Known as the Brighton of the North, Nairn is both a charming Scottish town and a popular seaside resort—but to Paislee Shaw, it’s simply home—unfortunately to a murderer . . . For a twenty-eight-year-old single mum, Paislee has knit together a sensible life for herself, her ten-year-old son Brody, and Wallace, their black Scottish terrier. Having inherited a knack for knitting from her dear … for knitting from her dear departed grandmother, Paislee also owns a specialty sweater shop called Cashmere Crush, where devoted local crafters gather weekly for her Knit and Sip.
Lately, though, Paislee feels as if her life is unraveling. She’s been served an eviction notice, and her estranged and homeless grandfather has just been brought to her door by a disconcertingly handsome detective named Mack Zeffer. As if all that wasn’t enough, Paislee discovers a young woman who she recently rehired to help in the shop dead in her flat, possibly from an overdose of her heart medicine. But as details of the death and the woman’s life begin to raise suspicions for Detective Inspector Zeffer, it’s Paislee who must untangle a murderous yarn . . .
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Murder in a Scottish Shire is the first book in a new series. I fell in love with the setting of this book, and most all of the characters. I found this to be a delightful story, and look forward to reading more books in the series. If I could give half stars this book would be a 4.5 rating.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington, and this is my fair and honest review.
Murder In A Scottish Shire is the first book in the A Scottish Shire Mystery series.
Paislee Shaw is a 28-year-old mom with a ten-year-old son and an adorable Scottie pup. They have a fairly comfortable life, but that is about to change. Paislee owns the Cashmere Crush, a yarn shop, where she carries fine Scottish yarns and specialty sweaters, and provides a space for local knitters to knit and converse.
As she arrives one morning and is getting ready to open for the day, there’s a knock on the door. When she answers it is Det. Mack Zeffer and he has an elderly gentleman with him. The gentleman turns out to be her estranged grandfather who is homeless and has been sleeping in the park and Paislee is asked to take him in. Shortly, thereafter, Paislee’s landlord and delivers a notice telling her the building has been sold and she has thirty days to vacate the shop. Having had her morning disrupted, Paislee has forgotten that she was to be meeting with Isla, a former employee, about possibly working some part-time hours at the shop. When Isla doesn’t show up for her interview, Paislee tries phoning her, but the calls go directly to voicemail. Paislee decides to drop by Isla’s flat to make sure she is all right. When she arrives she finds the front door ajar and calls out and enters, where she finds Isla on the floor dead. Det. Zeffer arrives to investigate and is ready to call it suicide when he finds an empty vial of heart medicine. Paislee saw a couple of things in the flat which convinced her that Isla hadn’t committed suicide, but had been murdered. Paislee now sets out to find out who might have murdered Isla.
The book is well-written and is a very interesting story. It has a wonderful cast of believable characters. I would like to see more back story of the characters and am interested in seeing how Paislee will deal with Brody’s headmaster and Det. Zeffer. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.
A new series by this author very well written and enjoyable.
I found it to be fast paced with great characters and storyline it is set in a small town in Scotland where she lives and works to make ends meet while raising her son alone when life gets tough she hold on . I read this book in one sitting had to see what would happen! Look forward to reading more from this author
Cozy Scottish Yarn Shop, and Murder
Murder in a Scottish Shire has all the great aspects of a cozy mystery. Cozy yarn shop, small community, gossipy neighbors, and murder. The many characters are introduced, and move smoothly from event to event, without slowing down the story. Hall’s choice of a Scottish setting is not perfect, but it is charming. I found myself really wanting to visit a Scotland yarn shop to buy a sweater from Paislee. The downside is that Paislee has a lot of problems thrown at her at one time. Which is generally fine if the main character actively seeks to resolve some of them. Instead, there is a strong sense of anxiety, that made the end of this book frustrating. Hopefully the next few books will work to resolve the plot without such steep cliff hangers. This is an excellent start to a well thought out series.
Really enjoyed this book, not that I was surprised. I haven’t read a book by Traci Hall that I did not like.
In this book you meet Paislee who reminds me a lot of myself, it seems like things always happen to her. She takes her son Brody to school and is always late. She is trying to juggle a house, a business of her own selling yarn, and a ten year old son. Her son is going to get detention if she continues to get him to school late. Also one morning a new Police Detective shows up to the shop with an older man beside him. Turns out it is her Grandpa Angus Shaw. He can’t locate his son and he is homeless and sleeping on a park bench.
Maybe having Grandpa come live with her and Brody may be the best thing to happen to her since she lost her Grandmother. She also finds out that the girl who used to work with her, that she was going to rehire, has been murdered.
If you want a very good book that will keep you guessing what’s going to happen next, and who could have done it, then this is the book for you. Really enjoyed it from start to finish I think you will too.
Murder in a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall is an excellent start to what is sure to be an amazing cozy mystery series.
This book introduces us to Paislee Shaw and her family that live in present-day Nairn, Scotland.
I loved everything about this book. I LOVED the location, the descriptions of the buildings, landscapes, culture, and the Scottish language the popped on the page. I love Paislee. So strong, independent, caring, and intelligent. She has accomplished so much : her own business, taking care of her son Brody and their house that was gifted to her by her late and beloved Grandmother. Of course, being modest, she thinks she is barely keeping it together.
I enjoyed the full town and cast of characters. I enjoyed the addition of Grandpa Angus, and I hope he sticks around.
I loved the murder/mystery plot, and I really think there is so much material here for further books. I can’t wait!
5/5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
Scotland, cosy-mystery, murder-investigation, family-dynamics, friendship
Interesting cosy set in Scotland. I was pulled in by the yarn and the sheep who provided it and held to the end by the mystery. Paislee had a REALLY bad day. There was the cantankerous constable bringing her the reprobate grandfather she had never met from sleeping in the park, the notice of eviction from the landlord who had sold all the buildings on the block, the yarn that was late, and the former employee who didn’t answer her mobile because she was dead. And then things got really messy! All told in a clear Scottish brogue and filled with characters who most certainly are.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley.
This was a delightful and charming mystery. It takes place in a quaint Scottish town near the sea and our main character is Paislee, single supermom, at least she tries to be. One day things go awry when her grandfather is thrust into her life, she finds a friend dead and she drops off her son to school late again. Now she has to deal with the new, hard as stone police captain, her surly grandfather and the handsome single school headmaster. It just keeps getting better. Ms. Hall immerses you in the town with the Scottish dialect and traditions. It makes you feel as if you are there with Paislee as she asks questions and tries to figure out whodunnit. You will not expect who the murderer is. Well done. Volunteered to review complimentary copy.
Murder in a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall is the debut of A Scottish Shire Mystery series. Paislee Shaw lives in Nairn, Scotland with her son, Brody and their dog, Wallace. Her grandmother taught her to knit and encouraged her dream of opening a shop. Cashmere Crush is a specialty sweater and yarn shop where each week the ladies gather to knit, chat, and sip wine on Thursday evenings. I enjoyed the setting of Nairn and the authors lovely descriptions of the village. Thankfully, the accent was easy to read. Cashmere Crush sounded like a cozy shop with sitting area and beautiful yarn especially the ones utilizing natural dyes. Murder in a Scottish Shire has an eventful beginning when Paislee finds DI Zeffer on the shop’s doorstep with Grandpa Angus, her landlord serves an eviction notice, and she finds Isla dead in her apartment. There are two side stories happening in the book. Grandpa Angus lives with his son, Craigh who never showed up for an assignment on the oil rig, Mona. He wants to find out what happened to Craigh. Mr. Shawn Marcus, Paislee’s landlord, serves her with an eviction notice stating he has sold the property (which voids the lease). However, no record of the sale can be found. After finding Isla dead in her apartment, Paislee has her doubts regarding the cause of death. To change DI Zeffer’s mind, Paislee sets out to prove the woman was murdered. Paislee begins questioning Isla’s friends, former employer, and former boyfriend. There are a couple of suspects and misdirection. One clue, though, gives away the identity of the killer. I wish the mystery had been the primary focus of the book (took a backseat to Paislee dealing with Grandpa Angus, Brody’s problems at school, knitting sweaters for customers, Spring Fling) and there had been more activity. Paislee also needs to work on her questioning technique. She comes across as rude and pushy. As a friend told Paislee, you catch more flies with honey. I like that the author took the time to establish the main characters and the setting. The secondary characters still need work. There was a repetition of information (I got it the first time) and the pacing was sluggish. I liked the humor involving the headmaster of Brody’s school. I believe this series is off to a good start, and I am curious to find out what happened to Craigh. Murder in a Scottish Shire is a cute cozy mystery with a grumpy grandpa, a busy boy, an extinct employee, sweater sales, yummy yarn, surprising secrets, and a snoopy shop owner.
