So nice to continue reading this series with familiar characters and settings. Topic was one I was unfamiliar with, but author did good job of explaining important points that were relevant to the mystery. Thanks to # NetGalley and #WrittenInStone for advanced digital copy.

Written in Stone is the 10th book in Paige Shelton's Scottish Bookshop. I haven't read all of them but it isn't really a problem. There is enough backstory provided for the new reader without feeling like it is repeating everything for the long-time fans.

Bookish cozy mysteries are always fun, but I like that this one deals with more than just books. The bookshop Delaney works in deals in rare and old books (as well as newer books), plus we usually get to learn a little about Scottish culture or history. There's usually a trip to the museum.

In this book, we learn a little bit about the Pics, an Iron Age people who lived in the area, as well as stone carving. The mystery takes us deeper into the history of the Pics and touches on paleontology.

The mystery is intriguing and there are a number of coincidences that may or may not be a coincidence.

We get to spend some time with all the characters that fans have come to love, but we also get a lot of time with characters who are specific to this book so new readers can easily pick up this book.

It is an entertaining, quick read.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Friday - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2025/04/written-in-stone-by-paige-shelton-review.html

Delaney wins a special invitation to an artists studio and she isn't sure what to expect from the upcoming experience. Upon arriving at the studio she meets a man obsessed with Picts and a paleontologist. The paleontologist, Dr. Adam Pace, is trying to sell an artifact that is suppose to explain what the Picts language really sounds like. Dr Pace's deal seems to go wrong and he ends up dead. The police don't seem to be in a hurry to figure out who killed the man so Delaney jumps.in to investigate herself. Follow along and see if she can do what the police don't seem to be able to do. Will she find a killer or will the mystery not get solved?

Delaney Nichols has been living in Edinburgh for many years, long enough to get settled in to a good job at The Cracked Spine, a specialty bookstore. She’s been there long enough to fall in love and get married. But she still remembers where she came from, Lawrence, Kansas. She got her education at the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk, Jayhawk!). So when a fellow Kansan shows up in Edinburgh, Delaney is looking forward to talking about her alma mater.

She meets him for a minute as he was leaving artist Ryory Bennigan’s studio. As part of the annual Hidden Door Festival, Delaney and her husband Tom had gotten a rare invitation to visit the studio and see how Ry made his art, most notably his sculptures. Dr. Adam Pace was just leaving. Delaney invited him to drop by her bookstore, but he never makes it.

Delaney finds out that she and Dr. Pace had some friends in common, so she starts asking around. She wants to know why he was in Edinburgh, to try to figure out who would have a motive to kill him. Talking to old friends back in Kansas and newer friends in town, she finds out that he may have been trying to sell some dinosaur bones that he didn’t have the proper provenance for. He was also doing research on the Picts, a lost Scottish population of warriors. They left behind stones carved with symbols which scientists have been trying to decode.

As Delaney reaches out to her friends in town, going to other bookstores and tracking down a tattoo artist, she learns more about the paleontologist from Kansas. But she also learns about a couple of suspicious illnesses. Is it possible that the killer is not done yet? And is Delaney putting herself right in the killer’s sights?

Written in Stone is book ten in Paige Shelton’s Scottish Bookshop Mystery series. Delaney uses her contacts in Edinburgh and in Kansas to investigate the murder in this compelling cozy mystery. I liked this book a lot, feeling like I was there in Scotland. I especially loved the information about the Picts, and I was impressed at how Shelton folded the information into the story. Written in Stone was a fun read, with lots of interesting surprises and smart twists.

Egalleys for Written in Stone were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.

Paige Shelton is one of my go-to cozy mystery authors, and her Scottish Bookshops series a favorite. This latest entry in that series is another winner.

One of the things I love about the series is that Shelton makes every story a mini-lesson in history. Past books have included plots involving Mary, Queen of Scots for example. Here, we learn about the Picts, perhaps the most mysterious of the Celtic peoples. It’s not a deep dive into history, but enough to make me want to know more. Add that to inventive plots and colorful characters and you have a successful series.

What’s better than a cozy mystery set in Edinburgh Scotland? A cozy mystery set in Edinburgh Scotland with an American protagonist! The author makes each and every entry absolutely fascinating and engaging. I have a hard time putting the book down until I turned the last page and then I’m disappointed because I have to wait until the next one’s released. Yeah, it’s that good!

When I picked this up I wasn't aware that it was the 10th book in the series. I didn't find it hard to follow and did feel like I missed anything except maybe the growth of the relationships. I found the main characters lovely. I liked how Delaney was curious and went along with her own investigation but still seemed to maintain the respect of Inspector Winters. All the others that worked in the shop were different and quirky and it sounded like a delightful place to work.

