Delaney Nichols is sent by her boss Edwin MacAllister to check on an object his old friend
Jolie thinks he would be interested in. It turns out that it may be a Crusader sword, a very valuable object.
Is the murder of a man on Jolie's estate related to the discovery of the sword? Investigating the dead
man's past and Jolie's own interesting history raises more questions.
Well plotted story, interesting characters.
#ThePoisonPen #NetGalley

"The Poison Pen” the 9th instalment in the "Scottish Bookshop Mystery” series by Paige Shelton. I really enjoy this series and am collecting in hardcover.

I loved visiting Edinburgh, Scotland and the Cracked Spine book shop again. I liked how this time we were exploring an estate in Roslin where it’s believed a Crusader sword was found. I liked that Elias played a big part in this instalment along with Delaney.

There were several possible suspects, and kept me guessing for quite a while. I was drawn into this story right away and did not want to put it down.

Overall, I found it to be a very entertaining read that made me long to visit Scotland and the Cracked Spine Bookstore.

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

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Minotaur Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is one of my 5 favorite series of books I read. I buy the hard back, paperback and e-book version because I love these so much. And yes I do reread them. I love Delaney and her merry bunch of helpers from her now husband and the bookstore workers to Elias and his wife. They all make such an amazing family. That's what they all are and have become, family. I absolutely adore this series and each book just adds more and more depth of the story. This book was so good I devoured this book in one sitting. I loved it!! Thank you so much for the advanced copy to review, I feel so special that I get to read this early!!! 5 star read for a 5 star series!
I just reviewed The Poison Pen by Paige Shelton. #NetGalley
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I really enjoyed this book. The characters really make it, you get to feel them so well, their characters are deeply expressive. The whole sword thing isn’t the focus of the story, nor the murder but who the people are and how they interact. By the way there is no poison or pen in the story. #ThePoisonPen #NetGalley

This enjoyable cozy series is set in a quirky bookshop in Edinburgh. There is a strong cast of characters: Delaney, an American book archivist and her Scottish pub-owner husband Tom; Edwin, an eccentric who owns the Cracked Spine bookstore where Delaney works; and friends and fellow employees Rosie and Hamlet.

There is rumor of a rare artifact that interests Edwin, particularly since an old girlfriend has the object. He sends Delaney out to assess the authenticity and she immediately gets embroiled in another odd situation. The old girlfriend's former attorney has shown up uninvited with two other people to scold/bully her into cleaning out her hoarded belongings. When one of the party turns up dead, Delaney starts investigating. In the meantime, another friend who works for the Scottish government's artifacts division is straddling the line between friendship and responsibility as they deal with a possibly priceless relic.

This series is interestingly plotted but the real joy is the Scottish characters and their interaction with Delaney. And I appreciate the rare lack of romantic angst. Delaney and Tom have a strong relationship and work well together. The ensemble cast is appealing and offbeat and Delaney fits right in. The flavor and setting of Edinburgh add to the appeal. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Virtually shadowing Delaney as she works her way through the maze of oblique, confusing clues is also reather like doing a complicated jig-saw puzzle. A large, complex jig-saw puzzle. Just when you think you've found the right piece, boom, nope, and you throw up your hands in frustration. Yet, after you take a few deep breaths (and probably collect the pieces you've also tossed away in frustration), the puzzle slowly, achingly slowly, begins to come together.

Who killed the seemingly innocuous Alban? He seemed to have no real enemies or, for that matter, friends. Elias, who drove Delaney to an appointment at Jolie Lannister's home, is friends with Homer, the man found standing over the victim with a bloodied rake. The story, with all its maddening twists and turns and countless detours, is off-and-running from that point. As always, Shelton's writing is excellent, managing to capture both Delaney's horror and her need to establish order in what she's seen. In the process, we learn quite a bit about not just Scottish history and pride, including a few Scottish phrases, but how strict relic related laws are about not just the handling of such items as a (maybe) Crusader sword, but who has custody of such items. Delaney's boss Edwin, always a bit mysterious, doesn't always seem to quite follow the exact letter of the law but means well, we discover. So, who are the others lusting after the sword and what might they do to obtain it? And, what the heck does the late Queen Elizabeth and once king Edward and Wallis Simpson have to do with anything?

