The Murder Hole (A Jean Fairbairn/Alasdair Cameron mystery)

Deep water . . .

Jean Fairbairn is off to write a story about the haunted waters of Loch Ness. She has an appointment with American scientist Roger Dempsey, who is using his latest gadgets to try and prove that the legend of the monster, Nessie, is true.

Jean’s business is checking out legends. Some hold water, some don’t, and some are about much more than H2O.

But the troubled water she finds at Loch Ness is colder than its snow-melt and darker than its peat-stained depths. Sonar and other remote-sensing tools might find Nessie, but what scientific instrument can plumb the mysteries of death?

Troubled, too, are the waters that run between Jean and Detective Inspector Alasdair Cameron. Will another encounter bridge the depths that lie between them? Or will their story end at the hands of a murderer, in the icy water of a loch that never gives up its dead?


...there’s time to savor the complexities of the story and take in the scent and sense of Scotland. The author has a wonderful sense of humor and a gives us a story that moves right along and a heroine who doesn’t take herself too seriously.

Diana Vickery, Cozy Library


Carl creates vivid images of the Scottish scenery and her characters ring true. There is an element of woo-woo involved in figuring out the mystery, but it seems appropriate to the setting. This is a thoroughly enjoyable addition to the series.

Reviewed by Shirley H. Wetzel for Over My Dead Body.com


With the enticing title of THE MURDER HOLE, Lillian Stewart Carl brings us another Fairbairn/Cameron mystery, filled with familiar faces, as well as some interesting and thought provoking new ones, who keep Jean Fairbairn and Alasdair Cameron hopping.

Lucele Coutts, NovelTalk


Our leading characters are well penned and the secondary cast add flavour to the tale. The legend of Loch Ness has been around for a long time. Will it finally be put to rest? Will the mystery of what lies beneath the deep finally be solved? These are intriguing questions that you will just have to read the book to find out.

Penny at Lovesromancesandmore.com