Written in Stone is Book 10 in the fabulous Scottish Bookshop mystery series by Paige Shelton and continues to be one of my favourite cozy mystery series!
Title: Written in Stone
Author: Paige Shelton
Series: Scottish Bookshop Mysteries book 10
First Published: April 1, 2025
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Genres: mystery
Acquired: from the publisher
*** Thank you to the publisher, Minotaur Books, for providing me with a copy of this book for review purposes. ***
When Delaney wins a special Hidden Door Festival invitation to artist Ryory Bennigan’s studio, she isn’t sure quite what to expect. What she finds is an elusive fellow obsessed with the Picts―complete with his own versions of their blue tattoos and vibrant red hair―recreating the stones they left behind. She also meets a visiting paleontologist, Dr. Adam Pace, from the University of Kansas attempting to sell an artifact that might just explain what the Picts’ language really sounded like.
Or at least that’s what he claimed the artifact was for. Before the deal can close and Ryory can get a closer look at it, Pace is found dead.
Delaney takes it upon herself to dig into Pace’s past and she quickly discovers Pace’s shady background―selling fake dinosaur bones and other 3D-printing trouble back in Kansas. Could his past have come back to bite him in Edinburgh?
Another fantastic adventure with Delaney
I absolutely love the Scottish Bookstore mysteries – the characters, the setting, the series – each book in the series so far (and this is Book TEN!) has been fantastic but, if I’m being honest, Written in Stone, may be my favourite of them all. From Delaney to the supporting cast, from the mysterious artist Ryory to the even more mysterious Picts, I found the entire book intriguing and entertaining and loved every minute of it.
As I’m already quite familiar with the characters in this series, I was pulled in from the start when Delaney and Tom went to meet a reclusive artist and his assistant. Ryory was larger than life, even though he was just a character written into a book. I could almost feel his magnetism and energy. And his fascination (bordering on obsession) with the Picts, a subject I know next to nothing about, made things even more interesting. It was really fun to learn more about the Pictish history and culture and the book makes it very easy to be drawn in.
The mystery and murder were also intriguing. The victim, Dr. Pace wasn’t a very likeable character, so there wasn’t much sympathy lost, but what kept me turning the page was because I wanted to find out who the murderer really was. There were so many twists and turns that it never got boring and I couldn’t put the book down.
It’s a joy to return to The Cracked Spine
I always love revisiting Delaney and her fellow co-workers at The Cracked Spine bookshop. The shop itself is interesting enough, with all its untold treasures, both in book form and otherwise but the characters in this series are also a big draw. I love how Delaney has really settled into life in Edinburgh and the shop and its people feel familiar and welcoming.
While I feel like this story can be read as a standalone, it is so much more enjoyable when read as part of the series. As with many popular, long-running cozy mystery series, it’s the familiarity of the characters that keeps me coming back for more and seeing them grow and evolve together is heartwarming.
I’m really looking forward to the next adventure in the Scottish Bookshop mysteries!
