Murder at a Scottish Castle
Scottish Shire Mystery #5
By Traci Hall
ISBN 9781496744371
Author’s website: tracihall.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
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 . . .
With the summer days getting shorter in the seaside village of Nairn, the annual bagpiping competition at Ramsey Castle promises to be quite the end-of-season blowout. Paisley has snagged a special invitation from the dowager countess, who wants to showcase her cashmere goods in the castle gift shop, and she’s brought her son Brody, Grandpa, and their black Scottish terrier Wallace.
There’s a fierce rivalry between Robert Grant, the Earl of Lyon, and last year’s winner Jory Baxter, with Grant loudly vowing to show up the blowhard Baxter and claim clan bragging rights. But the reigning champion has barely put the reed to his lips when he turns red and collapses, soon to take his dying breath. DI Zeffer suspects foul play.
With a possible murderer in their midst, the rest of Nairn won’t breathe easy until Paisley applies her sleuthing skills to make sure justice is served and the killer pays the piper . . . (from Goodreads)
Review:
This is becoming another of my favorite cozy series. The author brings the engaging characters to life. Sufficient backstory on individuals or past events so that each book in the series can be read as a standalone. Descriptions of Ramsey Castle, including the gardens and the castle itself, add texture and beauty to its almost completely self-sustaining nature. The author writes their Scottish brogue in such a way that I almost have an accent by the time I turn the last page! The complexity of the mystery kept me guessing throughout. The author has done extensive research on a component of the story that was fascinating to read about. And of course, Scotland!
Each person is well-depicted through realistic conversations, concerns, and behaviors. My favorites are Paislee and her childhood best friend, Lydia. Their lifestyles are vastly different, but their close-as-sisters relationship reflects love and loyalty that few could separate. Paislee is not quite 30, and had been a single, teen mum when her late grandmother had taken her in. She has a keen sense of responsibility and is not afraid of hard work. Paisley had an on-line store for her one-of-a-kind knitted goods to support her and her son, Brody. When she inherited her grandmother’s cozy house, Paislee was able to open her yarn and custom knit goods business in a leased storefront while maintaining her on-line store. Grandpa Angus lives with Paislee and Brody. Brody, at twelve, is mature enough to grasp that his mom has lived all of his lifetime without dating anyone, making him her number one priority.
One of her clients, Lady Shannon, helped Paislee get her foot in the castle door of the Dowager Countess Sorcha, who just opened a gift shop in Ramsey Castle. Sorcha will carry some of Paislee’s cashmere knit goods, so she will deliver stock to the castle early on the day of the Annual End of Summer Bagpiping event. The manager of the gift shop admires the items. Sorcha is happy with the products, and gives Paislee and her family a quick tour of the castle grounds.
There were a dozen clan bands in the competition, and each competitor’s set includes a solo for the best bagpiper in that band. The Earl of Lyon, Lord Robert, and Sorcha’s oldest son, does the solo for their clan. Lord Patrick, his younger brother, is in charge of preparing the huge barbecue that is prepared for approximately 200 guests that takes place after the competition. Lady Lissia, Sorcha’s only daughter, is a snare drummer in the band.
The final clan is playing, and Jory is beginning his bagpipe solo when he turned red and collapsed. He was taken to the hospital, where he died. Much blame was cast around, especially to Lord Robert, who was suspected of sending anonymous notes to the leader of the band Jory played for and one of the competition judges, stating that Jory had cheated in last year’s competition. It was the first time in six years that Robert did not win the competition. The money awarded is very small, but the winner gets recognition and “bragging rights”.
Paislee has helped solve several murders in Nairn, including one in which Lady Shannon’s son was the person of interest. Shannon had shared that with DC Sorcha. Sorcha now wants her to do the same for her son Robert, the Earl. He is the main suspect in Jory’s murder for several reasons, including Jory breaking Robert’s winning streak the prior year. Robert is steadfastly avoiding talking with the constables, and his “big man at the castle” attitude doesn’t do him any favors. He won’t even talk with Paislee unless his mother tricks him into joining luncheons she was invited to.
Paislee has so many things on her plate that she doesn’t have time for one more thing, but she does want to have her work sold at the castle…She talks with several people, but it is a slow process. Nobody wants to talk poorly about the dead man – Jory – or the earl, Robert. I couldn’t get a feel for who was responsible, even when the murder weapon was finally discussed. The bad guy was hiding in plain sight, and when it was revealed, I was stunned. The mystery was complete and the ending satisfactory. I highly recommend this delightful cozy mystery, especially to anyone who enjoy novels set in Scotland.
