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Aileen and Callan Murder Mysteries #1
When Murder Comes Home
Ten guests, two murders, one inn. Who is responsible?
Aileen Mackinnon ditched spreadsheets and a steady salary for the adventurous shores of Loch Fuar in the Scottish Highlands.
Now she's an amateur innkeeper to ten guests. But when one is murdered in his bed and an heirloom goes missing, can Aileen save the inn?
DI Callan Cameron won't have her nosing about, but with another body he has little choice in the matter.
Tension sizzles as Aileen and Callan step into a world of murders, fibs and heists. They might not always see eye to eye, but can they agree whodunnit?
JD Robb meets Agatha Christie in this pageturning murder mystery with a dash of romance.
Aileen Mackinnon ditched spreadsheets and a steady salary for the adventurous shores of Loch Fuar in the Scottish Highlands.
Now she's an amateur innkeeper to ten guests. But when one is murdered in his bed and an heirloom goes missing, can Aileen save the inn?
DI Callan Cameron won't have her nosing about, but with another body he has little choice in the matter.
Tension sizzles as Aileen and Callan step into a world of murders, fibs and heists. They might not always see eye to eye, but can they agree whodunnit?
JD Robb meets Agatha Christie in this pageturning murder mystery with a dash of romance.
194 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2021
1093 people are currently reading
1201 people want to read
About the author
Shana Frost
16 books30 followersShana Frost writes romantic mysteries as dramatic as the Scottish Highlands that inspire her. In every book, Shana shares the values she truly believes in: hope, justice, and love. Throughout her novels, you’ll encounter a variety of characters—be their gender, ethnicity, disabilities, beliefs—all sharing their unique stories.
Always infused with a wee dram of the Scottish landscape and culture, Shana’s stories take readers from Glasgow’s gritty streets to the enigmatic Highlands. She promises that when reading her stories, you’ll be at the edge of your seat, falling deeper in love with the characters.
To be enveloped in the world of Scottish romantic mysteries, visit Shana’s home on the web at Shanafrost.com
Always infused with a wee dram of the Scottish landscape and culture, Shana’s stories take readers from Glasgow’s gritty streets to the enigmatic Highlands. She promises that when reading her stories, you’ll be at the edge of your seat, falling deeper in love with the characters.
To be enveloped in the world of Scottish romantic mysteries, visit Shana’s home on the web at Shanafrost.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
March 9, 2021
Reopening her grandmother’s neglected inn set in a Highland village in Scotland proves much harder work than she expects for accountant Aileen McKinnon, but the locals remembering her from her childhood are keen to join in. Aileen soon becomes close to Bakery owner, Isla, who helps her with the cooking, but soon they are also working together to solve murder and theft.
As soon as ten guests arrive to the newly opened hotel, a gruesome murder occurs, and Det. Insp. Callan Cameron is certain he can solve the case without assistance. He and Aileen clash, seemingly unaware of an underlying attraction between them. The case becomes increasingly complex as a valuable item is stolen from the safe and then another guest is murdered. Cameron agrees to involve Aileen in the investigation and they gradually discover secrets about every one of the guests.
This is an interesting cosy mystery, and the two main characters show promise for further adventures; the storyline makes it an enjoyable novel. However, it does need a good tidy up as there were too many spelling errors and incorrect word usages for me to ignore. Added to which there was also an overuse of adjectives, idioms and clichés which was a shame; it just needs a good polish to lift the writing to the level of the crime script.
As soon as ten guests arrive to the newly opened hotel, a gruesome murder occurs, and Det. Insp. Callan Cameron is certain he can solve the case without assistance. He and Aileen clash, seemingly unaware of an underlying attraction between them. The case becomes increasingly complex as a valuable item is stolen from the safe and then another guest is murdered. Cameron agrees to involve Aileen in the investigation and they gradually discover secrets about every one of the guests.
This is an interesting cosy mystery, and the two main characters show promise for further adventures; the storyline makes it an enjoyable novel. However, it does need a good tidy up as there were too many spelling errors and incorrect word usages for me to ignore. Added to which there was also an overuse of adjectives, idioms and clichés which was a shame; it just needs a good polish to lift the writing to the level of the crime script.
