Of Books and Bagpipes
A Scottish Bookshop Mystery
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4.2 • 70 Ratings
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Bookseller and amateur sleuth Delaney Nichols returns in Paige Shelton's second Scottish Bookshop Mystery, Of Books and Bagpipes
Delaney Nichols has settled so comfortably into her new life in Edinburgh that she truly feels it’s become more home than her once beloved Kansas. Her job at the Cracked Spine, a bookshop that specializes in rare manuscripts as well as other sundry valuable historical objects, is everything she had dreamed, with her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, entrusting her more and more with bigger jobs. Her latest task includes a trip to Castle Doune, a castle not far out of Edinburgh, to retrieve a hard-to-find edition of an old Scottish comic, an “Oor Wullie,” in a cloak and dagger transaction that Edwin has orchestrated.
While taking in the sights of the distant Highlands from the castle’s ramparts, Delaney is startled when she spots a sandal-clad foot at the other end of the roof. Unfortunately, the foot’s owner is very much dead and, based on the William Wallace costume he’s wearing, perfectly matches the description of the man who was supposed to bring the Oor Wullie. As Delaney rushes to call off some approaching tourists and find the police, she comes across the Oor Wullie, its pages torn and fluttering around a side wall of the castle. Instinct tells her to take the pages and hide them under her jacket.
It’s not until she returns to the Cracked Spine that she realizes just how complicated this story is and endeavors to untangle the tricky plot of why someone wanted this man dead, all before getting herself booked for murder.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Shelton's enjoyable second Scottish Bookshop cozy (after 2016's The Cracked Spine), Edwin MacAlister, owner of the Edinburgh bookshop the Cracked Spine, dispatches his American assistant, Delaney Nichols, to Castle Doune, a well-preserved ruin in the countryside, where she's to meet a mystery man with a 1930s comic book to sell, Oor Wullie. Atop the battlements, Delaney finds her contact lying dead, dressed in medieval costume. Spotting the copy of Oor Wullie near the body, Delaney impulsively hides it in her jacket. The victim turns out to have a complicated link to Edwin's past and the four members of a secret society from Edwin's college days. But who would kill over a comic book, and what's its connection to Edwin and his college chums? Delaney once again turns sleuth, putting her life in peril in a way she could never have imagined before moving from Kansas to Scotland. Fortunately, handsome pub owner Tom Fletcher is on hand to provide some romantic interest amid the dark doings.
Customer Reviews
Second book in series!
Of Books and Bagpipes by Paige Shelton is the second book in A Scottish Bookshop Mystery series. Delaney Nichols works at The Cracked Spine in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her boss, Edwin MacAlister has sent her on a special errand to Castle Doune to pick up a rare copy of Oor Wullie (an old Scottish comic). Delaney only knows that her contact will be in costume. She is driven by friend and landlord, Elias (also a cabdriver) who wishes to keep Delaney safe while on this errand. Delaney is looking around and notices a body backward on a staircase. It turns out to be the man Delaney was to meet. While awaiting the police, Delaney does find the book which she quickly hides out of sight. Upon returning to The Cracked Spine, she shares what happened with Edwin (and then the rest of the staff). The deceased is Billy Armstrong, son of an old friend of Edwin’s, Gordon Armstrong. Gordon had died two years previously in a boat fire. The group is shocked when Gordon shows up later that day in the bookshop. Gordon wants to know what happened to his son. They find out that Gordon had sent the book to Edwin via Billy, and it contained the details on what had happened two years prior. Delaney starts seeking the truth and to uncover who killed Billy Armstrong. She is aided by her friends at The Cracked Spine and her “bookish voices”. Delaney will need support if she is to uncover the lies and expose a killer.
I had not had the opportunity to read The Cracked Spine since its publication. I discovered that it is better to read the first book (The Cracked Spine) before starting Of Books and Bagpipes. Some background details are provided on the main character, but not all the needed information is included. Of Books and Bagpipes is an arduous novel to read. I found the Scottish dialogue difficult to decipher. If it was just in small sections, it would be manageable (but it was not). The pace of the book is slow and untangling the interchanges significantly slows down the reading. There are several obscure and famous Scottish authors mentioned throughout the novel. I believe most readers will like the inclusion of this information. I give Of Books and Bagpipes 2.5 out of 5 stars. The saving grace of this story is the mystery. It is complicated and challenging to solve. A reader needs to pay close attention to the details to unscramble the clues and crack the case. Also, included in the novel is information on various historical sights. While the information is interesting, it does bog down the story. I was not a fan of Delaney’s boss, Edwin. I find that he keeps too many secrets. I believe the author was trying to make him mysterious, but it does not quite work. I wish the author had stuck with a warehouse full of unusual and unique items (instead of all the secrets and lies). I did not see how Delaney’s “bookish voices” enhanced the book. I would have preferred ghosts. Ghosts associated with old historical sites (like Castle Doune) or maybe spirits that live in The Cracked Spine (I prefer this scenario). While Of Books and Bagpipes was not to my liking, I am a fan of Paige Shelton’s other series (especially A Dangerous Type Mystery series).