This was a pretty fun book and probably the only reason I didn't rate it higher is because mystery is not really one of my top genres. I think it's because you're supposed to be totally into figuring out 'whodunnit' and I can just never manage to muster up the necessary enthusiasm for it. But I did like the characters and was also impressed that they all had pretty distinctive personalities because usually I get completely lost in big casts and we've got 20+ people regularly showing up here. The romance is definitely a minor part of the plot compared to the mystery but I thought it fit together nicely and there are a few short steamy scenes for people who are into that.

I was not entirely satisfied with the explanation for the murders, especially since the main character made a very self aware statement of how ridiculously elaborate murder plots are in most mystery books and then the book launched into what I thought was a ridiculously elaborate murder plot. But like I said, I'm very hard to please with mystery books so I was mostly picked it up because I like to read M/M romance that also has a bit of plot to go along with the romance ;) This definitely did that so overall I enjoyed it, even though I thought it got a bit out there at the end.

I was hesitant about reading this one because I wasn't the biggest fan of Josh Lanyon's Adrien English series, but boy howdy am I glad that I did. This is a quick, fun, cozy mystery. I liked the romance too, the couple communicates pretty well. I like the tour group, even if it was a little hard to keep track or care about every character as it's kind of a large cast. The first twist I saw coming but I honestly only saw the end coming as it was happening so the mystery was well done too.

Murder Takes the High Road felt like a British murder mystery show, which was so fun! Carter, in this book, is very different from characters in other books. He felt a little stuffy, but in a sweet friendly way. I loved how he interacted with the others attending the themed bus tour. Everyone was unique, with their own voices and quirky interactions.

One downside of setting a book inside a one week vacation. We don’t learn much about Carter’s everyday life. We don’t get to know what makes him tick regularly. We’ve got only this one week to learn about the hero, solve a mystery, and watch him fall in love. It’s ambitious.

Normally Josh Lanyon takes me for a ride. I don’t always figure out whodunit right away, but reading Murder Takes the High Road I had it all figured out pretty quick. I think the story was pretty transparent.

I also wasn’t completely invested in Carter and John as a romantic couple. I've stopped believing two people can fall in love over a span of 3 days. It made everything that happened between John and Carter pretty bland for me.

Still, this was a fun read, full of atmosphere and entertainment.

4.0 stars

Another caper written in true Josh Lanyon style. You can always count on her for a smartly written mystery. Hopefully we can look forward to more adventures featuring Carter and John. Well done.

(4.25 stars)

if i had to sum this book up in one word it would be...

D R A M A !

drama here! drama there! drama EVERYWHERE!

and it was great.

there were more twists than i expected, and even the guessable things didn't quite pan out the way i was expecting. the writing was very strong and suspenseful, so much so that i read this in one sitting (really not a good idea, since i should either be sleeping or studying because i have a really important exam tomorrow but i digress).

there was also some pretty good Relationship Drama in the form of carter's ex, and some steamy scenes in the form of Mysterious New Guy.

i didn't think it warranted five stars exactly because there was something... missing? maybe it was the fact that the overall mystery was a tad predictable in the motive if not the culprit, although there were some really good twisty moments before that.

this was the first book i've read by josh lanyon and it definitely won't be the last!

This was a fun read. Carter is on a literary tour in Scotland. They are going to famous spots from his favorite author's books and it will end with them meeting the author. This sounds like the greatest thing ever for book nerds. (If there's ever a tour of the places Ty & Zane go I am SO there) Unfortunately for Carter his ex and his ex's new boyfriend are also on the tour.

As with any good Lanyon story people get killed and Carter sets out to solve the mystery. He's assisted by his roommate John who Carter is more than a little attracted to.

The romance was sweet and not what I expected. I'm used to her dialing up the angst and hurting the reader's heart a little along the way. I missed that. Overall I enjoyed this but it wasn't one of my favorite books by this author.

**ARC provided through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**

The first thing that drew me to this book was the word ‘Scottish’ in the blurb. Scotland’s on my bucket list, so I was hoping this book would deliver some picturesque scenes.

And I wasn’t disappointed! We’ve got ancient streets, mountains, seaside roads, and creepy old castles. The vivid descriptions of gloomy Scottish weather gave the book a sombre and foreboding feel.

When we’re first introduced to Carter, he’s a bit of a pitiful character. It’s obvious that his decision to go on the tour is as much to spite his ex as it is out of personal interest in mystery author Vanessa Rayburn.

But it didn’t take me long to warm up to him. He’s a librarian and crazy about reading - I could see the appeal! Plus, his ex, Trevor, and Trevor’s new boyfriend Vance are so immediately unlikeable, that I couldn’t help but root for Carter.

The love interest, John, is a bit of enigma. We don’t get his POV, and at first all readers see of him are his odd night-prowling habits. But that’s enough to pique Carter’s interest.

This isn’t a particularly romantic read. Carter and John might be in close quarters, and it only takes them a couple of days to fall into bed together, but the relationship plays second fiddle to the mystery aspect.

That being said, the two still make for a sweet couple. Both men are cautious about love, but it can’t be denied that there’s an obvious connection between them. By the end of the book, I was sure that they were well on their way to a happy ending.

The murder mystery was entertaining, and kept me guessing. I was never entirely sure what was happening, and how all the moving pieces connected together.

However, at some point I did start getting bored. The mystery’s just too tame for what I’d normally expect from Josh Lanyon. I was expecting something more thrilling that would keep me on the edge of my seat.

Overall, this was a good read, with enough romance and mystery to keep me entertained. Fans of Josh Lanyon should know that this is a lot more low-key than her usual fare. I wouldn’t mind a short sequel or epilogue to see where Carter and John end up!

Synopsis:
Carter booked a tour of a beloved mystery author's book settings two years ago for his boyfriend and himself. Unfortunately, in the ensuing years, they have broken up. Carter is determined to go on the tour, in spite of the fact that his ex-boyfriend will be there with the ex's current boyfriend.
Because the rooms are in short supply for the tour, Carter ends up sharing a room with John, a late addition to the tour. John seems to be a little shady, in that he doesn't know any of the author's works that well, and he sneaks about at all times of the night. Then one of the members of the tour dies one night, and there are rumours that this also happened on the previous tour. Carter is drawn in to an investigation after another member of the tour suddenly heads home, not letting anyone know that she was leaving.

What I liked: Carter. He was engaging, and although a little clueless when it came to personal matters, managed to mostly keep his head and integrity on the tour. He interacted with everyone, and didn't try to bad mouth his ex, even though the ex was bad mouthing him. Carter didn't really have a lot of quality time with John, and didn't really get suspicious of him until the end, even though he knew that John was pretending to be a fan of the author that the tour was for.
There were enough clues for the mystery, if anyone picked up on them, but there is a caveat with regards to that. (See dislikes) Seeing Carter come out of his shell, and actually enjoy Scotland, even though he had never been out of the US was nice.

What I didn't like: for the final couple of chapters, the story takes a sudden turn that really has nothing to do with the entire story up until that point. I found it hard to buy in to the relationship development between Carter and John, because they only knew each other for a couple of days.

Overall impression: this was an interesting mystery with engaging characters. Told from Carter's POV in the first person. Light on romance, with the focus on the mystery and the characters.

*I received a copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

A complimentary copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder Takes the High Road is different from Lanyon's previous works. The beginning started off very slow for me and things didn't really pick up/get interesting until around the 25% mark. Is it wrong for me to say that I enjoyed seeing Carter being upset and miserable because of Trevor and Vance (Trevor is Carter's ex and Vance is the new BF)? I hated Trevor and Vance, and the drama and upset they caused Carter (and several other people of the tour) was disturbing but so over the top that I couldn't help but be amused by it. How could two people be so selfish and self absorbed that they couldn't see that Carter was just trying to thumb his nose at them by being on the tour? Poor Carter. He is well rid of Trevor.

The relationship between John and Carter was nice. They didn't exactly jump into a relationship (they wait to sleep together until about the 3rd night, lol) and Carter internally acknowledges that they hardly know each and that a relationship between them is...farfetched to put it nicely. But they also both sense they have a good connection and that it is worth pursuing beyond the tour. It all felt like the beginning of something (which makes sense since it's been a week), and I can't remember if this is going to be a series or standalone. I do hope more is written about them because I would love to see them together. The ending to Murder Takes the High Road leads us to believe that John's job is going to lead to more sleuthing, and he has invited Carter to join in. How cool is that? I want to read all about that adventure.

