The Inspector's Daughter

Rose McQuinn #1

by Alanna Knight

In a desperate attempt to recover from the loss of her husband and her baby son, Rose McQuinn has returned home to Edinburgh from the American Wild West. It seems that everything has moved on in her absence, including her beloved stepbrother who has found favor at court and moved to London. But Rose has little time to ponder her loneliness before she unwittingly steps into the shoes of her father, the legendary Detective Inspector Faro, by agreeing to investigate the strange behavior of Matthew Bolton, husband to Rose’s childhood friend Alice.

Alice is convinced Matthew is having an affair but Rose suspects he may have been involved in something much more sinister - the brutal and still unsolved murder of a servant girl.

If Rose continues her investigations surely she will break Alice’s heart. But she is her father’s daughter, and she cannot resist the urge to discover the truth. From her isolated home at the foot of Arthur’s Seat and aided by a wild deerhound who has befriended her, Rose starts to piece things together, until she gets too near the truth and puts her own life in danger.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Mystery, Historical, Crime, Historical Fiction, Scotland, 19th Century

288 pages, Paperback

First published July 29, 2000

About the author

aka Margaret Hope

Alanna Knight MBE has published more than sixty novels (including sixteen in the acclaimed Inspector Faro series, and seven featuring his daughter Rose McQuinn), as well as non-fiction, true crime and several books on Robert Louis Stevenson, numerous short stories and two plays since her award-winning first book ‘Legend of the Loch’ in 1969. A founding member and Honorary President of the Scottish Association of Writers and of the Edinburgh Writer’s Club, born and educated on Tyneside, she has two sons and two granddaughters and lives in Edinburgh.

Reviews

[Elaine Tomasso · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first novel by Ms Knight I have read. It is a pleasant read with enough going on to keep you turning the pages, but easy enough to follow without overtaxing the brain. Set in the 1890s it follows the return of recently widowed Rose McQuinn to Edinburgh from the wilds of Dakota, her chance meeting with old friend Alice and Alice's demand that Rose use her deductive skills to investigate her husband's recent strange behaviour.
I don't think that Ms Knight really captures Victorian society and values, but then I don't think social commentary is her aim so if all you want is a light, escapist read then this will fit the bill nicely.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

1895. Rose McQuinn has arrived back in Edinburgh from the States after the death of her husband and child. She meets old friend Alice Boulton who is convinced her husband is having an affair and wants Rose to investigate. There is also the death of kitchen maid Molly Dunn to be concerned with, though the guilty party is quite obvious.
Overall an enjoyable historical mystery and decent start to this new series.

[Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good start with much of the book taken up with providing background to Rose's life, her experiences, her family etc.
There's the advantage of setting the book in Edinburgh, a place I want to visit, it's where my parents met. Love history and it's got lots of that.
Going to have to arrange a trip there.

[Diane Clavette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for bedtime reading.

[Sameera77 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main problem with this book is not that the murderer is pretty obvious since the beginning of the novel, but the characterization of its heroine, Rosie McQuinn.

She claims herself capable of protecting herself, and she has the gun to prove it. But nevertheless she fails twice in this endevour. Twice she is shown as completely vulnerable to harm, a damsel in distress, defenceless without the protection of others.

She also considers herself good in mystery solving, smart and perceptive, but till the end she has no inkling who the real murderer is. Her powers of observation and deduction overlook the prime suspect in the murder case. Not to mention you do not open the door in the dead of night in the deserted area, and if you really have to, at least be armed and on your guard, and check out first who wants to enter, and how wise it is to let them in.

It is also hard to empathize with the female protagonist who claims to dearly love her MIA husband, but gets intimately involved with another man, a policeman hero-worshipping her father. On the one hand, she does not believe her presumed dead husband to be really dead. On the other hand, she thinks of herself as a widow and is in dire need of physical intimacy, but does not fully engage herself in the second relationship, in case her husband returns home... Well, either you move on with your life, or simply wait till the right moment comes to make the next step. There is no need of hurrying things up, of immediate gratification. The pace of life was slower in Victorian times.

