Reviewer: Connie Payne
Title: Scots on the Rocks - 23rd Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery
Author: Mary Daheim
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0060566531 & 9780060566531 (Hardcover)
Release Date: July 2007
Genre/Sub-genre: Mystery
Year/Setting: Present day - Scotland
Overall Rating: 3.75
Sexual Content Rating: None
Language (Profanity/Slang) Content Rating: Mild
Violent Content Rating: Minimal/Moderate
Mary's Website: None available
After losing a bet with her husband, Judith Flynn doesn’t find herself vacationing on a sunny beach along the California coast as she’d hoped, but in damp, misty Scotland. Things could be worse than staying in an old renovated castle and touring the countryside. So she decides to make the most of it with her traveling companions, husband Joe, and her "coz", Renie and her husband, Bill.
Little did she know the guys would abandon them to go on a fishing trip with the local constable or that they’d run into a few cantankerous and odd locals. Again, she decides to make the best of it. Rest. Relax.
And then it happens. Murder. Harry Gibbs, who was not well liked, is the victim. It’s no secret that Moira, his widow and an heiress in her own right, has a penchant for falling for the wrong man. Nor is it a secret that Harry wanted more power and prestige within his wife’s company. Which raises the question, did Moira or someone close to her murder Harry?
While many things aren’t a secret in this village, there are many more things that are.
Judith, a believer in justice, feels a moral obligation to get to the truth, find the murderer. But Judith and Renie find it’s not easy digging for clues, especially as they’re outsiders. Yet when another victim is found and tempers rise and suspicion runs rampant, they know they must get answers before someone else is hurt.
This was my first Bed-and-Breakfast mystery adventure and Judith’s 23rd. So it’s no wonder that the main/recurring characters are very well developed leaving me to feel a bit lost and left out.
Some of the secondary characters were more developed than others (I got a kick out of Barry). There were quite a number of them to keep track of, remember where they belonged and how they fit with Harry and Moira’s company. I never could keep them all straight, which interrupted the flow of the story.
The flip side to that? When you ride along with Judith and Renie you’ll traverse through narrow alleyways, down dead end streets, and around a few hairpin curves do get to the clues. And when you come to some conclusions, don’t assume you know the whole of it.
Mary Daheim is very deft at creating a non-stop and intriguing story. Enjoy the ride.
Connie
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