Customer Reviews

Bookplate Special (A Booktown Mystery)

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

All was quiet in Stoneham, New Hampshire. Well, almost. Tricia Miles hadn't been so uptight since Zoë Carter was found deader `n a doornail plopped on her toilet at her mystery bookstore, Haven't Got a Clue. Before that there was Doris Gleason who was done in by a little carving knife chop job. She seemed to be turning into a professional corpse finder and there was going to be a third one if Pammy Fredericks didn't get the heck out of her apartment. Normally soft-spoken she'd just about reached the end of her rope with Fredericks the freeloader and practically screamed, "Get out of my house." College was one thing, but there was a time to grow up and two weeks with her was more than enough. Out, out, OUT!

Pammy was as welcome as a plantar's wart, but when she insisted she leave, Tricia began to feel pangs of guilt. Stoneham, New Hampshire was a well-known bookstore Mecca and the type of place if you had any business whatsoever, everyone else knew about it. Before the last "out" was shouted, it was heard at the other end of town and Pammy had found employment with Angelica, Tricia's sister at her café, Booked for Lunch. Tricia was even more annoyed when her sister insinuated she had thrown poor Pammy out. Next thing you know . . .

Tricia stepped out into the alley and guess whose pink Crocs she saw sticking out of a trash cart. "I understand this is not your first encounter with the law here in Stoneham . . . " At least Captain Grant Baker was a hunk, unlike Sheriff Wendy Adams. This whole thing was enough to make anyone throw up. Why had Pammy been dumpster diving for food? Who were all these "freegans" she was associating with? Why was Pammy trying to blackmail Stuart Paige? Who was smashing all those pumpkins? Who, what, when, why? At least Ginny, her book clerk, thought she lived a charmed life. "I'm divorced, my sister lives next door, and I keep discovering dead bodies. How charmed is that?" Not very much.

Lorna Barrett is really starting to find her voice in this series. The characters are becoming more fleshed out and I actually felt as if I was getting to know what to expect from some of them. The plot line, although still fitting into the "cozy" genre, was more complicated and there were many more questions to be answered and the whodunit was not as easy to peg. There is one little surprise that was a real stunner and an unexpected twist. Get ready to pop a lot of popcorn, cuddle up under a blanket and spend a little time with Tricia Miles and crew. Ms Barrett, queen of the cozys, has a winner here! The next one up in the Booktown Mysteries series is called Chapter and Hearse and I, for one, can't wait!

Deb Fowler
Feathered Quill Book Reviews

When college roommate Pammy Fredericks comes to visit Stoneham, New Hampshire, mystery bookstore owner Tricia Miles can't very well turn her down. Pammy is the kind of person who just gets on the nerves. After freeloading for weeks, Tricia has finally had enough. Tricia kicks her out. When Pammy is found dead in a trash bin, Tricia sets out to answer all the unanswered questions even when her investigation takes her into activities and secrets she never could have imagined. From groups of freegans, dumpster divers with ecological politics to individuals with secrets to hide, Tricia investigates the underside of the nice cozy small town Booktown and its model citizens to ferret out the motivations that could lead someone to murder.

The third of the Booktown mysteries, Lorna Barrett's BOOKPLATE SPECIAL takes fans back to the wonderful town where books and book lovers populate the town. Tricia Miles owner of I Haven't Got a Clue mystery bookshop and her cat Miss Marple seem to attract mysteries, unusual situations, and less than cozy crime scenes. The visit of her college roommate is no exception, except that pursuit of the clues leads Tricia into previously unknown corners of the Stoneham community. Whereas the first two books in the series (MURDER IS BINDING and BOOKMARKED FOR DEATH) give readers a glimpse into the town and the two sisters, BOOKPLATE SPECIAL adds a new richness to the series. Although BOOKPLATE SPECIAL would work as a stand alone, series readers will particularly appreciate the author's ability to develop the series itself from book to book. Characters and setting are both familiar and yet also one can't help but feel one gets to know both more and more from book to book. In BOOKPLATE SPECIAL, readers get even more of an insider's glimpse into Booktown. Lorna Barrett adds new characters (such as Captain Grant Baker) and revisits other secondary characters fans of the series have grown to love through the first 2 books. Each secondary character is not just a stock character. Instead, relationships change. The mystery itself has several unexpected yet prepared twists and turns to keep readers guessing. With the third book, Lorna Barrett quite simply reaches new heights in characters, setting, mystery plotting and narrative voice.

