Deadly Editions is the 6th book in the Scottish Bookshop cozy mystery series by Paige Shelton. Released 6th April 2021 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately.
All of the Scottish Bookshop mysteries are self contained and as such work well enough as
standalones. The characters' interrelationships have developed over
the course of the books, so there will be some missing backstory, but the
author is adept at giving the necessary information, so readers who choose to pick up this one first won't likely experience any problems with keeping the story straight.
For lovers of very light bookstore cozies, these will likely be a good
fit. This outing sees Delaney and crew on a scavenger hunt with the prize being a wealthy and eccentric bibliophile's priceless library collection. There are four people in-it-to-win-it (with generous cash grants to the ones who don't take home the grand prize). The stakes get higher when the benefactress is kidnapped, and everyone is scrambling to rescue her and solve an old murder mystery from her past.
All in all, it's a diverting, very light, readable cozy mystery with a
whimsical ensemble cast. Some of the plot setups and developments are a bit over
the top, but I strongly suspect that's a big part of why bookshop cozies are wildly popular. A strong suspension of disbelief is required. The language and content are chaste and perfectly safe for commute or work reading.
Four stars. The author is a talented and capable
storyteller, and I do love bookstore cozies.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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