The Secret of Dunhaven Castle

Cate Kensie #1

by Nellie H. Steele

Best Indie Book Awards Best Book 2020 Notable Mention

Despite the castle’s spooky reputation, she’s drawn to the cozy connection with her family. But instead of a fresh start, will it lead to her death?

Cate Kensie’s quiet life takes a drastic turn when she receives a mysterious new inheritance. Nestled in the Scottish Highlands, the castle is crawling with more than just family history. From ghostly gardeners to phantom maids, Cate’s new home is far from perfect.

As she settles into her new world, the former history professor is determined to discover the meaning behind the enigmatic and alarming note left by her predecessor. And as the amateur sleuth digs for answers, she may unearth something better left buried.

Will Cate solve the mystery and uncover the magical secret or will her search cost her everything?

If you enjoyed the clever mystery of Murder She Wrote with the suspenseful twists of Doctor Who, then you'll love this cozy paranormal mystery series.


Will Cate be able to unravel the mysteries of Dunhaven Castle before it’s too late? Or will the secrets be too much for Cate to handle?

Find out if Cate can uncover the secrets her new home holds in The Secret of Dunhaven Castle!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Time Travel, Fantasy, Fiction, Cozy, Audiobook

320 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 26, 2019

About the author

Nellie H. Steele lives in the South Hills of Pittsburgh with her family and her many fur-babies. When she isn't writing, she enjoys teaching Statistics at a local university or watching her dogs and cats play in the yard.

Nellie is the author of the Cate Kensie Mystery Series, a cozy mystery series following the adventures of Dr. Catherine Kensie, a history professor turned Scottish Countess, and her beloved dog, Riley, as they navigate their new lives in their quirky Scottish highlands castle, solving mysteries along the way! She is the creator of the Shadow Slayers series, a suspenseful series with a supernatural twist! Follow the Shadow Slayers through time as they fight to banish darkness from the world. Nellie also writes an adventure series, Maggie Edwards Adventures. Follow Maggie Edwards as she travels the world solving mysteries and finding unique treasures!

Check out all Nellie offers at www.anovelideapublishing.com/novels, sign up for our newsletter to get the latest news about book releases or like us on facebook (facebook.com/anovelideapublishing) to keep up with us!

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Secret of Dunhaven Castle (Cate Kensie Mystery #1)
by Nellie H. Steele
This is a story about a girl that inherits a castle from a relative she never knew. Sounds like the typical story doesn't it? Well, that's where it ends. There aren't ghosts, or too many disturbing things going on but the main object is the watch she inherits. This is different! A fun fantasy!
The book starts slow! Very slow. But when she finally gets to the castle, things get hopping! What starts as a, "Oh not another one of these stories!", ends up pretty good!

[Jamie Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Excellent Premise, But Poor Execution

I so wanted to like this book. I am of Scottish descent myself, have visited there several times, and specifically choose books that take place there because of my interest. I loved the premise of this book. Sounds pretty awesome to find out that you're an heiress to a Scottish castle and title. The execution, however, was not good. The book starts with a prodigious information dump, which I never like to see in any novel. Much of the first part of the novel, in fact, seems to be info dumps interweaved with very short scenes. This slowed the pacing of the first part of the book down to a crawl. That, and the author's penchant for describing the minutiae of movement and action in sometimes excruciating detail. For a book that is supposed to be about the heroine figuring out her Scottish forebears family secrets, the author spent far too much time in the US, especially detailing the heroine's dead-end career. The story didn't really get interesting until she got to Scotland, which happened too late. There were also peculiar problems with grammar, punctuation, and usage, especially around dialogue. It's as if the author doesn't know that actions separate from dialogue tags need to be in their own sentence in a dialogue paragraph. She also included too much—too many actions, too many dialogue snippets—in some dialogue paragraphs, not breaking where she should have. She also often had comma splices within the dialogue. Because of the molasses-slow pacing, prodigious information dumps, and dialogue issues, I do not feel like I can recommend this book.

