Delaney Nichols has settled so comfortably into her new life in Edinburgh that she truly feels it’s become more home than her once beloved Kansas. Her job at the Cracked Spine, a bookshop that specializes in rare manuscripts as well as other sundry valuable historical objects, is everything she had dreamed, with her new boss, Edwin MacAlister, entrusting her more and more with bigger jobs. Her latest task includes a trip to Castle Doune, a castle not far out of Edinburgh, to retrieve a hard-to-find edition of an old Scottish comic, an “Oor Wullie,” in a cloak and dagger transaction that Edwin has orchestrated.
While taking in the sights of the distant Highlands from the castle’s ramparts, Delaney is startled when she spots a sandal-clad foot at the other end of the roof. Unfortunately, the foot’s owner is very much dead and, based on the William Wallace costume he’s wearing, perfectly matches the description of the man who was supposed to bring the Oor Wullie. As Delaney rushes to call off some approaching tourists and find the police, she comes across the Oor Wullie, its pages torn and fluttering around a side wall of the castle. Instinct tells her to take the pages and hide them under her jacket. It’s not until she returns to the Cracked Spine that she realizes just how complicated this story is and endeavors to untangle the tricky plot of why someone wanted this man dead, all before getting herself booked for murder.[summary via Amazon]
Booklovers rejoice, there is a bookstore in Scotland (albeit a fictional one), that holds magic and charm, and every step inside is an adventure. Of course I'm talking about The Cracked Spine and the Scottish Bookshop Mysteries.
Delaney is running an errand for Edwin, owner of The Cracked Spine. She's picking up a comic book, a old comic book called Oor Wullie. However, when the person she's supposed to pick the book up from is found dead, in a castle no less, she sets her sights on investigating and solving the crime. Who is this Billy Armstrong and what is his connection with Edwin?
I love stepping inside The Cracked Spine and joining Delaney for a new adventure. As her side kick she has her adoptive parents in Scotland "Elias and Aggie", who help her find clues and put them together. She also has her "booklovers-in-arms" in Rosie and Hamlet, who also work in the bookshop. Not to mention her boyfriend, Tom, who owns and runs Delaney's Pub. It all adds up to so much Scottish charm and adventure, and I love every second of it.
I really liked this mystery. It kept me guessing right until the end, and I didn't solve it before Delaney. It is definitely one of the best well-plotted mysteries I've read for a while. The mystery unravels a little of Edwin's background, and oh boy isn't he a mysterious one! From his warehouse of artefacts (yes, it completely reminds me of Warehouse 13!) to his half answers, I know there is more to Edwin then meets the eye!!
Full of mystery, charm and "bookish voices" this series is not to be missed.
"Books, they're definitely the stuff of magic"
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