When Delaney and Tom meet Tom at an artist's house she discovers that both have ties to Kansas and the university so when he is found dead she is naturally curious. I found the mystery itself kind of blah and slow and there was no heart pounding ending but still I was surprised. I'm not sure if I will read the back list but this was a fun ride.

I would like to thank Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me a digital copy.

I love this series for the setting and the sheer amounts of knowledge I get from it; this time, I learned about the Picts and the smallest dinosaur. I enjoyed all my visits with Delaney and her friends in Edinburgh and found this particular mystery interesting, though the conclusion was a little sad. The writing flowed so well that it swept me up in the story and while I figured out who the guilty party was early on, it didn’t take away from my enjoyment of it. Highly recommend this series for the descriptions of Scotland and its people but start from the beginning to really get immersed into it.

This is a great cozy mystery - it’s fast paced and fun to read. I loved Delany and the other quirky characters at the bookshop. Delany is so excited to get an invite to visit a reclusive artist. She quickly finds herself investigating a murder.

This is the 10th book in the series and while I recommend reading the other books, you can read this as a standalone. I love how these books always have some history woven into the story!

✨What To Expect:
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scotland Bookshop Setting
🔍Cozy Murder Mystery
🌪️Twists and Turns
🦴Fake Dinosaur Bones?
⁉️Questionable Artifacts
🖌️Great Side Characters

Author Paige Shelton once again allows me to enjoy Edinburgh, Scotland as I travel along with Delaney, Tom, Rosie, Hamlet and Edwin. I am always fascinated with Ms. Shelton's in-depth research into Scottish history and how she brings it to life as Delaney investigates.

The murder of a shady American professor from Kansas has Delaney immediately intrigued and on the hunt for clues to help Inspector Winters. The popular reclusive but socially awkward artist and his protective assistant added to the intrigue in this one. With a limited pool of suspects, the professor's attempts at selling a variety of questionable artifacts to Edinburgh's museums, a quickly paced plot that never slowed down and multiple twists and red herrings, that often led me astray, this book kept me turning the pages until the dramatic reveal.

Paige Shelton takes readers back to Edinburgh, Scotland in the tenth book in the Scottish Bookshop cozy mystery series, Written in Stone. It features Delaney Nichols who loves her life working at The Cracked Spine Bookshop and marriage to pub owner Tom Shannon.

Delaney wins a special festival invitation to artist Ryory Bennigan’s studio. She and Tom aren’t sure what to expect. What she finds is an artist obsessed with the Picts to the point of having his versions of their tattoos in abundance as well as vibrant red hair. She also encounters a paleontologist, Dr. Adam Pace, from her university in Kansas. He is attempting to sell an artifact that might explain the Picts’ language. However, before a deal is struct with Ryory, Dr. Pace is found dead. As usual, Delaney inserts herself into his murder investigation and finds Dr. Pace has a shady background.

Shelton does a great job of letting readers get to know Delaney. She’s bold, intense, curious, organized, and likes learning new things. She also loves museums and bookstores and seems to easily make friends. However, her safety isn’t always at the top of her concerns. The other characters come to life as well through their opinions, actions, reactions, and mannerisms. It was great catching up with old friends and meeting new ones.

I enjoyed the historical tie-ins with the Picts as well as the information on dinosaurs. The plot was multi-layered and complex with some twists and turns. However, the killer was a little too easy to discern. The narrative transported this reader to Edinburgh.

I wonder how police Inspector Winters really feels about all of Delaney’s calls and texts. She seems to work with him on every case to some degree or another. While there was an action-packed ending, there weren’t a lot of surprises. However, there are multiple crimes that are brought to a closure, but a more specific closure around an artist’s assistant would have provided some additional clarification. It blends mystery and history well, but I expected more literary references. Themes include death, family, friendship, secrets, and much more. Great world-building details, good characterization, and a solid mystery made this an enjoyable read.

Overall, this is an engaging and delightful novel that was a fast read. If you’re looking for an entertaining cozy mystery where you are likely to learn something new, I highly recommend this series. I am looking forward to reading the next book.

St. Martin’s Press – Minotaur Books and Paige Shelton provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. Publication date is currently set for April 01, 2025. This review was originally posted at Mystery and Suspense Magazine.

I enjoyed visiting the The Cracked Spine and being in the company of Delaney and her friends.
The cast of characters are very interesting, likable and well-developed.
The author’s writing enables the reader to have vivid images of Edinburgh
Shelton does an excellent job of storytelling.
She does a phenomenal job of describing Scotland with such ease. Her words make it so easy to imagine each and every place her words take us.
The pace of the mystery was spot-on and there were enough suspects to keep me guessing as I turned the pages faster and faster.
I was captivated from the first page to the last. As soon as I turned the final page I was already missing these characters.
It is filled with mystery, suspense, and some of my absolute favorite characters of all time.

