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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!
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.
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.
ewil6681's review
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
livefastread's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
sg911911's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.75
kellyannforever's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
asanford's review
2.0
it ended up better than it started. But man, it was hard to read with the Scottish words and accent in the writing. I found that I would fall asleep because it was just taking too much brain power when I was tired.
pages_for_holly's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
meezan's review
emotional
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail