Deadly Cairns

Scotland's Views Are To Die For. Turns Out Some People Do.

Part of the Highland Mysteries series, which can be read in any order. Each case Joana and Brian take on stands on its own. 

Joana and Brian pack their cameras and head north in search of Scotland's most dramatic landscapes for their portfolios. It is all going rather well until the picturesque bits they are photographing start doubling as crime scenes.

Someone is killing young photographers at spots meant for postcards, not police tape. The murderer is meticulous: every victim is found beside a neat stack of stones, crowned with a thumbs up. A deadly cairn.

The police, keen to get back to their tea, pick a suspect almost immediately. Joana is unconvinced, which is unfortunate for everyone hoping for a quiet life. She drags Brian from the Highlands to Orkney, through villages of eccentric locals, whisky-fuelled wisdom, and the occasional truly questionable "Scottish delicacy". Brian longs for London, where the wifi is reliable and the wind less fierce. But he refuses to abandon Joana. Someone has to bring the chaos and the tech know-how.

Deadly Cairns is Book 1 in the Highland Mystery series, which can be read in any order. As much comedy as cosy crime, with a sleuthing pair who don't take themselves too seriously. Their friendship has outlasted most marriages, possibly because they can never agree on anything, though they're firmly on the same side when it matters. A proper whodunit with a fast, page-turning plot and the kind of dry British humour that can bite. And, as ever, Scotland steals the show.

Perfect for fans of Midsomer Murders and Agatha Raisin.