A book that's like a nice cup of tea; the seventh in the series and even being dropped in that late it was easy to get up to speed. A nice break from more intense thrillers and mysteries and perfect for these winter nights.

Delaney is mysteriously invited to attend a traditional Burns Night dinner, a celebration of the poet Robert Burns. She learns prior to attending the dinner that her boss Edwin has a history with the members of Burns House. When Delaney and her coworker Hamlet attend the dinner, it is made clear that one of the members is unhappy about her association with Edwin and leaves. Later that night, the house is burned down and a body is discovered.
When her coworker Hamlet is considered a suspect in the murder/arson, Delaney investigates the life of the murder victim and his connection to Hamlet . Are Hamlet’s past and an old arson case the reason for the murder?

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy.

This is the second of the Cracked Spine bookshop series that is have read. I enjoy reading about Delaney, a transplanted American, and her friends. In this story Delaney and her coworker Hamlet are invited to a Burns Night Dinner. Delaney wonders why they were invited and there seems to be hard feelings amongst some of the attendees and the dinner breaks up early. That night there is a fire and one of the attendees is now dead. Delaney and her friends get involved trying to find out what happened because Hamlet is under suspicion.

This was a good cozy mystery but the pacing was a bit slow at the start but then it picked up. . Reading the earlier books in the series would have been helpful as there are a lot of background story that is touched upon but not made clear to the reader. The setting was the best part, Edinburgh and book stores made it enjoyable.
Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC of this book.

Edinburgh, Scotland - Present Day

Delaney Nichols and fellow bookshop employee Hamlet are invited to attend a Burns Night dinner by a local attorney. Curious, because Delaney is not sure why she was invited, and had only met one person in the group so far, she asks Hamlet to go with her. The dinner is being held by a small Burns club in an old building purported to be haunted by the poet. After meeting the other attendees, Delaney admits to working for Edwin MacAlister, the owner of the bookshop where she and Hamlet work, the Cracked Spine. Edwin had told her that one of the club members, Malcolm Campbell, who used to be a good friend, blamed Edwin for burning down his, Malcolm's, bookstore. The party breaks up abruptly, and Delaney and Hamlet leave. However, the next day Delaney learns that the club's building burned down late that night, and one of the attendees was found dead - murdered. A local witness reported seeing the man and another with a ponytail go into the house earlier. Hamlet has a ponytail.

Delaney is determined to prove Hamlet's innocence, but she also has another mystery about him to solve. While doing research on the warehouse side of the bookshop, she comes across a birth certificate indicating that Hamlet's mother was a Dora Strangelove, and the father M. Edison. Edwin had told Delaney that Hamlet had been a vagrant when he hired him after the boy had spent some of his time in the Cracked Spine. What happened to his mother? And who was M. Edison? They both must still be alive as Hamlet is only twenty-four.

Edinburgh being a smallish city, many people are aware of the issue between Edwin and Malcolm, as well as knowing that the Strangelove women are purported to be witches. How does all of this have anything to do with the murdered man? Just how much does the attorney who invited Delaney to the dinner know about both the burned building and Hamlet's mother? Why was the murdered man, a devoted Burns admirer, friends with a woman calling herself Dora Strangelove, and where is she now? Delaney has her work cut out for her as she tries to piece all of this information together, and prove that Hamlet wasn't involved with the murder. But when mysterious fires suddenly start cropping up, are they a warning for Delaney?

Book Seven in the Scottish Bookshop series, THE BURNING PAGES is, well, a page turner as readers follow Delaney's first hand account of both the murder mystery, and the birth certificate results. The streets of Edinburgh are the backdrop, and the story of Robert Burns, Scotland's beloved poet, makes for a grand tale. A truly enjoyable story with terrific characters.

This story was amazing! I love these characters soooo much. Author Shelton is a phenomenal weaver of words and the pages flew by as I became completely swept up in Delaney Nichols life in Edinburgh, Scotland via her work at The Cracked Spine bookshop. Emotional, action-packed, surprising twists and turns, and unexpected revelations! Awesome, multi-mysteries entwined with a satisfying conclusion.

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur. My opinions are my own.

Even since I started this series I’ve wondered when we’re going to get a Burn’s Night dinner since its Scotland. And we finally get one. And it’s part of the mystery which this book and mystery nerd loved. It think it was my favorite of the series. And I look forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you Minotaur Books for the gifted book!

