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BOOK INFO
Title: The Loch Ness Papers
Author: Paige Shelton
Publisher: Minotaur
Publish Date: April 2, 2019
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Scottish Bookshop Mystery #4
My Rating: 3/5
BOOK BLURB
Bookseller Delaney Nichols befriends a Loch Ness monster enthusiast; when he stands accused of murder she’ll do whatever it takes to learn who the killer is—and whether Nessie herself is really lurking in the Scottish waters.
Delaney Nichols is delighted with her life in Edinburgh, working at The Cracked Spine—a shop that specializes in hard-to-find books and artifacts. With a job she loves, and her fast approaching marriage to devastatingly handsome Scottish pub-owner Tom Shannon, Delaney’s life could be straight out of a fairy tale—at least it would be, if the pastor meant to perform the wedding ceremony hadn’t recently passed away. Outside the church where Delaney is searching for another reverend, she stumbles across Norval Fraser: an elderly man obsessed with the Loch Ness monster. Always attracted to the interesting and unusual, Delaney befriends Norval. But when his nephew is found dead, the police decide Norval’s obsession has moved from monsters to murder.
With a wedding to plan, her family arriving soon from Kansas, and the arrival of an over-the-top Texan with a wildly valuable book, Delaney’s plate is full to bursting, but she can’t abandon her new friend. Determined to help Norval, she sets out to learn the truth. The Loch Ness buries its secrets deeply, but Delaney is determined to dig them up—whether Nessie likes it or not.

MY REVIEW
Delaney Nichols is living the good life in Scotland. She’s engaged to a man she loves and she enjoys her job at The Cracked Spine. She also occasionally acts as an amateur sleuth when mysteries pop up around her. In The Loch Ness Papers, a local Loch Ness monster enthusiast, and recent friend of Delaney, is accused of murdering his nephew. Of course, Delaney steps up to help find the killer. Though Delaney is curious with the mystery, she has other things going on… she is getting married, and her family is in town for her wedding.
The Loch Ness Papers is the fourth book in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series by Paige Shelton. Delaney moved from the US to Scotland to work at The Cracked Spine, a rare books shop. Soon after moving to Scotland, she met Tom, and they fell in love. In each book, Delaney has a new mystery to solve. A light and entertaining series for fans of cozy mysteries. I recommend reading them in order, as it helps understand the characters better.
This book has Delaney helping a new friend… who is obsessed with the Loch Ness monster. Lots of talk about Nessie. Not much talk about The Cracked Spine, which, from previous books, sounds like an amazing book shop. Even though Delaney’s family is visiting from Kansas, she mostly focuses on the mystery, and not on her family and upcoming wedding.
I’ll admit, this is not a very exciting book. Personally, I like the characters and can handle the mostly predictable stories. If you like easy reading cozies, and Scotland appeals to you, then it’s worth picking up. A delightful addition to the series.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Books in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series:
- The Cracked Spine
- Of Books and Bagpipes
- Lost Books and Old Bones
- The Loch Ness Papers
- The Stolen Letter
- Deadly Editions
- The Burning Pages
- Fateful Words
- The Poison Pen
Starting this soon! Sorry it wasn’t a favorite for you, Darinda!!!
Hope you enjoy it, Mackenzie! ❤
Hmmm, too bad it is not an exciting story, but I do like character driven cozies and Scotland, so will probably enjoy it. Great review Darinda.
Thanks, Carla! It’s a good cozy mystery series. I did enjoy some of the other books in the series more than this one though. 💜
I have only read one so far. I need to catch up.