Murder at a Scottish Wedding
Scottish Shire Mysteries #4
By Traci Hall
ISBN 9781496739247
Author Website: TraciHall(.)com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
As her friend’s matron of honor, Paislee Shaw vows to solve the mystery of a missing brooch and a dying wedding guest . . .
Paislee’s specialty sweater shop and yarn business Cashmere Crush, in the charming Scottish village of Nairn, is closed today for a special occasion. Her bonnie bestie Lydia is moments away from walking down the aisle of the church at Old Nairn Kirk to wed Corbin Smythe. Gramps and Paislee’s eleven-year-old son Brody are seated in the pews with the other guests–the only family not in attendance is their black Scottish terrier Wallace. As matron of honor, Paislee is at her friend’s side when Lydia lets out a frantic cry. The Luckenbooth brooch her betrothed gave her is missing. A traditional Scottish love token, the gold heirloom has been in his family for generations and not wearing it could bring bad luck–according to the superstitious Smythes.
But the real misfortune falls on a distraught cousin who suddenly disrupts the ceremony and dies with the brooch in her hand. The Smythes insist it’s the curse. But Paislee must broach the subject of…murder. And was the intended victim the guest–or the bride? Only Paislee can determine who to pin the murder on. (Goodreads)
Review:
What a brilliant mystery this is! It is the first I have read in this series and won’t be the last; I enjoy the characters and charming setting! I do suggest reading the books in order, or at least one of the earlier books before this one, to enjoy the Shaw family and friends so much more. I was captivated by the Scottish setting, customs, even the bagpipes, and had no idea so many men would wear kilts to special events. I had not heard of the tradition of men giving Luckenbooth brooches at the time they propose to their true love, along with an engagement ring. I did enjoy the history of the Smythe family, but the family themselves, not so much.
Paislee didn’t open her shop on the day her best friend, Lydia, would marry her sweetheart, Corbin Smythe. Only Paislee knew how much Lydia’s future mother-in-law tormented her while planning the wedding. Mary was Corbin’s stepmother and had strong opinions. In the Smythe family, there are heirloom Luckenbooth brooches, and each bridegroom chooses one to give to his intended; it is returned to the family vault upon the passing of the wife. Mary claimed the brooch Corbin selected for Lydia is cursed and how wrong Lydia was for Corbin. Mary’s hateful comments influenced many people against Lydia, including her college-age daughters and the cousins of the Smythe brothers.
Mary had the brooch cleaned and asked the minister at their church to bless it. Later they learned it was not cleaned by a jeweler. Alexa, an old friend who claimed to be a witch cleansed it. The day of the wedding, the minister delivered what Lydia assumed was the brooch in a box with a note from Mary attached. While photos were being taken, the box disappeared. Mary told Lydia it would be bad luck to not wear the brooch for the wedding, so she and Paislee frantically searched for it. When they couldn’t find it, Corbin is just as happy to marry her without it.
When Lydia and her attendants were lining up to enter the church, Felice, one of the cousins, ran out the door, crying, unable to see and in need of air. She wavered at the top of the steps, fell, broke her neck, and died when reaching the bottom. The wedding was postponed until further notice. The true cause of the death was a murder attempt – on Lydia!
Paislee’s grandfather, Angus, who she had a relationship with for only about a year, lived with her and her son Brody. Angus didn’t learn that he had a son in addition to Paislee’s father until Craigh had long been an adult. He and Angus roomed together for a while, then Craigh left to work on the oil rigs. Before he disappeared, he told Angus he would be on a dangerous, high-risk job that could set them up for life. The police were looking for him as he may have been part of a scheme worth millions.
Paislee and Lydia are my favorites, with Brody running a close second. The two women were closer than sisters for many years and are described very well through actions and realistic conversations. I learned more about each person as the mystery progresses, especially those on Paislee and Lydia’s suspect list. Some conversations between eleven-year-old Brody and his mother were endearing, especially as he began asking questions about girls and the upcoming dance. I didn’t much care for most of Lydia’s future in-laws and couldn’t figure out how a nice guy like Corbin came from such a squirrely family driven by their money and place in society.
This mystery invited me in from the beginning and held my attention throughout. A case could be made against almost everyone they suspected in Corbin’s family! Knowing almost nothing about Craigh, there was little help they could give Angus unless he revealed more of what he knew. The best kinds of mysteries leave one guessing to the end, and this reader was definitely guessing to the surprising end of this novel. I was very satisfied with the outcome and highly recommend this novel and series!