I had received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Nola Arganbright · Rating 5 out of 5]

A touch of history

This is the first book of a cozy mystery series and the book is designed to give a strong background to the series more than solve a complicated mystery. I must admit that I found it enthralling. I could easily live this book.
A young professor, believing she has no family after the death of her parents, learns a distant relative has left her entire estate and a Scottish castle to Cate.
The book is very detailed,but not boring, about how this all happened. Recently learning of my Scottish descent and a lover of history, I loved the book and the concept of what could happen. There is an antique timepiece that has been handed down through the generations and it is the main plot mystery. There are several clues throughout the book that tickle the imagination. I am very excited to read the next book in the series.

[Aggie Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

This a was a slow and predictable read. I can't actually believe I made it to the end as I felt like giving up on it pretty quick. However, I lived in hope that something might happen.
It takes about 50% of the book to actually get to something that isn't covered in the blurb. Then the main character spends most her time, walking her dog than doing any sort of investigation. If she had just cracked through her research rather than putting everything off to the following day then she might have discovered what the reader knew already a whole lot sooner.
The book was set in Scotland but it could have been anywhere, there was no real building of the location or the characters in this book.
I really wanted this to be good but it was disappointing.

[Martha DeMent · Rating 1 out of 5]

long read for nothing

I’m glad I didn’t pay for this book. It took her the whole book to solve a mystery any reader solved by chapter 4. Characters totally shallow. Who lives
2 years in a college town and doesn’t have 1friend? When she finally got to the good part a big THE END greats the reader.

[Vicki Giansante · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of slow for my taste, a bit too much dog-walking, etc... but I did finish it because I wanted to know what happens. I even read the sample from the next couple of books in the series, but I won't continue. I got frustrated with Cate's sort of coercing Jack to join her in her dangerous exploits to satisfy her own curiosity. She got entitled in a hurry. But I guess without that, there wouldn't be a story.

[Lynette White · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave it three stars. Spoiler. The main female character lives alone, unexpectedly inherits a castle from long lost relatives, and also inherits a curios watch. She finds out through a few unexplainable events that the watch allows her to time travel and has been a family secret for generations. As a history teacher this excites her and she looks forward to exploring more. There, the whole book in three sentences. 😂🙈Although it’s a family read, I would definitely suggest this for struggling readers because it lacks in critical thinking and is great for someone learning to read not reading to learn or for entertainment. The amount of pages just explaining her walking in and out of the castle to walk her dog or go to bed was exhausting. Thinking back to my youth I have to question, was magic tree house this redundant? Was Louis Lamour this bland? Also, I’d like to mention, I too was a struggling reader, so when I took the two months to get through one novel I always made sure it was worth it. I remember being taking on adventures not to the back yard 😂 sorry, maybe I’m feeling a little cynical today. Never less. Three stars. I will not be reading the sequels.

[Kandi A. Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not What I Expected

I liked this story but definitely not what I expected. This is a story of a woman who inherits a castle in Scotland and moves there only to eventually discover the family secret. I loved the dog Riley and the characters came to life in the story. A bit of the supernatural being part of this story, it most definitely is a different read from most of the mysteries that I read. It did keep me on the edge of my seat.

[Sarafina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series really intrigues me, even though I gave this first book 3 stars I am interested enough to continue on. I think it started out really strong but it was too long and needed a bit more action for my personal taste.

[Roger Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently completed reading The Secret of Dunhaven Castle and thoroughly enjoyed the story. The mystery was well written and kept me interested throughout the book. The main character, Cate Kenzie, a disgruntled History Professor at a small college in the USA, unexcepted learns that she has inherited a Scottish castle and the title that goes along with it. Upon moving to her Scottish castle, Cate begins to hear rumors that the castle is haunted thus beginning a new adventure in her life, an exciting and unusual experience Cate is looking forward too. The author, Nellie Steele, wrote Cate's character with intelligence and gave her spunk, enhancing the enjoyment of reading the story and relating to the character. The mystery, or the secret, was something that I didn't see coming and just blew me away. I am looking forward to continuing the series and seeing where it leads. I highly recommend this author and book.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Secret of Dunhaven Castle: A Cate Kensie Mystery (Cate Kensie Mystery Books Book 1) by Nellie H. Steele is a wonderful story that I have read. This is book number one in this wonderful start to a brand new series written by a brand new author and I can not wait to read the next book. I highly recommend this story to everyone.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book

[Linda Rainey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! Love This Book

This was a fast paced book filled with lots of twists and turns.
The ending was awesome and I look forward to more.
This book is recommended for those who love mysteries with paranormal aspects.

