THE KILLING STONES

4 stars out of 5

I'm a little confused about the status, if you will, of this book. Is it the first in a series? Or is it a continuation of an old series with a couple of different characters? Well, since I'm not familiar with Scotland detectives Jimmy Perez and Willow Reeves and the book works on its own, I guess it doesn't matter much. The only thing that still confuses (and annoys) me is that all the characters are referred to by their first names except Perez. Huh?

Anyway, apparently Jimmy used to live in Shetland but now lives in Orkney off Scotland's northern coast with his partner, Willow. Jimmy has a 14-year-old adopted daughter, Cassie, who lives most of the time with her biological father. Together, Jimmy and Willow have a four-year-old son, and it won't be long till she gives birth to another. Adding to all that is that Willow, too, is a police detective - in fact, she's Jimmy's boss (well, sort of). For the moment, though, she's officially on maternity leave and, for all intents and purposes, supposed to keep her nose out of police business.

That becomes a bit difficult, though, when Jimmy calls to tell Willow that his good friend and distant relative Archie Stout is dead - an apparent murder. It seems his head was bashed in by one of a pair of Westray story stones that have gone missing from the local heritage center. Archie, of course, is upset on many levels; he's lost a good friend, must now question other people close to Archie, including the wife Jimmy knows well. The investigation takes on a new dimension when Jimmy learns that Archie may have been having a tryst with a beautiful artist - a newcomer to the island. Understandably, she denies any such relationship. 

As the investigation progresses, several potential suspects are identified, but the evidence is lacking. Then, one of the suspects turns up dead as well - conked with the second of those missing stones. That, in turn, opens still more possibilities and forces Jimmy and Willow to take a different approach. Those details, of course, I can't provide without spoiling things for others, but I can say for sure that it all works out in the end. Now, I'll be eagerly awaiting their next appearance. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to "meet" Jimmy and Willow by way of a pre-release copy of this story.

The Killing Stones by Ann Cleeves (Minotaur Books, September 2025); 384 pp.

THE TWELVE BOOKS OF CHRISTMAS

3.5 stars out of 5

Make no mistake: This is a favorite series of mine, and after reading this latest entry (the 17th), it still is. But I'll also say that if I listed them in rank order, this one wouldn't be anywhere near the top of the "best" list. 

And why might that be? Mostly, I think, because it's more pomp than circumstance. The plot lacks pizzazz (or much of anything of substance), and there's way too much exposition and lengthy description of what people are doing, where they're going and what they're eating. Even the ending, while it did wrap everything up nicely, was a bit underwhelming.

Venting aside, though, it's still an entertaining read; I seriously doubt this talented author could ever write a dud. The story here begins as Brooklyn Wainwright, a book restoration expert, has moved to Sonoma wine country with her handsome husband, security consultant Derek Stone. In the midst of pre-Christmas celebrations, she gets a call from good friend Claire, who is in Scotland preparing to marry Cameron, a castle laird - and she wants Brooklyn and Derek to serve as their witnesses. Amid all the excitement, it's also decided that Brooklyn's parents (her mother is active in a local druidic Wiccan group) will tag along as well. Claire also hopes that Brooklyn will help solve a mystery: a dozen Christmas-related books, some quite valuable, have gone missing from the castle library - which is open to the public.

As might be expected, not everything goes exactly as planned; the young woman hired to maintain the previously neglected library doesn't seem up to the task; strange things go bump in the night, and the women of the town, located on the banks of Loch Ness, haven't exactly warmed up to the notion that Claire will be the lady of the castle - now or ever. On the plus side, thanks to the loyal keeper of the castle and her competent staff, no one will ever go hungry; at every opportunity, delicacies (and of course, tea) appear almost from nowhere.

But alas; also from nowhere appears a dead body - followed not long after by a second one. Those discoveries, needless to say, force a wedding postponement and an investigation that, of course, is joined by Brooklyn and Derek (though the former is still focusing on the missing library books). Also of course, that's where I must stop; revealing anything more could spoil things for other readers. That said, this is a cozy mystery; I've yet to read one in which things don't work out well for the main characters, and this one's no exception. And Brooklyn remains a bit of an anomaly among cozy heroines; she doesn't go off on tangents, plays nice with the police and doesn't have a "sidekick" to whom she listens instead of the voice of reason (and for that, I'm eternally grateful and a loyal reader). I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one. 

