The Cracked Spine

February 1, 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.

March 1, 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.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 15, 2016
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.

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