It’s not too often that you can find a book that encompasses many interests wrapped into one. Ms. Shelton gives us past and present queens, a rich dose of history, a bookstore filled with the unexpected and a mystery that will keep you on your toes. The Stolen Letter is an intricate story with a mystery within a mystery that was very much enjoyable.
Delaney Nichols it’s a very interesting character. I love the passion that she shows for her job. You can tell that it’s more than just a job for her, it's a part of who she is. She’s smart, witty, a little bit nosy and doesn’t seem to know how to back down. She stands up for what she believes and then she cares about. I love the bookish Voices that pop into her head just when she needs to lead in the right direction. She’s still adjusting to being newly married yet her husband, Tom, is very supportive in all manners of what she does.
Delaney, along with the cast of characters that the series, and this book contain sure to give you laughs while trying to figure out the mystery of it all.
The Stolen Letter was so much more than I thought it was going to be. Ms. Shelton weaves a good plot but you can tell this is truly a character driven story. I love how she mixed history into this modern day story. I personally am a huge fan of paranormal and I loved that little touch added into the story. As I am just coming into the series at this book I found it easy to fall into place within The Cracked Spine(Love that name for a book shop by the way) and the colorful and charismatic people who work and frequent the shop. There are essentially two stories that intertwined within the pages of The Stolen Letter And a lot going on all at the same time yet every bit of it was thoroughly enjoyable. I look forward to going back and reading some of the earlier books in the series just because I enjoyed this one so much.

The Stolen Letter by Paige Shelton is the newest in her Scottish Bookshop Mystery series. Delaney and Tom have returned home from their honeymoon and Delaney is on her way to the Cracked Spine, the bookshop where she works. She can't wait and so, may not be paying her total attention when she runs into a woman, literally, who has an arm full of books and is looking for the Cracked Spine. They enter together and two startling things happen: the woman is an older version of Delaney and she believes her self to have been Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scots, in a previous life. She is a lovely woman and quickly becomes friends with everyone at the shop and invites them all to dinner. Delaney accepts for she and Tom. Not everything is wonderful at the shop, however. The Cracked Spine is being forced to close, based on an inspector's report that says the building is unsafe. No one remembers the inspection and they have not been able to get a copy of the report, but Edwin is working on it. Things get dicey when, the next day, their host from the night before is blown up by a car bomb. Of course, Delaney has two projects: the murder and the shop closure.

The people who work at the shop and their associates are all interesting characters. Shelton continues to provide new and intriguing information with each new book. They feel like family and the Cracked Spine feels like home. Marcy, Queen of Scots is an interesting and controversial character and Shelton brings all of that controversy into this story. It feels like being there. People are odd and Shelton always finds a way to portray even the oddest as lovable. This is an interesting read: plenty of history, plenty of mystery, and plenty of fun. I recommend it highly.

I received a free ARC of The Stolen Letter from Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #thestolenletter

I love how this series goes beyond fiction and causes me to delve into history and legends. This time I found myself researching Mary Queen of Scots as I read the story. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC. the opinions expressed are my own.

The Stolen Letter is the fifth of the Scottish Bookshop Mysteries. I’ve read all of them, and while you could jump in at this one, you’d miss seeing Delaney, our amateur sleuth, starting her adventure, new in town, to finding a second family at the bookshop, falling in love, and really making her dreams come true. This time around she meets Mary Stewart, a woman who looks almost exactly like her, but 20 years older. Mary believes she’s a reincarnation of Mary, Queen of Scots. I loved how the Queen’s story was woven into a current day murder mystery. This series often includes a slight mystical element, but they never, well rarely, jump into the truly paranormal. They are all definitely cozy mysteries, with very real “whodunits.”

I love the setting. Delaney works in the mysterious, yet inviting bookshop, The Cracked Spine. I love spending time with Delaney and the other staff of the shop. They are all charming and a bit quirky. The author really brings Edinburgh, Scotland to life. We can see the ancient castle and cobbled walkways, feel the cold, damp rain, hear the brogue of the locals, and smell the time-worn books and treasures that clutter the bookshop.

The plot is well-done. I like the twists and turns and the various suspects. The clues pointed in the right direction, and I like that Delaney does work with the cops and a local reporter. She realizes that everyone working together can get more done. I do wonder if some of her new friends will show up in future books. I’m still wondering about the connection between Delaney and Mary.

This is the 5th book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series. I've read them all, I really like both the author and the series. The characters are so well written, and there's a lot of interesting historical detail that fascinates me. I highly recommend this book and the series.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the fifth book in the Scottish Bookshop mystery series. The main character, Delaney, is an American woman who relocated to Scotland to work in a unique bookshop, the Cracked Spine. Also, Delaney occasionally helps solve mysteries. She comes across a murder mystery to solve in The Stolen Letter.

