THE POISON PEN (Scottish Bookshop Mystery #9) by Paige Shelton will be released on April 9, 2024 by Minotaur Books.
While determining if her boss’s friend has a priceless Scottish artifact in her possession, Delaney Nichols runs into a legal snafu with a deceitful, disbarred lawyer as well as the dead body of an assistant estate appraiser. Delaney gets caught up not only in researching the discovered Crusader Sword, she also finds herself looking into Jolie’s history and her claim that abdicated King Edward VIII was her biological father. Delaney’s investigation into the sword, Jolie’s past, and the murder takes her from Jolie’s estate to various places in Edinburgh.
I just finished binge reading the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series, and I thoroughly enjoyed following Delaney’s adventures in Scotland. THE POISON PEN is an exciting addition to the series. There were several mysteries going on in the novel that all tied in together with the murder and the sudden appearance of the Crusader Sword. There are plenty of suspects and clues to keep the reader guessing. Delaney has a great relationship with the Edinburgh Police that she has built throughout the series. The relationship continues in this novel. Delaney passes along all information to Detective Winters, but she always seems to be one step ahead of him when it comes to uncovering the killer.
Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.