Murder Is Binding by Lorna Barrett
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Book Reviews of Murder Is Binding
Book Review: My first "cozy" mystery! Couldn't put it down.
Summary: 4 Stars
I've always been somewhat apprehensive about getting started with many "series", cozy or otherwise, as my tastes run towards long detailed historical fiction and suspense. But, I wanted a small, quick lighthearted read for my May 13th trip to Disney. A little flight time and nightime read. Nothing too long, nothing too complicated.
Well, Murder Is Binding never made it that long. My intentions were good, but as soon as I picked it up and read the first several pages, unfortunately I couldn't put it down.
I certainly enjoyed the sibling rivalry between Tricia Miles and her Sister, Angelica. Character development was pretty good and the murder plot, while slightly contrived, even predictable, was thoroughly entertaining. The details were finely descriptive and set the scene for this book and the ones to follow. I could see the shop, Haven't Got a Clue in my minds eye and because I hail from a small village, it was not hard to place myself right smack dab in the middle of main street!
I'd always wanted have my very own used book store on main street in the heart of Madison, IN and to live above the store. It was fun imagining a shop like one I might have had!
I will definitely pick up Barrett's next one, Bookmarked for Death. I'll have to now as a replacement for my "Disney" read! Good luck Lorna on this series.
Book Review: A cozy lil mystery.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a pretty darn good start to a series. It's a cozy lil mystery that held my interest and I I look forward to the nest one.
Trish is the owner of a bookstore called, "Haven't got a Clue." That's a cute name for a store that just sells mystery books. Anyhow, a man owns a lot of the buildings that the storeowners rent. Bob (the landlord) plans to raise the rent and one person named Doris isn't very happy. Doris talks to Trish, then the next day, Doris turns up dead. Everyone, including the sheriff thinks that Trish is the guilty party. As the story unfolds, the death toss goes up, the more the sheriff wants to pin the murders on Trish. Trish puts in on herself and her sister to solve murder and bring the murder to justice, and expose their plot. That's all I really want to say about the plot, I don't want to give a lot away.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. Murder can be Binding is a wonderful start to the series. It has a lot of characters that I loved meeting, and I hope to see again. The writing style has a nice flow to it, and as the reader, we're not bogged down with a lot of useless details that a lot of writers seem to do. There's one or two plot twists.
This book has a down home feeling, and I'm sure you'll like it was much as I did.
Book Review: Glad I gave it a chance
Summary: 4 Stars
I am skeptical of mysteries that look as though they have been created around a "gimmick" more than actual character or plot, such as a wedding planner mystery, a coffee shop mystery, a landscaper mystery or whatever the author can come up with that hasn't been done yet (I think I've even seen a closet organizer mystery!!!). The gimmick tends to drive the boat instead of what should matter, like the story and characters that are more than thin stereotypes. "Murder is Binding", a mystery bookshop mystery, fortunately has more to recommend to it than the mystery bookshop setting. The book didn't get off to the best start with me however. The first few pages made the main character, Tricia, full of negative thoughts about every person she encountered, especially her sister. I knew I wouldn't enjoy an entire book of that! Thankfully, it wasn't as bad throughout the rest of the book and what there was, made sense as far as the story goes. I think the story is well-plotted and the characters are nicely written. I didn't find the writing itself to be a distraction at any time, and that's pretty much all I ask of a paperback mystery's grammar and punctuation. I'll look forward to the next in the series.Book Review: New Cozy Series, Shows Promise
Summary: 4 Stars
Murder is Binding is a great start to a new cozy series about a town in New England that seeks to resurrect itself by creating a quaint street full of bookshops of all types, with the hope of attracting tourists. This first book is about a murder or two that involve the owners of a mystery bookstore and a cookbook store. You meet up with the usual cast of "normal characters", quirky characters, sinister characters, possibly guilty characters and a couple of bodies.
I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book in the series. The book is well written, the central idea of the series offers promise and the characters are fun. The only drawback to this first book is that the murderer and final salvo are easily discernable early in the book. The author drops some not-so-subtle hints that make the solution-guessing process too easy for the reader. However, the storyline, the sharp writing and series idea shows much promise.
Book Review: Books, Bookstores, New England and Murder
Summary: 4 Stars
From time to time when I need some fluff, I enjoy a good cozy mystery. Loving books, bookstores and life in a sleepy New England town, Murder is Binding, by Lorna Barrett, seemed like the perfect book for me. It is the first book in Booktown Mystery Series. I was not disappointed.
Set in fictional Stoneham, N.H., the streets in this town are lined with bookstores (my dream town). Tricia Miles is a mystery bookshop owner, who soon becomes a suspect when a fellow bookstore owner, Doris Gleason is murdered---stabbed to death and a rare cookbook is missing. Determined to clear her name, Tricia, and some other locals help her to try and clear her name.
This was a really fun cozy mystery. The book had quirky characters, was plot driven, and had me anxious to turn the pages. I can't wait for the second installment: Bookmarked for Death, scheduled to be released in February of 2009.