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The Highland Mysteries #0.5
Shaggy Business: A Scottish Highland Coo Mystery
The Highlands Are Full Of Must-Sees.
Shame Someone Took One.
Long before Joana and Brian were Scotland’s answer to witty crime-solving, they had to survive a field trip in 2010.
Shaggy Business is the prequel to The Highland Mysteries. Their first case, a fair bit of bickering, and the dawning realisation that, against all odds, they actually worked rather well together.
Shame Someone Took One.
Long before Joana and Brian were Scotland’s answer to witty crime-solving, they had to survive a field trip in 2010.
Shaggy Business is the prequel to The Highland Mysteries. Their first case, a fair bit of bickering, and the dawning realisation that, against all odds, they actually worked rather well together.
ebook
Published January 1, 2026
About the author
Joana Snowdon
5 books4 followersI live on the coast of the North Sea in North East Scotland, where the salty air and endless horizon are the perfect companions for dreaming up a cosy mystery.
In my previous life, I worked as a journalist and travelled the world. These days, you’re more likely to find me in my garden with a pen and paper than on a plane. I don't write in an old-fashioned way, but I still love to plan my plots and clues with something I can actually hold. When I head out into the Highlands, I usually bring a thermos of green tea and something vegan that is easy to pack for a picnic (I love eating!). And if this sounds familiar… well… yes. Admittedly, I am a bit like Brian. I like my drama and my snacks. But I’m also a bit like my other main character, Joana, who shares my name. I can be dry, often sarcastic, and sometimes a little annoying.
My stories are of course fiction, but they draw heavily on my real experiences in the Scottish hills. Thankfully, there aren’t nearly as many dead bodies in real life, though many of my quirkier characters are inspired by the wonderful people I’ve met.
I’ve chosen the Highland Coo as the symbol for The Highland Mysteries because, to me, there isn’t a more magnificent animal in the world. They are wild, beautiful, and never really tamed. Just like Scotland itself. (Plus their hairstyle looks pretty much like mine after a sleepless night of plotting, so they have my sympathy.)
While my books are full of secrets and the occasional corpse, I promise to skip the grisly details. I believe there’s enough gloom in the world already. My goal is to give you an escape: a clever twist, a bit of amusement, and a chance to laugh before you return to reality.
Cheers, Joana
In my previous life, I worked as a journalist and travelled the world. These days, you’re more likely to find me in my garden with a pen and paper than on a plane. I don't write in an old-fashioned way, but I still love to plan my plots and clues with something I can actually hold. When I head out into the Highlands, I usually bring a thermos of green tea and something vegan that is easy to pack for a picnic (I love eating!). And if this sounds familiar… well… yes. Admittedly, I am a bit like Brian. I like my drama and my snacks. But I’m also a bit like my other main character, Joana, who shares my name. I can be dry, often sarcastic, and sometimes a little annoying.
My stories are of course fiction, but they draw heavily on my real experiences in the Scottish hills. Thankfully, there aren’t nearly as many dead bodies in real life, though many of my quirkier characters are inspired by the wonderful people I’ve met.
I’ve chosen the Highland Coo as the symbol for The Highland Mysteries because, to me, there isn’t a more magnificent animal in the world. They are wild, beautiful, and never really tamed. Just like Scotland itself. (Plus their hairstyle looks pretty much like mine after a sleepless night of plotting, so they have my sympathy.)
While my books are full of secrets and the occasional corpse, I promise to skip the grisly details. I believe there’s enough gloom in the world already. My goal is to give you an escape: a clever twist, a bit of amusement, and a chance to laugh before you return to reality.
Cheers, Joana
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 29, 2026
This novella is the prequel to a new series of cozy Scottish highland mysteries. It’s an innocent, wholesome, and fun blend. Available for free on the author’s website.
I decided to check this series out because I recognized the characters in the synopsis. A few months ago I read a fun fictionalized travelogue about two photographers and the collection of international students that they squire around England. They were a memorable enough duo that I immediately pegged them as being the same characters in this new series, even though the names in that other book have now been altered (presumably to distance it from this new endeavor?) and the author seems to be using a pseudonym for this series.
Joana and Brian have an opposites-attract, semi-unwilling friendship that provides most of the chuckles in the book. It’s cute. The mystery in this novella is a fairly low-stakes, middle-grade kind of situation, but the writing was just so light (and, as I’ve already said, wholesome!) that it put a smile on my face.
"Investigating!" Brian interrupted me with bright eyes. "Brilliant. We'll be like those TV detectives. You can be the grumpy one with personal issues, and I'll be the charming sidekick with hidden depths."
I decided to check this series out because I recognized the characters in the synopsis. A few months ago I read a fun fictionalized travelogue about two photographers and the collection of international students that they squire around England. They were a memorable enough duo that I immediately pegged them as being the same characters in this new series, even though the names in that other book have now been altered (presumably to distance it from this new endeavor?) and the author seems to be using a pseudonym for this series.
Joana and Brian have an opposites-attract, semi-unwilling friendship that provides most of the chuckles in the book. It’s cute. The mystery in this novella is a fairly low-stakes, middle-grade kind of situation, but the writing was just so light (and, as I’ve already said, wholesome!) that it put a smile on my face.
"Investigating!" Brian interrupted me with bright eyes. "Brilliant. We'll be like those TV detectives. You can be the grumpy one with personal issues, and I'll be the charming sidekick with hidden depths."
May 5, 2026
A warm novella to read before the series and I loved it.
It has the warm Scottish feeling I was looking for with vivid descriptions of the landscape and people which transported me right back there.
The mystery is cute, nothing too scary, but kept me turning the pages nonetheless.
The MC's are quite a bit younger than me, but as it is written with humour and nice banter, which I love so much, I could relate and smile along.
I can't wait to dive into the series itself!
It has the warm Scottish feeling I was looking for with vivid descriptions of the landscape and people which transported me right back there.
The mystery is cute, nothing too scary, but kept me turning the pages nonetheless.
The MC's are quite a bit younger than me, but as it is written with humour and nice banter, which I love so much, I could relate and smile along.
I can't wait to dive into the series itself!
May 14, 2026
Did you know that they call cows "Coo" in Scotland? You'll also learn how the great team of Joana & Brian got together. Many funny moments, great storytelling and larger than life characters.
Read on 04/27/26.
Read on 04/27/26.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews