Scot & Soda is a humorous fish-out-of-water tale and the second in the Last Ditch Mystery series.
Lexy Campbell is a Scottish therapist in rural Northern California. During a small Halloween party on her houseboat home, a body is found caught on the rope holding the party’s cold beers in the slough, or swamp, where the houseboat was parked. The shooting victim had a tam o’shanter stapled to his head so it was hard for Lexy not to take it personally. With the help of her odd friends at the nearby “Last Ditch” motel, Lexy can’t help but investigate especially when a ring seen on the body in the slough is missing after its retrieval.
The characterizations of the unique denizens of the hotel are varied and refreshingly different from the usual cozy mystery sidekicks. As a matter of fact, this wacky tale seems almost like a cross between a cozy and a Serge Storm novel. However, the mystery followed a convoluted course with a dearth of clues until right before the conclusion. The witty one-liners and unusual characters helped raise Scot & Soda to 3 stars despite the disappointing mystery.
Thanks to Midnight Ink and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.