While I love the characters and the setting for this series, I just couldn't get into this particular story. The people being investigated are so aloof and unlikeable that I didn't really care who was guilty. Still, I will continue with the series because I love Paislee, her family and her friends.

Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall is the second in the A Scottish Shire Mystery series. I have not read the first book yet. I was able to get current with this one quickly though.
What I loved about this book was, the protagonist, Paislee, is a single mom and a business owner. You feel as if you are in Scotland. I also loved the twists and turns that had me guessing to the end. In the main stoyline there is also love of family and friendship. This story though also shows not all families are kind and loving.
Overall, I couldn't put it down and I really want to learn to knit.
I was given an ARC by Kensington and NetGalley for an honest review.

Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall is the second book in the Scottish Shire Mystery series..
This second book is a great follow up to the first book. I love the mystery and the wonderfully written characters.
Looking forward to the next book in this fantastic cozy mystery.

Paislee Shaw is a single mum, owner of a sweater and yarn shop and supports herself and son, plus grandfather and Wallace the dog. When she is pressurised with one months notice to give up her lease on her prime situation shop, she and the other tenants all equally pressurized by the situation has to come up with a plan to meet their elusive landlord. He does not respond to letters or telephone calls and although he is rumoured to live in the village pile, his whereabouts are unknown and no sightings of him at all.

When Paislee accompanies her son along with a group of school children to the aristocratic home of her landlord and his mother, her main focus was on collaring Shawn Marcus and forcing him to see reason. She did not envisage to be the witness of a murder, be then suspected in the murder and then get inveigled into an investigation of the murder promoted by Shawn's mother herself the Lady Leery who asks Paislee to go detect the history of these murders, mainly of course of clearing her son's name.

The series deals with Paislee (who is in a bit of a time management fix) with love interests from both the Detective as well as the Head Master and finding herself in the wrong place at the wrong time a bit too often. The setting is charming, the characters even more so, the villains are villainous and the story rolls along with many, many suspects.

A cozy which aptly lives upto the description.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. We are back with the sequel to The Murder In A Scottish Shire. I absolutely adore Paislee and Brody's characters. Im happy to be reading more by this author. I highly highly recommend this series to anyone and everyone. It is entertaining. It will keep you on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out what happened from the very first page. The pacing of this book is great. It is in stores now for $15.95 (USD).

This is the 2nd installment in the Scottish Shire mystery series. Paislee Shaw lives in Nairn Scotland and she runs Cashmere Croft a yarn shop that is her livelihood for her and her son Brody and now her Grandfather who came to Nairn over a month ago. Paislee is on a field trip with her son Brody at Leery Estate and Gardens and hopes to also see the son of the owner Shawn who is also her landlord. In the last book, Paislee as well as all the shopowners were provided eviction notices and Paislee has been trying to get a hold of Shawn for over a month. When she has to take one of the girls to the restroom she hears a shot and soon someone comes thru the hedges and drops on the ground. She at first thinks it is Shawn and when the gardener/butler arrives they call emergency services and it turns out that it was Lady Leery’s nephew Charles Thomson. Paislee’s best friend Lydia has an event at the estate for the company she works for and Paislee goes as her “date”. Paislee wants to catch Shawn at the dinner to ask about the building but he is really grumpy and drinking a lot. She does catch him and finds out that Shawn was counting on his cousin to give him a kidney and learns he is really sick. He tells her to trust no one and one of the other people at the house is his half sister Aila who was called in for questioning. The butler Malcolm is always around the corner and seems very hostile to Paislee. Turns out Lady Shannon has a number of her old flames as servants and Malcolm is extremely loyal to her as are others. DI Zeffer is trying to figure out the culprits and wants Paislee to stay out of it. This was a really good mystery and loved the history of the estate and the dynamics of the Leery/Marcus family as well as the growth of Paislee’s relationship with her Grandfather. Looking forward to the next installment.

Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall has Paislee Shaw acting as chaperone on her son’s class field trip to the Leery Estate. Paislee is hoping to see her wayward landlord, Shawn Marcus while there because there is only five days left on the thirty days’ notice he served her. While waiting for one of her charges to exit the restroom, Paislee hears a pop and then Lady Leery’s nephew, Charles Thomson falls through the hedges dead. DI Mack Zeffer is on the case, and he is interested in Paislee’s keen observations. DI Zeffer, though, does not want Paislee investigating, but her curiosity gets the best of her. She soon discovers that there are more suspects than sprouting weeds in a spring garden. Paislee needs to narrow down the list and zero in on the guilty party. Murder in a Scottish Garden is the 2nd A Scottish Shire Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you have not indulged in Murder in a Scottish Shire. I like that the main characters (Paislee, Brody, Gramps) are developed. We continue to learn more about this little family. I enjoyed the descriptions of Nairn, Scotland with its nosy residents and charming shops. Not as much time was spent in Cashmere Crush this time which is a shame because I love the cozy shop. I enjoy reading about the beautiful yarns Paislee carries and the items she creates with them. The mystery was complex and thought-out. There are a handful of suspects along with good clues. I enjoyed solving this whodunit. I did feel, though, that the book lacked action. The pacing was sluggish in the middle. I am surprised Cashmere Crush makes money with the amount of time Paislee spends running around town with the shop closed. There is a way to balance work and sleuthing (hint to the author). I was not a fan of the lawsuit storyline (parents sued Paislee—who has no money—because she protected a little girl from seeing a dead man). It seemed silly and unnecessary. There are two potential suitors for Paislee, but issues keep her from getting together with her son’s headmaster who runs hot and cold. Grandpa is still looking for his missing son. This storyline started in Murder in a Scottish Shire and is touched on in this book. I wonder how long the author will stretch out this thread. Murder at a Scottish Social is the next book in the series. Murder in a Scottish Garden is a charming whodunit with a mystifying maze, a striking sculptor, a dedicated detective, a trivial lawsuit, real estate miseries, and a mysterious murder.

Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall is the 2nd book in A Scottish Sire Mystery, and another enjoyable book. Paislee is a twenty-eight-year-old single mom, who owns Cashmere Crush a specialty sweater shop. Life is settling in with her grandfather living with them, and helping her at the store. On top of that Paislee was served with eviction notice on her shop, that she would have to move out of her store within thirty days, but has not heard anything since. Paislee wants to talk to the owner, Shawn Marcus, so she agrees to chaperone her son's field trip to their gardens. While there Paislee witnesses a man being killed, and the sleuthing begins. I really liked this book, and can't wait for the next book in the series. If you enjoy cozy mysteries ,than give this book a try, you won't be disappointed.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Should you be in the mood for a cozy mystery, let me recommend Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall, just out on May 25. Be prepared for the Scottish dialect throughout that takes you right into that Scottish garden and surrounding seaside community of Nairn.

In this second of the Scottish Shire Mysteries, Paislee Shaw owner of a specialty sweater shop tries to contact her elusive landlord Shawn Marcus, who has given her and her fellow shop owners an eviction notice just before cutting off contact with them. A golden opportunity arises for her to be a chaperone for her son’s class field trip to the mansion his mother Lady Leery owns. Surely, she will run into Shawn there and be able to speak to him. Instead, she hears a gunshot in the gardens and runs into a dead body falling out of the hedges. The body turns out to be Lady Leery’s nephew, Charles Thomson.

Paislee, a single mom trying to hold things together for her ten-year-old son Brody, her obstreperous grandfather, and black Scottish terrier, adds solving the mystery to “to-do list” along with her attempt to hold on to her shop. Suspects abound, including some of her friends. The dysfunctional Leery family dynamics and secrets add difficulty to her search for the killer. Then there’s the curt DI Mack Zeffer who alternately either wants her help or guards his status as the professional in the case. Paislee perseveres through all this and a lawsuit from the parents of the child she sheltered from the shooting before bringing us to the solution.

Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall is the second in a series about a single mom who runs a wool and knitting shop and is raising her 10-years-old son, recently with the help of her grandfather. It is on a trip to the garden of a nearby manor house when she is witness to the murder of a man. He looked like her landlord, Shawn, but when she got closer she realized it was not. Later she discovered it was Shawn's cousin. She was close to the spot the murder took place because she had taken a girl from his class to the restroom. As soon as she realized that the sound she heard was a shot, she held the door so the child could not get out and put herself in danger. Thus began a several-week-long nightmare, with people suing her, her business in jeopardy from several directions, and fear that maybe the killer would come after her.

This was a decent cozy, although unlike some, it did not draw me immediately back to the community. I had to read a couple of chapters to be engrossed. There is a really impressive cast of supporting characters with interesting problems: the people running the tearoom who are trying desperately to have a child; her landlord, who apparently needs a kidney transplant; his mother, who is desperately trying to hang on to the appearance of wealthy peerage, when the money is long gone; and her grandfather, who is patiently waiting for his son to return, but is on the brink of giving up hope. Then there is the cranky detective, and the less-than-loyal headmaster of her son's school. The mystery is a good one, with plenty of red herrings and misdirection. It is a good book, well worth reading. She creates interesting characters. I recommend it.

I was invited to read an e-ARC of Murder in a Scottish Garden by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #murderinascottishgarden

Paislee is a single mom who owns a yarn shop – Cashmere Crush. Their family has also been recently joined by her estranged grandfather. Paislee’s shop is at threat as the building is on the market. While accompanying her son on a school field trip, a man is murdered. Paislee becomes drawn up in the murder investigation and trying to save herself from a lawsuit all while trying to save her shop.

