Death in a Shetland Family

by Marsali Taylor

This series is a must-read for anyone who loves the sea, or islands, or joyous, intricate story-telling.' ANN CLEEVES

304 pages, Paperback

Expected publication November 17, 2026

About the author

Marsali Taylor grew up near Edinburgh, and came to Shetland as a newly-qualified teacher. She is currently a part-time teacher on Shetland’s scenic west side, living with her husband and two Shetland ponies. Marsali is a qualified STGA tourist-guide who is fascinated by history, and has published plays in Shetland’s distinctive dialect, as well as a history of women's suffrage in Shetland. She's also a keen sailor who enjoys exploring in her own 8m yacht, and an active member of her local drama group.

Reviews

[Gail E Riffle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderfully rounded out story, filled with characters you feel like you know !

I've read every book in this series and accomplished that in a month. That's how much this American has gotten hooked on the places, characters, stories and the wonderful education in sailing and in Shetland while reading each book. Marsalis writes with such vivid verbiage, so fully rounding out each character and every fascinating place on the isles that they visit.
The stories are exciting, full of mystery and adventure, as well as very unique characters.
I've fallen in love with Shetland and have put it on my places to explore list.

Thanks go these great stories, Marsali. Please write your next book very very soon!!!

[Caron Allan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I said this about the previous book, and very likely the one before that, too. But I mean it this time, this is definitely the best book of the series! These books just keep getting better!

So what happens? No spoilers, but someone dies. Obvs.

Here in this part of Shetland, everyone knows everyone. They know them either by reputation or because they went to school with them or played in a hockey match against them. It's a close-knit community but there is that sense of everything you do being noticed.

It's not long before Cass comes to be involved and needs to find out what is going on. She meets a family, purely by chance, and then, of course, her life becomes intertwined with theirs.

Someone is killed. It wasn't an accident, the police are sure of that. But it falls to Cass to move through her community to put together the bits and pieces of what they all know so that the truth can be revealed.

This was a great read, as I've already said, and one where you are asking yourself the whole time, 'Was it them?'

A real page-turner! I recommend you read this asap!

[Elizabeth Sirett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shetland's sailor sleuth Cass Lynch is home from the sea and looking forward to spending a few days with her partner, policeman Gavin Macrae, but the best laid plans don't always work out. Gavin has been called away; his mother has been taken ill, and Cass comes home to an empty house and a list of unfamiliar chores. On the way, an encounter with a runaway horse will lead to unexpected ramifications, though she doesn't know that yet. That evening she meets the horse's owner and is unimpressed by his suave attitude and very un-Shetland demeanour. He has recently returned to the island after forging (or failing to forge) a career in England and has made himself unpopular.

A day later the same man's murdered body is discovered – and it becomes evident that Cass was one of the last people to see him alive. With Gavin away and an investigation team brought in from mainland Scotland, Cass's local knowledge and easy-to-talk-to manner mean she is soon doing what she does best, apart from sailing of course: gathering pieces of information everywhere she goes and putting them together.

As always in one of Marsali Taylor's novels, there's plenty of sailing. Cass is glad to be reunited with her own beloved yacht Khalida, and there are trips to look forward to on her new ship the Shetland-based Swan. There's also Shetland itself: the variety of lifestyles, the country shows, the harvest festivals, all described in the kind of detail that makes you feel you're right there in the middle of it. And it seems that everywhere she goes on land or at sea, something significant occurs or Cass happens upon someone who has new light to throw on the murder.

We meet plenty of familiar characters: Magnie, Cass's retired fisherman friend; Anders the Norwegian engineer; Cass's father and redoubtable Maman; Freya Petersen, Gavin's super-efficient sergeant. The family of the murdered man figure as strongly as you might expect: his stern mother, alcoholic brother and fragile sister; also, his neighbours: Mattie, who is in love with the brother's estranged wife, and observant Mary, who lives according to strict religious principles. Everyone is as rounded as regular readers have come to expect, with the ring of reality; there's good in all the bad guys and no one is perfect.

It's all set against a background unfamiliar to both Cass and her legions of fans: the croft where Cass and Gavin's cottage is situated. In Gavin's absence she finds herself learning more than she bargains for, about feeding, counting and rounding up a whole troop of animals: ponies, hens, sheep and of course the cats.

