Scotched

October 3, 2011
In Dunnett’s enjoyable fourth Scottish-themed mystery set in Moosetookalook, Maine (after 2010’s The Corpse Wore Tartan), Liss MacCrimmon, owner of the Scottish Emporium, and her bookstore owner friend, Angie Hogencamp, are preparing for the First Annual Maine-ly Cozy Con, a convention of mystery writers and fans, at the town’s newly renovated hotel. The guest of honor is Yvonne Quinlan, a popular Maine resident and actress turned mystery writer. Also attending, much to Liss’s chagrin, is blogger Jane Nedlinger, a scandalmonger who appears to be snooping into the lives of every other participant. When a passing jogger finds a body at the bottom of Lover’s Leap in a remote area outside town, plans for Liss’s upcoming wedding to hunky construction worker Dan Ruskin must take a backseat to her amateur sleuthing. Lovely descriptions of a Maine spring, a fast-moving plot with unexpected twists, and well-drawn characters help make this cozy a winner.