This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

 

First Line: The right book in the hands of the right person at exactly the right moment can change their life forever.

Since the death of her husband, celebrity memoir editor Tilly Nightingale has been in a fog of grief. Unable to enjoy her favorite books and her crafts, she is shocked to receive a call from a local bookshop telling her she has a gift waiting for her there.

The gift is from her beloved husband Joe. With the help of shop owner Alfie Lane, Joe has chosen a year of books for Tilly-- twelve books, each with a handwritten letter from him.

Seduced by her husband's words, Tilly becomes immersed in each book, and each one encourages her to open a new chapter in her life.

~

Like humor, grief is a very personal and very subjective emotion. After reading so many good things about This Book Made Me Think of You, I decided to read it. 

Having lost my own husband for about the same length of time as the main character, Tilly Nightingale, I was naturally drawn in by her situation. For the first half of the book, I enjoyed watching Tilly immerse herself in each book that her husband Joe had chosen for her. These books not only addressed her grief, but also began to help her with other issues in her life. 

Unfortunately, the second half of the book began to drag for me. Why? Because it was extremely predictable. Now... I know that a predictable, feel-good story can be just what the doctor ordered. It can give flagging spirits just the boost they need. I've had this happen to me. However, the magic just didn't work for me this time. Is it because of my own situation? I don't know. But, as I said, grief is a very subjective emotion. Just because this wasn't the right book for me at the right moment doesn't mean that it won't be for you.

This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page

eISBN: 9798217187003

Berkley © 2026

eBook, 416 pages

Standalone Fiction

Rating: B-

Source: Purchased from Amazon

Silent Bones by Val McDermid

 

First Line: New Year's Eve, 2013. She'd never imagined a Hogmanay thrash like this, never mind that she'd be invited to it.

When a landslide on a motorway uncovers a skeleton, DCI Karen Pirie, head of Police Scotland's Historic Cases Unit, finds herself and her team investigating the death of investigative journalist Sam Nimmo.

Nimmo had been the prime suspect in the murder of his girlfriend when he disappeared. Was his death revenge for killing his girlfriend? Or was he investigating something worth killing over? In the meantime, the supposedly accidental death of a hotel manager has raised an allegation of murder. 

Now Karen and her team have a series of puzzles that will test them to their limits.

~

Val McDermid's Karen Pirie series is right at the top of my list of favorites. I've consistently rated these books highly-- either as Best Reads of the Year or as "A's." Although I do have to say that this latest entry, Silent Bones, felt a bit lackluster, a lackluster McDermid novel is still better than most writers' best. 

One of the reasons why McDermid's writing is so strong is due to the cast of characters she creates. Karen and her team of Daisy and Jason are interesting people, and not only do I enjoy keeping up with their private lives, but the way the team has come together is fascinating. Jason, in particular, was originally treated as if he were a joke, but with Karen's guidance, he's become much stronger and is a valuable member of the team. 

The plot of Silent Bones centers on a group of the well-heeled and entitled who think the rules do not apply to them. My patience wears thin with those types of people, and the only new character in this book that I took a shine to was Folasade Cusack. Her comment about an industrial hoover made me snort tea up my nose. Yes, I definitely wouldn't mind seeing her again!

As I said earlier, the plot of Silent Bones didn't really grab me, but any time spent with Karen, Daisy, and Jason is time well spent indeed. I look forward to the next book in the series.

Silent Bones by Val McDermid

eISBN: 9780802164407

Atlantic Crime © 2025

eBook, 432 pages

Police Procedural, #8 Karen Pirie

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

Past Lying by Val McDermid

 

First Lines: He really believed it was a madcap game. A joke. A dare, played out between old friends. Why would anyone imagine otherwise?

It's April 2020, and Edinburgh is in lockdown. You'd think crime-- especially cold cases-- would take a holiday. Still, when a source at the National Library contacts DCI Karen Pirie's team about some archived documents of a recently deceased crime novelist, Karen welcomes the chance to investigate. 

At the center of the investigation is a novel: two crime novelists playing a game of chess, but it soon becomes clear that their real-life competition is deadly serious. Bit by bit, Karen and her team uncover a very twisted game of betrayal and revenge, made even more complicated by the pandemic.

~

When anyone asks about my favorite mystery series, Val McDermid's Karen Pirie books are right up at the top of the list. With its lovely twisty plot, Past Lying is an excellent addition. The story is made even more engrossing by showing readers policing in the time of Covid. There are rules that must be obeyed, or there will be consequences, and Karen and her team have to be very careful (and quick-witted) about how they conduct themselves.

Speaking of Karen and her team, there is a lot in Past Lying to further the lives of the main characters. There's Karen's relationship with Hamish, the entrepreneur, which is complicated by the fact that he's miles away while Karen is in his apartment in Edinburgh with team member, Daisy, during the lockdown. And Daisy? She shows a lot of talent as a police officer, but I'm not sure how much I can trust her. After all, Daisy herself says, it's "... always handy to have something on your boss."  This doubt makes the back of my mind itch as I watch Karen work hard to make both Daisy and Jason stronger members of the team. 

