What do you think?
Rate this book
Diane Dimbleby #7
Murder in the Highlands
In a Castle in the remote Scottish Highlands, nobody can hear you scream. When Diane Dimbleby, a retired school teacher, travels to a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands to visit her friends, the last thing she expects to encounter is an apparent murder. But she does just that and is asked for help in finding out who or what the killer is. Was it the lover of the victim? Was it the husband of the lover? Was it an animal activist who has a history of making violent threats? Or was it a mysterious creature? A dead body in a room that has been ripped apart, yet there are no marks on the body. What exactly happened in that room? Diane seeks to find the answers that are puzzling the local police. But with someone or something dangerous on the loose and the hotel on lockdown, will she make it out of the Glen Gorm Castle alive?
- GenresMystery
120 pages, Paperback
Published January 6, 2018
133 people are currently reading
46 people want to read
About the author
Penelope Sotheby
22 books41 followersAuthor of Cozy Mystery Novels. I am very glad you found me here. Let's connect on Facebook. That's where I love to chat with readers.
https://www.facebook.com/penelopesoth...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
January 14, 2018
Another great Diane Dimbleby mystery. A very unique and fascinating murder set in a castle which is converted into a hotel in Scotland.
A man dies in a hotel room and there are no signs of harm done to him on his body but his hotel room is ripped to pieces…..
As always there are a lot of twists and turns and red herrings to sort through to figure out the perp. It is a well told mystery with a good flow that kept my interest.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book from the author. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
A man dies in a hotel room and there are no signs of harm done to him on his body but his hotel room is ripped to pieces…..
As always there are a lot of twists and turns and red herrings to sort through to figure out the perp. It is a well told mystery with a good flow that kept my interest.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book from the author. Thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 11, 2018
Even on vacation Diane Dimbleby can't get away from murder and mayhem! While in a castle in the Scottish Highlands another murder is committed. This murder is rather strange as the body is ripped apart with no visual markings on it. Strange! The police is baffled as to what actually did happen in that room. Diane and another cast of interesting characters keep this story going so much to have to read it to the end. I received ARC of this book. The review is voluntarily done and of my own opinion.
January 11, 2018
A crazy unexplainable murder...or is it? Diane Dimbleby is on the case. A Must READ fun mystery in this series!
When Diane Dimbleby lands on the Isle of Skye for a vacation at her friend's castle which is now a hotel, she arrives to police there and a murder. With the police being totally puzzled, her friends begged her help in trying to find the solution to the murder of this guest. The room was torn apart like an animal was set loose in the room but the victim doesn't appear to have any marks on him that would explain how he was killed. Diane is a well-developed strong character who puts her sleuthing skills to work. But the killer is still on the loose and will she become a victim too if she gets too close. There are several possible suspects and lots and twists and turns and red-herrings that are so well developed your guesses turn around on you. Will the one suspect that stands out to Diane be counted out with a pretty good alibi? Did the mistress kill him? Did the strange animal activist kill hime? The twists and turns around the suspects leave you turning the pages and reading this in one sitting! I absolutely loved the story, it was really not expected and the end and the clever way in which Diane figured it out is fantastic! You must get this book! I will continue to follow Diane Dimbleby and her pursuit of justice! I received and ARC from the author, but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
When Diane Dimbleby lands on the Isle of Skye for a vacation at her friend's castle which is now a hotel, she arrives to police there and a murder. With the police being totally puzzled, her friends begged her help in trying to find the solution to the murder of this guest. The room was torn apart like an animal was set loose in the room but the victim doesn't appear to have any marks on him that would explain how he was killed. Diane is a well-developed strong character who puts her sleuthing skills to work. But the killer is still on the loose and will she become a victim too if she gets too close. There are several possible suspects and lots and twists and turns and red-herrings that are so well developed your guesses turn around on you. Will the one suspect that stands out to Diane be counted out with a pretty good alibi? Did the mistress kill him? Did the strange animal activist kill hime? The twists and turns around the suspects leave you turning the pages and reading this in one sitting! I absolutely loved the story, it was really not expected and the end and the clever way in which Diane figured it out is fantastic! You must get this book! I will continue to follow Diane Dimbleby and her pursuit of justice! I received and ARC from the author, but the opinions expressed here are strictly my own.
January 14, 2018
Diane Dimbleby is the Miss Marple of the 21st Century. These mysteries breathe the same atmosphere and are just as wonderful to read. Try to solve the mystery before Diane does...
I received a copy and chose to review it.
I received a copy and chose to review it.
January 12, 2018
I received an Advanced Reviewer’s Copy of this short story.
Diane Dimbleby is on holiday to visit her friends on the Isle of Skye, a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands. There she stays in a castle that has been renovated into a hotel.
Upon her arrival, there are policeman everywhere. One of the guests is dead. It appears he has been scared to death.
As Diane assists the lead detective by discovering clues, and thinking of alternative scenarios for the death to have occurred, that things could have happened. They discover the truth in the end, without causing too much harm to the hotel, or the owner’s reputation.
Penelope Sotheby wrote a fun short story that has a few twists, good character development, and a solid plot line. An intriguing death
I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions.
Diane Dimbleby is on holiday to visit her friends on the Isle of Skye, a remote castle in the Scottish Highlands. There she stays in a castle that has been renovated into a hotel.
Upon her arrival, there are policeman everywhere. One of the guests is dead. It appears he has been scared to death.
As Diane assists the lead detective by discovering clues, and thinking of alternative scenarios for the death to have occurred, that things could have happened. They discover the truth in the end, without causing too much harm to the hotel, or the owner’s reputation.
Penelope Sotheby wrote a fun short story that has a few twists, good character development, and a solid plot line. An intriguing death
I would like to thank the author for the opportunity to read and review this book. These are my own opinions.
March 9, 2018
I absolutely loved "Murder In the Highlands", by Penelope Sotheby! It has a very Sherlock Holmes/Hercule Poirot feeliing to it, which made the story all that more enjoyable for me. I was into the action from the very first word. The description of the ferry crossing, and how the main character, retired school teacher Diane Dimbleby, conducted herself is exactly what I would have done! The description of the drive up to her friends hotel, and being passed on the road by a police vehicle with flashing lights, is truly an OMG! moment, as the only place this particular road leads is to her friends hotel.
Arriving to total disarray at the hotel, then learning of the murder of one of the guests, and being asked by her hosts to help investigate the murder, is not quite what Diane expectd this holiday to be. Then she is allowed to see the body, with such a look of fright on his face that it is evident that he was literally frightened to death. The room that he died in - his room - has been absolutely shredded by some animal, yet there are no marks on the body.
An illicet affair, a disappearing bird cage (that mysteriously reappears after the murder), the fact that the victim is a veternerian that is afraid of some animals (deathly afraid!), and threats sent to an animal behavior studies company (that it turn out the victim worked for) all add to the twists and turns in this fast moving story!
Very well written, solid characters, and a nice, quick pace. I look forward to reading other books in this series!
Arriving to total disarray at the hotel, then learning of the murder of one of the guests, and being asked by her hosts to help investigate the murder, is not quite what Diane expectd this holiday to be. Then she is allowed to see the body, with such a look of fright on his face that it is evident that he was literally frightened to death. The room that he died in - his room - has been absolutely shredded by some animal, yet there are no marks on the body.
An illicet affair, a disappearing bird cage (that mysteriously reappears after the murder), the fact that the victim is a veternerian that is afraid of some animals (deathly afraid!), and threats sent to an animal behavior studies company (that it turn out the victim worked for) all add to the twists and turns in this fast moving story!
Very well written, solid characters, and a nice, quick pace. I look forward to reading other books in this series!
February 2, 2019
Third Book I Have Read With the Same Murder method
While this story was a bit different with a somewhat different back story, this is the 3rd book that I have read over the last couple of years that used the same premise for the murder. Each time I wondered if I had read the book before but realized that the stories for all three are quit similar related to the murder, but was not quite the same story. The first time I read a story with the bats frightening the murder victim to death , I thought it a unique method. After the third time, it is a bit stale. I guess one can copy another murder premise for their own story if they change some of the details about the situation or the detectives that solve the case. However, with an odd method like this, it just seems to me that another method might be better utilized to make the story unique and not seem like a copy of someone else's ideas. That is the reason for the lower star rating in my review.
While this story was a bit different with a somewhat different back story, this is the 3rd book that I have read over the last couple of years that used the same premise for the murder. Each time I wondered if I had read the book before but realized that the stories for all three are quit similar related to the murder, but was not quite the same story. The first time I read a story with the bats frightening the murder victim to death , I thought it a unique method. After the third time, it is a bit stale. I guess one can copy another murder premise for their own story if they change some of the details about the situation or the detectives that solve the case. However, with an odd method like this, it just seems to me that another method might be better utilized to make the story unique and not seem like a copy of someone else's ideas. That is the reason for the lower star rating in my review.
January 11, 2018
I received an ARC copy of this book.
Diane Dimbleby is on holiday to visit her friends in the Isle of Skye who own a castle that has been renovated into a hotel.
AS she arrives, rather than the peaceful abode she is expecting, it appears that every policeman on the island is there. One of the guest has been murdered by what looks like a wild animal that tore the room he was in up but left his body alone. He was literally scared to death.
As Diane assist the lead detective by discovering clues, and thinking of alternative ways that things could have happened. They discover the truth in the end, without causing too much harm to hotel, or the owners reputations.
Penelope Sotheby wrote a fun short story that has a few twists, good character development, and a solid plot line.
Diane Dimbleby is on holiday to visit her friends in the Isle of Skye who own a castle that has been renovated into a hotel.
AS she arrives, rather than the peaceful abode she is expecting, it appears that every policeman on the island is there. One of the guest has been murdered by what looks like a wild animal that tore the room he was in up but left his body alone. He was literally scared to death.
As Diane assist the lead detective by discovering clues, and thinking of alternative ways that things could have happened. They discover the truth in the end, without causing too much harm to hotel, or the owners reputations.
Penelope Sotheby wrote a fun short story that has a few twists, good character development, and a solid plot line.
January 11, 2018
Another great book in the Diane Dimbleby series, very atmospherically set in the Scottish Highlands. As always with Penelope Sotheby's books the characters are well written and believable, especially Diane herself who is a very consistent character from one book to another, but also still developing. It was a little disappointing that Diane's husband wasn't in this book, I have got to really enjoy the banter between them.
The plot is again very original, and the murder method very difficult to guess, although there are plenty of clues given along the way, some very well hidden in plain sight!
This is a fairly quick read, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes cosy mysteries, or any classic British murder mystery stories.
I was given a complimentary advance copy of the book, but I have voluntarily written this review based on my own opinions.
The plot is again very original, and the murder method very difficult to guess, although there are plenty of clues given along the way, some very well hidden in plain sight!
This is a fairly quick read, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes cosy mysteries, or any classic British murder mystery stories.
I was given a complimentary advance copy of the book, but I have voluntarily written this review based on my own opinions.
March 1, 2023
interesting but was hoping for something morej
This novel by Penelope Sotheby is indeed a cozy mystery. Enticed by the lovely Eilean Donan Castle on the cover, I expected more glimpses of the castle. Seeking dark shadows of time, I did not feel the setting of this novel, which I, being from USA, hoped to glean from the mystery. With that said, I believe this murder/mystery is quite original with the story, although I would have loved to learn the manner of death closer to the end of the novel for suspense. I would have never figured the cause of death out. And perhaps the staff and guests wouldn’t have been so angry. They might have been terrified. So, I am on the fence with this novel. However, I found originality, learned something new and spent the last few days with tea and scones as I devoured Murder in the Highlands.
This novel by Penelope Sotheby is indeed a cozy mystery. Enticed by the lovely Eilean Donan Castle on the cover, I expected more glimpses of the castle. Seeking dark shadows of time, I did not feel the setting of this novel, which I, being from USA, hoped to glean from the mystery. With that said, I believe this murder/mystery is quite original with the story, although I would have loved to learn the manner of death closer to the end of the novel for suspense. I would have never figured the cause of death out. And perhaps the staff and guests wouldn’t have been so angry. They might have been terrified. So, I am on the fence with this novel. However, I found originality, learned something new and spent the last few days with tea and scones as I devoured Murder in the Highlands.
January 15, 2018
Murder and mayhem await as our much loved author/ sleuth sets off to visit friends at their "little castle" resort in the Highlands.
I was pleased to read an advance copy of this book.
In this latest escapade, Diane manages to set her sleuthing skills to work on a tangled mystery involving multiple business and marital betrayals, give us some awesome descriptions of the Isle of Skye, and get in some writing - that is the fictional author is busy sleuthing as well as writing.
I always enjoy the colorful characters, as well as Diane's wry sense of humor.
If you enjoy a classic Christie style mystery with a bit of modern flair and technology, this could be your next murder mystery.
I was pleased to read an advance copy of this book.
In this latest escapade, Diane manages to set her sleuthing skills to work on a tangled mystery involving multiple business and marital betrayals, give us some awesome descriptions of the Isle of Skye, and get in some writing - that is the fictional author is busy sleuthing as well as writing.
I always enjoy the colorful characters, as well as Diane's wry sense of humor.
If you enjoy a classic Christie style mystery with a bit of modern flair and technology, this could be your next murder mystery.
February 2, 2018
This is a very laid back cozy mystery, and very interesting to find out how the murderers were found by our vacationing mystery write as she worked with the local police. She was on vacation at her friend's resort while her husband was off visiting his relatives. This was no way to spend a vacation--or at least not the way she had expected. The dead man was found in his room which had been trashed--but not a mark on his body. He had apparently died of a heart attack. What on earth could have caused this? All is revealed by the time the novel ends---
Murder in the Highlands
Murder in the Highlands
January 11, 2018
MURDER IN THE HIGHLANDS by Penelope Sotheby
A Diane Dimbleby Murder
Diane maybe sixty one, crossing the ferry one though of a child, enjoying the elements. Staying at Glen Grom Hotel, and having friends running, didn’t expect to be greeted by a murder. His death was it natural, or by fright, but his room, was vandalized. A missing bird cage, that returns later, did he have a lady friend.Diane has ideas, and ask for help, one wonders what she is looking for. These books are always good, enjoyable, and ones you like to start and finish. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.
A Diane Dimbleby Murder
Diane maybe sixty one, crossing the ferry one though of a child, enjoying the elements. Staying at Glen Grom Hotel, and having friends running, didn’t expect to be greeted by a murder. His death was it natural, or by fright, but his room, was vandalized. A missing bird cage, that returns later, did he have a lady friend.Diane has ideas, and ask for help, one wonders what she is looking for. These books are always good, enjoyable, and ones you like to start and finish. Given ARC for my voluntary review and my honest opinion.
January 29, 2018
Penelope writes such great Cozy Mystery books that even though they are a quick read you feel like there was loads of pages in the book. In this book Diane Dimbleby is off for a wee holiday at her friends Hotel aka small castle, however on turning up finds one of the guests has been murdered. From there she puts her sleuthing skills to good use to not only to solve the murder so her friends but also the others guests can get on with their lives and holidays. There were some red herrings, twists and a few laughs at others expense (ie the staff with the rubbish) and a great reveal of a very well crafted murder.
