28 August 2024.
ISBN: 978-1-83525506-3 (PB)
When on holiday from Edinburgh, Ally
McKinley had fallen in love with an old two-storey malthouse just outside of
the small riverside village of Locharran. Her husband Ken had been a wonderful husband
and father but lacked an adventurous spirit. Now seven years after his death
she has decided to retire to Locharran. Purchasing the Auld Malthouse was costly
but converting it to a B&B with three en-suite bedrooms should help to payback her overspend on the conversion.
So, five feet ten inches tall and sixty-eight years of age, Ally is happily
running her guest house. Being a small village, it isn’t long before she is
making friends with the locals.
On this bright morning, she is surprised that the guest American, Mr Carrington in Room 1 has not appeared for breakfast. While knocking on his bedroom door she hears a loud scream from somewhere below. And leaning out of the window she sees her cleaner Morag, with her hand over her mouth staring in horror at the prone figure at her feet lying across the cobblestoned courtyard with a dagger protruding from the centre of his back.
Ally picked up the phone and called the police. I could do with a wee drop of whisky said Morag in a wobbling voice, that makes two of us says Ally withdrawing the bottle of Glenmorangie from the cupboard.
Detective Bob Rigby, originally from Birmingham, was not looking joyous at this call-out. He’d come to Inverness for a few quiet years before he retired, and the young police constable was noticeably nervous as his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down.
Murdo, the postman, married to Morag,
tells Ally that Mr Carrington apparently had Scottish ancestry and was in some
way related to the owner of Locharran castle, Hamish Sinclair, the earl who
owns most of the land around Locharran.
When the police seem totally baffled, Ally decides to do her own investigation. She
learns that her dead guest believed that he was the rightful Earl of Locharran.
Even worse, that he had plans for the village that would put many people out of
their jobs and even their homes.
So, which of the locals resorted to murder? Or maybe it was the earl himself, whose entire way of life was threatened. Ally chats to everyone and then quietly lists the names of those who could be suspects. Then one night she is awakened by Wailing Willie, the ghost, who is always heard wailing foretelling a death. And sure enough one of her suspects dies in a suspicious accident. Can she uncover the truth, before there are more killings.
A fascinating mystery, full of marvellous
characters. Highly recommended.
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Reviewer: Lizzie Sirett
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