Victoria Square Mystery # 2
Lorraine Bartlett
Berkley Prime Crime
Feb 2012/ ISBN: 978-0-425-24616-0
Mystery/Cozy
Reviewed
by Laura Hinds
Katie Bonner
has been working her fingers to the bone in order to get the business
she inherited after both her husband and his partner died within
months of each other out of the red. Artisans Alley featured custom
artisanship by local artists as well as local crafts people who
make lower-end items. Striking a balance between the two camps is
not easy. Yet as Katie is about to find out, it's a lot easier than
suddenly being thrust into the role as bridesmaid for an acquaintance,
trying to find a new place to live, and oh yes, the little matter
of discovering the bones of a long-missing woman and attempting
to find out who killed her.
Rose Nash,
who has a jewelry booth in Artisans Alley, is the aunt of the late
Heather Winston. Heather had disappeared 22 years ago, and now her
remains have been found walled up inside the empty Webster mansion.
The mansion had recently been sold, and with it Katie's hopes and
dreams to buy it herself one day and run it as a B&B. Between
the finality of Rose's loss and the death of Katie's dreams, the
case becomes personal to her, and Katie pushes the envelope of caution
while trying to smoke out the murderer.
This is the
second book in the Victoria Square Mystery series, following A
Crafty Killing. I've had the pleasure of reading both, and
while each is fine as a stand-alone story, the two complement each
other nicely. There are eclectic characters in The Walled Flower,
ranging from a hometown film director who made it big to vendors
at the Artisan Artistry who show their temperamental natures. Rather
than a plethora of suspects in the case, it is hard to find a sufficient
motive for murder amongst those on the list. Especially after two
more killings take place in a rapid manner. Whodunnit? I wasn't
sure until the very end.
Those who enjoy
a cozy mystery with an interesting setting, relationships that are
growing in each book, and a protagonist who aches to follow her
dreams will love this book. There's a bit of a romance in the works
here, lots of mouthwatering food mentioned, and even some recipes
in the back of the book. Overall, I'd say this is a must-read for
fans of Lorraine Bartlett who also writes as Lorna Barrett.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
The
Walled Flower #2
One
Hot Murder #3
Dead,
Bath and Beyond #4
Yule
Be Dead #5
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