Chapter & Hearse (A Booktown Mystery)

I really enjoyed this mystery, the fourth in a delightful cozy series in which each book seems better than the last. I loved the setting, a New Hampshire town centered on bookstores. In this one, the History Repeats Itself bookshop is hit by a fiery gas explosion, which kills the proprietor and injures a local real estate mogul, and presents our heroine, Tricia, owner of the Haven't Got a Clue mystery bookstore, with yet another case to solve. The author does a great job of portraying the characters and their complex interrelationships. She includes just the right amount of romance, not letting it overwhelm the clever, fascinating mystery plot, which goes in quite unexpected directions. There's also plenty of humor. I enjoyed the antics of Tricia's cat, Miss Marple, and there's a hilariously funny scene in which Tricia tries to bake blueberry muffins. I loved the conclusion, after the murder is solved, in which Tricia gets some lovely surprises on her birthday, which she had thought nobody would remember. And there's more at the very end: recipes, including one for blueberry muffins (not Tricia's disastrous recipe, but that of her more culinarily talented sister, Angelica) and one for cinnamon coffee cake. A tasty addendum to a delectable mystery.

I have just closed my copy of this book and feel like I just said goodbye to great friends. That to me is the mark of a good book. I love this series for so many reasons. The characters are wonderful, I never know whodunit till the end of the book, and while there are several men pining for Tricia's heart she is strong and its not the main focus of the book! Too many times I read these series books and the love interests take over where the plot should be. This series is still chalK full of plot and leaves me wanting to know when the next will come out so that I can start the countdown!

If there ever was a book written about a murder magnet, Tricia Miles could easily have been the protagonist. Every time a corpse showed up in Stoneham, New Hampshire she had her finger in the pie so to speak, but lately things had been toning down and all was well at her bookstore, "Haven't Got a Clue." Her employees were loyal, she was getting along much better with her sister, Angelica, and the most exciting thing that could happen was a tourist bus showing up in the quiet book town. Angelica was the kind of sister who had an ego that wouldn't quit and that life-sized cutout of her at "The Cookery" was simply aggravating, BUT Tricia was determined to get along with her. Angelica's boyfriend, Bob Kelly, was a drip, but that wasn't her problem. Even though Trish just might have been a tad jealous about Angelica's upcoming book tour for her new cookbook, all was good. Trish could have hung out a shingle on the side of her store because all of a sudden she unintentionally became a "personal counselor to half of Stoneham." The chit chat and gossip would soon travel around town faster than a speeding bullet when a sudden explosion rocked the quiet street, right across from "Haven't Got a Clue." Jim Roth's store, "History Repeats Itself," was blown to smithereens when he lit up. The quiet streets of Stoneham began to stir again and history was repeating itself. A murder history, that is. Bob Kelly was in that building. Granted, Trish thought Jim was a "spineless mama's boy" and her opinion of Bob wasn't much better, but they didn't deserve this. Things seem to move quickly around Ms Miles and the hubbub began in earnest. Someone was out to get Angelica, Russ began to stalk Trish, Ginny's home owning days were going down the tubes, Trish's ex, Christopher, sent her a gift . . . what next? Everyone was starting to think she was the "village jinx." They just might have something there. Even mild mannered Muriel Dexter said, "Well you do seem to be falling over corpses every few months." Could the next one be hers? Perhaps Angelica's? Something really weird was brewing in Stoneham and it wasn't espresso. This "explosive" Booktown series is now hitting its stride when an explosion rocks the quiet of Stoneham, New Hampshire. Readers who have been following this series right along will take delight in becoming reacquainted with their favorites and meeting the acquaintance of a few new ones. The character development is beginning to gel nicely and the story line is becoming increasingly interesting. The three coulda dunit characters will tickle your fancy and each one has a good enough motive to keep you guessing. This lighthearted cozy has a bit of romance, plenty of intrigue, just the right amount of fandango and one more explosive murder to keep the reader burning the midnight oil

Bookstore owner Tricia Miles wasn't sure what to expect when she agreed to host her ego-inflated sister's debut cookbook launch party, but Tricia certainly didn't expect it to bomb. Literally and figuratively. After having her own workers purchase copies of Angelica's cookbook to have her sign, Tricia angrily sought out an explanation for Angelica's boyfriend's absence only to find herself in the middle of a gas explosion that leaves Bob Kelly injured and the owner of the blown-out history bookstore dead. Since Angelica is committed to a booksigning tour she begs Tricia to discover answers despite her antipathy towards her sister's beau. Bob doesn't help matters by being completely unwilling to provide answers to Tricia's questions even when his home is broken into and evidence seems to indicate that he was the true target. Adding to Tricia's concerns is how tourist-reliant town of Stoneham, New Hampshire has been hit hard by the downturn in the economy, and her friends are at risk at losing their homes and businesses. The final topper to Tricia's worries is how her ex-boyfriend Russ seems to be displaying stalker tendencies in his desire to win her back while the police captain who won her heart continues to be loyal to his ill ex-wife. In the fourth in the Booktown Mystery series Barrett now has a fully developed cast of characters who inhabit this book-centered town. The impact of the economy realistically affects the characters who each must cope with the threat of the loss of their livelihoods. Tricia's relationship with her sister is a complicated and conflicted one, as Tricia both resents having to assume all of Angelica's responsibilities at her restaurant and cookbook store and yet also deeply misses her sister's company. Tricia's relationships with her ex Russ and not-quite-a-boyfriend Grant Baker are similarly torn and unresolved with no easy solution in sight. However, the concept of a town completely centered around the theme of bookselling is overwhelming appealing and the characters are all engaging and realistic. Some are irritating, many are hilarious, but all are fascinating. This is a true booklover's delight.

A BOOKTOWN MYSTERY RELEASE DATE AUGUST 3, 2010 This is our 4th adventure with Tricia, Angelica, Ginny, Mr. Everett and of course Miss Marple. Angelica's cookbook has finally been released, but the launch party at her store is very poorly attended, not even her boyfriend Bob Kelly, Chamber of Commerce president, has shown up to support Angelica, before she takes off on her book tour. Ginny tells Tricia that she had seen Bob's car, down the street in front of another bookstore, History Repeats Itself, owned by Jim Roth. Tricia decides they have waited for him long enough and goes off to drag him to the party. She gets right outside Jim's store when the front windows of the store explode, knocking her to the ground and everything goes black. OK, that's enough of a teaser to make you put this book on your must have list. I have really have enjoyed every book in this series, but this one was the very best, and it even has a preview of the new book, the first in a new series, A Crafty Killing, by Lorna's alter ego Lorraine Bartlett and I can't wait to get that one in my hot little hands. I think this one was the most suspenseful with characters we love as prime suspects. Some of the characters had weird behaviors, others went off in directions I never expected, and the backgrounds of some were quite a surprise. But being her usual self, Tricia puts herself right in the middle of the investigation, jumping to the wrong conclusions, and ends up putting herself and others in danger. Sometimes Tricia really doesn't "Haven't Got A Clue". LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!!! Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."