Death of a Groom (Hamish Macbeth #38) by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green

Death of a Groom (Hamish Macbeth #38) by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green-222 pages

⭐⭐⭐.75/5

It is February and the Scottish Highlands village of Lochdubh has been turned into a winter wonderland by an unexpected snowstorm.

Sergeant Hamish Macbeth has his work cut out trying to keep the roads in the village open - something that is made all the more difficult when an influx of outsiders arrive in Lochdubh for a high-society wedding.

The wedding is taking place at Tommel Castle Hotel on Valentine's Day and it promises to be one of the most extravagant events the village has ever seen. The bride is the daughter of Colonel George Halburton-Smythe, the hotel's owner.

But on the night of the wedding - just when the ceilidh dancing is getting started - the groom is found dead in the dining room, with the cake-cutting sword plunged into his chest.

Hamish suddenly has a murder investigation on his hands - and one with a very long list of suspects. Access to the village is shut down, so that no one can leave until the case is closed.

But with the rumour mill at Lochdubh in overdrive and multiple theories abound, can Hamish separate fact from fiction in order to catch the killer?

Thoughts: I typically enjoy a "visit" to Lochdubh and a murder mystery involving Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth. I did enjoy this one. I wasn't sure who did the killing until near the end, which I like. If you haven't read any of this series before and you enjoy mysteries, then I would recommend this series, especially if you like mysteries set in other countries. 
 

THE SECRET CHRISTMAS LIBRARY by JENNY COLGAN

 THE SECRET CHRISTMAS LIBRARY by JENNY COLGAN  (PGS 305)

Goodreads Review: Mirren Sutherland stumbled into a career as an antiquarian book hunter after finding a priceless antique book in her great aunt’s attic. Now, as Christmas approaches, she’s been hired by Jamie McPherson, the surprisingly young and handsome laird of a Highland clan whose ancestral holdings include a vast crumbling castle. Family lore suggests that the McPherson family’s collection includes a rare book so valuable that it could save the entire estate—if they only knew where it was. Jamie needs Mirren to help him track down this treasure, which he believes is hidden in his own home.

But on the train to the Highlands, Mirren runs into rival book hunter Theo Palliser, and instantly knows that it’s not a chance meeting. She’s all too familiar with Theo’s good looks and smooth talk, and his uncanny ability to appear whenever there’s a treasure that needs locating.

Almost as soon as Mirren and Theo arrive at the castle, a deep snow blankets the Highlands, cutting off the outside world. Stuck inside, the three of them plot their search as the wind whistles outside. Mirren knows that Jamie’s grandfather, the castle’s most recent laird, had been a book collector, a hoarder, and a great lover of treasure hunts. Now they must unpuzzle his clues, discovering the secrets of the house—forming and breaking alliances in a race against time.

MURDER IN A SCOTTISH SHIRE: (Scottish Shire Mystery#1) by TRACI HALL

 MURDER IN A SCOTTISH SHIRE: (Scottish Shire Mystery #1) by TRACI HALL (PGS 304)

Goodreads Review: For a twenty-eight-year-old single mum, Paislee has knit together a sensible life for herself, her ten-year-old son Brody, and Wallace, their black Scottish terrier. Having inherited a knack for knitting from her dear departed grandmother, Paislee also owns a specialty sweater shop called Cashmere Crush, where devoted local crafters gather weekly for her Knit and Sip.
 
Lately, though, Paislee feels as if her life is unraveling. She’s been served an eviction notice, and her estranged and homeless grandfather has just been brought to her door by a disconcertingly handsome detective named Mack Zeffer. As if all that wasn't enough, Paislee discovers a young woman who she recently rehired to help in the shop dead in her flat, possibly from an overdose of her heart medicine. But as details of the death and the woman’s life begin to raise suspicions for Detective Inspector Zeffer, it’s Paislee who must untangle a murderous yarn . . .

