Murder Is Binding by Lorna Barrett
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Book Reviews of Murder Is Binding
Book Review: Death among the cookbooks
Summary: 4 Stars
Forty-some Tricia Miles has been divorced for a year; six months ago she moved to Stoneham, NH, billed as "the safest town in the state," which has recently reinvented its downtown as a haven for specialty bookstores, and opened Haven't Got a Clue, which, of course, deals in mysteries, thrillers, and suspense, plus associated nonfiction. Having read mysteries since her childhood, she's particularly well suited to amateur detection, but it's not until her next-door neighbor, Doris Gleason, owner of a cookbook store, turns up stabbed to death on the floor of her shop, that she finds herself, willy-nilly, forced into it, chiefly owing to the persecution she suffers from no-nonsense Sheriff Wendy Adams, who, facing re-election and eager to bring the killer to book, fastens on Tricia as a suspect and won't let go. Her landlord, Chamber of Commerce chairman and real-estate agent Bob Kelly, isn't much help; in fact, she considers him a suspect, since he and Doris argued about shop rent not long before the murder. Local newspaper editor Russ Smith seems, like the sheriff, to have made up his mind too, and not in her favor. Assisted by her employee Ginny, her perpetual customer Mr. Everett (who comes in every day to sit in the reading nook but never buys anything), and her much-married five-years-older sister Angelica, who has just separated from her latest husband and is looking to start a new life, Tricia reluctantly sets off on a trail of psychological manipulation, inference and innuendo, and an occasional B&E in pursuit of proof of her innocence. The attractive insurance agent and would-be selectman Michael Harris provides a distraction, until she finds out that his mother Grace, recently committed to a nursing home with symptoms of Alzheimer's, has made a miraculous recovery--and that he's been selling off everything of value in her home. But it's not until a chance observation of Mr. Everett's that the truth begins to reveal itself.
With a charming cast of characters (including slightly over-the-top Angelica, delightful William Everett, and a sweet little gray cat, Miss Marple, who doubles as store mascot and Tricia's personal pet), a convoluted plot, a lovely setting, and moments of peril, this first in a new series shows immense promise and is highly enjoyable. Lovers of cozies, books, cookery, cats, and New England should all find it a good addition to their collections.
Book Review: Cozy Must!
Summary: 4 Stars
Murder Is Binding is a definite must for cozy mystery fans.
Lorna Barrett is the pseudonym of author Lorraine Bartlett aka L.L. Bartlett who pens psychological suspense & the Jeff Resnick mystery series.
Let me say, I'd love to visit the charming town of Stoneham, New Hampshire. I mean after all, I'd be living in Kate Borden's incredible Cobbs's Landing so a day trip by bus or a stay @ The Brookside Inn for a four-day weekend would be sheer paradise.
Stoneham is known as "Booktown" & consists of many used bookstores ~ think Hay-On-Wye in Wales. Oh, my deliciousness. Talk about a bibliophile's b spot.
The characters are appealing. An author can write the most gripping mystery, but w/o amiable characters it's going to fall as flat as an undercooked souffle.
Tricia Miles is a welcome addition to the cozy scene, but I must say Tricia's older sister, Angelica, tends to steal some of the spotlight.
Angelica is an amusing character w/ a quirky sense of humor that endears her to you.
Angelica's presence enhances Tricia's character by giving her more depth & allows Ms. Barrett to break free from the emergence of "cookie cutter" mystery scribes.
What I love about the sisters most is they are authentic. Tricia & Angelica have an intricate relationship that will take some time to resolve ~ no "hugs & kisses" all better in time for the ending phony bologna. Which is so refreshing.
Tricia's regular customer, Mr. Everett is an absolute stellar standout.
Tricia's employee Ginny is entertaining. I am champing at the bit to learn more about both of them.
Kudos to Ms. Barrett for layering on some clever twists.
I loved Murder Is Binding but the writing was a bit flawed. I'm a stickler for rhythmic writing.
There were moments of disjointed grammar that aggravated me & I did stop to reread.
I blame this on the proofreader not on Ms. Barrett.
I'm a bit anal about awkward writing & strong writing is unquestionably essential for all of my reading indulgences. It not only makes or breaks the book, it sets the bar on buying anymore of the author's work.
Murder Is Binding is a terrific debut despite the grammatical flaws.
Book Review: Great New Bookstore Mystery Series
Summary: 4 Stars
Lorna Barrett is a pseudonym of Lorraine Bartlett, award-winning author of the Jeff Resnick psychological suspense series, written under L. L. Bartlett. She has created another wonderful series under the Booktown mysteries umbrella.
The Booktown cozy mysteries feature Tricia Miles who owns a bookstore called Haven't Got a Clue in the small town of Stoneham, New Hampshire. Trish and Miss Marple, her cat, live in a beautiful loft above the shop.
Barrett's debut book Murder is Binding finds Trish and Miss Marple settled into their new hometown. Trish has one part-time employee, Ginny Wilson, and a growing number of new friends. The downtown area is under revitalization due to the forward thinking of one of its citizens who recruited a number of genre bookstore owners to relocate to Stoneham. The town is enjoying resurgence now that the tourist trade and book collectors are arriving, at times by the busload.
One night Trisha discovers Doris, her disagreeable next-door neighbor, dead on the floor of The Cookery, her specialty cookbook shop, and a priceless rare cookbook missing. Unfortunately, Trish's friendly fellow bookshop owners are much less friendly because they believe Trish may have had something to do with the murder.
To add to Trish's problem, her sister Angelica unexpectedly shows up bringing her usual amount of difficulty and stress. Moreover, Sheriff Wendy Adams is determined to pin the crime on Trish. Taking matters into her own hands as she attempts to solve the crime, Trish finds out who her true friends really are.
Barrett creates a believable hero in Trish. Anyone who has lived in a small town will enjoy the peculiarities and nuances the author brings to the story. There is not much depth to the supporting characters, but Trish and Miss Marple are able to carry the story. Lovers of cozy mysteries will enjoy this new series, and will surely welcome the next installment. A number of recipes are included for those who enjoy cooking along with reading their favorite mysteries.
Murder Is Binding
Book Review: A fast read, great plot...and it'll make you hungry!
Summary: 4 Stars
From the beginning, this book parallels the Joanne Fluke mysteries to the point where I almost felt the characters were lifted from Fluke's books, rearranged a bit like bread dough, then settled into a tiny touristy town in New Hampshire. With that said, I still like Barrett's first book. The mystery surrounding a fellow bookshop owner's murder begins to spiral out of control when almost everyone believes that Trish had a hand in this murder. With the help of her know-it-all sister, they embark on a journey to try and clear Trish's name and track down a missing first edition cookbook from the 1860s. The Sheriff refuses to listen to any testimony that may clear Trish and fellow neighbors are gawking at Trish and her store, thinking she's the murderer. A nosey reporter and a wannabe politician manage to make this story colorful and tense as they rotate around Trish's world.
One issue I had was trying to picture the characters in my mind. Not much was mentioned about their physical looks, except we know that Trish wears a size 8 jean and that she is thinner than her sister. I like to have a mental picture in my head as I read, which helps make the characters more alive to me. However, Ginny, the assistant to Trish in the bookstore, came across as "Ginny" from Harry Potter from looks (in my mind) to personality. In contrast, Barrett's attention to plot details--from describing Trish's "Haven't Got a Clue" bookstore, to the way Trish's cat moved from place to place and to the backgrounds of the characters--were very vivid and well described. Barrett also does an excellent job of keeping the reader guessing who the murderer may be and ties up the storylines very nicely at the end. I was happy to find two more books in this series that I will read in the near future.
However, if you've ever read "The Strawberry Shortcake Murder" etc by Fluke, and "Murder is Binding" by Barrett, you will find many similarities from the sisters, to cooking, to pets, to the small town and shop, to murders...it's downright erie to me. I almost wonder if Barrett and Fluke could be the same person...
Book Review: An Enjoyable Cozy Mystery
Summary: 4 Stars
My mother came across this book at our local independent bookstore while we were browsing one day and recently loaned me her copy. It's an enjoyable, cozy mystery and is the first in the Booktown Mystery series. While I didn't find the plot to be very difficult to figure out the characters and their interactions are what made this story work for me.
When Tricia's older sister, Angelica, comes to town, Tricia's not happy about it, and with good reason since they'd never been close. Angelica is downright annoying at times, though eventually it becomes clear she really has good intentions in visiting Tricia--not that it's easy to see, with her backhanded compliments and general bossy nature. She even helps Tricia figure out whodunnit. The men that come into both of their lives are interesting as well, and I'll just leave it at that. As for Doris, when you learn more about her you won't be surprised that no one in town mourned her death. The town sheriff is another character you love to hate, even if she is rather stereotypical for a small-town law officer.
Was this the best mystery I've ever read? No, but it's a fun read that won't take up too much of your time. It's perfect for a rainy afternoon with a nice cup of tea or perhaps hot chocolate. And what's not to like about a mystery that has a cat named Miss Marple? (That would be Tricia's cat who roams the bookstore, which is called Haven't Got a Clue--cute, right?) The second book in the series, Bookmarked For Death, was released in February and I plan to check that out at some point down the road.
By the way, there's another neat feature about this book. Angelica is a great cook, and the recipes she fixed throughout the story are included in the back of the book, how cool is that? I'm thinking about trying her spaghetti sauce. :-)