Murder at Castle Traprain by Jackie Baldwin
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.
Review
‘Murder at Castle Traprain’ is the brilliant follow-up in this series set in a private investigators in Portobello, Edinburgh! Although, this can be read as a standalone I would recommend reading the first book ‘Murder by the Seaside’ as it does gives you a feel for Grace and her background story! Plus, it's a brilliant book and worth the read!
Former DI Grace McKenna is feeling content in her life at the moment and is finding some peace as the season is on the turn. But when a wealthy Russian contacts her over a case so secretive he won't discuss over the phone, Grace’s interest is piqued. Russian collector Sacha Komorov lives at Castle Traprain with his wife, who is an ex prima ballerina from the Bolshoi. Sacha discloses that a priceless rose diamond Faberge egg has been stolen from the Castle and wants Grace to look into the disappearance and whether it could have been an inside job. Grace takes the case and Hannah is asked to work undercover as a maid. But when Katya, Sacha’s wife reveals to Grace that she has a stalker things begin to take a dramatic turn. Grace wonders whether the two cases could be connected and why Katya doesn't want her husband to know about her stalker. The plot thickens as one of the potential subjects is found murdered. Will Grace and the team be able to find the killer?
So I studied Russian history at university and I became a bit obsessed with Faberge and his eggs for the Imperial Family. They are just so evocative of the period and the standard of craftmanship is out of this world. Basically, what I'm saying is that I loved this element in the book! It was a brilliant read, it was well-researched, full of tension and it was fast-paced and packed full of action! Some people are placing this series into ‘cosy crime’ but I feel it's more than that. Yes, it has elements of that sub-genre but this book is slightly darker in its tone, more dangerous. There were sections in this book which I found to be really scary! Also, the characters are a bit more complex than those normally found in cosy crime, which I love. Yes, it has light-hearted sections and there is a cute dog but I think the sense of these books are outwith this sub-genre.
I love Grace, pure and simple. There has been great character development from the first book, where we find a grieving mother after the death of her son Cameron. We have been on the journey of recovery with her over the two books and I just could read about forever! She is a great protagonist and she really cares for her staff members, Jean and Hannah.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I am already looking forward to reading book three! It's going to be an auto-read series for me and I think this series will have great success!
Let me know if you pick it up.
