Synopsis: Scottish-born California transplant Lexy Campbell sails into trouble when her houseboat party ends on a deadly note.
Now settled in her little houseboat, moored in the slough at the back of the Last Ditch Motel, Lexy Campbell wants nothing more than to build her counseling business, avoid her mother's phone calls and--who knows?--meet a nice guy.
But when she throws a Halloween party for her motley crew of motel pals, the only single man is too old for her, too wrapped up in the case of beer chilling in the slough, and--oh, yes--too dead.
The sensible choice is to leave it up to the cops to identify the body and catch the killer.
So faster than you can say "Tam O'Shanter," Lexy and her friends jump into the case themselves, delving deep into their town's past for the roots of a mystifying crime.
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About the Author: Catriona McPherson was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, and is the author of several standalone novels for Midnight Ink. She is a four-time winner of the Lefty Award, three-time winner of the Macavity Award, two-time winner of the Agatha Award, and two-time winner of the Anthony Award. Additionally, she has been a finalist or shortlist honoree for more than a dozen major awards. Catriona also writes the Dandy Gilver historical mystery series (Minotaur/Thomas Dunne Books). She is the past president of Sisters in Crime and a member of Mystery Writers of America. She lives in Davis, California.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
My Review: I think this one would have gone over a lot better if I had read the first book in the series. Theres a lot that gets mentioned in this one from book one but it's not explained in a way to make it so those of us who haven't read book one would still know what's going on. And that being the case I did not take any starts away for that as it's not the books fault.
So there other mysteries in this one were great. They were fully formed and I enjoyed them. The humor in this book was little over done and didn't work for me at all. And the characters just felt a little over the top as well. Parts of the story really felt like those Hallmark Mystery Movies that I have gotten addicted to over the last few months.
In the ending for this one I think I would have enjoyed it more if I would have read book one. But even without doing that this book was still pretty good. The story it self needed to be a little better with its cohesiveness as at times it felt like it was all over the place.
Go Into This One Knowing: Read Book One First!!
Praise for Scot & Soda
"Peppered with clever red herrings, the mystery gleefully revels in the absurd, but it's Lexy's friendships with the Last Ditch's unusual residents that give this series its big heart. Those who enjoy the Stephanie Plum mysteries will find plenty to like."--Publishers Weekly
Praise for Scot Free, Book 1 of the Last Ditch Mystery Series:
A 2019 Lefty Award Nominee
"[McPherson's] character-driven romp is sparked by the larger-than-life, quirky residents of the Last Ditch Motel, putting this laugh-out-loud whodunit on a par with the early Janet Evanovich."--Library Journal (starred review)
"McPherson, a master of creepy psychological mysteries, shows an utterly different side of herself in this zany series kickoff."--Kirkus Reviews
"McPherson gives the fish-out-of-water theme a hilarious and original spin with Lexy Campbell, a Scottish therapist who falls for and marries a sexy California dentist who turns out to be more horndog than hero. Throw in a sweet old lady accused of blowing up her pyrotechnic husband and a hilariously bumbling supporting cast, and you have the perfect comic caper. Lexy is my new favorite unwitting detective and her cultural observations and mistakes are laugh-out-loud funny. Scot Free is a little sexy and a lot funny, with a heart and a bang."--Jess Lourey, Anthony and Lefty-nominated author
"The only times I stopped turning the pages were when I was laughing so hard it took both hands just to hold the book. McPherson is an ace plotter, a vivid, original stylist, and great company. A great beginning to a new series."--Timothy Hallinan, author of the Junior Bender series
"Everyone who knows me knows that I don't throw the word 'hoot' around lightly. So if I were to say that Catriona McPherson's new novel was a hoot, believe me, I would mean it. Filled with an entertaining cast of eccentric characters, Scot Free is a funny and original mystery. Quite frankly, it's a hoot. There, I said it."--Johnny Shaw, author of Big Maria and Imperial Valley
"Lexy's snide observations about the California lifestyle can't cover up her affection for her friends, who are as warm-hearted as they are weird. Readers will look forward to Lexy's further adventures."--Publishers Weekly
"McPherson, who has earned acclaim for her dark thrillers and Dandy Gilver period cozies, blends jaunty pacing, a comically rendered Southern California setting, and quirky characters in this series starter. A sure bet for fans of Janet Evanovich and Sarah Strohmeyer."--Booklist
"Peppered with clever red herrings, the mystery gleefully revels in the absurd, but it's Lexy's friendships with the Last Ditch's unusual residents that give this series its big heart. Those who enjoy the Stephanie Plum mysteries will find plenty to like."--Publishers Weekly
Praise for Scot Free, Book 1 of the Last Ditch Mystery Series:
A 2019 Lefty Award Nominee
"[McPherson's] character-driven romp is sparked by the larger-than-life, quirky residents of the Last Ditch Motel, putting this laugh-out-loud whodunit on a par with the early Janet Evanovich."--Library Journal (starred review)
"McPherson, a master of creepy psychological mysteries, shows an utterly different side of herself in this zany series kickoff."--Kirkus Reviews
"McPherson gives the fish-out-of-water theme a hilarious and original spin with Lexy Campbell, a Scottish therapist who falls for and marries a sexy California dentist who turns out to be more horndog than hero. Throw in a sweet old lady accused of blowing up her pyrotechnic husband and a hilariously bumbling supporting cast, and you have the perfect comic caper. Lexy is my new favorite unwitting detective and her cultural observations and mistakes are laugh-out-loud funny. Scot Free is a little sexy and a lot funny, with a heart and a bang."--Jess Lourey, Anthony and Lefty-nominated author
"The only times I stopped turning the pages were when I was laughing so hard it took both hands just to hold the book. McPherson is an ace plotter, a vivid, original stylist, and great company. A great beginning to a new series."--Timothy Hallinan, author of the Junior Bender series
"Everyone who knows me knows that I don't throw the word 'hoot' around lightly. So if I were to say that Catriona McPherson's new novel was a hoot, believe me, I would mean it. Filled with an entertaining cast of eccentric characters, Scot Free is a funny and original mystery. Quite frankly, it's a hoot. There, I said it."--Johnny Shaw, author of Big Maria and Imperial Valley
"Lexy's snide observations about the California lifestyle can't cover up her affection for her friends, who are as warm-hearted as they are weird. Readers will look forward to Lexy's further adventures."--Publishers Weekly
"McPherson, who has earned acclaim for her dark thrillers and Dandy Gilver period cozies, blends jaunty pacing, a comically rendered Southern California setting, and quirky characters in this series starter. A sure bet for fans of Janet Evanovich and Sarah Strohmeyer."--Booklist
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FTC Guidelines: In accordance with FTC guidelines regarding endorsements and testimonials for bloggers, I would like my readers to know that many of the books I review are provided to me for free by the publisher or author of the book in exchange for an honest review. If am compensated for any reviews on this site I will state that post has been sponsored.
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