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.

The fifth book in this series. I have already read #4 so I was familiar with the main characters.

Paislee Shaw owns a knitwear business and sells beautiful cashmere knitted goods. She has just entered into an arrangement with the family at Ramsey Castle to sell her wares in the castle gift shop and she is getting to know Lord Robert and his family. Sadly a piper at the annual bagpiping competition in the Castle grounds dies during the performance in suspicions circumstances. Paislee and D.I.Zeffer are soon both on the case.

I enjoyed the mystery, was interested in the information about bagpipes, felt a bit sorry for Hamish and loved the hints about a new love interest for Paislee. Great fun!

Paisley Shaw, a sweater shop owner, gets involved in investigating a murder in the Scottish village of Nairn. Fun murder mystery.

I did not love this mystery, but for people who enjoy a cozy mystery series set in Scotland, it would be enjoyable. This is the fifth in a series and much of the plot revolves around characters that factored into previous books which I have not read. I felt that the plot was as much about the ongoing main character's life and drama as it was about the murder mystery, which I was not invested in. The sections about bagpipes and how they work were quite interesting!
I would recommend this to readers of mysteries who like the setting of Scotland.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Thank you to @kensingtonbooks for an eARC of Murder at a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall. I did enjoy this, although it wasn’t my favorite in the series. I love visiting Nairn, and it was fun learning about bagpipes in this particular storyline.

I hope the next book in the series has less focus on the entitled Scottish nobility that think they can treat other people poorly. I was very annoyed that characters who Paislee helped/saved in a previous book were back acting really manipulative and rude. The annoying rich people storyline is getting repetitive.

One of my favorite aspects of this series is that Paislee’s life as a single mom and small business owner is not glamorized. This book really pushed her to the limit in terms of stress about her business, home, and family. I love that she and Grandpa get along and help each other now. I find it so relatable that she picks her parenting battles and has to make quick decisions when things get crazy.

At this point, I consider Paislee a friend. I don’t always understand her decisions, but I love her and really really hope she can find success and happiness - and maybe some steady romance?? - in future books.

Murder at a Scottish Castle is another Paislee Shaw cozy mystery by Traci Hall. As usual the death is a bit unusual, this time at a bagpipe playing contest. Who knew that the competition could be so fierce!

Paislee along with family including Wallace, the family black Scottish can attend thanks to a special invitation. However, as you imagine all does not go as planned. DI Zeffer is soon on hand to solve this most unique murder. Paislee is there to help with her canny sleuthing skills. Like a complex knitted yarn pattern, Paislee must look at every twist and clue in this mystery.

What an enjoyable read. I sure would go to Paislee’s shop if she was an actual shop owner every chance I got just to hear her latest adventure. Read today to murder or accident. Also each member of the family including Wallace grows on you with each book.

An ARC of the book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley which I voluntarily chose to read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5/5 ⭐️
The fifth Scottish Shire mystery finds Paislee involved in a mysterious death of a bagpipe player.

This one had a lot more life events happen to Paislee so I feel like there was less mystery. Most of the clues/sleuthing really happened in the last 10% of the book. A lot of the rest of it was searching for missing bagpipes and trying to figure out how someone could have cheated, instead of really investigating the death. I do think we got some good storyline foundation for future books though!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Murder at a Scottish Castle is the 5th instalment in the Scottish Shire Mystery series by Traci Hall. This is a wonderful cozy series set in Scotland with endearing characters and always a exciting sleuth. Thank you to the publisher, to Net Galley and to the author for the opportunity. .My review opinions are my own. I have read the previous in series and always enjoy returning to Scotland with the author. .

I loved this next in series Paislee has her hands full with a mysterioius murder at a Bagpipe festival, a Dowenger Countess who has requested she solve the murder and suspects abound. The sleuth kept me guessing to conclusion and was well crafted to the story. I love the culture of Scotland done so well by the author in this series. We readers enjoy this series for a atmospheric and fun escape to Scotland with the food, people, the village and always a enticing mystery. I read this in one sitting I enjoyed it so much.

Well done to the author, I cannot wait for the next in series.

"Murder at a Scottish Castle” the 5th instalment in the Scottish Shire Mystery series by Traci Hall. This has become one of my favourite Scottish cozy mysteries! I absolutely loved this instalment and can’t wait for book 6

Sweater shop owner Paislee Shaw never feels more at home in Scotland than when she hears the bagpipes. But a murderer is about to introduce a sour note . . .

I find the characters to be wonderful, full of Scottish pride and small village life, I wouldn’t mind living there myself and attending the Sip and Stitch. I love visiting Nairn and Paislee, her son Brody, grandpa Angus and of course Wallace the dog.

The mystery is interesting, well plotted, full of lots of twists and kept me guessing on whodunnit right to the reveal.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Publishing and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Paislee's knit shop is doing well and the Dowager Countess has asked her to put some of her work in the castle gift shop. Granddad is helping at the shop and Brody is now twelve! The family is excited about attending the annual bagpipe competition at Ramsey Castle. Robert Grant, the Earl of Lyon has always won the contest until last year when newcomer Jory Baxter was declared champion. Robert is determined to reclaim the title this year. But the contest is cut short when Jory collapses during his performance. His death is considered suspicious and Robert is in the limelight as a suspect. When Jory is declared dead at the hospital Inspector Zeffer is on the scene and involved in the investigation. Paislee once again employs her sleuthing skills in an attempt to discover the cause of death. The key lies in finding and examining Jory's bagpipes that have disappeared. As if playing detective isn't enough, her car is on the fritz and the kitchen ceiling of the cottage collapses due to a burst pipe. Can Paislee juggle all this while running a business, being a Mom and trying to figure out her relationship with Hamish? This is the fifth title in the Scottish Shire series. The plot will keep readers guessing and also teach them lots about bagpipes. Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Cozies for the advanced reader's copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

I don't usually read cozy mysteries but I really enjoy this series. This is book 5 and Paislee is once again involved in helping solve a murder. This time it's at a bagpipe competition. I love bagpipes to begin with, and learned a bit more about them that I didn't already know, so that was nice. We met a few new side characters I suspect will be in future books. The romance angle took a slight turn at the end and I'm all for it (if that's the way the author is heading). It's an easy one-sitting read.

