Dollycas Thoughts
Delaney Nichols is feeling more at home in Edinburgh. She has fallen in love, made new friends and is feeling confident about her job at The Cracked Spine. Her friends are all in medical school and recently brought a box of medical books into the shop hoping to sell them quickly. The owner of The Cracked Spine, Edwin MacAlister, buys them thinking they very rare.

Delaney and her friends have an unusual night out in a pub where Delaney meets one of their professors. Her friends tell her the man is “odd” and Delaney has to agree, he is definitely hiding something and maybe her friends are hiding something too. Then the next day she learns one of her friends was murdered behind her store. She is questioned by the police and feels there is much more to the story behind the young woman’s death. She starts doing some investigating on her own. Items in her very own research area could play a major part in helping her solve the case.

This is a complex mystery with many facets that all twist together to solve and help make sense of what led to a young woman’s death. It also has its share of eerie moments. So fitting for a story set in a shop full of curiosities, I loved how history and historical items are what really drove this story.

Delaney is a fabulous protagonist. She has a curious nature and loves to do research, exactly what she needs to sleuth out the truth. I loved her trips to the university, library, and museum to try to find the answers she needed. It was so much fun to tag along as she made each new connection or discovery. I also enjoy the way her relationship with pub owner Tom is evolving. She also has an extraordinary group of people around to support her. Her boss, coworkers, and landlords have really become her Scotland family.

Ms. Shelton does an excellent job of storytelling. She whisks us away to Scotland with such ease. I have never been there but her words make it very easy to imagine each and every place her words take us.

I have completely escaped into all three books in this series. They can all stand alone but I recommend you read them all in order so you can see Delaney’s growth from her arrival from Kansas to her life now in Scotland, plus the stories are fantastic reads.

Delaney Nicohols is an American (from Kansas), who is currently living and working in Scotland. She works at an unusual bookstore which is filled with interesting items, most of which are hidden away in the “warehouse” for the use of the owner, Edwin MacAlister.

In this story, Delaney is just making friends with some women who are in medical school. When one of them turns up murdered the morning after they all had a get-together and the murder occurs in the alleyway just behind the bookstore, Delaney finds herself involved in solving the murder.


I’ve read the first book in this series and somehow missed the second one. I was able to pick up the third without really missing a step but I will want to purchase the in-between volume because I enjoy the writer’s style so much.

Many cozy mysteries are a tad cute. That is not the case with this series. The people all talk and behave as if they were individuals you could meet on the street. Except, of course, that Delaney sometimes hears what she calls “bookish voices” in her head. The voices are really bits from books she has read in the past which work with her intuition to give her clues to solving the whodunnit.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed both books I have read in the series and recommend it to anyone looking for a mystery which is personable and which has layers of plots to make solving the whodunnit a fun mental task.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

There were lots of reasons for me to reach for this book - the mention of Burke and Hare, the famous grave robbers from the 1800's, the setting in Scotland and a bookshop. Delaney Nichols has moved from Kansas to Scotland and has settled in to a comfortable life populated with co-workers, her boss at The Cracked Spine and a growing romance. In this entry, she meets three medical students and later, to her horror, one of the women from the trio is found dead in the alley behind the bookshop. A very valuable set of anatomy books and a scalpel connected to Burke and Hare become part of the puzzle.
Delaney does her own investigating but isn't one to think she can do it better than the police unlike many amateur sleuths found in cozies. The characters are well developed and the mystery has lots of twists and turns but plays fair making for a good read. I'm looking forward to the fourth in this series.

This is a charming series that captured this reader from page one .
Lost Books and Old Bones: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery by Paige Shelton is the third book in the series.
I do recommend the entire series. This book can be read as a stand alone.
Delaney Nichols is settled into life in Scotland and loves her work at the book store The Cracked Spine. She befriends some university students who bring ancient medical books to sell. When one of those students is found dead near the store , Delaney is determined to find her killer. She proves to be very adept at solving the crime and soon has a list of suspects with many twist and turns along the way to help her solve her sleuth.
This series has it all, a charming Scottish location, a wonderful book store and great characters. I love the well crafted sleuth and the smart protagonist in Delaney. I find it hard to part with this series until the last page is read. I look forward to the next in series.
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review.

