Tasha Alexander cannot write Lady Emily mysteries fast enough for me! I discovered her work when I needed an audio for a long road trip. After having her keep me company while driving, I kept reading and listening. Such a masterful story teller placing the stories in interesting places. This one taking place in Scotland warms my heart as Scotland is one of my favorite places! I love the relationship between Emily and Colin--the respect and admiration that have for one another and the sheer delight their boys add to the mix. Jeremy is always a favorite and one of these days, I'm convinced Ms. Alexander is going to send him head over heels and someone is going to leave him speechless! Another hallmark of these books is the story interwoven into the main story. I'm always left wondering how they will come together--and they always do. Treat yourself to Lady Emily and her world!

An enjoyable historical mystery set in the Scottish highlands with two timelines. One takes place in 1905: Lady Emily Ashton, her husband Colin Hargreaves and their three sons visit Cairnfarn Castle, the home of their friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge. Following a ceilidh, the duke's gamekeeper is found dead and Emily and Colin are asked to investigate the crime. The second timeline is set in 1676 and involves the suspicion of witchcraft amongst local women. In the author's notes, she says 'between 1563 and 1736, people in Scotland were accused of witchcraft at rates up to five times greater than in the rest of Europe.' Those were mad times.

I received an arc of this new mystery from the author and publisher via NetGalley. Many thanks! My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you @Minotaur_Books and @Netgalley for the #gifted ALC/ARC of A COLD HIGHLAND WIND!

I requested this book somehow not knowing that it was the 17th in a series but coming in cold was not a problem at all. A COLD HIGHLAND WIND is a delightful historical cozy mystery set in Scotland. The absolute best part of the audiobook is that I got to listen to a lovely Scottish accent narrate the book. I was in heaven!

There are two timelines in the book. The first is in 1905 Scotland as Lady Emily, her beloved husband Colin and their three boys visit a childhood friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge at his Scottish estate, Cairnfarn Castle. The young boys are immediately swept up into Scottish mythology and the talk of faeries and kelpies are sprinkled throughout the scenes where the boys appear.
Their visit is, of course, marred by the discovery of Jeremey’s gamekeeper found murdered by the loch. Lady Emily and Colin are immediately on the case to find out who murdered Angus Sinclair.

The second timeline is in 1676 following Lady Rosalind MacAllister being ousted from Cairfarn Castle by her stepson and forced to live in the village with her Moorish slave Tansy. As Rosalind and Tansy attempt to settle into village life, rumors and fear of witches begin to spread.

I always find stories of witch hunts interesting but feel like the second timeline didn’t add much to the story. It would have been a wonderful mystery if it only stayed in the 1905 timeline. I found the characters in the 1905 timeline much more engaging and more dynamic, especially Jeremy’s elderly spinster aunts who called themselves The Greats. If I am even half as sassy as them in my 80s, I will be so pleased!

A COLD HIGHLAND WIND is out now!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5873143644
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/CyBWoGdLSgP/

In a long series like Tasha Alexander’s Lady Emily series, there will be some books that are more ho hum than others, and some that are just simply more – yummy. This is a yummy installment. Lady Emily and her family are in Scotland at their friend Jeremy’s estate (aka castle). Their boys are loving hearing about the faeries and kelpies, not to mention enjoying Jeremy’s “menagerie” (what we would consider a private zoo). The action opens at a community party or ceilidh, where everyone gathers to hear stories, drink some rum punch, and dance.

Most unfortunately the boys discover the body of the estate’s gamekeeper when they are out looking for kelpies the next morning. Because Alexander has deftly set up the parameters of the village community with her opening scene (it’s really a master class on how to set a stage), the reader quickly follows as Colin and Emily interview and meet suspects or witnesses like the local female doctor, the vicar and his wife, the lovely housemaid, and the denizens of Jeremy’s estate who include some of his staff as well as his great aunts, who are a hoot.

As Alexander always does, she includes a parallel story. Lady Emily exists in 1905; Alexander also takes the reader back to 1676. She’s following the story of a “Moorish” maid, Tansy, and her mistress, Rossalyn, who has been expelled from her home by her brother in law after the death of her beloved husband. Tansy had served as Rossalyn’s maid and had come to her a slave, kidnapped from the streets of Tunis. Though Rossalyn had set her free, she nevertheless keeps her as her maid, and truly, Tansy has few options.

