It seems like I was just sharing the link for February's Cozy Mystery Book Club live stream, and here we are already on the cusp of March's live stream. This month's book is Murder in a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall. You can watch the live stream and join us for the fun in the comments where we all share what we loved (and what left us lacking) in this month's club selection. Angela enters all comments for a chance to win books so it's a good time to chat with your fellow cozy lovers!
This book is the first book in the Scottish Shire series. The book is written with lots of Scottish dialect, which can be distracting, I got the vibe that the book was not written by someone who is Scottish. Our Amateur Slueth is Paislee who is a single mom of a 10-year-old who owns a knitting shop. There is a nice amount of knitting talk in the book and it factors into the murder, so that is what you want to see when you read a crafty cozy.
The book was published in 2020, but the sensibilities of our main character were a real throwback. She often talks about the shame and embarrassment she has from having a kid out of wedlock. She goes on to say that she has not had sex or dated since her son was born and won't do either of those things until he is finished with school. I don't want to go on about how that rankled me, so I'll leave it there.
There are several subplots going on throughout this book, and much is not resolved at the end of the book, so if you enjoy Paislee or the town of Nairn, you can go right on to the next book from this one and hopefully find out more about the Knitting Shop and Grandpa's missing son.
I found the reveal of the murderer and circumstances in the book to be on the darker and more depressing side. So keep that in mind if you are looking for a cozy, cozy.
