Off Kilter by Hannah Reed

Off Kilter by Hannah Reed ISBN-13: 9780425265826 Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Released: October 7, 2014

Source: Review copy from the publisher.

Book Description, Modified from Back Cover:
After the recent death of her mother and the dissolution of her marriage, thirty-something Eden Elliott is seriously in need of a fresh start. At the urging of her best friend, Eden decides to embark on an open-ended trip to the picturesque village of Glenkillen in the Scottish Highlands to do some hands-on research for her romance novel. But as soon as Eden arrives in the quaint town, she gets caught up in a very real drama…

The town’s sheep shearer is found murdered and the locals suspect Vicki MacBride, an outsider whose father’s recent death left her the surprise heir to his lucrative sheep farm. Eden refuses to believe the affable heiress is a murderer, but can she prove that someone is out to frame her new friend?


My Review:
Off Kilter is a cozy mystery set in Scotland. The author wove vivid descriptions of the landscape and local foods into the story which gave it the feel of a travelogue.

The mystery was clue-based, but there weren't many clues. There were enough suspects who could fit those clues that I wasn't certain of whodunit, but my "increasingly likely" guess did turn out to be correct. Only the main character, her two love interests, and a volunteer cop were developed much in terms of personality and background. However, the characters did act realistically to the various events and the "good guy" characters were generally likable.

There were no sex scenes. There was a minor amount of bad language. Overall, I'd recommend this enjoyable mystery.


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