I loved the breathtaking backdrop of a Scottish castle in this gripping mystery, which is the 5th is the Scottish Shire series. The puzzle unfolded at a brisk pace with red herrings, unexpected twists, and a satisfying resolution. I enjoyed following along with Paislee on her sleuthing endeavor.
Many thanks to Kensington and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Princess Fuzzypants here: The Scots are rabid about their clans and their bagpipes so when you set up a competition between clans on the bagpipes, you know emotions will run high. Paislee and her family are watching as a young man collapses as he is about to pipe his awaited solo. There are some odd things about the situation that make the police question whether it was just a sad accident or murder.

The Dowager Countess of the Castle is carrying Paislee’s cashmere items in the gift shop and she wants her help in solving the mysteries surrounding the event and making sure none of her children are implicated. It is not easy when the current Earl seems to be avoiding her and the police and the deceased’s bagpipes have vanished. Might there be something that will prove the rumour that the victim cheated the win the competition the previous year. And might one of the other competitors, including the Earl, have been motivated to make sure it did not happen twice.

This is a series that sweeps the reader to the Nairn area of Scotland. It also has some interesting characters, not least of all Paislee. She struggles to juggle her responsibilities already and fate seems to relish throwing more and more challenges at her. That she is able to handle them with grace and solve murders is quite the feat.

Five purrs and two paws up.

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.

This is my first book of hers and I will have to go back to the beginning of this series because I love books based in the UK. Although this isn't the first book in the series, I had no problem jumping in and feeling at home with the story, characters, and setting.

Paislee Shaw is a single mother also caring for her grandfather while running her own small business. She is resilient and has little time nor extra money which is why getting to sell her hand knit sweaters at the castle is a big opportunity.

Her best friend, Lydia, is married and trying to help Paislee date more. Hamish McCall, Fordythe High Primary's headmaster has gone on two dates with Paisley and is a good guy, steady and dependable. Detective Inspector Mack Zeffer seems to like Paislee but it is a really slow burn there. Her son Grady is a good kid and Grandfather is a little eccentric but loves her dearly. I was afraid Robert Grant, the Earl of Lyon, and head of the Castle would be offered up as a romantic interest, but thankfully that wasn't the direction since he is a suspect. Sorcha, the dowager countess and Robert's mother, is working hard to bring extra income into the castles accounts since it is expensive to keep and she seems genuine.

The castle and the town of Nairn are charming and you get a bit of insight into the Great Highland Bagpipe (GHB) and other styles of bagpipes. I thought it was interesting. This comes in with rumors that the murdered man had cheated at the prior year's competition to win--only how do you cheat at bagpipes? Plus how do you kill a person in front of everyone during a competition?

The pacing was full with Paislee trying to investigate per Sorcha's request, run her shop, knit special orders, deal with a sudden major home repair, go on a date with Hamish, and deal with a car failing her.

The killer reveal was a bit scary and unexpected, well done there. All in all this was full of interesting characters and a good mystery. A good escape in this story and immersive setting.

Rating: Excellent - Loved it! Buy it now and put this author on your watch list

I am so invested in Paislee's life and all of the promise of the future. The cast of characters are delightful, the mystery is always engaging and surprising, and the locale is just wonderful for me who can trace my ancestry to the 1600's in that exact locale. I only have one issue, and that is my impatience at waiting for the next offering from Traci Hall. Please do yourself a favor and go read the entire series. I would give it more stars if I could!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Book Review: Murder at a Scottish Castle by Traci Hall

Rating: 3 Stars

Traci Hall's "Murder at a Scottish Castle" takes readers on a cozy mystery journey with sweater shop owner, Paislee Shaw, as she finds herself entangled in a murder investigation during the annual bagpiping competition at Ramsey Castle in the seaside village of Nairn, Scotland.

In this installment, Paislee Shaw, along with her son Brody, Grandpa, and their black Scottish terrier Wallace, find themselves in the midst of a rivalry between the Earl of Lyon and the previous year's bagpiping champion. When the reigning champion suddenly collapses and dies, suspicion falls on foul play, prompting Paislee to use her sleuthing skills to uncover the truth.