Then the two are expelled from the castle, they are granted the use of a tiny cottage where the two women, inexperienced in the household arts, attempt to set up a home. Tansy still takes on the lion’s share of the work, and her relationship with Rossalyn, of necessity and circumstance, begins to change. Her desire to be treated as an equal, to return to her homeland and her family, to follow her own religion, bubble up in her. Rossalyn accepts the changes in one way, but in the most important of ways, she continues to treat Tansy like a servant.

The two story threads are linked by location and by the local mythology. In Tansy and Rossalyn’s time there was a great fear of witches, and there’s a fair number of charms and talismans (as well as a Shakespeare folio that gets carted around) dotting the landscape. In the present there are rune stones left behind by the Vikings and a missing copy of Jane Eyre, not to mention the kelpies. The death Colin and Emily are investigating is complicated by the fact that the dead man turns out to be someone other than he said he was, and by the fact that he was apparently catnip to all the single women in town.

Alexander has a light hand and a way with plot and character that make the whole enterprise look easy, which I’m sure it isn’t. These are intelligent and captivating books which compel the reader’s attention. Both plot lines are wrapped up with satisfying resolutions, and I am still not weary, seventeen books in, of Lady Emily and her charming family.

A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander is a story told in two timelines: one, 1905, current for Lady Emily and her husband, Colin Hargreaves; and another in 1676 when the Highland were a far different place. They are bound together by a folio of Shakespeare’s works, but the people in 1905 had no idea of the tragedy it had witnessed. Emily and Colin were in the Highlands visiting Emily’s childhood friend, Jeremy, who was a duke and lived in a castle. They had brought their three sons, who were all thrilled to be there but with astoundingly different reasons. They were ten now and independent and intelligent. Emily and Colin’s marriage had stood the test of time and children. As they enjoyed their holiday, they came to know many of the area’s residents, including the gamekeeper, Angus Sinclair. The boys had found his body and wisely split up: one guarding the body, one coming for their parents, and the last going to the village for an adult with some authority. Angus had been an excellent gamekeeper and had an interesting story: he had run away from the village when he was eleven and made his way in the world, eventually getting an education and become a solicitor. Then, for some unknown reason he had returned to his roots and was now dead. The second timeline was during the infamous witch burnings in Scotland and I was filled with dread each time I read one of the chapters in that time, knowing what was coming.

Alexander does a fabulous job with this series. In this story, the murderer came as a shock and the outcome of the witch story as an even bigger one. Alexander has been writing the main characters for so long that she had them down pat, which is why she has so many fans. I wouldn’t call her books cozy mysteries but there is a definite sense of returning to spend time with people you know. The plots are historically accurate but with twists and turns than leave the reader breathless. Including the children, and watching them grow is an added bonus. This was an excellent book. Thank you, Tasha Alexander.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of A Cold Highland Wind by St. Martin’s Press, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #TashaAlexander #AColdHighlandWind

Tasha Alexander just keeps getting better and better as time goes by. So often, when an author has written a series over several years, the characters can get old--to the readers, that is--and it is almost a mercy when the series is finally wound up for good. That is NOT the case here, with this author and this series. Despite my not having read all the books in this series, I wasn't finding my floundering in a sea of characters, places, etc.; this series is friendly to the casual reader who skips around in a series! Easy to pick up is a wonderful thing in any book. Lady Emily and her family are well drawn characters, as are the others rounding out this book.

All in all, a very welcome addition to this series.

a wonderful colorful story in Scotland, with interesting and complex characters. Murder and witchcraft, mysteries abound. An unforgettable story that is a real page turner and a must read!

Have never read any of the other books in this series so came into this blind. I enjoyed the character of Emily and her mystery solving ways. In some ways she is either a female Holmes or a younger and more vibrant Marple.

If you are a fan of British mystery you cannot help but notice the nuances that appear. Oft times I felt there was more than a little of certain Poirot episodes or a Marple episode or a Holmes episode. If you are a big fan of those classics that were aired so faithfully on tv in the 80's then you will recognize these bits as you enjoy this story.

The mystery story is very complex. It leaves the reader wondering exactly what happened until it is finally revealed in a very Marple fashion. The characters of Emily and Colin are enjoyable and although extremely detailed, those chapters are entertaining to read.

