Book 5 of a Scottish Shire Mystery. This cozy mystery centers around a murder at Ramsay Castle when a champion bagpiper is murdered during a competition.

I love this series. The setting in the quaint coastal town of Nairn, Scotland is so charming. I’ve enjoyed watching Paislee’s shop, Cashmere Crush, thrive and begin to expand. In this story, she is asked to provide hand knitted wears for the castle’s gift shop.

The cast truly makes this series extra enjoyable. I love the interactions between Paislee, her son Brody and the cantankerous grandpa who deep down is quite lovable. I’ve always liked the fact that Paislee is hardworking and struggles with everyday life of being a single mom. This is put to the test when her limited funds are stretched due to car and major house problems in this story. The love triangle is going strong. I clearly have a fav .. and it’s not Hamish. His incessant actions made me cringe a few times.

The mystery was well paced, captivating and quite frankly kept me stumped until the big reveal. There were plenty of plausible suspects and lots of hidden secrets to work through. I enjoyed learning a bit about bagpipes along with Paislee.

I can’t recommend this series enough and look forward to seeing more character development in the next adventure. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington - all opinions are my own. Murder at a Scottish Castle published January 23, 2024.

Oh my! This fifth Scottish Shire mystery is quite the story. The initial focus is a bagpipe competition at which a Piper collapses. Jory Baxter is quite the flirt and the favorite to bring his team the title for a second year. He dies at the hospital.
From there the story gets complicated because Paislee, our main character, has so many threads that I can understand why some reviewers had a hard time keeping track of characters. The reader is benefited by having read the series in order for then we know who Brody, Hamish, Lydia, Corbin, Jerry, Edwin, Bennet and Lady Leery are. That allows space to add a host of characters for the bagpipe competition and another family of the aristocracy- the Grants.
Paislee has quite the tough go of it to with issues involving house, car and family and swallowing her pride.
The author must have done serious research into bagpipes. They play a big role in the mystery.
I didn’t peg the murderer until reveal. For me there were just too many possibilities and successful red herrings.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Murder in a Scottish Castle.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Cozies for the opportunity to review this book.

One less piper piping and Paislee wants to know why🤔

This unpredictable cozy focusing on one of Scotland's most iconic activities was good; it certainly kept me guessing. And Paislee, the single mom shopowner at the heart of story, has no moments to spare and is plagued with a frustrating list of concerns that conflict with her desire to help solve the mystery surrounding a star bagpiper who collapses and dies in the midst of a piping competition.

Interestingly, probably the least appealing characters are the aristocratic families who appeal to Paislee for her assistance. They're bathed in entitlement and, unfortunately for Paislee, she must play nice with their demands because their influence and patronage can bring important business advantages for her knitting business. Hobnobbing with the titled classes quickly turns into more of a painful chore than a privilege.

My favorite characters: Paislee's little family and Jerry, a delivery man who feels poorly done by.

I do think that references to past cases from earlier books in the series could have been eliminated as, for me, they did not add anything to the story.

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

Thanks are due to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the latest in Traci Hall’s Scottish Shire mystery series, featuring knitting shop owner and amateur sleuth Paislee Shaw. I will own up to having loved every one of them. Set in one of those idyllic rural villages of Scotland where sheep roam, brawny kilted men abound, and the sound of bagpipes fills the air, Hall writes the best sort of cozy mystery. It’s not just cozy, there’s an actual loop mystery to solve. And a bonus couple of potential romances for the intrepid Paislee.

This volume actually involves bagpipes, and their kilted pipers. Every year the local laird, Robert Grant, Earl of Lyon, is tradition-bound to host a bagpipe competition for bands representing each resident clan. Three are selected for a final round, presided over by an experienced judge who keeps a strict eye to all regulations. Held at Ramsay Castle, this year’s finals include the Earl himself, a renowned bagpiper who had led his clan to victory many years running.

Except for the previous year, that is, when Clan Cunningham took the prize, upsetting a great many villagers who were not that impressed by their piper. Jory Baxter, though strikingly handsome and charming, was a somewhat mediocre player and, it turns out, not precisely a clan member as required. There were murmurs of cheating, though how that might be done in piping had even seasoned aficionados wondering.

Much bigger questions emerged when Jory suddenly lost consciousness during his band’s set. It was not unheard of for inexperienced pipers who failed to regulate their breathing to faint, but he was a winning piper, not a beginner. And what happened to the dropped bagpipes that were picked up by his good friend and Paislee’s delivery man, Jerry McFadden, and stored under a bench for safekeeping?