Lost Books and Old Bones: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery by Paige Shelton is the third book in the series. You don't need to have read the earlier books to enjoy this one.

Delaney Nichols is settled into life in Scotland and her life at the book store. She befriends some university students who bring ancient medical books into the store to sell. When one of those students is found dead behind the store, Delaney is on the hunt for her killer. And why are the old scalpels so intriguing to everyone?

Lost Books and Old Bones is well written and moves along at a good clip. I enjoy well written cozy mysteries like this one.

Highly recommend Lost Books and Old Bones.

Paige Shelton's Delaney Nichols is living one of my dreams-- working in a bookstore in Scotland. The series has shown her slowly making a comfortable life for herself. At first, there were new friendships with the people who own the house she rents as well as with the people she works with; then there was the delectable boyfriend, and in Lost Books and Old Bones, she's made friends outside of work and home. As she becomes more comfortable, so do I as a reader.

There are a couple of things I really enjoy about this series: one, the grownups act like grownups, and two, Delaney never acts like the Lone Ranger (minus Tonto). Whenever she learns something, she immediately shares it with two detective inspectors. Of course, it helps that the police don't behave like idiots, but it's still good to see a total amateur who doesn't automatically feel as though she's miles better than trained professionals.

The graverobbing/murder angle brought into the story was a good addition, and Delaney's work was cut out for her because several of the characters believed that, if they shared all they knew, they'd look guilty. Naturally, their omissions made the police look at them even closer. (Can't beat human nature, eh?)

Lost Books and Old Bones is a very enjoyable read, and if you haven't read any of the books in the series, I suggest you begin with the first book, The Cracked Spine.

This is probably a series best read in order. I didn't fully connect with the characters because I missed the initial character building. The setting was beautiful. It had a slightly slower pace than I am used to, but it really helped build the story. I really enjoyed the history that was tied in with the plot. I actually ended up reading up on it after I finished the book. The reveal was a shock and very well written.

Full disclosure….I read this one simply because I liked the title and cover. Yes I was lured in by a pretty cover with the word ‘books’ in the title and I loved the sweet dog. I can never resist a book with a cute dog on the cover. I’m terrible. I didn’t care if it was the third book in a series, or if it an over the top cozy. I just saw the cover and title and I just had to read it!

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. She’s recently befriended a few medical school students after they came into the shop to sell some antique medical tomes. But when one of the students’ friends is found murdered outside in the alley, Delaney takes it upon herself to help bring the murderer to justice.

During her investigation, Delaney finds some old scalpels in the bookshop’s warehouse—she finds out that they belonged to a long-dead doctor, whose story 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 in danger herself (summary from Goodreads).

From what I gather, this series is a popular cozy series and I can see why…..who doesn’t dream of leaving small town America and opening a book shop in Scotland where you solve mysteries?! This is my dream right here and I was all about it for this book!

Yes I felt a little out of place in the series, obviously there was a back story and much I was missing but I don’t think it had a huge impact on the story as a whole. If you are, like me, jumping into the series blind, I think you would be alright but if you want to fully enjoy the characters and how they all know each other etc, then I think you would want to start from the beginning of the series itself.

If you can get past jumping into the series three books in, what awaits you is a fun backdrop with an interesting mystery that will intrigue readers and fans of the cozy genre. I loved how the book shop worked within the story and I thought it added a lot to the atmosphere and feel of the book. The mystery itself was fun, not overly complicated or fast paced but fun all the same. I enjoyed trying to work it out on my own and loved discovering clues right along with Delaney.

Delaney is sassy and has a lot of spunk. I liked her immediately and found her to be an excellent heroine! I want her life. When I think about connecting with a character, I think about someone like this. She’s such a great lead and I think a lot of readers will like her immensely!

There is enough suspense to keep readers excited about the mystery, sometimes in cozy books, readers get to caught up in the setting and quirky characters—at least I do—but in this book the mystery itself was the main focus. Yes I loved the character and setting etc but for me the mystery was what shined brightest.

I totally want to go back and read the other books in the series now. I can see why so many people love this series and I am excited that I have discovered something new to read! If you love cozy mysteries and haven’t yet started this series….pick up this book and the other two and start reading right away! If you have been eagerly awaiting this book to come out because you are a long time fan then get excited because this one is a great read!

