Cozy mysteries are my favorite, and Jackie Baldwin is a great addition to any cozy mystery lover’s collection!

About the Book

Grace McKenna sits outside the café with her faithful dog Harvey at her feet, gazing over the sea at Portobello Beach. She sneaks Harvey a piece of sausage and he scoffs it happily. Life doesn’t get much better than this, she thinks, turning her face to the early morning sun. But in the shadowy corridors of nearby Castle Traprain, a remorseless killer is preparing to strike…

Edinburgh, Scotland. It’s been one thing after another for Detective Grace McKenna and her team at the fledgling Portobello Detective Agency, and she’s finally enjoying some peace as the leaves turn and autumn beckons. But when a wealthy local landowner contacts her about a case so sensitive he can’t even discuss it over the phone, Grace is instantly intrigued.

Russian collector Sacha Komorov lives out of the public eye, despite his immense wealth and marriage to a famous ex-prima ballerina. As Grace gazes at the ominous silhouette of his Scottish estate, Castle Traprain, with its high walls and thrusting turrets, a shiver runs down her spine. Komorov himself is just as forbidding as he discloses the disappearance of a priceless rose-diamond Fabergé egg from his collection. It’s an inside job, and he needs Grace to uncover the traitor within his own household.

As Grace dives into the case, her team goes undercover at Castle Traprain to win the trust of the staff. But things take an unexpected turn when Komorov’s beautiful and troubled wife, Katya, begs for Grace’s help to catch a disturbing stalker. Are the two cases connected? And why does Katya want to keep her husband in the dark about hiring Grace?

The plot thickens when one of the potential suspects is found murdered in the Housekeeper’s quarters. It seems this is no ordinary jewel thief. The killer lurking within Castle Traprain will do anything to achieve their ends and, as the tension mounts, Grace and her team find themselves ultimately becoming targets in an increasingly deadly game…

An unputdownable Scottish mystery that will have you turning the pages to find out what happens next, perfect for fans of Clare Chase, Faith Martin and Frances Evesham.

My Thoughts

I had the chance to read Baldwin’s first book in the Portobello mystery series earlier this year, and when this one came up I jumped at the chance. The series ticks all the boxes – a whip-smart female lead, a tenuous love connection, a delightful cast of supporting characters, and a delightful town as a backdrop. I’d say I kind of hate how formulaic cozies are, but it’s what we show up for and I know it.

Cozy mysteries are a murder book where, to me, murder almost seems beside the point. Yes, murder is actually the entire point. But unlike a thriller or horror story, the characters and setting, and romance really make the story. And while the murder is important – we don’t want a story without it – it’s a balancing act. There are absolutely thrilling bits where someone we love is in danger. There are parts where a character we like is now under suspicion. And Baldwin delivers beautifully on all these things we expect.

She also brings her own, new, unexpected elements as well. The romantic elements in this story are anything but formulaic, and in many ways far from cozy. The danger is a bit more than your average cozy, harkening back to the early days of the genre when things were a little less cozy at times. The heroine also deals with some very serious issues like the suicide of her son, which happened before the first book. She constantly worries her friends and family with her own depressive grief episodes, understandable for a mother who has lost her only child.

I’m so grateful to the author and Love Books Tours for including me on the tour and I can’t wait for the next Grace book! Also, I’ll have to check out the author’s other books!

Who’s It For

If you love a cozy mystery, you will love this story. Whether you’re a devoted reader of the genre, or you’ve cut your teeth on shows like Father Brown and Granchester, this is a great book for you. But don’t expect just cozy vibes. Murder is not the only serious subject Baldwin tackles within her pages.

Content Warning: Suicide, Suicidal ideation, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Domestic Abuse, Adult Situations, Adult Language, Violence, and more.

Question of the Day

Have you ever been to Russia? Is it on your list?

About the Author

Jackie Baldwin was born in Dumfries. She studied law at Edinburgh University returning to Dumfries to practice criminal and family law for several years. She later retrained as a hypnotherapist.

Married, with two grown-up children she now lives in the countryside just thirty minutes away from Portobello Beach where her latest series is set.

When she’s not writing she loves spending time with her young grandson and walking along the beach with her dog Lucy.

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