The Twelve Books of Christmas by Kate Carlisle (Berkley, October 2023); 319 pp.

THE THINGS WE DO TO OUR FRIENDS

4 stars out of 5

Definitely one of the strangest books I've read in a while, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. I suppose the only turn-off - and it's a slight one - is that it took longer than it probably should have to confirm what I suspected almost from the beginning.

But the learning process was an intriguing one despite almost totally unlikable, unrelatable characters - starting with story narrator Clare, a beautiful woman who appears to be in some kind of exile in Scotland to escape serious transgressions in France. In school at Edinburgh, Clare meets Tabitha, a beautiful, rich and totally annoying young woman (or was it that Tabitha meets Clare - whatever) and her small cadre of snobby friends. Clare is both repulsed and drawn to the fiercely loyal group, especially Tabitha, but for the most part her distaste turns sweet when she's admitted to their inner circle.

The bond becomes even stronger when Tabitha decides that they'll start a business - a big-money "project" that turns the group into, well, you'll have to read it to find that out. Despite misgivings all around - except for Tabitha - they all go along with the plan, because, well, what Tabitha wants, Tabitha gets. Readers, though, get only limited glimpses into their activities - I'd love to have been privvy to more - but most of Clare's recollections focus on her and her interaction with the others. Interspersed are hints as to how horrific her youthful transgressions really were and what the ending holds; those who pay attention will have a pretty good idea what that is by the time they get there. Overall, it's a well done debut novel and a treat, I think, for those who enjoy head games. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy.

The Things We Do to Our Friends by Heather Darwent (Bantam, January 2023); 336 pp.

A SCONE OF CONTENTION

3.5 stars out of 5

Newly married to Nathan Bransford, a detective with the Key West, Florida, Police Department, Hayley Snow writes food-related articles for the island's Key Zest publication. When the couple gets a chance for a real honeymoon in Scotland to visit Nathan's sister Vera and her husband, William, she sees an opportunity to bring stories of Scottish fare back to tempt Key Westians. Then, because of their elderly but spunky houseboat neighbor Miss Gloria's family ties to the country - and that it might be her only chance to see it - they offer to take her along. Just before they leave, one of their local friends ends up in hot water with the police, making Hayley a little reluctant to leave.

Although Scotland is welcoming, Nathan's sister is far less so; to make matters worse, Hayley's brother-in-law insists on entering a golf tournament with Nathan as his partner - taking him away from her most of the days of their visit, sadly for her (and for readers, who see way too little of him as well). Vera, who's immersed in pulling together a soon-to-be-published book about the "thin places" of Scotland ("where the veil between heaven and earth is lifted"), spends a good bit of her time disagreeing with the production team about the direction the book is taking - a turn for the worse, in her opinion. When Nathan's rather standoffish mother, who has gained tentative acceptance by Hayley but isn't on the best of terms with Vera, shows up as well, she brings the potential for uncomfortable encounters. If I'm honest, I'll say that potential quickly turned into an unpleasant reality; the disagreements and sniping at each other - especially among the book production team - started to get annoying fairly early on. 

At an early-on dinner party for all of the above, one of the guests experiences severe stomach distress - a suspected poisoning. Later, as the group hops on the Falkirk Wheel on their way to their destination of the day, tragedy strikes: A man falls overboard and is killed. When he's identified by police, no one in Hayley's group acknowledges knowing him, but their furtive denials make her think there's more to that story - and the possibility that it was no accident rears its ugly head. Much of the book from this point on centers on descriptions of the group's destinations, detailed bickering among group members and, more pleasantly, Hayley's encounters with the traditional foods of Scotland (recipes for such treats as Shepherd's Pie and several varieties of scones are included at the end of the book).

