A Very Bookish Murder is the third book in the Ally McKinley Mysteries by Dee MacDonald, a brilliant cozy mystery series set in a tiny Highland village of Locharran.
Title: A Very Bookish Murder
Author: Dee MacDonald
Series: An Ally McKinley Mystery #3
First Published: September 19, 2025
Genres: Mystery
Acquired: from the publisher and tour organiser Books on Tour
*** Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, and organiser Books on Tour, for inviting me on this tour and sending me an eARC of this book via NetGalley for review purposes
When Ally McKinley hears that well-known novelist Jodi Jones is going to host a writers’ retreat at the hotel just down the road, she’s delighted to offer rooms at her little guesthouse for some of the attendees. Ally is thrilled to join the group for one of their first sessions – but the retreat has barely begun before she finds the famous writer strangled in the ladies’ bathroom!
The cake tin and teapot come out at the little guesthouse in the Highlands as Ally begins to question her bookish guests. Accusations of plagiarism and infidelity start flying and it’s clear that more than one of the retreat attendees had a grudge against Jodi. But could any of them have resorted to murder?
When Ally discovers a diary in Jodi’s bedroom at the guesthouse with several pages ripped out of it, she thinks she’s close to cracking the case. But the plot thickens when another of the aspiring writers is found dead, only hours after she said she knew the identity of Jodi’s killer.
Not only is the murderer still in Locharran, they’re desperate to stop Ally getting to the truth. With her faithful puppy Flora by her side, can Ally unravel the clues and solve the mystery before she’s written out of the story for good?
Another fun Scottish cozy mystery
I loved the start of this book – it completely hooked me in and was quite different than almost any other cozy mystery I’ve read. Without too many spoilers, after the initial murder, DI Rigby, who Ally is now on friendly terms with, suffers a medical emergency and Ally has to deal with a new detective who has come to Locharran to help out. It was a really interesting way to throw a curveball into the mystery and give our main character something else to deal with.
I did like the blend of new characters (all the writers’ retreat attendees) mixing in with the ones we’ve already come to know in the previous books. While it seemed like there were a lot of new faces, it never felt too crowded and everyone had very distinct personalities and were easy to keep track of.
The mystery itself is well laid out and nicely paced and there are no lags in the action. While this is book 3 in the series, you can definitely read this as a standalone book.
Ally has started to feel more at home in Locharran and has settled into her new life. Her outlook on life and her willingness to start afresh makes me really like her as a protagonist and you can’t help but root for her.
I know book 4 has already been announced so I’m looking forward to seeing Ally’s next adventure!
You can buy your own copy of A Very Bookish Murder here.
About the Author, Dee MacDonald
Aged 18, Dee arrived in London from Scotland and typed her way round the West End for a couple of years before joining BOAC (forerunner of British Airways) in Passenger Services for 2 years and then as a stewardess for 8 years.
She has worked in Market Research, Sales and at the Thames TV Studios when they had the franchise.
Dee has since relocated to Cornwall, where she spent 10 years running B&Bs, and only began writing when she was over 70!
Married twice, she has one son and two grandsons.
You can connect with Dee MacDonald online here:
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BOOKOUTURE
