The second book in the Scottish Shire series is just as delightful as the first. Single mom and shop owner, Paislee Shaw is chaperoning her son's field trip to the local Manor when she gets involved in another murder.

I love the characters in this series. They are well developed and make me feel like I am part of the story. I really like that Grandpa has become such an integral part of Paislee's family. I like that Paislee is very human and struggles a bit with time management, particularly when it comes to her son, Brody.

There is a continuation of a potential love triangle with the Head Master and the Detective Inspector. I am firmly on Team Zeffer. The Head Master is a bit too snotty for my taste.

There was not as much time devoted to the shop this time. I missed that. I would also have liked to have seen a pattern in the back of the book for one of Paislee's creations.

The mystery was very well done with lots of twists and turns that kept me guessing. I was quite shocked when the culprit was revealed. Family secrets are always a good plot.

I truly enjoyed my visit to Nairn and look forward to reading the next book in the series to see if we get more clues about Craigh's disappearance.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing a copy of this book to me. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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!

Thank you @kensingtonbooks and @netgalley for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was an entertaining sequel in the Scottish Shire Mystery series. It includes a fabulous setting, a fun cast of characters and one heck of a mystery that gave me all sorts of Agatha Christie vibes.

This book takes place in the charming village of Nairn, Scotland. Not too many scenes in the sweater shop this time. Instead the majority of the action and snooping occurs at the grande Leery Estate and gardens. I loved exploring this property and especially enjoyed attending the dinner party there. It was full of hidden passageways, a meddlesome staff and tons of family drama. Once again, the author does include the characters using local dialect. I like this fact and think it adds to the authenticity of the setting.

I really like Paislee and love having a lead character who is also a mom. She’s often forgetful as she juggles her everyday hectic schedule which makes her come across as incredibly relatable. I like watching her interactions with her son who appears to be around the same age as my daughter so plenty of preteen sass mixed with a struggle in gaining independence. Grandpa is still a mysterious character as well, especially after a few intriguing reactions throughout the story. Not much romance with the principal this round, in fact they butted heads over the fact that the murder took place during a school field trip and Paislee is being held accountable for the way she protected a student.

The mystery really made this book extra fun. It had a cat and mouse feel similar to Murder on the Orient Express with numerous, plausible suspects and plenty of red herrings to sort through. The family drama added to the entertainment and definitely left me guessing for the majority of the story.

I definitely look forward to continuing this series. I’m hoping we get more info or clues about Craigh and his missing case.

Murder In A Scottish Garden is the second book in the A Scottish Shire Mystery series by Tracie Hall.

Paislee, the owner of Cashmere Crush, a custom sweater and yarn shop, nor the other tenants in the block have heard anything from the block owner about its pending sale.

Paislee learns that her son Brody’s class will be visiting the Leery Estate garden. Paislee volunteers to be a chaperone as Lady Leery’s son is Shawn Marcus, Paislee’s landlord. Paislee hopes that she will either talk with Shawn or find out where he might be.

The garden is beautiful, and everyone is enjoying their visit. A girl tells Paislee that she needs to use the restroom. While waiting for the girl, Paislee hears a gunshot and sees a body fall from the bushes nearby. She first thinks that it might be Shawn, but after the police arrive, the victim is identified as Shawn’s cousin, Charles Thomson.

Paislee is upset that she wasn’t able to contact Shawn while she was at the estate, but soon another opportunity present itself for another visit to the Leery Estate. Paislee friend Lydia Barron has invited her to be her plus one at her companies award dinner at Leery Estate. While at the dinner, she does have a chance to converse with Shawn, but he is too intoxicated to get much about the pending sale of the block of real estate. Paislee does learn about a family secret that could lead to the discovery of the murderer, which she will share with DI Mack Zeffler. Even though he warns her about interfering with his case, she will continue her investigation.

The story is well-written and plotted. There were plenty of red herrings that I was kept guessing until the end as to who the murder was. The characters are well developed and quite enjoyable. I especially enjoyed Paislee’s grandfather, who has recently come into her life. He helps out and the shop and cares for Brody when she’s not around. He adds some fun to the story. I also enjoy their Scottie, Wallace.

I will be awaiting the next book in this series, Murder At A Scottish Social, due out in January 2022.

This was a great second book in a Scottish Shire Mystery series. I was feeling just so-so about the first book, but it seems like the author is hitting her stride in the second book. The second book starts almost immediately after the first book, which is probably good since Paisley Shaw is becoming more and more worried about what is going to happen with her yarn and knitted goods shop.
The first book ends without resolution to the certified letter telling her and all the other shops that the building is being sold and their leases are being terminated. Their landlord has been MIA for several weeks. Paisley is hoping to get some information on him during the field trip her son’s school group is taking to the Leery estate. Instead she is nearby when a man dies.
Paisley is immediately curious. Her ideas about the murder don’t lead her to the right conclusion until it’s almost too late. She puts herself in the middle of all the action.
I suspected the reason behind the murder, but I wasn’t sure which of the people was behind the killing because there were several possibilities.
I love Scotland so it was lovely to visit a garden, an estate and the sea/beach.
I think this could be read as a stand-alone. I might even recommend starting with this one. Paisley came off a little neurotic in the first- not that she didn’t have a huge amount of things to deal with. I like this second book and think this series has some good possibilities ahead of it.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book prior to publication.

This is the second installment in this series. There is enough background given, without rehashing book one, to make it easy for readers who haven’t read the previous book to follow along. The character development is good and the family dynamics are enjoyable. Even though this was an enjoyable read, it would fall in the average range for me, with a star rating of 3 to 3.5.

For the most part, I enjoyed this book. I had a couple of issues that were probably only something I would notice [if one leaves one's purse on the BUS that leaves without you, it is IMPOSSIBLE to then, an hour later {after being dropped off by a constable}, throw ones purse under the counter of ones shop], and if one is that terrified of losing their shop and livelihood, then perhaps one should actually STAY IN THE STORE AND WORK, and not run around trying to find a killer? <--This is a common trope that is becoming popular amongst the cozy genre and I have to say, I am not a fan. There are plenty of books out there [cozy and otherwise] where the MC both works, and does their job well, and THEN goes killer hunting that authors don't need to dive into this unnecessary trope that is extremely frustrating. I also was not a fan of the parent's that wanted to sue Paislee and the school - THAT should never have even happened. At all. And the way that is resolved proves it. It was unneeded and just bogged down the story. If the author doesn't want Paislee and Hamish together, there needs to be a better [and more plausible] way to go about it. This was ridiculous.

That said, there is much about this book that I really loved. I love Paislee [even though she frustrates me] and Brody and Grandpa so much. I love how they have worked to become a cohesive unit and how Grandpa is finally opening up to Paislee about his estranged son and his worries about that. That story-line is one I am anxious to see how it is resolved. And I love the little community where Paislee lives; how people look out for each other and support each other. And I love the yarn shop. I am not a crafter and cannot knit, crochet or anything like that to save my life and I am completely envious of those who can. But I DO love yarn and the colors and textures are just lovely and so I adore the parts where we are in the store with Paislee and she is talking about her stock or working on a project and we get to learn a little more about yarn.

There were points in this book where I wasn't sure if I was going to want to read the next one, but the reveal at the end changed my mind about that. THAT was a good reveal and a complete surprise. The issues dealt with in this book are handled well and at no time does any of it ring false or gratuitous. And the reveal WAS really a surprise. I had totally guessed wrong and that turned the tide for me. I am now looking forward to the next one and continuing the story of Paislee and Company.

Thank you to NetGalley, Traci Hall, and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This second in series is as fun as the first book. I highly recommend the series and starting with the first book so you can know all the wonderful charcters. Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher for the opportunity for review. My review opinions are my own.

Paislee Shaw is a single mom who has a cute Scottie dog, a grandfather just back in her life who is a curmudgeon, her successful knitting shop, Cashmere Crush and a fun knitting group of women she enjoys. She loves her shop and its popular with locals. When the landlord decides he wants her out she goes to speak with him and finds one of his relatives dead. Now to clear her own name and save her business she will have to solve this crime.

This is such a wonderful setting with rich charcters and a fun sleuth that kept me guessing. The author has created a marvelous series that every cozy reader will enjoy. I highly recommend this next in series for your reading enjoyment.

Murder in a Scottish Garden is a terrific second instalment to a new cosy mystery series by Traci Hall and I found the book to be an extremely fun read.

I loved the setting of Nairn, a delightful sounding Scottish town by the seaside, so imaginatively depicted by the author. Twenty-something single mum, Paislee Shaw has made a great life for herself, her son Brody, 10 and their terrier, Wallace. She owns Cashmere Crush, a bespoke speciality knitwear shop where the locals can while away their time at her 'Knit and Sip' group. But Paislee has recently received some bad news in the form of an eviction notice. Her landlord, Shawn Marcus, heir to the Leery Estate, has vanished and she needs to speak with him. Paislee goes looking for Shawn and finds a dead body instead, and it's Lady Leery’s nephew, Charles Thomson. Detective Inspector Mack Zeffer is on the case as Paislee sets out to keep her business going.

A full cast of interesting characters complemented the disorganised, very determined Paislee though not everyone was as they seemed. The plot was strong and comfortably paced, and the puzzling mystery kept me guessing. I enjoyed reading Murder in a Scottish Garden and I am already anticipating another trip to Nairn and getting to know all of the characters to a greater degree. If you adore a fantastic cosy mystery with decent helpings of family angst and community spirit, don't miss out on Murder in a Scottish Garden.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.

