The Beasts of the Black Loch

by Gay Marris

In 50,000 acres of remote Scottish mountains and moor sits Dorcha a former hunting lodge nestling amongst ancient forests, on the shores of the enigmatic 'Black Loch'. At night, lights glow from within, smoke curls from its chimneys, and in the forgiving murk of the gloaming, it looks magical. In daylight, its mouldering plasterwork and failing plumbing present a less romantic reality.

Dr Ava Dickens has come to Dorcha to visit her godson, Alastair – a young man whose parents' sudden death has taken him from a quiet life in academia to owning Loch Dorcha. He and his very new wife are convinced the only way to make the estate work is to run the Hall as a hotel. But Ava is a rigorous scientist, her specialty animal behaviour, and she is by no means certain that the evidence is indicative of a successful outcome.

When one of the hotel guests is found dead in his bed, having gulped down poisonous insect repellant rather than the whisky sitting next to it, Ava's knowledge of the female Culicoides impunctatus – aka the Highland midge – leads her to doubt that it was an accident. And worse is to come…

Genres: Mystery

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 12, 2026

Reviews

[Kai · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ava Dickens, zoologist and adventurer, feels more at home in the wild than with people. So much so that she would have happily continued exploring the world but for the sudden death of her closest friends. Now tasked with helping their only child Alistair -- a naïve young university graduate and newlywed -- to transform the family estate into a hotel, she finds herself back in the UK and thrust into the role of godmother. But things start to go wrong almost immediately when a guest dies and her scientific instincts tell her it was not an accident.

What develops is a delightfully plotted whodunit contrasting the richness and beauty of the Scottish Highlands in the seventies with the deadly killing spree of a would be serial killer. A charming cast of local personalities and Intricately woven storylines converge to a devious and fulfilling climax well worth the read. The Beasts of the Black Loch is a strong start for this first time amateur detective and one sure to gain Dr Ava Dickens a large following. If you like the style of Sherlock Holmes or Miss Marple, you will feel right at home with this master sleuth.

This book was provided as an advanced reader copy through #NetGalley.

[K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in the 1970s in the Scottish highlands, the story starts with the death of Duncan and Shiela in a car crash, the car swerving to avoid a man, although everyone thinks it was a deer. Alastair has inherited the estate and now runs Dorcha house as a hotel. Unfortunately the business is struggling and he has sought help from his godmother Ava. When Ava arrives she meets again, although she cannot remember him, Alastair’s other godparent Wick. There is an eclectic mix of visitors to the hotel, with just Alastair and his wife running everything with the help of a local girl Maggie.
Then one of the guest dies, Ava is suspicious but it is ruled unsuspicious. Alasdair seems to be struggling, watched constantly by his wife.
A very well written book with lots of twists and an ending I didn’t expect. My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc