Delaney is a very fortunate Kansas girl. She has found a job working in a book store in Edinburgh Scotland. And the Cracked Spine is not just any book store, it is filled with rare books and collector's items. Delaney's job is to verify and catalog the rarest of items.

After Delaney has an evening at the pub with a couple of her friends who are medical students, she and her boy friend, Tom, go to the warehouse portion of the store. She wants to verify the existence of some antique scalpels.

The next morning, a medical student she met at the pub the night before is found murdered in the alley behind the store. Edinburgh's age means that there are many stories and legends of murders from the past. In fact the alley may have been the site of a burial ground. History is everywhere.

Events begin to influence Delaney as she searches for the truth about the murdered girl and the murderer. Between history and the secrets of the people involved there is a great deal to investigate.

This is a fast moving story. Although it is the third book in a series, I could follow the action easily even though I have not read the first two books.

Delaney has an extra sense which allows her to channel literary quotes which are appropriate for the moment. One quality I did not admire is her sense that she is able to investigate on her own. She is a bright young woman who has fallen in love with her new city as well as most of the people she has met there. But, at times she seemed to be too willing to retain information which would have been better to be shared with the police.

The secondary characters are able to add to the atmosphere and action of the story. Delaney's boss Edwin, and her fellow workers are very interesting as well as supportive of Delaney. In fact, nearly every friend is a supportive character who is willing to go the extra mile on her behalf.

I liked this book. It is a well developed cozy mystery with a good plot and a strong central character.

I received this book from the publisher through NetGalley. I am voluntarily writing this review and all opinions are my own.

A cozy mystery to curl up by the fire with and lose yourself for a while. I enjoyed the characters and the plot. Delaney, from Kansas, has moved to Scotland and is working in the bookshop The Cracked Spine. She befriends some medical students from the local university and, after a night out with them at a bar, a friend of the students who was as the bar with them is murdered behind The Cracked Spine. Delaney is full of questions and sets starts her own investigation.

I enjoyed the backdrop of the rare bookshop and the backstory of murders that took place in the past. This was a fun book with a bit of intrigue, a bit of romance, and a bit of history all rolled into one. The book was paced well and kept my attention throughout.

Thanks to Paige Shelton and St. Martin's Press through Netgalley for an advance copy.

This series takes you right to the small Scottish town and you just want to spend the rest of your days there! There is something so unique about this series that just keeps me coming back for more! The characters are charming and quirky, the setting beautiful. The mystery, as always, is enjoyable, well thought out, and so delightfully twisty that I want to reread the book just to make sure I didn't miss anything! Such a great series that I love to get lost in.

Lost Books and Old Bones is the third book in Paige Shelton's Scottish Bookshop cozy mystery series. When this book showed up in my galley list for review, I didn't remember requesting it. But I do have this series on my cozy TBR list....so I was excited to get to read it, whether I remembered asking for it specifically or not. It was a happy surprise! This is the first book in the series that I have read, but I was easily able to jump in mid-stream and follow the story line. It does mention some past events, but the story stands on its own well enough to read without reading the prior two books. I'm definitely going to back-track now and read the other books in this series. This was a fun, entertaining cozy! I like the background theme of a rare manuscript and bookshop, The Cracked Spine, in Scotland. :)

The basics: Delaney Nicols has befriended two local medical students, Sophie and Rena, after they came into the shop to sell some rare medical books from the early 1900s. Her boss, Edwin MacAlister, was very excited to get the old tomes. At the pub with her new friends, she meets one of their professors, Dr Eban, and another student, Mallory. Dr. Eban makes Delaney uncomfortable....he's creepy and just...strange, plus he's having an affair with Sophie. Later that night, Delaney meets up with her boyfriend Tom at the bookshop, and they investigate a bit in her boss' warehouse, looking for a famous set of scalpels used by an infamous local doctor back in the days of body snatching. Thinking it's best to leave the scalpels locked up for the night, they leave them in a desk drawer in the shop and go home for the night. The next day in the alleyway outside the shop, a body is discovered. Mallory -- the student Delaney met the previous night -- has been murdered and the shop door is open. A skull was left by the body making the scene appear staged. At the pub the night before, Dr Eban had been asking about the rumored collection of antiquities owned by Delaney's boss, even mentioning the scalpels specifically. Is that a coincidence? Or is Mallory's death linked to the scalpels somehow? Is Dr Eban not just lecherous and creepy, but also a murderer? Or was the scene staged to make it appear that way?

I loved this book! I like the background theme of a rare bookshop, and its mysterious hidden warehouse of antiquities and interesting objects. It lends a cool creepy factor to the story! Delaney is a fun, intelligent main character, and all the quirky side characters (and her hunky boyfriend Tom) all add charm to the story. The mystery progresses at a nice pace with plenty of twists and suspects. It kept my attention from beginning to end. And although I could totally follow the story and characters without reading from the beginning of the series, I definitely am back-tracking and reading this entire series! Entertaining, fun, with splashes of humor and creepiness -- lovely cozy mystery!

