Cover Image: Murder at a Scottish Wedding

Murder at a Scottish Wedding

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Member Reviews

Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Traci Hall

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

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This is one of my favorite series and I'm always happy when a new book is published. I love Paislee and her friends and family. They have been delightfully developed and I find them totally enjoyable.

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Title: Murder at a Scottish Wedding
Author: Traci Hall
Genre: Cozy Mystery
RATING-5/5

Traci Hall brings readers back to the picturesque Scottish village of Nairn in "Murder at a Scottish Wedding," the fourth installment of the Scottish Shire cozy mystery series. In this delightful tale, Paislee Shaw, a busy single mom and the proprietor of the Cashmere Crush specialty sweater shop and yarn business, finds herself entangled in yet another intriguing mystery.

As Paislee's dear friend Lydia prepares to exchange vows with Corbin Smythe, the joyous occasion takes a distressing turn when Lydia's Luckenbooth brooch, a cherished family heirloom, goes missing. The brooch holds sentimental value and its absence threatens to cast a shadow on the wedding. However, tragedy strikes when a distraught cousin, clutching the missing brooch, collapses and dies during the ceremony.

Amidst the chaos and superstitions surrounding the missing brooch, Paislee, as the matron of honor, takes on the unexpected role of investigator. As she delves deeper into the puzzling circumstances surrounding the cousin's death, Paislee must unravel the truth behind the incident and determine whether it was a case of foul play or merely unfortunate timing.

Traci Hall skillfully weaves a cozy mystery filled with suspense, charm, and a delightful dose of Scottish ambiance. With Paislee's astute observations and knitting enthusiasm, the narrative unfolds into a captivating whodunit that keeps readers engaged and guessing until the final revelation.

The author adeptly captures the essence of the Scottish village, painting a vivid backdrop against which the unfolding mystery takes place. Paislee's endearing character, her knack for sleuthing, and her commitment to uncovering the truth make her a relatable and engaging protagonist.

"Murder at a Scottish Wedding" is a charming and immersive cozy mystery that blends elements of tradition, friendship, and suspense. Traci Hall's storytelling prowess shines in this intricately plotted tale, offering readers a delightful escape into a world of intrigue, knitting, and small-town camaraderie. Fans of cozy mysteries will thoroughly enjoy this delightful addition to the Scottish Shire series, brimming with warmth, intrigue, and the unraveling of a compelling murder mystery.

Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington books for an advance digital copy for my honest review.

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Wonderful, as always! I love this series so much! Love the characters and setting and how immersed I get when reading.

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I love armchair travel through books! I loved revisiting Scotland and all the characters. I enjoyed the mystery and I am looking forward to more from this series!

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The fourth installment of the Scottish Shire Mystery Series, Murder at a Scottish Wedding by bestselling author, Traci Hall, finds protagonist Paislee Shaw serving as matron of honor at her best friend, Lydia’s wedding. Lydia is marrying Corbin Smythe, who comes from a very wealthy Scottish family, and the family, especially Corbin’s stepmother, Mary, hates Lydia and doesn’t think she is suitable to be part of them. While the family includes cousins, as well as Mary’s stepdaughters, they are very pompous and consider themselves Scottish royalty; they are not about to welcome a commoner like Lydia into the clan. One of the young cousins gets something in her eyes and falls down the stairs (holding on to a stolen brooch) to her death just before the wedding begins; obviously the wedding is called off, and when the police rule the death as a murder, readers will wonder if it is the Mother-in-Law (and hope it is because she is so awful) to be that desperate to stop the wedding. Lydia is even blamed for the murder, and family is so strong, Lydia and Corbin call off their relationship.

While the writing style is quite difficult to follow since it is in a quasi-Scottish prose, it certainly captures the Scottish culture. Readers will feel they are in Scotland. They will probably want to visit, too. However, the novel is a bit slow moving and has way too many characters to keep track of. In addition, there is a subplot regarding Paislee’s Uncle Craigh, who is a criminal and missing under suspicious circumstances; that part is a bit boring, as well as implausible. The characters are quite well-developed, and seem to fit with the Scottish backdrop.

