A series of blizzards have kept tourists away from Moosetookalook, Maine, and shoppers out of Liss MacCrimmon’s Scottish Emporium. But as warmer weather brings promises of tartan sales and new faces, melting snow reveals cold-blooded murder . . . Liss has suddenly found herself in charge of the March Madness Mud Season Sale, a town-wide celebration created to boost the local economy during the … local economy during the slushy weeks of early spring. With businesses ailing after a rough winter, the pressure is on to make this year’s effort the can’t-miss-event of the season. But before Liss can get her hands dirty, her husband makes a horrifying discovery. There’s a dead man on their property, and he didn’t die of natural causes . . .
Stunned by the murder mystery developing in her own backyard, Liss receives another shock. The victim is identified as Charlie MacCrimmon, an uncle believed to have died eleven years before Liss was born. No one has seen or heard from Charlie since he went off to fight in Vietnam. What secrets could he have been hiding for so many years, and who would want to kill a man long thought to be dead?
Enlisting the help of her family, Liss uncovers more questions than answers as she delves into her uncle’s murky past. One thing is clear—before he met his end, Uncle Charlie was desperately trying to warn her about something sinister. And unless Liss can soon track down a maniacal criminal as elusive as the Loch Ness Monster, she just might be the next MacCrimmon to disappear . . .
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A VIEW TO A KILT by Kaitlyn Dunnett is the 13th book in the Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries Series. A VIEW TO A KILT centers around Liss MacCrimmon Ruskin, the family generational establish business – the Scottish Emporium, and the town of Moosetookalook, Maine. In addition to Liss being in charge of the upcoming March Madness Mud Season sale, there is the shocking murder of an Uncle everyone thought was long dead years ago.
After Charles “Charlie” Edward MacCrimmon’s came up MIA in Vietnam and time passed, his family had him declared legally dead. Imagine their surprise when the dead man found in Liss and Dan’s back yard by Dandy and Dondi, Aunt Margarent’s two Scotties, turned out to be Charlie, the uncle Liss had never heard about and who until murdered was very much still alive. With a lot of emotions brought back to the surface and after Liss’ dad, Mac, supposedly a person of interest with being Charlie’s sole heir, Liss and her mom, Vi, are determined to prove him innocent as well as find out why Charlie had never let the family know that he was still alive and who murdered him.
The case is turned over to the state police. Detective Cussler is a hard nose cop out to prove a woman can do as good a job or better than any man in this male dominated occupation. She’s determine to solve this case to prove she can do it. The fact that she zones in on Liss’ dad, makes the two of them bunt heads and Liss more determined than ever to get the proof to prove her dad innocent as well as whodunit.
Things get complicated when Jeremiah Forestall, a former resident, presents to the city a deal from Merveilleuse International offering the city a substantial income for the right to tap into the local aquifer. It appears to Liss that it may be connected to her uncle’s murder. Things start to get interesting and dangerous.
Absolutely love the way the author weaves this great story into a page turning whodunit while having you fall in love with Moosetookalook and all its inhabitants. The list of characters can be both lovable and irritating. There’s the friendship between Sherri Campbell (the chief of police) and Liss, the ruff and gruff selectwoman, Thea (who happens to be Sherri’s mother-in-law), the odd couple of Roger “Moose” Mayfiend (town drunk) and his wife Dolores (librarian), Violet “Vi” MacCrimmons (Liss’ mom) who can be overbearing to say the least, along with a host of others. Then there’s the adorable critters (Dandy, Dondi and Glenora) that steal the show when they make an appearance.
It was entertaining to learn about the mud sale and fun activities held during the event. The author did a great job of keeping you interested in the event having it pop up throughout the story from the planning stage to the finally event and working it into the big reveal.
This is the first book in this series that I have read. It can definitely be read as a standalone book. You will have no problem knowing who is who and keeping up. After reading, A VIEW TO A KILT, I feel like I’ve actually visited Moosetookalook and I definitely want to go back! I will be checking out the other books in this series. Highly recommend this to anyone that loves a well written, great cozy mystery.
