The poison pen

American Delaney Nichols, who works in Edinburgh at The Cracked Spine cataloging owner Edwin MacAlister's extensive collection of antiques, is tasked with evaluating an artifact found on eccentric Jolie Lannister's estate. During their meeting, a young man is found dead, and Jolie's gardener, a friend of Delaney's good friend Elias, looks like the murderer, so Delaney investigates. The item turns out to be a rare Crusader sword, and Edwin and Delaney must decide whether to report the find to Scotland's Treasure Trove Unit or keep the sword to evaluate themselves. Delaney soon begins to believe the sword is connected to the murder as she researches the past and tries to unravel the lies she is told. Framed by the death of Queen Elizabeth II and details about Scottish history and weapons and featuring a close group of well-drawn friends, the latest in the cozy Scottish Bookshop series (after Fateful Words, 2023) will appeal to fans of Jane Cleland's Josie Prescott Antiques mysteries. Scottish dialect is sprinkled throughout this satisfying story, as Delaney continues to adapt to life in Scotland with her new Scottish husband.

An ancient artifact may be the motive for murder. Several weeks after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Delaney Nichols is still feeling sad, but an unexpectedly diverting adventure begins when her boss, Edwin MacAlister--owner of the Cracked Spine bookstore in Edinburgh--asks her to research a rare and valuable object that an old friend recently discovered on her property. When Delaney's friend Elias drives her to the estate of Jolie Lannister, a large gothic mansion reminiscent of horror films, she's shocked by the clutter inside. Jolie's lawyer, Bowie Berry, is there with an auctioneer she hired on her own initiative to inventory the house and possibly sell some of the contents. The object in question, which Jolie has kept hidden in a garden shed, seems to be a medieval Crusader sword covered in grime and rust. Near it they find the body of auction house assistant Alban Dunning, killed with a garden rake. Delaney texts Inspector Winters, the friend she's worked with on several murder cases, and soon her expertise and desire to help Jolie have her deeply involved. The sword is eventually taken to the Scottish government's Treasure Trove Unit, whose new director at first accuses Edwin of stealing the sword but eventually allows Delaney to clean and examine it. On top of all this, there's the possibility that Jolie is the biological daughter of the Duke of Windsor, the abdicated king, and may have a claim to the throne. So many questions without answers have Delaney and her friends working full-out to find the truth. Historical information and an interesting cast of characters make up for the easily solved mystery. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.