The issue here deals with the companion story. Every other chapter is a stand alone story about a woman and her Moorish 'slave'. It may be accurately detailed and it may mean a lot to the author and that is great. It was completely meaningless to the story. If Irene had turned out to be 250 years old then that every other chapter would have worked. In this case it doesn't. You have a very wordy mystery and a book about life in Scotland in the late 17th century. One comes to a conclusion. The other simply causes confusion. Probably would have been better to write a Tansy book as a stand alone and let the mystery be a mystery.

Fans of this series will want to get this book. Fans of well described mysteries will enjoy this book. Fans of Scottish fiction will enjoy this book.

My Rating: 4.5 stars

I really enjoyed A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander. It was a dual timeline/pov. Most of the time, I find myself connecting more to one timeline than the other but in this book they were both highly entertaining. The characters are likeable and humorous. The storyline is fast paced, mysterious and has some great twists and reveals. I would highly recommend that you add this #historicalmystery to your spooky season #tbr.

I will be posting this review on Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5864478373

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx8u7tyP3N2/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

And Amazon

* I reviewed this arc for SMP Influencer Program.

Lady Emily and Colin, along with their 3 sons (and pet crocodile), go on holiday to visit friend Jeremy, the Duke of Bainbridge, at his Scottish estate. What follows is a twisty tale of murder, mistaken identity, passion, and hidden motives. Wonderfully drawn characters (Jeremy’s two aunts delightful), gorgeous scenery, and lots of humor make this a solid addition to the series. The 17th century portions were an interesting and haunting picture of life (and the treatment of women) at that time, especially during the witch hunts. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Another wonderful book in this series,Love the writing the location.the characters.Thisis a series I often recommend and I really enjoy.#netgalley #st.martins

This is a fabulous series and if you have not read from the beginning, I urge you to do so! I have listened to them all on audible and hope to do that as well with this one!

Lady Emily and her family travel on a vacation to her good friend's Jeremy's castle. Of course, there cannot be a story without a murder!

Witchcraft, the past and the present meld altogether in a journey of trying to find a murderer and what really happened!

The setting is beautiful, as is the cover. I was swept away to the beautiful Scottish highlands of my ancestors, and I loved every minute of it. There are two periods: the early 1900s (main timeline) and the late 1600s (for a backstory of witch trials in that area). Both stories are compelling and consistently medium-paced, though I’m not sure I enjoyed the frequent back-and-forth between the two.

I adored Lady Emily. She gets the job done with a soft touch and an empathetic heart. Her partnership with her husband, Colin, is just beautiful. He has enormous respect for Emily, and that always shows. I even love that her sons have a pet crocodile named Cedric. It threw in a bit of the unexpected and made me laugh.

The mystery is a true whodunit with lots of red herrings and misdirections. It reminded me of Agatha Christie’s mystery style, and I always enjoy that. It also can be read as a stand-alone even though it’s the 17th book in the series, which is good since this was my first Lady Emily mystery.

I look forward to picking up more Lady Emily mysteries in the future!

I’ve enjoyed several books in the Lady Emily series, and this is another excellent installment led by the feisty, brilliant heroine who bucks societal norms in 1905. One of the great things about these books is that they can easily be read as standalones, but if you’re already familiar with the characters, each book adds a new layer to an endearing and memorable cast.

In this latest installment, we get to spend more time with Lady Emily’s family including her dashing husband Colin, who she has solved many mysteries with in the past, and her three precocious sons who are all close in age, as they embark on a holiday to her childhood friend Duke Jeremy’s castle in the Scottish Highlands. When the castle’s gamekeeper is found brutally murdered with a runic stone left on his forehead, Lady Emily and Colin set out to unravel a mystery which becomes more complicated by the day as they learn the gamekeeper is not who he pretended to be, and that Cairnfarn Castle has a dark history steeped in witchcraft.

As always with the Lady Emily mysteries, the characters are the highlight for me, and I really enjoyed getting to know her sons better and being privy to their shenanigans, including those with their pet crocodile, Cedric. There are some great scenes between Emily and Colin, which always give me butterflies. I’ve decided they are one of my favorite historical power couples! We are also introduced to Jeremy’s two great aunts (the Greats) who are an absolute hoot and I hope we get to see more of them in future books.

My only complaint is that the dual timelines didn’t really come together as neatly as I had hoped. In fact in the end it was a bit of a stretch…. but the entertaining cast of characters, superb writing, and atmospheric setting make up for it!

