Reviews

Murder in a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall, Traci E. Hall

ethanzo's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This was a surprisingly fun read for me. I loved the ratio of cozy, to mystery, to family. The setting was amazing, I'm a sucker for small-town mysteries, and the backdrop of a murder made it even more interesting. I loved that the characters felt like real people, and I loved that the conclusion to the story made sense and didn't come out of nowhere. I also really enjoyed the cozier elements of the story, like knitting, family relationships, and parenting. The narrator did a fantastic job, and I'd listen to her narrate anything, if I'm honest. I think that above anything, this is a perfect book to escape some of the more dramatic and heavy books I personally like to read (while murder is heavy, the book is much more lighthearted than any other murder mystery I've read). I'd be more than open to continuing the series. It really scratches that itch for a comforting and soft story about normal people put into hard situations. 

bibliocatts's review

funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Cozy mystery featuring a yarn shop set in Scotland? Sign me up! Looking forward to what the gang gets up to in the next book.

cookhorn's review against another edition

4.0

I won a kindle version of this book from Goodreads. It seems like I don’t really like “cozies” but this was a quick, enjoyable read. I liked the setting and the main characters. I don’t mind a mystery where I’m a bit ahead of the sleuth but I solved this one [maybe a spoiler?] as soon as one of the characters was introduced. Anyway, if you like cozies and small village settings, it’s a nice way to drink some tea and spend a quiet afternoon.

gamz's review

funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

pagesandplannersabroad's review

lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

starathena's review

Why did I read these out of order?! I went 2, 3, 1. But now I’m caught up so when 4 comes out all will be right as rain. I like Paislee, Brody, Grandpa, and the Shire. I knit. I’m going to read this series until they stop coming or until they become unreadable. Are they cozy? Yes. Are they going to change your world? Probably not. Not all books need to be all things. I like the series and if Amazon could stop recommending pun-based mystery titles to me now that would be great. ONE BOOK. I read ONE book like that. Thanks. I do enjoy a cozy style mystery from time to time though.

birdybookwormleslie's review against another edition

4.0

A great first introduction to the series. Paislee is an immediately likable character and I enjoyed her whole family dynamic. The book was very intriguing from start to finish and had me guessing until the very end. I also enjoyed the Scottish dialect and the small town feel throughout the book.

kyliebloch's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition

5.0

“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!

peggyemi's review against another edition

4.0

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.