The only near-edge-of-seat drama happens near the end, when one of member of the group faces a life-threatening situation; that's followed by the tying up of loose ends surrounding the death at Falkirk and publication of the book. Once Hayley and Nathan are back home, her friend's pre-trip tussle with police is sorted as well - but that situation had so little relevance to the rest of the plot that I had to wonder why it was included at all. Oh wait: Maybe it will be fodder for the next book in the series (for the record, this is the eleventh). While I wait for that one, I'll thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy of this one.

A Scone of Contention by Lucy Burdette (Crooked Lane Books, August 2021); 336 pp.

LITTLE BLACK BOOK

4 stars out of 5

Even if you're not a fan of so-called cozy mysteries - and generally speaking, that includes me - I implore you to try this series (as well as, for the record, this author's other "Fixer-Upper" series that's equally enjoyable). That's because, unlike virtually all the other cozies I've had the relative displeasure to read, her main characters are strong-willed but sensible, thoughtful and brilliant women who don't go off half cocked and instead actually contribute something substantial to their stories.

This is the fifteenth in this wonderful series about book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright, who's now married to Derek Stone, a gorgeous, almost super-human security expert (well, okay, that's pretty much standard in cozies, but this guy really is a peach). At her San Francisco workroom, a package arrives addressed to Derek marked only from "Gwyneth Antiquities" that contains a slightly damaged rare, author-signed copy of Rebecca but no instructions on what to do with it. Not long thereafter, they get a visit from Brooklyn's one-time acquaintance and antique weapons expert Claire Quinn, who Derek knows is related to the probable sender of the package and his former M-16 colleague Gwyneth Quinn. But while Claire knows her aunt sent some kind of package, she claims to have no idea what was in it. More to the point, she says her aunt has gone missing - and she's convinced somebody out there is out to get her as well.

That they might succeed is bolstered by the very recent trashing of Claire's apartment and her recount of at least two narrow misses on being killed. When pressed, the only reason she can think of is that as a child, she saw some men, including her now-missing-and-presumed-dead father, planning some kind of crime. When Claire temporarily moves in with Brooklyn and Derek, one of the bad guys shows up again but somehow eludes Derek, his security team and the local police. Strangely, that man soon turns up dead - murdered with an antique dagger. And when the three decide to visit Dharma, where Brooklyn's quirky communal mother lives, yet another of Claire's nefarious stalkers bites the dust in similar fashion.

Finally, enough is enough, and the three decide they're likely to find the answers they need in Scotland, where Claire used to live and from where her missing Aunt Gwyneth disappeared. They're invited to live in a real-life (though somewhat run-down) castle, where clues start piling up like turrets. Getting to the truth - and hopefully, finding Claire's aunt alive - takes a lot of speculation, wrong turns, near misses and puts Derek's security expertise to the test, but it all comes together in the end.

Except not quite. There are a couple of loose ends that I'm sure will follow Brooklyn and Derek to the next book and that's okay - some characters in this one made follow-up appearances here, after all. But the "real" ending, to me, elicited more of a "you've got to be kidding me" feeling than satisfaction. That's because lacking more explanation, what happened was for the most part implausible (I can't get more specific, but the lack of food and water plus perhaps the need for an invisible cargo-lugging 18-wheeler came to mind immediately). A few extra descriptive lines could have cleared all that up, but alas, they weren't there. Otherwise, though, it's another great series entry, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it.

Oh yes - the book includes recipes for a few of the treats Brooklyn and Derek enjoyed among the earlier pages. Too many ingredients for this cooking-phobic reader to want to try making, but they sure do sound yummy!

Little Black Book by Kate Carlisle (Berkley, June 2021); 384 pp.

A SONG FOR THE DARK TIMES

4 stars out of 5

My only acquaintance with this author's police Inspector

John Rebus character came several years ago via a short story co-written with Peter James for the "FaceOff" compilation. That was sufficient, though, for me to be very interested in reading one of the full-blown books - which I was able to do with a pre-release copy courtesy of the publisher (via NetGalley). Quite enjoyable, and I'll definitely be on the lookout for the next one.

As the story opens, a mostly retired Rebus, whose COPD has made stairs a challenge, has moved to a ground-floor flat in Edinburgh with sometimes grudging help from his not-so-old partner Siobhan Clarke. She and her team are working to solve the murder of the son of a man who is under house arrest in Saudi Arabia. As they are finishing up the moving (and trying to get Rebus's dog, Brillo, acclimated to the new digs), he gets a call from his daughter Samantha. It seems that her partner Keith, the father of her daughter, has gone missing.