If you enjoy history, small Scottish towns, and solving mysteries alongside a wholesome, dynamic family with a dash of tartan plaid, I think you’ll really enjoy it!

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the eARC for review!!

A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander is another intriguing Lady Emily mystery, full of many red-herrings, a colorful cast of suspects, and an exploration into the culture and history.
I enjoyed reading this book very much, the author creates compelling characters in both time periods and there is enough mystery, intrigue and suspense to keep one saying just one more chapter until the book is finished.
I felt that the setting of the novel was incredible.
Just an all around amazing story.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Minotaur Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Lady Emily, her husband, Colin and their children are off on their family vacation to Cairfarn Castle. Not long after they arrive a body is discovered. It is the gameskeeper of the castle. He has been found murdered on the banks of the loch. But clues to his death go all the way back to the 1600s and the accused witch, Lady Macallister

I love anything set in Scotland. And this is a good read, just not the best. It just felt a bit disjointed in places. It flashes back to the 1600s and sometimes that is a bit confusing…NOW! This could have been me. It comes out in the end, but I just had issues with it during the book.

I did enjoy the history thrown into this tale…add in the hidden motives and all the secrets and you have a pretty good tale…Lots of intrigue and puzzles to decipher!

The narrator, Bianca Amato did a wonderful job, especially pronouncing Loch correctly! Kudos! (I practiced every time she said it…still can’t do it right!)

Need a unique mystery…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest opinion.

I received a copy of this title from the publisher, but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. A Cold Highland Wind is the latest title in the now long running Lady Emily series and readers likely would want to read earlier books in the series before reading this one. As with more recent books, the story is told in alternating chapters set in different eras - Lady Emily in the Edwardian era, and the "historical" one set during the later part of the 17th century in Scotland. Lady Emily, her husband, and her children have traveled to Scotland to visit her childhood friend, Jeremy, the Duke of Bainbridge. The morning after a local dance, Emily's children find the body of the estate game keeper dead leading Emily to investigate what happened. In the historical portion, it follows a young woman kidnapped from Tunis and sold as a slave who eventually makes her way to Scotland. Although freed by her mistress when she learned Tansy was enslaved, Tansy has no means or way to make it back to Tunis; she has thrown in her lot with her mistress, Rossalyn. After Rossalyn's husband dies, she and Tansy are forced to move into a small cottage in the nearby village. Times are dangerous as woman are still accused of witchcraft and if convicted, killed. The mystery in both portions are interesting, although I do wish there was more in the "current" day as I really wish we could see more of Emily's children as they are growing and developing their own unique personalities. Fans of the series will enjoy this title.

In book 17 of the series, it's 1905 and Lady Emily and her family are visiting their friend Jeremy, Duke of Bainbridge, at his Scotland estate his gamekeeper is murdered. Emily and her husband, Colin, have solved many a murder in the past so they set their skills to figure out what happened in this case. Complicating things are the discovery that the gamekeeper wasn't who he said he was and there appear to be many suspects, clues, and red herrings. There is a second story within the story in alternating chapters, set in the late 1600's during a period when witch trials were happening in Scotland, chronicles what happened to Lady MacAllister and her companion (and former slave) after Lady MacAllister's husband dies and her stepson casts her out of her home. The characters are the highlight of this book, including quirky kids and great aunts and lots of strong female characters, and the mystery is skillfully unveiled.

I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review as follows:

I’ve read a few books in this delightful series and will definitely read them all. Lady Emily and her husband, Colin are once again tasked with finding a murderer. They never leave a stone unturned. Adding another fun element to this story are their 3 sons, her childhood friend, Jeremy and the Greats. I must admit I was surprised by who the culprit was. In the dual timeline, it investigates a witch hunt in the same area in the 1600’s. This was fascinating as well.

The 3 sons are young and close in age and as different as night and day. All of them delightful. I enjoyed the setting in Scotland and learning about some of the traditions. The Greats were so refreshing. I want to be just like them as I age gracefully..

One of the many things I enjoy about this author is unique ability to create vivid word pictures in her books. She uses more adjectives than any author I’ve read. This adds such a richness to her stories.

Highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC. This is a great instalment to the Lady Emily series! A holiday in Scotland with family and friends turns into a murder investigation and a look into the witch hunt of the 1600s. If you enjoy historical fiction with a bit of romance and an intricate murder mystery this series is for you!