A Wee Murder in My Shop
Author: Fran Stewart
Series: A ScotShop Mystery 1
Publisher: Berkley, March 3, 2015
Format: Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages
List Price: $7.99 (print)
ISBN: 9780425270318 (print)
Review Copy: Provided by the Publisher
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!
Hamelin, Vermont, isn’t the most likely place for bagpipes and tartan, but at Peggy Winn’s ScotShop, business is booming…
While on a transatlantic hunt for some authentic wares to sell at her shop, Peggy is looking to forget her troubles by digging through the hidden treasures of the Scottish Highlands. With so many enchanting items on sale, Peggy can’t resist buying a beautiful old tartan shawl. But once she wraps it around her shoulders, she discovers that her purchase comes with a hidden fee: the specter of a fourteenth-century Scotsman.
Unsure if her Highland fling was real or a product of an overactive imagination, Peggy returns home to Vermont—only to find the dead body of her ex-boyfriend on the floor of her shop. When the police chief arrests Peggy’s cousin based on some incriminating evidence, Peggy decides to ask her haunting Scottish companion to help figure out who really committed the crime—before anyone else gets kilt…
Author: Fran Stewart
Series: A ScotShop Mystery 1
Publisher: Berkley, March 3, 2015
Format: Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 304 pages
List Price: $7.99 (print)
ISBN: 9780425270318 (print)
Review Copy: Provided by the Publisher
FIRST IN A NEW SERIES!
Hamelin, Vermont, isn’t the most likely place for bagpipes and tartan, but at Peggy Winn’s ScotShop, business is booming…
While on a transatlantic hunt for some authentic wares to sell at her shop, Peggy is looking to forget her troubles by digging through the hidden treasures of the Scottish Highlands. With so many enchanting items on sale, Peggy can’t resist buying a beautiful old tartan shawl. But once she wraps it around her shoulders, she discovers that her purchase comes with a hidden fee: the specter of a fourteenth-century Scotsman.
Unsure if her Highland fling was real or a product of an overactive imagination, Peggy returns home to Vermont—only to find the dead body of her ex-boyfriend on the floor of her shop. When the police chief arrests Peggy’s cousin based on some incriminating evidence, Peggy decides to ask her haunting Scottish companion to help figure out who really committed the crime—before anyone else gets kilt…
Jennifer's Review
A Wee Murder in my Shop by Fran Stewart is the first in the new ScotShop Mystery Series. This series follows Peggy Winn, who runs a shop in her hometown that specializes in authentic Scottish merchandise. Peggy is attempting to bounce back from the discovery that her now ex-boyfriend has been having a fling with one of her friends, and is hoping that a buying trip to Scotland will help her do just that. Before she returns home to Vermont, she purchases an ancient tartan shawl that comes complete with the ghost of a fourteenth century Scotsman. Upon her return, with the ghost in tow, she discovers the murdered body of her ex right in her own shop, and must try to find out who committed the crime before she or one of her many friends and relatives become the next victim.
This novel has good bones, the characters, and there are a lot of supporting characters to choose from, are interesting, but can be flat at times. The plot has potential, unfortunately, the execution is slightly flawed. The pace of the storyline is choppy in parts, making the story flow less than smoothly. The side plot involving the crusty old ghost is not given enough attention, and Peggy is very nonchalant about the concept of having a ghost attached to her, but these are issues that can be remedied in subsequent installments. The mystery is cleared up by the end of the novel, but there are many loose ends in the story that are left hanging, and the cliff hanger ending just didn’t satisfy. The ending, however, does leave a great deal that can be picked up on in the next book, so there is more that can be learned about the characters, especially the brawny ghost. Hopefully the author will weave some of the loose ends into her next novel that can build upon the foundation that was placed in the first book and give more depth and realism to the series.
A Wee Murder in my Shop by Fran Stewart is the first in the new ScotShop Mystery Series. This series follows Peggy Winn, who runs a shop in her hometown that specializes in authentic Scottish merchandise. Peggy is attempting to bounce back from the discovery that her now ex-boyfriend has been having a fling with one of her friends, and is hoping that a buying trip to Scotland will help her do just that. Before she returns home to Vermont, she purchases an ancient tartan shawl that comes complete with the ghost of a fourteenth century Scotsman. Upon her return, with the ghost in tow, she discovers the murdered body of her ex right in her own shop, and must try to find out who committed the crime before she or one of her many friends and relatives become the next victim.
This novel has good bones, the characters, and there are a lot of supporting characters to choose from, are interesting, but can be flat at times. The plot has potential, unfortunately, the execution is slightly flawed. The pace of the storyline is choppy in parts, making the story flow less than smoothly. The side plot involving the crusty old ghost is not given enough attention, and Peggy is very nonchalant about the concept of having a ghost attached to her, but these are issues that can be remedied in subsequent installments. The mystery is cleared up by the end of the novel, but there are many loose ends in the story that are left hanging, and the cliff hanger ending just didn’t satisfy. The ending, however, does leave a great deal that can be picked up on in the next book, so there is more that can be learned about the characters, especially the brawny ghost. Hopefully the author will weave some of the loose ends into her next novel that can build upon the foundation that was placed in the first book and give more depth and realism to the series.
You may see a Guest Blog by Fran Stewart here and enter to win a copy of A Wee Murder in My Shop. The Giveaway is included here again for your convenience. Please note that if you've already entered you will not be able to enter again at this post.
The Giveaway
What: One entrant will win a Mass Market Paperback copy of A Wee Murder in My Shop by Fran Stewart from the publisher. US ONLY
How: Log into and follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below.
Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time on March 23, 2015. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The Giveaway
What: One entrant will win a Mass Market Paperback copy of A Wee Murder in My Shop by Fran Stewart from the publisher. US ONLY
How: Log into and follow the directions in the Rafflecopter below.
Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time on March 23, 2015. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.
*Giveaway rules and duration are subject to change.*
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What an interesting mystery! Many times I have asked myself "What would happen...?" Thanks for sharing.
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