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Seven Bodies: A brand new locked-in murder mystery
An exclusive retreat. An isolated hotel. A storm that changes everything.
The Tornivan Hotel in the remote Scottish Highlands is Jules's last shot at success. When a wealthy investor and his wife arrive for a weekend stay, it feels like the chance she's been waiting for.
But as a blizzard arrives, the hotel's guests and staff find themselves snowed in with no way out, and they all have secrets of their own. When one of them disappears without a trace, panic spreads through the corridors.
Desperate to protect her reputation and save her dream, Jules makes a decision that could change everything. Because in this hotel, danger isn't out in the storm… it's already inside.
Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie, Seven Bodies is a gripping, claustrophobic mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
The Tornivan Hotel in the remote Scottish Highlands is Jules's last shot at success. When a wealthy investor and his wife arrive for a weekend stay, it feels like the chance she's been waiting for.
But as a blizzard arrives, the hotel's guests and staff find themselves snowed in with no way out, and they all have secrets of their own. When one of them disappears without a trace, panic spreads through the corridors.
Desperate to protect her reputation and save her dream, Jules makes a decision that could change everything. Because in this hotel, danger isn't out in the storm… it's already inside.
Perfect for fans of Lucy Foley and Agatha Christie, Seven Bodies is a gripping, claustrophobic mystery that will keep you guessing until the very last page.
314 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 6, 2026
26 people are currently reading
48 people want to read
About the author
V.J. Randle
5 books10 followersVictoria read Classics at King's College, University of Cambridge before teaching Latin and Greek for over a decade. She has given many a tour of Hellenic sites over the years, both in the capacity of educator and holiday-maker. If you spot an excitable woman in a maxi skirt waving her arms about on top of The Acropolis, chances are it's her. Do say hello!
She now lives and writes in the North-East of Scotland with her husband, Will, and cat, Athena (who is every bit the goddess of stratagem as her namesake). Sign up to her newsletter at victoriarandleauthor.com to be the first to hear about all her writing news and the occasional bookish treat.
As I'm both an author and a reader, I only rate/review books I absolutely love and don't mention the rest (I don't like being critical of other authors' work publicly). So, this is why my ratings are all 5*s – they're genuine.
She now lives and writes in the North-East of Scotland with her husband, Will, and cat, Athena (who is every bit the goddess of stratagem as her namesake). Sign up to her newsletter at victoriarandleauthor.com to be the first to hear about all her writing news and the occasional bookish treat.
As I'm both an author and a reader, I only rate/review books I absolutely love and don't mention the rest (I don't like being critical of other authors' work publicly). So, this is why my ratings are all 5*s – they're genuine.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
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December 29, 2025Jules runs an exclusive hotel in a remote part of Scotland, but unfortunately business isn’t going well. So when a wealthy investor books a room, she sees it as her chance to save the hotel. Several other guests arrive for the same weekend, but when a blizzard hits, they all find themselves trapped with no way to leave. Then one of the guests disappears—and soon the bodies start turning up.
A snowed-in, locked-room mystery? Yes, please. This was an absolutely brilliant read that had me tapping my Kindle screen as fast as possible just to reach the end and find out who the killer was—and wow, was I surprised. First, we discover who the killer is and the real reason everyone is there in the first place, with plenty of shocking revelations and twists along the way. But that final twist had me sitting bolt upright so fast I think I pulled something. Completely unexpected.
My only issue was that all the characters were incredibly unlikeable. There wasn’t a single one I could say I liked at any point in the story. Other than that, this was a great read.
A snowed-in, locked-room mystery? Yes, please. This was an absolutely brilliant read that had me tapping my Kindle screen as fast as possible just to reach the end and find out who the killer was—and wow, was I surprised. First, we discover who the killer is and the real reason everyone is there in the first place, with plenty of shocking revelations and twists along the way. But that final twist had me sitting bolt upright so fast I think I pulled something. Completely unexpected.
