Guid morning! I’m Paislee Shaw, single mum and custom sweater and yarn shop owner in Nairn, Scotland.

Before the day everything changed, I lived with Brody, my ten-year-old son, and Wallace, our black Scottish terrier, in the house my granny had left us. Gran was my rock when I’d shown up at her doorstep at eighteen, pregnant and alone in our old-fashioned-values shire. She encouraged me to pay no mind to the blethering gossips and taught me to knit from family patterns, so I could support my son.

It’s not Aberdeen Angus but we get by—sometimes just a wee bit too close for comfort. Take Fordythe Primary for example, and Headmaster Hamish McCall. He threatened Brody with detention if we’re even two minutes past nine once more in the school year. Is it my fault when Brody misplaces his homework? Or Wallace gets loose? I do the best I can, and I cannae take one more thing.

As if the mere thought sent a challenge to the universe, that morning there was a knock on the front window of Cashmere Crush. . .we’d just stopped to unlock the back entrance so that Jerry McFadden could make his special yarn delivery for Mary Beth, who needs it for a christening blanket this weekend. Brody was anxious to go, but we’ve been spotted through the frosted glass.

The second knock was no-nonsense. I had to open, and there stood a police officer with russet hair next to an older gentleman in a tam o’shanter and trench coat, with a suitcase no less. Detective Inspector Zeffer, new to Nairn, told me the man was my grandfather. Gran had kicked Grandpa out years and years ago and had no guid words for Angus Shaw. What was I s’posed tae do with him?

Jerry arrived with the news that he had no yarn—the machine broke. The landlord strolled in, Shawn Marcus, and gave me a certified letter to open—he’d sold the building, and my prized lease? Gone!

All of that as the clock struck nine and Brody was late. . . again. It’s not easy being a single mum. And the worst part of my day, discovering why my new re-hire Isla hadn’t shown up, well, that was yet to come. I shoulda stayed in bed.

Cheers!
Paislee Ann Shaw, Cashmere Crush

Murder in a Scottish Shire is the first book in the NEW “Paislee Shaw” cozy mystery series, coming June 30, 2020.

Known as the Brighton of the North, Nairn is both a charming Scottish town and a popular seaside resort—but to Paislee Shaw, it’s simply home—unfortunately to a murderer . . .

For a twenty-eight-year-old single mum, Paislee has knit together a sensible life for herself, her ten-year-old son Brody, and Wallace, their black Scottish terrier. Having inherited a knack for knitting from her dear departed grandmother, Paislee also owns a specialty sweater shop called Cashmere Crush, where devoted local crafters gather weekly for her Knit and Sip.

Lately, though, Paislee feels as if her life is unraveling. She’s been served an eviction notice, and her estranged and homeless grandfather has just been brought to her door by a disconcertingly handsome detective named Mack Zeffer. As if all that wasn’t enough, Paislee discovers a young woman who she recently rehired to help in the shop dead in her flat, possibly from an overdose of her heart medicine. But as details of the death and the woman’s life begin to raise suspicions for Detective Inspector Zeffer, it’s Paislee who must untangle a murderous yarn . . .

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About the author
From contemporary seaside romances to cozy mysteries, USA Today bestselling author Traci Hall writes stories that captivate her readers. As a hybrid author with over fifty published works, Ms. Hall has a favorite story for everyone. Mystery lovers, be on the lookout for her Salem B&B Mystery series, co-written as Traci Wilton. Whether it’s her ever popular By the Sea series or a fun whodunit, Traci finds her inspiration in sunny South Florida by living right near the ocean. Visit her website at tracihall.com.

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