A Dream of Death by Connie Berry is the first book in A Kelly Hamilton Mystery series. It is late October when Kate Hamilton arrives on the Isle of Glenroth in Scotland. She received a call from her sister-in-law, Elenor Spurgeon asking her to come because she was in trouble and needs Kate’s assistance. Kate arrives the day of the Tenth Annual Tartan Ball without a dress since the airline lost her luggage. The island is the last place Kate wishes to be since it is the scene of her husband’s death three years earlier, but she made a promise to her husband. Elenor is unable to talk with Kate when she arrives. She does show Kate, who is an antiques dealer, a beautiful antique casket with marquetry that gives Kate a killer message and Elenor promises to tell her the full story after the ball. At the Tartan Ball, Elenor makes two announcements that upset the attendees. The next morning, Elenor is found dead. She was murdered in a fashion to a two hundred year old unsolved crime which was featured in a book that Elenor left for Kate to read. When Bo Duff, an old friend of Bill’s, is accused of Elenor’s murder, Kate sets out to solve the crime with the aid of vacationing Detective Inspector Tom Mallory. There is no shortage of suspects since Elenor was not well liked and extremely self-centered. Kate believes the key to solving the whodunit lies in the past. The killer seems determined to thwart Kate’s attempts at solving the crime, but Kate has no intention of giving up her quest. Will Kate be able to pinpoint the killer or will become the killer’s next target?

A Dream of Death has an interesting premise and setting. Kate travels from Ohio to the Isle of Glenroth. If she had not promised her deceased husband, Bill that she would take care of Elenor if anything ever happened to him (I bet she is regretting it now) she would never set foot on remote island again since it is where her husband died in a sailing accident. Kate owns an antique shop in Jackson Falls, Ohio that her mother is currently watching while she is away. DI Tom Mallory is the only other guest at Elenor’s Glenroth House Hotel and Kate finds herself attracted to him. Elenor’s murder gives the pair the opportunity to spend more time together since Kate is determined to investigate despite being told several times to leave the case to the professionals. I admit to having a hard time liking our main character, but I am hopeful for improvement. Her behavior was off-putting at times as she jumped to conclusions and make sudden decisions based on little evidence or facts. Kate’s behavior reminds me of a younger woman instead of someone in their 40s (now, I am assuming she is in her 40s since she has two children in college. We are never really told her age). There are some lovely secondary characters that I liked, and I felt bad for Bo (such a sweet man). The Isle of Glenroth is a unique and beautiful setting. I loved the descriptions of this Scottish island. I found this sentence compelling “Isle of Glenroth rose before me like Brigadoon materializing in the Highland mist”. The mystery was clever and thought out with misdirection that will send readers down the rabbit hole. There is a lack of clues to help readers in solving the crime. I like how the two hundred year old unsolved murders were worked into the story. It added depth to A Dream of Death. I appreciated that all threads of the whodunit were wrapped up at the end of the book. The paranormal element was miniscule. I wanted more of it and I did not like how Kate wrote it off (disappointing). The “romance” between Kate and Tom was lacking. It needed more development or build up earlier in the book so what happened at the end would make more sense. The author was overly descriptive of food, clothing and mundane details (like washing hair, drying it with towel, combing it behind ears, putting on lotion, etc.). My favorite phrase from A Dream of Death is “don’t let your yesterdays define you”. A Dream of Death is a good beginning to A Kate Hamilton Mystery series. A Dream of Death has an intriguing mystery, quaint Scottish isle, disappearing antiques, a dashing inspector and a determined antiques dealer.

Widow Kate Hamilton, an antique shop owner from Ohio, has spent the past three years picking up the pieces of her life following the unexpected death of her husband Bill. When she receives a frantic call for help from her frightened, estranged sister-in-law Elenor Spurgeon, proprietor of the Glenroth House Hotel, Kate returns to the Isle of Glenroth with a heavy heart and much trepidation. It was on this small Hebridean Island that her beloved Bill was both born and died. The isle is also a popular tourist destination, having gained notoriety for its connection to Bonnie Prince Charlie as well as the centuries-old unsolved murders of two young women.

Kate arrives on the eve of the annual Tartan Ball, amid a flurry of activity and impending major announcements that will affect the future of the community. In the wee hours of the morning following the ball, the body of an islander is discovered in the snow. Curiously, the murder scene is a recreation of the first long-ago death. When a second victim turns up a few days later in a restaging of the second long-ago killing, Kate can’t help but wonder if there is a connection between the murders despite them having been committed two centuries apart.

