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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Traci Hall had me at the fact that this is a mystery set in Scotland. She kept me turning pages with characters I fell in love with and a plot that kept me guessing. Paislee Shaw faces a mountain of difficulties as a single mother trying to stay afloat, and does it all with humor, grace and tons of courage, from facing down her son’s principal to dealing with her crochety, estranged grandfather, to making certain a murderer is caught. I loved the family feel to this story. Paislee, her son, and Grampa form their own quirky family, as well as Paislee’s fellow merchants in town and the friends who gather weekly at her yarn and sweater shop to share some lighthearted gossip and their love of knitting. A definite read for anyone who loves cozy mysteries, knitting, crafting, and Scotland!
What a delightful well-crafted story that will sweep you to the Scottish shoreline, and introduce you to some charming–and not so charming characters–in the small seaside town of Nairn. Paislee and Brody will steal your heart, and Wallace too. Problems galore, a fun mystery, well paced and beautifully written. I highly recommend this book!
In the first book in this new series I was swept away to a small town in Scotland and fell in love with Paislee the main character who is a single mom struggling to make ends meet with her little business. When one of her dear friends ends up dead she can’t stop until she finds the truth! Paislee now has her estranged grandfather to take care of but soon finds he is a true blessing! Will she solve her friends murder and walk away unscathed? You must read this feel good cozy to find out!! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!!! Thank you so much Kensington Publishing for this beautiful feel good cozy read in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are mine and mine alone.
This was a very, very, good first book in a new series. I have had some real duds as of late and I was very nervous to start this. And then I did and I didn’t want to put it down. THAT is a good thing.
Set in a small town in Scotland, Paislee Shaw is a really good MC. Flawed and very human, she is easily relatable to and the idea of pulling yourself up from a bad situation and making something of yourself really shines here. She is the owner of Cashmere Crush, a yarn and custom made sweater shop and is doing well. Her son Brady [who is kind of obnoxious, even for a 10 year old boy and needs a touch more discipline IMO, but I digress] is healthy and they are doing okay. Until the day that her son is in trouble for being late AGAIN for school, the police show up at her door with her long-lost grandfather AND she finds the dead body of her assistant. And so starts the story that takes many twists and turns and JUST when you think you know what is going on, WHAM! it all is revealed and you just sit and go “WHAT? I NEVER saw THAT coming”.
There IS the potential of a love triangle here, and I am now BEGGING THE AUTHOR – PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE do not do it. PLEASE. We do not need a love triangle. E V E R. Just pick one for Paislee and lets move on. Because this series is going to be too good to have to give up for something as stupid as a love triangle.
This was a good read and made me happy. Its been a long time since I have liked a new cozy author and this was just such a pleasant surprise.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Murder in a Scottish Shire is the first book in Traci Hall’s A Scottish Shire Mystery series. Set in a charming coastal Scottish small town, the story follows Paislee Shaw, a twenty-eight-year-old single mom, who owns a knitting shop called Cashmere Crush, where she makes specialty sweaters and local crafters gather weekly to knit and hang out with friends. Paislee is doing the best she can, but lately, she feels as if the universe is conspiring against her. First, she is served with an eviction notice. Then her grandfather, who she hasn’t seen in years, is now homeless after his son’s disappearance and she has no choice but to invite him to stay at her house. As if all that wasn’t enough, she finds her friend and employee, Isla, dead in her apartment. Isla had a lot of enemies, and Paislee is determined to uncover the truth about her murder.
This was a delightful and well-written read, with interesting characters and a puzzling mystery that will keep you guessing until the reveal. The setting was beautiful, and I loved the Scottish dialect spoken by the characters. I felt an instant connection to Paislee and saw a lot myself in her. Family is definitely a strong theme in this story. I loved Paislee’s relationship with Brody and Angus. Angus was an intriguing character, and I thought he added a great dimension to the story. I can’t wait to see what the author does with the Craigh storyline. Overall, I enjoyed my time with this book and eagerly await my next visit to Nairn.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a solid start to a new cozy mystery series by author Traci Hall. This is the first I have read by her and I found the book to be very enjoyable. Paislee Shaw is a single mother with a lot on her plate, but she is the type of protagonist that I think cozy readers will find relatable. She is down to earth and compassionate. She is surrounded by a diverse group of customers at her yarn shop. I like the relationship between her and her Grandfather Angus – even though he comes as a surprise to her. The way Paislee described the yarns in her shop and their colors almost made me want to learn to crochet again (there is no way I am coordinated enough for knitting).
