Month: March 2019

The Loch Ness Papers by Paige Shelton

On By BarbaraIn Barb's Reviews, MysteryLeave a comment

The Loch Ness Papers (Scottish Bookshop Mystery #4)The Loch Ness Papers by Paige Shelton

Barbara’s rating: 4 of 5 stars

Series: Scottish Bookshop Mysteries #4
Publication Date: 4/2/19
Number of Pages: 320

Delaney Nichols is one very, very busy young lady. A bit over a year ago, she was laid off from her job at the museum and had decided that what she really needed was an adventure. When she saw the advertisement from Edinburgh, Scotland – someone wanted to hire someone with just her skills – she was ready to pack up and leave Kansas. She’s now been in Edinburgh for a year, she’s acquired a wonderful set of friends she calls her ‘Scottish family’ and she will be getting married in a few days. Her family, mother, father, and brother will even be in Edinburgh in just a few days. On top of all that, the officiant that was to perform the wedding ceremony has died and she has to find another one – with only a week left until the wedding.

It is raining cats and dogs and Delaney is heading into the church to speak to an officiant recommend by her future father-in-law. As she dashes in toward the red door, she smacks into an old man, Norval Fraser. For some reason, she feels drawn to Norval as she helps him right himself. Then, after he departs, she notices something lying on the ground – obviously, it belongs to the old man. He certainly seemed an odd, blatherskite sort of fellow. He’s obsessed with the Loch Ness Monster (Nessie) and wants Delaney to take over his research and prove that Nessie really exists.

A couple of days later Delaney encounters Norval awaiting her outside the bookstore where she works. It is barely 5:30 AM and Norval says he’s been waiting for some time. He’s worried about his nephew who doesn’t answer his phone. Delaney doesn’t understand the fierce worry but agrees to accompany Norval to his nephew’s home – where they find him deceased -stabbed in the back.

The police believe Norval is the murderer because of the knife and fingerprints – but – those can be misleading. Delaney doesn’t believe that Norval is capable of that kind of violence, but then she doesn’t know him that well. At any rate, she’ll do what she can to help find the killer and prove Norval innocent. Now, in addition to all of the other things she has to do, Delaney has to find a killer.

Enter a long, tall Texan dressed in black and you just add another layer to the mystery. Who is he really and why is he trying to return a book that the bookstore never owned? The book is a very, very valuable one about King Arthur and the round table, but there is just something fishy about both the man and his story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I hope you will as well. The characters are wonderful as you’ll know if you have read the series from the beginning. If you haven’t, I’d suggest you read the previous book because you’ll love them. The book is well-written and tightly plotted with multiple mysteries, new characters added to the series and a really lovely romance. What more could you ask for?

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

View all my reviews

The Lieutenant and the Lady by Collette Cameron

On By TracyIn Georgian Era (1714-1837), Regency Era (1811-1820), Tracy's Reviews3 Comments

The Lieutenant and the Lady (The Blue Rose Regency Romances: The Culpepper Misses Book 5)The Lieutenant and the Lady by Collette Cameron
Tracy’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: The Culpepper Misses, #5

Release Date: March 26, 2019

Blaire Culpepper’s worst nightmare has come true, the man she loves, who she thought returned her feelings is courting another woman.

Lieutenant Julian Drake loves Blaire Culpepper, but he felt he had nothing to offer her, when his brother passed away and Julian inherited the estate, he thought he would finally be able to declare himself and ask for her hand. But when Daphne, his brother’s betrothed tells him she is pregnant with his brother’s child, Julian feels honor bound to marry her and give his brother’s child the name and inheritance that should have been theirs. He sees Blaire and tries to talk to her, but Daphne and her mother intrude and are rude to Blaire. Later he seeks her out and tries to explain, he tells her that he has not actually proposed to Daphne, but he most likely will. Blaire wishes him well and decides that she will go to the family estate to lick her wounds.

But it appears fate is not ready to let the would be lovers walk away just yet, on the way to the country, Blaire comes across an accident and stops to offer aid. The carriage passengers turn out to be Julian, Daphne and her mother. Julian is unconscious and in need of immediate attention, so Blaire takes them to the nearest inn and when the doctor arrives, she agrees to stay and nurse Julian. She learns from Daphne that they were on their way to his county house to marry – a blow that Blaire was not expecting.

Julian wakes and has no memory, the doctor assures him that it is not uncommon for someone with a head injury to suffer memory loss and is sure that it will return. He remembers nothing, so when Daphne tells him they were going to marry, he tells her they will have to wait until his memory returns. Blaire nurses him and the more time he spends with her, the more he wonders why he would ever consider marrying Daphne.

Little by little, his memory returns and he is sure that Blaire is the woman he should marry, but before they can even consider a HEA, there will be several obstacles for them to overcome as well as some shocking revelations and some unexpected twists and turns.

I think this might be my favorite story in the series, it is well written, flows nicely, has a lot of twists and turns, secrets, lies, deception, heartache and some sweet kisses (no steam). The ending was wonderful and even though this is the fifth book in the series, it can easily be read as a stand alone title.

*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC that was provided to me.*