Liss is excited about being in charge of the March Madness Mud Sale that is a town wide celebration. You see after a series of blizzards and a harsh winter everyone is looking forward to the much needed boost to the economy. Things are moving forward until Liss’s husband discovers a body in their yard and he didn’t die from natural causes. The shock of having a dead man in her yard hasn’t worn off before she is dealt another blow. Liss soon learns the identity of the dead man and can’t believe it, it’s an uncle who she thought had died eleven years ago. There are so many questions that need to be answered among them who would kill a man perceived to be dead. Liss looks to her family for answers hoping to uncover some clues that will help her figure out just what happened to her Uncle. Can she find this murderer before something.else horrible happens maybe to her? This book pulled me in and I couldn’t wait to figure out who the killer was.and why they chose to murder!
“A View to a Kilt” the 13th instalment in the “Liss MacCrimmon Mystery“ series by Kaitlyn Dunnett. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and am in the process of purchasing the previous books. Even though this is only the second or third book I have read in the series I was able to follow along easily so it can be read as a stand alone.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story from start to finish, there was so much happening with the March Madness Mud Season Sale, dog sitting, family secrets and a little murder. I liked how it was all woven together so neatly that nothing seemed out of place. We got to know the characters their feelings , relationships and care about the outcome of Moosetookalook, Maine and the
Merveilleuse International Water company deal.
Amongst all this there were plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing on the identity of the killer.
I look forward to reading the rest of the series and book 14 when it comes out.
I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own
Dollycas’s Thoughts
We arrive in Moosetookalook, Maine just before the March Madness Mud Season Sale. Our protagonist Liss MacCrimmon of MacCrimmon’s Scottish Emporium is in charge of this year’s event. With many details to iron out, she knows she is going to busy. When her husband finds, or I should say Scotties, Dandy, and Dondi find a dead body in the backyard, a body who is soon identified as Charlie MacCrimmon, an uncle who was thought to have died serving in the Vietnam war, Liss knows she is going to be way beyond busy. Where had he been all these years? Why did he come back to Moosetookalook now? Liss and her family try to answer these questions, plus another, Who killed Charlie MacCrimmon?
I love the idea of a long lost uncle. Sadly Liss never got to meet him but her mother is determined that she will find his killer, in fact, dragging her all the way to Florida to uncover the man’s past. Liss is strong and smart but her mother Vi is a force to be reckoned with. Both in solving the mystery and inserting her own event into the March Madness Mud Season Event. This being only the 3rd book in the series I have read I am still learning the family dynamics but I am glad to see these two women get closer. All the other supporting characters are well-developed too. The dialogues are crisp and realistic. This series would be the same without the pets, Scotties, Dandy and Dondi, and Glenora the cat. They always bring a smile to my face.
I was totally caught up in the mystery and the reason Charlie MacCrimmon came back to Maine when he did. I don’t want to give anything away but I was impressed the issue really involved the entire community. It included several twists and a moment that could have gone totally wrong. The author has laid out a very believable plot that kept me glued to the pages.
As a Wisconsinite, it is easy to identify with the muddy or not so muddy March weather. What a fun idea to celebrate the terrain left after the snow melts away. The events sounded like a lot of fun. Who doesn’t love slipping and sliding around with a group of neighbors and friends?
