When a mysterious illness causes a pandemic in Scotland, the Inverkillen's are worried about how they will survive with a skeleton staff. When Lord Inverkillen dies by drowning or did he, and his will is read, the family erupts into chaos. The servants are doing the best they can to handle the decreasing staff but find the residents of Inverkillen overwhelming.
This is a comedic look at the relationship between servants and the upper class. It's an enjoyable read.

It's such a great story to read. You meet a bunch of characters who are shrewd, funny and often not lovelable. You visit a great house in deep Scotland during a pandemic. You have to laugh, you think the people are crazy, but you certainly have fun.
I can recommend this book.

Loch Down Abbey is situated in deep Scottish Highlands ,set in the 1930's this huge property with its 127 rooms and a huge amount of staff is the ancestral home for 600 years of the Inverskillen Family. Lord Inverskillen is found dead and from then on the story begins and what fun it is .I thought the characters were excellent I felt I knew them ,there was a mystery ,secrets and lies ,fast paced ,hard to put the book down ,I loved the ending and especially how all the characters at the end were given an update to their lives .Many thanks to the Publisher ,the Author and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest review .

I really love a good mystery,especially when it's paired up with historical fiction. The author transports us to 1930s, on a Scottish estate. In a sad, yet typical issue of the time period, the manor is struggling to stay afloat financially. To make things even worse there is an incredibly infectious virus spreading throughout the household and the nearby village. When the Earl dies its discovered it wasn't the virus that killed him, but it was murder.

This was an extremely enjoyable and humorous fantastic read. The author did a fantastic job creating a wonderful car of characters and an interesting plot. I enjoyed the Downton Abbey feeling to it, as you're not just limited to learning about the aristocracy, but the servants and well. The author made she to throw in quite a few little subplots that it keeps your interest going through the whole book. A great, fun read.

My thanks to Beth Cowan-Erskin, Hodder and Stoughton and Net Galley for the ARC of LOCH DOWN ABBEY.
I very much wanted to like this story because it's set in the 30s which is one of my favourite eras, however, I couldn't finish it. The comparison between what we're experiencing right now and the story was I'm sure meant to be a comedic take on events, but i don't think it's my kind of humour. I found it rather slow to get going and I lost track of the characters. Not for me.

1930’s, the ancient home Loch Down Abbey of the Scottish Inverkillen family. A mysterious illness is spreading in Scotland and head of the family is found dead. It’s ruled an accident, but head housekeeper Mrs MacBain starts an investigation – and uncovering scandalous family secrets.

My review in four words: mainly confusing, occasionally funny. For the larger part of the book, I didn’t have a clue what the plot line was. Something to do with the disease, the death or the financial state of the house? Or would all of them be tied together in a plot twist? I kept hoping for the latter. However, I was surprised to discover there was indeed a big plot twist, but not one – I think – any reader would have seen coming as stood so far from the events in the book. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good plot twist, but it should be one that you either saw coming but weren’t sure of the details or, even better, one that you could have – should have – seen coming but didn’t. Once you finish the book you should feel you could have figured it out if only you’d paid better attention. Resulting in first feeling annoyed and then admitting it was actually very well done, ending with recommending this gem to everyone you know. For this one, I remain slightly annoyed.

It’s a real shame, because I wanted this book to be good. It had the right ingredients: a body, family secrets, an ancient house in the Highlands, an arrogant family… It started off well, the preface made me laugh, the beginning did; the author definitely proves her sense of humour with the exaggerated stereotypes and sarcastic comments. But then I reached about halfway through, got confused and never recovered. Still, I’ll keep following this author. This was an okay read, but I’m convinced she’ll write a book I’ll love, it was just not this one.

Loch Down Abbey is billed as Downton Abbey meets locked-room mystery in a playful, humorous novel set in 1930s Scotland. It is all these things and more. There's a pandemic happening in the village, feral children on the loose, and a confusingly large multi-generational family arguing over meals and bathtimes.

The characters are wholly ridiculous right from the start, even for pampered socialites. It wasn't until I was nearly 2/3rds of the way through the book that I discovered through reading other reviews that it was intended to be satirical. After that, I started coming across blatant references to the coronavirus pandemic (involving toilet tissues, specifically). Before that, I was starting to worry the story had just gone truly off the rails.

A point that bothers me, and I haven't seen addressed elsewhere, is the lack of appropriate regional and period-appropriate dialect. Only a few characters use a handful of slang terms throughout the entire story, despite the centuries old family ownership.

Read this as a light and goofy palate-cleanser and don't let all the wink-wink-nods throw you off.

1930s, Scotland, family-dynamics, investigation, law-enforcement, situational-humor, verbal-humor, housekeeper, illness, quarantine, secrets, amateur-sleuth, cosy-mystery*****

The Family has lived at The Pile for a few centuries but that doesn't mean that they want that or can afford it any longer. So when the Earl dies by misadventure it does want some investigating. There is a sizeable cast of certifiable characters with or without any sense at all. Then there are the horde of unruly children, secret passages, Mrs. MacBain the housekeeper, and the local constabulary! The whole thing is great fun with some obvious and some very sneaky spoofs. A most enjoyable read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Hodder & Stoughton via NetGalley.

