When Delaney's boss's friend claims to have found something on her property, an estate in the village of Roslin, Edwin sends Delaney out to investigate. Could Jolie possibly have in her possession a priceless relic, a Crusader Sword? But when Delaney arrives at Jolie's estate, she is greeted by a legal team with a vested interest in the property. Delaney and Jolie manage to remove the intruders, but as they're examining the antique sword, they hear a scream, and meet a much less welcome discovery: a body. As Delaney digs ...
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When Delaney's boss's friend claims to have found something on her property, an estate in the village of Roslin, Edwin sends Delaney out to investigate. Could Jolie possibly have in her possession a priceless relic, a Crusader Sword? But when Delaney arrives at Jolie's estate, she is greeted by a legal team with a vested interest in the property. Delaney and Jolie manage to remove the intruders, but as they're examining the antique sword, they hear a scream, and meet a much less welcome discovery: a body. As Delaney digs deeper, she discovers Jolie's own fascinating history. Jolie's mother had long claimed that her daughter was the rightful heir to the throne, not Elizabeth II, because of an affair she claimed to have with King Edward VIII. The only evidence, however, is in the form of a journal that one of Edward's secretaries kept. The puzzles become more confusing when a connection is uncovered between this far-fetched story and the murdered man. And shortly thereafter, the journal goes missing. Delaney will have to read between the lines to put together the pieces...or become history herself.
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Edwin MacAlister, owner of The Cracked Spine in Edinburgh Scotland has a special assignment for his employee, Delaney Nichols. An old friend, Jolie Lannister has found what she thinks could be a valuable artifact on her estate in Roslin. Edwin wants Delaney to take a look at it and investigate its provenance. She asks her friend Elias to drive her as she is still learning to drive on the other side of the road.
Delaney and Elias arrive to find Jolie along with her legal counsel and two men she has brought to do a full inventory of everything in and on the estate. While Jolie does appear to have a hoarding problem she feels the attorney has overstepped her bounds and asks them to leave. Jolie had instructed her groundkeeper to put the priceless item in an unusual place. Before Delaney can even get a good look at it they hear a scream. A scream that leads to a dead body.
Delaney starts to dig into Jolie's history and she finds that her mother had made the astounding claim that she had an affair with King Edward VIII and that Jolie was the real heir to the throne instead of Elizabeth II. The only proof is a supposed journal kept by one of Edward's secretaries. Could that be a tie to the man who was murdered? Delaney is pulling out all the stops to find out.
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The people of Edinburgh and all over the UK, the commonwealths and several of us in America are still mourning the death of Queen Elizabeth II. I love that Ms. Shelton included that in this story along with some royal tea about the womanising Edward VIII. It also appears that Delaney is hearing a very special new voice.
All our favorite characters return and continue to grow in logical ways. Delaney and Tom's relationship is so sweet. She has even started borrowing his car as long as she isn't going too far. Her responsibilities are growing in her work for Edwin. He trusts her completely. Hamlet and Rosie along with miniature Yorkie, Hector keep the bookshop running. Rosie even takes a trip with Delaney as they work to make clues fit together. Elias and Aggie are a wonderful couple too. I am happy they are part of Delaney's life.
We meet Jolie Lannister, her right-hand woman Trudie, and her friend and groundskeeper Homer, who happens to be an old friend of Elias. These characters are well-crafted and likable even though they are not fully truthful at first.
The mystery is complex with a lot of twists and turns and Delaney follows each clue while developing and discarding different theories. She is a smart amateur sleuth assisted by some wise words only she hears. Is the artifact real? Who is the true owner? Why was it found now? And why did a man have to die? There are several different viewpoints. I do enjoy that Delaney keeps her friend Inspector Winters abreast of everything she finds and learns. I also like the way Tom gets caught up in her investigation.
The title A Poison Pen is a bit puzzling. I ran a search and the word "pen" is not mentioned in the book other than in the title, and "poison" was only mentioned once. That being said I got totally caught up in the story and had a very short personal suspect list. I was flabbergasted that one of those names was correct.
A Poison Pen is the 9th book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery and is a compelling read with well-developed engaging characters in a unique setting. Jolie's West Rosebud House was quite a place and she was a very interesting character. I hope this isn't the last we see of her, Trudie, and Homer.
Kristina
Apr 9, 2024
A Crusader sword uncovered in Scotland!
The Poison Pen by Paige Shelton is the ninth A Scottish Bookshop Mystery. It can be read as a standalone as the author provides the background information needed for new readers (or those who have missed a book or two). We get to meet an old friend of Edwin�s who is amusing and eccentric. Jolie adds humor to the story. It was interesting learning about Crusader swords. I like how the author incorporates streets and buildings from Edinburgh. Jolie�s mother claimed that her daughter was the legitimate heir to the throne. History of the monarchy was included. You can tell the author did her research for this installment. I liked that Elias was more involved in this story. Delaney finds the mystery interesting. She searches for clues and asks questions. Delaney digs into the past and finds some intriguing information. Delaney will need to assemble the pieces if she is to identify the killer. I liked the whodunit, but I did not find it a challenge to solve. There was a detail that stuck out and it came up more than once. I enjoyed the reveal. I did, though, find the pacing in The Poison Pen to be too leisurely (needed more action). The Poison Pen is a Scottish cozy with a Crusader sword, a humorous hoarder, book talk, ancestry anecdotes, and a new Treasure Trove director.