I recommend starting with the first book in this series, The Cracked Spine. Each book in the series has a unique mystery, but the relationships between the characters grow throughout Delaney's time in Scotland.

In The Stolen Letter, Delaney runs into Mary on the way to the bookshop. The women immediately notice they look a lot alike, and Mary says they look like Mary, Queen of Scots. Turns out, Mary knows a lot about the dead Queen, and even believes she is the reincarnated Queen Mary. Delaney is intrigued with Mary, but, unfortunately, Mary's husband is trying to close down the Cracked Spine. When Mary's husband is killed, Delaney searches for answers.

An enjoyable cozy mystery series. This book, along with the earlier ones, includes a touch of paranormal in the story. While this isn't my favorite book in the series, I did find it entertaining. The characters are likable and the story is interesting. Delightful, fun, and quirky.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Stolen Letter is the fifth book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series.

Delaney and Tom have returned from their honeymoon and she is excited about being back at her dream job at The Cracked Spine Bookshop. As Delaney is about to enter the bookshop she bumps into a lady also heading for the store. Once they catch themselves, they are both surprised at how much they look like each other. Once inside, the lady introduces herself as Mary. Mary goes on to say that she feels she is the reincarnation of Mary Queen of the Scots and reportedly has a letter that will confirm this. She soon invites Delaney, Tom, and co-worker at Cracked Spine, Rosie, to dinner at her house. They were quite surprised when they arrived at Mary’s house, as it closely resembled the castle that Queen Mary lived in. After dinner, Mary’s husband and their son-in-law had a small argument and the party broke up before Mary was able to provide any more information on her past life. The next morning a car-bomb explodes in Mary’s husband’s car, killing him.

Also going on at the Cracked Spine, Delaney learns that the bookstore is about to be closed. There was, reportedly, a safety inspection of the building and violations were found and the Edinburgh council will be soon voting on its closing. Delaney and her co-workers believe that possibly the car explosion and the closing of the store may somehow be related. They set off to find who might be behind the possible demise of The Cracked Spine.

I love this series. The stories are well-written and plotted with enjoyable and well-developed characters. Once again the reader is afforded a look into Scottish rulers and history, and it is done in such a way that it provides an interesting look into Scotland’s past and is not overdone. There were enough twists and turns, that kept me guessing until the end.

I’m very much looking forward to the next book in this interesting and exciting series.

Delaney returns from her honeymoon to find The Cracked Spine may be closed and torn down due to structural problems. The Edinburgh City Council will vote on the issue since the bookshop failed its inspection.

Delaney, Edwin, and Rosie begin investigating who has reason to want the bookshop destroyed along with the power to make things happen. Turns out the Councilor behind this move is murdered the morning after meeting Delaney and Tom for dinner at his home.

Paige Shelton fabricates a compelling mystery with convincing red herrings and an assortment of unusual characters. This fifth Scottish Bookshop Mystery delivers a smart story at a dependable pace.

Paige Shelton weaves the history of Mary, Queen of Scots cleverly into a very puzzling mystery in The Stolen Letter, the fifth in her Scottish Bookshop cozy series. The mystery is particularly strong in this book, and I really enjoyed myself trying to figure out what was going on and the identity of the people responsible. I was a bit disappointed when the mystery shifted focus to Henry and Mary's past life was rather abruptly abandoned, but then I thought about it and realized that there was really nowhere for that particular plotline to go.

I do have to admit to a chuckle or two when it became blindingly obvious that Delaney was much more interested in saving the bookshop than she was in finding the dead man's killer, but-- as most readers will realize-- the two are connected and the tie between the two is one of the things that makes the mystery in The Stolen Letter so good. Shelton has a winning combination with her characters, setting, and stories, and I certainly look forward to Delaney's next adventure.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Delaney Nichols has returned from her honeymoon and can’t wait to get back to work at The Cracked Spine. But she is waylaid and she collides with a woman carrying a large stack of books. As she helps the woman. Mary, pick up the books she realizes the woman could be her doppelganger. Their resemblance is remarkable and the woman was also on her way to The Cracked Spine. Mary tells Delaney that they both resemble Mary Queen of Scots and that she firmly believes she is a reincarnation of the Scottish queen. Delaney is totally confused and taken aback by this but she is in for another even bigger shock when she arrives at her beloved bookshop. It seems the city council of Edinburgh is closing down the shop for unknown code violations. No one can even remember an inspector coming into the shop or receiving notification of any violations. Delaney jumps right into action trying to save the store.

She does accept a dinner invitation from Mary where she meets her husband, Henry. The next day he dies in a car explosion and Delaney finds out he was the member of the council behind the pressure to close The Cracked Spine. This leads her to believe her meeting with Mary was not coincidental at all. She is going to do everything to save the bookshop and be sure the right person is booked for murder too!

