Modeled after the Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye, Shoreham has transformed its deserted and aging downtown commercial district into a mecca for book lovers, with a dozen independent booksellers. There's a history shop, romance book shop, The Cookery, and Tricia Miles' mystery book store, "Without a Clue."
Tricia Miles
Tricia Miles is new to the book world and to New Hampshire. She's fresh from a divorce from a New York City stockbroker who decided he wanted a more solitary life in Colorado without her. (perhaps, he's gay?) Tricia has been in Shoreham for about five months when the novel begins and her store is doing well. The whole downtown strip has become a mecca for tour bus trips.
Her next door neighbor is "The Cookery," a used and new cookbook store that also does cooking demonstrations. The owner, Doris Gleason is a cranky woman that blames Tricia for the landlord raising all of their rents. (What did Tricia know; she was used to New York City real estate prices.)
Murder among the Stacks
Tricia doesn't have time to worry about Doris' complaints, however. Tricia's sister, Angelica, with whom she's always had a stormy relationship, is on her way to Shoreham for a visit and the bookstore is besieged by someone sticking flyers for a nudist resort in random books around the shelves.
After Tricia meets her sister for dinner at the local bed and breakfast inn, the pair returns to Tricia's loft above the store. When they pull up, however, they smell smoke...and it's coming out of "The Cookery." Tricia investigates and finds Doris face down with a knife in her back. If that isn't upsetting enough, the Shoreham sheriff (who has no experience in homocide investigations) has put Tricia at the top of her suspect list.
"Murder is Binding" is a smart, fast-paced novel with likeable characters and enough plot twists and turns to keep things interesting. Tricia and her sister seem to have found a home in Shoreham and hopefully, there will be plenty more "Book Town" adventures for the duo.
About Lorna Barrett
Lorna Barrett is the new pen name of author Lorraine Bartlett (aka L.L.Bartlett). Her past works include several romance novels and a series of psychological thrillers. Barrett lives in Rochester, New York with her four cats. Her "My Space" page lists her favorite authors as being Dick Francis, John Mortimer, Jeanne Ray, J.K. Rowling, Lawrence Block, Mary Kay Andrews, Janet Evanovich, Jeremiah Healy, Barbara D'Amato, and Barbara Michaels.