What followed in very short order pitted clan against clan, established pipers against upstarts, ordinary village folk against the local nobility, even the local constabulary against Scotland Yard. The latter is a feature of the four previous volumes and is carried on here.

Paislee was an eyewitness as she sat in the audience with her Grandpa Angus, and had in fact phoned for the ambulance. She was quickly drawn into this tempest, mulling over the cheating charges, Jory’s collapse on stage, the bagpipes’ disappearance, and the sudden arrival of Detective Zeffer of Scotland Yard. She knows him, and has been both attracted to and annoyed by him in the previous cases. Her innate curiosity has never allowed her to stay out of it and let the police do their job. She knows her community and the local culture. People trust her and reveal secrets. Neither the village police nor Zeffer are ultimately any match for her investigative abilities. Or does Zeffer keep showing up for more personal reasons? And what about the less exciting but eminently reliable local school principal, Hamish McCall?

Series fans will be pleased to see that Grandpa, her lively son, the 12-years-going-on-20 Brody, and her best friend-greatest supporter Lydia Barrow, are all here. The ladies of the knitting circle at her shop, Cashmere Crush, that includes the non-knitter Lydia, return. Best of all is the continued participation of Wallace, the Shaw’s beloved Scottish terrier, keen, smart, loyal, and quick to take action himself for their protection.

This volume stands on its own, so it’s not necessary to have read the earlier books, but I imagine those who haven’t yet might hurry to fix that. Hall’s characters are warm and witty, interacting humorously and mostly with kindness. I really hope this isn’t the final adventure of Paislee Shaw.

Summary

Paislee Shaw runs Cashmere Crush, a knitting shop, in the small town of Nairn, Scotland. She has been offered an exciting opportunity to sell her cashmere goods in the new gift shop at Ramsey Castle, and decides to make her first delivery to the castle on the day of the annual Bagpipe competition.

Paislee loves the annual competition and the barbecue that follows, but for the Grant clan of Ramsey Castle, winning is a matter of pride. When the Cunningham clan defeated the Grant clan the previous year, the family had taken the loss badly. Robert, the current Earl, is determined to retake the bagpiping crown.

When the Cunningham’s star piper dies, pressure is put on Paislee to help figure out what happened. The problem is that Paislee is facing so much pressure in her personal life that she isn’t sure how she can possibly manage.

My Thoughts

This was a good book. The writing was engaging, and the story was well-plotted. The mystery had a good number of clues and red herrings.

The backdrop of a yarn shop in a small village in the Scottish highlands makes for a cosy atmosphere. From the castle grounds, to cottages and pubs, to a shop that specializes in making bagpipes, the settings were well-described. I appreciate the amount of research that clearly went in to this book.

For the most part, the characters were likable and well-developed. However, though she’s very well-developed, I don’t find Paislee a character who is easy to like.

She’s a young single mother who runs her own business and money is a constant struggle for her, and as a result she has very high levels of anxiety, which is certainly understandable. At the same time, she does tend to make things harder for herself by holding herself to ridiculously high standards. She sees a broken pipe as a personal failing. She’s also prickly, judge-y, and has a tendency to strike out at people who care about her. While all of that makes her character three-dimensional, spending 300 pages with someone who is almost perpetually either angry or angst-y is not enjoyable for me in a mystery setting.

One thing that I struggled with was the inconsistent use of dialect. In some conversations, “to” was always spelled as “tae”, “good” as “guid”, and so on, but that wasn’t always the case. Even the same individual didn’t always use it consistently in conversations with the same people. The first chapter was so heavy with dialect that reading it was tiring. Rather than contributing to the atmosphere, it began to grate on my nerves because it felt inauthentic.

Though I have read others in the series, it was a few years ago, and I didn’t remember the characters or stories very clearly. I didn’t find that a problem in my enjoyment of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the free eARC of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Bagpipes! Paislee was looking forward to the bagpipe contest but then- oh no- last year's winner dies! DI Zeffer and Paislee find themselves sorting through the suspects, from the Earl to others in Nairn even as Paislee also runs her shop and cares for her young son Brody. This is a nice addition to the series but it will also be enjoyable as a standalone. Paislee, who always has multiple balls in the air, is relatable, her grandfather is a hoot, and we should all have such good friends. And a dog like Wallace. It's very much classic cozy with the delightful addition of facts about bagpipes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

The fifth book in this series. I have already read #4 so I was familiar with the main characters.

