1802 and St. Andrews University, and the first of the murders occurs. But who from the seemingly long list is the real culprit. Charles Murray, a student, decides if the constable is not going to find the killer then he must while dealing with problems of his own.
I like the characters in this book, the mystery and the writing style. It makes it more interesting for me to read a book set in a place I know so well. Hoping the next in the series is as enjoyable. ( )

This was a competently written historical murder mystery. I liked the sizeable cast of suspects, who were all distinctive in terms of their motivations as well as personalities. The descriptions were quite interesting (I know little about the historical period) although I felt sometimes the pace got too bogged down with irrelevant details.

My major beef was with the constant and distracting skipping between different characters' heads, to the extent I couldn't tell whether thoughts and observations belonged to character A, character B, or were the author stepping in to inform the reader directly of something.

Well plotted murder mystery in a rich historical setting.

This new series of historical mysteries by Lexie Conyngham is set in 1802 at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, the third oldest university in the English speaking world. Some of the unusual academic tradition described in the book are followed today.

Rather than rush into the mystery plot Ms Conyngham works hard to set the stage, giving us a good introduction to a world few of us know. The murder is unexpected and Murray of Letho, a young man who wants above all to continue his studies, is nonplussed by the puzzle.

If this book is any indication, this series will go on to please us for a long while.

I received a review copy of "Death in a Scarlet Gown" by Lexie Conyngham ( Kellas Cat) through LibraryThing.com. ( )

This novel was quite slow to start but life in and around St. Andrews and the relationships of people within the university made very interesting reading. The first murder didn't take place until halfway through the book which I thought was a little too far in, but, the writer makes good use of this time to introduce and fully flesh out the characters. We get to know Charles very well and we learn of his difficulties with his father who is threatening to cut off all financial support if he doesn't come back to run the family estate and get married. Charles has no intention of doing either. Not yet anyway.
Charles is very resourceful though and by the end of the book he has secured a way of funding himself until graduation.

I liked that this book was set in Scotland and not the usual ballrooms of regency England. The tone of the writing was serious and literary in style which complemented the academic setting of St. Andrews. I also enjoyed reading some familiar Scottish colloquialisms that we in Donegal, Ireland also have in our dialect.

I will definitely be following the rest of the series.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. ( )

Wasn't sure of this book at first as I wondered when the "death" was going to occur. However, I found the first part of the book was setting the scene and introducing the characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I didn't guess who did it and motives for many of the characters were discussed before the final reveal. I will definitely read more of this series. ( )