This is the second book in this wonderful series and, IMO, the series is best read in order because there is a continuing thread about her family that is laid out in book one and, I hope, will be in many more books in this series. But, having said that, by all means dive into this one, you won't be disappointed.
Paislee Shaw is a single mom with a 10 year old son, a grandfather she is still getting used to having in her life, and trying to keep her knitting business, Cashmere Crush, running. In the first book that was a challenge but now it continues to be a challenge. Her landlord wants her out. The block of businesses is the kind that would be prime redevelopment land but the small businesses that call it home are what give the area some of its charm. When she gets the chance to possibly talk to the landlord while she acts as a chaperone to her sons field trip, she jumps at the chance. Too bad it also leads her to find a dead body. The body is her landlord's cousin and then things really heat up.
I won't say more for fear of spoilers but I will say that taking a trip to Paislee's village of Nairn is a great stress reliever. Even if it does include a murder or two. I'll have to remember to leave room in my suitcase for several of her delicious hand knit sweaters - the perfect souvenir from a trip to Scotland. I'll be packed and ready for another visit January 25, 2022 when I can read the third in the series, Murder at a Scottish Social.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Traci Hall has done it again. This is book two of her series and the characters have developed nicely. Helps if you read the first book, but can be a standalone. Paislee the owner of Cashmere Crush once again finds herself in another murder mystery. As a chaperone for her son class field trip to a local manor house garden and maze, she gets separated from the group to take Holly to the restroom. As she waits for the girl outside the door, a man falls through the hedge and dies. At first she thought it is her landlord Shawn, who just also happens to have given everyone in her building a eviction notice.
As in her previous book, mysteries, who done it, crazy life of a single mom, cute kid and Wally the dog.
Enjoyable read! I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story.

🔍🌿A heap of characters to keep straight in a small Scottish town😕

3.5-4 🌟stars
For me this cozy mystery had strong points but some weaknesses too.

On the plus side, the murderer is not an easy person to guess (plenty of twists) and shop owner Paislee and her little family are sympathetic characters. I especially liked her growing friendship with the grandfather who only recent came into her life and her lively son. The victim is a pretty vile creature but that gives lots of room for various motives for his murder. Paislee's lease problems, the fallout from her actions at the murder scene and grandad's missing son add some good side issues. It's also set in a small Scottish town I've actually visited. I love stories with Scottish settings😍

But there are so many characters to keep straight and way too many men whose name begins with "G." I had to keep taking pauses to recall who is who, in the knitting group, at the estate, at the business dinner party, and in the commercial block where Paislee operates her shop.

As to Paislee running her business, her personal life and amateur sleuthing don't seem to allow her much time to actual tend to her shop. The secondary mystery to this book is how she actually succeeds in feeding her family with Paislee only tending her knitting business an hour or two now and then. It's just bewildering that both books in the series thus far have Paislee running here and there and hardly ever attending to her shop. Thank goodness grandad is around to mind the store part-time!

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for providing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book in the series, and so far these are fun, and our heroine is not nosy- just unlucky with her timing. This time, she’s waiting on her charge to finish in the bathroom on a school field trip and a man falls dead at her feet.
Though the mystery wrapped up nicely, I can’t help but wonder what happened to her grandfather’s missing son, which is something that will likely be answered in a later book. But until then, I’m fairly happy with this cozy mystery.

Paislee Shaw is with her son on a school trip to a local estate when a man is shot. The ripple effects of this continue throughout the book as Paislee inadvertantly winds up investigating because she is facing a potential lawsuit from a student’s parents (because she blocked the student in the bathroom while the shooting was happening) and she is trying to get a hold of her landlord, a member of the family, regarding being evicted.

I’m not sure about the Scottish dialogue in this (the author appears to be American). I’d like to see a review from someone who is actually Scottish because it may be more stereotype than accuracy. Is such legal action even possible in Scotland? Gun laws are much stricter there yet so many seemed to dismiss that he’d been shot.

The story and the mystery moved along well, readers will get answers to some questions opened from the first book, and there are some surprises along the way. The local shop community is further developed as they await word about their buildings. Overall, it should work well for readers looking for a cozy contemporary set outside of the U.S..

Paislee, Brody, Angus, and Wallace the dog are making a go of her grandmother's yarn shop - except that her rotten landlord Shawn wants to evict her. Turns out he's got a lot on his mind, which comes out when Paislee, while chaperoning a field trip, discovers his cousin Charles (a real rat) murdered. Against the wishes of her ahem sort of love interest DI MacK Zeffer, she agrees with Shawn's mother that she's look into things. Of course, there's complications. This is the second in a series and fine as a standalone. Hall has created a lovely setting in Nairn and good characters in the main cast. Angus, btw, still has a few secrets. Paislee is young but she knows and loves her yarn. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good cozy read- I'm looking forward to the next one.

