Publisher's Weekly Review
Hall's enjoyable third Scottish Shire mystery (after 2021's Murder in a Scottish Garden) finds Paislee Shaw, the owner of Cashmere Crush, a sweater and yarn shop in Nairn, Scotland, participating in the Nairn Food Bank fund-raiser. The animosity of some insufferable folks involved in the charitable event spills over into the baking contest. The search for best cookie gets a bit too competitive when arrogant, socially prominent Kirsten Buchanan keels over after eating a shortbread cookie that may have contained peanuts, which she is allergic to. When no one can locate Kirsten's EpiPen, Paislee tries CPR in a vain effort to save her life. The obvious suspect in what turns into a murder investigation is Kirsten's personal chef, but plenty of others had reason to want Kirsten dead, and Paislee determines to suss out the culprit. Meanwhile, she must patiently deal with the mysterious disappearance of her uncle. Witty characters match the well-crafted plot, though the Scottish dialect can be a bit much at times ("Kirsten is oot for bluid. My bluid"). Cozy fans will want to see a lot more of the compassionate Paislee. Agent: Evan Marshall, Evan Marshall Agency. (Feb.)
Kirkus Review
A clique of rich women make life so miserable for someone that it leads to murder. Paislee Shaw, owner of Cashmere Crush in Nairn, Scotland, is all for a peaceful life raising her son and knitting, but an invitation to a fundraiser for the local food bank involves her in yet another murder. Paislee packs her wares and goes to join several friends sharing a table at the recently renovated Social Club and Art Centre, including her newest friend, Blaise O'Connor, who's well off and devoted to her husband, Shep, the pro at the local golf course. Blaise is verbally attacked by the nasty alpha mom Kirsten Buchanan, whose husband helped Shep get his job and knows a lot of secrets she isn't afraid to spill. The day features a lot of backbiting between Kirsten and her sycophants, Mari, who's bulimic, and Christina, who drinks. Sales go well until the ill-fated baking contest: When Kirsten tastes her own shortbread before presenting it to the judges, she goes into anaphylactic shock--and her EpiPens are missing. Despite Paislee's best efforts at CPR, Kirsten dies. Kirsten had a severe peanut allergy well known to all her friends, but the personal chef she'd just fired is the prime suspect. Paislee thinks he's innocent and hopes to convince her attractive nemesis, DI Mack Zeffer, of that fact, when she isn't busy dealing with her son being bullied and her grandfather's hidden secrets. Our heroine solves her mysteries with aplomb against a delightful Scottish background replete with good friends and a loyal dog. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.