When Murder Comes Home by Shana Frost is a very thrilling mystery set in a renovated inn in the Scottish Highlands that will keep readers guessing!
Full disclosure: I was given a free copy of this book from the author per request of an honest review. This did not affect my rating in any way. I also purchased a copy.
Let’s dive in!
My Thoughts on When Murder Comes Home (Aileen and Callan Murder Mysteries Book 1) by Shana Frost
When Aileen Mackinnon, a brilliant forensic accountant, packs up her life and moves back to a town she used to visit when she was younger to help out with the inn that her grandmother owns, she is shocked to find it in rough shape. However, she won’t let this ruffle her feathers too much! She quickly learns that many people in the beautiful town along the shores of Loch Fuar in the Scottish Highlandstown not only remember her, but they want to come help her get the inn back in working order.
When most of the inn has been redone, Aileen has her first opening weekend to fill the rooms that were ready! As the guests start to arrive, she constantly worries that she’s not doing a good enough job, but continues to try her very best.
Other than one very rude guest, everything seems to be going well! That is, until one of the guests is murdered…
I loved the pacing of this story! In the beginning, I was so invested in Aileen and her quest to restore the inn! When the first guests arrived I was nervous, but kept rooting for the main character.
Everything was going so well, I forgot that we were in for a murder mystery! So when the one of the guests is found dead, I sat up a little straighter on the couch and kept reading with new intensity.
The characters were amazing. I loved Aileen, her best friend, Isla, and the detective/love interest, Callan. There were also many side characters such as Aileen’s mother, other cops, and of course, all of the guests, that came into play as well, and each of them brought their own fun to the story.
The mystery side of the tale was so wonderfully done. I had no idea what was coming by the time I got to the reveal at the end. Though now looking back, there were plenty of little hints dropped along the way!
One more quick note, this book has a short Scottish Glossary at the beginning. I LOVE this being placed in the front of the book because I hardly ever think to flip to the back to see if there’s a glossary until I hit it when I’m done with the story! Thank you, Shana, for doing that!
My Favorite Passages from When Murder Comes Home
Squaring her shoulders, Aileen picked up her detailed list. Lists could always be counted upon.
The day had turned out to be as pleasant as the morning: birds sang the tunes of spring, verdant trees swayed in the light breeze, and in the distance, Loch Fuar shone like a mirror beneath the cerulean sky.
She rubbed her fingers over the dull ache in her head. When would she learn to handle emotions: not just hers but others as well? They simply drained her empty.
“We never have enough time with the ones we love the most. There’s no time to waste. And you must enjoy every moment.”
My Final Thoughts on When Murder Comes Home
This was an all around fun mystery that kept me totally glued to the pages. When I picked it up one afternoon, I couldn’t put it back down until I had finished it. I then immediately went to purchase the second book as I cannot wait to see what happens next! So stay tuned for my review of When Eyes Don’t Lie!
This is one I would recommend to fans of cozy mysteries!
Thanks for reading!
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