Naturally, the information Cass gathers plays a key role in solving the murder, and as always she finds herself in trouble and gets out of it with ingenuity and courage. And there's a hint – just a hint – at the end that there are plenty more adventures in store. I couldn't be more glad of that.
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Reviewer: Lynne Patrick
For Lizzie Sirett (Mystery People Group)

[Karolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here is my review for Death In A Shetland Family by Marsali Taylor

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this crime thriller mystery set in the Shetland Islands where Cass Lynch has now returned from a sailing overseas trip to Norway with her trainees. Gavin phones to say he's had to go to his mums as she's in hospital and sorry to leave her with the animals. Her and Anders get a lift with Magnie, when he has to suddenly hit the brakes to miss hitting a black stallion. The stallion is freaking out so Magnie and Cass walk a distance behind him, with Anders in the Fiat behind them. Magnie had spoken to Aidin and he was going to meet them with a horsebox. The stallion had worn himself out and Magnie was talking to him with a soothing voice. When Aidin met them, the stallion eyed the horsebox warily and it took some coaxing in. The stallion turned out to belong to the Klaufister stud. Keith Arthurson turned up on Cass’ doorstep with the stallion in the horsebox on the way home but Cass didn't like him. The next day, Anders and Cass took her boat, Khalida, to Clousta to look at the stud farm but then Cass had her accident with the bump on her head and got invited in to get it tended to by Patsy. Later she heard about the death of Keith Arthurson whose body was found after they had left earlier. Gavin told her to make notes on everything that was said and who by so she had a clear idea when she was questioned. It was a really intriguing story with a lot about sailing around the Shetlands included. I think this made it more interesting and Gavin asked Cass to do some questioning on his behalf whilst he was away, this had me really intrigued. Some of the old Scottish language was used in the talking and made for intriguing reading. I liked the plotting and how it was thought out. I believe the author did a lot of research for this book before writing the story as there is a lot of information included. The descriptive writing is terrific and everything is described in great detail. The characters are an intriguing bunch, well described and very realistic. I'm loving this series as the main characters are very gripping and dependable plus you can rely on them to get the culprit. I look forward to the next book already.

Blurb :

Shetland sailing sleuth Cass Lynch is definitely out of her comfort zone when she helps round up a prize-winning stallion escaped from the renowned Klaufister stud. She's even less impressed by its owner, Keith Arthurson, a returned city slicker who's already made enemies in his community.

An unexpected visit to the Arthursons shows Cass the tensions simmering within the family. When Keith's found dead, can she uncover the motive for his murder without putting herself in danger?

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another brilliant addition to the series. I have started getting quite nervous every time a new Taylor comes out in case the quality has started to drop off, but 14 books in and this is still a really strong series.

In this entry, Cass is back in Shetland but mostly on her own - Gavin's mother has had a stroke, so he spends most of the book in the hospital or on his mother's farm. It was an interesting narrative choice to banish one half of the main couple to the fringes of the story, but I think it works. With no Gavin around to manage the household chores, Cass's eyes are opened to just how much work is involved in running a land-based life. This raises some questions about their future relationship, and I look forward to seeing how these are resolved in future books.

This book introduces us to some new characters, as the extended family and friends of our murder victim come under suspicion. I love the way Taylor creates such nuanced characters, with no one being wholly good and few being wholly evil. This makes them so realistic, and enables the reader to feel some sympathy even for the more obnoxious individuals. As always, the countryside, coast and culture of Shetland continues to be a strong presence throughout, adding depth and richness to the story. This could be read as a standalone, but I do think you will enjoy it more if it is read as part of the series, so that you can see the characters developing. Highly recommended, as always. (And if you haven't yet visited Shetland - go! We visited last year, and it is every bit as wonderful as these books lead you to believe. It's added so much to my enjoyment of this book to have seen some of Cass's territory for myself.

[Lea O'Harra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I greatly enjoyed reading this latest installment of Taylor’s Cass Lynch series, having first come across these charming novels set in Shetland years ago, by chance. From the start, I was struck by the resilience and strength of the protagonist and impressed by her deep understanding both of Shetland culture and of the intricacies of sailing. Since that initial encounter with the Shetland mysteries, I’ve been fortunate enough to become acquainted with the author, and I can’t help but think the books contain strong autobiographical elements. Taylor herself is a skilled sailor who’s made her home in a place she knows and loves well. Reading her novels, I’m always struck by her talent for combining the elements of a murder mystery with eloquent evocation of the beauty of the Shetland landscape and the special character of its native inhabitants coupled by a fondness for felines and the sense of freedom one can enjoy in navigating a craft on water. Boats and cats feature largely in these books. Death in a Shetland Family is a gripping page-turner that also provides a window on a place sufficiently unique for its inhabitants to speak in words the ordinary reader may not be familiar with. Taylor thoughtfully includes a glossary of Scots and Shetlan words at the back. Highly recommended.

