‘It was an entertaining romp and a fascinating insight into the weird and wonderful ways of the British aristocracy. It has made me want to go to Scotland and stay in a place like the Abbey as soon as our lockdown allows!’
— S.J. Bennett, author of The Windsor Knot: Her Majesty The Queen Investigates

The noble family of Inverkillen lives upstairs at Loch Down Abbey and everyone else, well, they’re downstairs of course. There are countless members of the family, most of whom stay at home tiring themselves out by doing what can only be described as nothing.

It’s the 1930s and a mysterious illness is spreading over Scotland; the Nanny is struck first and so someone in the family, maybe a parent for once, will have to look after the children. But no, that duty falls upon Iris, the family ward taken in from the orphanage as young girl. Then Lord Inverkillen is found dead but it’s not the virus that killed him. No, he drowned while fishing in the river that runs through the estate. The inspector declares it an accident but Mrs MacBain, the head housekeeper, isn’t so convinced. She’ll have to do some digging in between chores. As no one is allowed in or out — because of the illness — the residents of the house are her only suspects.

Lord Inverkillen’s death is just the beginning of the unrest the family will be forced to go through over the coming months. There isn’t enough money to pay the death taxes so they may have to sell the house (gasp!). And to top it off, one by one the servants fall ill with the virus and leave the Inverkillen’s mostly to their own devices. The horror! (Of having to make their own beds.) Loch Down Abbey is a playful parody of that great British tradition of portraying nobility and domestics living under the same roof with weddings to plan, spouses to mourn, elaborate five course meals to serve (while masked), titles to fight over, affairs to conceal, honour to protect, illegitimate children to hide, deaths to investigate and much, much more.

Beth Cowan-Erskine is originally from a small town in Wyoming. She moved to the UK in 2010 and started an Interior Architecture firm. She lives on a farm in the Cotswolds with her Scottish husband but longs for the Highlands. This is her first novel.