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February 27, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (2/27/2022)! 🎁
May 18, 2022
I would just like to say that authors should not write about a country which they have never visited and it is more than obvious in this case. The descriptions, the language, the way of life. Nothing is accurate. And that is on top of a ridiculous story where the police chief suggests to his detective that he should accept help from a member of the public!! I'm sure that would happen. Author really needs to rethink whether she needs to do more research. I live in Scotland and am disgusted how badly she portrays our country. Don't bother reading anything by her. I am staying well away.
July 13, 2022
2 1/2*stars REALLY.
AILEEN HAS ABSOLUTELY NO SELF ESTEEM WHATSOEVER. I KNOW SHE HAS A BACKBONE BECAUSE IT SHOWS UP EVERY NOW AND THEN. CALLEN & AILEEN'S BUDDING ROMANCE IS CUTE, I LIKED THE CHARACTERS THAT ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE PERMENATE IN THE SERIES. I FOUND THE CHARACTERS THAT SURROUNDED THE MYSTERY PART CONFUSING AT TIMES (too many of them). THE MYSTERY PART WAS JUST MEH, TO ME. ;{
AILEEN HAS ABSOLUTELY NO SELF ESTEEM WHATSOEVER. I KNOW SHE HAS A BACKBONE BECAUSE IT SHOWS UP EVERY NOW AND THEN. CALLEN & AILEEN'S BUDDING ROMANCE IS CUTE, I LIKED THE CHARACTERS THAT ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE PERMENATE IN THE SERIES. I FOUND THE CHARACTERS THAT SURROUNDED THE MYSTERY PART CONFUSING AT TIMES (too many of them). THE MYSTERY PART WAS JUST MEH, TO ME. ;{
February 6, 2022
It was time for Aileen to be adventurous so she quit her job, sold her house, and moved away, returning to Gran’s Scottish inn, where she spent many fun summers. The Scottish dialogue was a little annoying, and the story didn’t really go anywhere interesting. Not very good.
November 9, 2020
When Murder Comes Home is the first book in the Aileen and Callan Murder Mysteries Series. This is a great start to this new series. I really enjoyed reading this book. The characters are developing nicely and the story is well written, with murder, mystery, and a touch of romance.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 31, 2020
This makes for the perfect weekend read! I really enjoyed the character development of Aileen and Callan, and that the story didn't revolve around them romantically. Give me the slow burn! I'm also seriously inspired to travel to a small town in Scotland now - just hopefully without the murder :P
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 8, 2021
What a fun cozy by new author shana frost.
With likeable characters, Aileen, Callan and Isla , this story is set in Scotland. An intriguing plotline with plenty of red herrings make for an enjoyable read. Cannot wait for the next book
With likeable characters, Aileen, Callan and Isla , this story is set in Scotland. An intriguing plotline with plenty of red herrings make for an enjoyable read. Cannot wait for the next book
April 5, 2021
If you love mystery and reading about the Scottish highlands then this book is for you. It it the first in a series and can’t wait to read book 3 and find more about the adventures of Callen and Aileen. (The second book is When Eyes Don’t Lie)
June 6, 2021
Great ml
I enjoyed this book very much. The characters were interesting and likable he mystery was not easy to unravel. Good job!
I enjoyed this book very much. The characters were interesting and likable he mystery was not easy to unravel. Good job!
June 15, 2022
This author is new to me, I look to reading more
This author is new to me, and I love everything about this book. I look forward to reading more from her and these characters. I loved the ending in
This author is new to me, and I love everything about this book. I look forward to reading more from her and these characters. I loved the ending in
January 18, 2021
Shana Frost spools a great whodunnit with fun characters in When Murder Comes Home! After setting up a bed and breakfast in a quiet little hamlet in Scotland, innkeeper Aileen gets more than she bargained for when one of her ten guests doesn’t show up for breakfast. Now she must team up with a dashing and overzealous detective to answer mystery’s most classic question. This mystery is just fun, and Frost really made it a blast with lovable characters and great twists! It was Murder on the Orient Express with a smile and romance. If you love a more lighthearted mystery, get some gum on your shoe and come inspect When Murder Comes Home!
