Murder at the Scottish Games
Scottish Shire Mystery #7
By Traci Hall
ISBN 9781496754677
Author’s website: tracihall.com
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
The Highland Games have taken over the quaint seaside village of Nairn, Scotland—and the life of sweater shop owner, knitting enthusiast, and busy single mom Paislee Shaw…especially when a killer enters the competition!
Paislee Shaw is no stranger to managing tricky tangles, but mid-August spins her world into more chaos than she ever could have imagined. Between her teenage son’s moody antics, friends making life-changing decisions, and the looming Nairn Highland Games, evenings with fellow crafters of the Knit and Sip crew are her one escape. But when she joins the games’ organizing committee, Paislee is instantly plunged into a whirlwind of clashing personalities and scandalous mishaps . . .
The festivities unravel faster than a dropped stitch when heavy throwing competitor Artie Whittle is accused of cheating—and his ill-tempered father is found murdered the next day. With Artie unconscious and pegged as the prime suspect, Paislee and DI Zeffer team up to untangle the truth. Navigating a cast of unusual suspects—from jealous judges to grudge-holding locals—Paislee must weave together clues hidden amidst caber tosses, kilts, and a killer who only plays to win . . . (From Goodreads)
Review:
The engaging characters pulled me into this delightful cozy mystery set in the seaside village of Nairn, Scotland. Especially after reading this series, I would love to see Scotland. The festivals and competitions have been particularly interesting. The late summer days, temperatures, the beauty of the Moray Firth, and the games made it sound so inviting!
Spending time with Paislee, her son Brody, and her grandfather, Angus, was a pleasure. Paislee is a hard-working single mom and owner of a yarn and bespoke items shop. Her son, Brody, has reached the awkward age of thirteen, and her grandfather, Angus, was resisting a visit to the doctor for what was diagnosed as pneumonia. I met several of the characters in prior books, such as Lydia, Paislee’s bestie, Meri, who prefers bagpipe events and groups, and Detective Inspector Mack Zeffer, who has been at the local police station for several years. Most of Nairn residents and many tourists would be at the Nairn Highland Games.
Brody entered one of the games, but was injured just before it began. His bones have ached from “growing pains”, his height had shot up and he hadn’t yet adapted to his larger feet. Brody is beginning to notice – and be noticed by – girls. Other participants, organizers, and observers made for an eclectic, quirky gathering of all ages.
Rhona, one of Paislee’s shop assistants, had been dating Artie, a competitor in the games, for several months. Rhona’s mother, Petra, wanted her to date someone with a better background and financial position, but Artie already captured her heart.
There were spats amongst the committee members who organized the games. Then, someone called in an anonymous tip that there could be doping – steroid use – at the games, further causing organizers to be on edge.
The caber toss was the last game Artie entered. When he wasn’t working or doing chores, he practiced. A lot. Someone, however, sabotaged his ability to compete. The tree resin in his jar that helped grip the smooth caber was switched out with a slippery substance, preventing him from the firm hold required. On his last caber throw, it broke and flew in a direction that could have hurt or killed his mother, Gemma, and other fans. He and his father, Joseph, had made the caber, so he was accused of cheating on its materials. Joseph, who constantly bullied Gemma and Artie, spewed ugly insults to Artie.
Monday morning, Paislee gave Rhona a ride to Artie’s, since he had missed their Sunday date. They found both Artie and Joseph covered in blood. Artie was unconscious, and Joseph was dead. Had Artie finally snapped and killed his father? Did Gemma, after seeing Joseph dance suggestively with a woman he was having an affair with? Few people were fond of Joseph, but who else would be angry enough to murder him?
Artie, suffering a head wound requiring emergency surgency, finally regained consciousness to learn that he was the primary suspect in Joseph’s death. Rhona was absolutely certain Artie was innocent, as was his mother. Rhona knew all about murders Paislee had helped solve in the past, and asked for her help to find who really killed him. Paislee would help as much as she could squeeze into her over-busy life. Along with her yarn shop, Paislee made many cashmere knit goods to sell at Ramsey Castle gift shop. Brody’s new school term had started, at a different school. And Detective Inspector Zeffer asked her a question about the secret she most closely guarded, and he wouldn’t stop prying. For the first time since she was pregnant with Brody, she had let down her guard to possibly have more than a friendship with a man…but he crossed a boundary and she told him to never talk to her again.
This was an intriguing and challenging mystery, with red herrings I quickly threw back into the firth. It was difficult to determine just one suspect with a man who was disliked by most of the community. Who would gain by his death? His wife and son would, purely by the peace in their home. Paislee had few leads, and the police had little evidence. The author’s writing wastes no words on inconsequential events or conversations. It is intense, and it is excellent. The ending and resolutions were satisfying, and I highly recommend this cozy mystery and series, especially to those who appreciate needle crafts, Scotland, a potential romance, and highly engaging characters.