All told, this cozy mystery isn’t a favorite; it may be that readers will want to read the previous books in the series to become more familiar and that may make the novel more readable and relatable.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

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This is book 4 in the Scottish Shire Mystery series. I have read book 1, 2 and 3 and I got to chapter 12 of this story. This is just not a series for me. I don't find myself vibing with the characters anymore and the conversations surrounding astrology and other aspects are just not for me. I love cozy mysteries but this one isn't one for me. DNF at ch 12. Thank you to the publisher for a free copy to honestly read and review. I think if you like Scotland and Cozy Mysteries, you would enjoy this but I ultimatley am not interested anymore. I wish we had more romance - I think that would make me more interested. What I have read and what this would probably be if I finished would be 3 stars.

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It was so much fun to return to this world. I particularly loved the relationship with Paislee and her son and the cozy vibes of her being a shopkeeper. Traci Hall (and this series in particular) was my first foray into cozy mystery and I’m so grateful because this genre and these books were made for long spring days and nights.

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Paislee Shaw, single mother, and owner Cashmere Crush sweater and yarn shop returns to solve a mystery and murder. Paislee as best friend and Maid of Honor to Lydia Barron is helping her dress and prepare for her wedding when Lydia notices that the family brooch given to her by Corbin is missing. The weeding is delayed while Paislee looks for the Lukenbooth brooch. While Paislee searches for the brooch, Corbin's cousin Felice runs out of the restroom screaming that she can't see, and stumbles down the stone steps and dies. Paislee checks hoping Felice survives and finds the Lukenbooth brooch, as well as poison in her hand.

At the request of Lydia, Paislee works toward solving the mystery and murder of Felice. Was it really suppose to be Lydia that died? It seems so as Lydia experiences tapering with her car, someone breaking into her apartment and comes to the conclusion that someone doesn't want Lydia in the Smythe family. But who would commit murder to stop the wedding? Could it be someone from Corbin or Lydia's past? There's a nice plot twist at the end and we finally find out what happen to Grandfather Angus missing son, Craigh Shaw. This was an entertaining read that moved at a moderate pace and held my attention.

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I really enjoy this series. It is authentic to Scotland and the friendship between Paislee and Lydia is lovely. The murder could not have happened at a worse time. It stops Lydia's wedding and puts a kink in her relationship with Corbin. As Paislee and Lydia try to find clues, Lydia's life is endangered. As the suspects wittle down they are at a loss as to who the murderer is. Some pictures might be the clue to point them to a killer.

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Is there anything better than a Scottish wedding, a mysterious heirloom brooch, and murder? I’m sure there is, but Murder at a Scottish Wedding will make readers believe there isn’t. Of course, it isn’t every day Paislee is a matron of honor at her best friend’s wedding, or that so much controversy surrounds the wedding and traditions. But when a missing brooch leads to murder, this wedding is one for the history books!

Paislee, Gramps, and Brody are some of my favorite characters. This series revolves around their lives, mainly Pasilee’s sweater and yarn shop, Gramps’ missing son, and Brody growing up. During a Scottish wedding filled with tension and tradition, an heirloom brooch the groom gave to Lydia mysteriously goes missing, and a guest stumbles to her death. When everyone is convinced the death was an accident, it turns into a murder investigation, and Paislee jumps in to solve both mysteries.

Suspects abound in this fourth book. Some are far-fetched, while others seem guilty from the start. The dead guest is found clutching the missing brooch, and all eyes turn to Lydia’s soon-to-be family and, eventually, to Lydia herself. Tracking down this killer isn’t easy, as the Scottish mentality of heritage, before all, gives readers pause for concern. I found Murder at a Scottish Wedding slow and challenging to comprehend. I understand putting family first, but pointing fingers at someone based on their heritage or financial status, has a feeling of meanness I don’t usually see in this series, and I am not a fan of either. There was not enough of Pasilee’s shop and its regulars, and the entire missing brooch angle was disappointing. I certainly expected more from that mystery. However, I found some side stories far more exciting and enjoyable. Many readers will be thrilled that some unanswered questions from the series finally have a solution. The killer is found in the nick of time, but I have to say, it didn’t come as a surprise. All of this said, I enjoyed most of the book and look forward to the next.

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Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for a copy of this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I thought this novel was a lovely cozy mystery. I did feel at times there was a lot going on in the plot with too many things going on, but I think they all got sorted out in a satisfactory way. I enjoyed the dialogue and the characters, and found myself right beside Lydia and wishing Corbin would get it together! Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to continuing the series.