November 21, 2020
When Murder Comes Home by Shana Frost will have readers conflicted. Readers are going to fall in love with Aileen Mackinnon and her desire to leave a demanding job in a big city to move to the village of Loch Faur to run her grandmother's inn but they are going to hate that after she spends time and money renovating it and reopening it murder also checks into the inn on her re-opening weekend.
Aileen's grandmother moved to a nursing home and can no longer run the inn so Aileen decides to leave her job and home and move into the inn and run it but she has to fire the current innkeeper and repair a lot of things in the inn before she can open it up to guests. After the town along with Detective Inspector Callan Cameron, help Aileen fix it up, she welcomes 10 guests to the inn for the re-opening weekend.
While Aileen is getting use to running an inn and trying to satisfy all of the guests needs, she never expected to have one of the guests murdered .... and it looks like one of the other guests is the murderer !!! Aileen joins forces with Callan to try to solve the murder but they have no idea why someone would murder another stranger. It doesn't seem that any of the guests know each other and according to the security cameras no one entered the inn on the night of the murder......
When Aileen and Callan go to the nursing home to visit her grandmother, they learn that her grandmother's engagement ring which Aileen thought wasn't real was indeed real diamonds and it is no longer in the safe at the inn. How could someone have gotten the keys that Aileen always has on her and gotten in the safe..... and how did they even know about the ring in the first place ??
Aileen and Callan seem to have more questions than answers and when someone else in the inn is murdered, they must put their heads together and solve this case......
Frost has a way of drawing the reader into the story and her vivid descriptions will have the readers imagination on overdrive. Readers cannot help but love everything in this story and will want to make reservations at the inn, even chancing thier own lives. And there is a secret about Callan that she hints at at the end of the book that will insure readers will be looking for the next book to see what unfolds......
Aileen's grandmother moved to a nursing home and can no longer run the inn so Aileen decides to leave her job and home and move into the inn and run it but she has to fire the current innkeeper and repair a lot of things in the inn before she can open it up to guests. After the town along with Detective Inspector Callan Cameron, help Aileen fix it up, she welcomes 10 guests to the inn for the re-opening weekend.
While Aileen is getting use to running an inn and trying to satisfy all of the guests needs, she never expected to have one of the guests murdered .... and it looks like one of the other guests is the murderer !!! Aileen joins forces with Callan to try to solve the murder but they have no idea why someone would murder another stranger. It doesn't seem that any of the guests know each other and according to the security cameras no one entered the inn on the night of the murder......
When Aileen and Callan go to the nursing home to visit her grandmother, they learn that her grandmother's engagement ring which Aileen thought wasn't real was indeed real diamonds and it is no longer in the safe at the inn. How could someone have gotten the keys that Aileen always has on her and gotten in the safe..... and how did they even know about the ring in the first place ??
Aileen and Callan seem to have more questions than answers and when someone else in the inn is murdered, they must put their heads together and solve this case......
Frost has a way of drawing the reader into the story and her vivid descriptions will have the readers imagination on overdrive. Readers cannot help but love everything in this story and will want to make reservations at the inn, even chancing thier own lives. And there is a secret about Callan that she hints at at the end of the book that will insure readers will be looking for the next book to see what unfolds......
July 15, 2022
New to author Frost and her Aileen and Callan murder mysteries, of which “When Murder Comes Home” is the debut of currently six books, we felt mixed reactions to the novel. Detective Callan is one of three “cops” in the small Scottish town of Loch Fuar, the other two are his managers! Meanwhile, Aileen was a forensic accountant in a big city, but gave it all up to run a B & B in a locale that seems unlikely to ever attract visitors, let alone an inn full, as in the 10 or 11 in the tale. When one is murdered almost immediately, the tale is sort of a “closed room” mystery in which almost necessarily one of the other guests did it.
Before long, the “police chief” tells Callan to pair up with civilian Aileen, hardly likely – he to do the grunt work, she to make countless discoveries surfing the net. Before it’s all over, there are almost ridiculous complications involving a stolen ring, the unusual murder weapons, blackmail schemes, false identities – you name it. Even the explanations given for it all in the late couple of chapters were difficult to follow – and by then, we really didn’t care that much anyway. A slight degree of suspense preceded an awfully convenient ending, leaving us not particularly impressed.
