On a remote Scottish island, American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton investigates a brutal killing, staged to recreate a centuries-old unsolved murderAutumn has come and gone on Scotland’s Isle of Glenroth, and the islanders gather for the Tartan Ball, the annual end-of-tourist-season gala. Spirits are high until an unexpected turn of events takes the floor.A recently published novel about island … published novel about island history has brought hordes of tourists to the small Hebridean resort community. On the guest list is American antiques dealer Kate Hamilton. Kate returns reluctantly to the island where her husband died, determined to repair her relationship with his sister, proprietor of the island’s luxe country house hotel, famous for its connection with Bonnie Prince Charlie.
Kate has hardly unpacked when the next morning a body is found, murdered in a reenactment of an infamous unsolved murder described in the novel—and the only clue to the killer’s identity lies in a curiously embellished antique casket. The Scottish police discount the historical connection, but when a much-loved local handyman is arrested, Kate teams up with a vacationing detective inspector from Suffolk, England, to unmask a killer determined to rewrite island history—and Kate’s future.
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Ms. Berry took me to another place and filled me with a real tangible feel for the location and the history. The romantic history for the protagonist was quite lovely and heartfelt. I highly recommend reading this traditional mystery.
This is my first book by Connie Berry but it sure won’t be my last. A Dream of Death is a wonderfully presented balance between the cozy world and that of a modern gothic mystery. In addition to a well plotted mystery, Ms. Berry has given us characters to whom we can attach and for whom we will root. I look forward to seeing how the future plays out for Kate Hamilton and can’t wait to see what characters might play a role in her future.
The mystery allows us to see history played out in the island in the Scottish Highlands as we watch the American antique dealer try to solve the puzzle of her sister-in-law’s death. There are so many people who had good reason to resent the woman that the suspect list is long. While Kate tries to suss out the suspect with the most motive for murder, she develops an ambivalent connection with an English detective on vacation who assists the local police in their investigation.
In a world of character versus mystery A Dream of Death falls in to both worlds with fascinating characters and a complex mystery.
#NetGalley #Crooked Lane Books #A Dream of Death
Kate Hamilton is a antiques dealer from Ohio. Her late husband Bill was from Glenroth a remote Scottish Island. They spent their honeymoon there and her husband died there. KateHas not been back since Bill’s death she also has never been close to her husband’s sister Elenor and they have been even more distant since Bill’s death. When Elenor phones Kate and begs her to come to Scotland for the annual Tartan Ball because she is very scared by some strange things that have been happening, Kate knows she must go help her sister in law out of loyalty to her late husband. When Kate arrives in Scotland Elenor is very secretive and promises to tell Kate everything after the Tartan Ball. Unfortunately Elenor is murdered before she tells any secrets to Kate. The story has many twists and turns and a bunch of quirky characters that will keep you guessing. I enjoyed this book and look forward to more in this series.
Kate Hamilton has returned to the Isle of Glenroth off the coast of Scotland, something she swore she would never do after the death of her husband three years ago. She’s come in response to a plea for help from her sister-in-law, Elenor, but Elenor won’t say more until after the Tartan Ball she is hosting for island residence the night Kate arrives. Elenor makes a couple of shocking announcements during the ball and then turns up murdered the next morning. Kate sees parallels to a 200-year-old crime from the island’s past that has recently been brought to back to prominence thanks to a bestselling novel. The police dismiss the similarity as a coincidence, but is Kate on to something?
I was hesitant to pick up this book because of all the books already on my to be read mountain range, but I’m glad I did. This book has a lot going on with a possible ghost, an old house, and the mystery from the past that might be leading to the murder in the present all coming into play. Coupled with the dreary weather, and I got a Gothic feel as I read this book. That atmosphere is enhanced by characters who are all strong, giving us plenty of suspects with motives and secrets all their own. With everything going on, the pace never lags, and I was frustrated every time I had to put the book down. Even though Kate isn’t at home for this book, we still got a glimpse of her family, and I hope we get to see more of them in future books. Kate owns an antique shop, and her knowledge of antiques came into play here in an interesting way. This is a strong debut that needs to be on your to be read list.
A contemporary gem.
