‘Loch Down Abbey’ by Beth Cowan-Erskine: Downton Abbey meets Agatha Christie?

Many thanks to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for a finished copy of Loch Down Abbey in exchange for my honest review.

• Title: Loch Down Abbey
• Author: Beth Cowan-Erskine
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Pub. date: 10 June 2021
• Series: none
• Pages: 300
• Source: NetGalley
• Genres: historical fiction, mystery, romance, LGBTQ, humour

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 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. As no one is allowed in or out because of the illness, the residents of the house – both upstairs and downstairs – are the only suspects. With the Earl’s own family too busy doing what can only be described as nothing, she decides to do some digging – in between chores, of course – and in doing so uncovers a whole host of long-hidden secrets, lies and betrayals that will alter the dynamics of the household for ever.

Content warning: alcohol consumption, cheating, death, divorce

How can I resist a novel that is being advertised as a mix of Downton Abbey and Agatha Christie? I am a huge sucker for whodunnits with an ensemble cast and hilarious mishaps. So this sounded like a great win to me!

The story begins with the Ogilvy-Sinclair clan returning to their home Loch Down Abbey from the McIntyre Spring Ball. Lord Inverkillen and his sons immediately start discussing the declining family fortune in his study while the various other members of the family retire to baths, bed and the numerous other tasks this aristocratic family indulge in.

Soon enough the house descends into chaos when it’s discovered that the Nanny had mysteriously died and there is a mysterious illness that has descended on the village and the household (COVID-19 vibes, anyone?). Then in a matter of mere hours, Lord Inverkillen does not turn up to dinner and search parties get sent out. Things take a turn for the worst when the Lord is found dead.

The police are convinced that it was an accidental death, but the head housekeeper, Mrs MacBain, is sure that something fishy is going on and, knowing the Ogilvy-Sinclair family, everyone is a suspect. But then there’s a mystery illness running rampant through the household, and the family is convinced it’s all a hoax, so it’s up to Mrs MacBain to tackle a good ol’ murder mystery and a mystery illness.

• The story is told through the POVs of all the adults and the author does an excellent job shifting seamlessly from character to character. I was highly impressed as soon as I read the first 10 pages!
• Loch Down Abbey certainly delivers the Downton Abbey vibes it promised and more. We’ve got the steely matriarch, the ensemble family cast, the lovable staff cast, the huge estate, and financial crises. Check, check and check!
• The humour weaves in effortlessly into the plot. It is a hilarious parody of the whole aristocracy and the privileged upper-classmen, of course. The observations made by the staff and the visitors echoed my own thoughts and I found that super fun!
• The second half of the story is where the story really picks up, from scandals and plots to family fistfights and shocking revelations. The story truly ended with a bang!
• My favourite character was Fergus, the only person with any sense of practicality and kindness in that family. Closely followed by Iris and Elspeth. I always loved their scenes!
• Loch Down Abbey‘s ending left me missing the characters the most. The author wonderfully brought this complex story to a worthy finish and I was very content with how all the plot twists worked out.

• Since this Loch Down Abbey was promoted as a murder mystery, I really wish that plotline had played a more prominent role. Overall, I was disappointed with the mystery arc since I found it predictable and not as sensational as I hoped it would be.
• Honestly, the blatant privilege of the Ogilvy-Sinclair clan can get a bit too much, especially in the first half of the story since most of the focus then is on the family’s lifestyle.
• The first half of the story was very monotonous. The only thing that kept me going for was characters like Fergus and Iris. The second half was way better but it’s very easy to just give us reading before I reached the halfway point.
• I would have preferred a bit more focus on the small romances that took place. I love a good romance where the characters connect on a more substantial level than wealth and status, so I really hated not seeing much of the romantic relationships that I knew were budding behind the scenes but never really got any front row seats to.

Loch Down Abbey delivered a sensational Downton-esque look at 1930’s Scotland that I enjoyed reading. Though it didn’t deliver much in the way of the mystery or the romance, I recommend you hang around for the hilarious antics and mishaps of the Ogilvy-Sinclair family!

Beth Cowan Erskine is an American expat who married into a mad Scottish family with their own tartan and family tree older than her home country. Using them as inspiration, she wrote her first novel during the coronavirus lockdown, hoping it would be enough to get her dis-invited from the annual family walking holiday. Sadly, it backfired and led to long discussions of who will play whom in the film. When not writing features for The American Magazine, she owns an interior architecture and design studio in the Cotswolds.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hasini | 26 | 🇱🇰 🇦🇺 (@bibliosini)

Have you read Loch Down Abbey or do you plan on picking it up?