Paige Shelton pens such lovely cozy mysteries that I grab them each time I see a new one. This is the tenth book in the A Scottish Bookshop series.

Description:
When Delaney wins a special Hidden Door Festival invitation to artist Ryory Bennigan's studio, she isn’t sure quite what to expect. What she finds is an elusive fellow obsessed with the Picts—complete with his own versions of their blue tattoos and vibrant red hair—recreating the stones they left behind. She also meets a visiting paleontologist, Dr. Adam Pace, from the University of Kansas attempting to sell an artifact that might just explain what the Picts' language really sounded like.

Or at least that’s what he claimed the artifact was for. Before the deal can close and Ryory can get a closer look at it, Dr. Pace is found dead.

With the police dragging their feet in the investigation, Delaney takes it upon herself to dig into Dr. Pace's past. Her research goes murky as she quickly discovers Pace’s shady background—selling fake dinosaur bones and running into some 3D-printing trouble back in Kansas. Could his past have come back to bite him in Edinburgh? And what does his questionable background mean for the mysterious Pictish artifact he was trying to sell to Ryory? Delaney will have to dust off her magnifying glass to uncover the truth behind this case… or risk becoming a pile of bones herself.

My Thoughts:
I love the setting of the bookshop The Cracked Spine. Delaney stumbles into another murder situation and she and her co-workers get involved in the investigation - as usual. A visiting paleontologiest is murdered and there are some suspicious activities surrounding his demise. I enjoyed the interesting and reclusive artist, Ryory Bennigan, who is fasciated with the art of the Picts from Scottish history. This was another engrossing read form Shelton and anyone who enjoys cozies will love it.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press | Minotaur Books through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Written in Stone by Paige Shelton is a Scottish Bookstore mystery featuring Delaney our favorite cataloger, who had come from the United States to work in a bookshop, sort of, was like returning home to friends (minus Elias and Agnes). Delaney and Tom were off to visit an artist who was known to be very private, never had showings, and had only one subject: the Picts. They had been chosen at random to visit him and were excited. It started off strangely when Delaney met a professor from her college in Kansas. Somewhat unlikely, but there it was. Ryory Bennigan, Ry for short. It was thrilling. All the stones-she though that was all his art, but it turns out there was so much more. He didn’t know Edwin, but he did know the Cracked Spine and Rosie. Good people; good characters. Of course, there was a murder. Of course, Delaney couldn’t stay out of it.

The Cracked Spine and its regulars were a family, if an odd one. It it is felt in every page. Shelton always imbues her books with Scottish history, which makes them even more fun. The Picts, as we know, were known as the blue people, mostly because of their tattoos which were all in blue and covered their bodies. Not a lot else is known about them, which makes people very curious, and easy to be taken advantage of. One believes that credentials, like that of college professor, makes one honest. Sadly, it is not the case. Also the rules about coincidences can be thrown out the window. It was an intriguing case, one which the ‘”family” all followed with great interest. Delaney’s police buddy, Inspector Winters, was interested, and unlike normal, he welcomed her input. Well done, Paige Shelton!

I was invited to read Written in Stone by St Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #StMartinsPress #PaigeShelton #WrittenInStone

Written in Stone, the tenth book in the Scottish Bookshop series by Paige Shelton, is a captivating and intriguing mystery set in the cozy atmosphere of Edinburgh’s Cracked Spine bookstore. Fans of the series will find themselves drawn into another exciting case, this time centered around a mysterious artifact and the secrets of the ancient Picts.

Delaney, the clever and resourceful protagonist, unexpectedly wins an invitation to the Hidden Door Festival, which leads her to the eccentric artist Ryory Bennigan’s studio. There, she meets Ryory and Dr. Adam Pace, a paleontologist with dubious intentions who is attempting to sell an artifact believed to unlock the mysteries of the Pictish language. However, before any deal can be made, Dr. Pace is found dead, sending Delaney on a path to unravel the truth.

As Delaney digs deeper into Dr. Pace’s shady past, including his involvement in selling fake dinosaur bones and 3D-printing controversies, she begins to uncover a web of deception that ties into the artifact. The pacing of the mystery is well done, with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing. Shelton expertly blends history, suspense, and her signature cozy mystery style, making this book a page-turner for fans of the genre.

Delaney’s journey is full of sharp observations, witty moments, and plenty of tension as she works to piece together the truth. The setting of Edinburgh adds a rich, atmospheric backdrop to the story, with its historic landmarks and mysterious aura, making the city itself feel like another character in the book.

Written in Stone is a delightful addition to the Scottish Bookshop series, combining history, art, and mystery in an entertaining way. Whether you’re a long-time fan of Delaney’s adventures or new to the series, this book offers a thrilling and satisfying read. If you love a good cozy mystery with a touch of Scottish charm, Written in Stone is a must-read.

