Lethal Laybys: A Scottish Camping Cosy Mystery

Joana Snowdon

Jun 2026 · The Highland Mysteries Book 3 · Highland Quill Publishing

About this ebook

NC 500 Memories Last A Lifetime.
Unfortunately, Some Campers Don’t.

Joana and Brian turn up in Inverness for what is, on paper, a simple job: take a few photos and pretend to enjoy camping along the North Coast 500. The catch is: sharing a campervan with nowhere to hide from each other, the weather, or the midges, which, frankly, belong on any suspect list.

In a layby near Wick, they find themselves behind a police cordon. One of the campers is dead in his van, and the police are already blaming a dodgy heater. Joana, being stubbornly Joana, keeps asking the questions nobody wants her to ask, starting with what happened to the victim's black Labrador.

From there, they're dragged into the full NC 500 circus: dog shows, Highland Games, a cake stall selling 'special' biscuits, and a campervan rally that has attracted every eccentric north of Perth. Joana marches off in pursuit of the murderer. Brian is less keen on marching; he prefers to let his drone do the legwork, even if it is only tracking down the chippy van for his tea. But then it films something he was never meant to see, and the bodies begin to mount.

A Highland Mystery, Book 3, but easily read as a standalone. As much comedy as cosy crime, with a sleuthing pair who don't take themselves too seriously. Their friendship has outlasted most marriages, possibly because they can never agree on anything, though they're firmly on the same side when it matters. A proper whodunit with a fast, page-turning plot and the kind of dry British humour that can bite. And, as ever, Scotland steals the show.

Ratings and reviews

In this adventure we're on the road with Brian and Joana in a teeny-tiny electric RV. It's enjoyable to be part of their friendly bickering and bantering about the undersized accommodations. When someone they recently met ends up dead, however, their attention quickly shifts gears (much to Brian's dismay). Joana's tendency to see things others miss makes her an excellent amateur sleuth.. there are plenty of suspects traveling along with them to keep our duo busy & that's before more bodies drop.

WHO's carrying a grudge that turns deadly?!👀This is another whimsically entertaining book in a fun cozy mystery series highlighting the sights of the Scottish countryside. It wouldn't be half so enjoyable without Brian Goodfellow, Joana's fellow photographer & travel partner. His whining & buffoonery are just so cute! Whether he's lamenting the lack of charging stations, gobbling down every vegan treat he can get his hands on, or bemoaning the lack of creature comforts in their eco-van, 2 cute!

Joana and Brian explore camping along the NC 500 route that tours the northern coast of Scotland. Unfortunately, a dead man in a camper van leads the pair into another murder investigation, and a meeting with their nemesis, DCI Fraser. Thank you to Joana Snowdon and BookSirens for the opportunity to read this complimentary copy. As always, my opinions are my own, honest and true.