The problem with Devil of the Highlands is that its characters don't come alive. A mixture of Scottish historical romance with a murder investigation plot thrown in, the book wanders around through various events without any of the characters ever feeling truly real.

Our heroine, Evelinde, escapes a wicked stepmother when she is married to the man known as the 'Devil of the Highlands.' But Callum Duncan isn't as devilish as people think... or is he? His uncle, father, and first wife all died, and there are suspicions that Callum might be to blame.

Evelinde decides to get to the bottom of the murders but soon discovers that her life also appears to be at risk. As she tries to settle in to living as Callum's wife while delving into his history and trying to get to know him, she finds herself the recipient of several nasty accidents. Who is trying to kill her?

Callum is a strange hero, largely absent from the book (if not in person then in engagement). He's there but he doesn't do a lot, says even less, and feels very nebulous. Other male characters seem more real than the hero. Evelinde, too, doesn't really change throughout the book; she just bumbles on doing her own thing. I found her fairly boring, and many of the other characters are interchangeable.

The murder plot aspect works a little better. I didn't guess the murderer's identity until it was revealed, but this is perhaps because we don't know enough about any of the characters to really get a handle on them.

Lynsay Sands' writing isn't too bad and the story moves along; it's just that I found this story lacking any real fire or passion. It's an easy read but an unsatisfying one.