As the police investigate the current crimes, Kate explores clues that might tie the present to the past. In collaboration with hotel guest Tom Mallory, a vacationing detective inspector with Great Britain’s Suffolk Constabulary, Kate unravels the complex history between the islanders and uncovers long-held grievances. What she discovers puts her own safety in jeopardy. Will the killer be caught before Kate becomes the next victim? And can the island's residents finally put the past to rest?

A Dream of Death, with its cast of eccentric islanders and remote atmospheric setting, is a captivating story infused with Scottish lore, a budding romance, and the elements of a classic British mystery novel. Its resilient heroine Kate Hamilton is a woman who has adjusted to great changes in her life. Will her life change yet again having met Tom Mallory? There is definitely chemistry between them. It remains to be seen where their relationship is heading and whether these two souls will find a way to bridge the vast physical distance between the American Midwest and the British Midlands. For this reason I’m already eagerly awaiting the next book in this series.

A new author and the first book of the Kate Hamilton series. Kate receives a call from Eleanor, her sister-in-law that she needs help. Kate flies to Glenroth, Ireland to help her. The trip brings back her grief for Bill, her husband who died in a boating accident three years ago. Kate meets Tom Malloy, a vacating homicide policeman. Eleanor is stabbed to death after the Tartan celebration. Working together they endeavor to solve Eleanor's murder and clear Bo's name. I highly recommend this book.

Disclosure: Thanks to Crooked Lane Books for a copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

Interesting cozy mystery. Intriguing back story about the island area and the people. A hint of romance. Some surprises. I look forward to reading about the further adventures of Kate.

#NetGalley #Crooked Lane Books #A Dream of Death

Kate Hamilton is a antiques dealer from Ohio. Her late husband Bill was from Glenroth a remote Scottish Island. They spent their honeymoon there and her husband died there. KateHas not been back since Bill's death she also has never been close to her husband's sister Elenor and they have been even more distant since Bill's death. When Elenor phones Kate and begs her to come to Scotland for the annual Tartan Ball because she is very scared by some strange things that have been happening, Kate knows she must go help her sister in law out of loyalty to her late husband. When Kate arrives in Scotland Elenor is very secretive and promises to tell Kate everything after the Tartan Ball. Unfortunately Elenor is murdered before she tells any secrets to Kate. The story has many twists and turns and a bunch of quirky characters that will keep you guessing. I enjoyed this book and look forward to more in this series.

A DREAM OF DEATH is one of the best cozy mysteries I have read in quite a while. Its strong mystery, gothic feel, and touch of romance come together to make a splendid read.

Kate Hamilton answers her somewhat estranged sister-in-law’s call to come to her home turned hotel on a Scottish island. Elenor drops quite the bombshell at the annual Tartan Ball when she tells the attendees that she has sold the hotel and is newly engaged to Hugh, the author of the tourist drawing novel about Flora Arnott and her two hundred year old murder. Elenor is murdered, in the same manner as Flora, before she can tell Kate why she summoned her and what was frightening her. Secrets abound. A DREAM OF DEATH seamlessly melds the centuries old mystery with the current murder investigation.

The characters are well developed, and Kate is quite appealing. She is a widow in her mid-forties, still dealing with her grief, and antique dealer. Intelligent and loyal, she makes a smart amateur sleuth. Fellow hotel guest DI Tom Mallory is alluring, making both a believable law enforcement liaison and love interest for Kate. The supporting characters are varied, and I did not want any of them to be the killer; they are endearing. The mystery is compelling and well executed. The Scottish castle island backdrop is an ideal setting.

I look forward to reading more by Connie Berry. Highly recommended.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my uninfluenced thoughts here.

Scottish Castles and Antiques and Murder
This is a wonderful cozy mystery that takes place on a Scottish Isle. The mystery involves Scottish history an old manor a centuries-old murder and Bonnie Prince Charles. It is fantastic for anyone who enjoys a good mystery mixed with history. The author does a very good job of dealing with all of the aspects of this story and portrays the characters realistically. I will be looking for more of this author's work. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

This is a great novel, full of intrigue and mystery, and very well written. There are quite a few characters and things can seem complicated, but it's well worth sticking with the story.