While the cover of the book is visually appealing and the setting in the charming coastal town of Nairn adds a cozy atmosphere to the story, I found it challenging to fully engage with the plot. The narrative seems to focus more on Paislee's personal life rather than the mystery itself, which could be a drawback for those seeking a more fast-paced and suspenseful read.

On a positive note, fans of cozy mysteries will appreciate the intricate details about bagpipes woven into the storyline and the endearing presence of Wallace, the Scottish terrier. Despite some pacing issues and a heavier emphasis on personal relationships, "Murder at a Scottish Castle" offers a picturesque setting and an intriguing cast of characters that will appeal to readers looking for a light-hearted whodunit set against the backdrop of a Scottish castle.

Overall, while the book was not perfect fit for me, it provides a pleasant escape to the Scottish countryside and delivers a blend of quaint charm and amateur sleuthing that can be enjoyed by fans of cozy mysteries.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Book 3 of 6, have not read the first two. That being said, I did enjoy the story and felt like it would definitely be better having read the other two, but can be read as a standalone. Mystery, dogs and Scots. What's not to like though?

Thank you Netgalley for this book!

Thanks to Kensington Books, NetGalley, and Traci Hall for the opportunity to review the fun cozy mystery Murder at a Scottish Castle. I always enjoy reading about unique characters put into unusual situations and Traci Hall did such a wonderful job with setting her story at a Bagpipe Competition. What a fun and engaging way to begin your introduction to some interesting characters. While this is book five in the series you don’t have to have read the previous books to really enjoy Paislee Shaw and her son and grandfather. They are delightfully well rounded characters that spring from the pages and make the rest of the story exciting. When one of the contestants falls dead after performing it falls to Paislee and friends to help figure out how he could have been killed. And even more importantly, where did his bagpipes disappear to after he died? I definitely enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more from Traci Hall.

Murder at a Scottish Castle

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“ With the summer days getting shorter in the seaside village of Nairn, the annual bagpiping competition at Ramsey Castle promises to be quite the end-of-season blowout. Paisley has snagged a special invitation from the dowager countess, who wants to showcase her cashmere goods in the castle gift shop, and she’s brought her son Brody, Grandpa, and their black Scottish terrier Wallace.”

This is another great addition to this series. I am of Scottish ancestry so this series really speaks to me, hearing about things I loved growing up. I love how the characters have developed over the series. The mystery is a great one in this book. I cannot wait for another one to see how things keep going. Recommend this series!

Murder at a Scottish Castle by Traci Hall has Paislee Shaw solving the mystery of why Jory Baxter collapsed while playing the bagpipes.

Will Paislee get to the bottom of the mystery?

Paislee Shaw
Paislee Shaw is a young mum to a twelve-year-old boy and lives on a budget. She is also the owner of a specialty sweater shop from which one can also buy yarn. Pasilee has made it to the big time if the dowager countess wants to have some of Paislee’s cashmere knitting projects in her gift shop at the castle. Paislee is a good person who has a lot on her plate and two budding romances. I like Paislee, and I think she is doing a great job raising her son and her store and life. However, Paislee would probably beg to differ on that last one.

Jory Baxter, the Victim
Jory Baxter is a new bagpiper that Clan Cunningham found for last year’s competition to beat Clan Grant, who are the owners of the castle where the competition is held. He thought of himself as this gift to the ladies. This was also showcased while playing the bagpipes as he thought he had all the ladies swooning after him. Sadly, that wasn’t the case with most of everyone at the competitions. Jory kept many things about himself a secret, including from his teammates. Jory Baxter, while alive and dead, was not a good person. I feel sad that he died so young, but it was the way he acted alive that got him killed in the end.

Five Stars
I am giving Murder at a Scottish Castle by Traci Hall five stars and a recommendation. Ms. Hall did a fantastic job of writing, making me feel like I was actually in Scotland helping out Paislee. This story had me captivated from the beginning to the end. I adored Wallace, and I loved the idea of Paislee’s shop. Paislee has a great friend who supports her while pushing her out of her comfort zone on a few things. I know that almost everyone deserves a friend like that.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Murder at a Scottish Castle by Traci Hall.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

Murder at a Scottish Castle is book #5 in the A Scottish Shire Mystery series by Traci Hall.