Overall this was an enjoyable story, but it felt different (off) from Lanyon's other novels. Don't mistake this comment for a negative. The story and writing were very entertaining, and the action (once it started) really kept up a fast pace and I was able to read roughly 70% in one day.

Yes, there is amateur sleuthing; yes, there is a murder to solve; yes, there is a romance between the two MCs; yes, the guilty party gets caught. The specific differences are tied to the feel of the story, the mysteries, the murders, the detecting and the characters. They were all different from Lanyon's past stories, but it does have the same feel as her All's Fair series (up to a point).

I do recommend this and give it 4 stars, maybe 4.25.

I know Josh Lanyon’s books are very popular, but this is the first one that I’ve had the opportunity to read. I found the story to be a little weak, so I’m not sure whether this is a good example of the author’s work or not.

The plot involves a group taking a tour of sites in Scotland that have been featured in the books of a popular mystery author, with the trip culminating in a visit to the author’s home on a private island. It’s a trip designed to appeal to the author's superfans, including the main character, librarian Carter Matheson. Carter’s determined to go on the tour, even though the group includes his ex Trevor and Trevor’s new boyfriend, which makes things awkward. The tour is further marred by the death of one of participants and other strange incidents. However, it’s when they get to the island that things really come to a head.

This book has a lot of moving parts, maybe too many. First, there are the things that happen during the tour itself, which might or might not be suspicious. Then there’s the suspicious behavior of Carter’s roommate John, who doesn’t really seem all that much of a fan of the author and who disappears from their room in the middle of the night on a regular basis. And THEN there’s the fact that the author featured in the tour has a background that seems to be loosely based on events in the real life of mystery writer Anne Perry, who was involved in a murder as a teenager. That eventually comes into play in the action, too. All I can say is that there’s a lot of bait and switch involved in the plot.

The romance is similarly complicated. Carter seems like a perfectly nice guy but hardly a man magnet, yet three different men on the tour seem interested in him, which is a bit much. (Carter himself muses on the strange increase in his IT factor at one point.) Between the three guys and all of the other mystery elements crammed into the plot, I thought the development of the central romance between Carter and John got a bit slighted.

I do want to give Lanyon credit for making the hero a librarian, though, and a really credible representative of the profession. Carter is curious, loves to learn about all kinds of things, and will conduct research at the drop of a hat—that all rings very true to my experiences as a librarian. The fact that Carter solves the central mystery by doing a little old-fashioned research in books is the icing on the cake for me.

While I didn’t love this particular novel, it was interesting enough that I’m not going to give up on the author yet. I think other books might just be a better fit for my tastes.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

I haven’t read anything by Josh Lanyon before, but I’m always up for a good romantic murder mystery. While this was heavier on the mystery side than the romance side, I still very much enjoyed it.

“As much as I loved reading about murder and mayhem, I had never kidded myself I’d make a good detective. The extent of my sleuthing ability was finding misfiled books and lost editions.”


Carter is quite possibly the coziest amateur sleuth I’ve ever read about, a complete cinnamon roll hero. He’s a librarian who prefers reading books and gardening to traveling, but this trip is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet one of his favorite authors. Unfortunately, he booked the trip years ago, before his (now ex) boyfriend cheated on him – and they’re both going on the trip, as well. At least Carter has a room to himself – until a last minute addition to the tour is set to room with him. Luckily, the new guy is hot, single and setting off Carter’s gaydar. If only he wasn’t setting off Carter’s something’s-not-right-o-meter, too!

The entire book happens in less than a week and is entirely from Carter’s POV, so the romance felt a bit rushed. While I definitely felt the chemistry between Carter and John, I was glad their relationship ended on a happily-for-now note rather than a true HEA, just because a week on a tour bus in Scotland didn’t seem like enough to build a relationship on. I’m honestly hoping that this will be the first in a series starting Carter and John, as I really enjoyed Carter’s POV and his approach to solving the mystery.