I won't detail the plot. It's complicated and at times seem to go off in different directions. In the process of watching Delaney try to tie all the clues together, you'll get to meet some interesting characters. It works well as a standalone but long time readers will delight in a glimpse of Edwin MacAlister's past as well as getting to know Delaney's husband Tom's father better. Then there is Jolie, who turns out to be a hoarder in fear of being forcibly removed from her home by an obnoxious lawyer. Why is the lawyer suddenly so insistent? Why show up after the discovery of the sword? Good thing Delaney seems to have Inspector Winters on speed dial. And, who is....oh, never mind. Enough teasers. All in all a sometimes perplexing but always satisfying read with interesting characters and story lines. Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for inviting me along for this virtual visit to Delaney and Scotland. Always a pleasure.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's/Minotaur for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book.

One of my favorites of the series so far. So happy Elias is back! I missed him in the last book; he has a prominent role here. Normally I don't read a lot of cozy mysteries - I go for the thrillers - but I started this series simply because it takes place in Edinburgh, my favorite city in the world.. I love how the city comes alive and how Ms. Shelton adds Scottish history along the way. This one was right up to date with Queen Elizabeth's death, and I loved how Delaney's "bookish voices" became the Queen's voice. Very well done.

mental-health-awareness, hoarding, pet-dog, family-business, family-dynamics, family, ex-pat, local-law-enforcement, Edinburgh Scotland, amateur-sleuth, bookseller, cozy-mystery, murder-investigation, series, relics, priceless, treasure-trove, suspense*****

A sword that might be of value to Scotland, a recluse who might be part of the British royal family, an abrasive and demanding lawyer, and a fresh corpse in the garden. Delaney has her hands full trying to help the recluse with a hoarding problem as well as several of her friends. And that sword is important in several ways. Thank goodness for the trust that the local law has in her!
If you are new to the series, you will read that Delaney (she's not in Kansas anymore) is a bookseller and that her new Scottish husband, Tom, is a barkeeper and that they have a lot of interesting friends and relatives. This is a nice cosy series with engaging characters, plot twists, red herrings, and SCOTLAND.
I requested and received an EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This is the ninth book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series.
Delaney grew up in America, but now she’s married to Tom and works for Edwin, who owns a bookstore,The Cracked Spine in Scotland. When an old friend asks Edwin to come to her house and take possession of an extremely valuable Crusader sword, he cannot resist. He sends Delaney to see the sword, but that’s not all she sees. Not only is Jolie’s house veering towards hoarder territory, but before they have finished looking at the sword, a man winds up dead. Does the death have something to do with this priceless sword? Pretty soon almost everyone is a suspect, and Delaney dons her amateur sleuth hat yet again.
Delaney is as usual, one step ahead of the police. Even though there were quite a few suspects, I wound up surprised by the whodunnit.
The characters felt like visiting old friends after all these books. I enjoyed following Delaney and seeing how this murder mystery would unfold.

I enjoy Paige Shelton, and her cozy, homey, mysteries. She creates a warmth with the friendship and loyalties of her characters and you come to know them well throughout the series. Though I have read many others, this one does well as a standalone, and I didn’t feel like I was missing something if I hadn’t read the previous books. I did feel that the resolution of the mystery was a bit tangled, and possibly tied up too quickly. That being said, I still enjoyed the read to get there. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance read copy.

I love this series. And even though this is a cozy mystery set in Edinburg set in the current times I am glad that Queen Elizabeth II passing is mentioned as the book is set around the same time. But the the mystery is about something else entirely.

Another absolutely wonderful installment in the Cracked Spine series. I absolutely adore Delaney, Elias, Tom, Rosie, Hamlet, and all of the reappearing characters. This was another incredibly well done murder mystery that didn't feel like any other murder mystery we've seen before. We had new depth to old characters and interesting new characters, a plot twist, and a resolution that felt right. I love Paige Shelton and cannot wait for what she writes next!

What a fabulous workplace! Two of my favorite things, books and collectibles. So when an old sword is a piece of interest who can walk away for that? Not Edwin but he sends Delaney to visit Jolie. Jolie has a falling down old house overfilled with items. Delaney can't help herself she gets drawn in. So many interesting side stories make this book a good story. I admit I read this one pretty quickly. Who wouldn't want to know the ending! The twists and turns and unexpected connections were fun to discover.

A friend of Edwin finds what appears to be an historical artifact, Delaney is asked to examine the piece in Edwin’s stead. While the peace certainly appears to be exactly what it seems, it will need to be evaluated properly.

No sooner than Edwin is notified by Delaney, a man is murdered, and Delaney can’t help but think that it’s tied to the historic discovery that has been made. Can Delaney help the police figure out how the two are connected and who killed the man? Or will this historic weapon claim yet another life?

I have long love this series and adore each and every entry. Delaney seems to be living the life I can only dream of. An American in Scotland. Edinburgh, no less. Each entry is so well written and thought out that I find myself lost in the story as soon as I begin reading. I can’t wait for more in this series.