BOOKPLATE SPECIAL adds depth in the series as Lorna Barrett explores areas of the Stoneham society beneath the town's tourist charm. Stoneham New Hampshire was a dying town until it remade itself, adding specialized bookstores to bring in the tourists. Beneath that appearance, hard economic times hit other layers of the town's population. While this might seem a detour from the typical cozy mystery, under the pen of Lorna Barrett, this vision adds a freshness to the series. Lorna Barrett presents a balanced view, showing the plight of employees struggling to make ends meet, the pressures on the bookstore owners themselves, and a town attempting to help its citizens with the establishment of the Stoneham Food Shelf. Indeed, the exploration of the financial dynamics give the series new depth, allowing readers to see beneath the nice veneer, while also making Booktown a somewhat idealized town one would want to visit simply because the residents, at least most of them with murderers excluded, of course, have a concern for each other and the welfare of their town. Tricia's sister Angelica adds humor to the mystery, especially as her book has been accepted for publication but also in other ways. Above all, the contrast between Angelica, a chef and cookbook store owner dedicated to healthy preservative-free food, and her sister Tricia, a woman whose eating habits are not swayed by all the health food talk, provides a nice balance to the social issues of the book. Tricia's practical attitude adds a sense of humor or check to Angelica's interests. Just when the exploration of social issues might become preachy and annoying to readers of a more moderate political or social position, Lorna Barrett provides relief with human scenes between Tricia and her sister. Tricia herself is perhaps the character to whom most mystery readers would relate, a woman curious and concerned about others but also a woman whose lifestyle and eating habits are not prescriptive. Lorna Barrett hits the perfect balance. Angelica's recipes included at the end add a richness, not only as recipes, but also for their specific selection. Far from being exotic or what one would think of as "health food", Angelica's recipes come from cozy moments in the book, moments when Angelica prepares comfort food for those she loves. Each recipe represents a moment of warmth or intimacy. Mystery lovers can again count of references to both classic and bestseller mysteries. BOOKPLATE SPECIAL is a wonderful cozy mystery for readers looking for a bit of quirkiness, a slight edginess, or just something more to their cozies. Lorna Barrett just gets better and better!

COURTESY OF BOOK ILLUMINATIONS

said it all, I'll simply say "ditto for me"....

My advice is that if you've been reading this series, DON'T STOP NOW!!! It's growing up in all good ways, with the characters forming a group of friends with the reader; the mystery plots have (to me) always been terrific (just love'em with twists); the main character and her sidekick, Miss Marple, are growing more endearing and personally, I greatly look forward to the next in the Booktown Mystery series.

If you're new to the series, I say begin with the first book and catch up to the rest of us....

Thank you, again, Ms. Barrett, for giving us another terrific cozy!!!

I like this series because it is well done without being too gross. And the characters seem real. It's like an American cozy mystery.(Vs.an English Cozy Mystery.) Sometimes I just like to sit and read without getting tied up in knots. This series does this.

I've always found that I learn so much about social issues, history, and the world from mysteries. Lorna Barrett's third book in the Booktown Mystery series, Bookplate Special, is not only the best in the series, but a book that deals with important issues right now. Mystery readers will appreciate all of the comments about mystery authors and books. And, what reader can resist a town of bookstores?

Tricia Miles, owner of Haven't Got a Clue mystery bookstore in Stoneham, New Hampshire, was just angry and frustrated when she asked her former college roommate to leave her apartment. Pammy Fredericks had visited, but her visit went on for two weeks, and Pammy interfered with Tricia's business, and stole and forged a check. It was a relief to throw her out, but Pammy went on to use Tricia as a reference when applying for jobs. To Tricia's horror, it was her sister, Angelica, who hired her to work in her restaurant, Booked for Lunch. Pammy didn't last long there. The last time Tricia saw her, she was making a scene at the opening of the new food pantry. At least that was the last time she saw her, before finding her body in the dumpster behind Angelica's restaurant.

It was a pleasant surprise to find Tricia's old enemy, Sheriff Wendy Adams, wasn't the officer who responded to the 911 call. Instead, a handsome officer, Captain Grant Baker, was in charge of the case, a professional who handled the investigation much more professionally than the sheriff ever did. Even so, Tricia felt obligated to find out why her old friend was killed.

When she asked questions around town, Tricia found out about a whole other layer of society that she didn't know about, the working poor, who often went hungry or needed clothes. The Food Shelf and the adjoining Clothing Closet were there to help those residents of Stoneham. She was shocked to find some of her friends in need of their services, and, even worse, dumpster diving as "freegans," people who salvaged food, claiming too much food was wasted when people needed it.