My only issue was that all the characters were incredibly unlikeable. There wasn’t a single one I could say I liked at any point in the story. Other than that, this was a great read.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The idea of a locked room mystery in the Highlands really drew me in, especially at this time of year! Snow, roaring fireplaces, and a murder to solve - perfect!
The characters were all clearly defined, so no confusion over who was who, and the storyline moved along at a fair old rate. Great descriptions of the hotel and it's location too.
Inevitably, there needs to be a coincidence or two to make things turn out the way they do in this genre of book, but I felt I needed to suspend my disbelief slightly too much to allow for everything to fall into place in this situation!
Nevertheless, I spent an enjoyable few hours feeling very glad I hadn't taken advantage of the special offer to stay at the Tornivan Hotel, and could just read about it from under my blanket!
Thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books, for the eARC of this book.
The characters were all clearly defined, so no confusion over who was who, and the storyline moved along at a fair old rate. Great descriptions of the hotel and it's location too.
Inevitably, there needs to be a coincidence or two to make things turn out the way they do in this genre of book, but I felt I needed to suspend my disbelief slightly too much to allow for everything to fall into place in this situation!
Nevertheless, I spent an enjoyable few hours feeling very glad I hadn't taken advantage of the special offer to stay at the Tornivan Hotel, and could just read about it from under my blanket!
Thanks to the author and Bloodhound Books, for the eARC of this book.
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December 22, 2025Advance Copy
Thrills and Chills at a Snowy Scottish Resort
Seven Bodies is a “Christiesque” murder mystery with a fascinatingly twisting plot set in a snowy secluded Scottish resort. At first the reader feels sympathy for the main character, Jules, the owner and proprietor of the failing resort which she once owned with her ex-husband, but she, like all her guests, has secrets in both her present and past. Nothing and no one are as they seem at the Tornivan Hotel on this weekend. The cast of characters include the small staff of a surly cook and a young “man of all work.” Guests include a couple who do not seem to have the same plans for their getaway, a lothario with a sinister hobby and a potential investor for the hotel with his rather odd wife. I recommend this novel to readers of Agatha Christie who enjoy a mystery with countless twists and turns and exciting surprise endings.
Thrills and Chills at a Snowy Scottish Resort
Seven Bodies is a “Christiesque” murder mystery with a fascinatingly twisting plot set in a snowy secluded Scottish resort. At first the reader feels sympathy for the main character, Jules, the owner and proprietor of the failing resort which she once owned with her ex-husband, but she, like all her guests, has secrets in both her present and past. Nothing and no one are as they seem at the Tornivan Hotel on this weekend. The cast of characters include the small staff of a surly cook and a young “man of all work.” Guests include a couple who do not seem to have the same plans for their getaway, a lothario with a sinister hobby and a potential investor for the hotel with his rather odd wife. I recommend this novel to readers of Agatha Christie who enjoy a mystery with countless twists and turns and exciting surprise endings.
January 8, 2026
*Book Review*
🅟🅤🅑🅛🅘🅢🅗🅘🅝🅖 🅣🅞🅓🅐🅨 ➏🅣🅗 🅙🅐🅝🅤🅐🅡🅨 ➋⓿➋➏
This is the second book of @victoria.j.randle I have read now and what another delight this one was. It made for a very easy read and very cleverly thought out plot.
I loved the chapters being from the different characters throughout the book allowing you to watch the story unfold from multiple points of view. The way that Randle has made everything link was just pure genius.
There were many clever twists along the way some that I was able to call and some that took me by utter surprise. I did guess the killer early on but that took nothing away from the story and I still had fun directing the story to see where everything might slot in.
I did start at the book thinking that it was all a bit far fetched but the more you read and the more that unfolds it all makes perfect sense and not as far fetched as first thought.
Thankyou to Randle and @bloodhound.books for sending me an advanced copy of this book to read and review. I will defo be keeping my eye out for more of Victoria’s work in the future.