Paislee is barely making ends meet between raising her ten-year-old son and attracting customers to her sweater shop in a small Scottish town. Her life becomes more complicated when her estranged grandfather shows up and a new friend is murdered. Staying afloat becomes even more difficult when she’s served an eviction notice. Nor does she feel the detective on the job cares about solving the murder as much as she does. Her friend deserves justice… or does she? As Paislee delves into the woman’s life, she realizes all was not as it seems. There’s also a killer among their acquaintances. Can she unravel the clues before another victim turns up? This charming cozy mystery offers interesting tidbits on yarn types and colors. Personally, I like a story that educates in a light manner while it entertains. Pick this one up for a quick beach read!
Took me a bit to get the swing of the “Scots” spellings and phrasings- to an American it sounds all fakey at first, lol. Then I got to really like the characters and the plot line and ended up liking it- looking forward to the next book in the series.
Cozy doesn’t even begin to describe the first story in Traci Hall’s Scottish Shire mysteries! When one of Paislee Shaw’s former employees is found dead, she feels a push to help a girl who she felt was dealt a bad hand. But when talking to the rest of the townsfolk, Paislee discovers some things aren’t always what they initially seem.
Set in Nairn, Scotland the reader is taken to a delightful coastal fishing village with a strong neighborly feel. Everyone helps out when one of their own needs it and it felt like a warm hug to the heart to read about everyone coming together when someone needs them the most. I’d love to live in a town that has this sense of camaraderie.
Paislee owning a yarn shop was especially fun to read about because I crochet. Knowing the work and time that goes into everything drew me in more. I wish local stores around me held a Knit and Sip, I’d be sure to go!
Paislee’s friendship with Lydia was delightful. I feel that every good sleuth needs that one friend to question whether they really need to know something or if they’re just being nosy… and then they drive them to where they want to go anyway for backup.
The development of Paislee’s relationship with her grandfather was also a highlight for me. I liked to see some of their walls coming down and her discovering more about this man that left so long ago. Craigh’s mystery will be interesting to follow through new books in the series, and I like that there was not just the main mystery presented but this side one as well. Well, two side mysteries, really, if we count Paislee being mysterious about Brody’s father.
I’m excited to read the next in the series and be enveloped in the town of Nairn! I’ve always wanted to visit Scotland but this made my wanderlust hike up!
A Lovely Scottish Cozy Mystery
A delightful first book in the new Scottish Shire Mystery series. Paislee is a single mom that owns Cashmere Crush, a knitting shop in a small coastal town in Scotland. She is struggling with getting her son to school on time and saving her shop from closing. Throw in a long lost grandfather and the death of a rehired employee and Paislee’s struggles intensify. While she is reconnecting with her grandfather Angus, she does her own investigating and helps the detective solve the murder. This was a wonderful, well written cozy with interesting characters that I can’t wait to visit in the next book
Murder in a Scottish Shire is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Traci E. Hall.
The setting is in the small cozy seaside town of Nairn in Scottland. The description of the locale had me thinking I was right there.
The protagonist is the lovely single mum Paislee Shaw. She owns Cashmere Crush a knitting shop. I loved her fun knit and sip group. Knitting and gossip never sounded better.
Unfortunately Paislee’s grandfather has arrived and homeless. Her landlord is evicting her, and her friend was murdered all in a short space of time. In comes Detective Inspector Mack Zeffer to investigate.
I LOVED this cozy mystery. The characters were fun, quirky, and well thought out. The plot and mystery were well developed and multi-faceted.
Kept me guessing until the very end. Look forward to more books in this series.
Murder in a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall is the first in a new series featuring Paisley Shaw, a single mother and the owner of a yarn/knitting shop in Nairn, Scotland. She has trouble getting her son to school in time, for which she is in constant turmoil, and now, her long-out-of-the-picture grandfather has turned up and threatens to become a fixture in her life. Her grandmother has died and left her her house so she has that…and her business…and her son…and now, maybe, her grandfather. It is altogether an intriguing situation. Then there was a murder.
This is a different cozy: different setting, different heroine, different situation. I like it. I am always happy to read a book, which takes place somewhere I’d like to go. I’d like to go to Scotland, more now than before. Paisley is an interesting gal and her business takes her interesting places, despite the fact it doesn’t sound so exotic. She has interesting friends, Lydia, her friend, who is looking for love. Some of her clients have interesting lives, too, even if they are a little mundane. Her problems, mostly, are garden variety, ones I could have; ones which make sense. The plot was good with plenty of side trips to keep it interesting, and there were plenty of red herrings, plus just a jot of romance. It is a keeper. I recommend it.
I was invited to read an ARC of Murder in a Scottish Shire by Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #murderinascottishshire