There's even more going on in the characters' lives, which makes sense due to the personal nature of lockdown; however, there is also an insider's look at the craft of writing, manuscripts, publishing, author events, and workshops, as well as the plight of refugees. Past Lying is a densely layered, completely satisfying mystery, and I don't want to wait until December for the next book in the series. 

Past Lying by Val McDermid

eISBN: 9780802161505

Atlantic Monthly Press © 2023

eBook, 412 pages

Police Procedural, #7 Karen Pirie

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Tasting Menu by Stuart MacBride

 

First Line: A scream ripped free as lightning tore the night apart-- light strobing across the bleak landscape, casting it in harsh shades of black and white.

 

Three friends go on a Highland foodie road trip to an exclusive hotel and restaurant on an island in Loch Broom. They're celebrating one member's retirement, and they fully expect stunning scenery, great food, and fine wines, all backed up with plenty of memories about the good old days. They are convinced this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

But all is not what it seems. One of the three friends is a killer, one is a liar, and one will do whatever it takes to survive. 

 

~

 

I was a great fan of Stuart MacBride's Logan McRae series until he introduced a character that I loathed. Unfortunately, she became a fan favorite, and when she featured more and more in subsequent books, I stopped reading them. But I miss this man's writing. I read his first novel, halfhead, with mixed emotions, and I've been MacBride-less ever since. Then I found this short story on Amazon, and I just had to read it. 

 

The three main characters are quite the combination. Michael Harris is a bestselling author who's pining for his former glory. After reading his latest manuscript, his publicist tells him, "Nobody wants gangster novels anymore; everyone's obsessed with cosy crime. Could you... tweak it maybe?" He was my favorite character; I loved his voice and enjoyed the pointed references to the world of publishing. Victor McAllister has been Michael's friend for years. Formerly a gangster, he's a bit of a Jack the Lad and is the one responsible for booking this foodie experience. The third character, recently retired Detective Inspector Alex Raith, is too much like the character who made me stop reading the Logan McRae books, so I have to admit that, if any one character had to die, I hoped it would be her.

Although I found the plot gave me a bit of indigestion, I did enjoy experiencing MacBride's humor again. He's got another series. I know I'll be giving it a try soon.

The Tasting Menu by Stuart MacBride

eISBN: 9781662518232

Amazon Original Stories © 2024

eBook, 127 pages

Short Story, Standalone

Rating C

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Blood Promise by Liz Mistry

 

First Lines from Prologue: Inverness. 15 years earlier, 14th December. The stench as the constable kicked in the door-- rich and meaty and dense, like a felled stag, its carcass left to rot in the summer sun-- should have been warning enough that what was to come wouldn't be pretty.

 

Imogen Clark wakes up on her sixteenth birthday to a nightmare: her parents are both dead at the breakfast table, and their killer has left a note.

Detective Constables Jasmine (Jazzy) Solanki and Annie (Queenie) McQueen join the investigation, but it doesn't take long for Jazzy to feel that the murders are a twisted message for her. Jazzy shares the same birthday as Imogen, and she believes this is more than a coincidence.

When Jazzy makes the connection between the killer and the stalker who has been following her for years, she is forced to confront the past which she's desperately been keeping hidden. She must pull out all the stops to find this killer before she becomes the next victim.

~

Detective Constables Jasmine (Jazzy) Solanki and Annie (Queenie) McQueen have recently been demoted and put on the D (Dunce) Team in Inverness. Jazzy has learned that telling the bald truth isn't always the best line of action and avid knitter Queenie is famous for "Needlegate". In The Blood Promise, Liz Mistry has teamed two diametrically opposite characters into a strong serial killer mystery.

Although I did like the story, I did have problems with the two main characters. At first, Queenie was in-your-face comic relief with her non-stop knitting, flatulence, and garlic breath. When some of her backstory was revealed, I found that I could accept Queenie, but I still didn't like her.

On the other hand, Jazzy, daughter of a Hindu mother and Muslim father, is portrayed as an often brilliant investigator who doesn't always know when to keep her mouth shut. Although my heart went out to this character as her tortured backstory was revealed, she had so many instances of PTSD meltdowns, I wondered how she could be such a good police officer. She experienced so much angst that it often bogged down the pace of the story. (I also wondered how two disgraced and demoted officers could so quickly be put in charge of major parts of the murder investigation.)

The different angle to an often-tired serial killer investigation certainly made it interesting, and I did like the setting. Even though I did have problems with the two main characters, I find myself wanting to read the next book in the series. With the origins of so much of Jazzy's troubled past revealed, I really want to know how she'll behave in a new investigation.

The Blood Promise by Liz Mistry

eISBN: 9780008686437

HarperCollins © 2024

eBook, 336 pages

 

Police Procedural, #1 Solanki & McQueen mystery

Rating: B-

Source: Net Galley

Broken Ground by Val McDermid

 

First Line: The slap of spades in dense peat was an unmistakable sound.

