DEATH AT A SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS is the third book in the entertaining Scottish Isle Mystery series by Lucy Connelly. Doctor and village coroner, Emilia McRoy, is spending her first holiday in her new home in Sea Isle, Scotland, where holiday celebrations are taken very seriously. Included in the festivities of the season is a cold-blooded murder. Can Em help find the killer before more villagers or tourists end up dead?

Sea Isle is excited to welcome home a popular band, Bram and the Stokers. The band’s lead singer is a charmer, and he knows how to put on a show. After a successful night at the Pig & Whistle Pub, Bram and the band are riding high and looking forward to their upcoming American tour. Yet, someone has an issue with Bram, and before morning, his body will be found unresponsive on the beach. Em steps in as coroner and discovers Bram was murdered. Now she needs to find out who wanted the charismatic singer dead. The suspects include the remaining bandmates, an unknown stalker, the band manager, and even the constable with a grudge. Em is also concerned with Bram’s deteriorating mental state and how much that played a factor in his demise. As she investigates alongside constable Ewan Campbell, a shadowy figure lurks through the village, ready to strike.

DEATH AT A SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS is filled with a festive regional atmosphere and a darn good mystery. The village of Sea Isle is alive with Christmas activities, and Em is excited to experience them surrounded by good friends. The secondary characters, including Em’s highly capable assistant, are vibrant, and poignant, and add nice depth to Em’s life. The mystery is solid, starting with an intriguing lead singer’s death and the subsequent fallout with the remaining band members. The investigation is thorough, and Em’s skills as a doctor and coroner give her the opportunity to ask questions and seek out clues in tandem with the handsome village constable. The suspense builds nicely as the snow falls and a hooded figure stalks around the village, breaking into offices and attacking the constable, and the tension escalates as the band members continue behaving suspiciously. From a missing notebook of songs to a recently purchased painting, the clues are integrated well into the plot to keep readers guessing. DEATH AT A SCOTTISH CHRISTMAS provides a satisfying mystery set in a picturesque village with a killer as unrelenting as the Scottish spirit and the falling snow. Highly recommended!