The Loch Ness Papers

February 1, 2019
Not even her impending wedding can stop an intrepid sleuth from investigating a murder.Delaney Nichols literally runs into an older gentleman just outside the door of the church she's visiting in hopes of convincing the Rev. Nisa Bellows to officiate at her nuptials. Delaney, an American who works at the Cracked Spine bookstore in Edinburgh (Lost Books and Old Bones, 2018, etc.) collating its enormous and often mysterious collection, plans to marry drop-dead-handsome pub owner Tom Shannon in a week. When Delaney finds a pack of Loch Ness Monster cards after the collision, Nisa says that they probably belong to the man Delaney ran into, Norval Fraser, whose obsession with the monster has led him to amass a huge anecdotal archive. Norval, who thinks Nessie took his father, asks Delaney if she'll accept his paperwork and continue the search herself. Back at the Cracked Spine, larger-than-life Texan Angus Murdoch arrives with a rare and valuable book he claims his grandfather stole from the store 20 years ago. But when owner Edwin MacAlister arrives, he has no recollection of the alleged theft. When he's unable to get in touch with his great-nephew, Gavin, Norval asks Delaney to accompany him to Gavin's apartment, where they find him stabbed to death. The police arrest Norval but have him hospitalized because they're unsure of his mental state. Delaney, who knows that a Ponzi-like scheme Gavin was running had earned him many enemies, is distraught when her wedding dress vanishes in a store closing just as her parents and brother arrive in town for the wedding. She takes her jet-lagged family on a quick trip to Loch Ness, then her taxi-driving friend and landlord takes them sightseeing while she continues her quest to clear up all the mysteries before her wedding day.The material on the eternally enigmatic Loch Ness Monster is a good deal more absorbing than the subpar mystery.

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February 11, 2019
At the start of Shelton’s agreeable fourth Scottish Bookshop mystery (after 2018’s Lost Books and Old Bones), American Delaney Nichols, who works at the Cracked Spine Bookshop in Edinburgh, Scotland, is soon to be married. But weddings seldom go off as planned, and Delaney’s is fraught with complications. First, the minister dies, leaving Delaney scrambling for a replacement; the tailor shop folds, leaving her dressless; and finally her new friend, Norval Fraser, a sweet, eccentric old man who’s obsessed with the Loch Ness monster, is accused of murdering his greedy nephew. Delaney’s wedding plans take a back seat as she tries to prove Norval innocent and find the real killer. Delaney’s friends and her family, who have traveled to Scotland from Kansas, are amazingly forgiving about being ditched while she investigates the murder. The killer’s motivation is a bit of a fizzle, but Shelton stocks her tale with appealing characters and intriguing Nessie lore. Cozy fans will be rewarded. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary.

Starred review from March 1, 2019

Bookseller Delaney Nichols is rushing into church to prepare for her wedding when she bumps into an older man leaving. He drops a pack of cards showing the Loch Ness Monster. Delaney returns the cards and feels an immediate connection to Norval Fraser, who is obsessed with Nessie. He invites Delaney to take over his collection of papers about the monster. She's fascinated by his stories, but doesn't trust his great-nephew Gavin. When Gavin is found murdered, the police suspect Norval. Although her family is arriving from Kansas for the wedding, Delaney feels obliged to prove Norval isn't a killer. The delightful characters, immersive Scotland setting, and the mystery of Loch Ness combine for one of the most enjoyable installments in this series. VERDICT The intriguing Scottish bookshop and wedding details will satisfy fans of Amanda Flower's "Magic Garden" mysteries. Readers who relish eccentric characters and bookstores, as seen in Vicki Delany's "Sherlock Holmes" bookshop series, will savor this fourth entry (after Lost Books and Old Bones) in an atmospheric series.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

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