🅟🅤🅑🅛🅘🅢🅗🅘🅝🅖 🅣🅞🅓🅐🅨 ➏🅣🅗 🅙🅐🅝🅤🅐🅡🅨 ➋⓿➋➏
This is the second book of @victoria.j.randle I have read now and what another delight this one was. It made for a very easy read and very cleverly thought out plot.
I loved the chapters being from the different characters throughout the book allowing you to watch the story unfold from multiple points of view. The way that Randle has made everything link was just pure genius.
There were many clever twists along the way some that I was able to call and some that took me by utter surprise. I did guess the killer early on but that took nothing away from the story and I still had fun directing the story to see where everything might slot in.
I did start at the book thinking that it was all a bit far fetched but the more you read and the more that unfolds it all makes perfect sense and not as far fetched as first thought.
Thankyou to Randle and @bloodhound.books for sending me an advanced copy of this book to read and review. I will defo be keeping my eye out for more of Victoria’s work in the future.
December 3, 2025
The perfect murder mystery; a classic with a modern twist.
At remote Scottish hotel Tornivan, everyone is hiding a secret and there's a chilling air of menace invading this 'luxury retreat'. But while there's plenty of Champagne, Whisky, and roaring log fires on offer for the guests, death is lurking in the shadows.
The characters are a joy: intriguing, human, and suspicious. Wintery Scotland is brought to life so beautifully you can practically feel the cold. The plot is a tense delight, building inexorably to the perfect denouement. Everyone is a suspect, and the strands of the plot are woven together with such skill you'll be kept guessing until the very end.
This is the perfect book with which to hunker down on a dark winter's night. A real treat.
At remote Scottish hotel Tornivan, everyone is hiding a secret and there's a chilling air of menace invading this 'luxury retreat'. But while there's plenty of Champagne, Whisky, and roaring log fires on offer for the guests, death is lurking in the shadows.
The characters are a joy: intriguing, human, and suspicious. Wintery Scotland is brought to life so beautifully you can practically feel the cold. The plot is a tense delight, building inexorably to the perfect denouement. Everyone is a suspect, and the strands of the plot are woven together with such skill you'll be kept guessing until the very end.
This is the perfect book with which to hunker down on a dark winter's night. A real treat.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
In this atmospheric thriller we meet Jules, fighting desperately to save her luxury Highland hotel.
Her final chance rests on impressing a potential investor during a high-stakes weekend, but the eccentric guests and uncooperative staff push her to the brink.
As tensions escalate and the body count mounts, a dark connection between the central characters emerges - they are all mysteriously linked to one person.
V.J Randle expertly builds suspense, peppering the dark narrative with farcical moments that kept me reading into the wee small hours.
My suspicions veered from one person to another until the unexpected ending threw everything on its head. A must read for fans of dark thrillers with twists and turns.
My thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is my own opinion.
Her final chance rests on impressing a potential investor during a high-stakes weekend, but the eccentric guests and uncooperative staff push her to the brink.
As tensions escalate and the body count mounts, a dark connection between the central characters emerges - they are all mysteriously linked to one person.
V.J Randle expertly builds suspense, peppering the dark narrative with farcical moments that kept me reading into the wee small hours.
My suspicions veered from one person to another until the unexpected ending threw everything on its head. A must read for fans of dark thrillers with twists and turns.
My thanks to the publisher for the ARC. This is my own opinion.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Not many modern day writers can pay homage to Agatha Christie's classic 'And Then There Were None' in the style it deserves but V.J. Randle has proved that it can be done - and done well - very well infact.
A rundown boutique hotel in a remote area of the Scottish Highlands is the perfect location for the story to unfold in.
The characterisation is particularly well done, and each and every character is fully realised. As layer-upon-layer of back story is peeled away to unveil a whole host of secrets and lies the plot thickens.