Despite (or maybe because of) his rocky relationship with Samantha, Rebus wastes no time driving his ancient car to her place. What he finds isn't positive; no sign of Keith and no clues other than that he'd joined a local history group with an interest in an old World War II prison camp that they'd love to turn into a tourist attraction.

And here, the waters get murky; first, the local police seem to think Samantha may have played some kind of role in Keith's disappearance - putting Rebus at odds with the cops as well as increasingly concerned about his daughter. And second, the owner of the land now occupied by a local commune - sometimes visited by Samantha - has ties to a player in the murder case Clarke's team is trying to solve.

As for me, while the book stands alone well, I have no doubt I'd have enjoyed it more had I read previous books and been more familiar with the characters in them. Still and all, this is a clever story that's well-written - and as I said at the beginning, I don't plan on letting another one go by without getting my hands on it.

A Song for the Dark Times by Ian Rankin (Little, Brown and Co., October 2020); 336 pp.

I WILL MAKE YOU PAY

5 stars out of 5

Time was when extreme emotional distress to me meant not being able to have my morning coffee - you know, that stuff that magically turns you into something close to human - before heading out to get my annual blood test that requires fasting. But reading as many books as I have (75 so far this year), I've found something else: realizing it's 5 minutes before bedtime and I need 20 more to finish the book that's got me on the edge of my seat. 

This is one such book. And yes, I lugged my Kindle up the stairs and sat in our computer room as usual - the last thing I check before hitting the sack is email - and finished it.  Then - mostly because of a near-end twist - I couldn't get to sleep right away. Ah well - it was worth it.

As a mostly former journalist, it was easy for me to identify with the main character, Alice Henderson, also a journalist - with one happy exception: I've dealt with a few folks who gave me a royal chewing out over something I'd written (or failed to write), but  never in my entire career did anyone threaten my life. Alice isn't so fortunate; and while first phone call mostly just shook her up, the next thing that happened left her so frightened that her boyfriend hired a private investigator.

It's pretty clear someone is out to get Alice, but who? Could it be someone who didn't like something she wrote? A person from her past, or even a co-worker? That's what P.I. and former cop Matthew Hill wants to find out, but because he's no longer on the force, he can't be an official part of the investigation. That's mitigated a bit by Hill's relationship with a very pregnant detective Melanie Sanders, his former partner who's now assigned to Alice's case. Needless to say, the whole thing becomes a race to find Alice's stalker - if that's what he or she is - before something more sinister happens.

Chapters switch to show snippets of three characters - Alice, Hill and an unidentified boy known only as "Him." Each chapter adds another dimension to the story until the very end, when everything comes together with that aforementioned twist. All told, a very well done and, dare I say, exciting book that I expect will do well. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

I Will Make You Pay by Teresa Driscoll (Thomas & Mercer, October 2019); 317 pp.

DEAD WOMAN WALKING

5 stars out of 5

Bloody well done, I say!

Without the shocking surprises, this would have been a good book. With them, well, it's out of the ball park. My proof? I had one eye on the pages of my Kindle Fire while I watched our Ohio State Buckeyes roll over Indiana University in their season-opening game. After that - and I hasten to add I'm not trying to make a political statement here - the same thing happened the next evening during my never-miss The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC (well, okay, I admit Rachel was off that night, but I also like her fill-in, Joy-Ann Reid). That never happens unless I'm so engrossed in a book that I just don't want to put it down.

I can't, of course, reveal any of those surprises, but I can tell you a little about what's going on. Jessica Lane has taken her sister Bella, a Carmelite nun, for a hot-air balloon ride over Northumberland National Park near England's border with Scotland as a birthday surprise. While the pilot is flying low, they watch in horror as a young woman is murdered. Not long thereafter, the balloon crashes spectacularly, leaving just one survivor - the one who saw the killer's face. Unfortunately, he saw hers as well, and he's not about to let her get away.

