Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries Books

As a professional Scottish dancer, Liss MacCrimmon has performed strathsprays and reels, jigs and Highland flings until a knee injury cuts her career short. Returning to her hometown of Moosetookalook, Maine, she decides to help her aunt run her Scottish emporium. Liss hasn't been in Moosetookalook in over ten years, but the quaint little town, nestled in the hilly terrain of western Maine, looks exactly as she remembers it. But then her bliss soon turns to dread when she finds the dead body of her aunt's nosy neighbor, Amanda Norris, under a bolt of Flower of Scotland fabric in the stock room. And if things weren't bad enough, the state police hone in on Liss as the prime suspect. Now Liss will have to do some fancy footwork to prove she's innocent while avoiding becoming the killer's next victim. . . "A blithe and bonny mystery from Kaitlyn Dunnett! Cozy mystery readers should pour a cuppa and settle down to savor the flavor of the Highlands, the wee dram of Scottish folklore and the small town skullduggery that season this clever debut." --Nancy Martin, author of the Blackbird Sisters Mysteries "Strong local color and a surprise ending will make this a hit with the cozy crowd." -- Publishers Weekly "A nice little debut with enough local color and romance to make a congenial addition to the cozy ranks." -- Kirkus Reviews

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's 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. . .

Tis the season to be jolly, but in Moosetookalook, Maine, Christmas cheer is in short supply due to a snowless winter that's keeping skiers and shoppers at a distance. Fortunately, Liss MacCrimmon of the Scottish Emporium has a plan. . . Liss's brainstorm focuses on Tiny Teddies, the new "hot" toy of the season. Every store across the country is out of stock--except a few wee establishments in good ol' Moosetookalook. The first sign of something amiss occurs when the last Tiny Teddy is summarily executed: shot through the heart in the display window of greedy toy store owner Gavin Thorne. But the Teddy's demise is just a precursor to the eerily similar murder of Gavin himself. . . Now, with the Twelve (or, in Scots terms, the Daft) Days of Christmas rapidly approaching, Liss has a plate full of things worse than haggis to contend with, starting with a stockroom packed with poultry (don't ask), and ending with a killer who'd like to see Liss's goose well and fully cooked. . . "A picturesque location, a bit of romance, some suspense, and a cast of appealingly quirky characters." -- Booklist "The blend of romance and cozy mystery will please lovers of all things Scottish." -- Kirkus Reviews "Perfect for the holiday season." -- Romantic Times

Can there be such a thing as too many men in kilts? Normally Liss MacCrimmon, proprietor of Moosetookalook, Maine's one and only Scottish Emporium, would say no. But that's before one of them turns out to be murderous. . . The bagpipes are blaring at Moosetookalook's finest hotel, reopened just in time to host an annual celebration of Scotland's most beloved poet. But when the Scottish Heritage Appreciation Society arrives on the scene, they bring more than a hunger for haggis and a passion for plaid. The quarrelsome group harbors their share of long held grudges, and the animosity only grows as the whiskey flows. Then a fierce blizzard hits, trapping everyone--angry Scotsmen, hapless hotel staff, and Liss herself--indoors. It isn't long before a body is discovered face down in a storage room, covered in tartan--and blood. Now Liss will have to work fast to solve this crime before another body goes as cold as the snowstorm keeping her cooped up with a killer.

Liss MacCrimmon, purveyor of all things plaid at the Moosetookalook Scottish Emporium in Maine, can't wait to cozy up to the town's first annual mystery book conference. The outlook seems very bonnie indeed for all the local businesses, including her fiancé's family-owned hotel. But when a reviewer with a grudge takes a swan dive off a scenic lookout, Liss discovers the crime scene bonanza a bit too real. With a conference full of potential suspects--from a famous actress-turned-bestselling author to her power-broker agent, to an overextended events coordinator with plenty to hide--it will take a killer instinct to figure out which writer belongs in the true crime section. . .before the murderer pens The End for another innocent victim. Praise for the Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries! "Enjoyable. . .vivid descriptions of Maine during mud season and a quirky cast of characters lift this cozy." -- Publishers Weekly on Scone Cold Dead "High-kicking fun with characters as colorful as the tartans. . .a delightful new series." --Dorothy Cannell on Kilt Dead

