Monday, April 5, 2021

Deadly Edition - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Deadly Editions (Scottish Bookshop Mystery #6) by Paige Shelton

Rating: Liked It
Source: Publisher 

Description:  A treasure hunt through Edinburgh gives way to a search for a villain terrorizing the city in Paige Shelton's Deadly Editions, the sixth Scottish Bookshop Mystery.

Bookseller Delaney Nichols receives a mysterious cloaked visitor one evening at the Cracked Spine Bookshop. He presents to her an even more perplexing note: an invitation to an exclusive treasure hunt hosted by eccentric socialite Shelaigh O'Connor. Delaney is intrigued, but also cautious: Shelaigh, while charming in person, has a reputation for her hijinks as a wealthy young woman in the '70s. She was even once suspected for the murder of a former boyfriend, though ultimately cleared of all charges.

But Delaney is enticed by the grand prize at the end of the treasure hunt: a highly valuable first edition copy of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson. The winner is also to receive the contents of Shelaigh's vast library, and an unspecified sum of cash.

The night after the first meeting of the treasure hunters, however, several homes in Edinburgh are robbed in a manner reminiscent of Shelaigh's old tricks. And when a man connected to Shelaigh is killed, suspicion builds. Except Sheilagh herself has disappeared from her home, seemingly kidnapped by the villain.

Terror mounts throughout the city as Delaney attempts to solve the mystery, while trying to stay out of the killer's clutches. For she, it seems, is his next target.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  This series has been tempting me for awhile because how can I resist a bookshop in Scotland?  I liked the tie-in to a classic in this one and the treasure hunt aspect so I thought I'd give it a try.

My Impression:   I love bookish mysteries so the fact that this one takes place in a bookstore AND features a famous book involving a treasure hunt had me intrigued.  I've read several other books by Paige Shelton and always enjoyed them and this had the same easy readability that I have come to expect from her.  While this wasn't necessarily slow paced it does take awhile for the story to get moving and the murder feels very off page and isn't a character I felt like I really knew.  A small caveat - while this is the 6th book in the series it is the first book I've read.  While I had no issue with understanding what was going on in the story I think I would have enjoyed this book a lot more if I had been more invested in the characters.  

Since I didn't have the investment with the characters going in it did read a little slower for me then I think it would have if I had been following Delaney and Tom from the beginning.  As well, I feel like a better knowledge of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde would have helped some of the treasure hunt.  Despite that I did enjoy this read and visiting the bookshop and the different pubs was lots of fun.  I'm looking forward to spending more time with Delaney and the rest of the cast.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  I would.  I enjoy Paige Shelton's books and while this wasn't my favorite I want to go back and read the earlier books in the series.
 
Would I Recommend this Book?  If you enjoy cozy mysteries and don't mind a bit of a slower development then this is a good choice.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

5 comments:

  1. I like the setting too, Scotland too. Thanks for the review.

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  2. The setting would attract me as well!

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  3. I'd love this series. I have a couple in my TBR.

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  4. The bookstore and Scotland would lure me in. I don't mind if its a bit slow. I usually like to start at the beginning of a series. Pedantic I am!!

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  5. I haven't read this series, but I do like the sound of it. I want to read this one, but may start at the beginning of the series.

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