This was a delight to read! Throughout the book is Scottish dialect which makes the reader feel as if they are in Scotland.

Paislee Shaw, a single mum to Brody, goes on a school field trip, although Paislee had another motive for going. The group was heading to the Leery Estate to tour the gardens. Paislee hoped to catch Shawn Marcus, her landlord, and son of Lady Leery to speak with him. Shawn had delivered notices to those who have businesses and rent from him, that they needed to vacate.

The school trip turned into a frightening affair after Lady Leery's nephew, Charles Thomson, is murdered.

Paislee is having quite the time tracking the elusive Shawn Marcus down and agrees to go with her friend, Lydia Barron, to a real estate party hosted at the Leery Estate where the family will be in attendance. Paislee notices that Shawn isn't very steady on his feet and goes to his aid. Shawn's overindulging has loosened his tongue and Paislee learns some interesting information.

Shawn disappears and can't be reached, so when Paislee is invited to the Leery Estate to meet with Lady Leery, who informs Paislee that Shawn stated that twice someone tried to kill him. Lady Leery asks for her help to find out who killed Charles and who is after Shawn.

While Paislee is trying to gather facts, she learns that her quick thinking to save one of Brody's classmates could also have dire consequences for her and her family.

There were quite a few laugh-out-loud moments, I found Paislee's grandfather comical. He didn't mind being a partner in crime. I was surprised who the killer turned out to be, not who I had pegged. I'm looking forward to finding out more about the mysterious storage container and what Paislee's grandfather is hiding.

I requested and received an ARC from NetGalley via Kensington Books and I have voluntarily reviewed this book.

This cozy is set in Scotland. Paislee is a single Mom who is devoted to her son Brody. The murder happens on a school field trip. Paislee has just taken a little girl to the bathroom when she hears a gunshot and sees the victim fall. In order to protect the little girl, Paislee keeps her in the bathroom. The little girl is quite the drama queen and the incident turns into "she was locked in the bathroom with a killer on the loose and Paislee is to blame". Paislee is worried about being sued by the parents. So she feels she has to find the killer to clear her name and save all she holds dear.

The characters are fun. Paislee is bright and there are some potential love interests. I loved the setting, Scotland is beautiful and the brogue's are interesting. The writing style is easy-to-read and the murderer was a bit of a surprise. This was enjoyable and kept me turning the pages.

Traci Hall is back with another installment in this cozy mystery series! Everything about this is truly *cozy* from the knitting shop our leading lady runs and is trying to keep in business to the little Scottish town the book is set in. There's light murder, lots of family drama and just the right amount of twists and turns to keep it interesting. If you love a quick read in the cozy genre, this book is for you!

Fast paced, and enjoyable Cozy Mystery

Enjoyable read, within a beautiful setting in the seaside resort of Nairn Scotland. Paislee Shaw, owner of Cashmere Crush, a sweater and yarn shop is a volunteer chaperone on her son's field trip to Leery Estates. While Paislee waits on one of the students in the restroom, she hears a gun shot, and see's a man fall through the hedges. At first she thinks it's her landlord, Shawn Marcus, her landlord that's trying to evict her, and ruin her business, it's actually his cousin Charles Thomson who has been shot, and killed. It's reviewed that Charles's a scam artist, and has made a deal with the sick Shawn who needs a kidney transplant to sell him one of his for 1 million dollars. Shawn's afraid that someone out to kill him, and his protective mother, Lady Shannon Leery asks Paislee to investigate, and find out who killed Charles. Against the order of Detective Inspector Mack Zeffer to mind her business, stick to her knitting, and let the police handle the murder investigation, Paislee ignores him, and with the assistance from her Grandpa Angus slowly realizes that there is more than one person involved. Will Paislee find Charles murdered, and save Shawn Marcus before he's the second victim?

3.5 stars

The primary characters are absolutely the stars of this series. Family ties trump everything else for them, shedding light on the mystery as well as the side stories among the secondary characters. I was surprised by the reveal, which is always a good thing.

As with book 1, the dialect and Scottish vocabulary feel forced and inconsistent, jarring in otherwise smooth American English structured sentences. Another issue is the character of the detective, who has a tendency to suddenly spill a bunch of information unnecessarily. It may be effective in moving along the plot line, but it is really quite unbelievable.

Overall, I find this one an average to above average cozy mystery. I’m committed enough to the characters to continue with the series, but it is not my favorite so far.

Thank you to Traci Hall, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for an Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.