Before long, the “police chief” tells Callan to pair up with civilian Aileen, hardly likely – he to do the grunt work, she to make countless discoveries surfing the net. Before it’s all over, there are almost ridiculous complications involving a stolen ring, the unusual murder weapons, blackmail schemes, false identities – you name it. Even the explanations given for it all in the late couple of chapters were difficult to follow – and by then, we really didn’t care that much anyway. A slight degree of suspense preceded an awfully convenient ending, leaving us not particularly impressed.
July 1, 2022
Boy this was one confusing book. So many people, so many names, some of them being false, too, leading to characters being referred to by more than one (Richard is Trevor or is he? Which one is Martha again? And who on earth is Jocelyn?).
For the first half of the book I really liked the story (hence 3 stars not 2), but then it all became entangled and confusing. And to be honest I still don't fully understand the "solution". How were all these people connected? How did they know about the ring? Why would two clearly valuable artefacts be wasted as murder weapons? Why would the police approve, no, recommend (!) involving a member of the public and co-suspect in the investigation? How did Aileen all of a sudden know the money in the victim's account came from blackmail? Do Scottish police officers really carry a weapon (I don't think so)? How did the two people manage to totally slash 4 tyres in the middle of the day, in the middle of a town? And many many more questions. Sorry but no. I think the author tried too hard to knit a complicated web, and got themselves entangled in it.
For the first half of the book I really liked the story (hence 3 stars not 2), but then it all became entangled and confusing. And to be honest I still don't fully understand the "solution". How were all these people connected? How did they know about the ring? Why would two clearly valuable artefacts be wasted as murder weapons? Why would the police approve, no, recommend (!) involving a member of the public and co-suspect in the investigation? How did Aileen all of a sudden know the money in the victim's account came from blackmail? Do Scottish police officers really carry a weapon (I don't think so)? How did the two people manage to totally slash 4 tyres in the middle of the day, in the middle of a town? And many many more questions. Sorry but no. I think the author tried too hard to knit a complicated web, and got themselves entangled in it.
July 7, 2021
I so much wanted to like this book but with its complex Cluedo-like storyline I found it a little tiresome. Plus some of the events and characterizations were improbable, e.g. in a small town with only three policemen, one is a constable, one a detective inspector and then they have a boss! I think the proportion of constables, sergeants, etc. to inspectors and above would be vastly different. Also, in the UK, we do not refer to "detectives" but use their rank, e.g. inspector, detective inspector, etc. I found some of the language archaic - I guess the author is North American! Words like "chambers" to describe someone's apartment or rooms, "scruff" to describe the back of the neck, etc.
So as I wrote above, I wanted to enjoy the book but found it hard to keep reading.
So as I wrote above, I wanted to enjoy the book but found it hard to keep reading.
May 10, 2021
Loved writing this book set in Scotland. It was fun digging into Scottish slang. I use some of them in my day to day conversations now!
Aileen and Callan have become my best friends as well. And when Aileen says her life as an accountant was boring, I sympathise. I just hope I get to live in my own Loch Fuar one day...
Enjoy this book 'cause I'm already typing away the second:)
Aileen and Callan have become my best friends as well. And when Aileen says her life as an accountant was boring, I sympathise. I just hope I get to live in my own Loch Fuar one day...
Enjoy this book 'cause I'm already typing away the second:)
June 25, 2021
Great read. The author really draws the reader into the story. Will definitely read another book by this author. I felt like I was part of the story. I could not put the book down. I really enjoyed the plot of the story.
December 9, 2020
I quite enjoyed this book. Characters are well drawn and the plot kept me interested. I love the setting. It makes me want to visit Scotland. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. I received a copy of this book from the author. I leave my review voluntarily.
June 12, 2022
It was ok
I did read it from cover to cover. I just didn't find it that interesting. Probably won't read the next one.
I did read it from cover to cover. I just didn't find it that interesting. Probably won't read the next one.