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I do love the way Paige Shelton tells a story. They are so easy to escape right into.

This time we see Delaney get fierce when her dream job is in jeopardy, in fact, all of the characters really step up. Owner of the shop, Edwin MacAlister, is a little overwhelmed at first but does rally when Delaney makes it clear his help is truly needed and he pulls in a big gun. It was truly cool the way the story played out.

This author’s descriptive writing is just wonderful. Vivid images overtake my mind and take me right to Scotland allowing me to follow right in Delaney’s footsteps. From her amateur sleuthing to settling into to married life and getting ready to move into their new home. She is always able to give her stories a unique twist making it stand out in this genre.

The Stolen Letter is a great addition to this series. The characters are engaging and genuine. The mystery is twisty and entertaining. It checks all my cozy boxes to make it a Perfect Escape!

Delaney and Tom are back from their honeymoon. She heads into work and runs into a woman who is her doppelganger. Rosie has bad news when Delaney gets to work, The Cracked Spine is supposed to close! Can she figure out what is happening? Her doppelganger claims to have been Mary, Queen of Scots in another life. It will take all of the bookstore and friends to uncover exactly what is going on. Another great addition to this series. Great plot, interesting background on Mary and a good mystery.

I don't know how I've missed this delightful series! Delaney, an expat in Edinburgh, works at the Cracked Spine Bookshop, which she's just learned might be closed due to alleged code violations. Oh, and she's also met her doppelgänger- Mary- who is the spitting (almost) image of Mary Queen of Scots. She invites Delaney and her dishy new husband Tom to dinner where she speaks at length about the Queen,. And then-!- Mary's husband is murdered by a car bomb. There are dual threads here, the murder mystery and the rush to find documents to save the bookstore. The characters here are delightful, starting with Delaney, Tom, and Edwin. Shelton makes good use of her Edinburgh setting. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC which introduced me to this wonderful cozy crew! A good read.

Returning to work after her honeymoon, Delaney is unnerved by the appearance of a woman who looks just like an older version of herself. Delaney and Tom are invited to dinner at Mary's home, where they meet her family and see Mary's "proof" that she is the reincarnation of a Scottish queen. As if that isn't enough, she learns that the city council seems to be determined to shut down the Cracked Spine. When Mary's husband is killed in an explosion and the bookstore staff learn that he was on the city council, Delaney begins to wonder if her meeting Mary truly was an accident, and if the two incidents might somehow be related.

This is book #5 from this series, and while I wasn't sure about the first book, the series is growing on me more and more as the story continues. While I've never been to Scotland, the descriptions of the locations as well as the characters make me feel like I'm right there with Delaney and the rest in Edinburgh. I really like the staff of the Cracked Spine and would love the opportunity to poke around the bookstore, and maybe even the warehouse. There were plenty of suspects in the story, and I kept changing my mind about the motive and the identity of the guilty party, right up to the reveal in the book. I am eager to return to Edinburgh for a day or two when I read the next book in the series.

Although this had some interesting historical information and lovely descriptions of Edinburgh, the plan to condemn the Crooked Spine bookstore by the local council was based on a thin motive. The murder of one of the characters because of the plan to close the bookstore was driven by a truly sick mind. I did not enjoy this book as much as I enjoyed others in this series. Maybe 2.5 stars

It's not often you find a cozy mystery featuring Queen Mary of Scotland and both Elizabeth I and II. It's hard to get that much royalty in one place. And it turns out that our heroine, Delaney, is a look-alike to Mary Stewart. Life for a mid West USA girl transplanted to Edinburgh, Scotland doesn't get much better.

Back from her honeymoon, Delaney discovers some city council people are trying to close The Cracked Spine bookstore. She and her co-workers attempt to stop the closure. She meets a woman, Mary, who believes she is reincarnated Queen Mary and a dead ringer for Delaney. Her husband is on the city council and leading the fight against the bookshop. He ends up dead. Is there any connection between the murder and the bookstore closure? You can bet your bottom dollar that Delaney will find out.

I enjoy this series and it's the perfect antidote to these depressing times. It made me smile and feel better. You can't go wrong with that. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a fair review.

Series: Scottish Bookshop Mystery #5
Publication Date: 4/7/20
Number of Pages: 304

I thoroughly enjoyed this complex, intricately woven, fun story. I love that there is just the tiniest tad of the paranormal in the series – not enough you’d hardly notice, but it adds a fun bit to the story. I’ve loved Delaney from the beginning when she was in the US and found the intriguing advertisement for a position at a lovely Scottish bookshop – and the series was off and running. This can certainly be read as a standalone book, but to really understand Delaney and her relationship to all of the folks in Scotland you really will want to read from the beginning.