The mystery was solid. The victim turns out to be someone that worked for Paislee. As she begins to ask questions, she discovers that she didn’t really know this person at all – it turns out she was not the nice person Paislee thought she was. As a result, Paislee is the only one who really wants to find justice for her former employee. There were several good suspects and the author did a nice job of laying out clues that would support a number of them as the killer. I was surprised by the identity of the killer and did not see this person as a suspect at all.
As I said, this is a solid start to a new series and one that I can see myself reading the next book in the series.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher through Netgalley.
I found a new author! I would love to settle in a Scottish town–research, read, walk, and write. But murder? Even in a quaint little village…it happens. I’m off to collect #2!
This was a cute start to a new cozy series. I enjoyed the town of Nairn a lot and thought that it was cute. I had fun getting to know the characters. I didn’t connect with it as much as I would have liked, though. I’m excited to see what’s next!
Murder in a Scottish Shire” the first instalment in the Scottish Shire Mystery series by Traci Hall. What a great start to a new series! loved this story right down to the Scottish dialect which just made it all the more charming. Paisley, her son Brody are a delight and then enters grumpy old great grandpa who adds to the overall family dynamics. He turns out to be a godsend for Paislee in many ways. I liked Lydia her BFF and the rest of the Sip & Knit ladies as well as the overall sense of community.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and kept me guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.
I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. I have pre-ordered book 2 Murder in a Scottish Garden which releases on May 25, 2021 already so excited!
Once I got into the rhythm of an Outlander like devotion to the Scottish dialect, I was hooked. Paislee is a mom and owner of a small business, curating a lot of locally sourced yarns in Nairn. Her young son Brody came to life on the page, as did the trials of getting him to and from school on time. While you can tell how much she misses her Granny, the reappearance of gruff Grandpa Angus was an interesting twist. I hope his storyline will continue, with the mystery of his missing son Craigh still unsolved.
What a great start to a new series!
I listened to most of the book on audiobook but read some as well and it made for a really great reading experience.
Cozies with hobbies are one of my favorites and this one takes place around knitting. The characters were well written and the mystery kept me guessing. I can’t wait to see what the Knit and Sip group get up to next!
This book simply swept me off to to the seaside, and I simply didn’t want to return to reality. Once again, the talented Traci Hall had my full attention in this lovely cozy mystery set in Scotland…perfectly written so that I could envision a future Hallmark movie? Love, love, love the characters, setting, dialogue, and plot.
Paislee is a single mum trying to give herself and her son the best life that she can…but sometimes it feels like the world is coming apart at the seams….she’s been served an eviction notice, had her long estranged grandfather delivered to her front door by a wickedly handsome detective, and one of her employees is found dead in her sweater shop. If this isn’t the British version of a Jessica Fletcher cozy mystery in the making, I don’t know what is!
Can’t wait for more! Excellent read. I loved it.
Great start for this series. Ready for the next one.
Couldn’t put it down.
The new “A Scottish Shire Mystery” series from Kensington Books, written by Traci Hall, aka. Traci Wilton is out now. Murder In A Scottish Shire will have readers traveling to the beautiful land of the brave and delving into the art of knitting.
Paislee is a character that has a past, one not as bad as she seems to think, but one she has spent the last ten years trying to fix. This character is immature. The idea that she can’t date someone until her son is off to college is not realistic. Taking her son to school late every day, irresponsible. Unfortunately, she uses her knitting shop and her son to keep from making an emotional connection to any would-be suitor.
Other characters are interesting, and hopefully, like Paislee will mature and grow. Angus, in particular, is very entertaining. He cares about his granddaughter and grandson but in a gruff way that can be detrimental. There are far too many unanswered questions in this book. One of which is Angus’ missing son. Who is Brody’s father? Will we meet Paislee’s mother? Even the fate of the knitting shop is left up in the air. This can be frustrating in any book, but cozies should never leave so many issues open-ended.
The mystery of the murder was good; if readers are paying attention, they will guess the killer’s identity reasonably soon. The evidence is there. It just takes a bit to figure out how it all applies to the motive and investigation. it seems like the knitting shop should have played a more significant role overall but it is set up for future books in a way that readers will enjoy. The book was well written and flowed smoothly. The Scottish village sounds adorable, but I could do without the attempt at creating the dialect in the written word, it makes it difficult at times to understand the conversations and slows down the pacing. Overall, Murder In A Scottish Shire was a good beginning yet left room for improvement in future volumes
Murder in a Scottish Shire is the first book in the series and I was so excited for it.
