The Mystery of Dunvegan Castle

• Author: T.L. Huchu
• Genre: YA Fantasy
• Publication Date: August 29, 2023
• Publisher: Tor Books
• Series: Edinburgh Nights #3

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: blood, murder, emotional abuse, suicide, mention of torture, violence, panic attack

Duels, magic, and plenty of ghosts await in The Mystery at Dunvegan Castle, the third book of T. L. Huchu’s USA Today bestselling Edinburgh Nights series.

Everyone’s favorite fifteen-year-old ghosttalker, Ropa, arrives at the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ biennial conference just in time to be tied into a mystery—a locked room mystery, if an entire creepy haunted castle on lockdown counts. One of the magical attendees has stolen a valuable magical scroll.

Caught between Qozmos, the high wizard of Ethiopian magic, the larger-than-life Lord Sashvindu Samarasinghe, England’s Sorcerer Royal, and Scotland’s own Hamish Manas MacLeod, it’s up to Ropa (and Jomo and Priya) to sort through the dangerous secret politics and alliances to figure out what really happened. But she has a special tool—the many ghosts tied to the ancient, powerful castle.

This is one of my newer favorite series, and I haven’t seen a single person talking about it. I can’t figure out why, since this is a really great series! It’s a combination of dystopian and urban fantasy and mystery, it’s diverse, and I can not get enough of it! 

To start with, we’ve got Ropa with her foot kind of in the door to getting a legit gig. She’s been scrounging by as a ghosttalker, but she knows the real path to success is getting admitted as a magic practitioner. However, anyone trying to improve their socioeconomic status from the bottom of the barrel into a society that includes people from the upper crust of society is going to face opposition, and Ropa certainly does. I’m sure her black lipstick, neon dyed locs, colorful language, and tendency to pop off at the worst possible times doesn’t help her cause.

In this book, Ropa is in attendance at the worldwide Society of Skeptical Enquirers’ conference, held on the Isle of Skye at the creepy and haunted Dunvegan Castle. There are some notable guests in attendance, particularly the high wizard of Ethiopian magic and the Sorcerer Royale of England. But when a shocking act of violence occurs so that a priceless magical scroll can be stolen, the whole castle is placed on a magical lockdown and Ropa is tasked with investigating.

This is where Ropa really shines. She may be a 15-year-old dropout, but she’s no slouch. Supplementing her education with books whenever possible, she uses the knowledge to boost her skills when working for the Society, or even when doing her ghosttalking work. But her best attribute by far is the way that she isn’t afraid to rely on others when there’s something she doesn’t know. And while there is a lot she doesn’t know, Jomo and Priya make up the difference a lot of the time.

As far as diversity goes, we’ve got loads in this book. Ropa and Jomo are Black, and Ropa is very close to her African roots. She incorporates her heritage into her magical work by using an African instrument to facilitate speaking to ghosts. Priya is of Indian descent, and is a wheelchair user, but doesn’t let that hold her back in any way—in fact, I’d dare to say that she’s one of the most badass characters in the series. She’s definitely one of my favorites.

The story is full of surprises and twists that I never saw coming. While trying to figure out who was behind the theft, I couldn’t figure it out until it was spelled out for me. Huchu is fantastic with leaving behind a number of red herrings, and with so many people trapped in the castle, this is a locked room (castle?) Mystery that is done exceptionally well. 

Overall, this is a fantastic addition to the series. I can’t wait to see where this goes next, and as usual I’m sitting on the edge of my seat for the next installment. Hopefully, more people will be exposed to these stories soon, and it will be taking over social media soon because I want everyone to be exposed to this amazingness! So go out and start the series if you haven’t yet!

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 9