Thanks to the Western Maine Highland Games, Moosetookalook, Maine, has never seen so many bare legs walking its streets. But instead of wondering who'll win the hammer throw, everyone's asking who got kilt. Especially Liss MacCrimmon, purveyor of the town's Scottish Emporium, since it's also her wedding weekend. And nothing scotches up nuptial bliss like a dead body. But who'd go medieval on a professor, no matter how nutty? As much as Liss tries to keep her fingers out of the sleuthing cake, she finds herself again dead center of a Moosetookalook murder mystery. If Liss doesn't solve this one, and quick, she might never say "I do," let alone "'til death do us part." "Filled with gems of Scottish history and culture, this intelligent entry will appeal to newcomers and established fans alike." -- Publishers Weekly

Liss MacCrimmon's Scottish Emporium is thrilled to be organizing Moosetookalok, Maine's, Halloween fundraiser. But the abandoned Chadwick mansion might be too perfect a setting for a creepy old haunted house, especially when a very real-looking body with puncture-marks on the neck is added to the decorations. Asking who kilt the deceased brings up everyone from the undead to real estate agents to horror writers. But Liss had better watch her back, because the killer is much closer then she thinks! "Cozy fans are in for a Halloween treat." -- Publishers Weekly

Business is booming at the Scottish Emporium in Moosetookalook, Maine, and Liss MacCrimmon Ruskin couldn't be happier--or busier. A romantic getaway at a rustic Christmas tree farm is just what she needs. But the property's mysterious past has her feeling less than merry. . . Liss is surprised when an old friend from high school asks her to spend a week at the Christmas tree farm she recently inherited from a great-uncle. Realizing it would be the perfect chance for her and her husband Dan to get away from work, Liss happily accepts the offer and packs her bags for the tiny town of New Boston. Upon their arrival, Liss and Dan are greeted by a ramshackle farmhouse and unfriendly townsfolk. It's hardly the idyllic vacation locale they'd hoped for, especially when needling neighbors start raising questions about the farm's dark history. Who was the man whose body was found neatly netted in a shipment of Scotch pine? Why did the owner vanish into thin air? And why are the trees growing so close together, forming a maze more twisted than a Celtic knot? The rumors pile up faster than snowdrifts in a blizzard, and as Liss starts un-wrapping the truth, she discovers something even more scandalous than murder hiding beneath the town's humdrum façade. When a series of "accidents" strikes the farm, she'll have to spring into action faster than a Highland Fling to find the killer who's been lurking among the pines--before she ends up in a pine box herself. . . Praise for Kaitlyn Dunnett and her Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries! Vampires, Bones, And Treacle Scones "Spooky. . .Cozy fans are in for a Halloween treat." -- Publishers Weekly Bagpipes, Brides, And Homicides "Fans of Scottish lore or bookstore mysteries like Lorna Barrett's and Carolyn Hart's will enjoy this one." -- Booklist Scotched "A satisfying entry in the series." -- Booklist "This well-plotted novel provides pure entertainment." -- RT Book Reviews A Wee Christmas Homicide "The blend of romance and cozy mystery will please lovers of all things Scottish." -- Kirkus Reviews Scone Cold Dead "Enjoyable. . .vivid descriptions of Maine during mud season and a quirky cast of characters lift this cozy." -- Publishers Weekly Kilt Dead "If you have an affinity for all things Scottish, this is the book for you." --Deadly Pleasures

Spring is just a few weeks away, but winter is still digging its claws into Moosetookalook, Maine. With business at the Scottish Emporium frozen up, Liss MacCrimmon is cautiously optimistic when a twist of fate lands her on a reality competition show—until the contest gets a little too cutthroat . . . While driving on an icy road one night, Liss swerves her car when something darts out in front of it. The Scottish terrier she finds shivering in the snow turns out to be a reality TV star. But when the pooch’s owner is murdered, her daughter asks Liss to take her place on the reality show. Before Liss can tell her she’s barking up the wrong tree, she finds herself ensnarled in the strange world of reality competitions and hot on the trail of a deadly competitor. And just as she starts pawing at the truth, Liss realizes she could be next on the murderer’s list . . . “Full of local color, suspicious characters, and adorable fur-babies. What's not to like?” — Kirkus Reviews

It’s July in Moosetookalook, Maine, and Scottish Emporium proprietress Liss MacCrimmon Ruskin is prepping her wares for the annual Western Maine Highland Games. But when a suspicious fire leads to the disappearance of an entire family, and the sound of gunshots on the opening day of the Celtic festival leads to a dead body, Liss races to nab an elusive killer. Unable to shake the feeling that new victims are being targeted around town, she’ll need to act swiftly, because when it comes to this kind of game, somebody has to lose . . . “Full of local color, suspicious characters, and adorable fur-babies. What's not to like?” — Kirkus Reviews on The Scottie Barked at Midnight