Book Description About the Author KAITLYN DUNNETT first caught the Scottish heritage bug when her husband learned to play the bagpipes. Many Scottish festivals and parades later, and after a brief stint as bass drummer with a bagpipe band, she decided to combine her love of things Scottish with her love of writing. The Liss MacCrimmon mysteries are the result. Kaitlyn lives in the mountains of western Maine and can be reached through her website at www.kaitlyndunnett.com. Read more Customers Review: I love the series; I’ve read them all. Liss is intuitive, smart and funny. But the author has made some very serious errors in Florida Probate law. A little more research would have made a world of difference. I understand her “poetic license” to create a thrilling novel, but really the attorney would have lost his license to practice law by circumventing Florida Statutes. No attorney worthy of his license would hand over keys to real property without the proper authorization. He doesn’t have it, nor is there any mention of who does.It’s still a good read, although to me not very believable.
This is a long running series that never lets me down. I had saved it for a rainy day but needed it for a snow day. Because of the snow I settled down to read it in one day. Snow in the mystery and snow outside my windows – perfect. Liss is one of my favorite characters and this mystery hits where she lives, literally. Her Aunt Margaret is traveling for two weeks in Ireland and Liss and her husband, Dan are taking care of her two Scotties. Liss is more of a cat person and fails to listen to the dogs when they seem fixated with the stairs going up to Margaret’s apartment over the store. Then they kick up a storm, barking in the back yard. When Dan decides to go investigate they get a shock that turns out to be the shock of their life. There is a dead man in the backyard and nobody has any idea who he is and what brought him to their secluded yard along with his killer.Soon enough the John Doe is identified and therein lies the shock that rattles her entire family. The man turns out to be Liss’s uncle, a man she didn’t know existed…..but he sort of didn’t. Turns out he had been declared MIA fifty years prior and the declared dead. I could say a lot more but I don’t want to give anything away. I hate spoilers. Let’s just say that, now that her parents are back in town Liss and her mom are at odds with each other and family members and friends are harboring many long buried secrets. They better start opening up before irreparable harm is done to the small Maine town of Mossetookalook.
One morning Liss and Dan find a body in their back yard and are shocked to find out that it was Liss’ uncle who went MIA during the Vietnam war and was declared dead decades before. How could this be? How could Charlie MacCrimmon let his family grieve for their loss? Why show up all these years later and not make contact with his family? So many questions, so few answers.When Liss and Vi go to Florida to learn more bout Charlie, Liss discovers a secret hiding place where her uncle has stored document related to a company that is trying to do business with Moosetookalook. Apparently Charlie uncovered the truth behind the company and was there to help save his beloved hometown from being then next victim of the unscrupulous company. Was Charlie silenced before he could share the information and where is the proof that is needed to get the council to vote against the proposal?With so many questions, Liss can’t help but try to find a few answers, though he vows to leave the solving of the murder to the police. The murderer seems to have it out for Liss, hopefully the police will get the murderer before Liss becomes the next victim.Another great entry in a long running series! You don’t get a series this established and long standing without having a talented author with well developed characters and solid mysteries. Well done!
A VIEW TO A KILT by Kaitlyn Dunnett is the 13th book in the Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries Series. A VIEW TO A KILT centers around Liss MacCrimmon Ruskin, the family generational establish business – the Scottish Emporium, and the town of Moosetookalook, Maine. In addition to Liss being in charge of the upcoming March Madness Mud Season sale, there is the shocking murder of an Uncle everyone thought was long dead years ago.After Charles “Charlie” Edward MacCrimmon’s came up MIA in Vietnam and time passed, his family had him declared legally dead. Imagine their surprise when the dead man found in Liss and Dan’s back yard by Dandy and Dondi, Aunt Margarent’s two Scotties, turned out to be Charlie, the uncle Liss had never heard about and who until murdered was very much still alive. With a lot of emotions brought back to the surface and after Liss’ dad, Mac, supposedly a person of interest with being Charlie’s sole heir, Liss and her mom, Vi, are determined to prove him innocent as well as find out why Charlie had never let the family know that he was still alive and who murdered him.The case is turned over to the state police. Detective Cussler is a hard nose cop out to prove a woman can do as good a job or better than any man in this male dominated occupation. She’s determine to solve this case to prove she can do it. The fact that she zones in on Liss’ dad, makes the two of them bunt heads and Liss more determined than ever to get the proof to prove her dad innocent as well as whodunit.Things get complicated when Jeremiah Forestall, a former resident, presents to the city a deal from Merveilleuse International offering the city a substantial income for the right to tap into the local aquifer. It appears to Liss that it may be connected to her uncle’s murder. Things start to get interesting and dangerous.Absolutely love the way the author weaves this great story into a page turning whodunit while having you fall in love with Moosetookalook and all its inhabitants. The list of characters can be both lovable and irritating. There’s the friendship between Sherri Campbell (the chief of police) and Liss, the ruff and gruff selectwoman, Thea (who happens to be Sherri’s mother-in-law), the odd couple of Roger “Moose” Mayfiend (town drunk) and his wife Dolores (librarian), Violet “Vi” MacCrimmons (Liss’ mom) who can be overbearing to say the least, along with a host of others. Then there’s the adorable critters (Dandy, Dondi and Glenora) that steal the show when they make an appearance.It was entertaining to learn about the mud sale and fun activities held during the event. The author did a great job of keeping you interested in the event having it pop up throughout the story from the planning stage to the finally event and working it into the big reveal.This is the first book in this series that I have read. It can definitely be read as a standalone book. You will have no problem knowing who is who and keeping up. After reading, A VIEW TO A KILT, I feel like I’ve actually visited Moosetookalook and I definitely want to go back! I will be checking out the other books in this series. Highly recommend this to anyone that loves a well written, great cozy mystery. |
10 reviews