Jo A. Hiestand

When Jamie Kydd gets a well earned promotion his wife plans a murder mystery party for his friends and collegues. Michael McLaren discovers a real body dumped in the middle of the pretend crime scene and then sets out to find the murderer.

As always with the McLaren Mysteries, Jo Hiestand had done an excellent job with both the characters and the plot. Plenty of believable suspects and a series of twists and turns that at times have our hero perplexed.

Set in the north of England, the feel of the book is spot on and if you listen to the audio book then the narrator treats his audience to a range of authentic northern accents.

Michael McLaren is fast becoming my favourite detective. Move over Vera.

https://montysbookreviews.blogspot.com/… (mer)

Twelve months on from the discovery of the body of a local writing group leader, McLaren is tasked with investigating the cold case. Uncovering blackmail, affairs and a general dislike for the victim he is pitched into a deadly battle with the killer which threatens to spill over into his personal life.

Hiestand is a master of the slow burn thriller, with excellent characterisation and the type of old fashioned detective that actually solves the case through sheer determination and legwork.

I listened to the audio book and the narrator is first class. He brings the characters to life with accents and personality.

Highly recommended

https://montysbookreviews.blogspot.com/… (mer)

First, let me say I haven't read any of the other books in the series, so I was going into this without any background on the characters. That said, although I'm sure I'd have a deeper understanding of McLaren, and be more attached to him if I had read more of the series, I had no problems diving right in here. Hiestand did an excellent job of making the reader feel like McLaren is an old friend, and it's easy to like him from the start. The mystery itself has plenty of twists and surprises, and although I was trying hard to solve it as I read, I didn't figure it out before the solution was revealed at the end. I'm definitely adding this series to my list of books to read, and recommending it to my mystery loving friends!… (mer)

McLaren investigates the murder of an old friend while reconnecting with his family.

The Low Road is the 16th entry in the Michael McLaren Mystery series by author Jo A. Hiestand, and I found the plot intriguing, the characters interesting, and the Scottish Highlands settings and bits of history spectacular. With it being McLaren’s 16th adventure, there is a bit of backstory to the character; however, the author pulls out the relevant points so that I didn’t feel overwhelmed or behind in the overall story as a new reader.

In The Low Road, McLaren is off his home patch in Derbyshire, visiting extended family (uncle and grandfather). Until recently, he’d been estranged from his grandfather, but they’d reconnected. He and his girlfriend, Melanie Travers, are staying in the older man’s ancient and historic home, so Auchtubh is the home base for this investigation. Melanie is along for the trip to watch Michael and his folksong singing group, Woodstock Town, perform at the area’s annual Highland Games event. This is her first visit to Scotland and some of the loveliest and most atmospheric images of the setting are presented through her eyes. The author included a glossary of words, phrases, and place names with pronunciation that I found very helpful.

The murder mystery is a good one with an interesting hook: the victim’s uncle (of the same name) was murdered exactly a year previously at the games in the same field set aside for the sheaf toss competition. McLaren conducts an admirable and thorough investigation, starting from ground zero with literally nothing to go on. Although, McLaren has no connection to the local police, he investigates because of his close relationship with the victim whom he feels responsible for bringing back to the area where he meets his demise.

In addition to the excellent plot, another attractive element of the story is the inclusion of smatterings of Scottish and clan history. There are fascinating tidbits about the formation of the clan communities, tartans, crests, mottoes, and an explanation of the well-known folk song, Loch Lomond, with its reference to the low road. I was also surprised by the mention of one victim’s visit to the Crater of Diamonds State Park outside of Hot Springs, Arkansas, as being a possible link to a motive for his death.

With engaging, recurring characters and the driving force of the murder of a close friend of the main character, I recommend THE LOW ROAD to fans of the Michael McLaren Mystery series and mystery readers looking for an excellent new series to enjoy.

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.… (mer)