A Wee Murder in My Shop by Fran Stewart

July 14th, 2015 Kimberly Review 61 Comments

14th Jul
A Wee Murder in My Shop by Fran Stewart
A Wee Murder in My Shop
by Fran Stewart
Series: A ScotShop Mystery #1
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Goodreads
Rating: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Narration: 4 cups

Hamelin, Vermont, isn’t the most likely place for bagpipes and tartan, but at Peggy Winn’s ScotShop, business is booming…

While on a transatlantic hunt for some authentic wares to sell at her shop, Peggy is looking to forget her troubles by digging through the hidden treasures of the Scottish Highlands. With so many enchanting items on sale, Peggy can’t resist buying a beautiful old tartan shawl. But once she wraps it around her shoulders, she discovers that her purchase comes with a hidden fee: the specter of a fourteenth-century Scotsman. Unsure if her Highland fling was real or a product of an overactive imagination, Peggy returns home to Vermont—only to find the dead body of her ex-boyfriend on the floor of her shop. When the police chief arrests Peggy’s cousin based on some incriminating evidence, Peggy decides to ask her haunting Scottish companion to help figure out who really committed the crime—before anyone else gets kilt…

It has been a while since I picked up a cozy mystery. I loved the setting for A Wee Murder in My Shop by Fran Stewart and decided to listen to the audiobook. This is the first novel in her new A ScotShop Mystery series and Stewart delivered from the mystery to the colorful characters.

Humor, Murder and a fourteenth-century Scotsman provided an entertaining mystery.

Peggy Winn owns a Scotshop in Hamelin, Vermont where they sell everything from dragons to tartan kilts. While on a transatlantic trip to Scotland in search of authentic wares for her shop she ends up buying an enchanted tartan shawl. It comes complete with a specter.

When Peggy returns to Vermont, things get interesting when she discovers the dead body of her ex-boyfriend in her shop. Things get more complicated by the minute as Peggy’s cousin is arrested and charged with the murder. Convinced of his innocence she seeks the help of her Scottish ghost, her brother and a local detective named Harper.

Stewart provided a lively cast of characters and I enjoyed spending time with Peggy and her circle of friends. The banter between them at times made me laugh aloud. Trying to answers her specters questions about twentieth-century expressions and technology and solving the mystery had Peggy exasperated at times. We see a little smidgeon of a romance and I will be curious to see how it develops throughout the series. Our Scottish specter is quite fun, overly protective of Peggy and did a good job of assisting in solving the case.

The murder mystery Stewart provided was well done and kept me engaged throughout the tale. A few twists and discoveries were well placed. I was impressed by how skillfully she tied all of the threads together keeping things edgy and interesting without overly stretching on plausibility. Clues were provided allowing the reader to put things together and while I pieced things together before the reveal the “why” proved interesting.

Tanya Eby narrated the tale and I felt she did a great job of bringing the characters to life. She was pleasant to listen to and I quickly devoured the story.

If you are looking for a satisfying cozy with a solid mystery and delightfully charming characters then A Wee Murder in My Shop is an excellent choice.

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About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram

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61 Responses to “A Wee Murder in My Shop by Fran Stewart”

  1. Cindy

    I love cozies, they are one of my favorite genre’s. I am putting this one on my to read shelf. Thanks for that great review.

  2. Paij Slater

    It sounds like a good one, and I am glad you liked it, because I would never have picked it up with that cover. It’s not my favorite

  6. Angela Adams

    A “cozy” title for a book. I went to college in Vermont. It’s one of my favorite places! Thanks for the post!!

  7. Katherine

    I love a good cozy mystery and the Scottish ghost sounds like an extra fun bit! Can’t wait to read this one. Definitely adding to my TBR!

  8. Lindy

    This sounds like a good murder mystery. I love when an author can smoothly tie all threads of the story together. Great Review Kim 🙂

  9. Bea

    This sounds cute, like a Lynn Kurland book but with the emphasis on solving a mystery.

  10. Kathy

    I was just telling someone that I’ve been in the mood for a cozy mystery and hope the mood holds out until I get to my backlist books next month.

  11. Heidi

    I have been on a bit of a cozy kick lately. I have read three in the past couple of weeks. This one sounds fun, I will have to look it up!

    • kimbacaffeinate

      It was fun, and the mystery was well done. Glad to hear you have been enjoying them ..it looks like the slump has passed?

  14. Rita

    I’m sold– been delving into cozies a bit lately to lighten things up 🙂 Thanks for the rec.

  15. Ramona

    A Scottish specter – now there’s an unlikely character to be sure! I really love the sound of this one, Kimba 🙂 And, once again, I hope you’re feeling better. Hugs <3

    • kimbacaffeinate

      Thanks Ramona. I am having periods during the day where I feel ok. My voice is gone, as I have damaged my vocal cords, and my eye is completely bloodshot. My hubby keeps asking if it will stay like that..so it must look bad. However my lungs are sounding good and my cough is finally breaking up. I still get clammy, feel drained and nights suck because that is when the coughing starts…but I am drinking coffee and determined to kick this 🙂

  16. Felicia The Geeky Blogger

    I am halfway done and having so much fun with it. I agree Tanya is doing a great job but she does great in contemporary settings. I am having fun with the ghost!

  21. Susan

    A Vermont Cozy Sounds Perfect for Me.. With the Scottish Theme Your Review

  23. Laurel-Rain Snow

    This cozy mystery sounds so delightful! I love the idea of the Scottish shawl…and the name of the shop intrigued me, too. Thanks!

  26. Jenny

    This sounds so fun Kim! I want a Scotsman of my very own (though I think I would prefer him alive 😉 It would still be fun to listen to him as a ghost though.

  27. Nick

    What a cute little sounding story, Kim! I love reading cozy mysteries and I’m happy to hear that the mystery is well-written! I think I would thoroughly enjoy this one! 🙂
    Lovely review, Kim!

  28. Melliane

    It’s great to have a good cozy mystery like that. Plus a good thing to have a solid mystery! It’s been a while since I haven’t read a book like that, I should go back to them.