On My Radar: Molly MacRae's Plaid and Plagiarism

Once I started comparing US and UK book covers, I've found myself taking more of an interest in them, although titles still mean more to me than covers.

One of the ways I search for new crime fiction involves scrolling through lists of titles and authors, no covers. But before that, I grew up in a library and eventually got to choose books for many of our patrons to read. Since all the books were "spine out" I trained myself to focus on titles. But as I said, now that I'm taking a closer look at covers, I find more of them showing up on my radar. Like this week's book, Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae.

I first became acquainted with Molly by reading her Haunted Yarn Shop cozy series, although I didn't keep up with it (and dozens of other series... shame on me). I liked Molly's characters and her writing, so when I stumbled across the first book in her Highland Bookshop series, I perked right up. Books? Bookshop? The Highlands of Scotland? Count me in!

Let's take a look.

Available December 6, 2016!

Synopsis from Amazon:  

Set in the weeks just before the annual Inversgail Literature Festival in Scotland, Plaid and Plagiarism begins on a morning shortly after the four new owners have taken possession of their new bookshop in the Highlands.

Unfortunately, Janet Marsh’s move into her house has been delayed due to vandalism; she’s convinced the vandal is Una Graham, an advice columnist for the local paper who’s trying to make a name for herself as an investigative reporter. Then, when the women go to look for clues that might tell them to who is guilty, they find Una Graham's corpse (murder!) in Janet’s garden shed.

Constable Hobbs answers their emergency call. He’s calm and quietly pleased, as he’s never had a murder case. Then the contents of a dozen or so garbage bags are discovered behind the bookshop. The letters inside are nasty. They explain in minute detail how and when each of the recipients has hurt Una. The more the women find out about Una, the more people they discover who detested her and aren’t sad she’s gone. If Janet and her bookshop crew are reading the clues right, they’re about to expose the most sensational story the town of Inversgail has ever heard.

A delightful and deadly novel about recognizing strengths, accepting weaknesses, and finding a way to be true to oneself, Plaid and Plagiarism is the start of an enthralling new Scottish mystery series. 

Blue is my favorite color, so this cover would have a very good chance of catching my eye-- especially with the tartan border at the bottom. I also like the title with its play on Pride and Prejudice.

Sounds good, doesn't it? You know I'm going to read it and try to figure out just where in the Highlands that bookstore is located, don't you? Because... it's on my radar, and on my wish list! The question is-- have I tempted any of you?