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lynn_pugh's review against another edition
It just wasn’t as enjoyable to me as I hoped it would be.
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae is the first book The Highland Bookshop Mystery series. Janet Marsh has just bought Yon Bonnie Books in Inversgail, Scotland along with Christine Robertson (Janet’s best friend), Natalie “Tallie” Marsh (Janet’s daughter), and Summer Jacobs (Tallie’s friend and college roommate). Janet has been divorced almost five years from Curtis (she calls him The Rat). The four of them were ready for a change (especially Janet). They have plans to add a tearoom to be called Cakes and Tales and a B&B above the shop that they will call Bedtime Stories. Janet is anxious to get settled into her home (she received the house in the divorce settlement), but her estate agent, Jess stated it would be two more days (no other details). When Janet and Christine go to investigate, they find Jess in the kitchen which is full of garbage (and it reeks). Jess is less than forthcoming on why the kitchen contains garbage. The four ladies return that evening to explore the house further (make sure the rest of the house is in good condition). The check the shed in the garden and find the body of agony aunt, Una Graham with a sickle in her neck. Una had interviewed them earlier in the day for an article for the Inversgail Guardian. The four women started their investigation before the constable arrives on the scene. The four women combine their skills (reporter, librarian, social worker, and lawyer) and delve into their investigation. Will these amateur sleuths be able to bag the culprit?
I enjoy cozy mysteries because I get a mystery with a softer approach. I found Plaid and Plagiarism to have too much of the cozy factor. We have a charming Scottish town with a variety of gossipy, quirky characters. There are Gaelic words and phrases sprinkled judiciously throughout the story (did you know a bothy is a cottage). The book is nicely written (as are all of Molly MacRae’s books), but I found the pace to be a little slow (and the book is too long). I felt that there were too many characters, and it is very difficult to keep them all straight. It is hard enough remembering the four main characters (which is three too many). The story is told from Janet’s point-of-view so we get frequent mentions of her ex-husband and how he destroyed their marriage (do not forget that she calls him The Rat more often than be his name, Curtis). This group also visits Paudel’s Newsagent, Post Office and Convenience (that is the whole name) frequently. In addition, we get chats with the owner as well as food and candy descriptions (they seem to eat sweets quite a bit). I give Plaid and Plagiarism 3 out of 5 stars. I think the book needed a little less of the quirky factor. There is the little old lady that sits in Yon Bonnie Books, reading their knitting books, and knitting (she knits little Nessie’s). They have no clue who she is and they can barely understand her (this is just one example). The mystery was interesting (just not enough of it), but I was disappointed with the way it was handled. The ladies set up a document (in the cloud) that they keep track of the details of their investigation (which they review a few times). I prefer to solve the mystery myself. That is the best part of a cozy mystery. I figured out the killer early in the book, but I believe most readers will be surprised by the culprit’s identity. I felt that the author tried to put too much in one book. The idea for the series has potential. I just felt that the books needed a little trimming and refining.
I enjoy cozy mysteries because I get a mystery with a softer approach. I found Plaid and Plagiarism to have too much of the cozy factor. We have a charming Scottish town with a variety of gossipy, quirky characters. There are Gaelic words and phrases sprinkled judiciously throughout the story (did you know a bothy is a cottage). The book is nicely written (as are all of Molly MacRae’s books), but I found the pace to be a little slow (and the book is too long). I felt that there were too many characters, and it is very difficult to keep them all straight. It is hard enough remembering the four main characters (which is three too many). The story is told from Janet’s point-of-view so we get frequent mentions of her ex-husband and how he destroyed their marriage (do not forget that she calls him The Rat more often than be his name, Curtis). This group also visits Paudel’s Newsagent, Post Office and Convenience (that is the whole name) frequently. In addition, we get chats with the owner as well as food and candy descriptions (they seem to eat sweets quite a bit). I give Plaid and Plagiarism 3 out of 5 stars. I think the book needed a little less of the quirky factor. There is the little old lady that sits in Yon Bonnie Books, reading their knitting books, and knitting (she knits little Nessie’s). They have no clue who she is and they can barely understand her (this is just one example). The mystery was interesting (just not enough of it), but I was disappointed with the way it was handled. The ladies set up a document (in the cloud) that they keep track of the details of their investigation (which they review a few times). I prefer to solve the mystery myself. That is the best part of a cozy mystery. I figured out the killer early in the book, but I believe most readers will be surprised by the culprit’s identity. I felt that the author tried to put too much in one book. The idea for the series has potential. I just felt that the books needed a little trimming and refining.
gwalt118's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
It turns out my new favorite cozy mystery series has been sitting on my shelf for a few years! In The Highland Bookshop Series, two mother-daughter duos respond to life's upheavals - cheating husbands, career woes, etc. - by moving to Scotland and buying a bookstore. A murder occurs and, of course, the women must solve it.
