Amber Warning

Hebridean Storms Take Your Breath Away. Sometimes Permanently.

Joana and Brian set off again, having agreed on one non-negotiable: no bodies this time. Just a quiet photography workshop and the wild beauty of Lewis and Harris. They should have known better.

On arrival, it becomes clear the guests are more taken with each other's secrets than with the view. And then, the Atlantic throws an amber warning, and a guest is found dead. The local police put it down to a mainlander who underestimated the island. But Joana spots bits that do not quite add up. The storm did not kill anyone. Someone among them did.

As the storm cuts the island off from the mainland, Joana and Brian find themselves trapped with a killer. Brian tries to keep tempers from flaring with his charming chaos and catastrophic DIY attempts. Joana, meanwhile, is undeterred by either gale or homicide and is determined to catch the culprit before the ferry service resumes. Their investigation takes them from the Callanish Stones to Luskentyre Beach. But then, a second body is found.

A Highland Mystery, Book 2, but easily read as a standalone. As much comedy as cosy crime, with a sleuthing pair who don't take themselves too seriously. Their friendship has outlasted most marriages, possibly because they can never agree on anything, though they're firmly on the same side when it matters. A proper whodunit with a fast, page-turning plot and the kind of dry British humour that can bite. And, as ever, Scotland steals the show.

Perfect for fans of Midsomer Murders and Agatha Raisin.