“I was thinking maybe we should…” Once again, she let it trail.
“We should what?”
“I don’t know. Investigate?”
I gawked at her. “What? Us? How? Why?”
She seemed startled at my response. “Why? Well, because.”
“Because why?”
“We’re all mystery buffs, after all. Who better?”
“Police. The local constabulary. The not local constabulary. Scotland Yard. The gamekeeper. The gatekeeper. The keymaster. I don’t know. Pretty much anyone other than us.”


As for the mystery piece, there’s lots of red herrings, so it was fun to pick through and figure out what was important and what wasn’t. If anything, I think I’d complain that it’s all a bit too much – there’s too many things going on and too many secondary characters. There are quite a few people – more than twenty – on the bus tour, and some are developed more than others, so it was easy to figure out who was important to the plot and who wasn’t. There’s an entire subplot with Carter’s ex and his new boyfriend that I felt wasn’t fully fleshed out – they seemed to be playing a much larger part earlier in the book and then it just fizzled out. I was pleased with the final resolution of the mystery, though, and especially liked the way Carter solved it.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the mixture of romance and mystery, and I’ll definitely be looking up more of the author’s books! Recommended if you like cozy mysteries with a side of librarian romance!

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I hadn’t been overwhelmed by the last few Lanyon-books I picked up and so I wasn’t planning on reading this one. But the plot ‘holiday trip with mysterious events and then a sudden death’ just sounded too good to pass. And I was not disappointed. Lanyon gives this frequently used set-up an unexpected twist that fits the story perfectly. (Die-hard mystery traditionalists might complain about it but I enjoyed it a lot).



The romance was very low-key. Carter and John meet, are attracted to each other, have sex and agree to stay in touch and take things further but things are not overly emotional. Which is understandable considering the story takes place over the course of one or two weeks and things are quite busy. Still, it’s definitely more a happy-for-now than a happily-ever-after ending. In fact, it felt more like the beginning of a traditional cozy mystery series (where the designated couple meets in book one, there is an obvious attraction but it takes a few more books until they really get together), than of a typical romance series e.g. Lanyon’s Adrien English books or KJ Charles’ Magpie Lord (where the couple has already taken huge steps towards a proper relationship in book one). I don’t mind this since I enjoy both but if you pick this book up for the romance you will probably be disappointed.

What did bother me was the bitchy-ex trope that takes up quite a lot of space. Carter had originally planned to take the trip with his then-boyfriend but then the boyfriend left him for another guy so now all three of them are taking the tour. Both the ex and his new boyfriend spent a lot of time being horrible to Carter and it’s exhausting. Admittedly, it does help muddling the waters because it means Carter can’t be sure if some of the strange occurrences might be their fault. It’s also part of Carter’s character-growth that he realises how little he and Trevor fitted together and it’s much more than ‘well he couldn’t see how awesome I was, so obviously he was horrible’ but especially considering how little space the actual new relationship got, it’s disappointing to see how much time that sub-plot took.

I would still recommend this book but only to people who (also) enjoy classical mysteries and don’t mind having the typical tropes from those played with (and perhaps also lampshaded a bit), not to lovers of romantic suspense because there is not that much romance in it.

Josh Lanyon’s latest mystery pays homage to all those classic whodunits in this tale of a group of people drawn together by their love of a mystery writer, Dame Vanessa Rayburn. The cast of characters are on a bus tour through Scotland, visiting various settings from Dame Rayburn’s novels, ending with a visit to Rayburn’s castle on a remote island.

There is a creepy, very cold Scottish inn, a mysterious last-minute addition to the group who doesn’t seem familiar with Dame Rayburn’s work, constant tension between Carter and his ex-boyfriend Trevor who is on the tour with his new obnoxious boyfriend and bound and determined to make trouble for Carter. And then the murders start …

The plot reminded me of an Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, while Dame Vanessa Rayburn, with a murder in her past, seemed like a nod to noted mystery author Anne Perry. The mystery held my interest, but I felt there were so many characters on the tour that it was hard at times to remember who was who. Also Vanessa Rayburn seemed like such a fascinating, but ultimately very illusive character. Finally, the relationship between Carter and John felt very undeveloped.

Murder Take the High Road” gets high marks for its mystery, but the character development lowered the curve a bit for me personally, and I give it 3.5 stars.