Delaney is so very, very excited. She and Tom have just returned from their glorious two-week honeymoon on the continent and she’s headed back to the very best job at the very best place in the whole world. She adores the bookshop, The Cracked Spine, at which she works, and her co-workers are more family than not. As she’s on her way and happily anticipating seeing everyone, she bumps into an older lady – literally. But – WHOA – that lady looks exactly like an older version of Delaney – they could be mother and daughter.

Delaney, Tom, and Rosie are invited to the woman’s home for dinner – and what a dinner it is. The lady, Mary Stewart, believes that she was Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, in another life – and her home is a replica of a castle. Delaney senses some tension among Mary’s family members, but nothing really overt. When Mary’s husband, Henry, dies in an explosion the next day – well – the mystery gets started in full.

There are unhappy things going on at the bookshop as well. Can the two be related? Why would they be? Stranger things have happened though. Edwin is enigmatic as always, Tom is handsome and supportive, Rosie is sweet, Hamlet is smart, and Inspector Winters is respectful. Can this crew solve both mysteries? How will Tom’s ex-girlfriend fit into the picture? Can she and Delaney become friends? Oh – you’ll have to read the story to find all the answers.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Delaney Nichols returns from her honeymoon to Edinburgh, Scotland and her beloved job at the Cracked Spine bookstore in this 5th in the series. Shortly after, she (literally) bumps into a woman who look so like her that it is uncanny. Moreover, this woman turns out to believe that she is the reincarnated Mary, Queen of Scots. As if that weren't enough, Mary's husband seems hell-bent on closing down the Cracked Spine.

Delaney's kilt-wearing hunk of a husband joins her as she struggles to save the store that is a home, much more than a place of employment, while solving a murder related to the store's situation. Mary's second-life plotline provides an opportunity for the author to include historical elements that add depth to the book. Shelton writes lovingly of old Edinburgh and the reader comes to want the iconic Cracked Spine to survive almost as much as Delaney does.

There is a lot action, some twists, descriptive writing and sympathetic characterization to keep the reader engaged. The conclusion is satisfying and, overall, the book is highly entertaining.

I read the first book in the series a while back and really enjoyed it so was excited for the opportunity to receive and ARC from NetGalley for an honest review. I love books about bookstores and the Cracked Spine in Scotland is a unique one. Delaney is returning from her honeymoon and anxious to get back to work when she runs into a woman who looks eerily like her. As they proceed to the bookstore, she finds out the ladies name is Mary. When she gets to the bookstore, she is dismayed to find out that the city government is wanting to shut down the Cracked Spine. As the story proceeds, Delaney realizes Mary's story in intertwined with the city's determination to close the bookstore as her husband was one of the councilors who was instigating the closure. I love how the author has developed the characters along the way, especially Rosie, Edwin, Hamlet, and of course Delaney and Tom. Although, I read the book out of order, I don't feel like I lost anything by do so, but now want to go back and read the intervening books in the series.

3.5 stars

I have quite enjoyed this series but I don't think this is one of the stronger entries, and for readers unfamiliar with it, probably not a great one to start with.

Having said that, I always enjoy the quirky and mysterious world of American Delaney Nichols and her Scottish friends at the Cracked Spine bookstore in Edinburgh. There is a slightly other-worldly feel about these books which is well-presented and intriguing. The Cracked Spine is not just a bookstore -- owner Edwin is a collector of many esoteric, fabulous, sometimes valuable and always fascinating objects which are kept in the "dark" section of the bookstore.

Delaney has just returned from her honeymoon with handsome pub owner Tom Shannon, and literally bumps into a woman in front of the bookstore who could be her mother or older sister -- an uncanny and very strong resemblance. Mary, her look-alike, is not exactly normal -- she believes she was Mary, Queen of Scots in another life. Soon Delaney and the bookstore crew are invited to dinner at Mary and her husband Henry's house. They enjoy a delightful but somewhat strange evening with some undercurrents buzzing around.

Shortly thereafter, Henry is murdered by a car bomb much to the astonishment of Delaney and everyone who knew him. The associated plot, along with solving his murder, is that their beloved and unique Cracked Spine is in danger of losing its business license, failing its code inspection, and being permanently shut down. This plot was pretty sketchy -- this happened with no inspection, there are no records anywhere of any violation, etc. etc. But of course there is a thread of involvement between Henry's murder and the precarious situation of the bookshop.

Delaney, Tom, Edwin and crew work against a ticking clock to save the shop and solve the murder. The journey is as fun as it is implausible, at one point even featuring a cameo by Her Majesty the Queen. Series fans will enjoy. Newcomers -- start at the beginning of the series and you're in for a treat. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Stolen Letter was interesting, but I found it hard to keep reading on a steady pace. The characters were charming and believable. Lots of history. You'll keep guessing who did it.