The Poison Pen by Paige Shelton

Barbara

April 3

Barbara's rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Series: Scottish Bookshop Mystery #9
Publication Date: 4/9/24
Period: Contemporary Edinburgh
Number of Pages: 304

This was a fun read featuring mayhem, murder, stolen treasure, and a hoarder who thinks she is the rightful heir to the English throne. 😊 When Delaney Nichols left Kansas and moved to Scotland for a job at the Cracked Spine Bookstore, she didn't expect to fall totally in love with the country, the job, and the handsome tavern owner, Tom, across the street. The very wealthy bookshop owner, Edwin, doesn't just own a bookstore. He owns an extensive group of collectibles – some exceedingly valuable, some sentimental, and some just because. It is Delaney's job to catalog that collection and to get it organized.

One of Edwin's old flames, Jolie Lannister, asks Edwin to come to her estate, West Rosebud House, to evaluate a sword found on her estate. Edwin asks Delaney to go in his place and make the evaluation – because if the sword is what Jolie thinks it is, they are in a conundrum. Edwin would want it very, very much – yet – according to Scotland's laws – they should turn it over to the Treasure Trove Unit of the government. What to do? What to do? There is no need to worry about that because before Delaney leaves the estate, there has been a murder, and the police have been called. Oops!

Delaney, of course, cannot contain her curiosity about all of the people involved – and the murder. Before the end, we have the full complement of characters – Tom, Rosie, Hamlet, Joshua, Artair, and Edwin working to solve the case along with Inspector Winters. Is the villain the lawyer who seems a bit shady? Is it the auction house owner? Is it the new director of the Treasure Trove Unit? Is it Jolie or someone from the estate? Is it none of them? Is it all of them? Is it some mixture? Oh! My! Goodness!!! To find out who did it and why, you'll have to read this fun and entertaining book.

I can recommend this book and this series, and I hope you'll read it and love it as much as I did. Happy Reading!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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