This is the start of a new series that has found its place on my list of must read series. My attention was caught when the blurb mentioned Scotland and antiques. Add to that it takes place on an island - sort of a locked room scenario. It lived up to its promise.
Kate Hamilton is a widow of three years, having lost her husband by drowning off an island in Scotland. She is trying to mend by working with antiques back in the States. The last thing she expects is to receive a phone call from her estranged sister-in-law, Elenor, asking her to come back to Scotland and the location of her husbands death. Elenor runs an upscale country estate hotel on the island of Glenroth and, at the end of the tourist season they host the Tartan Ball. Elenor is busy with the preparations and only tells Kate that she has something she needs to talk to her about and, in the meantime, she gives Kate an antique casket to examine along with the story of a 200 year old death. Kate attends the Ball and wonders what has Elenor so frightened. There is no love loss between the two women as Elenor blames Kate for her brothers death but Kate had promised him that she would be there for her should she need Kate's help. Not easy when Elenor is such an unlikable person. When she makes an announcement that she is going to sell the hotel, it only adds to the dislike that many of the island residents have for her. Which one of them hated her enough to kill her and make it look like it ties back to a 200 year old murder? That's one heck of a long time to harbor a grudge. When the authorities focus on a local handyman as the killer, Kate enlists the help of a hotel guest, a vacationing policeman from the mainland, and starts her own investigation.
One thing that really drew me into the mystery was how vivid the descriptions of the setting was. It was a character all on its own. The mystery itself was full of the twists, turns and numerous red herrings that mystery readers love and I found it to be a very satisfying read. I hope I don't have to wait too long for the next Kate Hamilton mystery.

A Dream Of Death is the first book in the Kate Hamilton Mystery series.

It’s been three years since Kate Hamilton’s husband Bill had passed away in a tragic boating accident off the coast of a Scottish island where he had lived prior to his marriage, with his sister in the family home. After his marriage to Kate, he had sold his interest in the family estate to his sister and she had turned it into a luxury hotel. Bill’s sister, Elenor, and Kate had never gotten along and the last person Kate expected to hear was Elenor. Elenor calls, begging Kate to come to Glenroth for that annual Tartan Ball. She also adds that she really needs her help.

When Kate arrives, Elenor is busy putting the finishing touches to the Tartan Ball to really talk with Kate about what is bothering her but does tell Kate that there is a package that she wants Kate to look at as soon as she gets to her cottage. The package that is awaiting Kate is a miniature casket. Kate who has an antique store back in the states can tell that it definitely is an antique. Also, she finds a copy of The Diary of Flora Arnott, Volume One by Dr. Hugh Parker Guthrie, a local author. The Arnott’s were the first settlers on Glenroth and Kate is somewhat familiar with the story.
That evening things are going nicely at the Tartan Ball until Elenor makes a couple of announcements that shock everyone at the ball. First, she will be selling the hotel and second, she has recently gotten engaged to Dr. Guthrie. The next morning Elenor is found dead with an arrow in her neck. As Kate begins to read the book Elenor gave her, she learns that Flora Arnott had died the same way.

There are many suspects as Elenor was not well liked by many of the residents of the island. Plus, some of the descendants of the original owners of the house, have for some time questioned whether the sale was legal. There is only one guest at the hotel at the time the story begins, Tom Mallory a policeman from Scotland who claims to be on holiday. She is able to convince him that some ideas as to what might have happened seem possible and begin to share information and attempt to uncover the killer.

This is a very enjoyable beginning to a new series. The story proceeds at a steady pace, is well-plotted and has many red herrings and kept me guessing until the end. I will be looking forward to learning more about the residents of the island in future books.

A Dream of Death is the first book in the Kate Hamilton Mystery series! It stars Kate Hamilton, an American antiques dealer who wrestles with her own past while sleuthing a brutal killing, staged to recreate a two-hundred-year-old unsolved murder.

It took me a couple of chapters to really get into this, but I’m so happy I did. It’s REALLY REALLY good! The characters all felt really well-developed and thought-out. I really liked Kate, and I got to really relate to some of her struggles.

The mystery itself blew me away with its thick tension, suspenseful nature and twisty twists. The pacing was perfection, and everything just fit together so well.

