Bookplate Special: A Booktown Mystery

3.75 starsMystery bookstore owner Tricia has an old college friend staying with her, Pammy, who far outstays her welcome. Shortly after Tricia finally kicks her out, Pamela is found murdered. As usual, Tricia can't stay out of the police investigation and does a lot of her own sleuthing. I'm still enjoying this cozy mystery series. Still love Tricia's cat, Miss Marple, as well as a new kitty introduced, Penny. I found all the environmental info in this one quite interesting, and I love secondary characters, Mr. Everett and Grace. Very enjoyable.

Bookplate Special is the third mystery in the Booktown Mystery series.

Tricia and her sister have their ups and downs, but they can count on each other in a crisis, which is a very good thing. Tricia kindly asked a visiting former school mate to move on, having over-stayed her visit, and the old friend winds up dead in the dumpster. Well, head-first in the trash container behind Angelica’s store. Turns out, the old friend wasn’t so nice, yet Tricia wants to find out who did her in. There is much interaction between the characters in this story, which furthers their development and adds to the enjoyment of the tale.

In this third installment of the Booktown mysteries, Tricia Miles, the owner of the Haven't Got a Clue Mystery Bookstore, asks her college roommate, Pammy, after she wears out her welcome by stealing and forging a check as well as taking up more space than Tricia has to share. Unfortunately, at the end of the day Tricia finds Pammy dead and herself a prime suspect. However, rather than the sheriff from Hell who dislikes Tricia because of her tendency to get involved in police matters, the investigation this time has a hunky Capt. Grant Baker in charge. It was fun to see Tricia and her staff interact and the characters themselves evolve.

Very good return (for me) to this series, I'm ready for the next one.

I’m very much enjoying this series!

Love the characters! Always a good
read. Love the dynamic between Tricia and her sister.

***Spoilers ahead you’ve been warned*** So I just finished reading the second one a while ago. As far as cozy mysteries go, I like them and pick them up when I can. They’re more like a go between heavy reads or when I need something light. (Reading is like eating you see..you’d like an appetizer before you dig into the main course.) With most cozy mysteries you don’t get much character development. They’re usually just there like placements in a diorama with nothing much to them except it makes the story readable and whole. Or it provides support to the setting and the plot. There’s nothing central to them. In Bookplate Special, that pretty much changes. Tricia and Russ break up! Which is not big news anyway. You were anticipating it and quite frankly, Russ was pretty much boring to begin with. Enter the green eyed (and this is emphasized throughout the novel) Captain Baker who’s not that charming but at least has somewhat more of a personality than Russ, he’s certainly a gentleman, and manages to grab Tricia’s attention. So there’s that development there in that regard. Then we have Ginny and Brian who aren’t together anymore because Brian’s done some really awful things (and ended up being the culprit anyway.) Well, Ginny was going through some really tough times anyway and this just ended up being the icing on the cake but now she’s got some goals for herself. There’s some development there. Although it’s probably going to take some time for Ginny to get used to this situation. Then we have Mr Everett and Grace getting married. Which is pretty much the most happiest part of the book with all the breakups happening here. Congratulations to them, by the way. Angelica who still acts like the older sibling you wish you never had, had a secret all along (well, not really) and you find out the reason for her behavior. I liked this part the most. It made her more human and less of an annoying character. For those that have gone through similar situations like Angelica would completely understand and maybe even sympathize. The plot overall was interesting but not as great as the first two I’ve read. Pammy who is the victim is here and gone. She wasn’t that likable anyway but Tricia, being the nice girl and the doormat, tolerated her and ended up doing the right thing for her. Sure, it makes Tricia look like she’s being put on a pedestal and nothing can go wrong but at the same time Tricia was going through her own issues (her relationship with Russ for example, among other things she was involved in throughout the novel). It makes Tricia sound almost unstoppable and it’s amazing what she can accomplish while her store is running at the same time. It can be unrealistic as it seems like Tricia can just come and go when she pleases but if you think about it, don’t most bosses do the same? I started losing interest towards the last third of the book. It really started to drag and Tricia could not stop whining about Pammy and her guilt over kicking her out of her place. I don’t know how much you could drag about the secret diary, and how a philanthropist could have been involved in this (which he really wasn’t.) Top that with adding in a group of Freegans and someone born with a birth defect that needed gender reassignment surgery. Okay. I can handle it, but did it have to drag? It really should have ended about 4 or 5 chapters ago. Other than that, it wasn’t a bad read but as of now it’s my least favorite of the series. I hope the fourth one will be better than this one. The characters changing and developing was a welcome change however. Cozy mystery fans may or may not enjoy this one. Take it or leave this one.