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The most unique flavour of this book is its ability to immerse the reader in Scottish culture(of a sort). The characters all converse in a language that sometimes veers into a different territory than those I usually encounter in other such books.
I would not recommend attempting this book without reading some (or all) of the previous ones in the series. We have seen, over the last three books, Paislee has reached an uneasy truce with her grandfather living with her. Her son is growing up and going to graduate from primary school. She is attracted to two extremely different men, both of whom have (not yet) made overtures with regard to their own feelings on that matter. It is not much of a spoiler to say that some things get clearer in that section of Paislee's life.
In the other part of the book, we have Paislee's best friend, who has to get married at a grand wedding that she is dreading. Her to-be husband's grand family is not very excited about her entry into their circle, and things get harder as a body is found and fingers are pointing every which way. This mystery shares page time with the other unravelling of grandfather's secrets. The latter is quite explosive, to say the least.
This is a very action-packed and entertaining book, surprisingly, given that it is the fourth in a series! I would highly recommend this to readers of this genre. Especially since the town and the townspeople add some extra entertainment to the central plotline(s).
I received this book as an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading of this and previous books in the series.

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Lydia and Corbin are so in love. It’s obvious to anyone who sees them; they should marry. Everyone except Corbin’s stepmother who has put herself in charge of the wedding, including adding as many roadblocks as she can. One is brides receiving a brooch as a love token from their groom to wear on their special day and keep thereafter. Stepmom swears the one Lydia received is cursed. Considering all the other concessions Lydia’s made for the sake of keeping the peace, she’s holding firm on this one.

The brooch is sent out to be cleaned although Lydia doesn’t see why. It’s delivered to the vicar who is performing the ceremony and then to Lydia in the bride’s dressing room with the bridesmaids, just as the photographer calls for them to pose for photos outdoors.

When they return, no one notices the box with the brooch is missing until it’s time to pin it on. A frantic search doesn’t give so much as a clue. Lydia is nearly hysterical at the thought of confessing she’s lost the thing.

At last, the wedding is on, brooch or no. Moments before the wedding party is to walk down the aisle, one of the cousins rushes from the church, in obvious distress. Paislee, Lydia’s best friend and matron of honor, tries to help as the woman cries she can’t see. One of the groomsmen grabs for her as she runs out of the church but misses. The woman falls down a steep set of stairs in front of the church and is killed.

That’s one way to stop a wedding.

Paislee is sure there’s more to the death than a simple fall since the woman has the missing brooch in hand when they reach her body. Although the superstitious family blames ‘the curse’, Paislee wonders: was the woman the intended victim or was Lydia?

This is book four in the series. I’m a big fan of Paislee. She has her own business, a son, and took in her grandfather and his secrets when he became homeless, even though it was a difficult transition for both. Paislee doesn’t take unnecessary risks, even in the romance department. The headmaster at her son’s school has shown an interest, but then there’s the detective … I can’t wait to find out more (I’m rooting for the detective).

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Princess Fuzzypants here: Paislee is the matron of honour at her best firiend Lydia’s wedding to “the love of her life”, Corbin. But Corbin’s rich, haughty and titled family are far from welcoming no matter how many hoops Lydia has jumped. Coribin’s step mother and her two daughters are the worst offenders who are prepared to do almost anything to stop the nuptials. But are they willing to attempt to kill the bride? When a murder occurs where Lydia was the obvious intended victim, I was ready to tell Lydia to run. As far as she could away from this family. And then as things become more complicated and nastier, Corbin never takes Lydia’s side. I kept waiting for her to tell her fiance and his entire family where to go.

It was a shame because the mystery that Paislee unravelled was a good one. Corbin did redeem himself, somewhat, by the end but if you care about the characters, when one gets shafted by a character who should have had her back, it detracts from the enjoyment of the story. It made the ending less satisfying because I had real reservations about Corbin’s character. Four purrs and one paw up.

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This is the fourth book in a series, and I haven't read the earlier books. So there were details that would have made more sense to me if I had. Despite that fact, the mystery in this particular story is wrapped up well enough by the time the book was done.