I enjoyed this cozy mystery that is set in a small charming Scottish town. The story was centered on our main character Paislee, a 28 year old single mum, who owns a lovely shop called the Cashmere Crush – the local knitters’ hang out.
Poor Paislee, when it rains it pours and everything seems to be crashing on her world and to be involved in a murder too. This was a great start to a wonderful series that I would want to read about. The mystery and plot twists were great and loved that I was kept guessing on the who dunnit. I enjoyed reading about the clues, which made for a fun cozy read for me. I enjoyed the small town setting, the knitting club, and the cast of characters. I will definitely look out for the next installation of this series.
A very refreshing new cozy series. Set in the small coastal town of Nairn, Scotland, it features 28 year old single mum, Paislee AnnShaw, her 10 year old son, Brody and her grandfather, Angus. She owns a yarn and knitting shop called Cashmere Crush and she is doing well selling local yarns and custom knitting sweaters. All of that starts to tilt on its ear when her long absent grandfather is brought to her shop by the local constabulary after being found sleeping in the park. Turns out he’s been turfed out of the flat he shared with his son, now missing. That becomes one of the new threads of Paislee’s life. Then she receives notice that she has 30 days to vacate her shop – the entire block of small businesses has been sold. Add to that list of events, murder appears on her doorstep when a former employee is found dead….by Paislee.
I enjoyed the characters, the setting, the puzzle – all of it. The pace was slow and relaxing, Paislee wasn’t a nosy “I know more than the police” character. She observes and makes connections, nothing over the top and that, combined with the slow pace was what I found so refreshing. The various threads set up future books in the series – the missing son and his mysterious history, her grandfather and his history, the future of her business and a hint of a bit of romance. The puzzle was realistic and I’m looking forward to learning more about those threads.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
Murder In A Scottish Shire is a new series by Traci Hall. It was enjoyable once I got into it. The Scottish words were distracting at first but I have been to Scotland and that helped. Paislee is a single Mom with a 10-year old son, Brody. Her Grampa Angus shows up on her doorstep with the police because he has been sleeping in the park. Paislee takes him in but she is on a very tight budget. Grampa Angus’s son is missing. Paislee owns a yarn shop. She was planning on rehiring Isla who is back in town but Isla doesn’t show up for the interview. Paislee goes to check on her and finds her dead. The best part about this book is the characters and their interactions. The cozy mystery is interesting and there are some twists to keep you guessing. Overall, I really did enjoy this book. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Kensington Books for an honest review. #NetGalley #KensingtonBooks #MurderInAScottishShire
Great Start Too A New Series
This book is the first of a new series. Just from reading this book, I can tell that this will be a great set of cozy mysteries. It is written in a Scottish brogue which makes for slow reading. The story is set in a small Scottish coastal town. While there are lots of characters, they come across as real people and not ‘characters’. I did not see one spot that was not realistic. Even though the heroine has a yarn shop, it is not over-the-top like so many cozies. There is none of the who wore what and which wine pairs with what food. It is more than a good and believable story. The mystery part was fantastic. The reader travels along with the heroine, trying to figure out the murderer. I had it all figured out several times. It was not until the big denouement that I really knew. And it really surprised me. The clues were there all along and I missed them. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Whodunit mystery right through to the climax: good yarn!
4-4.5stars
I was drawn to this book by the Scottish setting and, must admit, that Scottish flavour was a big part of my enjoyment of the story. But the murder mystery is good, with plenty of characters and suspects and a touching subplot involving the heroine craft shop owner’s homeless grandfather. I was kept in the dark about the murderer and the “weapon” right up until the big action climax. It is cozy thanks to Paislee’s bevy of friends, the mother-son close connection and the small-town atmosphere. And grumpy grandad adds a bit of starch and sass.
The murder plot had good suspense and heroine single mother Paislee Shaw even had a bit of budding attraction on the side. It all added up to a relaxing, good yarn, although I don’t see Paislee as a great businesswoman; she spends so much time on errands and following up on Isla’s death that she’s rarely manning the shop or working on the knitting projects that make a major slice of her income!
I would gladly read more works by the author in this same vein.
Thanks to publisher Kensington and NetGalley for providing an advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest review.