Part of Scottish Isle Mystery, book 5
First published 2026
Dr. Emilia McRoy has settled into life on the Scottish island of Sea Isle, where All Hallows' Eve brings the community together for spooky festivities. The celebrations turn deadly when she and her assistant Abigail discover a real corpse inside what was supposed to be a fake haunted house. The victim is beyond saving, but Dr. Em refuses to let the killer escape justice. Constable Ewan wants her to stay away from the investigation, but that's not how the determined doctor operates. Working with her friends, she uncovers a web of suspects, each with their own secrets. The deeper they dig, the clearer it becomes that the murderer is hunting for something specific and won't hesitate to kill anyone who stands in their way. Dr. Em must solve the case quickly, staying ahead of a killer who sees her meddling as a threat worth eliminating.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, adult, thriller, cozy-mystery
Vibes: atmospheric, cozy, fast-paced, intriguing, suspenseful
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, cat-and-mouse-with-killer, determined-protagonist, found-family
Setting: Sea Isle, Scotland
Period: Halloween, All Hallows' Eve
272 pages · Hardcover · Crooked Lane Books
Content warnings: death, murder