 

It's just another day at the office for Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie. She's been saddled with Detective Sergeant Gerry McCartney, a man who has no understanding of the Historic Cases Unit-- or even the desire to work there. In addition, Pirie's boss ACC Ann Markie (called "the dog biscuit" behind her back) seems to have upped her game in an attempt to finally get rid of her. 

 

But it's not all fun and personality clashes. Karen is assigned to a case in the Highlands. A woman finds the location of treasure that her grandfather had hidden when he was there during World War II, but when she digs it up, she finds the corpse of a man who'd been shot. Karen is also working a domestic violence case, and as she gets closer to the truth, it becomes obvious that not everyone shares her desire for justice.

~

Val McDermid's Karen Pirie series continues to be one of my favorites. Pirie is a bastion in the Harry Bosch School of Policing. In Broken Ground, she says "My ambition is to clear cases that everybody else has given up on. To give answers to people that have been waiting way too long to find out who blew a hole in their lives and why." That makes her just the type of character most crime fiction fans love.

 

Karen Pirie will succeed, no matter what it takes, and if it means she'll lose her job... so be it. This makes her a bitter pill to swallow for those above her who pay more attention to spreadsheets and the bottom line cost of things, and her boss is determined to get rid of her no matter how high her clearance rate is.

 

There are only two people in the Historic Cases Unit (HCU): Karen and a young Detective Constable known as The Mint. The Mint isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but Karen prefers to work with him as a known entity rather than deal with the unknown... who joins the unit as DS Gerry McCartney, a man who doesn't understand the mission of such a unit nor does he want to. One of the things I like so much about this series is that The Mint isn't mere comic relief. He's a good-natured young man who wants to do a good job, and he is getting better. How? He's "channeling" Karen's deceased partner and Karen herself-- and it's working. Good role models do make a difference.

There's enough going on with the characters to keep readers occupied, but the two cases the HCU is working on are compelling, too. And that's par for the course in this series. Strong characters and strong mysteries. If you haven't made the acquaintance of Karen Pirie, I strongly recommend that you do so. Start at the beginning with the award-winning The Distant Echo.

Broken Ground by Val McDermid

eISBN: 9780802146939

Grove Atlantic © 2018

eBook, 432 pages

 

Police Procedural, #5 DCI Karen Pirie

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Shadow Man by Margaret Kirk

 

First Line: 1994. By midnight, there are bodies everywhere.

 

Morven Murray, the queen of daytime television, is murdered just before her wedding day. On the other side of Inverness, a police informant is killed execution-style. Detective Inspector Lukas Mahler is in charge of both investigations, although the powers that be want the celebrity's death to have priority. Contrary to orders, Mahler believes the police informant deserves the same commitment and the same attention, so he refuses to put that case on the back burner.

 

Even though Murray's sister is the prime suspect in her murder, the more Mahler and his team dig into both cases, they learn that Murray's life was closer to the underworld that the police informant inhabited than anyone imagined. 

 

Are they hunting one killer, or two?

 

~

 

Recently, I've been finding myself choosing certain books according to their settings, and this was the case with Margaret Kirk's Shadow Man. I have a marked fondness for Inverness, Scotland, and it was wonderful to be able to visit again through the pages of this book-- especially when one of the scenes is set in Leakey's Bookshop. 

The setting isn't the only strong part of this book. I enjoyed the mystery, too, and Kirk has created an interesting cast of characters. Lukas Mahler, formerly of the Metropolitan Police in London, has an emotionally fragile mother, hence his return to Inverness. He's heard every joke possible about his surname, and he's well aware of his reputation among the other police officers: "He has, after all, his reputation to consider. Most of his junior colleagues assume he gets his nourishment by rising from his tomb to feast on the blood of the living, and he sees no reason to disabuse them of the notion."

His boss is DCI June "Braveheart" Wallace who has a Hannibal Lecter smile. His DS is Fergie who drives a memorably smelly car, and "Skivey Pete" is a well-known slacker. Even though Mahler dislikes Pete for his constant shirking of his duties, he does recognize that the young man has certain investigative talents. 

The setting, the story, and the characters in this first book of the series will be bringing me back for more. I'm looking forward to visiting Inverness again (but I'll be staying out of Fergie's car).

Shadow Man by Margaret Kirk

eISBN: 9781409165521

Orion Books © 2017

eBook, 349 pages

Police Procedural, #1 DI Lukas Mahler

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

A Long Time Dead by J.M. Dalgliesh

 

First Line: Were it not for the cool breeze drifting in off Loch Dunvegan, she could have been dancing on a beach in the Mediterranean, the crushed white coral beneath her feet giving off an iridescent sheen in the moonlight.

 

Detective Inspector Duncan McAdam is persona non grata in Glasgow, and he finds himself sent to the Isle of Skye to work on the investigation into the death of Isla Matheson, a young woman who disappeared twenty years ago. McAdam isn't happy to return to the place where he grew up, so he wants to bring the investigation to its conclusion as quickly as possible.

The officer in charge doesn't want him there either, so McAdam is relegated to working on interviewing the people who knew Isla. While the main part of the task force concentrates on finding a stranger who killed Isla while traveling through the area, McAdam and the men he's working with believe that the killer is a local-- even though no one in the community is saying much.