I love my visits to Scotland to catch up with Paislee and her family, friends, and Wallace. This trip was no exception. Paislee’s business is doing well and her creations will be in a castle gift shop. Paislee, her son, father, and dog get to see a bagpipe festival and enjoy good food and fellowship. There is drama at home for Paislee along with investigating a death. I really enjoy the characters and the descriptions of the locales. I was guessing who was guilty up until the reveal. I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next adventure.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

It is always a pleasure to spend time in Scotland with Paisley and the crew! Murder at a Scottish Castle is the fifth installment in this engaging series. I enjoyed it so much, and I am looking forward to book six.

Paisley has been asked to display some of the wares from her knit shop in the castle gift shop. A new way to grow her business, even though she must contend with the rascally aristocrats. As a single mother Paisley has a great deal to wrestle, even though Granddad helps out. I like the realism shown in her relationships with her family and friends---single parenthood is challenging and rewarding---Traci Hall did a great job with her descriptions.

There is to be a bagpipe competition in Nairn, and Paisley has scored tickets for her small family to attend. Unfortunately, one of the pipers faces an untimely demise that sets the mystery on its path, (and Paisley right along with it). There are red herrings and twists to keep the reader guessing.

I recommend this to all cozy readers, especially those who enjoy armchair travels.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy of #Murderata ScottishCastle #NetGalley, #Kensington Publishing and #TraciHall. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Murder At A Scottish Castle is the fifth book in the A Scottish Shire Mystery series by Traci Hall.

Paislee Shaw, a knitting shop owner, is excited to visit the castle of Laird Grant, where the Dowager Countess has asked her to sell her knitting at the castle. Also attending are Grandpa, her son Brodie, and Wallace, their Scottish terrier. They will be staying to listen to the annual bagpipe competition that Lord Grant sponsors. Lord Grant had won the competition for several years until last year when he lost to Jory Baxter. Even though there were rumors that Jory cheated the previous year, he has returned to this year's competition, claiming he will win again. Shortly into this year's performance, Jory collapses on stage. Members of the audience rush to attend to Jory and Paislee phones for an ambulance. Paislee’s yarn delivery man, Jerry McFadden, puts the bagpipes under a bench to keep them out of the way of people crowding around the scene. Jory is rushed to the hospital, where he dies shortly after arriving. The police will have a murder case on their hands. But when they go to retrieve the bagpipes, they are gone. The question now is, who moved them and why?

Paislee will naturally want to start her own investigation. She is surprised when DI Zeffer shows up to lead the police’s investigation. She has worked with Zeffer before, and though they have gotten along in the past, she would rather work with someone else. Paislee will find no shortage of suspects as she investigates.

Paislee also has problems at home. Paislee has been out on a date with Hamish McCall, headmaster at Brody’s prior school. As they are standing in the kitchen, the ceiling falls on them. No one is hurt, just embarrassed. I have a feeling that maybe some romantic interest is developing for DI Zeffed from Paislee, finally, in my opinion.

I love this series, and it has terrific and well-developed characters. The story is well-written and plotted. It reads at a good pace and is hard to put down. There were plenty of twists and turns, and I kept guessing who the killer was until the end. Most of the regular characters are back in this book. I especially like the Scottie Wallace.

I’m looking forward to the next book in this delightful series.

4.5 Stars
Murder at a Scottish Castle is the first book in this series I have had the pleasure to read, but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone too. Loved the accents, slang, and cultural history embedded into the novel, but the characters and setting are what set this one apart from other similar series. Plus, the writing flows well. I love that the MC is a single mom and how her experiences flavor the story as well. I'll be completing this series and plan to check out other works from this author. Perfect for cozy mystery fans who like a little armchair travel in their stories. Recommended.

Net Galley Feedback

Book 5 of a Scottish Shire Mystery. This cozy mystery centers around a murder at Ramsay Castle when a champion bagpiper is murdered during a competition.

I love this series. The setting in the quaint coastal town of Nairn, Scotland is so charming. I’ve enjoyed watching Paislee’s shop, Cashmere Crush, thrive and begin to expand. In this story, she is asked to provide hand knitted wears for the castle’s gift shop.