[Heather Bane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the storyline and it pulled me in from the start. The characters are well developed and I loved Riley. A story I recommend reading.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish, or even get too far into this book. It very much read as a “first book”. Characters when they spoke to each other with quotes used the persons name each time. It was just too elementary to continue.

[CarolKat · Rating 5 out of 5]

We meet Dr. Catherine Kensie as she collects an envelope from the department's office. The secretary Molly tells her she was hoping she'd collect it before leaving for the day. The contents of that envelope would either save her or sink her. She still has one more class to teach though and she's not opening it under any watchful eyes other than Riley's.

With her class less than enthused about Paul Revere, and it being Friday, she dismisses the class out a few minutes early. She's glad she did when she hears the thunder rumbling, she'd need to hurry to walk Riley, her teddy bear dog, before it storms.

On her way back in her neighbor, Mrs. Kline stops her telling her she almost called the police because of Riley's barking. She also scolds Catherine for being away so many hours during the day. Being friends with another professor who doesn't have so many hours. Not being tenured or tenure tracked, Catherine doesn't have a choice in her schedule, that could change when she opens the letter though. Mrs. Kline also borrows some money from her as she's short until her daughter can get to the ATM for her. She knew she'd never see the money again, but the daughter rarely came by. A decision is made to have dinner before opening the letter, she should have stopped at the store since her choice was cereal.

Unfortunately, the letter tells her a tenure tracked position isn't possible at this time while acknowledging and thanking her for her hard work at Aberdeen College. Now she has to hope for a renewal of her contract and some summer courses to teach.

As she's about to take Riley for a final walk before bed, she's startled when she opens the door to see a tall male standing in the shadow of her doorway.

Recovering from her scare as Riley barks, she apologizes for almost running into him. He sort of accepts it as he confirms her identity and introduces himself as William H Smythe, Esquire. An attorney with Smythe, Smith and Smithton, LLC in London, representing the estate of Gertrude MacKensie as he gives her his card.

He apologizes for the lateness of the hour but requests some time to discuss the estate with her, in private, not the hallway. Although Cate doesn't know any Gertrude MacKensie, of London or as he corrects Scotland, she allows him into her apartment. Not wanting Mrs. Kline to hear anything else.

What Mr. Smythe reveals is quite the shock. Pending verification of her DNA, she is to inherit a Castle and a title in Scotland, a huge sum of money, and a time piece once she's made the required commitments.

While waiting on the DNA results the department head, asks her to represent the department at an event, she doesn't decline right away, but he also said he can't guarantee summer courses for her either. However, there were still some open, but the decisions hadn't yet been made. Right after she finds the college hired another professor, so her tenure wasn't about budget. She avoids Jeff for the rest of the week and then she gets a phone call from the lawyer. The DNA results are in and he wants to meet for lunch.

After a tearful goodbye over lunch with the department secretary Molly, Cate proceeds to finish all her preparations for the move to Scotland with the aid of Mr. Smythe's assistant Gayle.

First stop London, more paperwork and the collection of the gold timepiece with a letter from Gertrude. It was once a men's pocket watch but is now a pendant, which she is directed to always wear, never leave unattended, keep in working order and always wound.

At the castle we meet Charlie and Emily Fraser, her grounds manager/ handyman and housekeeper/cook and Jack Reid the estate manager. There's also an outside cleaning and landscaping crews.

The Frasers have a cottage on the estate, but Jack lives in town. Mrs. Fraser is a bit of a stickler for formality since Cate has inherited the title as well as the land. She's also a bit hostile towards Cate at least until Gayle tells her about Gertrude's intent to gift them the cottage, they live in but didn't live long enough to finalize the paperwork. Cate immediately decides to follow through on that wish. Things between them became less stressed once Mrs. Fraser knows this.

Then there's all the weirdness with the timepiece as this story unfolds. Lots of interesting things there in the form of hearsay and rumors.

I love the visuals this book inspires and the friendship that blooms between Cate and Jack. I can't wait to read the next book in this series to see what trouble Cate gets into.

