Scone Cold Dead (Liss Maccrimmon Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Kaitlyn Dunnett (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 2009 | Series: Liss Maccrimmon Mysteries

After a knee injury forces professional Scottish dancer, Liss MacCrimmon to give up her life of performing strathspreys, reels, jigs and Highland flings, she returns to her hometown of Moosetookalook, Maine, where she runs a Scottish Emporium. With one solved murder case under her dance belt, Liss has no idea she's about to spiral into another...Liss still misses the life of a professional dancer with Strathspey, the Scottish dance company she belonged to. So she arranges a reception for the troupe when they're on tour, complete with a Scottish theme that includes a new spin on the classic Scottish Scone. Liss soon realizes that life in the group isn't all happy jigs and fancy stepping. Victor Owens, the company manager, has been making life miserable for everyone. But she has no idea how miserable until Victor bites into one of Liss' prized cocktail scones, collapses and dies. When the police set their sights on Liss and her best friends, it's up to Liss to find out whodunit before this culinary killer makes an encore...

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The pseudonymous Dunnett's enjoyable second Scottish-themed mystery (after 2007's Kilt Dead) finds ex-dancer Liss MacCrimmon, co-owner of a Scottish gift shop in her hometown of Moosetookalook, Maine, eagerly awaiting a visit from her old dancing company, which she had to leave following a knee injury. The reunion goes smoothly until Victor Owens, the company's manager, dies after eating a scone, and his demise is ruled a murder. Determined to uncover who wanted Victor dead, Liss digs deeper into the dance troupe she thought she knew so well, much to the annoyance of her local boyfriend, Dan Ruskin. Vivid descriptions of Maine during mud season and a quirky cast of characters lift this cozy from Dunnett, best known for her historicals featuring Lady Appleton (Face Down o'er the Border, etc.) written under her real name, Kathy Lynn Emerson. (Aug.) ""
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved." --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Kensington Books (August 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0758216467
• ISBN-13: 978-0758216465
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #779,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hmm, this one was a struggle..., August 2, 2009

By 

Jennifer Terry (Columbus, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scone Cold Dead (Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries) (Kindle Edition)

Yes, this one was a real struggle to get through. I found the main character to be impulsive and insensitive. Her supposed boyfriend was jealous and grumpy. Few of the other characters, and there were many, had anything to recommend them. The plot device of moving a whole theater troupe around from place to place didn't feel believable to me. I found that I didn't care who committed the crime, as the victim was unpleasant and unliked, and that said, I'm not sure why I pressed on to finish the book except for my need to tie up loose ends. I thought this would be a really cute book and the start of a new series for me to look forward to, but I find that I don't really care to continue! Sorry, I really wanted to like this book.

10 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars fun character driven regional cozy, August 3, 2008

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Scone Cold Dead (Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Liss MacCrimmon had to retire at the age of twenty-seven from Strathspey, a company of Scottish dancers that she was part of for years. She returned to her hometown of Moosetookalook, Maine where she co-owns with her aunt the Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium. She is very excited as her formers Dance Company is coming to town to perform at the student center of the University of Maine at Fallstown.

At a reception after a show, she is glad to see her old and trusted friends, but also sad as she misses performing especially on the road. Troupe manager Victor Owens is eating a special cocktail scone when he keels over and dies. Apparently the scone contained mushrooms, which he was allergic to. It seems obvious that someone murdered him. Liss questions each dancer individually and realizes that the victim was considered surly, sarcastic and abusive; those were his positive traits. He had plenty of people angry with his overall meanness and his ability to publicly humiliate his performers. When the lead detective realizes the troupe is hiding things, he asks Liss to assist him, but he only intended for her to help with the questioning not the dangerous sleuthing.

Kaitlyn Dunnett has written a character driven regional cozy that provides the audience with an interesting look at a traveling dance troupe. Sub-genre fans will appreciate SCONE COLD DEAD as the story line contains enough suspense to keep the reader alert (and avoiding mushrooms) yet a strong local and visiting cast makes for a delightful read. Although why a professional would ask an amateur to help on a homicide investigation even if he does not understand the vernacular or the reticence of the dancers seems a stretch; this technique enables the audience to see behind the scenes of the troupe. Filled with plenty of local characters also, perhaps Ms. Dunnett might consider a side series starring the townsfolk in their own tales.

Harriet Klausner

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A fun series, May 30, 2011

By 

Lois E. Ward "banana woman" (alaska) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Scone Cold Dead (Liss Maccrimmon Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is a fun series and I look forward to future selections...a good read for light entertainment...great bubble bath reading....