Meanwhile, the local police have identified the survivor as Jessica, but neither they nor the killer are able to find her. She could be badly injured or so confused that she doesn't know what happened or where she is, but now the police and the killer share the same purpose: Finding her. But could it be that they share the same end game?

Using a mix of flashbacks beginning 28 years earlier, the story begins to take shape as we learn bits and pieces of the sisters' childhood years. The flashbacks are minimal, each bringing the reader closer to the current time period and offering more clues with regard to the real reason behind the balloon crash (I've gone on record with my distaste for the over-used flashback technique, but tell you what: If it's ever been done really well, it's in this book, so you'll get no complaints from me this time out).

The race to find the missing woman is filled with tension that just kept building - and just when I was on my next-to-last fingernail, bam! The first twist hit the fan. OMG, did I really read that, I asked myself, flipping back a couple of pages to be sure my eyes weren't deceiving me. But wait, there's more!

For that, though, you'll just have to read the book for yourself. As for me, I'm, just gonna sit here for a day or two and let the whole thing sink in. Lest I forget, many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. My conclusion? Wow!

Dead Woman Walking by Sharon Bolton (Minotaur Books, September 2017); 368 pp.

DEATH DISTILLED

5 stars out of 5


Guid gear comes in sma' bulk. 

This Scottish phrase says it all about this wonderful book, set in Scotland: At just 240 pages, it may be a small "package" - but it's put together in a really big way. Not convinced? Consider this: What's not to love about a place where folks think nothing of drinking whisky at 10:30 in the morning?

Truth is, I was hooked on the author's "Whisky Business" series when I read the first installment, Single Malt Murder (many thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read advance copies of both in exchange for honest reviews). This one, the second, stands well on its own, but my suggestion is to start at the beginning simply because the first one is so delightful.

Professional photojournalist Abi Logan, who inherited the Abbey Glen single-malt whisky distillery in Balfour when a close relative died, is back in town after three months on assignment. She's accompanied, as always, by her rather large wheaten terrier, Liam; almost from the time they hit the ground running, Liam finds some human bones that turn out to be, perhaps thankfully, really, really old - perhaps connected to old-time whisky runners who plied their dangerous trade in the area generations ago.

Then, she runs into a stranger named Rory Hendricks, who turns out to be a mostly over-the-hill rock-and-roll star who's here to do a solo benefit concert for veterans and a man on whom Abi had a monster-size crush as a kid. Not everyone, though, is thrilled to relive the heyday of his band. In fact, he may be the target of someone who already has done away with a couple of other former band members who died under somewhat suspicious circumstances. Complicating things is that Hendricks is dead set on making up for lost time with a daughter he didn't know he had until recently (and she's less than thrilled with the getting-to-know-you thing). Abi wants to help protect him, of course, but he isn't always cooperative and she has trouble telling him no.

As if that weren't enough, Abi is trying to set up a charitable foundation in honor of the relative who left her the distillery (most of the money from the sale of very rare whisky found at the distillery will be used to fund it). And, Abi's friend Patrick begs her to hold an extravaganza at the distillery for a group of visiting Japanese whisky-loving visitors - an event strongly opposed by Grant, head distiller and strong contender for Abi's heart. Can Patrick, and the rock star's daughter, an art gallery owner who wants to organize the event, convince Grant that it's all worth the time and trouble? And if Rory wants to attend so he can be close to his daughter, can the local police - with a wee bit of help from Abi - unearth the murderer and keep them both from becoming victims?

The answers to those questions remains right to the nail-biting end, and as for what happens, my lips are sealed. All I'll say is the same thing I said when I finished the first book: Absolutely delicious!

Death Distilled by Melinda Mullet (Alibi, September 2017); 240 pp.

SINGLE MALT MURDER

5 stars out of 5



Absolutely delicious! I'm speaking of the book, not the booze. I enjoyed every word of this one from beginning to end. And speaking of words, I must point out that you'll find no "e" in whisky here; the Scots, I've learned, spell it "whisky" while the Irish - and as far as I can tell, we Americans - prefer "whiskey." 

