Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this Advanced Reader Copy and the opportunity to review “Murder in the Scottish Hills.” All opinions and comments are my own.

Maud McIntyre and Daisy Cameron are busy keeping their detective agency afloat, but the cases are not exactly rolling in. So, when the opportunity to write an advice column for a local newspaper comes up to bring in a little extra money, Maud agrees to the idea. Little does she know that this will lead to the discovery of art forgeries, murder, and for us readers, history and biology lessons of the Scottish countryside. “Murder in the Scottish Hills,” the second in “The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency” series, will be full of surprises.

Maud and Daisy use their detective skills to full effect (with a homage to Means, Motive and Opportunity, which takes a bit of time; this is a cozy mystery, not a page-turning thriller). There are plenty of suspects; a grieving (or not) widow, art gallery owners, hotel proprietors, a mysterious stranger that has ties to the dead man’s daughter. And when there’s another death, there’s even more reason for Maud and Daisy to figure out what’s going on. Which they do, after Maud uses her wiles and brings down a murderer -- literally.

“Murder in the Scottish Hills,” set in and around Edwardian Edinburgh, is a lightweight story good for those looking for fun characters, an interesting setting and a murder mystery with a hint of romance (the ongoing flirtation with Lord Urquhart from the first book continues apace). If those are your interests, it will definitely tick all the boxes.

Another great read and the second in this series which I am quite enjoying. Maud and Daisy are back and they are still making me smile. They are off to the Scottish Highland's to lend their detective skills but while on the train a dead body falls in front of them. So what can they possibly do? Try and find the killer of course!

What a fun, entertaining and easy to read book. It has everything you want from a cosy murder mystery and I love the historical aspect of it as well. The story winds its way thorough all the clues, twist and turns and these two women make a great team.

A light read but an entertaining one too and I do look forward to seeing what happens next.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

This second novel is tighter than the first. The mysteries are connected and the story doesn't stop and restart. However, it is still a bit meandering and includes WAY too much history. As much as I LOVE history and especially this time period, it's not necessary to include literally everything that's going on in 1911 AND everything interesting that happened in the village of Braemar. The royal connection was enough. Plus history should be woven into the historical novel and not just dumped in there. Maud's interest in suffrage shapes her character but that is also shown by her exercise routine and even her chosen profession. I would have included just that much in the first book and then add in the newspaper article and advice column and leave it at that. There's a romantic subplot that is a little bit shoehorned in. I wasn't a huge fan of the way that was told either. The mystery was intriguing enough to keep me reading but the murderer was too obvious. There are a few red herrings that are kind of out of place. The catch the murderer scene was funny and farcical but rather over the top.

There are a couple of historical inaccuracies. The pink/blue color scheme for babies didn't really exist until the mid-20th-century. If anything, it was the other way around. Also Maud wears a wristwatch and they didn't become common until after WWI. Yet additional research shows me that ladies' bracelet watches did exist and were worn by noblewomen, so that's a maybe for Maud.

Maud is an admirable character. She's very modern and has very 20th century interests and attitudes but she still has a long ways to go before she can be at the level of Sherlock Holmes in terms of detecting. She made a few blunders in trying to catch the killer. Daisy seems a lot smarter and more grounded than Maud. She's lived a harder life and is more aware of the way the world works. She's also better at detecting because she knows how to put on a different personality and how to get information she wants. Daisy's dialogue is written out in Scots but I found her easier to understand this time than in the previous book. Maybe because this one also includes some Gaelic? I really admire Daisy for being street smart, tough and for knowing how to have a good time. Maud hasn't learned to let go of her upper-class upbringing and let loose. Lord Urquhart is back. He's tight with the royals, apparently and I believe he comes around to see Maud because he wants to. He's flirting with her and she can't see it. Yet she fantasizes about his looks a lot! I don't see them working out as a couple unless he's secretly some kind of government spy and can allow Maud to help him in his work.


I enjoyed this novel better than the first but it's still not a favorite series. If the author can dial it back on the miscellaneous random trivia, I would like this series a lot more. I do plan to look for the third book though. I'm curious to see where Maud and Daisy go next.