Paislee Shaw owns a knitwear business and sells beautiful cashmere knitted goods. She has just entered into an arrangement with the family at Ramsey Castle to sell her wares in the castle gift shop and she is getting to know Lord Robert and his family. Sadly a piper at the annual bagpiping competition in the Castle grounds dies during the performance in suspicions circumstances. Paislee and D.I.Zeffer are soon both on the case.

I enjoyed the mystery, was interested in the information about bagpipes, felt a bit sorry for Hamish and loved the hints about a new love interest for Paislee. Great fun!

Paisley Shaw, a sweater shop owner, gets involved in investigating a murder in the Scottish village of Nairn. Fun murder mystery.

I did not love this mystery, but for people who enjoy a cozy mystery series set in Scotland, it would be enjoyable. This is the fifth in a series and much of the plot revolves around characters that factored into previous books which I have not read. I felt that the plot was as much about the ongoing main character's life and drama as it was about the murder mystery, which I was not invested in. The sections about bagpipes and how they work were quite interesting!
I would recommend this to readers of mysteries who like the setting of Scotland.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to @kensingtonbooks for an eARC of Murder at a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall. I did enjoy this, although it wasn’t my favorite in the series. I love visiting Nairn, and it was fun learning about bagpipes in this particular storyline.

I hope the next book in the series has less focus on the entitled Scottish nobility that think they can treat other people poorly. I was very annoyed that characters who Paislee helped/saved in a previous book were back acting really manipulative and rude. The annoying rich people storyline is getting repetitive.

One of my favorite aspects of this series is that Paislee’s life as a single mom and small business owner is not glamorized. This book really pushed her to the limit in terms of stress about her business, home, and family. I love that she and Grandpa get along and help each other now. I find it so relatable that she picks her parenting battles and has to make quick decisions when things get crazy.

At this point, I consider Paislee a friend. I don’t always understand her decisions, but I love her and really really hope she can find success and happiness - and maybe some steady romance?? - in future books.

Murder at a Scottish Castle is another Paislee Shaw cozy mystery by Traci Hall. As usual the death is a bit unusual, this time at a bagpipe playing contest. Who knew that the competition could be so fierce!

Paislee along with family including Wallace, the family black Scottish can attend thanks to a special invitation. However, as you imagine all does not go as planned. DI Zeffer is soon on hand to solve this most unique murder. Paislee is there to help with her canny sleuthing skills. Like a complex knitted yarn pattern, Paislee must look at every twist and clue in this mystery.

What an enjoyable read. I sure would go to Paislee’s shop if she was an actual shop owner every chance I got just to hear her latest adventure. Read today to murder or accident. Also each member of the family including Wallace grows on you with each book.

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

3.5/5 ⭐️
The fifth Scottish Shire mystery finds Paislee involved in a mysterious death of a bagpipe player.

This one had a lot more life events happen to Paislee so I feel like there was less mystery. Most of the clues/sleuthing really happened in the last 10% of the book. A lot of the rest of it was searching for missing bagpipes and trying to figure out how someone could have cheated, instead of really investigating the death. I do think we got some good storyline foundation for future books though!

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

Murder at a Scottish Castle is the 5th instalment in the Scottish Shire Mystery series by Traci Hall. This is a wonderful cozy series set in Scotland with endearing characters and always a exciting sleuth. Thank you to the publisher, to Net Galley and to the author for the opportunity. .My review opinions are my own. I have read the previous in series and always enjoy returning to Scotland with the author. .

I loved this next in series Paislee has her hands full with a mysterioius murder at a Bagpipe festival, a Dowenger Countess who has requested she solve the murder and suspects abound. The sleuth kept me guessing to conclusion and was well crafted to the story. I love the culture of Scotland done so well by the author in this series. We readers enjoy this series for a atmospheric and fun escape to Scotland with the food, people, the village and always a enticing mystery. I read this in one sitting I enjoyed it so much.

Well done to the author, I cannot wait for the next in series.

"Murder at a Scottish Castle” the 5th instalment in the Scottish Shire Mystery series by Traci Hall. This has become one of my favourite Scottish cozy mysteries! I absolutely loved this instalment and can’t wait for book 6

Sweater shop owner Paislee Shaw never feels more at home in Scotland than when she hears the bagpipes. But a murderer is about to introduce a sour note . . .