[Donna Morfett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently this is book 14 in this series, but you wouldnt know it if you're coming in new, as I did.
This book sees Cass getting knocked on the head, falling in the sea, getting help from a family, where she senses something isnt quite right.
She doesnt realise shes accidentally stumbled into a murder mystery for which Agatha Christie would be proud.
I loved the setting of Shetland, the mix of the sea and the farm, with the animals. The talk of the horses, the hens and Cat and Kitten.
I loved how the author just casually threw in new clues without you realising. Not that I figured any of them out. I was shocked when the reveal was made.
There is a lot of focus on family, the struggle when kids change the dynamic, favouritism, alcoholism, inheritance, male and female roles and expectations, and not fully realising how hard your partner works until you live a day in their shoes.
There's also a lot of mention of living with severe health conditions but still getting on with life, but the huge impact it has. Not trivialising it in any way. Probably the most honest account of ME and such like ive read.
I really liked Cass and her intelligence and self awareness, and love for her husband and family. I feel I may have to add Marasli to my list of books to catch up on, and look out for in the future. Such an enjoyable way to spend some time with these characters in Shetland.

[Kerensa Cracknell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another gripping story about Cass Lynch, the Shetland “wife that investigates murders”. This time she isn’t in any danger herself (I was beginning to wonder whether she’d make it to thirty!) but she does get kidnapped and shut in a container - with a sleeping bag and provisions - to keep her out of the way while the murderer escapes. This is the fourteenth in the series, and this time Gavin has had to go and spend some time looking after his mother, who’s had a stroke; Cass reports back every evening with news about the murder that she’s found out, and he passes it on to the investigating team. Slightly unbelievable, but these aren’t brilliantly written, nor are they meant to be believable I think. They’re meant to be good stories with likeable characters, and descriptions of the Shetland Islands that make you want to visit there. The relationship between Cass and Gavin, and Cass’s uncertainty about whether she wants a life on the sea or the land, or whether she could achieve a compromise between the two, develops a little bit with every book - which is great, as it leaves lots of room for more stories!

[Maggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm always delighted to see another Shetland mystery from Marsali Taylor -even if I know I'll be up reading to the early hours! The latest in the series did not disappoint. Once again Cass finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when a prodigal son is found killed on his family's croft. She is operating on the fringes of things as Gavin, her policeman partner is away South.

One of the great things with these books is that you not only get a good 'whodunnit' but you also get to enjoy the sailing round the area & this time the world of Shetland Ponies is added in for good measure. Along with the great characters- both human & otherwise makes for a story that glues you to the page. It was another five star read and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

[Miriam Drori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great mystery from this author with a background of sailing. This time, I also learned about crofting in Shetland. In the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, crofting is a system of land tenure by tenants, who use the attached land for pasturage. Cass, an old hand at sailing, is new to crofting and forced to learn on the job. I was happy to sit back and read about it.

On top of all this extra work, Cass tries to help solve the murder, discussing who might be responsible with anyone who might have useful information. Naturally, this puts Cass in danger, leading to an exciting and surprising revelation.

As with the novel An Imposter in Shetland, I enjoyed the writing and loved learning about the Shetland way of life. The mystery added to my enjoyment.

[Tami Wylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series set in Shetland that I’ve read even though it’s number 14 in the series. However, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything needed to enjoy the book. I really enjoyed meeting cast. She’s a fabulous character, strong, intelligent and determined. The story was a great who donate as she tries to find out who killed the son of a family. The setting is gorgeous as well. I will definitely be reading the rest of this series.

[wendy geen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series

I have really enjoyed this series of books and the characters are credible and developing. I look forward to the next one.

[Alison Coutts · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another triumph

Just a wonderful read and well crafted. Thoroughly enjoyable with all the twists and turns you expect, set against the gorgeous backdrop that is Shetland