The Poison Pen is the 9th book in the Scottish Bookshop cozy mystery series by Paige Shelton. Released 9th April 2024 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. Paperback format due out late 4th quarter 2024 from the same publisher. 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, it will likely be a good
fit. This outing sees Delaney and crew investigating crusaders, ancient history, artifacts, and the true lineage to the English throne.
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 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 everyone loves bookstore cozies.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
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