MURDER AT COTTONWOOD CREEK (Stella and Lyndy Mystery #7) by Clara McKenna will be released on November 25, 2025, by Kensington Books.
American heiress Stella Kendrick and her husband, Viscount “Lyndy” Lyndhurst, follow Lyndy’s father from England all the way to the ranchland of Montana where Lord Atherly is digging for ancient horse fossils on land owned by Stella’s mother. They’ve only just arrived at Katherine’s ranch, and already there are problems. First, Lord Atherly goes missing. Then a local man who was hired to help at the dig site is found dead in a nearby creek. The lead paleontologist’s notebook is stolen from the research tent along with several fossils. Another member of the team dies under questionable circumstances. A rival paleontologist, who has a track record of stealing other scientists’ research and their glory, sets up a dig on a neighboring ranch. And then Lord Atherly goes missing again. When it becomes clear that the local coroner is determined to shut down the sheriff’s investigation and declares both deaths as accidents, Stella and Lyndy take it upon themselves to conduct their own inquiry. Not only is Lord Atherly’s dig in danger of being shut down, but Katherine’s ranch is gaining a bad reputation in their corner of Wyoming.
I initially requested MURDER AT COTTONWOOD CREEK on NetGalley because I was intrigued by an historical mystery novel set on an archaeological dig site in the American West. Before reading MURDER AT COTTONWOOD CREEK, I binge read the first six books in the Stella and Lyndy Mystery series. I’m glad I did, because I got to see the progression of Stella’s and Lyndy’s relationship and knew all the backstory going into MURDER AT COTTONWOOD CREEK. I also feel like I would not have enjoyed this book as much had I not read the other books. While I still enjoyed this book, it is not my favorite in the series. The first three quarters of the book were drawn out and followed several storylines, and the final few chapters felt rushed as all the different plots were brought together. Neither of the murder victims were all that interesting—with the second victim being thoroughly unpleasant to the point that it was almost understandable why someone would want to kill him. It was fun seeing Lyndy and his father out of their very proper British world. They were both thrown out of their comfort zone. Lyndy adapted well and even embraced the cowboy life. Lord Atherly embraced the rough and rustic lifestyle of an archaeologist and seemed to be thoroughly himself at the dig site. Stella, who has been stifled by the expectations of her upper-class British in-laws, was finally able to stop worrying so much about appearances and reputation. She finally got to be herself. I’m looking forward to Stella’s and Lyndy’s next adventure.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.