Lisa Ks Book Reviews

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

OF BOOKS AND BAGPIPES

Book 2 in the Scottish Bookshop Mysteries

by Paige Shelton

Delaney Nichols has settled so comfortably into her new life in Edinburgh that she truly feels it’s become more home than her once beloved Kansas. Her job at the Cracked Spine, a bookshop that specializes in rare manuscripts as well as other sundry valuable historical objects, is everything she had dreamed, with her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, entrusting her more and more with bigger jobs. Her latest task includes a trip to Castle Doune, a castle not far out of Edinburgh, to retrieve a hard-to-find edition of an old Scottish comic, an “Oor Wullie,” in a cloak and dagger transaction that Edwin has orchestrated.

While taking in the sights of the distant Highlands from the castle’s ramparts, Delaney is startled when she spots a sandal-clad foot at the other end of the roof. Unfortunately, the foot’s owner is very much dead and, based on the William Wallace costume he’s wearing, perfectly matches the description of the man who was supposed to bring the Oor Wullie. As Delaney rushes to call off some approaching tourists and find the police, she comes across the Oor Wullie, its pages torn and fluttering around a side wall of the castle. Instinct tells her to take the pages and hide them under her jacket. It’s not until she returns to the Cracked Spine that she realizes just how complicated this story is and endeavors to untangle the tricky plot of why someone wanted this man dead, all before getting herself booked for murder.

MY REVIEW

Author Paige Shelton continues to prove what a talented writer she is.

OF BOOKS AND BAGPIPES is a book filled cover to cover with mystery, drama, intrigue, and even history (Readers will learn about William Wallace, a Scottish Knight). A well told story that reminded me of the mysteries of old. Even starts off with a castle!

I’ve become so attached to lead character Delaney Nichols and the rest of the group of the Cracked Spine and the surrounding town. I look forward to the next installment and seeing where Ms. Shelton takes her characters as they grow.

With the setting of Scotland to highlight the tale, this book takes on a different tone than other cozies. It has a different feel. And because of the location and the images the author paints, it’s easy to see OF BOOKS AND BAGPIPES one day being on film.

While the first book in this series, THE CRACKED SPINE, is still my favorite of the two, OF BOOKS AND BAGPIPES is an excellent read that you’re will enjoy.