This is a mystery full of twists and turns and gathers momentum for a blood-soaked denouement.
V.J. Randle deserves to find her name on a great many bestsellers lists. I can't wait to read her next novel.
A rundown boutique hotel in a remote area of the Scottish Highlands is the perfect location for the story to unfold in.
The characterisation is particularly well done, and each and every character is fully realised. As layer-upon-layer of back story is peeled away to unveil a whole host of secrets and lies the plot thickens.
This is a mystery full of twists and turns and gathers momentum for a blood-soaked denouement.
V.J. Randle deserves to find her name on a great many bestsellers lists. I can't wait to read her next novel.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
A boutique hotel in the Scottish Highlands, five guests and three staff, wintertime, snow and murder, a very good combination.
Jules has been running the hotel since her marriage broke up, her only help is Marta, the chef and Calan the groundskeeper; this weekend is her last chance to get some investment. Tim and his wife Gracie have been invited in the hope of investing into the hotel. The other guests, Zachary, a photographer and Lucas and Sandeep have seemingly booked as the result of a special offer.
Can Jules keep it together for the weekend?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the tension builds with the story and I did not work out who was behind everything at all.
Jules has been running the hotel since her marriage broke up, her only help is Marta, the chef and Calan the groundskeeper; this weekend is her last chance to get some investment. Tim and his wife Gracie have been invited in the hope of investing into the hotel. The other guests, Zachary, a photographer and Lucas and Sandeep have seemingly booked as the result of a special offer.
Can Jules keep it together for the weekend?
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, the tension builds with the story and I did not work out who was behind everything at all.
January 6, 2026
LOVED this utterly enthralling page-turner. If you enjoy Agatha Christie or Knives Out style mysteries then you will also love this latest novel from V.J. Randle.
I was totally hooked from start to finish. Right from the beginning, I was transported to the most vividly depicted Scottish hotel in the depths of winter. Then the story builds and builds until it hits the big reveal which is an absolute jaw dropper in the most fantastic way.
This book continues to prove that Randle is practically unmatched in their ability to conjure up the most thrilling of mysteries with the deftest of touches. An absolute triumph and a must-read!
I was totally hooked from start to finish. Right from the beginning, I was transported to the most vividly depicted Scottish hotel in the depths of winter. Then the story builds and builds until it hits the big reveal which is an absolute jaw dropper in the most fantastic way.
This book continues to prove that Randle is practically unmatched in their ability to conjure up the most thrilling of mysteries with the deftest of touches. An absolute triumph and a must-read!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Seven people are in a remote Scottish hotel when one disappears and then a body is discovered. I enjoyed this read. The sense of being cut off was palpable and became increasingly so as tensions rise among each person, both guests and staff.
I liked how seemingly unrelated events in each person's life gradually became revealed to fit into one commonality. The author does a good job of directing you in one direction only to throw a curveball so just as I thought things were resolved, a further twist occurs. It was very cleverly done.
I liked how seemingly unrelated events in each person's life gradually became revealed to fit into one commonality. The author does a good job of directing you in one direction only to throw a curveball so just as I thought things were resolved, a further twist occurs. It was very cleverly done.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I thoroughly enjoyed this well written, gripping murder mystery.
It kept me guessing, but as I suspected one person and then then another, then along came a twist to prove me wrong, and I certainly wasn't prepared for that unexpected twisty ending.
It's a well written gripping murder mystery that has you guessing from start to finish and what an ending it is.
There's plenty of revelations and twists with strong, interesting characters .
My thanks to Bloodhound books for the advanced copy. This is my honest and unbiased review of this book.
It kept me guessing, but as I suspected one person and then then another, then along came a twist to prove me wrong, and I certainly wasn't prepared for that unexpected twisty ending.
It's a well written gripping murder mystery that has you guessing from start to finish and what an ending it is.
There's plenty of revelations and twists with strong, interesting characters .