Awesome mystery with some delicious m/m action. Great job.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I made a mistake the other day when I was reading an offer about advanced reader copy of a book. I ended up selecting a few books that I wasn’t expecting because I thought I was just reading the synopsis.

However, I can say that I am quite happy about the so called mistake because out of that I was able to read and review a fabulous book.

Now I love a good mystery story now and again. But when you combine one with an exciting travel tour and a decidedly sweaty m/m romance, you have my attention.

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book but the author grabbed me from the very beginning with her captivating detail, true to life character descriptions that make me smirk and grin, and the overall excitement surrounding the story.

As we move through the book, the build up of the mystery and the amateur sleuthing were perfect and brought me to the edge of my seat a few times. Then bring on the hottie romance and wow, things kicked up several notches. MMmmm

I have to say I was surprised that the author is a female. With her name I automatically assumed she was male. Not that it makes any difference, because regardless of who wrote this book, it was a fun and fabulous read.

For anyone that loves a great MM read with a wonderfully written mystery that will surprise you in many ways, you have to check out this book. I’m so glad I did. And I definitely will be finding more from this author.

For any book lover, a tour through Scotland where you get to meet one of your favorite authors sounds like a dream vacation. And so it would be for librarian Carter Matheson…if only his ex, Trevor, and Trevor’s new boyfriend weren’t on the same tour. Still, Carter is determined to enjoy the trip, even if it kills him. And it just might. Because this tour destined for the home of famed mystery author Vanessa Rayburn is taking a potentially deadly turn. A fellow tourist has died under mysterious circumstances and the whispers are flying. Suddenly Carter can’t help but put on his amateur sleuth hat. Everyone’s behavior is suspect, even Carter’s mysterious and attractive roommate, John…

Strangers brought together by chance, mysterious deaths, gossip, and a cast of quirky characters far away from home all come together to form a cozy mystery in Murder Takes the High Road. Strains of Agatha Christie float through this tale which was enjoyable, but was missing that ineffable Josh Lanyon spark.

Murder Takes the High Road is a bit difficult for me to review and I spent over a month mulling it over because I don’t really have much to say about the story, either positive or negative. Ms. Lanyon is an excellent writer so this isn’t a bad book by any means. But it unfolds slowly and the sizeable set of characters Carter either chooses to or is forced to interact with aren’t very interesting. They’re like pieces in a chess set, moving across the board that is the mystery and are only of interest when they serve the plot. Because most of them are expendable (in the classic murder mystery way), I didn’t care much about their actions and I was much more interested in scenes with just Carter and John. From strangers to lovers, their romance is one I loved watching unfold. Carter is still dealing with the fallout of his breakup with Trevor, but John is no rebound for him. They have excellent chemistry and I loved them together so much that I really hope there is a sequel to this book because I’d love to learn more about John.

Murder Takes the High Road features an interesting mystery, one that’s slow to build but the payoff is worth it. The mystery does take up more page time than the romance, which isn’t a problem per se, but it did leave me wanting more. I’m a big fan of Ms. Lanyon’s work, so I can’t help but compare this book to others of hers that had more energy and drew me into the story more. Still, Murder Takes the High Road is a solid story and if you’re craving a Christie-type tale this book will serve you well.

Ten months ago, Carter and his boyfriend of three years, Trevor, broke up — but that’s not going to stop Carter from going on Tour to Die For, the bus tour of Scotland based on settings in famous mystery writer Vanessa Rayburn. It was a trip they planned while they were still dating, and Carter’s not going to let a breakup stop him from meeting one of his favorite authors, or from trying to make Trevor see that he was wrong to leave Carter. While the trip is off to a promising start, the guests start having a mystery of their own. First, one of their fellow travelers passes away; second, another guest, suspicious of the first guest’s death, disappears. Carter and his roommate John start becoming close, but the mystery deepens — the disappearances are concerning, of course, but then there’s the matter of murder, and John’s true identity. Carter is a librarian, and his curiosity may get the better of him with a killer on the loose.

