THE CRACKED SPINE is the first in the Scottish Bookshop Mystery series from author Paige Shelton and the story starts off with a bang from the very first paragraph! You know you’re in for a wonderful ride following the protagonist, Delaney Nichols, as she begins a new adventure leaving her old life behind in Wichita, Kansas and moving to Edinburgh, Scotland.
Delaney is laid off from her position at a small museum in Wichita and answers a help wanted ad placed by the owner, Edwin MacAlister, for a position at a book and rare manuscript shop in Edinburgh. Upon reaching Scotland, she meets and befriends the other two employees who work in the shop: Hamlet, the young man who has had a rough life and Rosie, the elderly woman who is quite the character and takes her adorable dog, Hector, everywhere with her.
Delaney from Kansas in America, as everyone in Scotland seems to call her, is barely getting settled in when Edwin’s sister is brutally murdered. Edwin had entrusted his sister, who battled drug addiction most of her life, with an extremely rare and valuable manuscript which is now missing. With Edwin grieving both the loss of his sister and the manuscript, Delaney decides to start asking questions and see if she can help her new boss. It’s not long before she is pulled in to wanting to find the murderer, especially when her young co-worker, Hamlet, becomes one of the suspects.
THE CRACKED SPINE was a charming read and I loved how the author used Scottish words and accents in the dialog. It added authenticity. Paige also portrayed the new people in Delaney’s life as warm, caring, openly friendly people which is exactly what I experienced firsthand during a wonderful visit to Scotland. There were also a lot of twists and turns in the plot so I was kept guessing about the real culprit. I certainly will be following The Scottish Bookshop Mystery series closely and wait in anticipation for the next installment!
While THE CRACKED SPINE does not have recipes, I talked to Paige about sharing one of my own to include with my review of her wonderful book. I was kind of stumped on what to share (I won’t touch haggis with a ten-foot-pole!) until a dear friend of mine, Joan, mentioned that she was struggling to make an old family shortbread cookie recipe taste like she remembered her mother making it. When I found out that Joan’s father had immigrated from Scotland to Canada at a young age with his family at least one hundred years ago, I knew I’d found authentic Scottish Shortbread Cookies and begged for her recipe. Since her family lived in Canada I knew I’d have some trial and error to work through. Canadian flour is a bit different than American flour and with the decades separating Joan’s mother baking these cookies and me making them, I was sure the fat content in the butter was probably different too. I was very pleased, though, that these cookies use ONLY four ingredients, so they whip up very quickly! After a few tries I found the ratios that made these Scottish Shortbread Cookies bring Joan to tears of happiness. Thank you, Joan, for allowing me to share your family recipe!
My advice? Bake up a batch of these delectable cookies that melt in your mouth, sit down to read THE CRACKED SPINE, and be transported to Scotland!
A very special thanks to Paige Shelton for providing an autographed hardcover copy of THE CRACKED SPINE to one lucky winner! Please use the Rafflecopter box located below the recipe to enter. Contest ends Sunday, April 3, 2016 at 11:59 pm PST and is open to U.S. residents only. Winners will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)
Grandma Bea Farries’ Scottish Shortbread Cookies
Makes approximately 27 cookies
Ingredients
1 pound (4 sticks) butter
1 cup (4.4 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
3 cups (16 ounces) flour, pack it down in the cup when measuring
1/2 cup (2.2 ounces) cornstarch
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees (F).
Sift the flour, cornstarch, and confectioners’ sugar together. Set aside.
Cream the butter until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the flour mixture and beat until thoroughly combined.
Form the dough into golf ball-sized shapes (I used my 2-tablespoon spring-loaded cookie scoop) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Gently press the tines of a fork on the top of the cookie, making a criss-cross pattern. You don’t want to flatten the cookies, just imprint them. The dough should remain at least a half-inch high.
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
Allow to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Tip
If you use unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon salt and sift with the flour mixture.
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I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review. All views and opinions are my own.
I love all of Paige Shelton books ! To have a hardcover would really make my year !
As a kid, I always had milk with my cookies. These days it’s whatever is around to wash them down…Diet Coke, Tea, water….Thank you for the chance to win.
I enjoy milk or coffee to drink with cookies.
I accompany my cookies with a variety of liquids. Chocolate-chip cookies with ice-cold milk, shortbread cookies dunked in a nice bold tea, and my favorite snickerdoodle with a cup of coffee! Oh, I love cookies!
Thanks for the recipe. My sweet MIL was born in Scotland and my sons said she was the worlds best cookie and candy maker but we have none of her recipes on the other hand my mom was the worllds best pie and cake baker and her cookies weren’t to shabby and we have lots of her recipes.
