a quill and vellum

Book Review of Bookmarked for Death

Title:  Bookmarked for Death
Series:  Book Two of the Booktown Mystery Series
Author:  Lorna Barrett
Publication Date:  3 February 2009
Publisher:  Berkley
Pages:  304
Genre:  Mystery
Cover:  eBook
Price:  $7.99
Purchased from:  iBooks

I was so enthralled by the first book in the Booktown Mystery Series, that I quickly delved into the second book of the series.  Bookmarked for Death returns us to Stoneham, New Hampshire, six months following the events of Murder is Binding.  Tricia Miles, owner of Haven't Got a Clue Bookstore, is preparing a celebration for her first year anniversary of her book shop and has invited bestselling mystery novelist, Zoe Carter, to attend a book signing event.  During the signing, Zoe is found murdered in the bathroom and Haven't Got a Clue Bookstore is closed as a crime scene.  Once again, Trish steps forward to use her crime solving acumen to see if she can solve the mystery and catch the killer. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the story line in Bookmarked for Death.  Not only was the mystery compelling, but the character development was very endearing.  Grace Harris returns from book one and it is so nice to see her developing relationship with Mr. Everett, one of my personal favorite characters from the series.  As much as I enjoyed the first book in the series, I loved Bookmarked for Death, even more.

 

#FridayReads for 2 November 2012

This weekend I will be reading Bookmarked for Death by Lorna Barrett.  This is the second book in the Booktown Mystery Series.  I so enjoyed the first book in the series, I decided to read the entire series. 

The description from Goodreads says, "What do a stone book and a stabbed cake have to do with Zoë Carter's death?

Once a struggling town, Stoneham, New Hampshire is now enjoying a renaissance--thanks to booksellers like Tricia Miles, proprietor of Haven’t Got a Clue. It’s a great place to find a good mystery to read--or to solve ….

To celebrate her bookstore’s anniversary, Tricia Miles hosts a book signing for bestselling author Zoë Carter. But the event takes a terrible turn when the author is found dead in the washroom. Before long, both police and reporters are demanding the real story. So far, the author’s obnoxious assistant/niece is the only suspect. And with a sheriff who provides more obstacles than answers, Tricia will have to take matters into her own hands--and read between the lines to solve this mystery…."

Book Review of Murder is Binding by Lorna Barrett

Title:  Murder is Binding
Series:  Book One of the Booktown Mystery Series
Author:  Lorna Barrett
Publication Date:  1 April 2008
Publisher:  Berkley
Pages:  288
Genre:  Mystery
Cover:  eBook
Price:  $7.99
Purchased from:  iBooks

Author Lorna Barrett has written the Booktown Mystery series which currently consists of six volumes, of which Murder Is Binding is the first release.  The mystery series is set in a quaint town in New Hampshire which has been turned into a book collector's mecca in order to revive the town's slumping economy.  Main street has a mystery book shop, cookbook shop, and history book shop, just to name a few.

Recently divorced Tricia Miles has come to New Hampshire and opens up the Haven't Got a Clue Book Shop which specializes in current and vintage mysteries.  Doris Gleason owns The Cookery book shop specializing in cook books, and within the first few pages she is murdered with a kitchen knife and the sheriff is looking at Tricia as the number one suspect.     

By the middle of the book, I had the mystery all solved, and I was a little dissapointed that Ms. Barrett had written such an easily solved murder mystery, but after a few more pages, I quickly learned that I was all wrong.  The book has one amazing ending.

I love the characters that Mr. Barrett has created.  Tricia Miles, our protagonist,  is very real and three-dimensional.  Angelica Preston is Tricia's sister, and she is so animated and I love how she is set to repairing her relationship with Tricia.  Tricia's two employees, Ginny and Mr. Everett are delightful as well.  I especially fell in love with Mr. Everett who is so kind and a perfect gentleman.  There is even a cat named Miss Marple! 

Murder is Binding is an excellent mystery and has encouraged me to read the rest of the Booktown Mystery series.  Bibliophiles and bookaholics will love that the mysteries are set within a town of book shops.

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Title:  The Eyre Affair
Series:  Thursday Next, Book One
Author:  Jasper Fforde
Published:  19 July 2001
Publisher:  The Penguin Group
Awards:  New York Times Bestseller
Pages:  374
Genre:  Metafiction, Alternate History, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Mystery
GoodReads
Recommended by:  Sue Moro at Sue's Book Nook

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde is a novel set in an alternate world of 1985 where literary allusions abound.  In this alternate world setting, England and Russia have been involved in the Crimean War for 131 years.  Our protagonist, Thursday Next, is a veteran of this long-standing war and now works for SpecOps' special unit known as SO-27 which is known as LiteraTec.  As a LiteraTec, Thursday is responsible for investigating the counterfeiting and theft of the world's great literary masterpieces.  Thursday inhabits a literary-centric world where people rename themselves after literary characters, dress in literary constumes, adore literary characters, revere authors, turn productions of Shakespeare into a cult following similiar to The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and divide themselves into various, opposing literary camps. 

As the novel opens, Thursday is investrigating the theft of the original Martin Chuzzelwit manuscript from the Dickens' Museum at Gad's Hill.  Thursday's eccentric uncle, who also is a technological genius, has created a machine which allows anyone to enter any literary work and interact with the characters and plot line.  This invention in an intregal part of the plot because it is used by Hades Acheron, our antagonist, to enter the original manuscript of Jane Eyre with the idea of kidnapping Jane Eyre and holding her for ransom. 

I loved my first foray into the world of Thursday Next and I will be returning to the series.  This novel has inspired me to read Jane Eyre and I appreciate Sue Moro for recommending it.

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