Anyone can pick up Bookplate Special, even if you haven't read earlier books in the series. But, those of us who have read previous books will appreciate the growth of the characters as personalities. We learn more about them, and watch developing, and changing, relationships. Tricia's romantic relationship changes, and, happily for most of us, there is a change in her relationship with the sheriff's department.

Most of all, it's refreshing to watch Tricia continue to develop. Her eyes are opened to the situation around her, in this rough economy, when even some of the people she's closest to need help, and she was unaware. Barrett uses the food pantry, the Clothing Closet, and the freegans as essential components of the plot. But, these elements also point out the tough economy, and current social needs.

Lorna Barrett continues to build the characters, the stores, and the setting in her Booktown Mystery series. Bookplate Special is the most enjoyable, and the most solid, successful story in the series yet. I'll be waiting for book four, Chapter and Hearse.

When I originally reviewed this book, I'd read it before the other two by mistake. I didn't really feel like I'd missed out on a lot & after reading the other two I can safely say that for the most part I was correct. Other than a bit of character setup, I didn't really need to read the other mysteries first.

This entry into the series has Tricia attempting to get rid of a troublesome friend from college who has been squatting at her apartment for a few weeks. No sooner does she manage this when her friend is discovered dead in the dumpster behind her sister Angelica's restaurant. With calls demanding the return of a mysterious diary & the appearance of a handsome new policeman, Tricia has her hands full.

I do have to say that I liked the introduction of the new character. It's about time that Tricia meets someone better than the uber-slimy Russ who constantly keeps ditching her whenever he gets a new story & is always trying to worm murder details. (In a previous book he actually tries to interview her while he's making out with her.) This new guy has spark, something that could breathe a little more life into this series.

Other than that, the book was pretty much the same as the books before it. Sheriff Adams is still a dolt who dislikes Tricia, Russ is still a slimeball trying to get a story out of Tricia & Angelica is the same as ever. (Although I will say that I have a warm spot for Angelica, despite this.)

Still, the mystery wasn't bad. It was also interesting to hear about the various social groups, although it felt a teensy bit tacked on at times. Die-hard mystery fans will probably recognize a lot of different plot devices, but at the same time you can't exactly entirely dislike the series for going with a formula that works for the most part.

In the end, I liked this book well enough to give it 4 stars. I'd have given it 3 stars, but I really liked that *finally* we have a better suitor for Tricia than Russ, which shows that there may be some change in the next volume. It's not the greatest book themed mystery I've read, but it's nice enough that I'll probably keep my eyes open for the next one in the series.

I thoroughly enjoyed the third installment to Lorna Barrett's Booktown Mystery series. I enjoy reading the continuing saga of Stoneham and its residents. Each of the three books can stand alone, but the stories are entwined and sort of continuing. In this book, finding a body in a dumpster gave a whole new meaning to 'taking the trash out'. Tricia Miles, quiet shop keeper, seems to find a body everywhere she goes. Is she the town 'jinx' or not?

I do like the characters and I was happy to see Tricia get a little more depth to her character this time around. Her sister Angelica is a hoot and always livens things up whenever she's around. The other re-occuring characters help build a nice comfortable setting. They have become like old friends and I like the way Lorna Barrett brings their stories to light while weaving the mystery around them all.

I was quite surprised by the who in this whodunit! Barrett seems to have a knack for keeping me guessing until the very end and then I sit there and wonder what I missed that I didn't see it coming.

Bravo Lorna, you did it again and I can't wait for the next installment to come out. Your 'preview' has already sucked me in and I'll be pre-ordering that book as soon as I can.

Lorna Barrett's BOOKPLATE SPECIAL tells of a mystery bookstore owner in a small New Hampshire town who finds her skills tested when an uninvited college roommate is found dead after eviction. Her roommate's mysterious death involves Tricia in a dangerous investigation. A top pick for any mystery library's paperback section.

Fans of the Booktown series will enjoy this newest entry in the series. An old but not very close college friend of Trisha's persuades her to allow said friend to visit. After several weeks of various mishaps, general freeloading and a slight case of stealing, Trisha gives her the boot. Interesting relationship with sister Angelica in this offering, plus some new people on the scene make it a good story of friendships, missteps, corrections. The murder is not terribly compelling, but the circumstances are.
I didn't know what a freegan was before I read this book. I could have lived without knowing, but I was glad to find out, nonetheless.

Loved the 3rd book of this cozy mystery series. Good plot that kept drawing in more puzzle pieces to the mystery. I learned a lot about "Fregans". Characters feel like family! Miss Marple is a cat you learn to love as well. Definitely a series to sit down w/a cup of tea & just keep on reading. I recommend this series to all my friends who read "cozies". Can't wait for the next book!