Four from Lorna Barrett

I read one of the later installments in Lorna Barrett's "Booktown Mystery" series (Title Wave) and was curious to find out more of the back story. So I picked up what I could from earlier books in the series that were available online (our library has been closed for 2 months due to the pandemic shut down). They are noted here starting from the earliest publication date.

Chapter and Hearse: This is the 4th in the series, published in 2010. Tricia Miles lives in a small town that has re-invented itself as a hub of specialty bookstores. She, of course, runs the mystery bookstore. When a gas explosion at the history bookstore kills the owner and injures Angelica's (Tricia's sister) boyfriend, Bob Kelly, she can't resist doing some investigating on her own. Angelica, BTW, owns a cookbook/ food focused bookstore. You can see the relationship between the sisters develop as well as other relationships (some romantic) among acquaintances. Because Angelica is a great cook (and cookbook author), each book includes some of her recipes.

Book Clubbed: Published in 2014, this is the 8th in the series. Angelica is the newly elected President of the town's Chamber of Commerce, which is currently doing business on the 2nd floor of Angelica's bookstore--just until they find a new permanent home. Betsy Dittmeyer, the cranky CofC receptionist is killed when a toppled bookcase lands on her. Of course, the big question is, was it an accident? It turns out that Betsy had some secrets worth murdering for. Tricia, whose penchant for discovering dead bodies has resulted in her being labeled the town's "jinx," also learns some disturbing secrets about her own family. Her ex-husband has shown up in town and is competing with the chief of police for Tricia's affections.

A Just Clause: This is book #11, published in 2017, just after Title Wave. Two characters from that previous novel take on shape and character here. Tricia and Angelica's father, John, shows up in Stoneham, without their mother! When a local woman is murdered, he becomes the prime suspect due to an earlier romantic entanglement. Tricia, who has always adored her father, learns of his rather unsavory past as a con man who has actually served time in jail. An author she met on the book cruise, Steven Richardson, also comes to Tricia's bookstore for a book signing and evidences romantic interest in Tricia. The dead woman was found clutching a signed copy of Richardson's newest book--just a coincidence? Glowing review from Publishers Weekly.

Poisoned Pages: Number 12 (published in 2018) opens at a house-warming party in Tricia's newly refurbished apartment on the two floors above her bookstore. She has also learned enough about cooking from sister Angelica to do the food preparation. Which seems to have terrible consequences when one of her guests dies from an apparent allergic reaction to the hors d'oeuvres.  This time around, Tricia must find the killer in order to clear her own name. Review from Publishers Weekly.

This is not the best cozy series in the world, but it is entertaining light reading, which is often what I am in the mood for during these days of distancing, anxiety, and uncertainty.