Death of a Smuggler (Hamish Macbeth, #37) by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green

 Death of a Smuggler (Hamish Macbeth, #37) by M.C. Beaton with R.W. Green-229 pages

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth has another murder mystery to solve. This time a woman is found dead (probably murdered) in her home near a shotgun. A piece of furniture is shot to bits and it appears she's been strangled. Also, two young women appear to have been smuggled into Scotland illegally and there's a Michael Gallagher missing. He's been accused of assaulting his wife and he may be involved in the murder and human trafficking. Whisky is being smuggled into Scotland, as well. Will Hamish solve the murder before anything happens to the two young women? Was Michael Gallagher involved in any (or all) of the crimes? Can they catch Gallagher before any more crimes are committed?

I always enjoy revisiting Lochdubh and solving a murder mystery along with these characters, especially Hamish. 

A HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS (Hamish Macbeth 15.5) by M.C. BEATON

 A HIGHLAND CHRISTMAS by M.C. BEATON (130 PAGES)

Christmas is an ancient Roman festival, not to be celebrated by decent folk in the Scottish Highlands. Police Constable Hamish Macbeth has always loved the festivities, but this year his family is vacationing in sunny Florida. He is stuck with the long, lonely Christmas shift in freezing Lochdubh. A cranky old lady kicks off the holidays by reporting her cat missing. Then the Christmas lights and tree in a nearby village disappear soon after the local council voted to allow decorations. As Hamish finds a way to bring Christmas to the Highlands and make a little girl's dreams come true, he finds -- to his delight -- that he has the best Christmas ever.

I love the Hamish Macbeth series. This was an enjoyable little novella, an easy read for the holidays.

THE POISON PEN (Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series) by PAIGE SHELTON

 THE POISON PEN (Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series) by PAIGE SHELTON (PGS 289)

Bookseller Delaney Nichols's boss's Edwin comes to her with an unusual assignment. An old friend of his, living in an estate in the village of Roslin, has found what could be a priceless relic on her property, and Delaney is tasked with investigating. Could Jolie possibly have in her possession, as she believes, a Crusader Sword? But when Delaney arrives at Jolie's estate, she is greeted by a legal team with a vested interest in the property. Delaney and Jolie manage to remove the intruders, but as they're examining the antique sword, they hear a scream, and meet a much less welcome a body.

As Delaney digs deeper, she discovers Jolie's own fascinating history. Jolie's mother had long claimed that her daughter was the rightful heir to the throne, not Elizabeth II, because of an affair she claimed to have with King Edward VIII. The only evidence, however, is in the form of a journal that one of Edward’s secretaries kept. The puzzles become more confusing when a connection is uncovered between this far-fetched story and the murdered man. And shortly thereafter, the journal goes missing. Delaney will have to read between the lines to put together the pieces...or become history herself.

THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP by JENNY COLGAN

 THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP by JENNY COLGAN Pgs 472 (LP)

When the department store she works in closes for good, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. She doesn’t want to move in with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered Edinburgh life.

Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want Carmen there either. Her sister has always been sarcastic and difficult. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs a retail assistant for his ailing bookshop, so welcoming Carmen might still have some benefits for everyone.

At Sofia’s behest, Carmen is thrown into the daily workings of old Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the streets of the old dark city. Can she use her design skills to revamp the store and bring it back to popularity in time to benefit from Christmas shopping traffic? Can she choose between bad boy literary rock star Blair and quiet Quaker student Oke? And will she heal the rift with the most important people of all: her family? 

As Dust Dances (Play On #2) by Samantha Young

As Dust Dances (Play On #2) by Samantha Young -- 446 pages

Once upon a time Skylar Finch was the lead singer of a hugely successful American pop-rock band. But fame made her miserable. When years of living a lie suddenly ended in tragedy, Skylar fell off the map.

Eighteen months later she’s sleeping in a tent in a cemetery in Glasgow, making just enough money to eat by busking on the streets. She manages to avoid recognition, but not the attention of one of Glasgow’s ambitious A&R executives.