This is a fun cozy mystery series and also is great armchair travel. I enjoy revisiting Scotland with each new entry in the series and solving the mystery along with the characters.

How does one cheat in a bagpipe contest?

Actually, the answer turned out to be fairly fascinating. Who knew? Definitely not me. Heck, even most of those gathered at the contest or even involved didn't really know. That question, of course, is important to find the answer to when the man accused of cheating die during said contest. Was it accidental? Did someone kill him? If so, how? He was in plain view of spectators on the castle grounds and, in fact, the focus of attention when he collapsed.

Like the rest, Paislee is curious but only allows herself to be fully pulled into investigating when the Dowager Countess asks her to find answers. True, that gives Paislee a minor thrill being able to tell someone honestly that she's having lunch at "the castle" but it's a puzzle. Even worse, she has her own worries to deal with. After an unexpected personal catastrophe, Paislee is feeling overwhelmed but, thank goodness, best friend Lydia steps in to help. Grandpa is there for her, too, and son Brody is proving to be fairly reliable but, well, though he walks their feisty Scottish terrier William, he's still at the age when fun rules over brains occasionally. In other words, normal almost-teen.

You'll like the characters, who seem like genuine people. We all need friends like Lydia, always there when needed. Even better, she knows things and people and is there with a plan. The aristocratic Grant family is, well, born to the title, but tend to come off well, revealing both strengths and weaknesses, not to mention grievances. Well, if Robert could only tone down his aristocratic manner. And, oh, yes, there's even some romance in the air, though all does not flow smoothly. Paislee still feels uneasy about dealing with DI Zeffer. He does seem to be taking her more seriously this go-round, however. They do seem to work well together despite the...friction? Is that friction or attraction? We shall see, we shall see. Change is in the air.

Bottom line, a fun, relatively quick read that'll teach you a great deal about the art of bagpipes in the process. Both playing and constructing them. You'll meet some interesting characters and be left wondering how much family pride guides many. Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me to tag along to lunch at the castle and the bagpipe contest, not to mention check out Paislee's latest knit fashions. Cashmere! Love cashmere.

This series is so loved. Every book keeps getting better and better. I adore all the characters and am drawn in every time. I can’t wait for more in this series

Murder at a Scottish Castle was a okay book but I had a hard time keeping all the characters straight and the accents were so hard to read and get past. Sometimes I had no idea what people were saying and I did not like the attitudes of some of the characters. The mystery part of this was that there was no investigating. I truly just could not get into this book sadly. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review.

I’m so happy to have found this series thanks to an advance readers copy from #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks.
Paislee Shaw is a yarn shop owner and very gifted knitter, so much so that the dowager countess at a nearby castle asks her to allow them to sell her cashmere goods in their gift shop. She quickly becomes enmeshed in the local aristocracies’ drama when a bagpiper dies during a clan competition on their land. The details about bagpipes and the contests added authenticity to the story, and Paislee, her family and friends are so easy to relate to. Two pet peeves of mine with some mystery series are when the detectives are fumbling, or share way too much information with the lead character, and when the lead characters have a perfect, charmed life that allows them to spend 99% of their time investigating a murder, never mind their job/business/family.
Traci Hall, the author, doesn’t do either of those two things. The slightly enigmatic detective Zeffer only shares what he must to gain knowledge for himself, and Paislee has worries about her growing son, her car, her ceiling, money and her love life. I’ve already ordered book one of this five book series, and look forward to reading it.

Paislee Shaw has been invited by the dowager countess of Ramsey Castle to showcase her cashmere
goods at the Ramsey Castle gift shop. After dropping off the items. Paislee and her family sta for the
annual bagpipe competition. Except for last year, Robert Grant, the Earl of Lyon has been the winner
with his band. He is determined to beat Jory Baxter, last year's winner. When Baxter collapses and
foul play is involved. The countess asks for Paislee's help in clearing her son Robert.
Does Baxter's death have anything to do with bets placed on the competion? What about the rumors of
cheating? Twist ending - a highly satisfying read.
#MurderataScottishCastle #NetGalley

I enjoyed the Scottish elements of this book, it added perfectly to the mystery elements. It has a great overall mystery and the characters worked perfectly in this story. I can’t wait to read more from Traci Hall.

I love armchair-visiting Scotland and hanging out with Paisley and her crew. Looking around her yarn shop and learning to knit. Having a pint with Grandad. Visiting castles and listening to bagpipes and band competitions. Helping Paisley investigate a murder after one of the band members is killed.... You know the usual stuff.

Excellent addition to the series. The mystery was interesting, the characters exceptional as always, and there's plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing whodunit. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

This is one of my very favorite cozy series. Scotland. Knitting. A smart, independent main character. A loving, funny grandpa. Murder. It's got everything I could ask for.

I have to say, though, that this entry in the series isn't my favorite one. I think that's due to the technical bagpipe info and the lack of knowing whether it's murder, whether there's cheating in the competition, etc. It feels kind of like nothing is happening for a long time.

That said, I still love Paislee, her family, her best friend. And oh, how I feel for her when the ceiling falls in--literally! The relationships are still handled with finesse, and I can't wait to see her again. I just...don't love this one quite as much as I've loved the others, that's all.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.