We start the story on Lydia and Corbin's wedding day, but things go horribly awry. And the rest of the book is spent trying to figure out "whodunnit." In a secondary story, Paisley's uncle Craigh is on the run, and she's busy trying to keep her grandfather out of harm's way as he searches for Craigh.

I enjoyed the many different characters (and there were a lot of them) but wasn't a fan of Lydia and Corbin's relationship. He didn't treat her right, especially given that he was about to take her as his wife, and even when he apologizes for his actions later, it feels more like manipulation than love to me.

So, while it's a well-written story, it wasn't a new favorite.

Thank you to Traci Hall, Kensington Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

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This title doesn’t fit the book. Was there a murder at a Scottish wedding? Yes. Did they investigate it? Yes. Was it the focus of the book? No. Also, the murder was of a barely introduced character so I found it difficult to really care that they had been murdered, which is just as well because this book was about an ongoing storyline in the series that has now been resolved (and was pretty exciting!). This was not my favorite of the series simply because there was no real sleuthing. I still enjoyed my time with Paislee, Lydia, and the others but it wasn’t quite the same as previous books.

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Traci Hall gives us another Scottish Shire mystery that has you cracking the case right along side Paislee Shaw. Being a business owner and a single mother, Paislee sure does have her work cut out for her. When her friend wants her to be the maid of honor, Paislee just wants the day to go perfect for her friend. Of course things don't always go as hoped, and Paislee finds herself in the middle of yet another murder mystery. This series is highly addictive, and Traci Hall has written such a loveable character in Paislee. I do love her dog, Wallace, too. You never know what you are in for when Paislee is trying to solve a mystery, but I can guarantee you'll love the journey each book takes you on.

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Traci Hall, a USA Today bestselling author, is a hybrid author of over sixty published works. Traci also writes historical romance, western romance, and cozy mysteries. ‘Murder at a Scottish Wedding’ is the fourth in the Scottish Shire mystereries.
An uneventual wedding took a turn for the worst when Paislee’s friend Lydia, the bride, discovered the brooch gifted by her betrothed missing. Worse yet, a wedding guest was found murdered.
As the fourth in a series, I had some difficulty becoming familiar with the characters and since this was a character driven novel. It felt like I was starting in the middle of the story and might be missing important details. I found the characters charming and quirky, especially, son Brody and Scotish trerrier Wallace.I am looking forward to a reoccuracne in book five.
My only negative was the Scotish dialect. It made the sentences choppy and impeded the flow, however, I enjoyed the story and I would recommend the novel to friends.
Thank you Traci Hall, Kensington books, and NetGalley for the opportunity of reading and reviewing this novel.

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Book four of A Scottish Shire Mystery. I really enjoy this cozy series. Great setting, lovable cast and the mystery always keeps me guessing.

This series takes place in Nairn, Scotland. For this story, we get introduced to two new location in this quaint town. The local church where Paislee’s bestie is getting married and the groom’s elaborate family estate. I have to admit, there weren’t too many scenes at the yarn shop this round and I found myself missing that a bit. Other than that, I love hearing the local dialect and was introduced to a Luckenbooth brooch; a traditional Scottish love token bestowed to your betrothed.

Love the characters in this series. Paislee is a wonderful lead and I like that she is a single mom. Her son Brody is cute and I enjoy seeing their interactions. Grandpa Angus is a big part of this storyline. I like this curmudgeon who is slowly finding his place again. Still feels like there is a love triangle trying to brew, although one suitor did make a move at the end of the story so maybe that will be squashed in the next book. The star is always the furry sidekick and Wallace was quite the hero in this book.

This was a two-for-one mystery. There’s obviously a murder that happens at the wedding. This kicked the book off. We got to watch Paislee help her friend Lydia as they tried to figure out who in the family has it out for the bride. I enjoyed watching the pair learn about the curse that surrounds the family heirloom. The culprit and reasoning did surprise me. If you’ve been following along since book one, you know there has always been hints of a mystery surrounding Grandpa’s missing son Craigh. That’s mystery number two. You finally get to learn all about him and help solve his case. There was a lot going on between the two storylines. I almost wish Craigh’s story would have gotten his own book. It was full of fun action and plenty of intrigue.

Can’t recommend this series enough and look forward to continuing it.

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