Challenge/Book Summary:

Book: Lost Books and Old Bones (Scottish Bookshop Mystery #3) by Paige Shelton

Kindle Edition, 320 pages
Expected publication: April 3rd 2018 by Minotaur Books
ISBN 1250127793 (ISBN13: 9781250127792)
Review copy provided by: Publisher/Author in exchange for an honest review.
This book counts toward: NA

Hosted by: NA
Books for Challenge Completed: NA
Recommendation: 4.5 out of 5

Genre: cozy mystery, mystery, detective novel

Memorable lines/quotes:

Oh! My! I’ve definitely found a new series to start reading. This is my first book by this author but it definitely will not be my last! The mystery is well plotted, the story is wonderfully written and the characters are both relatable and likable. The setting is perfect (Edinburgh) and the author’s descriptions make you feel as if you are right there with the characters. This author includes lots of actual interesting history that she weaves seamlessly into the story. Though this book is part of a series, I had no trouble with understanding the character relationships, so it could be read as a stand-alone. However, the book intrigued me so much that I am going to read the first two books in the series as soon as I can. I’m really looking forward to them and the next books in the series as well. One of the things that I loved was that it was not so filled with sub-plots that you were constantly dragged away from the main plot. Of course, I also like the romance.

Almost a year ago Delaney Nichols left Kansas for her dream job at The Cracked Spine in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Cracked Spine deals in new books as well as antique books, manuscripts, maps, etc. Since her arrival in Scotland, she’s already helped in investigating two murders and she’s certainly glad that is all behind her.

In the last few months, she’s made friends with two students, Sophie and Rena, from the University of Edinburgh Medical School. While they are at a club, celebrating the completion of a big exam, she notices some strange interactions and people and she also meets another student, Mallory and likes her very much. She also meets the odd Dr. Eban who is an instructor at the school. At the end of the evening, she and the students go their separate ways – Mallory and Sophie take one cab, Delaney takes another and Rena takes yet another.

Delaney (I just love that name) gets a call from the bookstore the following morning and is told she needs to get there as soon as she can. As Delaney approaches the store, she is met by chaos. There are police cars, crime scene investigators, policemen and a detective all over the outside of the lovely old bookstore. What in the world is going on? The shop had been broken into and a body had been found outside in the close (alley). Then, she learns that she knows the victim.

As someone who is always intrigued by a mystery, Delaney can’t just sit by and allow the police to do all of the investigating. She shares all she learns, but she refuses to sit idly by and allow others to investigate. Besides, she’s intrigued by some things she knows and doesn’t want to share.

The supporting characters are lovable and quirky and her boyfriend/lover, Tom is just perfect for her. She cares for him more and more but is unsure how long the relationship will last because he has dated half the women in Edinburgh and none of the relationships last more than a few weeks. Strangely, they have been dating for almost a year, so she wonders what is different and how soon he’ll leave her. One of my favorite characters is Artair, Tom’s father. He’s delightful.

I definitely loved the book and recommend it as a great read with a combination of mystery and romance.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

Delaney moved to Scotland from the US to work for a bookseller. She has been in Scotland for about a year, and has recently been friendly with a couple of the local medical students. One night, Delaney goes out with the medical students and meets some of their friends. The next morning, one of the women Delaney had met the night before is found murdered just outside the bookshop. Delaney is curious as to why the woman was outside the bookshop, and suspects it may have something to do with the bookshop's "secret" warehouse.

The 3rd book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series. This is the first book I have read in this series.

I love the setting. Delaney works for a bookshop in Scotland that specializes in rare books. Delaney was likable, though I wish I had read the first two books in the series to know more about her. Since reading <i>Lost Bones and Old Books</i>, I have checked with my local library and they have the first two books in the series. I'll be picking them up soon to read them.

This cozy mystery was interesting and incorporated some history about the Burke and Hare murders that took place in Edinburgh 1828. Burke and Hare were two men who killed people and sold their corpses to a local doctor for dissection and study.

When one of Delaney's new medical student friends is found dead behind The Cracked Spine bookstore, she starts to investigate. There are old graphically illustrated medical books, used scalpels and a story of murder and body selling to keep Delaney guessing as to what the motive might be. Plenty of suspects including two other medial students, but Delaney pieces together the mystery.

