tories and the weird locals.
Suffice to say this is MacBride at his sweariest! The book is a homage to Christie's locked room mysteries with loads of little easter eggs spread throughout. It's a cracking little story populated by memorable characters and laced with the blackest of humour. I didn't want it to end!!

[Emerald Maple · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roberta Steel shows up to a Tory wedding her wife is attending, no RSVP and gets very very drunk. Her hangover gets even worse when the father of the bride is found impaled on a stag head in the lobby and they can't get any backup during the storm.

I prefer books to have some closure and while the mystery of who killed him was good, the ending left me wanting more. Robbie's insults and personality are probably better in smaller doses but at some point, I am surprised they were not dealing with people just trying to escape from her, forget the dead bodies.

Thanks to Macmillan for the advance copy for review.

[Mrs Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only Roberta Steele could be there!

Loved this hilarious story 🤣 only Roberta steele could upset the stuffed up, toffee nosed people portrayed in this, making herself known in only the way she could by being totally obnoxious to all who crossed her path whole trying to solve the murder(s) to see her shine despite her demotion to DS and having a miniscule team of 2, she tried her hardest to get the culprit(s) to confess before help from Inverness arrived .... brilliant writing from Stuart Macbride 👏 yet another great 5🌟 read 📚

[Tiger · Rating 3 out of 5]

MacBride pens the awesome Logan McRae scottish series where D.S. Roberta Steel is extremely entertaining as a secondary character with her bombastic, foul mouthed, sarcastic demeanor. She works perfectly alongside the hard nosed McRae in a lesser role. As the lead character in this one, I have to say that the jokes and hi-jinks just seemed to wear thin after a while. Still was an entertaining read that had me guessing all the way to the (slightly disappointing) end. Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jannelies · Rating 4 out of 5]

First: I did not read the hardcover edition, I read the paperback. The paperback edition was published on 12 February 2026 and is not on GR yet.
I will change to the correct edition once the book is on GR.

Anyway, not a real review from me this time, because I'm already way behind due to circumstances. Just wanted to let you know it is very funny, a light read with an unexpected ending. A must-read for all fans of Stuart MacBride (and Roberta Steel).

[Justin Sarginson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An amusing little read this.
More slapstick than slapdash, this murder mystery is an enjoyable read. Yes, there are some genuinely good jokes but also some (I’m sure) deliberate carry on moments.
The plot is not the most complicated or devious and the ending is a bit of a let down, but fun it definitely is.

I’m very grateful to the publisher for letting me read this early.

[Martha Brindley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very light-hearted, comedy read from the author and not to be taken too seriously! If you enjoy the Carry On movies, you will enjoy this quick and easy read featuring DS Roberta Steele set in the Highlands of Scotland. Just buckle up and dive in to this amusing mystery! Thanks to Net Galley for my ARC.

[Anne Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Stuart’s books ever since I saw the posters for Cold Granite in Aberdeen train station in 2005. I love his quirky humour, his use of illustrative language “ jinked around swollen mounds of sickly mushrooms – their yellow domes glistening like unsqueezed plukes.” - is a favourite!
A wedding in a large Scottish manor house turns sinister when a body appears in a very strange place. Roberta Steel has gatecrashed the event to surprise her wife. She is therefore on site to solve whodunnit particularly as the weather causes the house to be cut off.
I loved this story. Another cracking book!

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. I got the audible version as I find it easier to concentrate on than reading. The narrator choice was exquisite! She embodied Roberta Steel perfectly. The story trots along at a fabulous pace, with laughs a plenty, oh my moments and a few wtf ones too.
I do hope that we get more Roberta Steel adventures in future

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Stuart MacBride book, will probably not read any others. It was okay, mildly amusing main character but sometimes seemed as though the author decided to write a butch lesbian behaving exactly like a boozed up bloke... Would have raised the rating if the ending hadn't been a total let down.