Deadly Editions by Paige Shelton

 

First Line: The bell above the bookshop's front door jingled.

 

Shelagh O'Conner is a wealthy woman known for her eccentric behavior as a young woman in the 1970s-- and for her vast library focusing on her passion for Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. When Delaney Nichols receives an invitation from Shelagh to participate in a treasure hunt, she's thrilled. The object of the hunt is an extremely rare edition of Stevenson's novel, and the person who finds the book not only wins the book but the entire contents of her personal library.

However, as Delaney and the other participants begin to search for clues, panic grips the city. Someone is breaking into houses and robbing the owners, someone close to Shelagh O'Conner is murdered, and then Shelagh herself vanishes. As much as she'd like to win, newlywed Delaney begins to wonder if the books are worth the risk.

~

This sixth book in Paige Shelton's Scottish Bookshop cozy series continues to charm readers. What's not to like about a treasure hunt in Edinburgh, Scotland with a rare library as the prize? Shelton likes to weave in a bit of Scottish legend and lore into each book. Previous topics have been as varied as Mary, Queen of Scots, and the Loch Ness monster. In Deadly Editions, it's Robert Louis Stevenson's groundbreaking The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

The mystery is a good one, aided by treasure hunt clues and the erratic behavior of Shelagh O'Conner. In fact, O'Conner is so eccentric that she keeps readers off-balance, which is certainly a good thing for leading armchair sleuths astray.

As is true in any good cozy series, the focus of the story is on the main character. Kansas transplant Delaney Nichols continues to lead the charmed life that any reader could envy, with her perfect job at the Cracked Spine Bookshop, her perfect circle of friends and co-workers, and her perfect soulmate. While I'm living a little fantasy of my own as I read about her, one of the things I do love about Delaney is the fact that she never fails to contact Detective Inspector Winter whenever she has any new information. She's not the type of amateur sleuth who automatically assumes she knows more than all the trained professionals. I would imagine that this is the main reason why Winter seems content to let her do her thing.

If you're in the mood for something light and fun, filled with nuggets of information, a mysterious treasure hunt, and the stuff some fantasies are made of, be sure to pick up Paige Shelton's Deadly Editions. Then all you have to do is sit back and enjoy.

Deadly Editions by Paige Shelton

eISBN: 9781250203915

Minotaur Books © 2021

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #6 Scottish Bookshop mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley