Back in the saddle! Murder on a Scottish Train by Lucy Connelly is expected to publish in October 2025, and I for one have this series on preorder. Thank you, Netgalley and Crooked Lane, for this opportunity!

From the Publisher:

Dr. Emilia McRoy, an American in Scotland, has a killer in sight in the fourth installment of the Scottish Isle mystery series, perfect for fans of Paige Shelton and Connie Berry.

Summer is coming to a close on beautiful Sea Isle in Scotland, and Dr. Emilia McRoy is celebrating one year since her big move. With a weeklong festival to end the season, the town gathers for a magical ride on the newly refurbished Storyteller’s Train but the launch’s success is dampened by an unexpected death.  

What appears to be a case of deadly allergies is soon revealed as murder. As Emilia, her assistant Abigail, and the local constable Ewan McGregor unravel the mystery, the killer sets their murderous intentions on them. 

If they want to survive, they will need the help of all of their friends, before they become the latest victims.  

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What I loved:

• Doc and Ewan’s relationship. Dr. Em and Ewan have been dancing around each other (figuratively and literally in this book) this whole series, but e finally made headway in this installation. Ewan is trying so damn hard to make Dr. Em realize he likes her, but she assumes he hates her. I generally hate the easily rectified miscommunication trope, but I am slowly enjoying Em realizing that her attraction is (1) not one-sided, and (2) both physical and emotional.
• The Setting. As always, Connelly does a great job of creating a picture of a tight knit, event filled community where everyone gets involved and helps each other. The backdrop for this installation’s murder is the inaugural ride of a historic train from Sea Isle to Edinburgh, which her best friend helped relaunch and half the town is either volunteering to get up and running or is attending as a weekend activity. You can picture the town, its residents, and the Scottish “vibe” on every page. Who doesn’t want to live here?

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What Didn’t Work as Well:

• The Murder. While the idea of a murder through systematic bee pollen poisoning in cosmetics is a cool concept, I feel like the methodology of the murder and the big reveal (no spoilers) was not well executed. There was a lot of red herrings, the murder victim’s personality and his tics were almost irrelevant, and I did not feel like the end fit the whole story getting there. It felt rushed.
• Th Pacing. Similar to above, because the murder was only solved in around the last ten pages and very haphazardly, the rest of the pacing of this book felt painfully slow. Too much time was focused on the various red herring characters, the drama in their lives, and not enough time fleshing out our victim. Dr. Em and Ewan’s investigation was somehow both way too thorough and not effective enough, and the book lingered too long on the cozy elements and not enough on the main plot.

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Conclusion:

While note my favorite installment in the Scottish Isle Mystery series, I still really enjoyed Murder on a Scottish Train. Lucy Connelly knows how to set a magical Scottish scene in all seasons, and this series will always be on my pre-order list. Three Waves!