Peggy Winn owns a Scottish imports store called ScotShop in the fictional small town of Hamelin, Vermont, and take regular buying trips to Scotland for stock.
Walking around the highland village of Pitlochry, she stumbles upon a tiny shop she'd never seen before and buys a beautiful antique handwoven shawl. When she wraps the shawl around her, a burly, bearded man in a kilt appears. It doesn't take her long to realize that he was the husband of the woman who wove the shawl in the Fourteenth Century, and that where the shawl goes, so does he.
Back home, she's still adjusting to having a ghost (whom she now calls "Dirk") follow her around when she goes into her shop and finds the dead body of her ex-boyfriend, Mason.
After that, things just get more and more complicated. Dirk proves extremely helpful as she tries to figure out why Mason was there, why her shop has been torn apart, and what the cryptic note found in his pocket means.
Fran Stewart's approach to the connection between ghost and object is unconventional, but it works. It will be interesting to see how Dirk's constant presence in Peggy's everyday life affects her more corporeal relationships, particularly romantic ones. I look forward to reading more about them.
The publisher has generously offered a copy of A Wee Murder in My Shop to one of my readers. Please comment below before midnight on March 9th, including a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS. Entries from the US only, please.
FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy of the book.
Walking around the highland village of Pitlochry, she stumbles upon a tiny shop she'd never seen before and buys a beautiful antique handwoven shawl. When she wraps the shawl around her, a burly, bearded man in a kilt appears. It doesn't take her long to realize that he was the husband of the woman who wove the shawl in the Fourteenth Century, and that where the shawl goes, so does he.Back home, she's still adjusting to having a ghost (whom she now calls "Dirk") follow her around when she goes into her shop and finds the dead body of her ex-boyfriend, Mason.
After that, things just get more and more complicated. Dirk proves extremely helpful as she tries to figure out why Mason was there, why her shop has been torn apart, and what the cryptic note found in his pocket means.
Fran Stewart's approach to the connection between ghost and object is unconventional, but it works. It will be interesting to see how Dirk's constant presence in Peggy's everyday life affects her more corporeal relationships, particularly romantic ones. I look forward to reading more about them.
The publisher has generously offered a copy of A Wee Murder in My Shop to one of my readers. Please comment below before midnight on March 9th, including a VALID EMAIL ADDRESS. Entries from the US only, please.
FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy of the book.
Oh, oh, oh!!! I'm so excited! I love stories that have a tartan flair!!!! I hope I win a copy of A Wee Murder in My Shop! It sounds great!!!
ReplyDeleteCoco Ihle
CocoIhle(at)gmail(dot)com
It is a great premise, isn't it Coco? And it's a great read, too!
DeleteOMG!!!!
ReplyDeletesounds like a GREAT series!!!
thank you for the giveaway
cyn209 at juno dot com
You're welcome. Thanks for reading my blog!
DeleteThis sounds like a bonny good mystery. I'd love to have a copy to read. Scottish relics, a ghost, and a murder too, who could ask for more. robeader53@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI love "bonny good"! Thanks for reading Stuff and Nonsense, Robin!
DeleteFascinatinging premise! Dirk's take on modern times - and the US - should be interesting, to say the least.
ReplyDeletekpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
Yes, the whole idea of adjusting to all the advances that take place over 7 centuries is mind-boggling, isn't it? Thanks for stopping by, Karen!
Delete@Coco Ihle - A "tartan flair" certainly gives some oomph to life, doesn't it? Thanks for commenting.
ReplyDelete@ cyn209 - I certainly think it's the start of a great series - but then, maybe I'm a bit biased since I wrote it!
ReplyDelete@ Robin Cox - "bonny good" - why didn't I think to describe it that way? Thanks for the idea. I'll mention it at the book launch this evening.
@ Karen B - ah, yes, I'm having great fun figuring out just what a 14th century man would think of the excesses of 21st century life.
This sounds really good! I love ghost stories! I'm looking forward to starting this series! Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeletemitttens0831 at aol.com
Carol - glad you're considering my ScotShop Mysteries. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
DeleteThanks for reading Stuff and Nonsense, Carol!
DeleteI am Scottish So this sounds divine. What a wonderful new series. Ghosts stories and Scottish lore are a perfectly lovely combination. . Itsacatslife17@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteI thought so too, Lexie. I fell in love with Scotland the first time I visited (and the second visit served to reinforce that feeling).
DeleteSounds fun ;-)
ReplyDeleteEspecially since I'm currently wandering around Scotland and may actually be in Pitlochry next week....
BJ
killearnan (at) gmail (dot) com
@ BJ How wonderful! Pitlochry is one of my all-time favorite towns. I tended to wander off the main tourist roads, which is where I got the inspiration for the shop where Peggy finds the shawl. Please say hello to Ben y Vrackie for me!
DeleteI was wondering if you'd been to Pitlochry, BJ. I can't wait to see your photos!
DeleteOh lovely! I love the title and can't wait to read it. It sounds so good.
ReplyDeletejandeplus3 (at) live (dot) com
So far, Jeanette, I've come up with 25 titles starting with A WEE . . . I'd better get busy writing!
DeleteIt's an enticing title, isn't it? Thanks for reading Stuff and Nonsense, Jeannette!
DeleteIt looks great; i hope to get a chance to read it soon :)
ReplyDeletejslbrown2009(at)aol(dot)com
Thanks for reading Stuff and Nonsense, Lisa!
DeleteShe is a new author to me, and I would love to start reading her new series.
ReplyDeletekaye dot killgore at comcast dot net
Thanks for stopping by, Kaye!
DeleteMy apologies for the delayed responses to your kind comments. I was ill in bed most of last week.
ReplyDelete