Category: Cruisin Thru Cozies

Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle: Mysteries of a Heart Series
by Celeste Fenton

About Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle

Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle: Mysteries of a Heart Series
Cozy Mystery – Romantic Suspense
2nd in Series
Setting – Dost Island (off the coast of Massachusetts) and the Scottish Highlands
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently Published
Publication date ‏ : ‎ September 22, 2025
Hardcover
Print length ‏ : ‎ 305 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8266642805
Paperback
Print length ‏ : ‎ 389 pages
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 979-8292238829
Digital
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FNLY4WXK

Gabby Heart travels to a remote Scottish castle with her best friend, Abe—a bestselling children’s author—expecting misty views, historic charm, and quiet time to plan their next book series. But Brantmar Castle holds more than ghosts of the past. When the women are taken hostage, Gabby must rely on her instincts, her resilience, and the help of men who may not deserve her trust to survive.

Meanwhile, on Dost Island, young residents are vanishing without a trace. As those left behind scramble for answers, unsettling clues emerge—leading to a dark motive no one could have predicted.

From the storm-swept highlands of Scotland to the rocky shores of New England, Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle blends mystery, emotional grit, simmering romance, and humor, in a story where secrets run deep… and time is running out.

Two mysteries. One fight for survival. And danger closing in from both sides of the sea.

A slow-burn romantic suspense with an edgy cozy mystery twist peppered with humor, Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle is perfect for fans of strong women over 40, amateur sleuths, brooding men with buried secrets, and adventure in small seaside towns and exotic locales hiding deadly truths.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Gabby Heart and her best friend, Abe, travel to Scotland, specifically Brantmar Castle, to research settings and ideas for their new children’s book. Hoping to capture the views and historical charm, they instead find a pretty creepy castle and learn that two prisoners have escaped from a nearby prison. On their adventures to see the area, they are distracted by some movement in the snow. First, they uncover a puppy and then a dead body. Set in 2020, COVID is also overtaking the world, and they may not be able to return home to the States anytime soon. But that may not be the only thing holding them in Scotland.

Back on Dost Island, people are dealing with the COVID outbreak and searching for and worrying about teenage boys who have gone missing.

Battling at home and afar for answers and the truth, danger lurks. Will everyone be safe?

“Oh, Hell’s bells!” Celeste Fenton packs the pages of this book with not just one mystery, but two, along with timely subplots of romance, drama, and fear as COVID puts so many in danger.

Gabby Heart is a strong protagonist with a curious nature, ready to take on an adventure in Scotland. I enjoyed getting to know Abe better, and that she and Gabby were together for the good, the bad, and the scary. Jay and Rick hatch a plan to get the girls home, which brings Gabby’s romantic triangle to Scotland. We get to know these gentlemen better as well. Loved ones back home in Dost Island have their hands full, too. The Mysteries of a Heart Series features a tight-knit community, which means there are many characters. Ms. Fenton does an excellent job of making each one unique.

I really appreciate the author’s attention to detail as she describes each person and place. It breathes life into everything that happens at and around the castle, the frightful rescue missions, and on Dost Island. Like King’s Manor, Brantmar Castle is full of surprises, and I felt like I was right there witnessing everything in living color.

The mysteries were entertaining, well-plotted, and well-written. Gabby just couldn’t help herself from doing a little sleuthing. Secrets, lies, and more made for a very exciting time in Scotland, especially when the four friends found themselves captured. It was time to think on their feet and figure out who they could trust. Even while in Scotland, Jay was able to move the mystery on Dost Island forward. A keen observation set another rescue in motion. But it was a scene near the end of the book that stopped my heart and was truly heartbreaking.

We all have our memories of our isolated COVID days. It was when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to do all my chemo, surgery, and radiation on my own. While the nurses and doctors were wonderful, my family had to leave me at the door and wait in the parking lot, or go home and come back. We all wore masks, so you couldn’t see anyone’s smile. When I returned for appointments after the need for masks was over, I didn’t recognize some of the people I saw every day, or several times a week, and they didn’t recognize me. My emotions were triggered while reading, but it is a part of our history that still lingers around.

I loved that Green Bay Packer Coach Vince Lombardi was quoted in the book,
“The only place success comes before work is in the  dictionary.”
Even better, it was quoted to a Vikings Fan.

Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle is a fast-paced story filled with mystery and romance, layered with danger. The characters take readers on an emotional roller coaster. The dual mysteries were blended perfectly and flowed well. The cliffhanger at the end has me excited for book three and another adventure with Gabby and her friends.

For maximum enjoyment, I recommend reading Lost Heart in King Manor prior to reading Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle to get to know the characters and how they fit together. There is also a Companion Guide to Lost Heart in King Manor, which gives you in-depth knowledge of Dost Island and its residents.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC.

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About Celeste Fenton

My writing is fueled by a lifelong love of mystery and a fascination with the complexities of the human heart. As a widow, mother of adult twin sons, proud grandmother, dog lover, and semi-retired educator, I believe I have enough real-world experience to weave imagination with insight to create stories rich with emotion and suspense.

When I’m not writing, reading, or plotting another plot twist, I like to explore small towns across America—setting out solo for month-long adventures much to the awe (and occasional alarm) of family and friends. My latest obsessions include escape rooms, mastering the perfect miter cut for a DIY bathroom remodel, training my cavalier spaniel to do a high five, and making the impossible decision of where to travel next.

Author Links
Website   Amazon Author Page   YouTube   Facebook    Instagram    TikTok     LinkedIn    X    Pinterest   BookBub

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.” I am also an affiliate of Bookshop.org and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.” These funds are often used for gift cards and other giveaways.