February 5, 2023
confusing
Too many people, too many situations, and too much confusing explanations in the short book. Could’ve been more amusing. Not a pleasant read.
Too many people, too many situations, and too much confusing explanations in the short book. Could’ve been more amusing. Not a pleasant read.
February 5, 2023
I couldn’t get past the second chapter. It’s too saccharine sweet for my taste.
April 22, 2021
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.When Murder Comes Home by Shana Frost is a gruesome tale of two murders happening not that far apart in a Scottish inn.
Will Aileen be able to find out who the murderer is? Can she do it before the inn is ruined?
Aileen Mackinnon
Aileen Mackinnon is our sleuth who gave up her life in the city to move to the small town of Loch Fuar to help her grandmother run her inn. See, her grandma, Siobhan, is too old to run the inn on her own and has been put into a nursing home. Aileen is an introvert that has always played it safe until she made a move to the inn. There is a lot to unravel within this mystery about Aileen and the people around her.
Aileen, as a person, is hard to explain. She wants to be this adventurous type, but in reality, she isn't. Then when she is busy doing what a forensic accountant does, she is a totally different person. Despite the reader seeing both of these sides of Aileen, I feel like there is more to her than she just that. Along with just being an introvert who's OCD about her belongings. She seems like an interesting character.
The Mystery
This book has at least four mysteries to solve. The first one is with what happened in the prologue that I'm still confused about it. The second and third are about the first and second murders. The last one is about who will steal a fake diamond engagement ring? The prologue is confusing because you had no clue when it happened or how it is relevant to the story. Having that on the mind while trying to solve the mysteries is hard as it's not adding up. Plus, now her grandmother's engagement ring from her only husband is missing. Let's say that this story has one too many mysteries to solve.
Plus, we have ten guests claiming to be asleep and not liking what was going on at the inn. I felt like I was in a game of Clue with no real suspect coming out of the woodwork. Well, if Clue was set in Scotland in an inn. For a group of people who say that they are from different parts of the world while also not knowing each other, it sure is a coincidence for them to meet up at the inn and start to be buddy-buddy with each other.
3 Stars
When Murder Comes Home by Shana Frost is getting a three-star rating. I knew going in that this isn't going to be a cozy mystery, and as a debut novel, it is a good one; just sadly, there were a lot of mysteries, and at some parts, I got lost. Ms. Frost has potential since she did get me on who did it.
Other Books in the Series
Will Aileen be able to find out who the murderer is? Can she do it before the inn is ruined?
Aileen Mackinnon
Aileen Mackinnon is our sleuth who gave up her life in the city to move to the small town of Loch Fuar to help her grandmother run her inn. See, her grandma, Siobhan, is too old to run the inn on her own and has been put into a nursing home. Aileen is an introvert that has always played it safe until she made a move to the inn. There is a lot to unravel within this mystery about Aileen and the people around her.
Aileen, as a person, is hard to explain. She wants to be this adventurous type, but in reality, she isn't. Then when she is busy doing what a forensic accountant does, she is a totally different person. Despite the reader seeing both of these sides of Aileen, I feel like there is more to her than she just that. Along with just being an introvert who's OCD about her belongings. She seems like an interesting character.
The Mystery
This book has at least four mysteries to solve. The first one is with what happened in the prologue that I'm still confused about it. The second and third are about the first and second murders. The last one is about who will steal a fake diamond engagement ring? The prologue is confusing because you had no clue when it happened or how it is relevant to the story. Having that on the mind while trying to solve the mysteries is hard as it's not adding up. Plus, now her grandmother's engagement ring from her only husband is missing. Let's say that this story has one too many mysteries to solve.Plus, we have ten guests claiming to be asleep and not liking what was going on at the inn. I felt like I was in a game of Clue with no real suspect coming out of the woodwork. Well, if Clue was set in Scotland in an inn. For a group of people who say that they are from different parts of the world while also not knowing each other, it sure is a coincidence for them to meet up at the inn and start to be buddy-buddy with each other.
3 Stars
When Murder Comes Home by Shana Frost is getting a three-star rating. I knew going in that this isn't going to be a cozy mystery, and as a debut novel, it is a good one; just sadly, there were a lot of mysteries, and at some parts, I got lost. Ms. Frost has potential since she did get me on who did it.
Other Books in the Series
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of When Murder Comes Home by Shana Frost.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
Victim/Toe Tag #1: Dave Smith (D)
Beachcomber Weapons: knife
Beachcomber Crime Scene: bedroom
Detectives: Aileen Mackinnon (A)
Victim/Toe Tag #2: Susan Knight (K)
Beachcomber Weapons: belt
Beachcomber Crime Scene: bedroom
Detectives: Aileen Mackinnon (A)
This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove
June 25, 2023
Good mystery
"When murder comes home" is the first book of the murder mysteries series of Aileen and Callan. Aileen Mackinnon wanted a change, so she ditched her job to return home to Loch Fuar in the Scottish highland to do something she never did, as an amateur innkeeper at her grandmother's Inn. After the shock that caused her to see her beloved Inn in ruins and face some renovations, she booked ten interesting guests who supposedly did not know each other; little did she know that among them, there was a murderer. An intrigued detective Callan is the one to investigate the murder of one of the guests, and the suspect has to be one of them. The town is in shock. There have not been murders for years, and then another murder occurred. Which one is the murderer, and why? Detective Callan investigates the murders; although he initially refuses Aileen's help, he finally accepts that he could need her help and expertise.
After a slow start, the pace increases, making the story enjoyable with different and intricate characters.
I look forward to reading the second book and learning more about Aileen and Detective Callan.
Sent from Mail for Windows
"When murder comes home" is the first book of the murder mysteries series of Aileen and Callan. Aileen Mackinnon wanted a change, so she ditched her job to return home to Loch Fuar in the Scottish highland to do something she never did, as an amateur innkeeper at her grandmother's Inn. After the shock that caused her to see her beloved Inn in ruins and face some renovations, she booked ten interesting guests who supposedly did not know each other; little did she know that among them, there was a murderer. An intrigued detective Callan is the one to investigate the murder of one of the guests, and the suspect has to be one of them. The town is in shock. There have not been murders for years, and then another murder occurred. Which one is the murderer, and why? Detective Callan investigates the murders; although he initially refuses Aileen's help, he finally accepts that he could need her help and expertise.
After a slow start, the pace increases, making the story enjoyable with different and intricate characters.
I look forward to reading the second book and learning more about Aileen and Detective Callan.
Sent from Mail for Windows
June 1, 2022
Oh dear! As a Scot, I choose this book because it was set in Scotland - indeed, in the Scottish Highlands. However, I was close to horrified at the number of errors that the book contained. I shan't enumerate all of them in this review (most of them are commented on in the book!) however, from basic spelling and grammatical mistakes, to statements referring to the local Detective Inspector getting his gun out, this book should probably be prosecuted under the Trades Description Act! Regarding the DI and his gun, I have pointed out - as someone who served with the former Strathclyde Police Force - that Scottish police officers do not bear arms, unless they are members of an Armed Response Unit.
There is a series of these books - but I have read as much as I am prepared to read! If you know Scotland, and love it as I do, stay well clear. Otherwise, your blood pressure may suffer!
There is a series of these books - but I have read as much as I am prepared to read! If you know Scotland, and love it as I do, stay well clear. Otherwise, your blood pressure may suffer!
May 20, 2021
3.25 STARS
First book by this author and it was enjoyable. This isn’t my usual genre but I found it entertaining
This is a clean story with no kisses. You have 11 possible murders and I was able to keep the story straight until the very end when everything was wrapped up. That part was very confusing.
No mention of funerals -guess they were kept on ice? How did everyone discover what the inn held? A new receptionist is hired but no mention of her again.
No cheating, no cliffhanger but you are left wondering if something romantic developed between the H/h. No romance, no steam just a who done it story that had some good parts. Some editing issues. Word tires was tyres. Decided must be spelled that way from another country? (ljb)
First book by this author and it was enjoyable. This isn’t my usual genre but I found it entertaining
This is a clean story with no kisses. You have 11 possible murders and I was able to keep the story straight until the very end when everything was wrapped up. That part was very confusing.
