The Castle in the Glen

by Rhys Bowen

A ghostwriter plunges into danger as she unravels the dark secrets of a powerful Scottish family in a thrilling novel of romance and mystery by the bestselling author of Mrs. Endicott’s Splendid Adventure.

Australian writer Emma Callander has been recruited to complete the final historical mystery in a series by celebrated author Iris Blackburn. It’s 1964, and Iris’s memory is fading. She’s certain that only Emma can do justice to her novel about a murder on the Isle of Skye. When Emma ventures to Scotland for research, she discovers it isn’t fiction at all, but rather a true crime unsolved for more than fifty years.

It was 1904 when a couple’s suspicious drowning led to the disappearance of a mysterious young woman the locals called the Wild Girl. To this day the mystery is unforgettable, especially among the descendants of an aristocratic family who’ll do anything to keep their secrets buried. From the misty Highlands to a medieval castle, Emma and Tony Gordon, Iris’s handsome lawyer, work ever more closely to uncover them.

But while Iris may be known for her fiendishly clever twists, there’s one not even Emma could have seen coming.

Genres: Historical, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical Mystery

429 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

I'm a New York Times bestselling mystery author, winner of both Agatha and Anthony awards for my Molly Murphy mysteries, set in 1902 New York City.

I have recently published four internationally bestselling WWII novels, one of them a #1 Kindle bestseller, and the Tuscan Child selling almost a million copies to date. In Farleigh Field won three major awards and was nominated for an Edgar. My other stand-alone novels are The Victory Garden, about land girls in WWI and Above the Bay of Angels, featuring a young woman who becomes chef for Queen Victoria.
April 2021 will mark the publication of THE VENICE SKETCHBOOK--another sweeping historical novel of love, loss and intrigue.

My books are currently translated into 29 languages and I have fans worldwide.

I also write the Agatha-winning Royal Spyness series, about the British royal family in the 1930s. It's lighter, sexier, funnier, wicked satire. It was voted by readers as best mystery series one year.
I am also known for my Constable Evans books, set in North Wales, and for my award-winning short stories.

I was born and raised in England but currently divide my time between California and Arizona where I go to escape from the harsh California winters
When I am not writing I love to travel, sing, hike, play my Celtic harp.
Series:
* Constable Evan Mystery
* Molly Murphy Mysteries
* Her Royal Spyness Mysteries

Awards:
Agatha Award
◊ Best Novel (2001): Murphy's Law
Reviewer's Choice Award
◊ Historical Mystery (2001): Murphy's Law

Reviews

[Kate Baxter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rys Bowen, you've done it again - superlatively. Such a well spun mystery sent in 1965 England and 1932 Isle of Skye, Scotland. I absolutely loved the ending!

As dementia creeps into her life, aging author, Iris Blackburn, is attempting to write a prequel as her final book for the Inspector Melrose series. Not confident that she can complete the book, she calls upon the talents of a young up-and-coming Australian author to ghostwrite the book's ending. Emma Callander has recently published her freshman novel to some success. It is she upon whom is called to aid Iris. Emma has doubts that she is up to the task for such an auspicious author, but is willing to try. She reads the manuscript written thus far and is soon dispatched to Glasgow and the Isle of Skye for further research. It is while on the Isle of Skye where everything falls frighteningly into place. Can any good come of all of it? Only time will tell.

The writing of Rhys Bowen (pen name of Janet Quin-Harkin) was excellent and flowed well. There were a number of suspects, each with their own motivations for killing. The mise en scène was absolute perfection and exquisitely described such that one could smell the lovely scent of evergreens and hear the roar of ocean waves in the forceful autumn gale winds. The character development was rich and the architecture well-described. The foreshadowing was prominent and one might guess the outcome. Yet, the journey was worth it all in the end.

I am grateful to Lake Union Publishing for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.


Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication date: August 4, 2026
Number of Pages: 429
ISBN: 978-1662527210

[Anne Wolters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emma Callander, an editor for a London publisher, has one book to her name but is struggling to begin her next. She’s stunned when renowned mystery writer Iris Blackburn approaches her with an unusual request: to finish the novel Iris has started. With the early signs of dementia creeping in, Iris is convinced Emma is the only one who can complete her story.

Though the year is 1965, Iris’s unfinished manuscript is set in the early 1900s on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. To capture the setting authentically, Iris sends Emma to Scotland for on‑the‑ground research. But as Emma digs deeper into the history of the area, she becomes increasingly convinced that the “fictional” murder at the heart of Iris’s book is actually tied to a real, unsolved crime from fifty years earlier.

The more Emma uncovers, the more dangerous her situation becomes. Iris’s young and handsome lawyer, Tony Gordon, senses she may be in trouble and travels to Scotland—arriving just in time to find Emma shaken after a near‑fatal encounter. Together, they begin unraveling long‑buried secrets that someone is still desperate to keep hidden.

Back in England, Emma faces a new dilemma: how to tell Iris that her imagined story may not be imagined at all—and that the truth behind it is still perilous.

This is a beautifully written, atmospheric, and utterly gripping mystery. The pacing is brisk, the tension constant, and I found myself turning pages far into the night. I couldn’t put it down until the very last page.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All comments and opinions are my own.

[Meg Pearson · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As a longtime fan of Rhys Bowen, I was excited to dive into The Castle in the Glen, and once again she delivered an engaging and atmospheric mystery. This standalone novel combines a fascinating dual timeline with a compelling "story within a story" premise that immediately drew me in.

