Lady Emily, husband Colin, and their three sons have traveled from the Nile to Cairnfarn Castle in Scotland. The estate is owned by their friend the Duke of Bainbridge, Jeremy., and they are hoping for fun and relaxation. However, at the local celebration, the duke’s gamekeeper is found dead. Angus Sinclair left Cairnfarn once but has now returned and appears to have collected his score of enemies.
The second storyline is set is 1676. The now widowed Lady MacAllister has been removed from her home following the death of her husband. Her companion is a former Moorish slave girl. The two women realize that they left the Lady’s family books behind and steal into the castle to retrieve them. When a poppet is found, Lady MacAllister is accused of being a witch.
I read book 16, and the ending made me fall in love with Lady Emily’s sons. I would have loved to read about their journey to Scotland. I imagine hijinks ensued. I do wish there had been a little more involvement with the boys throughout the mystery as well, especially since it was the boys who discovered the body.
As this is book 17, I would encourage everyone to read from the beginning. However, if they are like me and ignore that advice, this is capable of being a standalone novel. No previous spoilers, and there’s really not much need for specific background on characters. Any background provided is more for the plot than it is for development or growth.
I enjoyed the mystery as well as the investigation. I knew from previous books that the reader would be transported from Lady Emily’s timeline to a past timeline. Eventually the storylines begin to connect. However, I find that every other chapter makes the story pace slower. I would become engrossed with Lady Emily and Colin’s investigation, and then find having to reconnect with someone entirely different. Maybe if it was every other chapter, or a middle section devoted entirely to that past, would have helped.
Overall, I rate this novel 4 out of 5 stars.
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