My one critique is that I am sorry that Liss is not happy running the family store and is thinking about just handling online sales. I hope she reconsiders, as in real life though many shops like this one are closing. I hope she can buck the trend and find joy in running the Scottish Emporium for a long time. I just love the word Emporium
A View to a Kilt by Kaitlyn Dunnett is the 13th A Liss MacCrimmon Scottish Mystery. Liss MacCrimmon Ruskin has trouble saying “no” which is how she finds herself in charge of the Moosetookalook’s March Madness Mud Season Sale. Aunt Margaret will not be around to help because she is taking off for Ireland with the local genealogy group. The day after Aunt Margaret’s departure, Dan Ruskin finds a dead man in their backyard. Since Gordon Tandy was promoted, no-nonsense Detective Kelly Cussler is the lead investigator. Liss is shocked when the victim is identified as her uncle, Charlie MacCrimmon. Charlie had served in the Vietnam war where he had been declared MIA and was never heard from again. Detective Cussler deems Mac MacCrimmon, Liss’ dad, as the prime suspect which has Liss donning her sleuthing cap. A View to a Kilt can be read as a standalone for those new to this series. I always enjoy returning to Moosetookalook, Maine to catch up with Liss, Dan, Aunt Margaret and the other residents. Liss is considering closing the shop and doing online sales only. I hope she reconsiders since she has a unique shop and I like what it adds to the town as well as the series. The mystery was intriguing with an uncle being found dead in Liss’ backyard. They were told Charlie was MIA in Vietnam. Now the family learns he has been alive and living in Florida. Violet, Liss’ mother, drags Liss down to Florida to search for clues. There are several suspects, but one sticks out like a sore thumb. The whodunit was interesting with some unique qualities. Liss did miss a great opportunity to search for clues in the story which surprised me. When an amateur sleuth stumbles upon papers, they really should go through them before summoning the police. I could do with less of Violet MacCrimmon and her overbearing personality (she drives me batty). Liss is trying to get along with her, but I can see why it is a challenge (and why she liked her mother living in a different state). Liss has good relationships with her aunt and father which I find sweet. She is working on her relationship with her mother (it is like riding a bike up a steep hill). A View to a Kilt is a lighthearted cozy mystery with sweet Scotties, missing mud, a disdainful detective, and a wild whodunit.
A View to a Kilt earns 5/5 Bottles of Spring Water…Entertaining!
I must say I’ve been interested in Kaitlyn Dunnett’s Liss MacCrimmon Mystery for awhile: young girl returns home, small village in a Northeast setting, shop with a Scottish flair, and pesky murders to solve…all good things! I am lucky to finally join in with this thirteenth installment and becoming a eager fan with a dozen more cozies in the future! Liss is hoping the winter thaw will bring the tourists back to the small Maine township of Moosetookalook (try quickly saying that three times), and to her Scottish Emporium. With the sloshy soon-to-be Spring arriving the town prepares for the March Madness Mud Season Sale, an annual event to help boost the local economy and help bring residents and businesses out of its winter doldrums. But, her husband finding a dead man on their property isn’t the worst of it, even being determined as murder isn’t the worst of it. The worst of it is that the victim is Liss’s uncle who has not been seen for decades, long before she was born, not since her was deployed to…Vietnam. Where has he been? Why has he reappeared? Who killed him? Delightfully entertaining page-turner! Kaitlyn’s well-written drama uses a third-person narrative and included enough background and character connections to make it a nice standalone. The mystery was very compelling with Liss’s family shocked by the identity of the dead-alive-dead victim made more complicated by cryptic notes by the victim, Liss and her mother being surveilled, and her father as law enforcement’s major suspect. Her investigative style is realistic, trying to be thorough with a last-minute trip to Florida, but hampered by the new detective on the case. The additional drama of the town’s water rights adds a contemporary issue into the mix and its increasing importance was engaging. The story had little of the Scottish flair I expected from the cover and knowledge of the series, the dynamics between mother and daughter was frustrating at times, and the ending is satisfactory, but also not what I expected. I enjoyed the characters and the story, so I recommend this book, and I’m off to check out the rest of the series.
