The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle

by T. L. Huchu

Overview

Ghostalker Ropa Moyo and her rag-tag team of magicians are back in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle, the third book in the spellbinding USA Today bestselling Edinburgh Nights series by T. L. Huchu.

She came for magic. She stayed to solve a murder . . .

Ropa Moyo is no stranger to magic or mysteries. But she’s still stuck in an irksomely unpaid internship. So she’s thrilled to attend a magical convention at Dunvegan Castle, on the Isle of Skye, where she’ll rub elbows with eminent magicians.

For Ropa, it’s the perfect opportunity to finally prove her worth. Then a librarian is murdered and a precious scroll stolen. Suddenly, every magician is a suspect, and Ropa and her allies investigate. Trapped in a castle, with suspicions mounting, Ropa must contend with corruption, skulduggery and power plays. Time to ask for a raise?

Edinburgh Nights series:
The Library of the Dead
Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments
The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle
The Legacy of Arniston House

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250883063
Publisher:	Tor Publishing Group
Publication date:	08/29/2023
Series:	Edinburgh Nights Series , #3
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	175,505
Product dimensions:	9.20(w) x 6.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

T. L. Huchu has been published previously (as Tendai Huchu) in the adult market, but the Edinburgh Nights series is his genre fiction debut. His previous books (The Hairdresser of Harare and The Maestro, The Magistrate and the Mathematician) have been translated into multiple languages and his short fiction has won awards. Tendai grew up in Zimbabwe but has lived in Edinburgh for most of his adult life.

Editorial Reviews

07/24/2023

Ropa Moyo, an unpaid intern with Scotland’s premier magical professional organization, is tasked with helping to put together a conference at Dunvegan castle in Huchu’s entertaining third Edinburgh Nights urban fantasy (after Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments). The conference’s attendees and presenters come from far and wide, including two delegates from Ethiopia, who bring a scroll of teachings highly important to their country to exchange for a Scottish book as a symbol of trust between their nations. When a conference-goer turns up murdered and the scroll is stolen, it’s up to Ropa to solve the mystery. With the fate of national alliances and the dislike of the privileged members of the magical aristocracy weighing on her, Ropa must navigate big personalities and complex politics if she hopes to deliver justice. Ropa’s investigation is thrilling, but Huchu’s real skill lies in crafting a magical contemporary world that feels familiar yet filled with its own secrets, replete with analogous political situations and pop culture references that never feel out of place. This is good fun.(Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 08/01/2023

The stakes have never been higher for either intrepid 15-year-old ghostalker Ropa Moyo or the independence of Scottish magic in this urban-fantasy/alternate-history thriller. The mystery is too big for a mere locked room and requires an entire locked castle for its deadly story of family secrets, grieving ghosts, ancient betrayals, and viciously underhanded politics. Ropa is caught in the middle with her besties Priya and Jomo, as she tries her hardest to protect her country, her mentor, and her future. When her world falls apart just as she's pulling it all together, Ropa does what she does best—picks up the pieces and moves on into the jaws of yet another adversary. Totally out of her element, Ropa still throws herself into this case that no one believes she can possibly solve. Because everything rides on Ropa's still young shoulders, she pushes forward anyway. VERDICT This third entry in the series, after Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments, takes Ropa out of her city and drops her into the deep end of the political pond far away from home. Readers won't be able to resist following this compelling character every step of her fraught way. Highly recommended.—Marlene Harris

Library Journal

"Readers won’t be able to resist following this compelling character every step of her fraught way. Highly recommended."—Library Journal, starred review

"Ropa’s investigation is thrilling, but Huchu’s real skill lies in crafting a magical contemporary world that feels familiar yet filled with its own secrets, replete with analogous political situations and pop culture references that never feel out of place. This is good fun."—Publishers Weekly

Praise for the Edinburgh Nights series:

“Alluring, shadowy Edinburgh with its hints of sophisticated academic magic will draw you in, but it’s Ropa - a hard knocks ghostalker on her paranormal grind to pay the rent - who grabs hold. The moment you meet her, you’ll follow wherever she goes.”—Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six

“Expertly blending elements of Zimbabwean and Scottish culture, Huchu’s occult thriller is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Library of the Dead

“Witty, suspenseful, and keenly attuned to real-life socioeconomic hierarchies, this equally entertaining and insightful sophomore outing should keep Huchu’s star on the rise.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review, on Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments

“Everything rides on the shoulders of young Ropa in this post-apocalyptic, near-future Edinburgh where magic, science, and monarchy all hold equal sway. Ropa, at only 14, carries an adult’s burdens and responsibility with equal parts can-do spirit, stubborn energy, and kicking herself and her friends as necessary. This twisted Edinburgh tries its best to keep her down, but she never stops.”—Library Journal, starred review

“A fast-paced, future-set Edinburgh thriller. The Library of the Dead mixes magical mysteries with a streetwise style of writing . . . . Roll on the sequel.”—The Times

“An absolute delight . . . kept me totally hooked.”—Genevieve Cogman

“Fast-moving and entertaining... Stupendously engaging.”—Ben Aaronovitch, author of the Rivers of London series

“What a delight. Great pacing, wonderfully creepy villains, and so much fun!”—A. K. Larkwood, author of The Unspoken Name

“I highly recommend The Library of the Dead.”—Charlaine Harris, author of the Sookie Stackhouse series

“Contemporary fantasy, at its best, is both escapist and urgent: this does both admirably.”—The Scotsman

"Ropa is a delight to read, even as her tumble into danger can turn into a bit of a nailbiter."—Booklist

“One of the strangest and most compelling fantasy worlds you’ll see all year . . . We can't wait for the next volume.”—SFX

"There’s magic and mystery in these pages, and with a protagonist like Ropa, you’ll be glad you went along for the ride."—BookRiot

From the Publisher