The Low Road by Jo A. Hiestand (A McLaren Mystery) | Book Review ~ Excerpt ~ $25 Gift Card
A book blog tour from Goddess Fish Promotions.
Thank you to the author, publisher, and Marianne & Judy at Goddess Fish for providing me with the information for this tour.
Book Details
The Low Road by Jo A. Hiestand Series: Part of The McLaren Mysteries
Published by Independent on July 16, 2022
Genres: British Mystery
Format: eBook, Hardcover, Paperback
Pages: 344
Source: Goddess Fish Promotions, Received from the author or publisher for review.Former police detective Michael McLaren arrives in Scotland, ready to immerse himself in the fun of the Highland Games and to enjoy a holiday with Melanie. But the old saying of plans oft going awry rears its ugly head: Simon Shaw, a member of McLaren's folk group, dies. Murdered a year to the day following his uncle's death.
McLaren is determined to find out who killed Simon. Needing justice for his friend is only half of his incentive. He also needs to appease his guilt for suggesting the group sing there in the first place.
As McLaren becomes immersed in the investigation, he wonders if the two deaths are linked, or have to do with the family or their clan. Perhaps Simon's former wife killed him, bent on revenge more powerful than mere divorce. Or was the killing tied to an old hunt for diamonds? After all, diamonds aren't only a girl's best friend. Sometimes they birth greed and murder. And entrap the innocent.
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Excerpt from The Low Road
Jamie set the cup down, nearly breaking it. “Oh no. You asked me up here to help Mike and I’m going to. Alone. This could be very dangerous, dealing with a criminal. Mike would never forgive me if…” He broke off, a memory of Mike’s fiancée welling up in his mind. Shaking his head, he repeated, “No. He’d have my guts for garters if something were to happen to you. I appreciate you wanting to help, Melanie, but I can’t agree.”
“You need me as your front, Jamie. I think that’s the word. Someone to lend credence to the reason you want to find Paul. If I go with you and I have a nice piece of jewelry, you won’t seem dodgy.” Her eyebrows rose as she gave him a faint smile. She seemed to be holding her breath.
“Melanie⎯”
“A woman hocking her jewelry won’t have the whiff of the fishmonger, especially if she seems reluctant to part with an heirloom. We can even have a bit of dialogue about having to part with great aunt Agnes’ favorite necklace. And while I’ve got his attention, you can have a shufti around his place to suss out what the police will need to pinch him unawares.”
Jamie scratched his head, clearly astonished. “I’ve never heard you use these words before, Melanie. Dodgy. Shufti, Suss out. Fishmonger. Where’d you get them?”
“I listen to Mike. What about it, Jamie? I won’t let you down. I was in the thespian club in school.”
Excerpt provided by the author/publisher for use in this post.
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Purchase Links for The Low Road
Amazon – OneLink for every country
The Low Road: A McLaren Mys...Shop on Amazon
iTunes: https://apple.co/3RRnYMB
Kobo: https://bit.ly/3eRpcJc
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My thoughts on The Low Road
While The Low Road is part of the McLaren Mystery series, it works as a stand-alone. I haven’t read the other books in the series and did not feel lost at all.
I love to learn about new places and events through my reading. The author has researched her material well and used fabulously descriptive prose to tell the story.
The story is a well-plotted police procedural, a British mystery, and a classic whodunit with a side of romance. Readers must try to decipher the clues and pinpoint the murderer and motive while navigating the twists and turns the story takes.
McLaren and Melanie are off on a holiday to Scotland when they are pulled into the mystery. The author pulls the reader into the story exactly like the protagonists.
If you love a well-told plot-driven tale and love British/Scottish literature, this is definitely the book for you.
I received a copy of the book for the tour. This review is my honest, unbiased opinion.
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I love my Amazon Kindle Unlimited Subscription. So many books, so little time!
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About Jo A. Hiestand
Jo A. Hiestand grew up on regular doses of music, books, and Girl Scout camping. She gravitated toward writing in her post-high school years and finally did something sensible about it, graduating from Webster University with a BA degree in English and departmental honors.
She writes a British mystery series (the McLaren Mysteries)—of which three books have garnered the prestigious N.N. Light’s Book Heaven ‘Best Mystery Novel’ three years straight.
She also writes a Missouri-based cozy mystery series (The Cookies & Kilts Mysteries, of which "A Trifling Murder" is the second book) that is grounded in places associated with her camping haunts.
The camping is a thing of the past, for the most part, but the music stayed with her in the form of playing guitar, harpsichord, and singing in a folk group.
Jo carves jack o’ lanterns badly and sings loudly. She loves barbecue sauce and ice cream (separately, not together), kilts (especially if men wear them), clouds and stormy skies, and the music of G.F. Handel. You can usually find her pulling mystery plots out of scenery—whether from photographs or the real thing.
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Easy Amazon Info Link
Amazon – OneLink for every country
If the above link does not take you to your country, here are a few more:
Amazon – Canada
Amazon – France
Amazon – Germany
Amazon – United Kingdom
If your country isn’t listed and you would like to purchase using my links, please send me a note. Using my link does not change the price you pay. Amazon pays me a minimal amount out of their share.
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Giveaway!
Jo A Hiestand will award a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Visit more stops on this Goddess Fish tour for extra chances to win!
Official Tour Page for The Low Road
Full Tour Schedule:
January 4: The TBR Pile
January 4: Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
January 11: Hope. Dreams. Life… Love
January 11: Paws.Read.Repeat
January 18: Fabulous and Brunette
January 18: Iron Canuck Reviews & More
January 25: Gina Rae MItchell
January 25: Sandra’s Book Club
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Thank you for sharing your wonderful review of The Low Road, this sounds like an excellent mystery read and I am looking forward to it.
Jo, I hope that you have enjoyed your book tour as much as I have enjoyed reading about you and your work throughout the tour. The Low Road sounds like a great story and I will be checking out the other stories from the series as well. Have a great weekend!
Thanks so much for following the tour to my stop, Bea!
The book sounds like a great read.
Sherry, thanks for your comment. I hope you like it if you read it.
I liked the excerpt.
Thanks for stopping by today, Rita.
Rita, thanks a lot. Glad you liked the excerpt.
The Low Road by Jo A. Hiestand sounds like a wonderful Highland mystery!
I think you would enjoy it, Nancy!
Hi, Nancy. Well, it takes place at the Games in Balquhidder and then the mystery moves around the vicinity. History of the clans is thrown in a bit. I hope you like the book if you read it. Thanks!
Thanks for hosting!
Gina, thank you for hosting this stop on the book tour, and thank you for the book review!
You are most welcome, Jo. I’m so happy to have you on the blog.
It’s nearing bedtime soon, so I’ll say good night. And thank you again for the hosting and review, Gina. You are so gracious to do this! jo
Sounds like a great story and I really like the cover.
Anita, thank you so much. I like the cover too! 🙂 Hope you like the book if you read it.
I’m a longtime fan of Jo A. Hiestand. I always love reading her books.
Audrey, thank you for your comment! Such a wonderful start to my day! I hope I continue to write books you like. Thanks! Jo