The cast truly makes this series extra enjoyable. I love the interactions between Paislee, her son Brody and the cantankerous grandpa who deep down is quite lovable. I’ve always liked the fact that Paislee is hardworking and struggles with everyday life of being a single mom. This is put to the test when her limited funds are stretched due to car and major house problems in this story. The love triangle is going strong. I clearly have a fav .. and it’s not Hamish. His incessant actions made me cringe a few times.

The mystery was well paced, captivating and quite frankly kept me stumped until the big reveal. There were plenty of plausible suspects and lots of hidden secrets to work through. I enjoyed learning a bit about bagpipes along with Paislee.

I can’t recommend this series enough and look forward to seeing more character development in the next adventure. I received an ARC from NetGalley and Kensington - all opinions are my own. Murder at a Scottish Castle published January 23, 2024.

Oh my! This fifth Scottish Shire mystery is quite the story. The initial focus is a bagpipe competition at which a Piper collapses. Jory Baxter is quite the flirt and the favorite to bring his team the title for a second year. He dies at the hospital.
From there the story gets complicated because Paislee, our main character, has so many threads that I can understand why some reviewers had a hard time keeping track of characters. The reader is benefited by having read the series in order for then we know who Brody, Hamish, Lydia, Corbin, Jerry, Edwin, Bennet and Lady Leery are. That allows space to add a host of characters for the bagpipe competition and another family of the aristocracy- the Grants.
Paislee has quite the tough go of it to with issues involving house, car and family and swallowing her pride.
The author must have done serious research into bagpipes. They play a big role in the mystery.
I didn’t peg the murderer until reveal. For me there were just too many possibilities and successful red herrings.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Murder in a Scottish Castle.
Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Cozies for the opportunity to review this book.

One less piper piping and Paislee wants to know why🤔

This unpredictable cozy focusing on one of Scotland's most iconic activities was good; it certainly kept me guessing. And Paislee, the single mom shopowner at the heart of story, has no moments to spare and is plagued with a frustrating list of concerns that conflict with her desire to help solve the mystery surrounding a star bagpiper who collapses and dies in the midst of a piping competition.

Interestingly, probably the least appealing characters are the aristocratic families who appeal to Paislee for her assistance. They're bathed in entitlement and, unfortunately for Paislee, she must play nice with their demands because their influence and patronage can bring important business advantages for her knitting business. Hobnobbing with the titled classes quickly turns into more of a painful chore than a privilege.

My favorite characters: Paislee's little family and Jerry, a delivery man who feels poorly done by.

I do think that references to past cases from earlier books in the series could have been eliminated as, for me, they did not add anything to the story.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Thanks are due to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the latest in Traci Hall’s Scottish Shire mystery series, featuring knitting shop owner and amateur sleuth Paislee Shaw. I will own up to having loved every one of them. Set in one of those idyllic rural villages of Scotland where sheep roam, brawny kilted men abound, and the sound of bagpipes fills the air, Hall writes the best sort of cozy mystery. It’s not just cozy, there’s an actual loop mystery to solve. And a bonus couple of potential romances for the intrepid Paislee.

This volume actually involves bagpipes, and their kilted pipers. Every year the local laird, Robert Grant, Earl of Lyon, is tradition-bound to host a bagpipe competition for bands representing each resident clan. Three are selected for a final round, presided over by an experienced judge who keeps a strict eye to all regulations. Held at Ramsay Castle, this year’s finals include the Earl himself, a renowned bagpiper who had led his clan to victory many years running.

Except for the previous year, that is, when Clan Cunningham took the prize, upsetting a great many villagers who were not that impressed by their piper. Jory Baxter, though strikingly handsome and charming, was a somewhat mediocre player and, it turns out, not precisely a clan member as required. There were murmurs of cheating, though how that might be done in piping had even seasoned aficionados wondering.

Much bigger questions emerged when Jory suddenly lost consciousness during his band’s set. It was not unheard of for inexperienced pipers who failed to regulate their breathing to faint, but he was a winning piper, not a beginner. And what happened to the dropped bagpipes that were picked up by his good friend and Paislee’s delivery man, Jerry McFadden, and stored under a bench for safekeeping?

What followed in very short order pitted clan against clan, established pipers against upstarts, ordinary village folk against the local nobility, even the local constabulary against Scotland Yard. The latter is a feature of the four previous volumes and is carried on here.