~

The major reason why I picked up A Long Time Dead was due to its setting: the Isle of Skye in Scotland. I've spent a few weeks there and wanted a return visit even though it would only be through the pages of a book. As far as the setting goes, this book is a gold mine. I could follow McAdam all around the island, recognizing all sorts of landmarks (even a grocery store that I shopped in in Portree). 

The main character, D.I. Duncan McAdam, is on suspension from the Glasgow Police. He's been thrown out by his girlfriend, and as far as the police force goes, he's being passed around like a bad smell. Even his sister, who lives on Skye, isn't all that happy with him. Fortunately, he works well with the Portree police officers he's assigned to work with, and he gradually feels more comfortable in the area he left so many years ago.

While the setting and characterization were strong points for me, the mystery was not. Everything fell into place for me when one small item was revealed about one of the characters. Although that was disappointing, I will be reading more in the series because I know I want to return to Skye.

A Long Time Dead by J.M. Dalgliesh

ASIN: B0CJRR38LP

Hamilton Press © 2023

eBook, 356 pages

 

Police Procedural, #1 Misty Isle mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.  

Bad Blood by Aline Templeton

 

 

First Line: She sometimes felt as if her writhing thoughts were a nest of snakes inside her head. From time to time one would raise its ugly head and hiss and spit venom.

 

All Marnie Bruce wants is answers. This young woman has hyperthymesia-- she can remember everything she has ever seen-- and she is completely frustrated that she can't remember a night twenty years ago when she woke up in an isolated cottage with a head injury and a mother who simply vanished into thin air. 

 

Now she has returned to the small town of Galloway in southwestern Scotland demanding an answer to one simple question: What happened to her mother? But Marnie's return sets off a firestorm and looks to tear open painful wounds for many of the locals. Detective Inspector Marjory "Big Marge" Fleming and her team will have to work hard to find the answers Marnie demands before total chaos ensues.

 

~

 

Aline Templeton's DI Marjory Fleming series is one that I've been slowly (almost glacially) savoring since I picked up the first book, Cold in the Earth. Since there's only one more book after Bad Blood, who knows when I'll make myself finish the time I've spent with Big Marge Fleming?

If you're a reader who likes reading mystery series that have strong ensemble casts, you need to make the acquaintance of DI Fleming and her team. Not only do readers become a part of the lives of her fellow police officers, but they also feel a part of Marge's own family. Her husband is a farmer whose livelihood suffered during the outbreak of mad cow disease, but he's rock solid and a salt-of-the-earth type of man who's always supported his wife in her career choice, no matter how often it keeps her away from home. Her son, Cam, wants everyone to get along which can't be said for her very contentious and headstrong daughter. 

Into this already strong mix of characters is added Marnie Bruce, a young woman with whom I totally sympathized. She's tired of being fobbed off by everyone who should care about her mother's disappearance (but doesn't). She's reached the end of her tether and demands answers. DI Fleming wants to help because she was a rookie at the time of the woman's disappearance and feels a sense of responsibility. Watching her learn how to glean clues from Marnie's hyperthymesia is a lesson in patience and determination.

What elevates Marnie's character is her reaction to how all hell breaks loose in that small Scottish town simply because she wants closure. She is one of the best, most nuanced, and memorable characters I've read about in a long time. 

Yes, indeed, if you like compelling mysteries with a strong sense of place and a great cast of characters, you need to pick up Aline Templeton's DI Marjory Fleming mysteries. I highly recommend them. (Yes, it is best if you start at the beginning.)

Bad Blood by Aline Templeton

eISBN: 9780749014025

Allison & Busby Ltd © 2013

eBook, 414 pages

Police Procedural, #8 DI Marjory Fleming mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Red Road by Denise Mina

 

First Line: 1997. Rose Wilson was fourteen but looked sixteen. Sammy said it was a shame.

 

Police detective Alex Morrow has a lot on her plate. She's missing being at home with her infant twin sons, true, but the possible overturn of the conviction of arms dealer Michael Brown has her worried. This is a brutal man who is not only guilty of the crimes he's been convicted of, but during the course of her original investigation, he threatened her life, the life of her husband, and the lives of her children. This is why she has to do everything within her power to make sure he stays in prison. 

 

Her search for the incontrovertible proof that will keep Brown behind bars leads Morrow to a lawyer expecting to be assassinated and a woman who's spying on the people who put her in jail.  No wonder she longs for some time with her babies! But Alex Morrow has always been the sort of police officer who insists on getting to the truth no matter what. Little does she know where her search for the truth is going to take her.

 

~

 

Denise Mina is one of the best crime fiction writers out there. She puts readers right in the heart of Glasgow, Scotland-- "cynical Glasgow, a city exhausted of sorrow" -- and has them dine on a fine tale of crime and the search for truth. As far as I'm concerned, she's the absolute best at making readers understand and empathize with the marginalized, the people most avert their eyes from. In her books, like Garnethill and The Red Road, we meet the homeless, drug addicts, murderers, and former prostitutes. We learn why these people turned to drugs or sex work or killing. We see them trying-- and sometimes succeeding-- to turn their backs on their old lives, and while we may never condone what these people did, we can now understand and feel compassion. Most crime writers use the marginalized merely as victims and for shock value. Not Denise Mina, and this means that she has written some truly powerful stories.