Audiobook performed by Cassandra CampbellBook number three in the Booktown Mystery series. Tricia Miles, owner of Haven’t Got a Clue mystery bookshop can’t help but investigate when her college roommate, Pammy, is found dead in a garbage bin, a day after Tricia told her to find another “temporary” residence. It’s not just any garbage bin, either … it’s behind Tricia’s sister’s café, which is right next door to the book shop. Angelica had even hired Pammy, after hearing her sob story of how Tricia “kicked her out.” This is a typical cozy mystery, with a cast of colorful characters, and a nosy amateur sleuth who simply cannot help herself when it comes to investigating a crime on her doorstep. There’s a little romantic tension as well, and a few recipes at the end. (Angelica has written a cookbook, and runs a bistro, after all.) It’s not great literature, but it’s entertaining and a quick read. And, I just love all the references to books.The audiobook is performed by Cassandra Campbell, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite audio narrators. She has good pacing, and is an accomplished voice artist, able to handle the large cast of characters.

I've enjoyed this series all along but I think this is the best in of the batch. Tricia owns a mystery bookstore in a town that has a variety of specialty bookstores including her sisters Cookbook store. In the earlier books the two sisters appeared to love each other but they sniped and snarled at each other more than conversed, in this book they finally seem to be talking more than before and working together much more smoothly. Tricia's college roommate has been staying with her, a "couple of days" visit that has turned into two weeks. Tricia asks Pammy to leave and the next day is found dead in Angela's (the sister) dumpster. Now the chase is on to find out who killed Pammy, and why. The mystery completely surprised me, but the story was great and it all held together when explained. I'll keep reading this series, I'm enjoying Tricia and her friends and the small Booktown.

Book #3 of the Booktown Mysteries. Purchased Murder in Three Volumes that contained all three. Easy reads -- I'm either lousy at figuring out who-done-it or there aren't any clues to figure it out. Did figure out that it had to be a male and somewhat string to lift the victim into the dumpster, but that was about it.

In Barrett's mystery novel, Pammy Fredricks is something of a "free spirit." Actually, she's more of a freeloading thief. Tricia puts her up for two weeks, and put up with her uninvited college roommate as well. What did Pammy do out of gratitude? She stole one hundred dollars to start with. When Tricia kicks her out, Pammy winds up dead in a dumpster, leaving a ton of questions behind for Tricia to piece together. An engaging whodunit and a wonderful addition to the A Booktown Mystery series.

I always look forward to picking up a Lorna Barrett mystery. Not only are her mysteries full of interesting murders and fascinating characters, but I usually learn a thing or two as well. Her third book in the Booktown Mysteries, BOOKPLATE SPECIAL, is no exception. BOOKPLATE SPECIAL sees Tricia, owner of the Haven't Got a Clue? bookstore in Stoneham, right in the middle of things again, when she finds ex-friend, Pammy, dead in a dumpster. She gets thrown in the thick of things, when she tries to figure out what happened to Pammy. It has been a few months since I read a book in this series, and within the first few pages it was like visiting an old, much beloved, friend again. I caught up with Tricia and her sister, Angelique (who runs the Cookery bookstore next door), and Tricia's lovely employees, Ginny and Mr Everett, and all the while I became intrigued by the death of Pammy. In fact I would say, it was much more enjoyable spending time with inhabitants of Stoneham, than it is spending time with my own extended family! The mystery of Pammy's death was so very intriguing! While I did in fact have a clue as to the murderer (I think I must be getting better at solving these cozy mysteries!!!) it was interesting reading and watching all the little pieces fall into place. I have said it before and I will say it again, Lorna Barrett writes so seamlessly. Her novels are always well researched and fascinating. In BOOKPLATE SPECIAL the reader gets to learn about the Freegan lifestyle (something I knew nothing about) and puts the focus on the Food Bank as well. Together with the murder, it sure made BOOKPLATE SPECIAL such an enjoyable read. From the very first page to the last page I couldn't bear to put it down!! If you like mystery books as much as I do, then I highly recommend this series. The name dropping alone is well worth it. Tricia is always mentioning well-loved (and some new-to-me) authors as part of her running the Haven't Got a Clue bookstore. A great mystery, a fantastic story and definitely a 5-star read for me.