I absolutey love a good cosy mystery and I love historical fiction so when my two favourite genres mix I just love it. This is up there with the best. It's set in the 1930s on a Scottish estate. Typical of the period the house is struggling to make money and to make things worse there is also virus spreading throughout. When the Lord of the Manor dies its discovered it wasn't the virus that killed him.

This is a fantastic and quite a funny read. I loved the characters and there was a great cast of them. Much like Downton Abbey you get to find out about both the owners and the staff. There are lots of twists in the story as you try and work out who did it as well as some red herrings. I didn't guess, will you?

Lock Down / Loch Down Abbey is full of mystery and endless secrets. After the questionable deaths of

Lord Hamish, and Nanny in separate incidents, the entire family and staff are in shock. Set in 1930;s Scotland

we witness a dysfunctional family finding difficulty in coping with modern life. All written in a droll and humourous

well crafted tale.. Opportunities are taken, loyalties are tested and true love is found.

A warm, fun read.. I enjoyed reading it so much..

It took me a few chapters to realise the play on words in the title. I really enjoyed this book. It had a lot of tongue in cheek humour, the way the family are acting about the “strange illness” sounds so dramatic as if no one could ever act that way. However reading this whilst also being in the midst of the pandemic makes you realise that actually the author has done a very good job of capturing nearly every kind of response in the various characters.

I think that this book was well written and a really easy lighthearted read. The plot was well thought through, and there was an element of mystery that captivates the reader until the last page. The characters are all multifaceted and believable - the author has managed to write both rich and poor characters with such depth.

However, saying that, the book plot was not what I expected having read the blurb. I think I expected there to be more mystery surrounding the murder, and for the murder to actually have been carried out by someone. Especially considering how well thought through the motives for each member of the family was.

The ending was nice and wrapped up all loose ends, and if you want to read something that is not too heavy, this is definitely a book to read.

Overall I would say that I definitely enjoyed it, and couldn’t put it down. The only downside really was that I had expected something a little more heavily focused on the murder mystery than family secrets.

I enjoyed this book, it is is a locked room mystery set on a country estate in Scotland during the 1930s. However, it is much more than that, whilst there is one mystery at the heart of the book, there are a number of others that run alongside, including a highly contagious, mysterious illness affecting the population....quite reminiscing of the current pandemic.
It is a very humorous book, satirical in parts, and it pokes fun at the aristocracy quite sharply, most of whom are shown to be incredibly selfish, and quite unable to function properly, when many of the servants are affected by the illness. Many of the scenes involving the family did make me laugh, and reminded me of some of the ‘poor celebrities’ complaining over Twitter of being unable to leave the million pound homes, whilst most of the population struggle in flats and small houses. However, the author does a good job of balancing those displays of selfishness, with subtle reminders that very few, if any, of the family live the lives they want to, shackled by a sense of duty and expectation. Moreover, not all of the family members were odious, there were a couple who showed compassion and intelligence, but it was the servants who were the real stars, and far more insightful and intelligent than the family, a reminder that being born into privilege does not equate to being superior, in terms of intelligence or decency, just lucky!
On the surface this book is a cosy mystery, but I found it to be much more, and the references to the shortage of toilet rolls and flour, were a reminder of the position we were all faced with in March 2020. There were elements that demanded the reader suspended belief, some bits were perhaps a little contrived, but I thoroughly enjou]yes it.
Thanks to Hodder & Stoughton for an ARC in return for a honest review.

I recently got approved for my first-ever NetGalley ARC, and y'all—I could not be more delighted that this is how I got to dive in. Loch Down Abbey was EXACTLY what I hoped it would be when I read the synopsis: a clever, funny romp through 1930s Scotland, complete with a mysterious death (perhaps a murder?!), a lovable but dwindling staff (that darn pandemic), and plenty of twists, turns, and hidden passageways. I know I already said I was delighted, but there is no better word—the whole read was absolutely delightful, and I'd happily read a thousand more pages about the absurdity of the Ogilvy-Sinclairs. I knew I would love this from the tone of the (debut!) author's bio and the one-paragraph introduction, and I was not disappointed!

Mini-synopsis: The Ogilvy-Sinclair family have lived in Loch Down Abbey for 600 years, but their crushing debt and their terrible whisky business are threatening their future in the Abbey. After the Earl, Lord Inverkillen, is found dead under mysterious circumstances, the four-generation family (and their staff) unravel a web of secrets as they fight to maintain their livelihood and chaos ensues. There are quite a lot of characters, and most of them are terrible people, but the sum of their parts is—you guessed it—delightful.

Loves: The writing style, the characters, the sub-plots, the occasional but not-overdone references to the lockdown

Dislikes: Nothing! I am, as you know, delighted

Perfect for: Anyone who loves a cozy whodunnit

Pair with: Scotch whisky, of course

Thanks so much to @netgalley for this ARC.

Wryly Witty Family Saga....
The unravelling of secrets and lies is at the forefront of this mystery, set in 1930’s Scotland, amidst the residents of Loch Down Abbey, the long rooted family Inverkillen. When Lord Inverkillen is found dead mystery and mayhem ensue. Wryly witty family saga which provides a little delightful escapism.

3.5 Stars
It's the 1930s and a mysterious illness is spreading over Scotland. But the noble and ancient family of Inverkillen, residents of Loch Down Abbey, are much more concerned with dwindling toilet roll supplies and who will look after the children now that Nanny has regretfully (and most inconveniently) departed this life. Then Hamish Lord Inverkillen, Earl and head of the family, is found dead in mysterious circumstances. The inspector declares it an accident but Mrs MacBain, the head housekeeper, isn't so convinced.
I believe this is the author’s debut novel whilst it is well written the characterisations could be improved. Also there were an awful lot of characters to 'sort out', whilst there was the list at the start of the book it's not easy to do on a kindle but I did appreciate the list. I disliked the vast majority of the family so wasn’t vested in who may have been guilty, in fact I hoped that there was a murderer at large who would kill off some of the family. There were some twists, turns, secrets & interesting relationships, everything was revealed at the end
My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read

3.5

1930’s Loch Down, Scottish Highlands

Lord Hamish Inverkillen is missing, Inspector Jarvis of Loch Down Police Force investigates. Lord Hamish is eventually found dead, plunging the family into deep waters. Oh and Nanny McKenzie is dead, poor old girl, fancy working the poor soul until she’s well into her seventies! Her death causes chaos as her charges run amok. Meanwhile over the border in England a mysterious illness rampages known as Virulent Pernicious Mauvais which begins to affect Scotland too.

First of all, the positives. It does capture the spirit of the 1930’s especially upper class attitudes towards invisible servants, their sense of entitlement, their spending beyond their means to uphold standards and lifestyle. There is wry humour poked at these characters, I mean, how utterly ghastly that one has to ‘draw’ one’s own bath and that ladies should have to walk downstairs to take breakfast in the dining room rather than a tray delivered to their rooms. Quick, fetch me my smelling salts! There are some amusing arguments over Covid style shortages which gets a smile. It captures the spirit of the cozy mystery with a whole host of suspects, red herrings and it all gets a bit well, Lady Chatterley. What a household they are, so many secrets, lies and airs and graces. They’re a truly awful bunch! The house is worth a mention as that is intriguing with its 125 rooms and multiple thousands of acreage, it too holds its secrets and if only walls could talk. I like the twist at the end, it’s a bit of a stretch but the means do justify the ends!

However, there are so many characters it’s overwhelming and this means that apart from one or two they’re not well fleshed out and some seem to serve little purpose other than to baffle me. The style at times is somewhat ponderous especially at the beginning with over descriptions and explanation which slows the pace though this does improve in the second half which is much better than the first. The plot is really convoluted with so much going on it becomes bewildering and truthfully apart from recognition of our Covid reality I’m not that sure their pandemic actually adds much to the plot????

Overall, it’s an easy read, it’s fun in places and it entertains.

With thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the widget in return for an honest review.

This was a lovely pandemic escape read. In the 1930s Scotland the head of the Invekillan family meets an untimely end. Mrs. McBain, the housekeeper, wonders if it was indeed an accident and begins her own investigation. Meanwhile a mysterious illness is knocking out both staff and locals. How will the aristocratic and self-absorbed Inverkillans cope? Can Mrs. McBain solve the mystery while maintaining the Abbey witht skeletal staff. And OH the secrets that start to spill out of the old dusty closets!

This book is ideal light reading.It’s set in in a Highland stately home,Loch Down Abbey, in the 1930s ,where a mysterious illness has caused the servants to isolate and the members of the family have to face changes to their normal lifestyle.In the middle of this, Lord Inverkillen is found dead in mysterious circumstances, and it’s left to the intrepid housekeeper,Mrs MacBain, to get to the bottom of the mystery.
The book is full of references to the present day pandemic ,which will resonate with present day readers, and also to another famous stately home with a similar name.It’s very amusing and good fun.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review which reflects my own opinion.

The tradition of narrative where masters appear as ignorant, narrow-minded and utterly useless is not a new one - from Pierre Beaumarchais' The Mad Day or The Marriage of Figaro to P.G. Wodehouse's Jeeves and Wooster series, from Carlo Goldoni's The Servant of Two Masters to The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and many more.

Servants in books and plays are often more intelligent, quick-witted, caring and congenial than their masters. They are also usually pretty realistic about their "betters", and while they stay deferential, they cannot help but judge their masters.

The similar premises get going in Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan-Erskine.

Loch Down Abbey is not so much a historical fiction, as a parody of historical fiction, a pastiche of the cosy mystery of the 1920-30s, with the added elements of the trendsetting pandemic sub-genre.

Loch Down Abbey is an easy and entertaining read, if it were a piece of music, it would be a vaudeville.

Oo y’all I was really impressed with this one!! It was really good and definitely an awesome thriller that I wasn’t expecting. Drama and suspense, so great to read!