Horror in the Highlands by Alison Golden – Book Review

Book: Horror in the Highlands

(Book 5 in The Reverend Annabelle Dixon Series)

Author: Alison Golden

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Number of pages: 254 pages

Publication date: 19 June 2017

ASIN: B072WLHQYR

"The island is cut off right now. That means one of us locals is the murderer. I can't fathom it. I can't think of anyone on the island who would murder someone."

In Horror in the Highlands, Reverend Annabelle Dixon goes to visit her brother and his daughter in the remote Scottish island of Blodraigh. She's also substituting for the local church minister. 

This story is quite different from the other books in the series. Whereas in first book Death at the Café, Annabelle comes as across the death in the first chapter, no deaths occur in Horror in the Highlands till the middle of the book.

The story moves but you're not sure where it's going. Many of the main events don't happen in the first few chapters.

"We police ourselves here. There's not station on the island. All 999 calls are directed to the pub."

Annabelle is entrusted with safekeeping some jewels on the island so she hides them in the church but they are stolen that same night. This happens in chapter 14 or around 37% into the novel. That's the first bit of suspense.

Similarly questions about the mystery jewels and the death (40%) begin towards the middle of the story. Once they begin, however, things begin to move faster.

"I'm afraid Evensong is the least of my concerns right now. A man is dead, and the church has been robbed. It will surely take more than a few prayers to sleep well tonight."

One of the things I like about Alison Golden's books is the recipes included at the end of each book. I'm new to the kitchen but I'm planning to try a few of them out. 

I've started reading many books in different series by Alison Golden. Horror in the Highlands was by far my least favorite because I couldn't find a mystery early on.

I loved Annabelle and her niece but… 

Overall rating for Horror in the Highlands: 2.5 to 3 stars

Don't let this book deter you from the series though. I've read Death at the Cafe and it's 100% 5 stars!

Other books and reviews by Nadaness In Motion for Alison Golden's books:

Killer at the Cult (Book 6 in the Reverend Annabelle Dixon Mystery Series)

Witches at the Wedding (Book 6 in The Reverend Annabelle Dixon Series) 

The Case of the Screaming Beauty (Book 1 in The Detective Inspector David Graham Mystery Series)

The Case of the Hidden Flame (Book 2 in The Detective Inspector David Graham Mystery Series)

The Case of the Broken Doll (Book 4 in The Detective Inspector David Graham Mystery Series)

The Case of Samson's Leap (Book 8 in The Detective Inspector David Graham Mystery Series)