My thanks to Bloodhound books for the advanced copy. This is my honest and unbiased review of this book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
V J Randle has done it again - delivered the cosy crime mystery we're all craving at this time of year. This time round, the remote hotel setting dials up the cabin fever tension, but much like Cold Secrets, her plotting is tight and twisting, the characters wonderfully vivid, and the writing of a far higher quality than you'll find in much of this genre. An enjoyable, immersive read to devour by the fireside with a whisky in hand.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
The premise of this story, random people trapped by the snow in a remote hotel in Scotland, is not an original story, however I like this 'locked room' genre.
As usual, none of the characters are very likeable.
As I started reading, I got gripped and kept swapping who I thought 'done it' all the way through the story.
I enjoyed this story and will certainly look for more from this author.
As usual, none of the characters are very likeable.
As I started reading, I got gripped and kept swapping who I thought 'done it' all the way through the story.
I enjoyed this story and will certainly look for more from this author.
January 7, 2026
When I started reading this book I wasn't quite sure I would like it. A group of 7 unrelated, not so likeable characters, each carrying a secret, that I wouldn't have minded getting rid of myself at times. But I admit I was soon sucked in by the twists and turns and and had to keep reading to find out who the killer was.
January 13, 2026
This book is a locked room mystery set in an isolated hotel in Scotland . It’s make or break for the owner , what could go wrong. I loved the twists in the book, just as I thought I’d solved it it turned another way and I was thinking it’s another person. A real page turner that once you start you won’t put it down.
November 24, 2025
A secluded hotel in Scotland filled with murder. So many twists and turns. What an ending! Kept me gripped from start to finish. Couldn't put it down. Best book I've read in ages. Highly recommended. I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy and leave this review willingly.
Review of advance copy
A deluxe hotel in the middle of nowhere, snowed in to add to the intrigue.
A good whodunnit, with a complete mixture of characters, some likeable, others not so. I found this to be an interesting read, it kept my interest to the end.
Thanks for the opportunity to read this book.
A good whodunnit, with a complete mixture of characters, some likeable, others not so. I found this to be an interesting read, it kept my interest to the end.
Thanks for the opportunity to read this book.
January 7, 2026
I'm someone who does always enjoy locked room mysteries and snow - and this one was not different. Seven bodies does play in a hotel in Scotland, and it really drew me in from the start. A classic murder mystery which is surely kust the right read for this time of the year. Very well done!
November 29, 2025
This is a brilliant who dunnit book. Lots of beautiful soft twists and turns interspersed with more tense twists and turns.
Recommended for a good read
Recommended for a good read
December 4, 2025
review to come
December 10, 2025
A somewhat farcical murder mystery but kept me entertained for a few days. I think the author intended a touch of farce but it was too much for me.
December 11, 2025
Devoured this book! Totally didn’t see the end coming. Highly recommend!
Review of advance copy received from Author
A very tight and clever whodunit with some colourful characters. A mysterious treat!
Review of advance copy received from Author
A fantastic and superb classic murder mystery with an uproarious modern twist. One to read in one sitting because it’s impossible to put down. Best whodunnit I’ve read in a very long time.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was an entertaining read and kept me engaged so I had to read this in one go. It really did work.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
If you enjoy a locked-in murder mystery in bleak desolate locations then this is for you. It kept me hooked until the end. A great book for reading under a blanket in this freezing weather.
December 13, 2025
Hello! This is my book (please forgive my five star rating!). I hope you enjoy it, but, whatever you think, thank you so much for taking the time to read it. It's greatly appreciated.
Vicky
xxx
Vicky
xxx
January 13, 2026
This is the first time I have read this author, and Scotland can be quite bleak in winter, but at the same time, it is also beautiful and rugged. It was quite a complex thriller, and I did find it got a little messy at the end, and it did remind me of the Agatha Christie, "And Then There Was None"
I will give this author another go
I will give this author another go
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews