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The Mallaig Link: Detective McKay Mystery Series

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Detective Inspector Gavin McKay has reason to distrust the newly appointed Acting Chief Superintendent.
A tip off from an old friend sets McKay on a mission to prove the man is corrupt.His undercover surveillance is blown, which makes him more determined to continue his investigation.Searching for the identity of a woman with no memory gives him the cover to keep digging for the proof he needs.
Links between the house at Mallaig and the woman with amnesia increase the danger to everyone involved.

Can he find the truth before someone else gets hurt and his personal life is destroyed?

This is the first of the Detective Inspector Gavin McKay books.

This crime/mystery novel is available as a paperback, Kindle book and Audible book.

If you like gripping Crime/Police Procedurals with a touch of romance this is for you.
Read the first chapter and Order now.
Available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, Paperback and Audible

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 11, 2016

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About the author

Caro Ayre

11 books9 followers
A childhood in Kenya has left me with lasting memories of hot sun filled days, vibrant coloured birds and flowers, armies of insects, roaming wildlife in vast expanses of open spaces and warm waves lapping on silvery sands.
I then moved and now live in an idyllic setting in rural Somerset in a Victorian house. In the summer the house is filled with Bed and Breakfast guests. Building restoration is an ongoing affair which along with gardening, painting and writing.

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5 stars
125 (40%)
4 stars
83 (27%)
3 stars
73 (23%)
2 stars
17 (5%)
1 star
8 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Profile Image for Mia.
40 reviews
February 1, 2025
The premise for this book sounded right up my alley so I was left sorely disappointed 😕

I felt the pacing was uneven, the plot was slow and I just didn’t connect with any of the characters. The setting is the only reason for the 2⭐️ as it reminds me of my summers spent in Scotland as a child.
Profile Image for S Richardson.
308 reviews
March 22, 2021
Ok for the train.

Interesting if obvious plot, the writing is a bit Janet and John though, in the end this book is too long for it’s competence.
50 reviews
July 28, 2026
Great Story

I really liked this book,
and I hope to read more from this author. I did notice several punctuation errors: lots of run-on sentences, missing apostrophes and commas in odd places. But these are just mechanics. The characters were well developed and the plot is believable. It's a good cozy!
Profile Image for Paul Snelling.
375 reviews2 followers
December 23, 2020
Finished out of a sense of loyalty to Mallaig - the only reason I bought it in the first place. Completely dire. Oh, and it’s S,t,i (that’s an i), l,i, n,g. As it says on maps. Any map would have done.
734 reviews20 followers
August 16, 2026
Looking for a book from the shelves in my Islay holiday cottage I was drawn to this one by its Mallaig setting. Sadly that's its only redeeming feature. Truly awful writing, flat characters, unbelievable plot, ridiculous romance and Mallaig has little relevance to the story. Don't bother.
29 reviews
September 27, 2019
Dismal. Only kept going because I’m on holiday and don’t have many books with me!
4 reviews
March 13, 2023
Dull

Just a bit dull characters lacking depth
Didn't know a detective could be so flexible in his workers my day and poor ending
306 reviews1 follower
May 13, 2025
I had been noticing this book for quite a while but never bothered to download it until recently and now I am kicking myself - I should have read it much sooner. It does not disappoint.
Profile Image for james irvine Bell.
19 reviews
June 28, 2018
Having read the bibliographyrr of the author and her apparent ignorance of the western seaboard of Scotland. The Nearest mainland subdivisional office. Will be
"The Garrison <" ie Fort William not Oban which when I served in Oban was part of the ARGYLL COUN TY POLICE and not the Inverness Costabularly which covered both Mallaig and. Fort William and finally Comrie whose Governing body was Perth and Kinross Constabularly. Reasonable story almost a great read but not enough research eg there is NO coroner 's court in Scotland. A Sheriff covers that jury court and is. Free from the pressure of criminal or civil law. Nice tale badly researched.
A RED PEN NEEDED
35 reviews
March 10, 2023
A birthday gift from my girlfriend and another mystery novel! This was a pretty standard crime novel but still an enjoyable read. It was a nice light read too as it is not a long book. A nice twist if I remember correctly too which I always love! Been a while so hard to remember details.
127 reviews
February 6, 2023
A truly awful book. It's badly written, the characters are flat and, frankly, boring. Jim and Mer/Jenny are all over the place and there are procedural holes that you could drive a truck through. The spelling and grammar errors would shame a Primary School pupil. Don't bother with this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Catherine MacLeod.
Author 2 books32 followers
March 18, 2016
Jackson Brodie, Cormoran Strike, move along now; Gavin Mckay's my favourite new detective!

But it's not just McKay, there are other great characters in this novel and I was seduced right from the first few pages, I think by the author's assured writing and easy familiarity with the characters, so that I felt I knew them straight off too, like being introduced by a friend. That's some enchantment, to mesmerise a reader like that.

Set in the west coast of Scotland, a stunning and dramatic backdrop which added to the sense of mounting drama and intrigue, and Devon (which I love) what really stood out for me (other than it being extremely well-written) is what a genuinely terrific story this is. An engrossing mystery, highly recommended and I hope the author writes more books featuring McKay.
135 reviews
January 8, 2017
Police corruption?

The story is well constructed, with suspense and a bit of romance. The characters are believable and well formed. Each new twist kept me wanting to read more.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews