Review by Booklist Review
American Delaney Nichols, cataloger of the treasures in the warehouse at The Cracked Spine, a bookstore in Edinburgh, Scotland, is invited to attend a dinner at an event celebrating Robert Burns. Learning her boss has a history with one of the Burns society members, Malcolm Campbell, Delaney reluctantly attends with her colleague Hamlet. Upon discovering where Delaney works, Campbell angrily leaves the gathering. When a member of the society is found murdered later that night, Hamlet quickly becomes a suspect, and Delaney is determined to clear him. Complicating matters, Delaney previously found what she believes to be Hamlet's birth certificate, so she also works to trace his parentage, as Hamlet was abandoned when he was two. Delaney interviews witnesses, ultimately connecting a previous arson, Hamlet's past, a long-missing person, a recent murder, and a new arson, spectacularly accusing the wrong person before she eventually gets it right. Framed by details about Robert Burns and his work, as well as by the ins and outs of running a bookstore, this cozy boasts numerous plot twists, appealing characters, and a lovingly described setting.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
At the start of bestseller Shelton's engrossing seventh Scottish Bookshop mystery (after 2021's Deadly Editions), solicitor Clarinda Creston invites American Delaney Nichols, who works at the Cracked Spine bookshop, to the annual dinner in honor of Scottish poet Robert Burns held at Edinburgh's House of Burns. When Delaney asks whether she can bring a friend, Clarinda somewhat grudgingly says she can. Wary that Clarinda has a hidden agenda, Delaney asks her coworker Hamlet, who resembles "a young Shakespeare," to accompany her to the event, where their presence seems to unsettle some attendees, one of whom leaves in anger. After dinner, a fire erupts at the House of Burns that leads to the discovery of a dead body. When Hamlet falls under suspicion of arson, Delaney determines to find the truth and clear his name. Readers may have trouble following Delaney's reasoning as she jumps from one extreme conclusion to another, but the alluring Edinburgh setting and the camaraderie Delaney and friends display as they try to solve the crime more than compensate. Cozy fans will be enchanted. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary. (Apr.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
When bookseller Delaney Nichols and her coworker Hamlet are invited to a traditional celebration of poet Robert Burns--at Burns House, no less--she soon realizes that they are there to help ease tensions between Edwin, Delaney's boss, and another guest who believes Edwin burned down his bookshop two decades ago. Then the Burns House goes up in flames, and there's a body in the ashes. From the author of numerous popular series; with a 30,000-copy first printing.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
An American expatriate learns to love Robert Burns. Delaney Nichols took a job organizing a warehouse full of treasures for the owner of the Cracked Spine bookstore in Edinburgh, Scotland, married a Scot, and became involved in solving a series of crimes. But none has cut closer to home than the mystery associated with a birth certificate she's found. The certificate might be that of her friend and fellow worker Hamlet, who was found wandering the streets as a young child and, years later, unofficially adopted by her boss, Edwin, and bookstore doyenne Rosie. When Delaney's invited to a special Burns dinner, she asks Hamlet to join her, knowing he's a passionate fan, though Edwin warns her there may be an ulterior motive to the invitation. Partway through the traditional dinner, after attorney Clarinda Creston has introduced Delaney and Hamlet to Charles Lexon, Malcolm Campbell, and Neil Watterton, Edwin is mentioned as the group's founder, and Malcolm calls him a scoundrel. Telling the others that she and Hamlet work for Edwin, Delaney asks why she was invited and then leaves. Later that night, the club building burns to the ground, and Watterton's body is found in the rubble. Delaney's old friend Inspector Winters questions Hamlet, who was seen that night in the company of Watterton. When Hamlet vanishes, she resolves to explore his antecedents and his possible connections to the club members in order to clear his name. Historical Burns references add spice to a complex series of intertwined mysteries. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
