The Slaughter of Leith Hall by Lexie Conyngham

Release: February 17th 2020
Format: Ebook
Publisher: The Kellas Cat Press
Source: Love Books Tours
Find it at: Amazon UK

‘See, Charlie, it might be near twenty year since Culloden, but there’s plenty hard feelings still amongst the Jacobites, and no so far under the skin, ken?’
Charlie Rob has never thought of politics, nor strayed far from his Aberdeenshire birthplace. But when John Leith of Leith Hall takes him under his wing, his life changes completely. Soon he is far from home, dealing with conspiracy and murder, and lost in a desperate hunt for justice.

About the Author:

Lexie Conyngham is a historian living in the shadow of the Highlands. Her historical crime novels are born of a life amidst Scotland’s old cities, ancient universities and hidden-away aristocratic estates, but she has written since the day she found out that people were allowed to do such a thing. Beyond teaching and research, her days are spent with wool, wild allotments and a wee bit of whisky.

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The Slaughter of Leith Hall Review:

I have recently become fond of historical mysteries, and this book did not disappoint.

Charlie is the highlight of the story! He is a dynamic character and I loved the way the author portrayed him. Initially, he is under John Leith’s shadow, but you see him showcase his talents once he finds himself in a murder mystery. Moreover, I liked his zest for justice, and how it motivates him to solve the murder. Similarly, John is also wonderful as the one of the other main leads, and I really enjoyed their scenes together.

Also, the story takes place against the backdrop of the war between the British and the Jacobite. To be honest, I had hardly heard of this war till I read this novel. After reading this book, I was fascinated with the topic and continued my research on it online. The author has a wonderful talent for bringing historical fiction to life. There are some stories which would get too technical on the details of the history and sidetrack the plot. However, this book nicely blends the historical facts to the storyline and makes it entertaining.

However, the story does take a while before it gets gripping. Initially, the story took a bit of time to setup the characters and the plot at the beginning. Also, at times I felt like there were too many characters on the canvas. I appreciate the author for providing the cast of characters, because I kept referring to it.

Apart from that, this was a fun historical mystery novel that held my attention, and I hope to read some of the author’s other novels.