The Cracked Spine (Scottish Bookshop Mystery #1)

by Paige Shelton

Overview

Wanted: A bold adventurer who wants to travel the world from a comfortable and safe spot behind a desk that has seen the likes of kings and queens, paupers and princes. A humble book and rare manuscript shop seeks a keenly intelligent investigator to assist us in our search for things thought lost, and in our quest to return lost items to their rightful owners.

Never an adventurer, no one was more surprised than Delaney Nichols when she packed her bags and moved halfway across the world to Edinburgh, Scotland to start a job at The Cracked Spine, a bookshop located in the heart of the city. Her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, has given her the opportunity of a lifetime, albeit a cryptic one, and Delaney can’t wait to take her spot behind the desk.

The Cracked Spine is filled with everything a book lover could want, each item as eclectic as the people who work there; the spirited and lovable Rosie, who always has tiny dog Hector in tow; Hamlet, a nineteen-year-old thespian with a colored past and bright future; and Edwin, who is just as enigmatic and mysterious as Delaney expected. An extra bonus is Tom the bartender from across the street, with his cobalt eyes, and a gentle brogue—and it doesn’t hurt that he looks awfully good in a kilt.

But before she can settle into her new life, a precious artifact goes missing, and Edwin’s sister is brutally murdered. Never did Delaney think that searching for things lost could mean a killer, but if she’s to keep her job, and protect her new friends, she’ll need to learn the truth behind this Scottish tragedy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250118226
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/07/2017
Series:	Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series , #1
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	52,948
Product dimensions:	4.10(w) x 6.50(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

PAIGE SHELTON had a nomadic childhood as her father's job as a football coach took the family to seven different towns before she was even twelve years old. After college at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, she moved to Salt Lake City where she thought she'd only stay a couple years, but she fell in love with the mountains and a great guy who became her husband. After many decades in Utah, she and her family recently moved to Arizona.

Editorial Reviews

Move over Claire Fraser; American bibliophile Delaney Nichols is about to take Scotland-and legions of cozy mystery readers-by storm! As warm and inviting as a cup of tea and a serving of fresh-from-the-oven shortbread. Readers will fall in love with The Cracked Spine.
” —Ellery Adams, New York Times bestselling author of the Books By The Bay Mysteries

“Shelton pens a perfectly twisty-turny puzzler of a mystery in The Cracked Spine. With the engagingly bookish, amateur sleuth Delaney Nichols leading the way around the richly detailed city of Edinburgh, the reader is fully immersed in her world as she tries to expose the lies and deceptions that hide the brutal truth behind a murder. Full of wit and whimsy, with a clever plot and delightful characters, this mystery is a fantastic read!” —Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author of the Cupcake Mysteries

“A great read for book lovers, mystery seekers, and anyone who enjoys a determined new heroine. Sure to be a winning series.” —Erika Chase, nationally bestselling author of Read and Buried

“Kilts, killers, and a keen sleuth ... oh my! Ms. Shelton has crafted a foolproof plot, endearing characters, and prose that immediately transports readers to enchanting Edinburgh ... and leaves them eager for a return trip. Readers will be delighted with this new series.” —Lucy Arlington, New York Times bestselling author of the Novel Idea Mysteries

“With a wee bit of the brogue, Paige Shelton weaves a Scottish tale of mystery and intrigue filled with a quirky cast of characters, including the clever Delaney Nichols, an American fish-out-of-water who believes in the magic of books. You will want to make repeat visits to The Cracked Spine.” —Daryl Wood Gerber, nationally bestselling author of The Cookbook Nook Mysteries

From the Publisher

02/01/2016
This appealing first in a new cozy series from Shelton (Merry Market Murder and four other Farmer’s Market mysteries) introduces Delaney Nichols, who answers an employment ad after losing her museum job in Wichita, Kans., and ends up working at the Cracked Spine, a bookstore in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Cracked Spine’s owner, Edwin MacAlister, belongs to a secretive little group of wealthy collectors and sellers known as the Fleshmarket Batch, named for the meat market that once existed near the bookstore. Soon after Delancy meets the shop’s two other employees, Hamlet and Rosie, Edwin’s drug addict sister is found murdered, and Edwin admits to leaving a near-priceless and now-missing item in her possession. Delaney’s desire to help almost gets her killed, but that doesn’t prevent her from making some fast friends and meeting Tom, the attractive bartender across the street. This spotlessly clean, fun-filled read takes plenty of twists and turns on the way to the satisfying ending. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

03/01/2016
Having just lost her position at a small Wichita, KS, museum, Delaney Nichols answers an ad for a bookshop sales associate in Edinburgh, Scotland. Her telephone interview leads to a job offer, and she soon finds herself at the Cracked Spine, a small shop near Edinburgh Castle. Edwin MacAlister, her new employer, whisks Delaney off to a book auction and along the way informs her that his sister Jennie is safeguarding a Shakespeare first folio for him. When Jennie is murdered and the folio disappears, Delaney is determined to do anything to protect her new friends. Perhaps the dashing kilt-clad bartender Tom will make investigating worth her while. VERDICT Readers who appreciate bookseller sleuths such as Marianne Macdonald's Dido Hoare (Death's Autograph) or Joan Hess's Claire Malloy (Strangled Prose) will welcome this new cozy series from the author of the "Farmers' Market" mysteries. The feisty Delaney is an appealing protagonist, and the secondary characters are charming as well.

Library Journal

2016-01-10
Taking a leap of faith, an archivist moves to Scotland for an exciting job opportunity. Delaney Nichols knows she's not in Kansas anymore when she has trouble understanding the speech of Elias, the friendly cab driver who delivers her to an Edinburgh bookstore. She soon meets her fellow workers at The Cracked Spine: Hamlet, a young student with a troubled past, and elderly Rosie, who greets her with delight. Their employer, wealthy Edwin MacAlister, specializes in rare books and manuscripts and has a locked room in his shop filled with treasures sadly in need of cataloging. The next day, Edwin takes Delaney along to a private auction where he and a small group of friends bid on rare objects. When they arrive, Edwin expects to see his sister, Jenny, a drug addict he's tried to help by bolstering her self-esteem, though letting her keep his recent buy of the fantastically rare and valuable Shakespeare First Folio may not have been such a wise idea. Delaney has a mystical relationship with books, whose characters talk to her, and she's thrilled to work with Edwin's valuable collection in his private warehouse. But all that falls by the wayside when Jenny is found brutally murdered and the Folio, which Edwin doesn't mention to the police, vanishes. The official suspects include Hamlet and various denizens of the house in the sketchy area where Jenny lived with other addicts. Delaney hastens to investigate with some help from Elias and his wife, who are now her landlords, and moral support from a handsome pub owner who looks oh so good in a kilt. Her curiosity takes her into danger that's as predictable as the First Folio's disappearance. Prolific Shelton (If Onions Could Spring Leeks, 2015) kicks off a new series featuring a sleuth who'll delight book lovers, a so-so mystery, and Edinburgh in the starring role.

Kirkus Reviews