Put on something warm, grab a mug of your favorite hot drink and come along to northern Scotland for an expertly written mystery. A Dream of Death is a rare find in that it seamlessly combines so many elements of style, history, romance, suspense, action and, of course, mystery. While technically a cozy mystery, Ms. Berry avoids the pitfalls of most books in this genre by minimizing the suspension of disbelief. She does this with vivid descriptions, intriguing characters, accurate portrayal of the police she encounters, and making her protagonist likeable, sympathetic, and someone the reader can root for. Highly recommend for mystery lovers.
I enjoyed this book so much, I quickly downloaded the rest of the series.
Loved the book!! Can’t wait to read more by this author!!
A Dream of Death is an excellent debut mystery. The story is well-written with descriptions that transport you to Scotland, snow, rain and all. the mystery is cleverly done with plenty of suspects for the armchair detective. I look forward to the next book in the series which will take place in England. I can’t wait to see what happens on the romance front.
This is the first book in this series, A Kate Hamilton Mystery, by Connie Berry. It is also the first book I have read by her, and I loved it! It has everything I enjoy in a good book: an interesting story line, characters I can relate to, and a steady pace. As a bonus, it is set in a Scottish island, has a connection to an unsolved 200 yr old murder, and a contemporary Gothic flavor.
Kate, the female lead, is an engaging, strong minded widow who has returned to the place where her husband died, at his sister’s request. Weather conditions on the cold, stormy night lead to a fender bender and the appearance of an old friend and an unknown, somewhat bossy , Inspector. The story takes off …. it was difficult not to read it straight through the night!
I received a copy for review, and must review books I love, so that others can find them.
Are old Scottish murders being redone?
A Dream of Death by Connie Berry is a remarkable book that takes place in Scotland. The scenes are amazing the way that Ms. Berry has written them, so I felt as if I was actually there.
What I liked
• Kate’s sense of family loyalty despite that she didn’t like her sister-in-law all that much.
• That the book was written in the first-person narrative was done so well, and I think it works fabulously with the story.
• The relationship that Kate has with Elenor’s staff at her hotel and Tom.
• Kate’s budding relationship with Tom is perfect.
• The different mysteries that were woven into the central mystery.
What I disliked
I didn’t like how Elenor treated a bunch of people and the way she acted like she was better than everyone. Another person that I didn’t like was Penny Arnott because she was rude and didn’t want anything to with Kate or Elenor since Elenor’s family stole her families castle. The last thing that I didn’t like was the tons red herrings because I fell into thinking that it was them. Well except one.
Five Stars
I am giving A Dream of Death by Connie Berry a five-star review and recommending it to all my mystery lovers who also happen to like antiques, the Scottish countryside, and a mystery that lasted over 200 years in the making.
Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by,
Karen the Baroness.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
If you would like to read more reviews like this one please go to baronessbooktrove.com
A Dream of Death has an interesting premise and setting. Kate travels from Ohio to the Isle of Glenroth. If she had not promised her deceased husband, Bill that she would take care of Elenor if anything ever happened to him (I bet she is regretting it now) she would never set foot on remote island again since it is where her husband died in a sailing accident. Kate owns an antique shop in Jackson Falls, Ohio that her mother is currently watching while she is away. DI Tom Mallory is the only other guest at Elenor’s Glenroth House Hotel and Kate finds herself attracted to him. Elenor’s murder gives the pair the opportunity to spend more time together since Kate is determined to investigate despite being told several times to leave the case to the professionals. I admit to having a hard time liking our main character, but I am hopeful for improvement. Her behavior was off-putting at times as she jumped to conclusions and make sudden decisions based on little evidence or facts. Kate’s behavior reminds me of a younger woman instead of someone in their 40s (now, I am assuming she is in her 40s since she has two children in college. We are never really told her age). There are some lovely secondary characters that I liked, and I felt bad for Bo (such a sweet man). The Isle of Glenroth is a unique and beautiful setting. I loved the descriptions of this Scottish island. I found this sentence compelling “Isle of Glenroth rose before me like Brigadoon materializing in the Highland mist”. The mystery was clever and thought out with misdirection that will send readers down the rabbit hole. There is a lack of clues to help readers in solving the crime. I like how the two hundred year old unsolved murders were worked into the story. It added depth to A Dream of Death. I appreciated that all threads of the whodunit were wrapped up at the end of the book. The paranormal element was miniscule. I wanted more of it and I did not like how Kate wrote it off (disappointing). The “romance” between Kate and Tom was lacking. It needed more development or build up earlier in the book so what happened at the end would make more sense. The author was overly descriptive of food, clothing and mundane details (like washing hair, drying it with towel, combing it behind ears, putting on lotion, etc.). My favorite phrase from A Dream of Death is “don’t let your yesterdays define you”. A Dream of Death is a good beginning to A Kate Hamilton Mystery series. A Dream of Death has an intriguing mystery, quaint Scottish isle, disappearing antiques, a dashing inspector and a determined antiques dealer.
