The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency by Lydia Travers
When Maud McIntyre sets up her own private detective agency, she never imagines her first case will involve murder… A mystery in the Highlands? The Scottish Ladies’ Detective Agency is on the case!
Edinburgh, 1911: When Maud McIntyre and her lady’s maid, Daisy, form a detective agency, they never dream their first case will take place at a glamorous house in the Scottish Highlands. But when the Duchess of Duddingston, concerned that a notorious jewellery thief will target her lavish weekend party, employs Maud to go undercover as a guest to find the culprit, the agency has its first case to solve…
Undercover with Daisy as her maid, Maud follows a trail of clues across the Duddingston House estate. And as she meets the weekend guests, she hopes one of them will reveal themselves as the jewellery thief. But when one of the house guests is discovered dead, Maud and Daisy realise they’re not only hunting precious gems, but a murderer…
As Maud and Daisy investigate, they realise that a connection in Edinburgh might hold a vital clue that will help them solve the case. Travelling back to the city, Maud hopes that what she and Daisy uncover will help them piece together the mystery.
But when Maud receives a telephone call from the Duchess requesting urgent assistance, she realises that the murderer didn’t have just one victim in mind. Speeding down the drive to Duddingston House, Maud and Daisy hear gunshots ring out across the estate. Will they reach the Duchess in time to save her? And might they catch the murderer in the act?
A warm page-turning historical whodunnit, perfect for fans of the mysteries of Helena Dixon, Verity Bright, T.E. Kinsey and Catherine Coles.
About the author
Lydia Travers was born in London. She moved progressively north until settling with her husband in a village on the edge of the Scottish Highlands. She has raised children, bred dogs and kept chickens; and for as long as she can remember has written for pleasure. A former legal academic and practitioner with a PhD in criminology, she now runs self-catering holiday accommodation, sings in a local choir and is walked daily by the family dog.
Lydia also writes as Linda Tyler and her first novel under that name, Revenge of the Spanish Princess, won a 2018 Romance Writers of America competition for the beginning of an historical romance. Her second novel The Laird's Secret was Commended in the 2021 Scottish Association of Writers' Pitlochry Quaich competition for the beginning of a romantic novel. Mischief in Midlothian won the 2022 Scottish Association of Writers' Constable Silver Stag trophy. She has had a number of short stories published in magazines, journals and anthologies in the UK, the USA and Australia.
Review
‘The Scottish Ladies Detective Agency’ is the first book in a historical mystery series set in 1911 Edinburgh. I was very excited to read this one as I feel there aren't enough of this subgenre set in Scotland and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this one.
When plucky Maud McIntrye sets up a detective agency in Edinburgh she never thought that her first case would involve murder! Maud has used an inheritance from her mother to set up her agency and has employed her former ladies' maid as her assistant. It hasn't been the best of starts as people are dismissing her based on her gender. But when the Duchess of Duddingston employ Maud and Daisy to go undercover to stop a jewellery thief the agency has its first case! As Maud meets the weekend guest she hopes that one of them will reveal themselves as the thief but when one of the guests is found murdered it's clear the case has got a lot more complicated.
I really took to Maud as a character as it takes a lot of gumption to defy societal norms and divert from your prescribed lot in life. It was not the done thing to do, yes women could play detective but not make it a business. Maud is a plucky young thing and I can't wait to see how she develops through the series. I also liked her relationship with Daisy. I think they are more friends now that mistress and servant but whether they remain that way will be interesting as Maud technically still holds all the power.
This was a brilliant start to a series that I think will have a lot of potential and I am already looking forward to reading the next book!