I love shortbread, alone or with a cup of tea.
This book sounds fascinating with the cultural shift from Kansas to Scotland.
Thanks for all the great recipes and book reviews!!
I like to drink ice cold milk with fresh cookies.
I love shortbread cookies can’t wait to try the recipe and book
Not a milk drinker so usually just like to drink water so as not to take away from the taste of the cookies.
I dont drink a lot of milk but do enjoy a small glass with a couple of fresh baked cookies!
I enjoy a hot cup of black coffee or Chai tea with fresh baked cookies. The first book was great so I am
excited to read this second one. robeader53@yahoo.com
I like milk or tea with my cookies 🙂 Can’t wait to try this recipe shortbread is my favorite
This recipe looks great!!
I like either tea or coffee. Or milk. It really depends on the cookie.
I love short bread cookies, especially with tea ! I can’t wait to read this book, it’s on my wish list ! 4
Shortbread cookies are my favorite. I like tea and coffee. Thanks for a chance to win a copy of her latest book. It sounds great.
Usually coffee, but there a few a like to dunk in milk!
I would drink coffee with any cookies I ate. Thanks for the giveaway!
I like a good cup of coffee with cookies. Great recipe, they look yummy. 7
Love milk with cookies
I Still love Ice Cold milk
Cold milk
I like to drink ice cold milk with fresh cookies from the oven.
To this day, I like milk with my cookies. This book sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I never met a cookie I didn’t like!! 😉 Would love to win this hardcover book!!
Milk!!!! Mooooooo
We were just talking about making cookies yesterday. Thanks for this one. And thank you for the chance to get one of Paige Sheldon’s books. Have not yet had the pleasure. So am hoping this will be a start.
I would sure like to own and read your newest book!
This recipe sounds yummy. I’ve been trying to find a good shortbread recipe we like.
I like a hot cup of tea or a gold glass of milk.
Hot cookies with either are heaven!
I LOVE cookies and can’t wait to try this recipe. I also love Paige Shelton’s books and can’t to read this one! (529JVB@gmail.com)
I love shortbread! Thanks for including this recipe along with your review of what sounds like a wonderful first in a new series!
Shortbread cookies rock! Plan on making them for our kids when they come home from college.
Forget to say MILK yummy
Hot Tea or cold milk! they do sound delish!
A nice glass of Coca-Cola! Thanks for the chance to win!
I love all things Irish and Scottish and all things with Books so this is perfection! I even came down the aisle to bagpipes when I married my husband back in 2000. I love that you put up an authentic shortbread recipe, which I’m going to make today. There’s nothing better than a cuppa with shortbread.
Hot coffee would be awesome with these! I love your books! This new series sounds great!
I love tea with shortbread. We have been trying to perfect our grandmother’s shortbread recipe too– sadly it wasn’t written down but both my brother and I baked with her so often, we think we have it. This looks very similar, I will have to try it out. Thanks for the chance to win!
I loved this book! I read an eBook copy for review, Would love to own the print copy! Thank you and Paige for the chance!
Both sound delicious. Thanks for the giveaway.
great give a way thanks !
a tall glass of cold milk!!!
I must admit I haven’t read any of Paige’s books yet, but I keep hearing great things about them. Anxious to give one of them a try.
Thanks for the giveaway!
Love Paige’s books and the cookies look so good!
Tea! I adore Paige & everything she writes. Thanks for the giveaway. Fingers crossed!
I’m really looking forward to diving into this new series. I was so disappointed when her other two series came to an end. The recipe sounds delicious as well.
I’m so glad I found this blog I am totally following it from now on. Also, Paige’s book sounds great adding to my list on goodreads.
I like cold milk with my cookies
when I was younger it was milk..but now its coffee
The cookies look tasty. A new series, how exciting.
I preferred to drink soda with cookies. My preferred drink is diet Pepsi. When I bake anything including cookies I have a Diet Pepsi with whatever I baked.
It depends on the cookie, but milk or hot tea. Thanks for the contest!
I love to have coffee or a chai tea latte with fresh baked cookies –any kind! I do especially love shortbread cookies!
Milk or sweet tea depending on the type of cookies.
I like to drink cold ice tea with everything! Thanks very much for a chance to win this!!
lindaherold999@gmail.com
Coffee and frosted sugar cookies have always been my favorites, but I want to try these!
Hot tea with shortbread to dunk. Yum.
I just drink my lemonade. Nothing fancy.