Poisoned Pages

May 1, 2018
Murder and misgivings surround a small-town bookseller who teams up with her sister to prove that she's not a jinx.As he's sentenced for murder, Bob Kelly turns to star witness Tricia Miles and declares her a jinx, simultaneously cursing her and blaming her for his crime. The name-calling may be cruel, but Bob's far from the first person to notice Tricia's tropism to homicide (A Just Clause, 2017, etc.). Maybe that's why one plank in the platform for her Chamber of Commerce presidential candidacy is making Stoneham a safer place, along with winning the title of Prettiest Village in New Hampshire. Tricia should be a shoo-in for the presidential role. The incumbent is her sister, Angelica, who's been trying to coach Tricia into success at their daily lunches at Angelica's restaurant, Booked for Lunch, and dinners at each other's homes. But Tricia has some trouble on the campaign trail that's exacerbated when a cocktail party at her bookstore, Haven't Got A Clue, ends with the death of Angelica's former colleague Frannie Armstrong's date. Chief of Police Grant Baker, Tricia's ex, rolls his eyes at the news of Tricia's proximity to another murder; a similar lightness attends others who don't make it through the story without having "bought the farm." Russ Smith, another ex, complicates her life by throwing his own hat into the presidential ring. Though he's moved on from Tricia, he harbors hope for their future and shows it through bullying, threats, and intimidation. Worse still, Marshall Cambridge, the proprietor of the local porn bookshop, has turned his attentions to Tricia. As she tries to focus on her campaign and the dramatic news that Angelica is being blackmailed, it becomes clear that someone's trying to vandalize her store and maybe even hurt her.The broad style leaves little room for nuance, though it's not always clear whether that's a choice on the part of the author or a heroine she seems to hold in high regard for reasons that remain mysterious.

COPYRIGHT(2018) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 21, 2018
Barrett’s lightweight 12th mystery set in Stoneham, N.H.—a town that rivals Hay-on-Wye as a haven for book lovers (after 2017’s A Just Clause)—finds Tricia Miles, owner of the Haven’t Got a Clue bookshop, hosting a housewarming party at her newly refurbished apartment over the shop. All is going swimmingly until one of Tricia’s guests drops dead from what looks like an allergic reaction to something in the canapes she prepared. Attempted murder, blackmail, threats, cruel pranks, and vicious gossip follow in the wake of this suspicious death, but the really pressing questions that arise are more personal. Will Pixie, a clerk at the bookshop, get a new job? Will Mr. Everett and his wife adopt a cat from the animal shelter? Will Tricia become president of the chamber of commerce? What will Angelica, Tricia’s entrepreneurial sister and gifted chef, whip up for dinner? These issues—oh, and the murder—will be resolved over chilled martinis and glasses of pinot grigio. Despite the lame plot, fans of food-focused cozies will be rewarded. Agent: Jessica Faust, BookEnds.

June 1, 2018
Tricia Miles, owner of the vintage mystery bookstore Haven't Got a Clue, in Stoneham, New Hampshire, is cursed by the murderer she testified against at his sentencing. Unfortunately, the curse seems to be working: a guest dies after eating an appetizer at Tricia's housewarming party; she and her family and friends are victims of vandalism; and her sister, Angelica, is being blackmailed and refuses to go to the police. Plus, Tricia is running for president of the local chamber of commerce, and it doesn't look like she is the shoo-in her sister believed her to be before the curse. Tricia investigates to identify a murderer, a vandal, and a blackmailer, and in the process she uncovers a long-held family secret. Information on running a mystery bookshop and campaigning for local office is framed by a lovingly described small-town setting populated by many successful, quirky businesses supported by the mysterious Nigela Ricita Associates. Tricia's close relationship with Angelica is reminiscent of the sisters' close relationship in Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swensen mysteries.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)