A View to a Kilt, is the thirteenth in the Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries by Kaitlyn Dunnett. Liss’s Aunt Margaret is off to Ireland to research the MacCrimmon’s family history while Liss and Dan watch the two Scotties, Dandy and Dondi. The next morning Dan and Liss are enjoying their coffee after letting the Scotties out to the backyard. When Dandy and Dondi start barking up a storm, Liss assumes they must have seen the neighbor’s French poodle but when the barking continued for 15 minutes or so, Dan went out to see what was causing it. Coming in carrying one dog under each arm, he calls 911. When Liss hears why the dogs were barking, Dan wraps his arm around her. When the State Police send a Detective Cussler to check out the situation, Liss is disappointed to find out her friend Gordon Tandy has been promoted. As if Liss doesn’t have a full plate planning for the annual Mud Season Sale in Moosetookalook, running the Emporium, now there’s a dead body too. Also thrown into the mix is the town’s selectmen’s have been given a proposal that would allow for income for the town budget by Merveilleuse International to tap the natural springs in the local area by building a bottling company. Can Liss figure out when this company and the death have to do with each other?
This is a long running series that never lets me down. I had saved it for a rainy day but needed it for a snow day. Because of the snow I settled down to read it in one day. Snow in the mystery and snow outside my windows – perfect. Liss is one of my favorite characters and this mystery hits where she lives, literally. Her Aunt Margaret is traveling for two weeks in Ireland and Liss and her husband, Dan are taking care of her two Scotties. Liss is more of a cat person and fails to listen to the dogs when they seem fixated with the stairs going up to Margaret’s apartment over the store. Then they kick up a storm, barking in the back yard. When Dan decides to go investigate they get a shock that turns out to be the shock of their life. There is a dead man in the backyard and nobody has any idea who he is and what brought him to their secluded yard along with his killer.
Soon enough the John Doe is identified and therein lies the shock that rattles her entire family. The man turns out to be Liss’s uncle, a man she didn’t know existed…..but he sort of didn’t. Turns out he had been declared MIA fifty years prior and the declared dead. I could say a lot more but I don’t want to give anything away. I hate spoilers. Let’s just say that, now that her parents are back in town Liss and her mom are at odds with each other and family members and friends are harboring many long buried secrets. They better start opening up before irreparable harm is done to the small Maine town of Mossetookalook.
A View to a Kilt is the 13th book in Kaitlyn Dunnett’s Liss MacCrimmon Mystery series. In this stand alone novel Liss MacCrimmon Ruskin is thrown into the midst of a murder investigation when a body is found in the snow bank behind her home. Then, she finds herself in the middle of a family mystery when the body is found to be her Uncle Charlie who was thought to have died in the Vietnam War when he was reported MIA, never found, and later declared dead.
When state police detective Kelly Cussler places Liss’ father Mac at the top of her suspect list, Liss and her mother, Violet, go into action to figure out who killed Charlie and why he had faked his death for half a century. When it becomes apparent that Liss is being followed and her mother is being watched the stakes rise. But when Liss discovers notes made by Charlie that concern a possible calamity for the small town of Moosetookalook, Maine, it becomes imperative for her to solve both mysteries.
This was a very good read with wonderful characters, great settings, and many twists and turns. Although part of a lengthy series, it definitely stands on its own. I did enjoy this book and do recommend it.
Really enjoyed reading this one! It is book 13 in the series and still going strong. the story in this book had Liss in charge of the March Madness Mud Season sale for the town to help drum up flagging winter month sales and keep afloat. Before she could do too much for it A murder victim is found on
their land. It turns out to be a long thought dead Uncle that no one has seen since Vietnam. She has to try and figure out what he was hiding all those years and what he was trying to warn her of before she is next to disappear! Very well written and fun to read
cozy-mystery, family-dynamics, friendship, small-business, small-town, law-enforcement, murder-investigation, Maine
Despite coming to this long running series totally cold, that didn’t leave me in the dust but spurred me into reading others in the series AFTER I read this one in a day. Liss finds out that her dad had a brother only after the man turned out to be the body in her Maine backyard. Oh, and he’d been declared dead/MIA before she was born. It’s a good thing that she is a veteran sleuth, because her mother drags her down to Florida under protest to see just what the man has been doing all those years. Good snooping despite the Maine detective figuring her dad for the killer. Excellent read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!