by Sandra Murphy
Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of A Wee Homicide in the Hotel. We also have a link to order it from Amazon, and from an indie bookstore where a portion goes to help support KRL.
Hamelin, Vermont, is host to the Annual Highland Festival which includes caber tossing, sword dancing, and a lot of shopping. The retailers rely on the cash flowing in this time of year to tide them over the slow sales months. The ScotShop is no exception. Peggy Winn and her fourteenth century ghost, Dirk, love to see the shop crowded with tourists who want to take home a piece of Scotland—or at least a tartan.
Big Willie is back after a few year’s absence. He’s a sweet, older guy, always seen with his little Scottish terrier. Peg is surprised to not see them at the opening ceremony, but there is a big crowd. When he misses his own event as well, Peg is really worried. There’s a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on the door, and the hotel is not willing to open the door. It’s when she spots Silla, the Scottie, rushing across the street right in front of cars, she knows something is terribly wrong. 
A check of the hotel room reveals Big Willie’s body in the bathroom. Apparently Silla had been locked in the bathroom with the body and escaped. Since Willie hadn’t been around in some years, a motive may come from his past time in town or something from his current life followed him. With the help of Dirk, Peg vows to find the truth for Silla’s sake.
This is the third book in the ScotShop Mystery series. Peg gets better with each. As a ghost, Dirk could easily be a distraction from the storyline but instead blends in with the surroundings especially as his powers to move more freely grow stronger. There’s a lot of information about clans and Scotland, the games and more, but it is scattered seamlessly throughout the story and never intrudes. For an enjoyable read, take a quick trip to Hamelin and stay a while.
For the soft-hearted, like me, no dogs are harmed!
To enter to win a copy of A Wee Homicide in the Hotel, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “hotel,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen March 4, 2017. U.S. residents only. If entering via email please include your mailing address, and if via comment please include your email address.
Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & short stories in our mystery section.
Use this link to purchase the book & a portion goes to help support KRL & indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy:
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Looks like a great read. Have yet to read this author. So hope this will be a start
Hope you enjoy the book! – You might want to begin with the first book in the series though, A WEE MURDER IN MY SHOP. The books can be read independently, but the story grows from book to book.
A wee murder sure sounds like the wee little ones of Ireland are out and about! Thanks for offering to us!
mostly just a ghost!
It is always interesting when there is a ghost as a character in a cozy mystery. Thanks for the chance.
marlene(dot)ezell(at)gmail(dot)com
Good luck!
I read the first of this series and loved it. Thanks for the reminder that I need to get back to reading the Wee mysteries :).
I love ghosts. Have good memories of having seen three of them…
So many things in this book to love….ghosts, Scotland, a Highland Festival! Thanks for the contest! 2boys4me (at) gmail (dot) com.
I’ve been to Scotland twice, and loved every minute of it. So naturally, I had to write with a Scottish theme.
It sounds really interesting! I do want to read it! Thanks for the chance.
If/when you read my ScotShop book(s), feel free to drop me a message and let me know what you think.
This author is new to me and I’d love a chance to read the book.
One thing I enjoy about guest blogging is that I get to hear from people who’ve never met me on the page before. I hope you’ll give me a try.
Love the cover art on this new book.
raineybird (at) yahoo (dot) com
Me, too! I was delighted when Berkley sent me a preview of the cover. They got all the details right!
New to me author. kckendler at gmail dot com
I hope you’ll look over these ScotShop books and my other mystery series, the Biscuit McKee Mysteries.
Sounds like a great read! Thanks for the chance. Zeta(at)iwon(dot)com
Scotshop Mystery sounds good..my Dad used to say say wee dog…so I love anything with that kind of background. I would love to read this. Thank you,
Marilyn ewatvess@yahoo.com
And didn’t I have a wee bit of fun with the writing of it!
I love this series. Thanks for the chance to catch up on it.
So glad you enjoy the books, Doward. This third book is definitely my favorite of the three!
I would love to read a print copy and post reviews. ptclayton2@aol.com
Thanks, Peggy. Let me know when you do, and I’ll post on FB and my website.
I have this series in my TBR pile. I am looking forward to reading the books. They look like they will be delightful. I enjoyed your review.
What a fun sounding book. Would love to try this author out. Thank you for the chance to win a copy of the title
johnnabooks(at)Hotmail(dot)com
You might want to start with book #1, even if you win this one, Johnna, simply because the story grows so much over the course of the three books. This book is where you find the answers to a lot of the questions that arose from the first two — why Dirk is here in the 21st century, for instance.
WOULD LIKE TO GIVE THIS BOOK A READ! THANKS FOR THE CHANCE! calicolady60@hotmail.com
I adore the cover and love the story. Thanks for the chance to win a copy of the book.
scarletbegonia5858@gmail.com
This is a new to me author but this book sounds really good.
New to me and I’d love to read it!
I love the series and own the first two books. You really need to start with the first book just so you know how a ghost ends up in modern times at The Scott Shop. I’d love to win this new title to add to my burgeoning home library (2200+ books).
How right you are, Nora-Adrienne. Starting with book #1 makes real sense with this series.
My husband is of Scottish decent, and we have always wanted to go to Scotland. We have traveled through England and Ireland, though. This sounds like a fun read! I must start with the first book.
This is a new series to me. I really enjoyed the synopsis of the book and would like to read.
diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com
The two trips I had to Scotland were truly magical, Elizabeth. I fell in love with Ullapool, a small fishing village on the west coast, was ower-awed by Edinburgh Castle, and cried at the Stewart stone at Culloden. I do hope you get there someday.
An annual Highland Festival, shopping, a murder mystery, a ScottShop, a ghost and the left behind poor little Scottish Terrier Silla!Thanks for telling me no dogs were harmed, I’m a dog softie too!Love to win a copy! Thank you!!
Silla goes through some tough moments, of course (after all, it IS a murder mystery!) but I’d never let her get hurt. Scotties are durable dogs indeed, as I’ve learned through my research with some real dogs as I wrote these books. I love their faithfulness, too.
We have a winner!