An American In Scotland (A Scottish Isle Mystery #1) by Lucy Connelly #BookReview #MsyteryThriller #CozyMystery #CrimeFiction @NetGalley @crookedlanebks #AnAmericanInScotland — Rain’n’books

My Rating

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Book Review

The sheer joy of blindly going into a book on the basis of the cover image and a title and finding it exciting beyond words, now that is what I would call a blessing.

An American In Scotland by Lucy Connelly is a dream of a book. A murder mystery set in Scotland and a lovely set of women characters to die for, this story had everything and more going for it. Sea Isle has never had any serious crimes in its history, but Dr. Emilia McRoy’s arrival is kind of the spark that ignites the powder keg bringing about a murder and a body missing even before her jet lag is cleared.

The investigation into the death of the crooked Mr. Smithy leads Em into unexpected dangers even escaping attempts on her own life. The author has sketched Sea Isle as this cozy idyllic town so charming that I wish I were living there, ok, maybe not in the winter thou. But the quirky residents in the town with all their loving characteristics come alive in the reader’s mind. Mara, Angie, and the more than capable Abigail forming the band of girls around Em and protecting her was, sigh, the stuff of dreams. The slight inkling of a developing romance between Ewan Campbell and Emilia was another beautiful touch. I loved how the author focused more on the angle of friendship in the story and Em’s settling into Sea Isle rather than any romance.

Well that said, the romance-craving soul in me is keeping my fingers crossed that Ewan Campell, the multi-millionaire, laird, mayor, and constable all rolled into one Ewan Campbell and Em have a change in their relationship status. I know I am all in for a bit of suspension of disbelief but a full fledged hospital set up with an MRI, all kinds of testing apparatus, and an assistant who knows everything including suturing was kinda over the top, and the only reason why I am going for 4.5 stars rather than the full 5 star this deserves.

This is the first book in the Scottish Isle Mystery and I hope Em and her gang have a lot more mysteries to solve.

Book Blurb

The small idyllic town of Sea Isle, Scotland, harbors some dark secrets, and Dr. Emilia McRoy is determined to uncover all of them-no matter what the diagnosis in this charming cozy, sure to enchant fans of Sheila Connolly and Charlene O’Connor.

Sea Isle was supposed to be the fresh start Dr. Emilia McRoy dreamed of. Far from the busy emergency room across the Atlantic in Seattle, she hoped to settle down and begin this new chapter as a small-town doctor to the quirky residents who immediately welcomed her. When she stumbles across a dead body, she starts to think that she may not be as Scot free of the drama and intrigue as she initially thought.

Emilia soon learns she has bigger issues at hand. It starts with realizing she’ll work closely with the less than helpful local constable, Laird Ewan Campbell. Her luck continues when she discovers that part of her new responsibilities includes being the coroner for the very body she found. Finally, when the body goes missing before she can even begin the autopsy, Emilia must convince the townspeople that a crime did, in fact, occur. The deeper she digs into the picturesque town, the more suspicious she becomes. And then there are her sleep issues. It may be due to the ever-growing list of suspects, a number of threatening letters, or the surprise visitor who breaks into her house at night. But she’s never backed down before, and she doesn’t intend to start now.

Someone doesn’t want this doctor to treat the ailments of Sea Isle, but Emilia McRoy is determined to find the murderer before they kilt again.

Many thanks to Net Galley, Crooked Lane Books, and the author for a chance to read and review this book. All opinions are expressed voluntarily.

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Originally published at https://rainnbooks.com on February 25, 2023.