In Pride and Predator, Sally Wright concocts a Scottish cozy with a decidedly American twist, featuring American archivist Ben Ross in his second outing. Set in the spring of 1961, Ben is a well-regarded veteran of World War II, who has come to Scotland to visit an old friend, Lord Alexander Chisholm.

Alex is having financial difficulties keeping up with his huge estate known as Balnagard Castle. Ben is planning to appraise and catalogue the collections on Alex’s estate, but the death of Alex’s close friend, Jon MacLean, leads him on a different path. At the request of Lord Chisholm and Jon’s widow Ellie, Ben begins quietly looking into the circumstances surrounding the murder by bee sting.

Ben is a reserved and proper man, age 39, and a widower. He is a methodical and meticulous, traits which help him enormously in both his work as an archivist and amateur detective. His friend Alex carries the title of the Thirteenth Thane and the Eighth Earl of Balnagard -- but he’s a surprisingly down-to-earth gentleman who has worked at different points as a linguist, historian and novelist. Between these two friends, the story surrounding Jon’s last fatal hike unfolds.

And what a tale it is, with so many characters the author includes a list of them at the start to help any inattentive readers. (She also includes several maps, helping the reader to picture the Scottish territory covered in the story.) The list of suspects is wide and diverse, from the loyal servants and loving parishioners to the editor of a prominent newspaper and an unhappy would-be girlfriend. And of course there could be a financial motive for a family member; Jon leaves a small but sizable estate.

The author’s skill lies in weaving the large cast of characters together in a coherent manner. While everyone is seemingly concerned, polite and helpful (in that very correct British way), someone is obviously a murderer. Ben’s investigation is further complicated by additional murder attempts -- some successful and others foiled.

The only difficulty with the story, an occasional distraction, is the change in the narrative. While the majority of the story is told third-person, from Ben’s point of view, Wright sometimes switches to lesser characters. These brief diversions are not always helpful and may confuse readers on the course to whodunit. In addition, Ben’s narrative slips unexplained into a first person form at times, also adding some confusion.

Still, with only these minor flaws, Pride and Predator is an enjoyable tour of a pretty Scottish countryside, filled with castles, Bentleys, proper behavior (murderer aside, of course) and quirky old uncles. The characters are often delightfully drawn, as in the classic mode of a British cozy. With the added element of a tough-as-nails American, who still knows how to handle teatime and scones, Wright brings this mystery to life.

--Martha Moore