Reviews

The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton

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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition

4.0

Delaney Nichols is invited to attend a Burns Night dinner at a local Robert Burns Society to celebrate the poet’s birthday. Delaney is not sure why she was invited, but she is intrigued. She invited co-worker, Hamlet to attend with her. Edwin, Delaney’s boss, learns of the invite and warns Delaney that one of the members could be trying to get to him through her. During the dinner, it soon becomes apparent that Edwin’s suspicions were correct. One of the members had accused Edwin of burning down his bookshop twenty years ago. After giving the members a piece of her mind, Delaney and Hamlet depart. Later that evening, the building where the dinner was held is ablaze. When the fire is put out, they find a body inside. It turns out to be one of the Robert Burns Society members. Hamlet finds himself at the top of the suspect list. Delaney with help from her bookish voices sets out to find the evildoer. Along the way, she might also find answers to help her solve another mystery she stumbled upon the warehouse while going through the files. Delaney will need to keep her wits about her because it is obvious the wrongdoer likes playing with fire. The Burning Pages by Paige Shelton is the seventh A Scottish Bookshop Mystery. I believe it is best if you start at the beginning of the series rather than at the end. I thought The Burning Pages was well-written with developed characters. We have gotten to know Delaney Nichols and her Scottish family. Delaney’s brother, Wyatt shows up for an unexpected visit to Delaney’s delight. I love the authors descriptions of Edinburgh. She really brings the city alive with her word imagery. I love that she includes statutes, museums, shops, and monuments. We also get historical details which adds color and realism. The whodunit was a fun one to follow and solve. Delaney dons her sleuthing cap once again to help a friend. She gets assistance from her friends, family, and her bookish voices. There is action, intrigue, and drama. I enjoyed the reveal. It was interesting learning more about Roberts Burns, his works, and the societies created in his name. The Burning Pages is a tale that will keep you on your toes. The Burning Pages is a captivating cozy with an intriguing invitation, a burning building, a murdered society member, a compatriot who is a suspect, an unforeseen find, Tam O’Shanter chapeaus, a valuable voice, and pages of poetry.

kimdavishb's review against another edition

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5.0

THE BURNING PAGES, by Paige Shelton, is the seventh book in the charming Scottish Bookshop Mysteries. I’ve so enjoyed this series and delight in each book’s theme. In this newest release the poet Robert Burns is showcased. I loved the peek into the historical aspect of his life and the ways he’s been celebrated since 1848 with Burns Night dinners. While I’m not very familiar with the majority of his works, I was much surprised to find out that Robert Burns is the author of Auld Lang Syne! Lest you think this isn’t a cozy mystery, it is… Ms. Shelton skillfully weaves the famous poet into a modern-day crime along with a colorful cast of characters. The protagonist, Delaney Nichols, and Hamlet, her young coworker at The Cracked Spine Bookshop in Edinburgh, are invited to attend a Burns Night dinner. This sets the stage for long ago grievances to be brought to the foreground and a deadly retribution to occur. When Hamlet becomes a suspect and then disappears, Delaney knows she needs to get to the bottom of the crimes, past and present, and prove her friend’s innocence. As she delves deeper into the mystery, she begins to find pieces of Hamlet’s tragic past. I truly loved getting to know Hamlet better and the author does an admirable job weaving in his heartbreaking backstory into the present-day mystery. The pace of the mystery was spot-on and there were enough suspects to keep me guessing as I turned the pages faster and faster.

Delaney is a delightful character, full of care for those she meets. I’m also quite intrigued with her gift for hearing “bookish voices”, i.e., quotes from various books she comes across, which provide enigmatic clues that don’t always make sense right away. An American transplant to Scotland, Delaney is married to a Scottish pub owner. Rounding out the core cast of charming characters is her mysterious boss, Edwin, bookshop employee Rosie and her adorable dog, Hector, and her former landlords, Elias and Aggie. I thoroughly enjoy the attention to detail and the authenticity of the country, the brogue language, and food (haggis anyone?!) that the author brings to the story through these characters. It’s like taking an armchair vacation while playing armchair detective all at the same time and has me impatiently waiting until the next book becomes available!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

rynflynn12's review against another edition

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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

3.25

papidoc's review against another edition

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5.0

Delaney and the Cracked Spine gang are on the trail of another mystery, this time involving one of their own.

rebelbelle13's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

My first Shelton cozy was enjoyable enough, and a fast read to boot. I had no problem jumping in at book 7 of this mystery series- the mystery was contained and didn't rely on knowledge from previous installments to get the most out of it. A twenty year old missing persons case and arson case is wrapped up in a current case of a similar nature- arson and murder, all centering around bookshops and the 18th century poet, Robert Burns.
There were a few things I appreciated. The writing style was smooth, the dialogue was natural, and the author kept me turning pages wondering what was going to happen next. I was engaged and interested, for the most part. The way that Delaney (our MC) communicated openly with the police chief was refreshing- most cozies see the protagonist keeping secrets from the authorities while they attempt to solve the mystery entirely on their own, regardless of the stakes or danger involved.
Here's what I didn't like. The setting, for one. Besides the occasional mention of a Burns statue or the city of Edinburgh, this story could have taken place anywhere. I felt no sense of specific place. This might have been further explored in the earlier books, but there was no description of setting at all. Secondly, the characters all felt wooden and one-dimensional. Delaney is a beige MC; nothing interesting about her, nothing that stands her apart. Her husband is Best Husband Ever (TM) and her brother is Knight in Shining Armor (TM). Neither stray from these roles, and it gets old, fast. Then we have eccentric bookstore owner Edwin, and token Scottish manager Rosie, who's the only one with a Scottish brogue on page. The characters are just uninteresting, and it makes me sad because it means I probably won't be reading another book in this series.
All in all, the story was intriguing, it's a page turner, but the characters are bland and nothing to write home about. A fine cozy, but there are better out there.

thisandthatwithkaren's review against another edition

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5.0

“The Burning Pages” the 7th instalment in the "Scottish Bookshop Mystery” series by Paige Shelton. I really enjoy this series and have started collecting in hardcover. Delaney Nichols faces off against an elusive arsonist …

I loved visiting Edinburgh, Scotland and the Cracked Spine book shop again. The story is full of quirky characters with fortune tellers, and buskers set amongst a beautiful setting in old Edinburgh. I liked how this time we were exploring Robbie Burns and Hamlets background.

There were several possible suspects, and kept me guessing for quite a while. I was drawn into this story right away and did not want to put it down.

Overall, I found it to be a very entertaining read that made me long to visit Scotland and read more about poet Robbie Burns.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Minotaur Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.