Paige Shelton is the author of several cozy mystery series including the Farmer's Market Mysteries.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Delaney is settling in to her new life in Scotland and after an evening out with some girl friends, she is startled to learn that one of the girls has been found murdered outside of the bookshop where she works. Her friends are all medical students and Delaney gets to wondering if a special set of books that her boss has acquired may be behind the murder. Since it's her job to verify the value of the books, she is drawn into the investigation of the murder.

The background of the history of Burke and Hare, murderers from the past who killed to provide corpses for the medical college and its incorporation into the story was magnificent. Again I was drawn to the regular characters and their closeness to each other and their desire to protect each other.

Delaney is settling into her new life in Edinburg, Scotland and is starting to make friends with some local med students. When one of their friends is found murdered near the bookshop where Katie works, and people from the past seem to have reappeared, Delaney can't help but get involved in trying to figure out whodunnit … and why.

While the first two books in this series left me feeling so-so, I'm glad I stuck with it and read this third installment. I liked the setting and the characters, but I really liked the history that came along with some of the back story, and I plan to do some of my own research into some of the historical figures that were referenced throughout the book. While I thought I had figured out the identity of the murderer, I wasn't sure until the reveal near the end of the book. I look forward to reading the next book in this series when it is released.

She's an American who is working in a Scottish bookstore. She loves her job, has friends and life is good. Until a new friend she made is found dead behind the bookstore...

Minotaur Books and Net Galley let me read this book for review (thank you). It is being published April 34rd.

Delaney likes the medical students she's met but it leads into a murder case. She finds an old case from the past has something to do with the current events and she tries to make sense of it.

The history of the old crime is fascinating, if a bit gruesome. It's also true. The author does a good of building her story from those facts.

There's a murdering doctor on the loose, everybody has some sort of secret, there are rumored affairs, and it's hard to weed out what's true and what's a lie. The biggest lie is right in front of them but they can't see it.

The ending is exciting and Delaney almost loses her life. I wouldn't have guessed who the murderer was and I was glad to see them brought to justice. Especially since there was a wrong-doing long ago that got straightened out and a current plan thwarted.

If you like bits of history and books, this book is fun to read. If you like a good mystery, this one fits that bill, too. It was well worth my time and I enjoyed it.

A fantasy job for me would be to relocate to Edinburgh, Scotland with a job in an old bookshop called The Cracked Spine. The protagonist of Shelton’s Scottish Bookshop Mystery series has done just that. Delaney Nichols left her home in Kansas and is happily employed at The Cracked Spine. She never dreamed that the beautiful, old, and very valuable medical books they acquired would bring about the murder of a young medical student. The creep factor goes up a notch when the current crime begins to mix with the legendary body snatchers, Burke and Hare.

This mystery hit many of my favorite buttons. The dusty bookstore with the mysterious warehouse, Edinburgh history, pubs and cute pub owners. Shelton’s writing takes you into the personalities of the Scots with dialogue written in first-rate dialect. A fun read that makes you go look up the notorious history of Burke and Hare and Scotland’s fleshmarket. Curl up in front of the fire with a favorite libation and settle in for a cozy read.

Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton was a pure delight to read. Ms. Shelton never fails to intrigue me with her research of Scotland's rich heritage. This time it involves the University of Edinburgh's medical college and it was fascinating.

Delaney has settled into her new life and may have found the love of her life in Tom. Delaney and Tom's relationship is so open and supportive as Delaney tries to help solve the mysteries that seem to find her wherever she goes. I love The Cracked Spine bookshop! Rosie, Hamlet, Edwin, Elias, Aggie and Tom are so well developed that I feel like I would recognize them on a street in Edinburgh if I were to visit. Ms. Shelton's descriptive writing always makes me feel like I am present as Delaney travels throughout the city; and her research of Scottish history enlightens me with every book. The mystery is complex, the suspects are multi-layered and the twists kept me guessing until the reveal.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Minotaur Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own. I would like to sincerely thank Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review the book.

I  recieved a free digital copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This is the third book in the series, but my first. Delaney is an American from Kansas who moved to Scotland and is working at an amazing bookshop. She even has her own pub owner Tom! ❤

After a night of drinking with friends, Mallory, one of the girls she met the night before is found dead right outside the bookshop. To make matters worse, her friends Sophie and Rena are being secretive and uncooperative with her. Dr. Eban is described as odd and is obsessed with Hare and Burke, murderers from the 1800s.

Is Sophie really having an affair with a Dr at the medical school like Rena insinuated? Is the murdering Dr. Glenn back from being missing for the last ten years or so? Is one of these girls Dr. Glenn's missing daughter? The book is choc full of murder and mysteries!

I loved all of the character development throughout the book. Joshua, the museum worker. Sweet Rosie who works with her at the shop. Then there's Elias, her landlord/taxi driver/protector. The only two who annoyed me were Sophie and Rena, but maybe that's just me.

