Review - Lost Books and Old Bones

From the author of multiple mystery series, Country Cooking School, Farmer's Market, Dangerous Type series comes the third in a new series comes The Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series.  I reviewed the debut book in the series, The Cracked Spine (click here) and the second book, Of Books and Bagpipes (click here).  Here is a rundown of the third book in the series.

Author: Paige Shelton

Copyright: April 2018 (Minataur) 320 pgs

Series: 3rd in Scottish Bookshop Mystery series

Sensuality: Mild

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy

Main Characters: Delaney Nichols, Expat and new employee at The Cracked Spine specializing in hard-to-find books and artifacts

Setting: Modern day, Edinburgh Scottland

Obtained Through: Library

From the book cover:"Delaney Nichols, originally of Kansas but settling happily into her new life as a bookseller in Edinburgh, works at the Cracked Spine in the heart of town. The shop is a place filled with curiosities and surprises tucked into every shelf, and it’s Delaney’s job to research the rare tomes and obscure artifacts that people come to buy and sell. When her new friends, also students at the medical school, come to the shop to sell a collection of antique medical books, Delaney knows she’s stumbled across a rare and important find indeed. Her boss, Edwin MacAlister, agrees to buy the multi-volume set, perhaps even to keep for his own collection.

But not long after the sale, one of Delaney’s new friends is found murdered in the alley behind the Cracked Spine, and she wonders if there is some nefarious connection between the origin of these books and the people whose hands they fell into. Delaney takes it upon herself to help bring the murderer to justice. During her investigation, Delaney she finds some old scalpels in the bookshop’s warehouse— and discovers that they belonged to a long-dead doctor whose story and ties to the past crimes of Burke and Hare might be connected to the present-day murder. It’s all Delaney can do to race to solve this crime before time runs out and she ends up a victim on the slab herself."

Delaney Nichols, an American in Scotland is on the case when an acquaintance is murdered in the alley behind the bookstore.  Delaney's boss, Edwin MacAlister, remains just as secretive as before, and fellow bookstore employees Rosie and 19-year old Hamlet give the story warmth.  Tom is the bartender from across the street and the romantic interest who has to deal with an old girlfriend now a reporter dragging Delaney's name through the papers.  Elias is a cab-driver who is also Delaney's landlord who makes a good side kick. 

The local medical school in Edinburgh is used often as a setting and it works well for atmosphere.  There is no clear motive or any one suspect that stands out, so the investigation leads the reader along clue by clue and kept my interest.  A tense and suspenseful killer reveal topped it off and the wrap up was touching.

I consider this the best of series so far with a cleaver plot and interesting characters.  

Rating: Excellent - Loved it, it had a good grip on me! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list.