 

In this series, police detective Alex Morrow isn't your usual cop. For one thing, her brother is a gangster. When criminals threaten to expose her relationship to a known felon, she tells them to go right ahead. You see, the police know it already; she hasn't hidden it from them. This is all a part of her "nothing but the truth and damn the consequences" method of policing. 

 

In all its twists and turns, Alex's investigation ties in with an old case that occurred on the day of Princess Diana's death-- a fact that led to some shoddy detective work and the realization that, for some of the world, Diana's death could be just another day. This fact alone will make many readers feel as though they're experiencing life in another country.

 

Denise Mina's storytelling ability combined with a sharply delineated cast of characters and a strong plot makes The Red Road a compelling and satisfying read. She is an author who never disappoints, and I'm looking forward to finding out what Alex Morrow does next. Man those torpedoes, Alex-- full speed ahead! 

The Red Road by Denise Mina

ISBN: 9780316188517

Little, Brown and Company © 2014

Hardcover, 304 pages

 

Police Procedural, #4 Alex Morrow mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from The Poisoned Pen.

Out of Bounds by Val McDermid

 

First Line: "Some night, eh, boys?"

 

A teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and winds up in a coma. When a routine DNA test is done, it reveals a link to a twenty-two-year-old cold case. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is looking forward to a quick conclusion that brings closure to the families of the victims of the older crime. What she gets is even more twisted than the DNA helix itself.

 

Pirie is also drawn to another case that she really has no business sticking her nose into. The twenty-year-old mystery has a terrorist bombing at its heart, and-- just like the case involving the joyrider-- nothing is as it seems.

Both cases will show Police Scotland's two-person Historic Crime Unit at its most determined because once DCI Karen Pirie is on trail of a killer, she will never give up until that person has been brought to justice.

~

I don't know why, but it's been a while since I've sunk deep down into a Karen Pirie investigation. Pirie is such an indomitable character. Author Val McDermid tells readers that "Women never felt threatened by her and men treated her like a wee sister or a favourite auntie," and many characters in Out of Bounds come to rue misjudging her. How good is this fictional head of Scotland's Historic Crime Unit? I rank her right up there with two other personal favorites, Dr. Ruth Galloway and DCI Vera Stanhope. (I'll bet that made some of you perk up.)

In Out of Bounds, Pirie is still mired deep in the aftermath of a personal tragedy. Unable to sleep, she finds herself walking the streets of Edinburgh in the wee hours of the morning. This is how she becomes acquainted with Syrian refugees, and how she takes this acquaintance further is another mark of her character. 

When Karen Pirie knows she's in the right, she's like a steamroller. Fortunately, she knows her "superior" officer's Achilles heel and uses that knowledge to bring villains to justice. And woe betide any lazy cop who stands in her way because she's exceptional at finding ways to work around slothful impediments, too. 

While I'm talking about this woman's character, I also need to mention her relationship with her partner, young Jason. The Historic Crime Unit of Police Scotland is a two-person operation-- an indication of how Pirie's "superior" officer really wants her to fail. Young Jason isn't the sharpest knife in the drawer, but she feels that it's better to stick with a known numpty (Scots slang for a stupid or ineffectual person) than to bring in a new one. But Jason isn't as useless as Pirie thinks, and his evolving character and her relationship to him is one of the best parts of this book.

Another strength of Out of Bounds is its depiction of Scotland itself. McDermid shows us that, thirty years after Thatcher, parts of Scotland are still reverberating from the damage caused by the closure of its coalfields. Readers learn that, in Scotland, children cannot be disinherited, as well as how other points of Scottish law affect investigations. 

 

The plot is luxurious, and I sank down into it right up to my lower eyelids. With all its seriousness, Out of Bounds still made me bark with laughter at unexpected bits of humor, and Karen Pirie is one of those characters who will always bring me back for more. Why on earth did I wait so long to read this book?

 

Out of Bounds by Val McDermid

eISBN: 9780802190154

Atlantic Monthly Press © 2016

eBook, 419 pages

 

Police Procedural, #4 DCI Karen Pirie mystery

Rating: A+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Water's Edge by G.R. Jordan

First Line: The dreary haar hung around the harbour limits meaning anything beyond the small lighthouse was abandoned to the grey blanket.

 

Twenty years ago, Detective Inspector Seoras Macleod left the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland due to the tragic death of his wife. Since then, he's made a name for himself as a strong religious conservative who doesn't think women have a place on the police force--but his views are tolerated because he's very good at his job.

 

A young woman's death on the Isle of Lewis sees Macleod returning home to find her killer, and he's partnered with free-spirited Detective Sergeant Hope McGrath. 

 

Solving this crime means Macleod must face everything he turned his back on all those years ago.