[Kat Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first time I’ve read any of Nellie Steele’s books. I am totally addicted now and have already purchased the next two in anticipation of continuing the experience. Naomi Rose-Mock is the narrator if you’re like me, one who reads as well as listens to the audiobook depending on what’s going on around me. I really like to be immersed in both for the visual experiences they each give me. The book is set in contemporary times, and feeds the dream many of us have regarding an inheritance from a previously unknown relative! ( That happened in my family too, but unfortunately the lawyers took everything saying it was so difficult to link my father as the appropriate, closest relative that by the time they did, all was gone. 🙄) To inherit a castle in Scotland with funds for upkeep and a dark secret attached to the castle that must be solved, provides the basis for an interesting mystery novel. Though I only listened to part of the audiobook, I can say that Naomi Rose-Mock proved to be a good narrator. Her vocal talents were impressive! Recommend to mystery lovers with a bit of paranormal thrown in. ❤️

[Deborah Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, basically this book is about American History Professor, Dr. Cate Kensie, who inherits a castle in Scotland from a relative she never knew about. Along with the castle and all it's belongings, she also inherits a magical watch that slows down and speeds back up when it is rubbed. What happens during the time the watch slows down? This is where the fantasy/mystery begins. The book starts slow but picks up once Cate is actually in Scotland. It takes Cate to pretty much the end of the book to determine what is happening with the watch. And, just like that the book comes to a end.

If I could I would give this book a 3.5 stars but had to settle for 4 stars. I will give the second book a read hoping it picks up and with more excitement.

[fred jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really inventive mystery

When Care inherits a Scottish castle from a previously unknown relative it seems like a dream. The mysterious instruction always to wear her relatives watch and never let it wind down, strange voices and people out of time make her stay strange and stressful. A really inventive idea, well written with great characters and a cute dog. A lot of the book sets the backstory, and ramps up the mystery until the big reveal at the end. Definitely a series I will be following and I already have the next one. A really promising start.

[Bobbi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 4 stars. This book started out really slow but finally picked up once Cate arrived in Scotland to live in the castle she inherited. Not sure why this was characterized as a mystery, since there was no real mystery to solve. Without giving anything away, I’m figuring the book is a set up for what will happen in book 2 now that Cate has discovered what her magical watch can do.

Very interesting premise and I will definitely read the next book. I hope I’m not disappointed.

[Peggy Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Things are not going good for Cate Kensie in Aberdeen but then she inherits a castle in Scotland that is supposedly haunted so Cate and her little dog Riley go to Scotland and she receives a watch and when she rubs it she seems to travel in time.
Nellie writes good stories and her books are page turners.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally delightful story. It was fun joining the main character, Cate Kensie, in discovering the secret of her family castle. When she first learned of her Scottish family she was smart enough to ask good and cautious questions. This continues as she works to solve the mystery of her inheritance. I look forward to see where, with her new knowledge, she goes next in this series.

[Stanley McShane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dr. Catherine Kensie (Cate) is still struggling for tenure having been teaching at a small midwestern college in Aberdeen for several years. But about the time she is again denied, she is introduced to an attorney from the UK who claims she has inherited a castle in Dunhaven, Scotland, being the only remaining relative of the castle's owner.

It's a no-brainer. She has no ties. She'll close out her apartment, box up her personal belongings, and move with her little dog, Riley. The castle is as presented in the pictures. It's huge, gorgeous, and comes with perks--quirky manifestations--and a special watch, only bequeathed in person with instructions.

This narrative becomes quite the enjoyable little romp into the Scottish countryside along with a storyline that builds the suspense. From the beginning, she feels an affinity for the castle--like she belongs there. She is young and energetic and the historian in her is bound to discover the truth and expose the secrets.

There are only a few support characters so they are easy to keep track of and they all lend interest, even while not yet fully fleshed. I'm reserving judgment of Jack. He's...okay, but not terribly adventurous. The well-plotted and easy-paced storyline keeps interest and engagement through the conclusion. The reveal, however, is correctly guessed long before the climax, but still concludes with a satisfied grin and interest in seeing where the author will take it next.

The author has a simple writing style, at times overly descriptive. It's tell not show, but a fun premise and entertaining. It's Book One, now is your chance to get in on the beginning of what promises to be a fun series. Book 2 Murder at Dunhaven Castle just released and I suspect will ramp up the thriller-suspense aspect considerably.

I was contacted by the author with a request for review in exchange of a gifted copy of Book One and can recommend as the beginning of a promising series.