Killian O’Dea works at Skyscraper Records, Scotland’s most successful record label. Raised by his uncle and owner of the label, Killian’s upbringing would have been devoid of affection entirely if it wasn’t for his loving sister. Killian is unflinchingly determined to bring the label more success than ever, and the young homeless woman who busks on Buchanan Street is going to help him do that. Her music speaks to him in a way he refuses to over-analyze. All he knows is that if it can touch his dark soul, it’ll set everyone else’s alight.

Skylar makes it clear that she doesn’t want to sign with him. But when she experiences the dangerous reality of a woman sleeping rough, Skylar has no one else but Killian to turn to. An undeniable connection forms between them. But Skylar doesn’t want the career Killian is trying to forge for her, and when her past comes back to haunt her Killian will be faced with a decision that could ruin him. He must either free Skylar from his selfish machinations and destroy everything he’s ever worked for, or lose a woman who has come to mean more to him than he ever thought possible…

Play On by Samantha Young

Play On by Samantha Young -- 398 pages

Nora O’Brien chased a dream from Indiana to Scotland, so sure it was the right thing to do. Three years later she was left in her adopted country with nothing to her name but guilt and regret. Until Aidan Lennox entered her life.

Older, worldlier, a music producer and composer, the sexy Scot should never have made sense for Nora. But somehow, in each other, they found the light they were looking for, the laughter and the passion—the strength to play on despite their past losses. But when life dealt Aidan another unlucky hand, instead of reaching for her he disappeared. The agonizing loss of him inspired something within Nora. It fired her spirit— the anger and hurt pushing her forward to take control and reach for her dreams.

Finally pursuing a career on stage while she put herself through college, everything is how Nora wants it. She’s avoiding heartbreak and concentrating on her goals. Sounds easy but it’s not. Because Aidan is back. And for some reason he hates Nora. He’s determined to be at war with her. And she has absolutely no idea why. 

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan 332 Pages

Nina is a literary matchmaker. Pairing a reader with that perfect book is her passion… and also her job. Or at least it was. Until yesterday, she was a librarian in the hectic city. But now the job she loved is no more.

 Determined to make a new life for herself, Nina moves to a sleepy village many miles away. There she buys a van and transforms it into a bookmobile — a mobile bookshop that she drives from neighborhood to neighborhood, changing one life after another with the power of storytelling. 

From helping her grumpy landlord deliver a lamb, to sharing picnics with a charming train conductor who serenades her with poetry, Nina discovers there’s plenty of adventure, magic, and soul in a place that’s beginning to feel like home… a place where she just might be able to write her own happy ending.

While this book is not part of a series, it is a precursor to The Bookshop on the Shore and it is better to read them in order. This book is  light-hearted  and enjoyable and I will be reading more books by this author.

The Bookshop on the Shore-Jenny Colgan

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan 409 Pages

Desperate to escape from London, single mother Zoe wants to build a new life for herself and her four year old son Hari. She can barely afford the crammed studio apartment on a busy street where shouting football fans keep them awake all night. Hari’s dad, Jaz, a charismatic but perpetually broke DJ, is no help at all. But his sister Surinder comes to Zoe’s aid, hooking her up with a job as far away from the urban crush as possible: a bookshop on the banks of Loch Ness. And there’s a second job to cover housing: Zoe will be an au pair for three children at a genuine castle in the Scottish Highlands. 

But while Scotland is everything Zoe dreamed of—clear skies, brisk fresh air, blessed quiet—everything else is a bit of a mess. The Urquart family castle is grand, but crumbling, the childrens’ single dad is a wreck, and the kids have been kicked out of school and left to their own devices. Zoe has her work cut out for her, and is determined to rise to the challenge, especially when she sees how happily Hari has taken to their new home.

This book is considered a stand-alone novel, but the book titled The Bookshop on the Corner  ties in with this book and should actually be read first, in my opinion. This was my first Jenny Colgan book, and I found it to be enjoyable enough that I have read several more!