January 12, 2018
Another excellent mystery by Penelope Sotheby, an author who is always sure to please and entertain. This book was a change of scenery, as Diane takes the opportunity for a quick jaunt to the Highlands. What doesn't change is the fact that she almost immediately becomes embroiled in a murder mystery. And true to form, she's always one, or maybe a few, steps ahead of the local constabulary. I really enjoyed this book and eagerly look forward to each installment in this wonderful series.
**I received an ARC copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
**I received an ARC copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review**
January 15, 2018
A bizarre case
The Isle of Skye features as a backdrop to this story. Diane goes there (on her own) for a holiday. The proprietors of the hotel have become friends of hers. When she arrives she hears that there’s been a murder. Always practical and down-to-earth, Diane starts investigating. The Inspector lets her help.
The case was original and out-of-the-box. Maybe some things would not actually happen IRL (she tampered with / concealed evidence and never got in trouble), but I liked it. A quick read, pleasant.
The Isle of Skye features as a backdrop to this story. Diane goes there (on her own) for a holiday. The proprietors of the hotel have become friends of hers. When she arrives she hears that there’s been a murder. Always practical and down-to-earth, Diane starts investigating. The Inspector lets her help.
The case was original and out-of-the-box. Maybe some things would not actually happen IRL (she tampered with / concealed evidence and never got in trouble), but I liked it. A quick read, pleasant.
January 11, 2018
Diane is on vacation, but when she arrives at the castle, converted to a hotel, one of the guests are dead. Was it a heart attack or was it murder. Diane immediately starts her own investigation. Who didn't like this man? Was it one of the staff, or a fellow lodger, or something more sinister. Diane puts the clues together to find the real killer and motive. An enjoyable cozy mystery.
January 14, 2018
Diane is in it again! Trouble has found her on her vacation at her friend's castle/hotel. This enchanting story finds Diane in a new location which takes her out of her comfort zone, but doesn't dim her investigative abilities. The twists and turns keep you guessing. DIane is a wonderful character and putting her in a new locale is terrific. Enjoy this short cozy story. I sure did.
February 14, 2018
Once again Penelope Sotheby gives us a good story to enjoy. Love the Diana Dimbleby series. I think Diane is a great character.
Excellent story well written plus the description of the setting is such that you feel you are there.
Excellent story well written plus the description of the setting is such that you feel you are there.
February 16, 2018
It just seemed unbelievable. A male inspector wouldn't be that receptive to a female participation in his cases, also y
It would be highly unlikely bats would be used as a murder weapon. The book was very very very short.
It would be highly unlikely bats would be used as a murder weapon. The book was very very very short.
January 15, 2018
Great Story
This was a very good story. It kept my attention throughout the book. I can't wait to see the next book in the series.
This was a very good story. It kept my attention throughout the book. I can't wait to see the next book in the series.
January 26, 2018
Enjoyed
It is always pleasant to visit with the likes of Diane Dimbleby. She is observant, logical, curious. She is piecing the puzzMr Snelling
It is always pleasant to visit with the likes of Diane Dimbleby. She is observant, logical, curious. She is piecing the puzzMr Snelling
February 28, 2018
Quick cozy mystery
This book was a quick cozy mystery. Not a lot of twists and turns but a mystery none the less. Worth reading when you want a small mystery to pass your day.
This book was a quick cozy mystery. Not a lot of twists and turns but a mystery none the less. Worth reading when you want a small mystery to pass your day.
March 12, 2020
Nice light reading
I enjoyed the book. It has a bit of everything. It wasn't too crazy to keep you up at night , a book you can curl up with and read before bed!
I enjoyed the book. It has a bit of everything. It wasn't too crazy to keep you up at night , a book you can curl up with and read before bed!
June 28, 2019
I loved the setting of this mystery. Set in the Scottish Highlands at a remote castle turned hotel, a retired teacher/sleuth gets caught up in an intriguing mystery. The method of murder was so weird, that I had to know who was responsible and how they did it, which kept me turning pages. Great book for mystery junkies like me.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews