The Loch Ness Papers

February 11, 2019
At the start of Shelton’s agreeable fourth Scottish Bookshop mystery (after 2018’s Lost Books and Old Bones), American Delaney Nichols, who works at the Cracked Spine Bookshop in Edinburgh, Scotland, is soon to be married. But weddings seldom go off as planned, and Delaney’s is fraught with complications. First, the minister dies, leaving Delaney scrambling for a replacement; the tailor shop folds, leaving her dressless; and finally her new friend, Norval Fraser, a sweet, eccentric old man who’s obsessed with the Loch Ness monster, is accused of murdering his greedy nephew. Delaney’s wedding plans take a back seat as she tries to prove Norval innocent and find the real killer. Delaney’s friends and her family, who have traveled to Scotland from Kansas, are amazingly forgiving about being ditched while she investigates the murder. The killer’s motivation is a bit of a fizzle, but Shelton stocks her tale with appealing characters and intriguing Nessie lore. Cozy fans will be rewarded. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds Literary.