3.5 stars

This book has some great things going for it. It's set in the lovely town of Edinburgh. The heroine, Delaney Nichols, works in a dream job, an antique bookstore. She has come from Kansas for this opportunity and in this third book of the series is in a serious relationship with local pub owner, Tom.

This story revolves around the famed Scottish scandal where people were murdered so their corpses could be sold to the Edinburgh Medical School. The scalpels used by the Dr. who bought the corpses are sold to the owner of Delaney's bookstore. He also buys some beautiful hand illustrated books of anatomy. Then a dead body is found in the book store. Are these events connected?

Now here's where it gets annoying to me. Delaney immediately takes it upon herself to investigate the murder. It never ceases to amaze me how people just answer her questions. Why does no one including the Doctors at the Medical University, tell her to mind her own business? Why are they intimidated by her and jump through all the hoops she requires? She is like the tattle tale in the second grade and tells everyone to go to the police. She even tells the murderer this although she doesn't know it's the murderer yet. She got on my nerves. Not only that, she doesn't do a stitch of work. All the days of the investigation, she goes to the book store but does absolutely no work. What a great employer she has.

So, as with many cozies, if you are able to put common sense aside, this is a fun read. Did I mention, it's in Edinburgh?

Thanks to Net Galley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

This is the third book in a Scottish mystery series. It revolves around books. I liked this book and can't wait to read more from this author.

Lost Books And Old Bones is the third book in the A Scottish Bookshop Mystery series.

Delaney is adjusting well to the move to Edinburgh, Scotland. Like the other two books, Delaney is involved in a mystery that is skillfully written around a historical event that occurred in Edinburgh, the infamous body snatchers, William Burke and William Hare.

Delaney has struck up an acquaintance with Mallory, Rena, and Sophie at a pub listening to a local band and enjoying a few drinks. As the evening goes on Sophie and Rena point out Dr. Eban, a professor at Edinburgh School of Medicine, who is also at the pub. Then Eban stops by the ladies table and is introduced to Delaney. When he finds out that she works at The Cracked Spine and asks if the owner, Edwin MacAlister, really has any scalpels owned by Dr. Knox who was involved with Burke and Hare.

After leaving the pub, Delaney meets her boyfriend, Tom, at The Cracked Spine to look in the “secret room” to see if Dr. Knox’s scalpels are in fact there. A set of scalpels are found that definitely could have belonged to Knox.

The next morning when Delaney arrives at work she senses that something is not right and soon finds out that Rosie and Hamlet have found the body of Mallory in the alleyway next to The Cracked Spine. It appears that she might have been trying to break into The Cracked Spine. This poses the question: who killed Mallory and why was she in the alley?

As Delaney begins to investigate who might have killed Mallory, she needs to learn more about Mallory’s friends, Rena and Sophie, as she feels they aren’t sharing everything they know of Mallory. She needs to check up on Dr. Eban who is reportedly a womanizer and is suspected of having had an affair with the victim. Also coming up on Delaney’s radar is Mr. Glenn, who held himself out to be a doctor, but in fact had no medical training. Glenn had been accused of killing a number of patients and his wife before he disappeared. She needs to find out if he is still in the area might be trying to put the blame on those he used to work with. She also needs to take a look at others, too.

Another well-plotted and told story in this interesting series. Most all of the main characters are back once again to help Delaney sort through the tangled webs.
I will definitely be watching for the next book in this great series

Lost Books and Old Bones is the third book in Paige Shelton’s Scottish Bookshop Mystery series. This is a well-plotted murder mystery with well-developed characters. This book is an interesting read and the author did a wonderful job creating authenticity in the characters with Scottish dialog. Ms. Shelton’s descriptive writing makes me feel like I’m right there with the wonderful cast of characters. The identity of the murderer was a mystery to me until the final reveal.