This novel introduces a motley crew of characters that will undoubtedly return in later novels, of which there are currently five (and yes, I intend to read all of them). There is not as much humor and wit in this book as I would have liked or expected from a UK crime novel. There is a bit of snark, and I'm hoping that becomes more common as the series progresses.
I read the majority of this book on a three-hour plane ride. This series makes for a great traveling companion, and I think I'm going to take the next book in the series with me on my next trip. When I finished this one, I left it in a little free library at my hotel (every hotel should have one!) for the next guest to discover.
This novel introduces a motley crew of characters that will undoubtedly return in later novels, of which there are currently five (and yes, I intend to read all of them). There is not as much humor and wit in this book as I would have liked or expected from a UK crime novel. There is a bit of snark, and I'm hoping that becomes more common as the series progresses.
I read the majority of this book on a three-hour plane ride. This series makes for a great traveling companion, and I think I'm going to take the next book in the series with me on my next trip. When I finished this one, I left it in a little free library at my hotel (every hotel should have one!) for the next guest to discover.
book_concierge's review against another edition
3.0
Digital audiobook performed by Elaine Claxton
Four women take possession of their new bookshop, Yon Bonnie Books, in the Highlands of Scotland. They are: Janet Marsh, a newly divorced woman; her good friend Christine, a retired social worker; Janet’s daughter Tallie, who’s given up her career to move to Scotland with her mother; and Summer Jacobs, Tallie’s good friend. Unfortunately, the move to Inversgail has hit a snag. Before she can move in, Janet discovers her house has been vandalized, and learns that it isn’t the first time. The real estate agent suspects Una Graham, an advice columnist for the local paper. When the four women decide to look for clues to the vandal’s identity, they find a body in the garden shed – Una, stabbed in the neck.
I like these characters. They’re a little obsessive about recording and keeping notes, but what can you expect from a social worker, attorney, journalist and librarian? As amateur sleuths go, they make a pretty good team. Add the various local residents, an annual Literary Festival, a constable who’s never had a murder case before, plenty of suspects, and references to books, books, books, and more books, and you have a recipe for an enjoyable cozy mystery.
Elaine Claxton does a fine job performing the audio. With her skills as a voice artist she was able to give each woman a distinct voice, which helped in keeping characters straight.
Four women take possession of their new bookshop, Yon Bonnie Books, in the Highlands of Scotland. They are: Janet Marsh, a newly divorced woman; her good friend Christine, a retired social worker; Janet’s daughter Tallie, who’s given up her career to move to Scotland with her mother; and Summer Jacobs, Tallie’s good friend. Unfortunately, the move to Inversgail has hit a snag. Before she can move in, Janet discovers her house has been vandalized, and learns that it isn’t the first time. The real estate agent suspects Una Graham, an advice columnist for the local paper. When the four women decide to look for clues to the vandal’s identity, they find a body in the garden shed – Una, stabbed in the neck.
I like these characters. They’re a little obsessive about recording and keeping notes, but what can you expect from a social worker, attorney, journalist and librarian? As amateur sleuths go, they make a pretty good team. Add the various local residents, an annual Literary Festival, a constable who’s never had a murder case before, plenty of suspects, and references to books, books, books, and more books, and you have a recipe for an enjoyable cozy mystery.
Elaine Claxton does a fine job performing the audio. With her skills as a voice artist she was able to give each woman a distinct voice, which helped in keeping characters straight.
rita_reads_cda's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Meh
jellie23's review against another edition
2.0
characters all blended together; could not keep track of who’s who. Quite dragged out
captainsneakers's review
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I kept flipping back to try and see how they were jumping to the conclusions they were reaching. A lot of the characters blurred together and there were way too many threads going at any time. Cozy writing style, some good dialog, but not great plot reveals. I don't think I'll try any other books from this series.
twowheelsaway's review against another edition
3.0
Really liked the set of characters, but the plot felt a little fuzzy and the ending was a little bit of an anti-climax.
dlaurenledesma's review against another edition
3.0
I picked up this book after seeing Book 2 of the series on a New Release shelf at the library. As someone who is obsessed with Scotland, loves bookshops, and thoroughly enjoys a good mystery I had high hopes for this. While the book was good overall, there were a few spots that lulled and I found myself scanning a few pages to get back to the "exciting" stuff. I'm definitely going to give Book 2 a go, though, as the characters are written well and MacRae does a good job of wrapping everything up nicely in the end.