It was the title, in fact, that prompted my initial interest; our son was a devotee of single malt Scotch. He shared a number of varieties with my husband and I, although to be honest, those more strongly permeated with peat - one of the distinguishing characteristics - to me tasted rather like drinking a pile of watered-down dirt. Still, because of his enthusiasm, the topic was intriguing, and now I'm delighted to say the book tasted far better than that earthy Scotch. The story moves along quickly and interestingly, and now that I've finished, I'm looking forward to the next in the series (which I believe is Death Distilled, set for publication on Sept. 5, 2017).

This story begins when award-winning photojournalist Abigail Logan inherits Abbey Glen, a distillery in the Scottish Highlands, from her late Uncle Ben. It's largely operated by head distiller Grant (yes, he's a single, hunky Scotsman and she's also unattached). When she takes a couple of weeks off from her job to check things out - accompanied by her Wheaten Terrier Liam and good friend Patrick (a whiskey lover if ever there was one), she isn't exactly welcomed with open arms. The locals, it seems, share a  fervent belief that a woman has no place in a distillery. Even Grant, close friends with her uncle, seems to resent her presence; just about the only people who are happy to see her are trying to curry favor so she'll sell the distillery - which she has zero knowledge of how to run - to them.

But there's much more to the disdain than that; in short order, she gets anonymous threats - not the least of which is a still-dripping blood dead duck - and then a young male employee turns up quite dead in a large vat of whiskey. The suspect list is long - and, at least for a time, includes Abi herself. Not knowing who to trust, she puts her investigative journalism skills to work to try to identify the killer, all the while trying to decide what to do with the property (and the rest of her life).

It's a wonderful adventure , and short enough that it easily can be finished in a day or two. One of my favorite quotes, though, came after the book ended, to-wit:

"Happiness is having a rare steak, a bottle of whisky and a dog to eat the rare steak."

Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for a review. Highly recommended!

Single Malt Murder by Melinda Mullet (Alibi, March 2017); 275 pp.

PLAID AND PLAGIARISM

3 stars out of 5


The checklist I use when I'm composing a book review includes how reluctant I am to shut down my Kindle when other duties call - and on the other end, how eager I am to start reading it again. On that score, this one falls a bit short. It's certainly not a bad story, but I just couldn't work up much enthusiasm for it.

Honestly, I'm not sure why. Admittedly I'll never be a huge fan of "cozy" mysteries, but I do enjoy them now and again. I love books and bookstores (one of my favorite series is Lawrence Block's The Burgler Who, with Barnegat Books owner Bernie Rhodenbarr), and this book focuses on the four new owners of Yon Bonnie Books. The setting is the smallish Scotland community of Inversgail, a country of interest to me thanks to a wonderful daughter-in-law who was born and raised in the United Kingdom. There are even wee touches of humor here and there and it's the first of a series, all coming together to make the book a seemingly ideal choice for me - hence my quick acceptance of an advance copy (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.

Janet Marsh is one of the four bookstore owners who has returned from Illinois to Scotland, where she lived with her now ex-husband (a.k.a. The Rat) until about five years ago. She starts off in something of a confused state when she learns her former house won't be ready to move into as planned. Then, she learns it'll be even longer because it's been vandalized for the second time. As if that weren't enough, there's still another delay when the body of local advice columnist (a.k.a. "Agony Aunt") Una Graham (a.k.a. "Ug") is found in the shed behind Janet's house - the shed The Rat built that Janet always hated anyway.

The other owners include Janet's 38-year-old daughter Tallie (short for Natalie), a lawyer back in the states, Janet's old friend Christine Robertson and journalist Summer Jacobs, Tallie's former college roommate. They begin the transition to full-time owners with the help of former owners Kenneth and Pamela Lawrie as well as pursue plans to create a tea room and small bed-and-breakfast in the space next to the bookstore. Janet learns that the neighbor next door to her not-yet-ready-to-move-in house is an illusive but well-known author, and the bookstore itself becomes a haven for a mysterious old woman who sits in the shop for hours tending to her knitting and not once uttering a word. Meanwhile, there's an upcoming annual Inversgail Literature Festival, and two of the bookstore owners take on even more work by agreeing to serve as judges for what seemed to me to be an astounding number of entries given the size of the community.

