The Poison Pen Murders is the fifth book in the Ally McKinley Mystery series by Dee MacDonald. This charming cozy mystery series is set in the highlands of Scotland is one of my favourite series.
Title: The Poison Pen Murders
Author: Dee MacDonald
Series: Ally McKinley Book 5
First Published: October 30, 2026
Publisher: Bookouture
Genres: mystery
Acquired: from the publisher via Netgalley
*** Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture and Books-on-Tour for inviting me on the virtual book tour and providing me with an ebook via NetGalley for review purposes. ***
Ally McKinley might be the owner of the cosiest little guesthouse in the Scottish Highlands, but she also has a reputation as an amateur detective! So when a threatening note drops through her elderly neighbour Juliet Munro’s door, Ally is called in to investigate. But what first seems like a nasty prank soon proves lethal, when the very next day, Juliet is found murdered…
Her faithful dog Flora by her side, Ally soon learns that more than one woman in Locharran has received a poison pen letter. And though locals’ lips are sealed over coffee and cake, Ally skilfully unlocks the old Locharran mystery that connects the recipients: they were all rumoured to be involved in the death of a young woman called Marie McKay. Is someone trying to stamp out Marie’s killer? And if so, who in Locharran is not who they seem?
A faded photo of a little blond boy with pale eyes has Ally on the right track, but when a woman’s scream shatters the village’s gentle calm, can Ally sort through the secrets before the post delivers another murder?
You can purchase your own copy on Amazon here.
Another charming mystery starring Ally McKinley
Dee MacDonald has delivered another wonderful cozy mystery with The Poison Pen Murders. I love the way she combines an intriguing murder mystery with a charming Highland village setting and a wonderful cast of characters. The writing is engaging, the pacing is just right, and there are plenty of twists, turns and red herrings to keep you guessing along the way.
Ally is a likeable and entertaining character, and it’s always a pleasure to catch up with her and see what she gets herself involved in next. It was nice to see how the people in Ally’s life have accepted her sleuthing, especially her son and daughter-in-law, who were against her moving to such a remote location and seem to always be trying to tempt her to move closer to them. After staying with her and seeing her action, they started to understand that Ally has built a nice life in a supportive community.
I also enjoyed how twisty the mystery was. There was both danger in the present, but also lots of misdeeds in the past that slowly came to life. There were LOTS of suspects and victims (both potential and actual) and so it was really tough to guess what was coming next. I was second-guessing my second-guesses.
I highly recommend this book (and series) and can’t wait for the next one!
About the author, Dee MacDonald
Dee MacDonald grew up on an isolated farm in the Scottish Highlands. An only child, she’d often get fed up of reading and listening to a crackling radio, so her mother encouraged her to draw and to write ‘wee stories’, which she’d sew together into little books.
As an adult, her working life took her all over the globe as an air stewardess, into the world of TV, where she worked in Market Research and Sales, and then into hospitality, running B&Bs for over ten years.
After first finding her love of writing as a little girl, Dee became a published author of cosy crime and women’s fiction in her seventies. She lives by the sea in Cornwall with her husband, and has one son and two grandsons.
You can connect with Dee MacDonald online here:
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