No mention of funerals -guess they were kept on ice? How did everyone discover what the inn held? A new receptionist is hired but no mention of her again.
No cheating, no cliffhanger but you are left wondering if something romantic developed between the H/h. No romance, no steam just a who done it story that had some good parts. Some editing issues. Word tires was tyres. Decided must be spelled that way from another country? (ljb)
May 15, 2022
This was a pleasant 'cozy' mystery taking place in a very small town in rural Scotland. The protagonists (female innkeeper and male detective) are appealing characters with plenty of strengths and weaknesses. The mystery was an old-fashioned type, almost like an Agatha Christie story (or maybe even like the board game 'Clue'! As the story proceeds, we the reader are treated to more and more small clues, but no idea what the detectives are thinking. Then in the last couple chapters, all is explained to us through the device of having the characters explain pieces of the puzzle to each other. It all seems a little contrived and artificial. It was an enjoyable read, but a frustrating finish as I depended completely on the 'final reveal'. I might read more in the series but probably not soon.
March 11, 2021
3,5 stars to this first book in a series that is beginning quietly but rapidly becomes exciting.
In this first instalment, city girl Aileen comes to Scotland to take over the inn her grandmother opened years before.
What she finds upon arrival is a derelict building that has been neglected since her grandmother moved to a nursing home and a village filled with typical small town warmth but for sullen police inspector Callan. As the town pitches in to restore the place all goes well until the first guests arrive and murder in their midst.
Through it all, Aileen and Callan are forced to work together and when the truth comes out, everyone is in for some surprises.
In this first instalment, city girl Aileen comes to Scotland to take over the inn her grandmother opened years before.
What she finds upon arrival is a derelict building that has been neglected since her grandmother moved to a nursing home and a village filled with typical small town warmth but for sullen police inspector Callan. As the town pitches in to restore the place all goes well until the first guests arrive and murder in their midst.
Through it all, Aileen and Callan are forced to work together and when the truth comes out, everyone is in for some surprises.
December 2, 2021
The story was interesting with a surprising twist to the relationships among the 10 guests at the Inn. The sexual tension between Aileen Mackinnon and DI Callan Cameron was just right for a book in a beginning series.
The only thing I felt was clumsy were the descriptions and some of the dialogue. It seemed that DI Callan at times switched from ye to you. Some of the descriptions seemed a little forced like Shana was trying to think of a way to be super literary. That did seem to ease up as the book went on. The 4 star had more to do with writing style rather than good story line. I would give it a higher rating if the writing became smoother and didn't seem forced.
The only thing I felt was clumsy were the descriptions and some of the dialogue. It seemed that DI Callan at times switched from ye to you. Some of the descriptions seemed a little forced like Shana was trying to think of a way to be super literary. That did seem to ease up as the book went on. The 4 star had more to do with writing style rather than good story line. I would give it a higher rating if the writing became smoother and didn't seem forced.
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May 12, 2022Ten guests, two murders, one inn. Who is responsible?
Aileen Mackinnon ditched spreadsheets and a steady salary for the adventurous shores of Loch Fuar in the Scottish Highlands.
Now she's an amateur innkeeper to ten guests. But when one is murdered in his bed and an heirloom goes missing, can Aileen save the inn?
DI Callan Cameron won't have her nosing about, but with another body he has little choice in the matter.
Tension sizzles as Aileen and Callan step into a world of murders, fibs and heists. They might not always see eye to eye, but can they agree whodunnit?
JD Robb meets Agatha Christie in this pageturning murder mystery with a dash of romance.
NO!!
Aileen Mackinnon ditched spreadsheets and a steady salary for the adventurous shores of Loch Fuar in the Scottish Highlands.
Now she's an amateur innkeeper to ten guests. But when one is murdered in his bed and an heirloom goes missing, can Aileen save the inn?
DI Callan Cameron won't have her nosing about, but with another body he has little choice in the matter.
Tension sizzles as Aileen and Callan step into a world of murders, fibs and heists. They might not always see eye to eye, but can they agree whodunnit?
JD Robb meets Agatha Christie in this pageturning murder mystery with a dash of romance.
NO!!
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