A DREAM OF DEATH is one of the best cozy mysteries I have read in quite a while. Its strong mystery, gothic feel, and touch of romance come together to make a splendid read.
Kate Hamilton answers her somewhat estranged sister-in-law’s call to come to her home turned hotel on a Scottish island. Elenor drops quite the bombshell at the annual Tartan Ball when she tells the attendees that she has sold the hotel and is newly engaged to Hugh, the author of the tourist drawing novel about Flora Arnott and her two hundred year old murder. Elenor is murdered, in the same manner as Flora, before she can tell Kate why she summoned her and what was frightening her. Secrets abound. A DREAM OF DEATH seamlessly melds the centuries old mystery with the current murder investigation.
The characters are well developed, and Kate is quite appealing. She is a widow in her mid-forties, still dealing with her grief, and antique dealer. Intelligent and loyal, she makes a smart amateur sleuth. Fellow hotel guest DI Tom Mallory is alluring, making both a believable law enforcement liaison and love interest for Kate. The supporting characters are varied, and I did not want any of them to be the killer; they are endearing. The mystery is compelling and well executed. The Scottish castle island backdrop is an ideal setting.
I look forward to reading more by Connie Berry. Highly recommended.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley and voluntarily shared my uninfluenced thoughts here.
4.5 Such an entertaining cozy mystery! I enjoyed the main characters, the lively secondaries, the setting, and the narrator. Fun!
The main character Kate is a forty something likable widow with a sense of humor. There were times though when her impulsive actions were to me more like a those of a twenty year old. Other than that it was an enjoyable mystery with a hint of romance. A bonus was the setting on an island in Scotland and some of its history. I always enjoy stories that take place in another country.
This author was new to me. Have already downloaded book two!
Technically this is a cozy mystery because the main character is an ‘amateur sleuth,’ but the author paired her very well with police detectives to solve the case. And a little side of romance to boot! Not much – just enough.
Great mystery. Looking forward to the second book in the series.
A good read, kept me engaged and interested to learn more about the protagonist in future novels in the series. I always enjoy novels that uncover new areas of the globe to learn about.
Good mystery, kept me guessing and I enjoyed the characters. Also takes place in Scotland, a favorite of mine!
I particularly enjoyed reading about the culture of a small Scottish island.
Murder on an island isolated by a storm. We go from suspect to suspect and are almost certain who did the current murder when that suspect gets eliminated by death. Then there are the 100 year old secrets long hidden in the attic. Well drawn characters and descriptive passages bring us right into the story. Well written with the proverbial perfect ending!
This is my first book by Connie Berry but it sure won’t be my last. A Dream of Death is a wonderfully presented balance between the cozy world and that of a modern gothic mystery. In addition to a well plotted mystery, Ms. Berry has given us characters to whom we can attach and for whom we will root. I look forward to seeing how the future plays out for Kate Hamilton and can’t wait to see what characters might play a role in her future.
The mystery allows us to see history played out in the island in the Scottish Highlands as we watch the American antique dealer try to solve the puzzle of her sister-in-law’s death. There are so many people who had good reason to resent the woman that the suspect list is long. While Kate tries to suss out the suspect with the most motive for murder, she develops an ambivalent connection with an English detective on vacation who assists the local police in their investigation.
In a world of character versus mystery A Dream of Death falls in to both worlds with fascinating characters and a complex mystery.