Author: Traci Hall
Genre: Mystery
Trade Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496726032
Kensington Publishing
304 Pages
$15.95; $9.99 Amazon
January 25, 2022
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When a tainted Scottish shortbread cookie kills the Queen Bee of a competitive mom clique, Paislee Shaw, owner of Cashmere Crush sweater shop and knitting sleuth, must unravel the clues in the third installment of Traci Hall's Scottish Shire Mystery Series.
Opening her shop Cashmere Crush and making a home for herself, her son Brody, Gramps, and their black Scottish terrier Wallace in the beautiful Scottish village of Nairn is a dream come true. So Paislee is happy to give back by donating a luxurious cashmere sweater for an auction to raise money for the Nairn Food Bank. She's less happy to make the acquaintance of a clique of competitive moms at the charity event, who treat a baking contest like it's life or death. It turns out to be the latter for Queen Bee Kristin Buchanan when a peanut-laced shortbread cookie triggers her fatal nut allergy.
Who would poison Kristin? How about half the town? But when Paislee's pal Blaise is suspected, the sweater-selling sleuth leaps into action to unravel the mystery. Along with gruff but handsome DI Mack Zeffer, she has to sort through a batch of suspects without becoming this cookie-cutter killer's next target...
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Paislee Shaw lives in the small town of Nairn in Scotland, along with her son Brody and grandfather Angus. She owns Cashmere Crush, a yarn shop that supplies her with enough of a living to take care of the three of them. When she's asked by her new friend Blaise to help with the Nairn Food Bank, Paislee agrees, happy to help those less fortunate, by donating a rich cashmere sweater for auction, along with selling her own goods, with a portion of the sales going to the food bank. She's joined by her best friend Lydia, who has convinced her boss to donate a state-of-the-art item.
Blaise is worried about her entry into the cookie contest, because she's moving her child from Highland Academy, due to the woman who runs the social camp. When Paislee meets Kristin Buchanan, she feels her pointed barbs acutely, but manages to hold herself in check. After seeing what Kristin says to her "friends" Christina and Mari, and deliberate barbs to Blaise, she understands why Blaise wants to move her family elsewhere.
Kristin has won the contest ever since it began three years ago and has no doubts she will win again. But when she notices her cookies are plated differently, she pulls one of them from the wrapping and tastes it, immediately falling to the ground. When her husband Gerard is in distress, Paislee does what she can -- trying to give the woman CPR while the ambulance is called. But the police also arrive, and it's soon discovered that Kristin was murdered.
Paislee is determined to find out who killed Kristin, and why. There's no dearth of suspects, since Kristin's tongued-lashing was felt by everyone around her. Paislee also discovers that any one of them would have had a motive to do the woman in. Now she must depend upon her own instincts and the help of Lydia and Blaise to find out who killed Kirsten -- and if that person is going to kill again...
This is the third book in the series and I have read all of them. I do think that this one is the best, and it is certainly my favorite. I cannot say any more about the book, because it will give away the plot. I have said no more than what is in the blurb, but hopefully it will encourage others to read the book.
I do like the fact that Paislee has strong family feeling, and she is willing to work hard for everything she has. She also is becoming much fonder of Angus than in the previous books, and this is shown by her words and actions both. There are, of course, things I would like Paislee to change in her life, but I hope that eventually this will come about.
There are a couple of subplots that are also very interesting, and they added to the mystery instead of detracting from it. As to the mystery itself, it was completely enthralling, and the murderer was a surprise of itself. I did enjoy that immensely. Saying all that I have, I hope others will pick up this book. It is a very good mystery and worth the read. Highly recommended.
More on Traci Hall's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/traci-hall/
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