My favorite thing about this book was the setting/location—Scotland. Literally, Scotland felt like it was its own character. Everything was described in such vivid details, really making me feel like I was there. I could see, feel, smell and taste everything. It was awesome!

Overall, this was a really great mystery book, and I can’t wait to read what happens to Kate next.

This is the first in a new series. Kate Hamilton receives a phone call from her sister in law Elenor and is asked to come to Scottish Isle of Glenroth. Kate is reluctant as her husband died there three years ago in a boating accident and her and her sister in law have never really gotten along. The Isle is celebrating the end of the tourist season with the Tartan Ball. Kate goes to the family estate and his been turned into a luxury hotel. Elenor shows Kate a small casket and a cryptic comment on “this is where it all began”. Elenor is found dead in an eerily similar murder from 200 years ago. The only other guest at Elenor’s hotel is an English detective Tom Malloy. Kate is not going to leave until she learns what happened to Elenor and the suspect is a friendly handyman who tried to save her husband 3 years ago. There was an interesting mystery that had one foot in the past and present.

Kate knows Bo didn't kill her sister-in-law Elenor. She's sure of it. Rothsay Island holds some secrets, among them who might be so obsessed with a 200 year old murder that they would kill today. Kate promised her husband, now dead, that she would keep an eye on Elenor even though Elenor has not been good to her especially in the wake of her husband's death. Her murder shakes everything up and Kate, an antiques dealer, finds herself poking around with DI Tom Mallory. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Good characters, a nice setting, and a nascent romance made for a good read.

Finished this one tonight. Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC before publication! 🥰🥰

It took me a while to really get into this book. I just didn’t connect with the characters immediately. I greatly enjoyed the setting and the historical storyline running parallel with present day. THAT drew me in! The last 1/3 of the book was very well done - the murder mystery with red herrings sprinkled in for good measure reminded me of Agatha Christie.

I must say, it kept me guessing and the characters grew on me as the story went on. If you’re into murder mysteries + a gorgeous setting, you’ll love it!!
4 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an advance digital read copy of A Dream of Death by Connie Berry. In this novel, antique dealer and store owner, Kate Hamilton has returned to the remote Scottish Isle of Glenroth at the request of her previously estranged sister-in-law, Elenor. The trip is a difficult one emotionally for Kate, whose husband died off the island’s coast three years ago and Elenor has had no contact with Kate since as she has blamed Kate for the death of her brother and protector.
For her part, Kate has lots of resentment toward Elenor since she thinks of Elenor as being completely self-centered and sees her of having taken advantage of everyone around her to satisfy her own selfish ends. The only reason she has agreed to go is because her husband asked her to take care of Elenor if anything ever happened to him, as he has thought of that as his responsibility all his life.
When Kate arrives, in part to attend the annual Tartan Ball on the island, Elenor seems truly frightened and tells Kate she needs her help. When Kate tries to learn more, Elenor says she will explain all after the ball. The only information Kate has is an antique chest, called a casket, that Elenor shows her and wants her to appraise. Kate takes a preliminary look and begins research, but before much can be done, it’s time for the ball.
At the ball Elenor has several announcements, none of which make her very popular with the people of the island. The ball ends abruptly with everyone frustrated after Elenor makes a pronouncement, clashes with the matriarch of one of the families, and leaves the ball before it has had much time to get started. Before Kate can learn what is frightening Elenor so, she learns that Elenor has been murdered and she begins an effort to learn what Elenor wanted and who murdered her.
The book is well plotted, and some of the characters are interesting. It is an interesting beginning to a new series. Kate does come across as mercurial at times, with a tendency to snap judgments and decisions. At times her behavior seems more consistent with a young thirty year old than a woman who is the mother of two adult children. Her snap judgements lead her to bounce from one suspect to another, deciding they are the murderer, often based on conclusions leapt to upon learning partial information. Because there is not a consistent building of clues and red herrings, it is difficult for the reader to determine who the murderer is except through intuition.
There is also a minor love interest developing that might have merit, but which seems to develop sporadically and rapidly in the same way Kate approaches solving Elenor’s murder. Because there isn’t much development of the relationship in its early stages, it’s difficult to get any feeling of connection between Kate and her possible love interest.
The book merit, and the series has potential. Much depends on how well future books develop characters, themes, clues, etc. I would like to read the next book in the series before deciding if it is one I would be interested in reading in depth.