Delaney Nichols moved from Kansas to Edinburgh, Scotland, where she works at The Cracked Spine, a bookstore that deals in old books and ancient manuscripts, and has a warehouse full of treasures. Delaney loves her job and working with Edwin MacAlister, the bookstore’s owner, Hamlet and Rosie, and enjoys spending time with Rosie’s adorable dog, Hector. Elias and Aggie are her landlords as well as supportive friends. She’s dating Tom, the owner of the pub across the street. Delaney recently became friends with Rena and Sophie, medical students at the University of Edinburgh, who she met at the bookshop, and enjoyed an evening out with them, but the next morning she learns another medical student she met the previous evening, Mallory Clacher, was murdered behind The Cracked Spine. Delaney wants to help bring the murderer to justice and shares information with Inspector Raymond Pierce and Detective Inspector Winters. Delaney believes the present day murder may somehow be linked to historical murders and artifacts from the early 1800’s and a murder that occurred a decade ago. Delaney’s friend at the museum, Joshua, a librarian who’s also Tom’s father, Artair, and Bridget Carr, a nosy reporter who briefly dated Tom, help her research to find answers to her numerous questions.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Oh this was so good! I have book hangover. I loved Lost Books and Old Bones by Paige Shelton. This is a great read. This cozy mystery is Scotland based and a great mystery with lots of twists, history and fun artifacts await you inside!
A dream job, friends and family made up of the people you surround yourself with. Local lore and legend and a whole lot of mystery and fun await you. Book three is one you are going to want to read. Actually the series is binge worthy. This one is out April 3rd by Minotaur books and one not to miss!

This was the first book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series I had read, but it won't be the last- I've already got books 1 and 2 on the Kindle read list! Delaney is a charming fish out water in Scotland lead character, that we can all relate to, leading a charmed life with an eccentric cast of characters around her. Add in a decent little mystery that might keep you guessing, and you have a delightful read, perfect for Spring thawing out!

Lost Books and Old Bones: A Scottish Bookshop Mystery
By Paige Shelton
Minotaur
April 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s only been a year since Delaney Nichols moved to Grassmarket, Edinburgh on an adventure to apply for a position working at rare book and manuscript shop, the Cracked Spine. Delaney has never regretted a minute of it, fully embracing the Scottish lifestyle, meeting a promising love interest, and forging new friendships. Two of these new friends are medical students at the University of Edinburgh, young women who take Delaney out for a night of drinks along with another student, Mallory Clacher. Their night of levity is interrupted by an awkward meeting with their instructor Dr. Bryon Eban, whose affection for the teachings of Dr. Robert Knox lends him a distinctly creepy air. Dr. Knox notoriously paid serial killers William Burke and William Hare for the corpses he studied, and Dr. Eban seems to believe that the knowledge gained was worth the loss of life.

When one of the students is found murdered after appearing to have broken into the Cracked Spine, Delaney can’t help but suspect that it’s related to the medical school or one of instructors. A rare set of medical books had been sold by one of the girls to the shop in order to pay for her tuition, while Dr. Eban was rumored to have engaged in far too-friendly student relationships. When the young women at the medical school bond together, opposing Delaney’s investigation, she will have to rely on her fellow store employees, landlords, and especially her intuitive “bookish voices” to provide her with the perfect insight needed to prevent yet another murder.

This unique series fully immerses readers into the delightful Scottish setting and even more distinct dialect. The perfect book quotations that pop into Delaney’s head and lead her to clues appear less frequently than in the earlier two installments, allowing her to follow a more practical investigation into the murky politics and relationships of the medical university. Familiar characters continue to enhance both the novel and Delaney’s life, although she would probably wish for fewer encounters with her boyfriend’s many exes. This series is a delight for those who love delving into niche areas of research, and here the lore of museum collections, Burke and Hare, and history of medicine is endlessly compelling. The compassionate and brave Delaney is the ideal guide for armchair travelers as they traverse through an unpredictable plot and enchanting Scottish lands.

A wee bit of Scottish intrigue

Paige Shelton did a good job in establishing the mood in this the 3rd book in A Scottish Bookshop Mystery series.
The references to the Burke & Hare story helped the feeling of authenticity about the past and the current murder. There were twists and turns that keeps the reader engrossed in the story.
Delaney and Tom were a great couple and their relationship gave addition layers to the story.

I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

For me, this one was just...okay. There was virtually no context to introduce the new characters and I just didn't connect with them. It was an great plot, lots of twists and turns and the very creepy Dr Eben. I enjoyed the history (The Burke & Hare story is always fascinating) and of course, the little bookshop and its treasures, both human and inanimate, are a big draw for me but I found it was difficult to hold my interest and I struggled to finish it. Still, this is a great series and there's a lot to love for cozy mystery fans.