 

~

 

To be honest, I almost stopped reading this book. The main character's religious conservatism had me grinding my teeth and muttering to myself as I read. The two things that made me keep turning the pages were its location (outside of Arizona, the highlands and islands of Scotland are my favorite place in the world) and the fact that I really did want to find out who killed Sara, a young woman who led a very interesting life.

 

Fortunately for me, the longer Macleod worked with the comely McGrath, the more his religion took a backseat to his lustful thoughts and glances. I didn't really like this development either, but I considered it an improvement over his religious pronouncements.

 

For me, the story was a strong one. Finding Sara's killer really kept my interest throughout the book. Although not quite as atmospheric as I'd hoped, the setting on the Outer Hebrides was good as well. As far as I'm concerned, the weakness in Water's Edge is in the characters. Once Macleod's lusty thoughts came down off a rolling boil, I did get used to him and was able to see how his mind worked as he worked the case; however, when I learned exactly how his wife committed suicide, yet another red flag went up. As for McGrath, she was a rather standard up-and-coming female police officer.

 

I enjoyed the mystery in Water's Edge, but with my penchant for strong, vivid characterization, I don't think this is a series that I will continue with. A shame really, since the author chose a setting I find very difficult to resist. 

Water's Edge by G.R. Jordan

eISBN: 9781912153480

Carpetless Publishing © 2019

eBook, 218 pages

Police Procedural, #1 Highlands and Islands Detective mystery

Rating: C+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton

 

First Line: "I love the hat," I said, trying to ease my way into this unexpected conversation.

 

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

Murder at a Scottish Social by Traci Hall

 

First Lines: Nairn, Scotland. Saturday morning Paisless Shaw left Cashmere Crush, her sweater and yarn shop, in the wrinkled but capable hands of her grandfather, Angus.

 

Paislee Shaw is so grateful for her life. Her bespoke knitwear and yarn shop, Cashmere Crush, provides a good living for herself, her ten-year-old son Brodie, Grandpa Angus, and their Scottish terrier, Wallace. To pay it forward for all her blessings, she participates wholeheartedly in a weekend-long charity event to raise money for the Nairn Food Bank. 

 

Paislee's weekend would have gone a lot better if she hadn't had to meet a group of competitive mothers who treat the baking competition as if it were life-and-death. When not concerned with baked goods, these divas spend their time roaming the area with their noses held high and their vicious comments flying thick and fast. 

 

Things take a turn for the worse when the queen bee of the group, Kirsten Buchanan, dies from anaphylactic shock. Who would poison Kirsten's shortbread? To be honest, nearly half the town, but when Paislee's friend Blaise makes her way to the top of the suspect list, Paislee swings into action to find a peanut-wielding killer.

 

~

 

I wish I could knit as fast as Paislee Shaw. Of course, my quality of life doesn't depend on how fast my own needles can fly. I've enjoyed Traci Hall's Scottish Shire cozy series for its depiction of life in small-town Nairn, Scotland, for its knitting, and for its characters, especially the core group of Paislee, her grandfather Angus, and her ten-year-old son Brodie. My enjoyment of Murder at a Scottish Social was diminished, undoubtedly due to the presence of the group of acid-tongued divas at the charity event. I dislike people like this so much that I don't want to spend even a second of my time with fictional ones, let alone real ones.

I was more interested in the newest developments in Paislee's family life. How Grandpa Angus' search for his missing son was progressing and how Brodie was dealing with problems at school. I would much rather have spent time knitting and chatting with Paislee and letting those divas take care of themselves. Ah well.

If you're in the mood for a puzzling mystery that's steeped in small-town Scottish life and focused on a charming mother, son, grandfather, and pup, you should pick up one of Traci Hall's Scottish Shire mysteries. And if you find divas amusing, Murder at a Scottish Social will definitely be your cup of tea.

 

Murder at a Scottish Social by Traci Hall

eISBN: 9781496726049

Kensington Books © 2022

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #3 Scottish Shire mystery

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

Lammas: 1588: A Calendar of Crime by Shirley McKay

 

First Line: Elspet left the sweepings for the tide to take out.

 

Told for years by her employer, pub owner Walter Bone, that she is ugly and that no one would ever want her, young Elspet is stunned when she catches the eye of a handsome laborer. She meets her sweetheart in secret and will do so again the night of the Lammas Fair, but her actions have not gone unnoticed.

 

Walter Bone has loved Elspet from the moment he met her. He goes to lawyer Hew Cullan to have the man draw up a foolproof will. He needs it because he plans to kill Elspet's lover, and he wants his property distributed the way he wants after he's hanged for murder. But Bone's jealousy and planning have unexpected consequences when Elspet disappears without a trace and Hew Cullan is left to sort everything out.

 

~

 

Having already purchased a mystery featuring 16th-century lawyer Hew Cullan based in St. Andrews, Scotland, I decided to meet him for the first time in this novella. This didn't turn out to be one of my better impulses because I walked right into the middle of a story in which everyone else was well-acquainted with Hew and I was not. This put me at somewhat of a disadvantage, but I still enjoyed the slice-of-life historical aspects of the story. I did feel as though I were walking the streets of St. Andrews in 1588, and I did enjoy trying to deduce what happened to the missing Elspet. The vernacular that McKay uses in her dialogue was a bit confusing from time to time, but the author does include a glossary in the back which helped a great deal.