Trisha asks a friend to move out of her apartment after she has overstayed her welcome. It isn't long before the friend turns up dead. The friend, Pammy, has lots of secrets including being a freegan, dumpster diving, a diary that she's using to blackmail someone in the town over. Trisha can't help herself and starts investigating much to the chagrin of the local sheriff. Lots of local characters to investigate. I was completely surprised by "who done it."

My least favorite of the series thus far. The part about the smashing of the pumpkins was just plain stupid!! It was interesting to see the freegan lifestyle portrayed in the book though. That is something we don't hear about very often. It is fun to have the new diner in town owned by Tricia's sister. I still hold that it would be fun to live in a town like Stoneham, where the commerce is based almost solely on the book biz. Interesting.

I love the WTF endings in a good mystery. When it happens in a cozy mystery, it's even better. My eyebrows were up well past the hairline this morning when I finished this third entry in a fun series. I want to live in Stoneham, own a bookstore or work for Tricia. I could help her with her sister, Angelica, who means sort of well, just has an offbeat way of showing it. I learned of a new-to-me lifestyle, freegan. Freegans salvage foods from Dumpsters for various reasons, either for to save the Earth or due to finding themselves in circumstances that require them to supplement their pantry to feed their family. The mystery is there, who killed Pammy? But there is a focus on food pantries and freegans, bringing awareness to the reader. Thank you, Lorna. I can highly recommend this book and this series. Good mystery, good characters, excellent premise. And the recipes in the back.....BOOKPLATE SPECIAL has meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, quick-and-dirty garlic bread, potato and leek soup and mini spinach quiches....nummers!Five eyebrow raised and umby-gumby recipe beans.....

First Line: "Get out of my house!"Former college roommate Pammy Fredericks has overstayed her welcome in more ways than one. After Tricia discovers that Pammy has stolen one of her checks, forged her signature, and cashed it, Tricia throws her out of the house. That very same day, Pammy is found dead in a trash container behind the café owned by Tricia's sister.Tricia learns that Pammy had found a diary and was trying to blackmail someone. When she starts getting threatening phone calls linked to Pammy, Tricia decides to do her own investigating. Even though the county sheriff has given the case to a handsome captain, Tricia wants to learn the facts firsthand-- while she's also running her bookstore, helping to plan a wedding, and dealing with her annoying sister.When I read that the latest Booktown mystery, Chapter & Hearse, had been published, I knew I had to get this book off my TBR shelves and get it read. I enjoy this series, and I don't want to get too far behind in reading it.The mystery kept me guessing, and I enjoyed the camaraderie of Tricia with her employees and other friends in town. What absolutely tickled me six shades of pink was the non-appearance of Sheriff Wendy Adams. There are certain types of characters that annoy the pudding out of me: the meddling mother who disapproves of her daughter's choice of career and won't rest until said daughter is married, pregnant, and chained to a stove (preferably six-burner and stainless steel); the obnoxious sibling who takes the main character for granted and signs her up for all sorts of things she doesn't want to do; and the law enforcement official who takes an unreasoning dislike to someone and spends all his/her energy trying to pin the crime on the hated person.Sheriff Wendy was a prime example of the third type of annoying character I listed, and I was sick of her trying to pin everything from crab grass to murder on Tricia. Having a new (and handsome) captain taking over crime solving and also providing a romantic interest is a definite plus.Unfortunately, there also happens to be an obnoxious sibling in residence. Her name is Angelica, and no matter how wonderfully she cooks, I'd love to ride the woman out of town on a rail. She's constantly taking on work she knows she can't do because she fully expects her sister, Tricia, to do it for her. I suppose all this means that I'm also annoyed at Tricia for being so spineless.Grow a backbone, Tricia! Learn how to say NO! I'm only saying this because I like you and your investigations so much. There is hope for you, and I'll keep reading and hoping you'll see the light. It is possible to be nice and be able to stand up for yourself, you know! (Oh oh. Please don't tell anyone that I just yelled at a fictional character....)

