The Poison Pen by Paige Shelton

The Poison Pen

Book Summary

The Poison Pen, the ninth installment in the Scottish Bookshop series by Paige Shelton, set in a specialty bookstore in Edinburgh called The Cracked Spine.

Edinburgh is mourning recent the death of Queen Elizabeth II when Bookseller Delaney Nichols's boss comes to her with a most unusual assignment. An old friend of his, living in an estate in the village of Roslin, has found what could be a priceless relic on her property, and Delaney is tasked with investigating. Could Jolie possibly have an item of breathtaking Scottish historical significance in her possession? But when Delaney arrives at Jolie's estate, she is greeted by a legal team with a vested interest in the property. Jolie manages to remove the interlopers, but as they're examining the priceless item, they hear a scream, and meet a much less welcome discovery: a body.

As Delaney digs deeper, she discovers Jolie's own fascinating history. Jolie's mother had long claimed that her daughter was the rightful heir to the throne, not Elizabeth II, because of an affair she claimed to have with King Edward VIII. The only evidence, however, is in the form of a purported journal that one of Edward’s secretaries kept. The puzzles become more confusing when a connection is uncovered between this far-fetched story and the murdered man. Delaney will have to read between the lines to put together the pieces...or become history herself.

My Thoughts

The Poison Pen by Paige Shelton is the ninth A Scottish Bookshop Mystery.  It can be read as a standalone as the author provides the background information needed for new readers (or those who have missed a book or two).  We get to meet an old friend of Edwin’s who is amusing and eccentric.    Jolie adds humor to the story.  It was interesting learning about Crusader swords.  I like how the author incorporates streets and buildings from Edinburgh.  Jolie’s mother claimed that her daughter was the legitimate heir to the throne.  History of the monarchy was included.  You can tell the author did her research for this installment.  I liked that Elias was more involved in this story.  Delaney finds the mystery interesting.  She searches for clues and asks questions.  Delaney digs into the past and finds some intriguing information.  Delaney will need to assemble the pieces if she is to identify the killer.  I liked the who dunit, but I did not find it a challenge to solve.  There was a detail that stuck out and it came up more than once.  I enjoyed the reveal.  I did, though, find the pacing in The Poison Pen to be too leisurely (needed more action).  The Poison Pen is a Scottish cozy with a Crusader sword, a humorous hoarder, book talk, ancestry anecdotes, and a new Treasure Trove director.  

The Poison Pen is available from Amazon*.  You can find the other eight A Scottish Bookshop Mysteries here.  You can find all of Paige Shelton's novels here.  Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I am a stop on the Celebrate Lit Tour for Blizzard at Blue Ridge Inn by Pat Nichols.  It is the first book in the Blue Ridge Series. I hope that you will join me.  I am going to spend the afternoon working on one of the hall closets.  It is a mess (it is to the point where the door is getting hard to close).  I have a feeling there are many items that I no longer need stuffed inside that closet.  I am determined to get the house organized (despite my mother claiming we need each item I wish to discard).  Wish me luck!  I hope you have a cheery day. Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.