Forewarned that her surprising invitation to a Burns Night dinner may have more to do with her employer than it does with her, Delaney Nichols and her coworker Hamlet attend the traditional Scottish celebration of poet Robert Burns at tiny Burns House, not far from the Cracked Spine Bookshop.
Once there, it becomes clear that Delaney was summoned in an attempt to make amends between Delaney's boss and one of the members of the club, who suspected Edwin of burning down his bookshop twenty years ago after a disagreement.
But after the dinner, there's another fire. Burns House is burned to the ground, and there's a body in the ruins. When Hamlet is accused of the crime, Delaney rushes to prove his innocence.
~
I've often considered Paige Shelton's Scottish Bookshop cozy series to be a bit of wish fulfillment. After all, how many American readers would jump at the chance to move to Edinburgh, Scotland, for a dream job in a bookshop? (I would!) Now in book seven, Delaney's life has changed in ways that she never would have imagined while living in Kansas.
The Burning Pages brings readers to another Scottish staple, the Burns Night dinner, and introduces us to high-profile defense attorney Clarinda Creston. We also learn more about Edwin's past, which is a slowly evolving process since it would be hard to imagine anyone else who has more secrets squirreled away than he. But while we're learning about Edwin, we're also getting a chance to find out about young Hamlet's background. I was happy to see another member of the cast become more fully fleshed.
Due to some excellent misdirection, it wasn't easy to deduce the identity of the pyromaniac, and I always appreciate the extra work for my little grey cells. Now all I have to do is wait to see what Delaney gets up to next.
The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton
eISBN: 9781250789495
Minotaur Books © 2022
eBook, 304 pages
Cozy Mystery, #7 Scottish Bookshop mystery
Rating: B
Source: Net Galley
I do love the setting for this series, Cathy! And Burns Night is a great theme for the book, too. I like the sound Delaney's character, too. She sounds like a strong, but not 'superhero' sort of person and I like that.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. Delaney is very "real" character. No cape for her!
DeleteI would jump at the chance to work in a bookshop in Edinburgh, too! And I like the few Paige Shelton mysteries I've read. I'll have to check this series out. :D
ReplyDeleteGood idea! :-)
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