The Poison Pen by Paige Shelton ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

Edinburgh is mourning recent the death of Queen Elizabeth II when Bookseller Delaney Nichols's boss comes to her with a most unusual assignment.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

April 2024; Minotaur Books; 978-1250890603
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); cozy mystery

I think this is the first book I've read that has mentioned the Queen's passing. It isn't really central to the story, but Delaney's "bookish voice" (her intuition) for this book is Queen Elizabeth.

The Poison Pen is the 9th book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series. You don't have to read the previous books to enjoy this one. I've read 5 books in the series, but they are all standalone mysteries, and enough background is provided on the characters so you know who everyone is. I like that the character backgrounds aren't just info dumps but flow in a natural way so even long-time readers aren't bored by it.

I enjoyed the mystery in this book. Actually, there are kind of two mysteries - one is the murder and the other is about an ancient sword that is found. We get to learn a little bit of Scottish history as Delaney attempts to authenticate the sword. Because the sword might be considered a national treasure, the Treasure Trove Unit is involved. I thought that this was made up for the story, but I googled it and there is a real Treasure Trove Unit at the National Museum of Scotland. The name just sounds a little funny for a real organization, but at the same time, I like it.

I really enjoyed the characters in this book. Rosie seemed to play a bigger role than usual and I really like her. She is a no-nonsense woman who is kind of like the mother of the group. But at the same time she provides levity to the story with some of her comments. 

If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery with a little Scottish history thrown it, then this is the book to read.

Buy The Poison Pen at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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