Whew! Wound in and around all this is the four women's unflagging determination to find the murderer; in between all their other activities they keep notes on their investigation in the Cloud and bug the heck out of the local police detective (himself a curious and not particularly likable person, BTW).

All in good fun, right? It should be, but to me, not so much. There are a few too many characters for me to keep straight, a few too many Gaelic words and phrases that kept me a bit confused, and the banter among the four store owners never really clicked in my [non-Scottish] brain. By about the three-quarter mark, I really didn't care who the culprit was (but that said, yes, it was a surprise, and that's a plus). All things considered, I'm sure this book will have appeal to many readers, and there's plenty of potential for the series as a whole. But wheesht - it didn't quite do it for me.

Plaid and Plagiarism: The Highland Bookshop Mystery Series Book 1 by Molly MacRae (Pegasus Books, December 2016); 336 pp.

COLD GRANITE

4 stars out of 5

Despite the fact that I never read more than one book at a time - ever - my goal is to have a really good book series waiting in the wings just in case I finish a book but don't have another that interests me. That's complicated a bit because I also hate re-reading a book, no matter how excellent it was (the only exception to that rule was the James Bond series by Ian Fleming).

Over the last couple of years, favorites like Lawrence Block's The Burglar Who series, the series by Spencer Quinn featuring Bernie and his lovable canine companion, Chet, and the John Jordan Mystery series by Michael Lister have played the fill-in role quite nicely.

But then there were no more. So now what? Enter a fellow reader at Goodreads.com, who wrote a great review of one of the Logan McRae books by Stuart MacBride. All the books in the series, he said, are well worth reading (I believe there are 10, but don't quote me on that). The subject matter fit my requirements like a glove; good old-fashioned police procedurals featuring McRae, a detective sergeant. Intrigued, I did a bit of research and - prompted by my online friend's review - set out to give the first one a try (did I mention I always try to read the books in any series in order)?

Turns out this one, the first, is the author's first novel  - he's written several other books - and for his effort, he earned the Barry Award for Best First Novel in 2006 (he's won at least a couple of others since then). Well, I said to myself, looks as if this series might be a winner. Taking a deep breath when I learned this one comes in at a hefty 457 pages, I took the plunge.

And darned if it isn't a winner. I admit it got a titch boring right about the halfway mark, but I know some of that stemmed from the unusually nasty ice, snow and below-zero winter temperatures that had kept me and my husband practically housebound for days. The other downer was the city of Aberdeen, Scotland, the setting for the book; the only thing worse than the weather here in northeastern Ohio was the weather over there - and neither was making me happy. In the acknowledgements section, the author himself alludes to the grim surroundings, saying, "Aberdeen's really not as bad as it sounds. Trust me..."

In fact, this book begins in winter, and yes, the weather is awful. McRae has just returned after recovering (for the most part) serious injuries incurred on the job. He's greeted by one of the worst possible crimes: The mutilated body of a three-year-old boy is found in a ditch. And don't think it won't get worse; another child goes missing, then another - and unless the perpetrator is identified and caught, it's pretty clear there will be even more. 

The investigation is impeded by leaks to a particularly aggressive reporter who tries to ingratiate himself with McRae, giving co-workers cause to suspect the detective himself. Along the way, McRae must deal with his own emotional issues - an apparently disgruntled ex-girlfriend who happens to be the forensic pathologist, and a fiesty but attractive co-worker who's in the running for next-girlfriend status, at least as far as McRae is concerned.

The case takes on a number of twists and turns - mostly unexpected - as the race continues to find the serial killer before yet another child goes missing and the story concludes with a bang-up ending. Some of the language was a bit hard to decipher (thankfully I've got a daughter-in-law from London, so I understood most of the otherwise strange-to-me terminology). And, I even learned a few new words, such as "beturded" - used here to describe a parking lot after a dog left a deposit in the middle of it. Gotta love it.

All in all, it was quite an enjoyable read. But as for the author's claim that Aberdeen (Granite City, to which the title refers) really is a place I'd like, I'll reserve judgment  until I've read the second book in the series, which yes, I plan to do next time I hit a lull on my must-read list. 

Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride (HarperCollins, February 2009); 467 pp.