Paislee was an eyewitness as she sat in the audience with her Grandpa Angus, and had in fact phoned for the ambulance. She was quickly drawn into this tempest, mulling over the cheating charges, Jory’s collapse on stage, the bagpipes’ disappearance, and the sudden arrival of Detective Zeffer of Scotland Yard. She knows him, and has been both attracted to and annoyed by him in the previous cases. Her innate curiosity has never allowed her to stay out of it and let the police do their job. She knows her community and the local culture. People trust her and reveal secrets. Neither the village police nor Zeffer are ultimately any match for her investigative abilities. Or does Zeffer keep showing up for more personal reasons? And what about the less exciting but eminently reliable local school principal, Hamish McCall?

Series fans will be pleased to see that Grandpa, her lively son, the 12-years-going-on-20 Brody, and her best friend-greatest supporter Lydia Barrow, are all here. The ladies of the knitting circle at her shop, Cashmere Crush, that includes the non-knitter Lydia, return. Best of all is the continued participation of Wallace, the Shaw’s beloved Scottish terrier, keen, smart, loyal, and quick to take action himself for their protection.

This volume stands on its own, so it’s not necessary to have read the earlier books, but I imagine those who haven’t yet might hurry to fix that. Hall’s characters are warm and witty, interacting humorously and mostly with kindness. I really hope this isn’t the final adventure of Paislee Shaw.

Summary

Paislee Shaw runs Cashmere Crush, a knitting shop, in the small town of Nairn, Scotland. She has been offered an exciting opportunity to sell her cashmere goods in the new gift shop at Ramsey Castle, and decides to make her first delivery to the castle on the day of the annual Bagpipe competition.

Paislee loves the annual competition and the barbecue that follows, but for the Grant clan of Ramsey Castle, winning is a matter of pride. When the Cunningham clan defeated the Grant clan the previous year, the family had taken the loss badly. Robert, the current Earl, is determined to retake the bagpiping crown.

When the Cunningham’s star piper dies, pressure is put on Paislee to help figure out what happened. The problem is that Paislee is facing so much pressure in her personal life that she isn’t sure how she can possibly manage.

My Thoughts

This was a good book. The writing was engaging, and the story was well-plotted. The mystery had a good number of clues and red herrings.

The backdrop of a yarn shop in a small village in the Scottish highlands makes for a cosy atmosphere. From the castle grounds, to cottages and pubs, to a shop that specializes in making bagpipes, the settings were well-described. I appreciate the amount of research that clearly went in to this book.

For the most part, the characters were likable and well-developed. However, though she’s very well-developed, I don’t find Paislee a character who is easy to like.

She’s a young single mother who runs her own business and money is a constant struggle for her, and as a result she has very high levels of anxiety, which is certainly understandable. At the same time, she does tend to make things harder for herself by holding herself to ridiculously high standards. She sees a broken pipe as a personal failing. She’s also prickly, judge-y, and has a tendency to strike out at people who care about her. While all of that makes her character three-dimensional, spending 300 pages with someone who is almost perpetually either angry or angst-y is not enjoyable for me in a mystery setting.

One thing that I struggled with was the inconsistent use of dialect. In some conversations, “to” was always spelled as “tae”, “good” as “guid”, and so on, but that wasn’t always the case. Even the same individual didn’t always use it consistently in conversations with the same people. The first chapter was so heavy with dialect that reading it was tiring. Rather than contributing to the atmosphere, it began to grate on my nerves because it felt inauthentic.

Though I have read others in the series, it was a few years ago, and I didn’t remember the characters or stories very clearly. I didn’t find that a problem in my enjoyment of this book.

Many thanks to NetGalley for the free eARC of this book which I received in exchange for an honest review.

Bagpipes! Paislee was looking forward to the bagpipe contest but then- oh no- last year's winner dies! DI Zeffer and Paislee find themselves sorting through the suspects, from the Earl to others in Nairn even as Paislee also runs her shop and cares for her young son Brody. This is a nice addition to the series but it will also be enjoyable as a standalone. Paislee, who always has multiple balls in the air, is relatable, her grandfather is a hoot, and we should all have such good friends. And a dog like Wallace. It's very much classic cozy with the delightful addition of facts about bagpipes. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.