See my full review as well as the review of my blogger buddy, the CE at https://rosepointpublishing.com/2020/...

[Lelia Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

What little girl doesn’t dream of inheriting a castle and becoming nobility…and, for many, that dream never entirely dies even when we recognize the extreme unlikelihood such a thing will ever happen. So, it’s not surprising that Cate finds her inheritance from an unknown countess is hard to believe but, considering her floundering professorial career and her lack of ties in this country, moving to Scotland definitely has a certain appeal.

Ms. Steele borrows elements from other novels and puts them to good use, things such as the will’s requirement that she must live in the castle in order to inherit and the atmosphere that goes along with an ancient building. Cate is confronted by a number of secrets, not the least of which is why the family name changed at some point and how the branches of the family became estranged. Her background as a history professor is helpful but even that isn’t much use when it comes to figuring out the mysteries of a very unusual watch.

With attractive characters and an interesting plot, this is a nice beginning to an appealing series and, while it didn’t tax my brain too much, I enjoyed the journey with Cate and the adorable Riley and will look forward to the next books.

[Pam Mah · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I am only halfway through the book, I have to say that two things are driving me crazy. The first is the author's refusal to use the past perfect tense. I'm listening on Chirp, and while the narrator is good, every time she reads a past tense verb that should have been a past perfect verb, it bothers me. A lot.

The second thing is that at this point the main character Cate, PhD in history and a professor, is reading diaries in her newly inherited castle. She is being really dense in not understanding what journal writer had written. We the readers can clearly understand what is meant, so why can't our heroine?

I hope I get through this book. I really want to like it.
So, the update is, I finished the book. I still didn't love it as the whole thing was a setup for the series. And really .. the heroine was kind of thick witted. I will probably read the next in the series because I do love the premise of inheriting a castle with all its contents and moving abroad.

[Sandra Harn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished reading The Secret of Dunhaven Castle the 1st of the Cate Kenzie mysteries. I had already read book 2 and 3 and it was good to go back and read just how Cate ended up with a castle in Scotland.

Cate had lost her parents in an auto accident and they never told her she had relatives in Scotland. She was a professor at a college in the mid-west where the Lawyer from London found her to tell her about her inheritance. Since she could not get tenure at the college and nothing to keep her in the USA she decided that she and her little dog Riley would go to check out her new home.

Along with the castle she received a Timepiece that turned out to be her new adventures along with her farm manager Jack.

I do believe the 2nd and 3rd books were more interesting it still would be good to start with The Secret of Dunhaven Castle.

[ALISON A O BRIEN · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok but a bit boring

This book had an interesting premise but it took forever to get to the interesting parts. There was a lot of boring day-to-day detail to slog through. There were hardly any details about the castle (like materials, furnishings, lighting, smells). On the other hand, there was too much information about grading papers, eating meals and various dog activities! Also curiously lacking were descriptions of what the characters looked like. I would have liked to read more about the characters and the castle, not just job descriptions and what a room was used for. Adding this kind of detail would have made it interesting. I’m not tempted to read the next book in the series.

[Dorothy Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cate and Riley move to Scotland when she inherits a castle and she realizes she’s not going to get tenure. Mysterious sounds and appearances soon trouble her and she’s determined to find out the truth. The Secret of Dunhaven Castle is an engrossing novel that I enjoyed. I especially liked her relationship with Riley and the way Cate reaches out to others in the castle.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Being a fan of Outlander has given me an interest in all things Scotland. I liked hearing the familiar names of MacKenzie and Fraser throughout the book. But the story itself was very slow. Many of the phrases were so repetitive I felt like I knew what I was going to hear sentences before actually getting to that particular section. I realize this is a cozy mystery, but that doesn't mean it has to be over simplified.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This cozy novel is an easy, interesting, and quite enjoyable book to read! I loved getting to know characters and especially Riley! I also enjoyed discovering "The Secret of Dunhaven Castle" along with Cate and Riley. I can't wait to read more about the adventures of Cate and Riley, looking forward to the next book in this series!

[Linda N Leath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting mystery, plus a winsome dog!

I enjoyed this book. Cate is an interesting character, braver than she thinks. Her dog Riley is delightful. Who would not want to inherit a castle in Scotland and a mystery to boot. I recommend this book. No blood no gore just a good story!!!!