minty's review against another edition
2.0
This one was not as good as the previous two, with a bit more of an absurd untangling of all the threads. I hope this doesn't portend the whole series going down, as for some reason I quite like hanging out in this weird little book town where people are murdered every few months!
jazzyjan94's review against another edition
4.0
Next, I listened to Bookplate Special by Lorna Barrett and I will say that the series seemed to finally get better with this book. In this mystery, Tricia Miles has just kicked out her former college roommate who has been crashing on her couch after she steals money from her. However, shortly after their interaction, Pammy is found dead in a dumpster in the alley behind Booked for Lunch, Tricia's sister, Angelica's restaurant. In order to have a piece of mind, as well as clear her name, Tricia tries to find out who could possibly have wanted her "friend" dead and why. Like I mentioned before, this third installment in the series solidified my wanting to continue on with this series. Sure, Tricia is still as flawed and judgmental as ever, but I also appreciated how those closest to her put her in her place when she makes snide remarks. Also, I enjoyed learning more about Freegans, my only knowledge of Freegans up until this point was the passing comment made in an episode of Parks and Rec of one of the characters being a Freegan Vegan. I felt like the author did a good job of explaining it and showing it in a way that wasn't derogatory, as well as some of the reasoning behind why someone would want to be a Freegan. It was fascinating and an interesting addition to the overall mystery!
squish_reader893's review against another edition
4.0
I have to say, I have now read the first three books of this series and this is my favorite, thus far. The characters, especially Tricia, are very engaging and the setting is great! I mean, I would LOVE to live in Booktown (aka Stoneham, NH).
I felt that the characters that I'd been with since the first book finally started taking a clear shape. The relationship between main character Tricia and her sister Angelica reminds me of the relationship between myself and my sister. I especially loved the introduction of Captain Grant Baker, a welcome change from the hateful Sheriff Wendy Adams.
I have to say, without giving any spoilers away, my favorite part was the "big reveal" of the whodunit. I always play my own version of Clue with these cozy mysteries, which to me, is really half the fun. This reveal was not what I expected at all, seeing as how I was so sure that I had it all figured out by the middle of the book. It was a heck of a twist that maybe I should've seen coming but definitely didn't, in the best way. I absolutely recommend this series (based on the first three novels) and suggest reading them in order, but there's enough exposition throughout the book to catch you up quickly if you start with this one!
I felt that the characters that I'd been with since the first book finally started taking a clear shape. The relationship between main character Tricia and her sister Angelica reminds me of the relationship between myself and my sister. I especially loved the introduction of Captain Grant Baker, a welcome change from the hateful Sheriff Wendy Adams.
I have to say, without giving any spoilers away, my favorite part was the "big reveal" of the whodunit. I always play my own version of Clue with these cozy mysteries, which to me, is really half the fun. This reveal was not what I expected at all, seeing as how I was so sure that I had it all figured out by the middle of the book. It was a heck of a twist that maybe I should've seen coming but definitely didn't, in the best way. I absolutely recommend this series (based on the first three novels) and suggest reading them in order, but there's enough exposition throughout the book to catch you up quickly if you start with this one!
lakecake's review against another edition
3.0
This series is really coming into its own. The first couple of books the characters didn't seem to meld, but I like how they're all developing their own lives. One bad thing to this one, for me, was that I think the author made too much out of the freegan thing--if you're disgusted by it, don't write about it. If you're going to write about it, it's ok to have your main character be a little put off by the idea, after all it is way out of the mainstream, but you don't need to constantly harp on how she's going to throw up just at the thought or is making revolted faces at the group she's scavenging with. All in all, though, a good read.
justkeyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ehamlett's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
melli80's review against another edition
3.0
A very fun read. Wasn't as exciting as the first two, but still a fun read to keep me out of a reading slump.
cozylittlebrownhouse's review against another edition
4.0
Another fun cozy mystery from author Lorna Barrett. In this third book in the Booktown series, Tricia faces yet another murder in Stoneham along with obstacles in her personal life. In this book, Barrett uses her characters to examine issues relevant to societal trends: "freegans" and "going green" to name the key two. I felt like these themes detracted somewhat from the mystery story, but I still enjoyed myself and look forward to book number four.
asanford's review against another edition
4.0
Okay - so somehow I thought the sisters were my age or older. Apparently Tricia has only been out of high school for 24 years. So nope - not older than me. Which makes me wonder why the focus on how much work her sister has had done??
Anyway - another fun story and interesting mystery. I always love learning about different lifestyles (free-gans). And glad to see a new love interest introduced.
Anyway - another fun story and interesting mystery. I always love learning about different lifestyles (free-gans). And glad to see a new love interest introduced.