This is my second book by Paige Shelton and she is quickly becoming a favorite cozy read author!

This book is part of a series but can be read as a stand-alone.

Delaney, once again is involved in a murder investigation and older characters are sprinkled thought-out but we are also introduced to new and intriguing charters.

Shelton always keeps you riveted to the page with her fast-paced plots and intriguing characters!

Get this on your TBR for 2024. Out in April.

Edwin proposes a new project for Delaney. A friend of Edwin's has something for Delaney to archive. She invites Elias to drive her to Rosalin to the estate of Jolie Lannister. Jolie is dealing with a lot at the moment of their arrival. Her attorney is trying to clean her house out. It's filled with stuff. Jolie shows Delaney and Elias a sword. A dirty sword found in the garden. It might be a crusaders sword. As they are leaving the shed. They find a dead body and the gardener is found over the body. Delaney starts to investigate to help clear the Gardener.

The mystery on this one was really good. I loved how all the pieces connected. It kept me on my toes. This author does a fantastic job and I hope she continues to write more mysteries.

To Queen or not to Queen


A Royal British conspiracy theory, sign me up! In the ninth installment of Scottish Bookshop series, Delaney is once again forced with a new treasure to uncover. And a new murder?!

That’s right, someone is murdered. In true whodunit fashion, we get pieces to the puzzle all throughout the book. Red herrings and all.

I loved the way Paige Shelton intertwined Queen Elizabeth II throughout the book. Nothing like a little royal history to make a murder more fascinating. Jolie was such a great add to the book. I couldn’t help but be fixated on her story.

Definitely worth reading! I always recommend starting at the beginning of the series, but all of Shelton’s books are so good that you can start with this one if you want. Can’t wait for the next installment!

Loved it,
Anxiously waiting for the next,
x Sarah - Anneoftucson Reviews

This was my first book in this series, and while I enjoyed it, I feel like I was missing something with the characters relationships. I definitely feel like I should have started with the first book. The mystery was clever and I loved the Scottish atmosphere.. it was fast paced and I read it very quickly. I do feel after reading this one, I will go back and start at the beginning. There was enough I admired to keep me interested in this series.

Actual Rating: 3,5 ⭐️

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Poison Pen was an exciting read, I didn't know this book belonged to a series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Plot

Edwin gives Delaney Nichols the task of looking into the finding of a priceless treasure on Jolie's estate. She learns about Jolie's past, including her mother's assertion that Elizabeth II is the legitimate successor because of her liaison with King Edward VIII. But as a mystery diary disappears and a link between the story and the murdered guy is found, a number of mysteries arise. Delaney has to solve the puzzle or risk becoming a part of history.

The plot of the book was interesting. I liked the mystery, and while I knew who did it, it was still a good read. The pacing was good, and I wanted to see how the main character, Delaney, would discover the real killer.

Characters

My main complaint about the novel is the characters. They are alright, but I couldn't connect with any of them. I thought they were two-dimensional, or maybe I only think that because this is the ninth novel in the series, and I would be more connected to the characters if I had read the previous books.

Writing

The writing was simple. It wasn't extraordinary by any means, but I liked it. It kept me engaged the entire time while I was reading.

Final Thoughts

The book was a good read, and I liked the mystery. I will definitely read the other novels in the future.

I was offered an arc of this new cozy mystery through the SMPG Influencer program. I had read and enjoyed the previous book in the series so was excited to dive right in. Delaney Nichols, an American transplanted to Scotland, is sent by her boss Edwin to collect an ancient sword found on the property of Jolie Lannister at her mansion West Rosebud House in Roslin. When Delaney arrives though, she steps into the middle of an argument going on between Jolie and her attorney, Bowie Berry, who has brought an estate appraiser, Gilles Haig, and his young assistant, Alban Dunning, to look over the contents of the old mansion. Ms Berry believes Jolie is showing signs of a mental disorder, exhibited in hoarding disease, and wants these experts to do an inventory of the cluttered contents. Jolie had signed over power of attorney to Ms Berry 10 years ago to cover such a circumstance.

Once Jolie convinces these people to leave, she takes Delaney and her driver Elias to the outbuilding where the sword is being kept. Before long though, they hear a man yelling: the groundskeeper Homer has found young Alban murdered.

Delaney has been involved in some detecting in the past and has aided police investigations; she does the same here. Who would want the poor young man dead? And why? The situation becomes quite controversial with questions about the ownership of such national treasures as the ancient sword. There's also some old gossip to wade through involving the royal family. A very intriguing mystery plot!