Review by Booklist Review
The latest in Dunnett's Liss MacCrimmon series finds Liss, who helps her aunt run a Scottish emporium in Moosetookalook, Maine, preparing for her wedding while working to clear her father as a murder suspect. After the Medieval Scottish Conclave asks Liss to put a display of weapons in the shop window to advertise an upcoming festival, one of the firearms is used to bludgeon Professor Palsgrave, the contentious leader of the group, to death. The group's planned historical reenactment had drawn protests because of its subject matter, but the murder weapon is found in Liss' father's trunk after he was heard arguing with Palsgrave, and Liss discovers her mother had an affair with the professor. The pacing is slower in this installment than in earlier outings, owing to the abundance of historical detail, but cozy readers will enjoy the ambience, as well as Dunett's take on the rigors of wedding planning. Fans of Scottish lore or bookstore mysteries like Lorna Barrett's and Carolyn Hart's will enjoy this one, too.--Alessio, Amy Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
The murder of a controversial history professor, Alfred Leon Palsgrave, complicates Liss MacCrimmon's wedding preparations in Dunnett's exciting sixth cozy set in Moosetookalook, Maine (after 2011's Scotched). Since the chief suspect in doing in Palsgrave with a reproduction broadsword is Liss's father, Liss has no choice but to investigate. With her marriage (scheduled the same weekend as the Western Maine Highland Games) and honeymoon in Scotland only months away, Liss is soon racing the clock to clear her father's name while trying to keep her overbearing mother from wresting control of her big day. As Liss gets closer to the real killer, she discovers that Palsgrave's theories about an obscure 15th-century Scottish explorer may have had something to do with the professor's demise. Filled with gems of Scottish history and culture, this intelligent entry will appeal to newcomers and established fans alike. Agent, Christina Hogrebe, the Jane Rotrosen Agency. (Aug.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The still waters of a quiet Maine town run deep when a local professor is killed and suspects abound. As she plans her wedding, Liss MacCrimmon thinks the biggest hurdle she has to face will be convincing her mother, Violet, to give up hope that Liss and her fianc, Dan Ruskin, will celebrate their marriage with a traditional Scottish handfasting ceremony. With just weeks left before the big day, Liss has no time to worry about the hubbub surrounding the legitimacy of the upcoming Medieval Scottish Conclave. So when professors A. Leon Palsgrave and Caroline Halladay ask her to display reproduction weapons meant to promote a battle recreation at the festival, Liss agrees to let the two use the Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium's front window. Liss is having her bridal gown fitted when she hears the news that a professor at local Anisetab College has been murdered, and she can barely believe it when the deceased turns out to be the controversial Dr. Palsgrave. Even more shocking, however, are the ties that Liss' family had to the professor, and especially the news that Liss' father, Mac, may be Detective Franklin's number one suspect. Though Liss knows better than to get mixed up in another mystery, she also knows that family comes first. If she can discover the truth, she can save her father's good name in time for him to walk her down the aisle. The latest from Dunnett (Scotched, 2011, etc.) doesn't exactly break new ground, but cozy readers may well enjoy a story that meets their expectations.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