Read for:
• Edinburgh setting
• Bookshop employee/amateur sleuth
• Lots of literary references
• Cozy mystery
• Found family

The Burning Pages is the seventh book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series, but this was the first I’ve read. The author does a good job of filling in new readers, so you can absolutely jump into the series at this book.

I really enjoyed these characters, loved the setting, and had a great time following along with the mystery!

It felt a bit far fetched at times, but that’s kind of a hallmark of many cozy mysteries and I didn’t mind it. I really enjoyed the book as a whole, but the ending wasn’t my favorite. I do plan to check out other books in this series though! 3.5 Stars

Overall this was a good cozy mystery but the pacing was too slow for my preference. Also, you definitely should read prior books before reading this one as there are a lot of background story that is touched upon but not made clear to the reader.

Paige Shelton hits it out of the park with this one! This one may be the best in the series so far for me; we get a little bit more of Edwin’s background, a little bit of Rosie’s, and a whole lot of Hamlet. Add in Wyatt and a wee bit of Elias & Aggie and this is just perfect. Multiple mysteries going on, both current and in the past, that were connected with each other with a surprise ending. So much fun!

Thanks to Net Galley and Minotaur Books(St.Martin's Publishing Group) for the opportunity to read this 7th title in the Scottish Bookshop Series. Delaney is trying to solve two mysteries, both involving her young co-worker Hamlet. While searching through a file cabinet she finds a mysterious birth certificate that she suspects might have something to do with Hamlet's murky past. The other mystery is the death of a man who attended the annual Robert Burns Society dinner that both she and Hamlet attended. When Hamlet becomes a person of interest in the case Delaney sets out to prove him innocent.., Delaney's search lakes her to libraries, slum apartments, a homeless shelter and a mysterious fortune teller,. looking for a long lost mother and a murderer. The author has done a nice job of weaving the stories together in the best yet of this excellent cozy series.

The Burning Pages is the seventh installment in the Scottish Bookshop series by Paige Shelton. Delaney is invited to a Burns Night Dinner (celebration of Robert Burns Birthday) along with Hamlet from the Cracked Spine Bookstore where they are both employed. The dinner is held in a wee cottage near the bookstore, and the dinner ends up being a disaster. Later that night, the wee cottage burns down and one of the attendees is found dead in the rubble. Unfortunately, Hamlet is the prime suspect, and Delaney must investigate to prove that Hamlet isn’t the murderer. There is also some intrigue regarding Hamlet and the owner of the bookstore which serves as a sub-story to the novel.

Shelton does an excellent job of capturing the ambience of Scotland, which helps make the story charming. The characters seem genuine and although many of us haven’t had much experience with Scots, they are believable as typical Scots. Shelton does a good job of developing the characters, and Delaney, her new husband, Hamlet, et al are very likeable.

Even though this would be considered a cozy mystery, there is some suspense that builds, and the main characters are in danger at times. The interactions between the main characters are enjoyable, and this book will keep mystery lovers reading well past their bedtimes. The dénouement is surprising, and even though readers will try to guess just who really did it, it will be a surprise at the end.

After reading this excellent novel, most readers will want to read the previous novels in the series. They are good for all ages of mystery lovers and have plenty of ups and downs. This is a great series.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Delaney Nichols faces off against an elusive arsonist in the seventh Scottish Bookshop Mystery, The Burning Pages, from beloved author Paige Shelton....

One winter's night, bookseller Delaney Nichols and her coworker Hamlet are invited to a Burns Night dinner, a traditional Scottish celebration of the poet Robert Burns. She's perplexed by the invitation, but intrigued. The dinner takes place at Burns House itself, a tiny cottage not far from the Cracked Spine bookshop but well hidden. There, it becomes clear that Delaney and Hamlet were summoned in an attempt to make amends between Edwin, Delaney's boss, and one of the other invitees, who suspected Edwin for burning down his own bookshop twenty years ago after a professional disagreement.

But after the dinner, there’s another fire. The Burns House itself is burned to the ground, and this time there’s a body among the ruins. When Hamlet is accused of the crime, Delaney rushes to prove his innocence, only to discover that he might actually have a plausible motive... (Goodreads synopsis)

I started with book 6 in this series, so I feel that I might have missed most of Delany’s growth. But I really enjoy how she is so happy with her life in Scotland and still homesick for her biological family. The author writes Delany as embracing Scotland and it’s traditions. I again just find Delany to be down to earth, intelligent, and practical.