This was the first book of Josh Lanyon’s that I’ve read, and it wasn’t a disappointment. It was a cozy mystery absolutely, but one that keeps the reader engaged with the characters and the plot as well as the relationships developing or, in some cases, devolving. I really did like the characters, they were an interesting bunch and throwing a bunch of strangers on a trip in a foreign country is a good setup for a mystery book. Carter’s interactions with his ex Trevor and Trevor’s new boyfriend Vance were awkward and it made me feel really happy for Carter, since Trevor was quite frankly a jerk. So was Vance, but they were characters that it was fun to hate, and it made Carter’s frequent tellings-off to Trevor all that more satisfying.

The mystery took turns that I didn’t expect, which was refreshing, since sometimes cozy mysteries can be a bit predictable. I didn’t run into that with Murder Takes the High Road. In fact, there were a few red herrings that keep the reader guessing, and it’s easy to suspect multiple people throughout the book as being the culprit, but you don’t see the final resolution coming at all. I did suspect one part of the plot (spoiler: that Tour to Die For was a sort of murder dinner party type thing, where the mystery fans become embroiled by design in a mystery of their own, all fun and games) and felt pretty good that I ended up being right about it.

The romance between Carter and John was compelling as well. It happened quickly, but it also felt natural — to me, at least. They’re interested in each other, they get along, and John provides a clear contrast to Trevor. Where Trevor is abrasive, self-centered, accusing and rude, John is supportive, caring, confident without being self-absorbed, and clearly interested in Carter for who he is, willing to listen to him talk his theories out about the mysteries surrounding them without being derisive. The sex scenes were hot without being over the top, although there was some purple prose phrases that made me giggle, I’ll admit. John was a bit of a mystery on his own, and his trust in Carter to tell him why he was really on Tour to Die For was gratifying to see as a reader — you can see Carter and John’s relationship develop from something casual to something with a great deal of meaning behind it.

I also really liked the pop culture references peppered throughout the book. They weren’t overwhelming or distracting from the plot, as references could sometime be. I think it added to the plot, in fact, because it’s clear to the reader that this mystery takes place in ‘our’ world. It’s not a place where our fiction — be it television, books, movies, what have you — doesn’t exist, which is fairly easy to come across. This book referenced Outlander, I’m pretty sure the Ghostbusters, the television shows Homicide Hunter and Murder She Wrote, as well as a few other references that made the book a delight to read.

Overall the book was a fun, quick read (I finished the book in one day) that keeps the reader interested. There should be more LGBT mysteries out there, and this one was a delight. I know I’ll be reading more books by Josh Lanyon in the future.

I'm always excited to read a new Josh Lanyon book, so I was pleased to get approved for an arc of Murder Takes the High Road. This was another wonderful multi-layered mystery from this author. The story was filled with just the right amount of heat, humor, and murder to be very entertaining. I loved the old school feel of the murder mystery and I enjoyed Carter's amateur sleuthing.

The Scotland bus tour provided an intriguing setting and an endless list of suspects. The characters were nicely developed and very engaging. Some of them were likable, some not so much, but they sure were an interesting group!

I'm pretty sure the reason I've always enjoyed Lanyon's characters so much is because they tend to be a bit older and have already been through a lot. Their experiences brings a maturity to the relationship that is deep and meaningful. I quite enjoyed Carter. I liked how he was able to deal with his ex being on the tour, while simultaneously attempting to start something with John. But John I wasn't too sure about. I didn't get to know him well enough, but I think he proved his worth by the end of the book.

Murder Takes the High Road had everything that I love in a Josh Lanyon book! This was a highly anticipated book and it did not disappoint.

Next up for me is The Magician Murders, which I purchased from Amazon and have waiting for me on my Kindle.

Murder Takes The High Road by Josh Lanyon

Reading this book I believed that the author was a guy…it seemed to feel like a sensitive male author writing a somewhat cozy feeling murder-mystery-romance set on a bus tour in Scotland. I didn’t realize till the end of the book, after reading the author’s bio at the end, that the author is a female. That said…I really did enjoy reading this new-to-me author and would gladly read more of her work in the future.

Why would I read more? Because she engaged me in the mystery but even more, she had me invested in the characters of Carter and John. They were so good together, put a smile on one another’s faces and made me smile, too. I was rooting for their romance to flourish and hoping that it would go beyond the limited time of the bus tour.

As this was a tour to see Scottish sights…and sites where an author managed to murder characters in her books…it was a bit of a travelogue but as I traveled with the group I got to know the people on the bus and a bit more about a country I would like to visit someday.