 

Will I be meeting Hew Cullan again in the future? Yes, I do believe I will.

Lammas: 1588: A Calendar of Crime by Shirley McKay

eISBN: 9780857909145

Birlinn, Limited © 2016

eBook, 71 pages

 

Historical Mystery, #5 Hew Cullan mystery

Rating: C+

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

Song of the Dead by Douglas Lindsay

First Lines: Friday afternoon. Standing in a queue at the supermarket, staring at the floor, the basket weighing heavily in my right hand.

 

Detective Inspector Ben Westphall needs all of his experience in MI6 and all of his intuition to solve his latest case. Twelve years ago, John Baden was killed in Estonia. His body was identified and buried. Yet he's just walked into a police station, and as strange as his story sounds, it's going to get even stranger.

Westfall travels from the Scottish Highlands to Estonia to investigate, but when the people on his list of suspects begin to die, he realizes that someone is trying to cover up the truth.

~

Each time I discover a new mystery series set in the Highlands of Scotland, I'm all over it like a rash. I've discovered several new authors this way, many of whom are on my favorites list. After forcing my way through Song of the Dead, I can categorically state that Douglas Lindsay did not make that list.

I could not connect with any of the characters, and although I liked being reminded of places like Inverness and the Cromarty Firth, soon the only reason why I continued to read this book was to try to figure out what was going on. However, the plot became more and more convoluted, and without a character I could connect with to guide me through the story, I was reading just to get to the bottom of things and finish the book.

Douglas Lindsay is not an author for me, but that's not to say that he can't be someone whose writing you enjoy-- especially if you like reading about places like Scotland and Estonia.

Song of the Dead by Douglas Lindsay

eISBN: 9781473696921

Hodder & Stoughton © 2019

eBook, 319 pages

 

Police Procedural, #1 DI Westphall mystery

Rating: D

Source: Purchased from Amazon.

A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry

 

First Line: A book is already written before the reader casts an eye upon the page.

 

Circumstances are certainly keeping Dr. Will Raven off-balance. Few things ever upset him, but even he is shocked at the contents of a package that washes up at the Port of Leith, and he still can't understand why a man he's long detested is suddenly pleading for his help to escape the hangman.

 

Back at the home of Dr. James Simpson, Sarah Fisher has her heart set on learning to practice medicine even though almost everyone tells her not to. When she learns that a woman has recently earned a medical degree despite her gender, Sarah travels across the Channel to speak with her.

 

Sarah returns in a strange mood, but Will needs her help. His efforts to prove the man's innocence are failing. Between the two of them, they travel the great social divide of Edinburgh to discover the truth.

 

~

 

Once upon a time, I used to be a reader who had to read any series books in order. No exceptions. In the past few years, I've moved past that, willing to jump in with the newest book and then go back to the beginning if I enjoyed what I read. I've been lucky doing that, seldom choosing a series that didn't tell enough of the backstory to start me off on the right foot. Well... A Corruption of Blood, the third book in the Raven & Fisher historical series set in 1850s Edinburgh, Scotland, was not a good choice to jump into this new-to-me series. I spent almost the first half of the book feeling like an outsider and struggling to get the cast of characters straight as well as all their relationships to each other.

The mystery in this book isn't all that mysterious, although something a bad guy says did make my jaw drop. There were also a few too many romantic entanglements to suit me, although they never did cross my imaginary line in the sand.

What I did enjoy about this book is its depiction of the practice of medicine at that time, its mix of barbarism and advancement, as well as the almost insurmountable divide between the rich and the poor. And-- fancy that-- some of the same problems faced then are the exact same ones we face today. The more things change...

Now that I have my bearings in this Raven & Fisher series, am I going to continue reading? Even though I did like the story on the whole and I did appreciate the historical setting, I think one visit with Will Raven and Sarah Fisher is enough for me. Your mileage may certainly vary.

A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry

eISBN: 9781786899873

Canongate Books © 2021

eBook, 416 pages

 

Historical Mystery, #3 Raven & Fisher mystery

Rating: C+

Source: Net Galley

Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall

First Line: Paislee Shaw gritted her teeth as the school bus jounced over a crack in the paved road, and wished for a wee bit more padding to protect her bum from the hard plastic seat.

 

Single mother Paislee Shaw's priority is her ten-year-old son Brody, but you can't blame her if she wants to do a bit of multi-tasking now and again. She signed on as chaperone for the class trip to the Leery Estate, but she not only wants to take care of the children on the field trip, she also wants to track down the heir to the estate, Shawn Marcus. Yes, that Shawn Marcus, the man who served an eviction notice to her and five other shopkeepers in Nairn and then disappeared. Her knitting shop, Cashmere Crush-- her sole means of support for herself, her son, her grandfather, and their dog-- is at stake.

 

But instead of finding the missing man, Paislee finds herself shielding one of Brody's classmates as a dead body comes crashing through a hedge. Who is the dead man? Why was he shot? And where in the world is her missing landlord? Paislee's got a lot more multi-tasking to do to get to the bottom of this mystery.