After some success at the Detective Agency a news paper reaches out and asks for Maud's help answering some letters. This leads to Maud and Daisy's next adventure! Rose believes that her employer might be involved in some strange business and so Maud and Daisy head to the Highlands to see what's going on. On their way the new cases start piling up! When they change trains there's a dead body and even though the local police say suicide Maud just knows that isn't true. Then when we finally make it to our destination there ends up another murder and a missing bird!

I'm really enjoying this series. Maud is always killing me with her new exercises, I love Daisy's irreverence, and I live for the small Lord Urquhart moments.

#MurderInTheScottishHills #LydiaTravers
#TheScottishLadiesDetectiveAgency
#Historical #HistoricalMystery #Mystery
#Edinburg #ScottishHills #Highlands
#AmatuerSleuths #MurderMystery

I could not love this series more! Maud and Daisy are a smart, talented and hilarious sleuthing duo! The Scottish Highlands setting is charming and as always the characters are fun and engaging.

Though the book starts with one crime, the pair work their way through several crimes in the village tying them each up with a bow.

It was fun to read this book as the pieces all came together in the end. I can’t wait to see what’s in store next for these amateur sleuths!

Thank you to #NetGalley and #Bookouture for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

The second book in the Ladies' Detective Agency series and another enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more of Maud and Daisy's adventures.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for a copy of "Murder in the Scottish Hills" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was the second book in The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency and it was a fantastic continuation of Maud and Daisy's adventures as detectives. They are wonderful strong female characters in a time when women had very little voice of their own.

The time is September 1911 in Edinburgh where the M. McIntyre Agency is remembering the success of solving 3 crimes and almost losing their lives. Maud meets the editor of the Edinburgh Times at a gathering with her friend Eleanor from school. He asks her to write a piece for his paper on women's issues. She also writes an advice column as "Mrs. Fraser". Then a new case pops up in the form of Rose Gilmour a live-in maid to an art dealer in Braemar. She suspects that either her employer or his son are involved in art forgery and could Maud and Daisy investigate.

Of course, along the way they stumble upon another crime when they find a dead body on the train. An interesting character from the first book makes an appearance - Lord Hamish Urquhart whose stolen love letters they had retrieved. He is always quite eager to assist them in their investigations.

At the hotel where Maud and Daisy are staying they find a third mystery to solve - who is stealing stuffed birds and why. There is another murder in the village and Maud once again finds herself in great danger. There is mystery, intrigue, suspense and maybe a possible future romance?

This book is worth more than the allotted 5 stars, I am very much looking forward to the future books in this exciting new series.

After being contacted by a client, Maud McIntyre and her assistant Daisy, leave Edinburgh bound for a small village in the Scottish highlands. Forgeries of famous paintings were suspected, but before Maud and Daisy can concentrate on that case, a dead body fell from the train carriage the two women were about to enter. Mr Bisset, resident of the village, had been shot dead. Maud and Daisy had accommodation in the local hotel which Mr and Mrs Wallace ran, and it was a delightful place to stay. Maud felt they could work their detective magic based from there.

Getting closer to the truth, the women had only five suspects on their list. But it was another murder which brought them the closest. Would they find the killer before another life was taken? And would they have enough evidence to present to the police?

Murder in the Scottish Hills is the 2nd in The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency series by Lydia Travers and it was another fun and entertaining read. I enjoy Maud and Daisy's characters - they work together well. Train travel, horse and cart, bicycle travel and the few cars around was the way it was back in 1911 and I'm looking forward to #3. Recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Maud and Daisy are off to Braemer at the behest of Rose, a maid, because Rose is concerned about some odd events. Their journey, however, become more than they expected when a man is found shot to death on their train. And then there are the bodies in the village! This is light cosy reading that's enhanced by the characters of Maud and Daisy, two women defying social convention in 1911. The mystery isn't twisty and it's got some chuckles,. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, A good read.

Another light, cozy historical mystery from Travers. Apparently, the multiple mysteries per book are a feature rather than a bug, which I'm not a big fan of, but otherwise the reader should get strong Phryne Fisher vibes here. Definitely suitable for beach or porch reading.

A second edition to this entertaining series.

The characters are a delight and the relationship between Maud and Daisy is wonderful.

A well written edition to this historical cosy mystery series looking forward to joining the Ladies in their next adventure.

Murder in the Scottish Hills is the second book in Lydia Travers’ series, The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency. Maud and her fellow detective who used to be her lady’s maid, Daisy, are approached by a maid who is concerned that her employer in Braemar is up to something dishonest. The maid, Rose, can’t afford to employ them, so Maud and Daisy adopt the case pro bono. As they change trains on their way to Braemar, a man’s body rolls out of their carriage and onto the platform. He’s been shot.

Lord Urquhart, from the first book in the series, makes a reappearance, providing a romantic interest in the novel. I enjoyed an episode where he offers Maud a lift in his car as it’s about to bucket down with rain, but Maud wants to be haughty and refuses.

The cast of characters is quite short and thus there are no major surprises about whodunnit. I would have preferred a few stronger red herrings. Overall, I enjoyed the novel and will look out for others in the series, but that’s due to the humour and the characters. Although the body rolling out of the carriage was an excellent opening to the murder investigation, I felt the subsequent plot was rather weak and predictable. The climax was action-packed but I had to suspend my disbelief more than I’d like. There never was a railway between Braemar and Bridge of Gairn but, if there had been, could a bicycle with two people really catch up with a train over the 15 mile journey? My overall verdict is “Shows great promise but must try harder!”

#MurderintheScottishHills #TheScottishLadiesDetectiveAgency #NetGalley

Maud and Daisy are back in action in this second installment of The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency series. After their initial case-solving success, business has been slow for the two friends. So when a letter for advice arrives in the post, the women are free to travel to the Scottish countryside to take on a new challenge.

On their train ride to a small village to meet with Rose, a maid who suspects her employer may be unknowingly involved in art forgery, Maud and Daisy not only meet a couple of interesting characters but also stumble upon a dead body. The deceased is the father of a woman they met on the train and a resident of the town to which they’re traveling, but no one seems to mourn his loss.

As the detectives begin their investigation, a local artist is found murdered. What is going on in this small town? Are the forgery and murder cases connected somehow? And can Maud and Daisy uncover the truth before anyone else gets hurt?

I really enjoyed the bits of Gaelic language and Scottish colloquialisms sprinkled throughout the book. Maud and Daisy continued to impress me with their defiance of social norms and witticisms, and I can see how they are growing more comfortable with their business and the role each of them play within it. I did struggle with the inclusion of Lord Urquhart. The rationale for why he kept appearing seemed forced, but I understand that the relationship with Maud needs to progress.

Although I enjoyed the first book in this series a bit more, I would recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers and look forward to continuing to follow this series!

I would recommend this for teenager girls, it's clean, it's a teenage type cozy mystery, it's the 21st Century version of Nancy Drew. Maud and Daisy are off again, this time into the Highlands, after being asked by a maid to look into her employers art business, afraid that a forger has become involved. I was under the impression that it was a clean romantic mystery, alas no, the good looking male is there, but these two females are in no need of any males, thank you very much. Sigh. Although Lord Urughuart makes non meaningful appearences, a few seconds here and there, to be quite honest, it reads like it was published for thirteen year olds,which could help with the literary worlds goal of getting younger people to read.
Thank you #Netgalley #Bookouture
carolintallahassee

Scottish hi jinx!

Another adventure with our intrepid duo Miss Maud McIntyre, and Daisy Cameron, Maud’s former maid. This time they’ve gone to Braemar near Balmoral Castle to investigate the possible forgery of paintings supposedly by Zurbarán. A pro bono case
They don’t even reach the place before they discover a dead body in the carriage they were about to enter when changing trains. Suicide or murder? Maud and Daisy are leaning towards the latter
Well this is just the beginning of another of our detective duo’s deductive skills bringing justice to a situation that ends up being complicated by all sorts of diversions.
Slightly tongue-in-cheek (at least I’m taking it that way). This includes Maud’s exercise regime improvements, the ladies penchant for disguises, their falling into situations. Although the reappearance of Lord Urqart is in no way to be sneered at. Mmm!
Another cozy mystery that’s fast approaching the ‘Perils of Pauline’ farcical realm.

A Bookouture ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher.
(Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.)

