Murder At A Scottish Social
Opening her yarn shop Cashmere Crush and making a new 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. Unfortunately, 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 Kirsten Buchanan when a peanut-laced shortbread cookie triggers her fatal nut allergy.
Who would poison Kirsten? 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.
The Details
Series: A Scottish Shire Mystery – Book #3
Author: Traci Hall
Genre/Category: Cozy – Hobby/Exotic Location
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
ISBN: 1496726030
Page Count: 288
Rating: 
The Review
I have enjoyed the “Scottish Shire Mystery” series since book one. The latest addition, Murder At A Scottish Social, adds new interest to the series and brings readers deeper into Paislee’s world. This time, Paislee uses her yarn shop and skills to help the needy. Never would she have thought that people who were adults could still act like bullies from school or that helping at a charity event would lead to murder.
After witnessing the mean girl spirit of adult women who don’t seem to like each other or anyone who is not within their clique, Paislee understands why her new friend, Blaise, once a part of the clique, wants to move her child away from their realm. During the charity event, these women spend their time trying to one-up each other and everyone else while looking down their nose at anyone who is not in their social and financial circle. Paislee spends her time selling her handmade knitted products and yarn, getting new customers, raising money for the food bank, and ignoring the women. When the baking contest gets underway, the clique leader, Kirsten, ends up dead. It doesn’t take long for Paislee and the police to figure out she was murdered, probably by someone at the charity function.
The suspects range from the victim’s family, friends, her husband’s business associates, and those who attended the charity event. Almost anyone that the victim insulted could have a motive for murder. And it comes as no surprise when the police start investigating those closest to her for murder. She left a long line of enemies in her wake. Paislee and Lydia dive into the investigation and get a little help from Grandpa along the way. With Cashmere Crush, Paislee’s yarn shop to run, a son to raise, and a couple of other mysteries to solve, Paislee doesn’t have much time, but she tracks down clues and ends up finding a killer.
The characters in this series are very well written; you can almost picture them as you walk down a street in the faces of those you pass. The location is fun; who wouldn’t enjoy spending time in a small Scottish village? The mystery is delightful, and the solution to the murder is somewhat unexpected. Readers will keep guessing until the very end. I love Pasilee’s yarn shop; if only I could knit, I’d be in seventh heaven. I could do with less of the Scottish brogue as it detracts from the flow of the story and is unnecessary; most readers will put their own inflection on the character’s voice. I also have an issue that the mystery of Grandpa’s missing son still has not been resolved. I recommend that new readers start with book one, as this is not a stand-alone story; readers may get lost trying to figure out who the characters are and their role in Paislee’s life. However, Murder At A Scottish Social is an entertaining story that readers will enjoy.
The Author
From contemporary seaside romances to cozy mysteries, Traci Hall writes stories that captivate her readers. As a hybrid author with over fifty published works, Ms. Hall has a favorite story for everyone. Mystery lovers, be on the lookout for her Salem B&B Mystery series, co-written as Traci Wilton. Traci finds her inspiration in sunny South Florida by living right near the ocean.
Readers may also enjoy other books in the “A Scottish Shire Mystery” series, such as Murder In A Scottish Shire or one of Traci’s other series, “A Salem B&B Mystery” Mrs. Morris and the Ghost of Christmas Past.
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