Thank you to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. This is the first installment in the Kate Hamilton Mystery series, and I really enjoyed it. I am definitely interested in reading more of this series. I especially liked the setting and the interesting characters. This book is a entertaining, cozy mystery that kept me reading to find out what happens next. I really liked all the twists and turns in the plot, as well as a hint of romance. I would recommend this book to all readers who like cozy mysteries!

An atmospheric and entertaining mystery that I couldn't put down.
I loved the setting and the well written characters. The mystery is solid and the plot keeps you hooked till the last page.
Highly recommended!
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all opinions are mine.

American Kate Hamilton finds herself on the Isle of Glenroth in Scotland after an emergency call from her sister-in-law. She hasn't been back since her husband died there three years earlier. She had vowed never to return but her promise to her husband to take care of his sister made her change her mind.

Kate's sister-in-law Elenor has never liked Kate and Kate returned her sentiments. Elenor converted the family home into a luxury hotel and was good at playing lady of the manor and running roughshod over her employees. She gave Kate a novel about the original owner of the house who was murdered along with her maid in the early 1800s. Her husband was found soon after dead from an apparent suicide.

The mystery along with a connection to Bonnie Prince Charlie has made the island a popular tourist destination. A recent novel written by one of the local residents added to the interest in the island. Elenor announced her engagement to the author at her annual Tartan Ball but then was found murdered the next day.

The island it teaming with suspects. No one liked Elenor. Her right hand woman who gave up a good job to help her start the hotel has become disillusioned with her. Descendants of the original owner of the house resent Elenor's presence and dearly want to embellish the memory of their ancestor.

When a inlaid casket is found, and then lost, Kate really wants to know about its place in the story. Though she won't admit to being psychic, Kate has a feeling that the casket has something to do with the larger mystery.

Widowed Kate also begins a new romance with widower Tom Malloy who is the only guest in the hotel. He's a police officer who is resting up after a hard case recently finished and who's checking out his roots in Glenroth. It looks to be a doomed romance with his future in England and hers in Ohio. Besides both are still mourning their lost spouses. But I like that they are going to give their romance a chance.

I liked all the twists and turns of this plot and the wide variety of interesting and suspicious characters. I liked Kate. I liked her relationship with her mother and her loyalty to her husband. I liked her determination to solve the crime - not for the sister-in-law she disliked - but for the mentally challenged man who was her husband's good friend while they were growing up and who has become a suspect in the murder.

A KATE HAMILTON MYSTERY

Kate's memories of the Scottish Isle of Rothsay are bittersweet. She spent her honeymoon here. Her husband grew up here. Her husband died here. And now she is back at the request of her former sister-in-law, Elenor, who has turned the family home into a hotel.

Elenor asking Kate for her assistance is weird enough but for some reason Kate must come to the island and it's urgent and Elenor is afraid of something or maybe someone.

Before she's had more than a few moments with Elenor, the annual Tartan Ball is getting underway downstairs. With the promise that they will speak after the ball, Elenor shows her a small casket and tells her "This is where it began". But the next morning finds Elenor dead outside of the Historical Society and Kate will not leave until she finds out what was going on and who did this. And there are motives everywhere you look. Elenor was not a well-loved person. And the history with the house has left some islanders with a bitter taste in their mouth.

When the hunky detective staying at the hotel teams up with her to figure out who is killing folks and blaming it all on the gentlest soul in town, more than just alibis begin popping up. Maybe a kiss or two? Finally maybe Kate finds love again?

You shall just have to read it to find out! I enjoyed Kate and Tom. Really all of the characters were well-developed and you could picture them in your mind.

Good Cozy. Well Done.

NetGalley/Crooked Lane Books April 09, 2019

A Dream of Death was an okay mystery. I wouldn't say it's very good, but it's also not the worst I've ever read. To be honest I found it difficult to really care about the main character, and that's not good for any book, but especially so in mysteries. I found her constant inner dialogue about her late husband to be tedious. We get it, she still misses him after 3 years. It's understandable, but we don't need to read it in the book so much. Also, I thought it was quite obvious who the killer was and even why they did it. The other mystery, the one about Flora, was also very obvious. Normally, this wouldn't necessarily be a problem, but that's only if the overall story and the characters are well-written. This wasn't the case with this book. I might read the next one in the series, but I'm not certain.