I was able to guess correctly who the daughter was, but the killer slipped past me and I LOVE it! I love an author who can give all the clues, but still have a knack for surprising their readers. The mystery was definitely satisfying and I can't wait to see what's in Delaney's future!

This was an intriguing read. Some interesting history included along with the mystery that kept me guessing to the end. A wonderful cast of characters that come alive on the pages with unique personalities that you can truly relate to. Medical school mixed up with medical history and some very questionable characters - both living and long dead. I would highly recommend this book to lovers of mysteries and if you love Scotland that's the cherry on top.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
This story is a about a bookshop in Scotland. The characters are very likable.This is a well-written and nicely paced book that kept me reading late into the night. Nice twists and turns to keep things interesting. I'm already looking forward to the next one.
This was my first book by this author, I did enjoy it, It was fast paced just and alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
4 star rating!

3.75 stars

Delaney Nichols left Kansas to embark on a grand adventure and wound up working in a mysterious bookstore in Edinburgh. She is a great protagonist -- quirky, flawed, and appealing. The ensemble cast including her kilted Scottish boyfriend, pubowner Tom, her eccentric boss, and her landlady and his wife.

After spending a night out with her casual friends Rena and Sophie celebrating the end of the medical school semester, Delaney returns home. She is stunned the next morning when co-workers discover a murdered body near the shop -- a young woman who had been with her and her friends the night before in the pub.

The medical school environment is atmospheric with old intrigues and scandal. A recurring theme is the famous Scottish tale of murderers Hare and Burke, who provided bodies for anatomical studies by killing people. More recently, an unlicensed "doctor" and faculty member is still on the lam after allegedly murdering his wife. Their co-workers still work at the university and are teachers for Sophie and Rena.

Fun series with an intriguing setting. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I’ve been a fan of the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series by Paige Shelton and was excited to read an advance copy of her third book, LOST BOOKS AND OLD BONES. Not only did it meet my high expectations but I think it’s the best book in the series so far! Ms. Shelton captured my attention starting with her Acknowledgments and continuing all the way through to her list of real-life victims at the back of the book. I couldn’t put the book down and devoured it in one sitting while neglecting to pause to even take a single note for my review. I greatly admire the protagonist, Delany, from Kansas in America, as the Scottish people are prone to call her. She has an adventurous spirit, enjoys researching historical books and items, and has a kind, friendly heart to those she meets… even to those who might not seem to deserve her compassion. She is surrounded by a wonderful cast of characters that greatly add to the enjoyment of the story. I adore The Cracked Spine, the delightful bookshop with its mysterious treasures and tomes! It’s a place I could spend days and days exploring and wish it were a real location. It’s also the perfect setting from which to feature Delany getting involved in murder mysteries.

Ms. Shelton weaves an intriguing plot incorporating not only a modern day murder but a murder that spans a decade and several historical murders from the early 1800’s! While the plot lines are intricate, the author writes skillfully so that the reader never feels lost. In fact, the suspense kept me on the edge of my seat, turning pages faster and faster to see how she would tie the seemingly unrelated deaths together. Ms. Shelton deftly brings the threads of the story together in an exciting and very satisfying conclusion that leaves me pleading for the next book to release soon!

This is such a delightful series! This is the third I believe in the series with the lovely Delaney from Kansas. Working in The Cracked Spine bookshop selling rare and old books with a secret room with even more hidden treasure! It's a book lover's dream!

When a young lady she had met the night before is found murdered outside of the bookshop, Delaney's curious mind simply has to be involved!

This Cozy Mystery Series is full of history, intrigue and suspense and really lovely characters! The Scottish Bookshop Series is definitely in my top 5!

Netgalley/Minotaur   April 03, 2018

This is a series that is just growing stronger and stronger. Ms. Shelton's book took me on 'vacation' to Scotland and allowed me to spend some time with 'friends' at the bookshop. The characters are very likable and I'd love to actually visit the bookshop and get to know them better.

This is a well-written and nicely paced book that kept me reading late into the night. Nice twists and turns to keep things interesting. I'm already looking forward to the next one.

A delightful and charming mystery featuring a compelling plot, interesting characters and a strong sense of Scotland. Delaney is an American who is working in Scotland at The Cracked Spine, a used and rare bookstore with a legendary and secret collection. Two young female medical students, Rena and Sophie, bring in a valuable collection of old medical books to sell and Delaney befriends them. They go out to a pub one evening with another friend, Mallory, where Dr. Eban, a professor at the medical school joins them and expresses an interest in The Cracked Spine and its collections. Later that night Mallory is found murdered in the alley behind the bookshop and Delaney gets herself involved in investigating the case. The book is thoroughly enjoyable and taught me a lot about the history of the medical profession in Scotland as well as gave me a sense of what it is like to live in Edinburgh. I highly recommend it.