[Rebecka · Rating 2 out of 5]

The mysteries were a bit too obvious, but having thoroughly walked up and down Arthur's Seat myself, I found the setting fascinating. The narrator also helped make up for the somewhat lacking plot. The biggest issue I had with the book was that the MC was portrayed as a capable and shrewd woman, a gunslinging lady detective used to death and human cruelty. She ends up acting more like a "normal" late 19th-century British lady, unable to defend herself when threatened and having blinders on making her miss some obvious clues. I don't mind an MC like that, but the inconsistency made her seem very foolish. Like when she showed off her gun to convince two worried men that she was safe all alone, but never even thinks of using it the two times she was in great danger. The author made it seem like she was always bringing it with her. Even if she wasn't able to grab for it during the attacks at least she should think about it and give us some reason as to why she failed to use the weapon.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable and interesting read. The heroine, Rose McQuinn is spirited and brave, after some traumatic experiences in America's wild west, missing husband, Danny McQuinn and the death of their infant son, Rose has returned to Scotland.

As the daughter of a policeman, Detective Inspector Faro, she seems to be following in his footsteps. She is not concerned with following the local conventions, and travels around on a bicycle, she is befriended by a wild deerhound who she calls Thane and is adopted by a cat, who she calls "Cat".

There has been a murder locally, a young servant girl, and Rose becomes involved in the murder investigations, she finds a circus nearby where several American native Indians are employed and with her knowledge of their culture, her skills are utilised. Her good friend, Alice, looks to Rose to investigate her husband, Matthew, who Alice is convinced is having an affair.

All in all a ripping yarn, with adventures galore, great sadness for Rose personally, still in grief for the tiny baby who died and her missing husband who she hopes is still alive. As well as all this, there is a love interest for Rose in the form of a member of the local constabulary, Jack Macmerry.

I enjoyed reading The Inspector's Daughter, and would recommend this to detective fiction readers, particularly interesting because it is a detective story set in 1895 and Alanna Knight has clearly done her research into methods of detection used at that time.

[Michelle Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quaint, lovely story, old fashioned and whimsical. I enjoyed it! Not brutal, dark, or gory. Old world and gentile with Rose the protagonist who lives a different life than the people of Edinburgh, but is very much of the people. Will look for her other books once in a while.

[Carol Page · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not really a book I could get in too. Although I did read it it never gripped me like some have.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This author was pointed out to me at the Bloody Scotland book conference in Stirling, described as the doyenne of Scottish mystery writers, author of many cozies. The description of the author inspired me to pick up this book, the first in a series about Rose McQuinn. And sure enough, I really enjoyed this somewhat old-fashioned story about a woman returning home to Edinburgh after losing her husband and baby son in the Wild West of the 1890s. Rose has inherited a home near Holyrood House, under Arthur's Seat. When she moves in, she soon learns that there's been a murder in the neighborhood. But she's more intrigued by her friend Alice's worries about her husband Matthew, and by a mysterious deerhound, a huge dog that appears (often in time to scare off some malevolent person) and then disappears so completely that others doubt the dog's existence. A very satisfying story ensues, with lovely characters I look forward to learning more about.

[Cath · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally read the first one in the series which has helped retrospectively to set the scene. Good read and a fairly pleasant way to to pass the time!

Rose returns home to Scotland after 10 years to discover how Edinburgh has been developed and society is moving on from the 19th century. This book sets the scene for how Rose becomes an investigator and starts life again after losing her husband and child.

[C.L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved this book . One of those English mysteries I just couldn't put down. Apparently from what I can tell not published in the states so it has been hard to find others by this writer. I've found several at used bookstores though.

[Martina Lennon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this new to me series. Incredibly easy to read. You never know what browsing your local library shelves does for your reading. By the way no I did not read this on a Kindle, just that goodreads did not have a hardback listing.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose McQuinn #1

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not very good, managed to finish tough.

[Kt. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read all of this series. Easy to follow. Like able characters. Good setting.

[Linda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sweet, not too violent, main character is somewhat anachronistic, but it was an enjoyable bedtime read.

[Little Red Readinghood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good solid book about the daughter of an inspector featured in another series by the same author.

[Michele bookloverforever · Rating 4 out of 5]

I prefer this series to the one featuring her father. it's very atmospheric. a bit eerie and sad.

[Daniel Vawser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose McQuinn

Excellent book. I had a hard time putting it down. A good mix of mystery, suspense, romance, and culture. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Little Red Readinghood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely will continue with the series. Nice background set up. Logical mystery. Setting Queen Victoria era in Edinburgh Rose is forward thinking but not too modern in her outlook.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I continue to enjoy Alams Knight books. So well written.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery, set in Edinburgh in the 1890s, with a main character that is truly interesting and very engaging.

I'll be listening to the rest of this series

[Windy · Rating 4 out of 5]

First in this series set in 19th century Edinburgh. Entertaining read.

[Marisa]

Amazon - 26/11/2014