When aspiring writer Emma Callander is asked to complete the unfinished manuscript of a famous author suffering from memory loss, she travels to the Isle of Skye to research the novel's setting. What begins as a ghostwriting assignment soon becomes something much more intriguing as Emma realizes the fictional murder at the heart of the manuscript may be based on a real unsolved crime from decades earlier.

The Scottish setting is absolutely beautiful, with misty landscapes, ancient castles, and a strong sense of place that made me feel transported to Skye. I especially enjoyed following Emma's investigation as she uncovered long-buried secrets and discovered connections between the past and present. The mystery itself kept me turning pages, and the blend of historical intrigue, romance, and suspense made for a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Rhys Bowen remains a gifted storyteller, and fans of cozy mysteries, historical mysteries, and atmospheric Scottish settings will find much to love here. A captivating and entertaining escape that kept me engaged from beginning to end.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Callander is a young Australian woman working in London for a publishing house, she has written one quite successful novel and is struggling to find a subject for the second. In fact, after her last relationship ended she has been thinking about returning to Australia, even if there is nothing/no-one there for her.

Then her boss takes her with him to see one of the publisher's biggest clients, fellow Australian Iris Blackburn. Iris has started writing a new book featuring her famous Scottish detective but she is suffering from dementia and can no longer finish it. Iris asks Emma if she will finish the book for her. At first Emma is horrified, she doesn't really like the books (too gritty) and for an unknown author to attempt to write about an iconic character feels like sacrilege. But once she starts reading the first few chapters Emma is hooked, this is very different to the other books, it is Inspector Melrose's first case, the murder of a young woman on the Isle of Skye.

Iris insists Emma goes to Skye to get a feel for the island, but there Emma discovers the case might not be fiction, because many of the events in Iris's draft took place, just in 1904 rather than in the 1930s. Yet the events were so disturbing that people still remember it.

Although I guessed what had happened, and why, fairly early on it didn't spoil my enjoyment of the book or how the mystery unravelled.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Regina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Castle in the Glen is so different than Bowen's normal genre of historical fiction. I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it at first, but I shouldn't have had any doubts. I mean, it's Rhys Bowen after all. I absolutely loved it! The premise of having a book inside a book has become more popular as of late and only works if the story is well-written. In this case, it was perfect! I was completely hooked with the Scottish mystery and detective Melrose's investigation, and even more captivated when that fictional tale turned into a mystery of true crime. It was reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel but in the language of Outlander. So cool! The ending was somewhat predictable but that didn't even matter. Getting there was the ultimate experience of enjoyment. This author always transports me to other worlds and time periods with her atmospheric and immersive prose. I become a part of them, and I never want to leave. I can't wait to get my hands on her next adventure. What a great read!!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for granting me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

[Krys Sims · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished reading an ARC from NetGalley of The Castle in the Glen, my first time reading a book by Rhys Bowen.

This is a cozy mystery of a book within a book. A newly published Australian expat in England is hired to read and finish a final manuscript as a ghostwriter for a famous, beloved Australian writer. World-renown author, but now elderly, Iris Blackburn brings Emma Callander to her country estate to ask her to read and finish her last novel. This prequel to her established series takes Emma to the Isle of Skye in Scotland to research and find the ending to this beloved character.

The inner thoughts and some of the dialogue was repetitive for the main character but it was still enjoyable and easy to read. The descriptions and scenery were so lovely. I found myself looking up the Isle of Skye and adding it to my bucket list of places to visit.
Very enjoyable and I can’t wait to read more of Rhys Bowen’s books!

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

The resolution of Rys Bowen’s The Castle in the Glen will knock your socks off…so don’t peek! This is a story within a story. Emma has been invited by well known author Iris Blackburn to assist her in the completion of her mystery manuscript. Iris cites her dementia as the reason. Sent to Scotland to get a feel for the location, what Emma discovers is perplexing. Is the unfinished manuscript truth based on fiction or fiction based on truth? And why has her investigation put her life in danger? This reviewer can guarantee this book will not end up in one’s DNF file. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

[Hannelore Cheney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the eARC.
This book is fantastic, so well written and immersive, it's a must-read.
In 1965 London, Emma is homesick for her native Australia. Even though the publisher she works for has published her book to great success, she finds it difficult to put pen to paper again and just wants to go home.
But suddenly she finds herself invited to co-write a novel with a world-renowned Australian author and is on her way to Scotland to do some research.
The story is great, the scenery beautiful and the ending a gobsmacker, I loved it!

[KDRBCK]

The Castle in the Glen by new to me author Rhys Bowen is an historical mystery published by Lake Union.
Set in beautiful Scotland - sigh - australian writer Emma is tasked with completing the final book of Iris, a famed author. With the help of Tony, her lawyer she soon discovers its not fiction she's writing.
An intriguing read that kept me well entertained. I liked the story and the characters, 4 stars.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This stand alone book by Rhys Bowen was so much better than I had anticipated. What a good story. First off the premise was interesting. Emma Callendar is hired as a ghostwriter to complete a novel by a very well known writer. We get to see the writing process, as I imagine is done by the actual author Ms Bowen. Great descriptions of the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Strong plot with a bit of suspense.

[Osi · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Thank you Lake Union Publishing for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.*

This is my first Rhys Bowen book and I quite enjoyed it. It’s a slow-burn cozy mystery with a satisfying conclusion that makes it worthwhile.