I find the characters to be wonderful, full of Scottish pride and small village life, I wouldn’t mind living there myself and attending the Sip and Stitch. I love visiting Nairn and Paislee, her son Brody, grandpa Angus and of course Wallace the dog.

The mystery is interesting, well plotted, full of lots of twists and kept me guessing on whodunnit right to the reveal.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Paislee's knit shop is doing well and the Dowager Countess has asked her to put some of her work in the castle gift shop. Granddad is helping at the shop and Brody is now twelve! The family is excited about attending the annual bagpipe competition at Ramsey Castle. Robert Grant, the Earl of Lyon has always won the contest until last year when newcomer Jory Baxter was declared champion. Robert is determined to reclaim the title this year. But the contest is cut short when Jory collapses during his performance. His death is considered suspicious and Robert is in the limelight as a suspect. When Jory is declared dead at the hospital Inspector Zeffer is on the scene and involved in the investigation. Paislee once again employs her sleuthing skills in an attempt to discover the cause of death. The key lies in finding and examining Jory's bagpipes that have disappeared. As if playing detective isn't enough, her car is on the fritz and the kitchen ceiling of the cottage collapses due to a burst pipe. Can Paislee juggle all this while running a business, being a Mom and trying to figure out her relationship with Hamish? This is the fifth title in the Scottish Shire series. The plot will keep readers guessing and also teach them lots about bagpipes. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Cozies for the advanced reader's copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I don't usually read cozy mysteries but I really enjoy this series. This is book 5 and Paislee is once again involved in helping solve a murder. This time it's at a bagpipe competition. I love bagpipes to begin with, and learned a bit more about them that I didn't already know, so that was nice. We met a few new side characters I suspect will be in future books. The romance angle took a slight turn at the end and I'm all for it (if that's the way the author is heading). It's an easy one-sitting read.

This is a fun cozy mystery series and also is great armchair travel. I enjoy revisiting Scotland with each new entry in the series and solving the mystery along with the characters.

How does one cheat in a bagpipe contest?

Actually, the answer turned out to be fairly fascinating. Who knew? Definitely not me. Heck, even most of those gathered at the contest or even involved didn't really know. That question, of course, is important to find the answer to when the man accused of cheating die during said contest. Was it accidental? Did someone kill him? If so, how? He was in plain view of spectators on the castle grounds and, in fact, the focus of attention when he collapsed.

Like the rest, Paislee is curious but only allows herself to be fully pulled into investigating when the Dowager Countess asks her to find answers. True, that gives Paislee a minor thrill being able to tell someone honestly that she's having lunch at "the castle" but it's a puzzle. Even worse, she has her own worries to deal with. After an unexpected personal catastrophe, Paislee is feeling overwhelmed but, thank goodness, best friend Lydia steps in to help. Grandpa is there for her, too, and son Brody is proving to be fairly reliable but, well, though he walks their feisty Scottish terrier William, he's still at the age when fun rules over brains occasionally. In other words, normal almost-teen.

You'll like the characters, who seem like genuine people. We all need friends like Lydia, always there when needed. Even better, she knows things and people and is there with a plan. The aristocratic Grant family is, well, born to the title, but tend to come off well, revealing both strengths and weaknesses, not to mention grievances. Well, if Robert could only tone down his aristocratic manner. And, oh, yes, there's even some romance in the air, though all does not flow smoothly. Paislee still feels uneasy about dealing with DI Zeffer. He does seem to be taking her more seriously this go-round, however. They do seem to work well together despite the...friction? Is that friction or attraction? We shall see, we shall see. Change is in the air.

Bottom line, a fun, relatively quick read that'll teach you a great deal about the art of bagpipes in the process. Both playing and constructing them. You'll meet some interesting characters and be left wondering how much family pride guides many. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me to tag along to lunch at the castle and the bagpipe contest, not to mention check out Paislee's latest knit fashions. Cashmere! Love cashmere.

This series is so loved. Every book keeps getting better and better. I adore all the characters and am drawn in every time. I can’t wait for more in this series

Murder at a Scottish Castle was a okay book but I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight and the accents were so hard to read and get past. Sometimes I had no idea what people were saying and I did not like the attitudes of some of the characters. The mystery part of this was that there was no investigating. I truly just could not get into this book sadly. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review.