A Scottish Shire Mystery Book 6
Author: Traci Hall
Genre: Mystery
Paperback; Digital Book
ISBN #: 9781496744395
Kensington Cozies
320 Pages
$17.95; $9.99 Amazon
September 24, 2024
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All Paislee wants for Christmas is for her new home to be finished, but it looks like she'll have to wait for New Year's Day. Whether the paint on the walls has dried or not, she'll host a feast for her twelve-year-old son Brody, Grandpa, their black Scottish terrier Wallace, and friends -- including police station receptionist Amelia Henry and her brother McCormac, whose black locks can fulfill the Scottish first-footer tradition that a tall, dark-haired man should be the first person to enter your home on New Year's to bring good luck.
But McCormac's luck is about to run out. During Hogmanay -- when the Scots welcome the New Year with dancing, bonfires, and midnight fireworks -- he collapses as the sky brightens in a blaze of color. A shooter has used the noise of the fireworks to hide a gun's blast. Amelia is inconsolable, and Paislee vows to do whatever she can to help DI Zeffer solve the murder -- even if it puts her in the killer's sights next.
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Paislee Shaw owns Cashmere Crush, a yarn shop in Scotland. She lives with her young son Brody, her Grandpa, and their Scottish terrier Wallace. Since a pipe burst in her home leaving her with an unusable house, she's been staying in her best friend Lydia's condo. But it's the holidays, and she wants to be back in her own home for Christmas. But it can't be done until the repairs are finished -- so she'll just have to make do.
So she decides to have Christmas dinner at a local hotel, and invites her friend, police receptionist, Amelia Henry, to join her. Amelia shows up with her brother McCormac, who's come from Ireland to see her. It's obvious he's more than a little drunk, it's no hardship when he leaves early.
Fortunately, Lydia was able to offer incentive to the workers and Paislee is thrilled with her new kitchen. So much so, she'll be able to offer the traditional buffet feast to friends and family. But Hogmanay night -- New Year's Eve -- McCormac collapses, and everyone thinks he's just drunk. Except he's not. And now Amelia wants Paislee to find out who did this to McCormac, because she's been placed on leave from the station due to McCormac being her brother. Can Paislee find the killer? Or will it be something else that leads her to the truth?...
This is the sixth book in the series and I've enjoyed them all. The first one was a tad confusing, with the Scottish dialect, but I've picked up on what the words mean in English, so it's a breeze to get through (Scotland, here I come!). There are two plots in this tale -- one, the death of McCormac, and two, the pups that he gave to his sister and family as Christmas presents. I will say no more on the subject, as giving too much away (what I've said in the beginning is done early on), and I will not spoil the book for others.
Paislee tries to keep out of the investigation, but Amelia is desperate on two counts, and unfortunately, Paislee is drawn in once again to a murder investigation. There is also the problem of Hamish, who wants to keep seeing Paislee, and DI Zeffer, who is causing problems for her in more ways than one.
The clues are there along the way, but not easy to find; I appreciate this as I love nothing more than working my brain to put the puzzle together to find answers. The murderer is indeed a surprise; again, another thing I truly enjoyed. The ending comes together beautifully, and I will say that I hope things go in the direction that I think they are leading to. A terrific cozy for Christmas, and I would definitely recommend it to others.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review,
More on Traci Hall's Books: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/h/traci-hall/
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