This particular novel highlights family in a way that I haven’t read in any other cozy mystery. Delany has found Hamlet’s birth certificate and confronts Rosie and Edwin as to why Hamlet doesn’t know. Hamlet’s birth mother may be found, or at least some member of his birth family. But there is also the “found” family when Delany, and others, do whatever they can to assist Hamlet.

Overall I rate this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery. It's the 7th of a series but does well as a standalone and makes me want to read the other 6 books. Delaney is invited to a dinner to celebrate the birthday of Scotland's own Robert Burns, but the invite is given under false premises. When one of the dinner club members is murdered later that evening, Delaney's friend and coworker is accused of the crime. She must dig into the past to solve not only this murder, but an arson and disappearance of a young woman over twenty years earlier.

ARC via Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

This is the seventh installment in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series.

Delaney Nichols is invited to a Burns Night dinner in celebration of Robert Burns and invites her young co-worker, Hamlet. The dinner is held in a small cottage, Burns House, with ties to Burns not far from the Cracked Spine where both of them work. Upon arrival, they find out that Delaney had been asked because of her ties to Edwin, her employer. He had been falsely accused of burning down one of the other member’s bookstore 20 years ago and the book club members were trying to get them to be friends again. Needless to say, this does not go over well and the dinner is ruined.

Later that night, Burns House is burned to the ground and a body is discovered inside. Hamlet is accused of the crime and Delaney must work to prove his innocence.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance reading copy of this book.

I do enjoy cozy mysteries and this one initially fit the bill for me but then……..it got way too convoluted and long winded. How many fires need to lit before the authorities can pin point the culprit? The protagonist, Delaney, seems to be leading all investigations and she is the one informing Inspector Winters, of her progress throughout the novel. The Scottish police are not depicted favorably, in my opinion, since they seem to be dependent on a bookshop employee, for help in solving a murder. Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. #TheBurningPages #Netgalley #NetgalleyARC.

ARC Kindle Copy from Review from Net Galley St. Martin's Press and Minotaur Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Delaney and her friends get more than a dinner celebrating Robert Burns. Seems there is an arsonist on the loose as the hosting gets a blazing end. What was supposed to be a truce between Delaney’s boss another guest who accused the boss of setting fire of his bookstore twenty ago during a professional disagreement.

It will come down to Delaney to prove her boss innocence despite evidence stating his guilt. Is he guilty or will she proves he did not do it? It is another enjoyable page turner.

The 7th book in the Scottish Bookshop Mysteries Series is an enjoyable and well plotted story. The Burning Pages has our heroine Delaney Nichols trying to get to the bottom of the recent murder. The author presents a complex mystery that takes us back several years in the past for the answers. I enjoyed the whole incorporation of the author Robert Burns. The story moves along quickly with Delaney asking questions and trying to navigate what at first appears to be an unconnected mystery. In the end all the threads come together for a satisfying conclusion.

Thank you Netgalley and Minotaur Books for the arc. This is my honest review.

Watch Out for the Haggis!

The Burning Pages is the seventh book in the Scottish Bookshop Series, and what a great addition! As a fan of Robert Burns, I appreciated reading his words all throughout the story. I always enjoy seeing history being intertwined throughout a mystery. It adds so much more weight to the whodunit storyline.

I get so wrapped up in Shelton’s mysteries, especially the Scottish ones, and this one was no different! It’s fantastically written and plotted. I loved watching it play out. This wonderful book will keep you guessing and eagerly waiting for the next one! Which is exactly what I’ll be doing.

x Sarah - Anneoftucson

Another good Paige Shelton mystery, this time set in Scotland. While this is the seventh book in a series, it is the first one that I have read. I did not feel that I was missing out by not having read the other six, as it does very well as a standalone book. Apparently, all the literary circles in Scotland are still fascinated with Robert Burns and his history. His books and poetry figure predominantly in this story. There are actually mysteries within mysteries, which keep you thinking right up until the end, and this to me is important for a good whodunit. I enjoyed my time spent with this book and send a hearty thanks to NetGalley for the advance read copy.