As with many groups that are gathered together but do not know one another beforehand they have to find their way as a group with each person finding where they fit on the team. There was a comedian, a complainer or two, a loudmouth, a leader or two, a conspiracy theorist and…well….a few others, too.

What I liked:
* The dialogue between Carter and John
* The mystery of John’s night walks
* The mystery of why people were disappearing
* The information that made me go look to see if Dame Vanessa Rayburn was a real person or not (the fact she was a murderer reminded me of another author who writes murder mysteries)
* The way Vanessa’s books were referred to as if they really existed
* The interactions between those on the tour
* The romance between Carter and John

What I didn’t like:
* The people meant to be disliked and some of the things they said and did.

Did I like this book? Yes
Would I read more books by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Carina Press for the ARC – This is my honest review

4 Stars

What a ride! Just when you think you have the answer to the mystery all figured out a new case pops up and you're back to square one...

I was captured by the story and was constantly trying to guess what the truth was. I was able to guess one of the mysteries right and was very pleased by that. I was also a little disappointed because the truth was revealed relatively early and there was still a good 30% of the book left. Just when I was wondering what we were supposed to be reading for that many pages in a mystery book when the mystery was already solved, I was dropped back in a new case!

The whole story happens in about five days, so a really small amount of time, but all the characters were basically living together since they were on a trip in Scottland so their connection and familiarity rose pretty quickly but also understandably. There are a lot of secondary characters here but we don't get to know all of them the same amount. It would have required a much larger book for something like that to happen and I don't think it was necessary. There are twenty people in the group, plus the driver and the manager. Later on, we get introduced to the writer the tour was centered around and her PA. That's a big cast but it made for an interesting plot with a lot of suspects. I'll admit that I never remembered all the names and who was with whom but that didn't affect my understanding of the story. I knew the people that played important roles in the plot and that was enough.

I haven't seen any indication, but I deeply believe and hope this book was only the first in a series-to-be. It ends in a very tentative HFN with the MCs only in the beginning of something, presumably, good but it leaves a lot of open threads and unfinished side plots. The potential for a second part is clear as day and I hope that's the author's plans for these two characters.

There are a couple of secondary characters that frustrated me with their behavior and unbelievable stubborness. I'm talking of course bout the ex and his new boyfriend. They were both very self-absorbed and didn't care about anything else except what they had in mind. They couldn't hold a reasonable conversation and it was annoying the way they fixated on something and couldn't see past what they had in mind to what others were saying. I think there is more to know about them too. Not as a main couple but in the roles they had here. It was one of the things that I felt were left unfinished. Like we were supposed to know something more about them and why they acted the way they did throughout the book. What was going on with them?

About the main characters, I can only really talk about Colin since I didn't feel like I got to know John at all. Colin was a complex character but also very self-aware and sure of himself. He went on the trip because he wanted to go and because he didn't want to back down when his ex demanded he passed on it so he could have a good time there with his new guy. Over just five days we see Colin move on and change, leaving the past behind and getting ahold of his feelings. It would have seemed abrupt, except for the fact that. for those five days, he practically lived together with his ex and his new boyfriend. Seeing them together and having awful arguments with his ex helped him put the past behind.

The last 30% was the best part of the book. It was full of angst, revelations, dark places, uncertainty and it even had a bit of action. If you want a romance or even a romantic suspense story, that's not the book for you. If you want a good mystery with a little helping of the first tentative steps of romance then you are on the right path!

This book was a fun mystery with a group of people that don't know each other so lots of suspects, an interesting setting with wonderful descriptions, and a good mystery. However, I never really fell in love with the MC's (especially John). I also thought Trevor's character was a bit over the top with no redeeming characteristics. There were a few cliches thrown in at the end. Everyone on a private island where a murder takes place in a big storm so there is no way to communicate with authorities or get help. It reminded me a bit of an old style murder mystery like Murder on the Orient Express. I think a lot of people will love this book but I just wanted a bit more romance or connection to the characters. If you are looking for a cozy mystery, an old school mystery and a well written book with beautifully written descriptions of the setting and a few twists and turns then I recommend this book.

A copy of this book was provided to me by Netgalley and the publisher with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and my comments here are my honest opinion.