Written in Stone is book #10 in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series by Paige Shelton.

I always enjoy my book visits to Scotland and The Cracked Spine. Delaney wins a special invitation to artist Ryory Bennigan's studio. Dr. Adam Pace is a visiting paleontologist from Delaney’s alma mater in Kansas. They didn’t get a chance to catch up about Kansas because Dr. Pace is murdered and Delaney and crew are on the case. This was another entertaining, well paced story. I enjoyed the mystery but I love the characters!

Written in Stone opens with a festival in Edinburgh that allows Delaney to meet an elusive artist. The mystery is well orchestrated. All my favorite characters in this series get plenty of time on the page - Delaney, Tom, Rosie, Hamlet, Edwin and Inspector Winters.
There are books, tattoos, fake dinosaur bones, 3-D printers, museums, and artistic experiences. There is interesting history and information about the Picts. There are plenty of good suspects for the murder and a few less easily liked people.
I felt like I was in the dark some of the time, and yet the outcome is clear.
I enjoy reading the Scottish Bookshop mysteries. It’s the characters that draw me back time after time.
I recommend Written in Stone. I even think you could read it as a stand-alone, although you might not feel that connection to the characters quite as much, but it will be enjoyable.
Thanks to Netgalley and Minotaur for the opportunity to read this book.

I received a complimentary ARC copy of Written In Stone (Scottish Bookshop Mystery #10) by Paige Shelton from Net Galley and St. Martin’s Press /Minotaur Books in order to read and give an honest review.

…Cleverly written, replete with intrigue, red herrings, history and a quirky cast of characters, Written In Stone is a fantastic entry that will keep you guessing to the very end...

Written In Stone the tenth book in the Scottish bookshop mysteries as usual did not disappoint. A fan of the series since book one I never tire of Paige Shelton’s ability to seamlessly weave the lore and beauty of Scotland into each book of this series.

In this entry the gang as back as is another great mystery. The author this time around introduces the reader to the Picts and the lore that surrounds them combining them with technology, in this case 3D printing which ties together brilliantly in this complex mystery.

The story opens with Delaney and her husband Tom receiving an unexpected invitation to visit with reclusive artist, Pict obsessed Ryory Bennigan. While waiting for him they meet his assistant Ani and a professor Dr. Adam Pace from Kansas University, the same University that Delaney went to although she didn’t know him. Both Delaney and Tom are enamored with the brilliant artist, and they are about to visit his private workspace when his assistant becomes violently ill, and the paramedics are called.

Ani apparently had a bad bout of food poisioning and seems to be on the mend as life goes on as normal for Delaney she soon learns that Dr. Dale has been murdered by poison. As usual Delaney begins to see that the two poisonings look suspicious and she does what she does best, use her wits to solve the crime despite being warned off by her friend Inspector Winters. The more digging Delaney does the more she learns about Dr. Pace and realizes that he was involved in something far worse than expected. The deeper she digs the closer Delaney puts herself on a path that could place her face to face with a murderer.

Cleverly written, replete with intrigue, red herrings, history and a quirky cast of characters, Written In Stone is a fantastic entry that will keep you guessing to the very end. This was an incredibly enjoyable installment in the series, and although the last paragraph had a slight air of finality, I hope to read more of Delaney’s adventures. A fan of Paige Shelton, I have read and this, the Scottish Bookstore Series, and to be honest she has yet to disappoint me, and Written in Stone is definitely no exception, I highly recommend.

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley, 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 receives an invitation to a festival bit is not. Soon the person who was to explain is found dead. What seems like an artifact is found murdered. Once again she will have to solve a murder and to figure out a motive. Time will be the essence before she becomes a dead artifact. It’s a fast paced bookshop mystery to be solved.

Be prepared for everything from Scottish archeology to tattooing to murder in Written in Stone, book ten in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series.

Delaney is an American, who runs a bookstore in Edinburgh Scotland. Delaney’s Scottish husband, Tom, owns a nearby pub. One day Tom and Delaney are visiting a renowned artist, Ry, when his assistant is taken ill. Later, the man they met earlier at Ry’s house is found poisoned. Are the two events connected? Delaney is determined to find out.

Written in Stone includes a lot of Scottish history especially regarding the Picts tribe. There are also long explanations of Scottish architecture, archeology, and dinosaur bones. I found it interesting but it does slow down the pacing a bit. However, I like reading this series for the delightful characters and they are also highlighted here. The mystery itself was my biggest disappointment. The motive was a bit murky and not revealed to the reader until the final pages. I would say that Written in Stone is not a fair play mystery. For that reason alone, I am giving the book 3 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for providing me with an advanced review copy.