This is the first book I’ve read in this series. The characters are interesting. The neighborhood is full of interesting scenarios. I enjoyed this book.

Murder in a Scottish Garden is the second book in Traci Hall's Scottish Shire series. Hall knows how to narrates a great mystery filled with twists and turns and plenty of laugh out loud moments for readers to unravel.

Anxious to find landlord, Shawn Marcus, her landlord to discuss options other than eviction, Paislee volunteers to chaperone her Brody's field trip to Leery Estate. While at the estate, which the landlord is said to be heir to, Paislee witnesses a man being shot...and the field trip turns from educational fun to an investigation...

A skilled writer, it's obvious that Hall has mastered the realm of cozy mysteries with yet another fantastically plotted novel.

I liked the first book in this series and loved this one.
An engrossing and entertaining story that kept me reading and guessing.
Likable and fleshed out characters, a solid mystery full of twists and turns, a lovely setting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Murder in a Scottish Garden is the first mystery I have read written by Traci Hall. I know her as a romance writer but she is on my list of to-be-read mystery authors. I like this book so much that I have recently purchased the first book in the series to now read. While there is an underlying mystery going, it did not hinder me from thoroughly enjoying this second book in the series. The murder mystery in this book comes to a satisfying conclusion.

The plot is well developed pulling you into the story from the beginning. Characters that I enjoy getting to know with relationships that continue to develop made this a pleasing read. Then the murder mystery is happenstance for Paislee to come upon. She is not there searching for a killer just for her landlord to see if the eviction notice can be reversed. I like that Paislee is such a family oriented woman in this story as well as a business owner.

Thumbs up for Murder in a Scottish Garden. Perhaps there is a Scottish terrier in my family’s future too. If not then I hope Ms. Hall gives more of the Wallace.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and reviewed. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I loved the continuation of The Scottish Shire mysteries. The setting by the Scottish seaside was fantastic, and the imagery was well-written. The characters are wonderful, and I love the sense of community in this book. The mystery was well-paced.

This is the second book in the Scottish Shire series and it was a delightful read. I didn’t read the first book but I’ll certainly be reading it now. I felt this was readable as a stand-alone.

Single mom and sweater shop owner Paislee Shaw is chaperoning her son’s class trip when there’s a dead body found. The dead man is her landlord’s cousin and it turns out there’s plenty of suspects, and Paislee starts to investigate. There were many twists and turns and family secrets, and it was enough to keep the whodunit a surprise when they were revealed.

I genuinely liked Paislee’s character, she’s both likable and relatable. I typically hate anything that even looks like it might be a love triangle, but I thought this one was at least tolerable. I enjoyed the Nairn, Scotland setting and you almost get the sense that you’re in Scotland with these characters. I wish we got to see more if the shop, because I love reading about these cozy type settings. I’m looking forward to reading more books in the series!

A great cozy mystery taking place in a small village in Scotland. It was authentic and had a wonderful friend and family dynamic. The mystery was spun in a way that kept you guessing and had lots of twists. You will be surprised at who did it.

This is the second book in the Scottish Shire series, but the first I've read. I was able to follow along with no problem - which was very nice. I liked the main character, Paislee, very much. And her son Brody and her grandpa were fun as well. I'm not a fan of triangles, so I'm wondering what the author's plan with a couple of the male characters might be.
I wish there was a little bit more information about Paislee's knit shop. It sounds like a fun place to visit...although I'm not sure how it stays open since she doesn't seem to work there very much.
The mystery was very interesting. I had no clue whodunit...which was a nice surprise as that doesn't happen often.
Overall, I give Murder in a Scottish Garden 3.5 stars rounded to 4.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

In the second book in the Scottish Shire mystery series single mom Paislee Shaw finds herself involved in a murder investigation while chaperoning her son's class trip to the Leery estate. The unsolved murder is making the whole community on edge. The victim is not a nice guy which leads to suspects galore.

This cozy mystery has a likable protagonist with a good set of supporting characters. I like the location, Nairn, and the author makes you feel like you're in Scotland. Paislee runs a local sweater and yarn business. I wouldn't mind seeing a little more of the business as it seems odd how little time she spends on it.

It's fun to follow a series to watch the characters develop and readers can see this with Paislee and her relationship with Grandpa Angus. If you enjoy cozy mysteries, books with small town vibes or a story set in Scotland, give the series a try. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my advanced ecopy of this book.

I will leave a review on Amazon or B&N on June 25th.

Murder in a Scottish Garden is the second book in the Scottish Shire Mystery series written by Traci Hall. This is a fun and easy read, and although it is the second book in the series it can very easily be read as a stand alone book. Paislee continues to run a sweater shop, where things are in a stand off with the landlord has plans to sell. The setting of the book is a charming seaside resort Nairn, and although at times I do tend to have a little problem with the accents in the book it does make you think of the y as more believable. I would certainly recommend this book to others.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.