 

~

 

Knit shop owner Paislee Shaw continues her winning ways in Murder in a Scottish Garden, the second in Traci Hall's Scottish Shire cozy series set on Scotland's north coast. The mystery is the type to keep you scratching your head as you try to unravel all the knots and tangles. True to any rich family worth its salt, those on the Leery Estate hold themselves to different standards, and everyone on the property seems to have at least four different versions of the truth that they share with both Detective Inspector Mack Zeffer and the ever-inquisitive Paislee Shaw.

One of the things that I like about this series is that there's more going on than the mystery. There's the problem of Paislee's missing uncle, a mystery that her grandfather seems loathe to share and which ties into the strong parents-and-their-children theme of the book as does the lawsuit facing the school. There's also the problem of the eviction notice that she and the other shopkeepers have been served. If Paislee is forced to move from her prime location, it could have dire consequences for her business. If she loses Cashmere Crush, women won't have any place to gather for their Knit & Sip meetings or a place to buy yarn or order one of Paislee's custom-knit items.

And of course, like any good cozy, all this is held together by a fine cast of characters, in particular Paislee, her son Brody, and her grandfather. I like how Paislee's primary concern is her son, how she isn't looking for a man but thinks nothing of trying to play matchmaker for her single friends. There is no shortage of eligible men in Nairn. For example, there's the "high-end fashion model" handsome detective inspector who seems to be slowly learning to appreciate Paislee's sleuthing skills, and there's the local headmaster with the irresistible dimples. Well, they used to be irresistible until that lawsuit.

I find Paislee, her family, and her sleuthing to be good for what ails me, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if you did, too. If you're new to the series, I suggest that you begin with the first book, Murder in a Scottish Shire. You have some fun in store!

Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall

eISBN: 9781496726025

Kensington Books © 2021

eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Scottish Shire mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Gods and Beasts by Denise Mina

 

First Line: Martin Pavel heard it all as if through a pillow: the faint whine of ambulances, the helicopter murmur overhead, the muffled shouts of men in bulky uniforms, paramedics and cops shouting urgent instructions to each other-- GET THAT TAPE, MOVE THEM BACK.

 

Detective Sergeant Alex Morrow has barely returned to work from giving birth to twins and her plate is already full. A week before Christmas in a Glasgow post office, Martin Pavel finds his eyes locked on a small boy as the boy's grandfather helps gunmen gather all the money together. What Alex (and everyone else) wants to know is why did the old man volunteer to help the gunmen only to be killed? Was it an act of sacrifice or did the old man and his killer share a dark past?

 

The further into the investigation Alex gets, she's taken right to the door of Kenny Gallagher, a local politician fighting for his political life and his marriage after being accused of having an affair with a young woman. And what Alex doesn't know is that there is trouble in the form of blackmail and corruption brewing within her own ranks.

 

~

 

You can always count on Denise Mina to tackle uncomfortable truths in her books, and she does it again in this third Alex Morrow mystery, Gods and Beasts. The framework of the book can be found in two quotes she uses. One from Abraham Lincoln: "Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power." The second from Aristotle: "Those who live outside the city walls and are self sufficient, are either Gods or Beasts." Gods and Beasts is the story of how some people abuse power, of how some people face the possibility of losing their jobs, of how the marginalized find themselves living from day to weary day. 

Mina is a master at writing about the marginalized, at writing about the grit and grime of living "outside the city walls" of Glasgow, and I once again found myself immersed in Alex Morrow's world as she tries to solve this crime, deal with her co-workers, and be a wife and mother. Mina's world isn't always pleasant. The days are often overcast and gloomy, and violence can blindside you. But there's comfort in knowing that someone like Alex Morrow is on the job. That someone like Alex Morrow will keep fighting the bad guys with intelligence and determination. 

There's a power to Mina's writing that you don't see every day. Take, for example, this one tiny scene that doesn't mean all that much in the scheme of things: "On the ground, by the side of the concrete front step, was a small ash tray, four half-smoked cigarettes laid out in a neat row, filters by filters, the burnt tips concertinaed. They made him think of diagrams of slave ships." This one small descriptive scene made this reader think of the smoker, so precise with those half-smoked cigarettes, so enslaved by an addiction to nicotine, but the scene keeps on giving. Diagrams of slave ships? My mind went on to think of people stolen from their homes, packed into filthy ships holds, and taken to work in tobacco fields. Of how slavery and poverty and drudgery grind people down. 

 

It's a tiny scene with so much depth and power that it still takes my breath away, and it's one of the many reasons why I read Denise Mina's books. If you haven't, I hope you'll give them a try. As much as I enjoy Mina's Alex Morrow series, I found her Garnethill trilogy and her novels featuring Paddy Meehan to be excellent. Don't miss out on Denise Mina, one of the founders of Tartan Noir.

Gods and Beasts by Denise Mina

ISBN: 9781443416856

HarperCollins © 2013

Paperback, 304 pages

 

Police Procedural, #3 DS Alex Morrow mystery

Rating: A-

Source: Purchased from Book Outlet.