A decent cozy mystery, though the weakest of the series. Protagonist owns a mystery book shop in a "book town" and must solve the mystery of the death of her "friend." The biggest weakness of this installment of the series is that the book lore is gone. One of the settings is a book shop, but there are almost no literary references. Those were what made this series unique in the past.

The third Booktown Mystery begins with protagonist Tricia Miles asking her houseguest Pammy Fredericks, to leave. Tricia hadn't seen her college roommate in many years, and was not expecting to have a freeloader descend upon her for two weeks. At first, Tricia feels strong and assertive, but later she's wracked with guilt. This guilty feeling is exacerbated when, taking out the trash for her sister Angelica, Tricia finds Pammy dead, face down in the dumpster.It's obvious that Pammy has been murdered, and Tricia can't help but feel responsible. When she learns that Pammy was trying to blackmail more than one Stoneham resident, she feels less so. And when the threatening phone calls asking for "the diary", Tricia decides she has to find out who killed her old friend.Tricia's older sister Angelica is an annoyance, completely arrogant and egotistical, bossing younger sibling as if she's still a child.However, the majority of the characters are engaging, the plot is absorbing and the identity of the killer came as a complete surprise. Another fine entry in this enjoyable series.

Third "Booktown Mystery" Not much book lore, although the main character owns a mystery bookstore. Typical amateur detective trying to solve a murder before the police to prove her innocence. Romance subtheme.

The third installment of A Booktown Mystery finds Tricia Miles once again solving a crime. This time the victim is her former roommate,Pammy Fredericks-a woman who seems to be waiting for one big score without working for it. A new romantic interest may be coming when Grant Baker,policeman, is trying to solve the crime.Tricia is her normal irritating-bordering-on-rude self and, of course,solves the crime.Though the sleuth is trying at times, I find this series bright, funny, and all-around delightful.

Over all, this was just an okay read. Not a great read, but not a bad read either. Trisha's friend, Pammy has stayed with her for three days, and Trish tells Pammy that she has to leave. Trish was tired of Pammy mooching off her. Pammy leaves, not hurt or mad, but just leaves. The next thing that Trish knows is that Pammy's body is found head first in a dumpster. Trish fells somewhat at fault, so she wants to find the killer and bring him to justice. As Trish goes into the investigation, she learns about Pamm'y past, and her life style, she learns of other secrets of those around her. In the process, Trish's boyfriend has other plans, and they don't really include Trish. That's all I really can say about the plot because I don't want to spoil anything. I've always liked Ginny, and in this book, she was grouch, grumpy, and a real "witch" with a capital B to be around. I was sad to see his happen, and I didn't like the direction her character too. There was some fluff, but in that fluff, there was some mildly interesting things going on, but to much fluff. I also didn't like how it ended. It took off in a direction like the Joanna Fluke books have taken, and I've stopped reading them. I hope that this series doesn't go the same way. Over all, I'd say go ahead and read it, just don't expect to much. It's a light mystery.

This is the 3rd book in the Booktown mystery series. It is a cozy set in a fictional NH town; based on a town that is just down the road from me. I started with the series because it was a RL book group choice, but have stayed with it due to the writing and the characters, and yes I confess, the setting. Its fun to see your town mentioned and to try to guess what fictional places are based on what real places.The writing is smooth and warm. Even though the subject is death, the overall feeling leaves you warm and fuzzy from visiting the characters. Normally that type of reaction makes me want to puke, so Barrett must be doing something right in avoiding the cloying that often accompanies warm and fuzzy.I am not a real fan of cozies, the mysteries and stories are on the light side, but because of the positives listed above, I am fine with this one. The main character is Tricia Miles, and she owns the mystery bookstore. Stoneham was dying, so they got the idea to bring in a whole town full of bookstores. With the new theme the town ends up on the seasonal tourist bus route. Tricia is joined in town by her sister, Angelica, a difficult woman on whom Tricia is trying to do a humanity makeover. She is having some success, but the author avoids instant perfection. There are also others from the town, both friends and employees. The characters are developed well, and very charming without being plastic or perfect. There are even some elderly, and shlubby ones. I like their warmth and concern for each other.In this story Tricia evicts an old school friend, who has been freeloading and living with her. Pammy steals from Tricia and its the last straw. Of course soon after Pammy leaves Tricia's she is found dead. Tricia feels guilty and decides she must find out what happened. In this outing the horrible Sheriff from the past 2 books, Wendy Adams is not part of the story. A big improvement. I realize that the formula for a cozy calls for the cops to be negative towards the main character, but Wendy was way overdone. She was much too negative and hateful to the point of lacking in professionalism. In this book a new cop, Captain Grant Baker takes over the investigation. He and Tricia have a sparky relationship that promises well for future books.The story in this book is based around food and the scarcity for some who are on the edge. One part is about the new Food Pantry, and the other is about a group of locals who dumpster dive. Some do it for monetary reasons, and others for ecological reasons - so much is thrown out that is fine. I enjoyed the whole thing, the food issues, the mystery, the new relationship with Baker, and the interaction of the characters regarding living life and running bookstores in a small NH town. One of the recurring characters has a change in her life, that I didn't care for, and another set had a happy event. A bit like life I guess. I can't wait for the next one.

Lorna Barrett's third book in the Booktown Mystery series, Bookplate Special, is not only the best in the series, but a book that deals with important issues right now. Mystery readers will appreciate all of the comments about mystery authors and books. And, what reader can resist a town of bookstores?Tricia Miles, owner of Haven't Got a Clue mystery bookstore in Stoneham, New Hampshire, was just angry and frustrated when she asked her former college roommate to leave her apartment. Pammy Fredericks had visited, but her visit went on for two weeks, and Pammy interfered with Tricia's business, and stole and forged a check. It was a relief to throw her out, but Pammy went on to use Tricia as a reference when applying for jobs. To Tricia's horror, it was her sister, Angelica, who hired her to work in her restaurant, Booked for Lunch. Pammy didn't last long there. The last time Tricia saw her, she was making a scene at the opening of the new food pantry. At least that was the last time she saw her, before finding her body in the dumpster behind Angelica's restaurant.It was a pleasant surprise to find Tricia's old enemy, Sheriff Wendy Adams, wasn't the officer who responded to the 911 call. Instead, a handsome officer, Captain Grant Baker, was in charge of the case, a professional who handled the investigation much more professionally than the sheriff ever did. Even so, Tricia felt obligated to find out why her old friend was killed.When she asked questions around town, Tricia found out about a whole other layer of society that she didn't know about, the working poor, who often went hungry or needed clothes. The Food Shelf and the adjoining Clothing Closet were there to help those residents of Stoneham. She was shocked to find some of her friends in need of their services, and, even worse, dumpster diving as "freegans," people who salvaged food, claiming too much food was wasted when people needed it. Anyone can pick up Bookplate Special, even if you haven't read earlier books in the series. But, those of us who have read previous books will appreciate the growth of the characters as personalities. We learn more about them, and watch developing, and changing, relationships. Tricia's romantic relationship changes, and, happily for most of us, there is a change in her relationship with the sheriff's department. Most of all, it's refreshing to watch Tricia continue to develop. Her eyes are opened to the situation around her, in this rough economy, when even some of the people she's closest to need help, and she was unaware. Barrett uses the food pantry, the Clothing Closet, and the freegans as essential components of the plot. But, these elements also point out the tough economy, and current social needs. Lorna Barrett continues to build the characters, the stores, and the setting in her Booktown Mystery series. Bookplate Special is the most enjoyable, and the most solid, successful story in the series yet. I'll be waiting for book four, Chapter and Hearse.