Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Murder at Cottonwood Creek by Clara McKenna Series: Stella and Lyndy Mystery #7
Published by Kensington Books on November 25, 2025
Genres: Historical Mystery
Pages: 304
Format: eARC
Source: NetGalley
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Led by his passion for paleontology, Lyndy’s father, Lord Atherly, has traveled all the way to Montana, to explore the fossil-rich horse ranch owned by Stella’s mother, Katherine, and her second husband, Ned Smith. Urged by Lady Atherly to look after her husband, Stella and Lyndy follow in his wake. Stella is excited to be reunited with her mother, and Lyndy is eager to experience the real “Wild West.” Both are equally thrilled to participate in a fossil dig.
But when a local man who was guarding the dig site overnight is found the next morning dead in a creek bed, the couple fear his death may not have been an accident—especially when things get wilder still. The paleontologist on the dig has his notebook stolen, several fossil bones disappear, and a second body is found in the research tent.
No one is above suspicion—a rival paleontologist up to some skullduggery, members of their own crew, even Lord Atherly himself. Stella and Lyndy must keep digging to unearth the clues that will expose a killer in their midst—before more bones must be buried . . .
After the events in Scotland, Stella and Lyndy are in America to wrap up her father’s business and the horse farm in Kentucky before traveling to Montana to get to know her mother’s second family and spend some time with the earl fossil hunting, but the west is wild in more ways than one and they are roped into another mystery.
Clara McKenna’s Stella and Lyndy series have reached the seventh installment and I anticipated this moment when the situation would reverse and Lyndy would be the one trying to adjust to a whole different social world.
Stella is excited to spend more time with her mother, yet privately anxious that her mother really does welcome her and wants to spend time with her. She and Lyndy try to ignore the pressure they are feeling to produce the heir as they enjoy the time on her step-father’s Montana cattle ranch and the dig camp where Lyndy’s father and his paleontologist partner are searching for prehistoric horse fossils.
Instead of a relaxing time on the ranch, they discover that someone has it in for the fossil camp, stolen artifacts and research notes, running off the horses, dead guard who may have been murdered, and a rival appearing nearby. Secret undercurrents are going on at the ranch, as well. The sheriff and the coroner are political rivals so their investigation has its obstacles.
Murder at Cottonwood Creek had a lot of brands in the fire, so to speak, with lots of plot threads that may or may not have anything to do with the central mystery which took a while to come together. I had the hardest time focusing as a result of the way the story darted here and there. I was into all the threads and wanted to follow up on them though I had a suspicion of who and what was behind the darker events and I was right.
Mostly, I enjoyed getting Lyndy’s perspective as he was first startled and then had to adjust to how things are on the other side of the pond. His title was fascinating to the westerners, but didn’t cut any ice with them forcing him to learn what it was like to be sized up for his abilities and personality and not his title. I also enjoyed seeing Stella get time with her mom and get to know her half-brother. There was also the fun of reading about an area of the west I have visited a few times including exploring the fossil landmarks.
All in all, Murder at Cottonwood Creek was another entertaining installment in the series and fun to see them far from their usual setting.
As a lifelong reader, it was inevitable that Sophia would discover book blogs and the joy of blog reviewing.Sophia is a prolific reader and audiobook listener which allows her to experience so many wonderful books, authors, and narrators.Few genres are outside her reading tastes, but her true love is fiction particularly history, mystery, sci-fi, and romance.Though, sorry, no horror or she will run like Shaggy and Scooby.
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I love these covers! Reminds me of the Verity Kent covers. Happy to see you mostly enjoyed this installment. Sounds like a lot going on.
I think they are similar, too. Makes me wonder if its the same artist. 🙂 I enjoy this series a lot even books like this one that don’t quite hit all the notes for me.
Love fun locals!!!!
The cover made me chuckle. At first I thought he was proposing.
Yes, always fun to visit a familiar setting.
Haha, what a hoot! Well, he is down on one knee…
I love the cover. This is yet another series you review that sounds so good. I need more hours in the day!
You said it. We all need a Hermione time turner. 🙂 I hope you get the chance at this series someday. 🙂
As a former Earth science teacher and lover of all things to do with paleontology, this sounds like a series I might enjoy. Thanks for sharing it!
Oh neat! Yes, this one would be a little hit with your background. I should warn you that most of the series is in Britain and only his father is into paleontology.