3.5 stars

This light-hearted series is fun and moves quickly. Yes, the plots are over-the-top implausible, but it's an entertaining ride.

It's 1911 and two independently minded Scottish women have started a private investigative agency. They are pro-suffragette and are tired of being patronized and underestimated by men. Maud is a society lady, and her former maid daisy is her business partner. They are approached by a servant in a small town who is afraid her employer is up to fraud and illegal activities having to do with the art world.

So, they set off to investigate. Are we surprised when a dead body turns up on the train on their journey? Of course not. There's something highly suspicious about the circumstances, and Maud and Daisy can't help but start asking questions. These two separate cases end up being connected and Maud and Daisy have to employ everything from disguises to subterfuge to lots of tea with suspects to solve the caper. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Lydia Travers for providing me with a complimentary digital m ARC for Murder in the Scottish Hills coming out May 26, 2023. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Edinburgh, 1911: Maud McIntyre is settling into her job as a private detective. She receives a letter from a maid called Rose, telling her that something odd is happening in the house where she works. Maud and her trustworthy assistant Daisy immediately travel to the Highlands to potentially solve another case.

But as they are changing trains, the body of a man falls from the carriage right in front of them, a bullet in his head. Maud and Daisy are shocked, but realize they need to solve this case. However, local police rule the death as a tragic accident. Believing it wasn’t an accident but murder.

Arriving in the Scottish village, Maud and Daisy go undercover to find out the murderer, while also investigating the strange behaviour of Rose’s employer, a local art dealer. As they begin to put together the chain of events, Maud and Daisy wonder whether the cases might be connected. Is it possible the man on the train was killed to cover up something in the village?

When a local artist is found murdered, Maud and Daisy become convinced the two cases are connected. Searching for the link between the deaths, will Maud and Daisy solve the case before another mysterious murder occurs?

I love this series so much! I also received the audiobook The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency and loved it. So I wanted to check out the second book. I just think it’s a fun, cozy historical mystery. I love that it’s set in Scotland. The mystery was a little too straightforward, but I still love Maud’s adventures. I love that she has her own car now to get around, solving cases, haha. I definitely want to get the third book!

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys cozy historical mysteries!

This was an enjoyable well paced read. I hadn't read the first, but that didn't stop me enjoying the 2nd in this series. Loved the setting - most detective novels are set in London, but enjoyed the Scottish setting for something different.

I was so happy to be chosen by netgally to read the second instalment of Lydia Travers ladies detective agency. I thoroughly enjoyed the first and couldn't wait to rejoin Maude and Daisy for another adventure.

I was not disappointed. This book sees the duo travel to the Highlands to work on a case of art fraud. Lots of familiar characters and some new faces along with a guest appearance from non other than the King lead to lots of laugh out loud moments.

I impatiently look forward to book 3 in this heartwarming series

The M. MacIntyre Agency hasn’t had a case since solving the jewelry theft and murder at Duddingston House. Now Maud and Daisy are worried that they could be twiddling their thumbs for weeks, or possibly months. So when they receive a letter from a young housemaid concerned that her employer is involved with an art forgery, they are soon on a train to the Highlands to investigate. What they didn’t anticipate was finding the a dead body in their carriage. One more case to investigate.


Having recently read (and thoroughly enjoyed) TheScottish Lady Detective Agency, I couldn’t pass up reading the second book in the series. The author has again created an entertaining plot. As with the first book, one case leads to another, and another. But it never seems to get overly convoluted. There are several mysteries to solve and spotting the culprits was pretty easy. But that really doesn’t really matter when you’re enjoying the read.

Maud and Daisy are intelligent, sensible female protagonists, who also each have a humorous side. And while Maud continues to be the focus as the main protagonist, I’m happy to see that in this installment Daisy gets more involved with the investigations. Placing the story in a small Scottish village also allowed the author to create a supporting cast of interesting characters (and one very special guest appearance!).

If I do have a quibble, it’s that portion of the story where, after being asked to write a newspaper article regarding the Conciliation Bill and women’s voting rights, the editor then turns Maud into an “agony aunt”. It just didn’t set well that after writing a serious article regarding women’s rights she would accept answering letters about how to find a husband.

But still, overall a highly enjoyable cozy that was a pleasure to read.