Murder On The Half Shelf by Lorna Barrett

Murder On The Half Shelf by Lorna Barrett is the sixth book in the “Booktown” mystery series. Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime, July 2012

Stoneham, New Hampshire, is a haven to bookstores, including Tricia’s own mystery shop, Haven’t Got a Clue, but is sadly lacking in bed and breakfasts. Pippa and Jon Comfort’s Sheer Comfort Inn opens its doors to the public in a week and the couple has offered some locals a free night as a trial run.

But what should have been a pleasant overnight stay for Tricia becomes a nightmare when she makes two startling discoveries: Pippa’s murdered body in the backyard, and the fact that her husband Jon is actually Harry Tyler, a man Tricia loved—and believed dead—for nearly twenty years.

Now Harry is the prime suspect, but Tricia doesn’t believe him capable of murder, regardless of her own feelings toward him. And even though Harry’s led a life of lies, Tricia’s learning that Pippa had her share of secrets that some people may have not wanted revealed.

Tricia continues to live up to the nickname bestowed on her as the village jinx. An invitation at a B&B takes the wrong turn when Tricia stumbles, yet once again, upon a dead body. Everyone at the inn is a suspect, and being labeled a suspect does not bode well with Tricia as she searches for clues to clear her name. What a great book. The author has done it again, delivering a well-written whodunit that I could not put down. With the many twists and turns and a room full of suspects, the mystery kept me guessing and I was totally surprised when the killer was revealed and then that ending… awesome! This is the best one yet in a series that continues to get better and I can’t wait for the next book in this wonderfully charming series.

Lorna Barrett is the pseudonym of Lorraine Bartlett, who also writes the “Victoria Square” mystery series.