Lucy Connelly

I selected this book for the Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge. It fits the publication month category as it was published on April 4, 2023. An American in Scotland is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Lucy Connelly and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

The publisher's summary:

Sea Isle was supposed to be the fresh start Dr. Emilia McRoy dreamed of. Far from the busy emergency room across the Atlantic in Seattle, she hoped to settle down and begin this new chapter as a small-town doctor to the quirky residents who immediately welcomed her. When she stumbles across a dead body, she starts to think that she may not be as Scot free of the drama and intrigue as she initially thought.

Emilia soon learns she has bigger issues at hand. It starts with realizing she'll work closely with the less than helpful local constable, Laird Ewan Campbell. Her luck continues when she discovers that part of her new responsibilities includes being the coroner for the very body she found. Finally, when the body goes missing before she can even begin the autopsy, Emilia must convince the townspeople that a crime did, in fact, occur. The deeper she digs into the picturesque town, the more suspicious she becomes. And then there are her sleep issues. It may be due to the ever-growing list of suspects, a number of threatening letters, or the surprise visitor who breaks into her house at night. But she’s never backed down before, and she doesn’t intend to start now.

Someone doesn’t want this doctor to treat the ailments of Sea Isle, but Emilia McRoy is determined to find the murderer before they kilt again.


I loved this novel. It takes place in a lovely small village in Scotland and I enjoyed reading about the weather challenges that the characters had to deal with. With mail and package delivery severely affected in the winter months, the characters came up with ways to handle it such as ordering everything and anything they could possibly want in huge quantities. Emilia's office has been outfitted with every type of diagnostic machine, a surgical suite and plenty of medications for every type of illness and injury. It was amusing to read about Emilia's attempts to walk around the village without the proper footwear. She fell alot. Bothies are interspersed throughout the village in case someone gets stuck outdoors when a storm comes rumbling through the area. I had never heard of a bothy before and am glad that it had to be explained to Emilia.

Emilia's home and office are inside a defunct church and has a gorgeous view of the sea. It comes with a gardener and maid/office assistant. These two helpers, Abigail and her brother Tommy, seem to be in her home all the time. Abigail has a key, as does the constable, which is rather eerie. They show up at all hours of the day and night which scares Emilia almost every single day. However, all three get along well.

The characters are quirky but lovable. Mara, who works in her grandparents pub, The Pig and Whistle, becomes a fast friend as does Angie who works in her family's fabric store. Angie is engaged to a duke. Abigail is devoted to her disabled brother Tommy and has given up on living her own life in order to take of him. Constable and Laird Ewan is full of surprises and is hard to figure out. He basically owns the town and has his own mansion and a castle. He is the richest man in Britain according to UK newspapers. For some reason he prefers to live in this tiny village. With other interesting shop owners as characters, there are plenty of scenarios for future stories.

The mystery to be solved is who killed an old man named Smithy. Nobody liked him. He had an ugly personality and did not get along with anyone in the village, including Emilia. He was rude to her on the day she moved in and she later found out that he did not like the McRoy family, her family. Since part of Emilia's job was to act as a coroner, she took it upon herself to investigate the murder. Being new in town she fell afoul of several residents who did not like having an American doctor around. With her new friends help, Emilia slowly learns how to adjust to life in Scotland.

The story was an enjoyable and relaxing read. The author has done a great job of setting up the series for future installments.… (meer)

This is just what I imagine a Scottish wedding weekend could be like. Some time has passed and Dr Emilia McRoy feels much more at home in Sea Isle and is excited to attend the wedding of her new friend Angie's big wedding event at Morrigan's Castle. There's bad weather, a gaggle of ex-wives that all look alike, plus a dead body of a most definitely un invited guest. Snowbound for the weekend, I liked how the mystery used the castle quirks as plot movement--is it really a wine cellar or a dungeon?! There was a lot of action and I look forward to reading more about Em and her found family in Scotland.… (meer)

Death at a Scottish Wedding by Lucy Connelly has Dr. Emilia McRoy attending the wedding of her friend, Angie at Morrigan Castle. A man ends up dead in a turret in the middle of a blizzard. I liked the descriptions of the castle (perfect place for a murder especially with the turret and a storm raging outside). The mystery had an intriguing start. No one can leave the castle thanks to the blizzard. Emilia is also the local coroner and, between her and Ewan, they come up with enough supplies to conduct an autopsy. I can understand Emilia bringing her medical bag with her stocked with extra supplies (since everyone in the village seems to be attending the wedding), but I cannot imagine bringing the necessary instruments needed for an autopsy (it just seemed farfetched). Emilia and her friends discuss the case endlessly (I could have used a shot of whiskey to get through the endless theorizing). I was baffled at how no one seemed to remember anything of importance regarding the case (they seemed to be an unobservant group of people). The whodunit can easily be solved. The reveal was lackluster (it needed a little pizzaz aka action, drama, or suspense). Emilia seemed to feel that if she stated “I’m a doctor” or “I’m the coroner” that it justified her interference. Emilia, the steady and calm ER doctor, screamed at unexpected noises and movements (she needed a dram of whiskey to calm her nerves). Other ladies seem to scream frequently as well. The independent and strong women came across immature (I would rather brave the blizzard than deal with this bunch of nervous Nellie’s). The story had a slow pace and it especially dragged in the middle. I tired of Emilia going on and on about her wonderful group of friends (she has only known them for three months). She considers them her Sea Isle family. Death at a Scottish Wedding is the second A Scottish Isle Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. Unfortunately, this series is not for me.… (meer)