Chapter & Hearse by Lorna Barrett (ARC)

Chapter & Hearse (A Booktown Mystery) by Lorna Barrett

Mystery bookstore owner Tricia Miles has been spending more time solving whodunits than reading them. Now a nearby gas explosion has injured Tricia's sister's boyfriend, Bob Kelly, the head of the Chamber of Commerce, and killed the owner of the town's history bookstore. Tricia's never been a fan of Bob, but when she reads that he's being tight-lipped about the "accident", it's time to take action. 

The book will be released on August 3rd.  Click on the link above to pre-order your copy today!

Welcome back to Stoneham (Booktown), New Hampshire, where every book lover’s dreams come true. A quiet slice of life with every type of bookstore imaginable. If you can’t find a book you like in this cozy little town, then there is definitely something wrong with you. Tricia and her two employees, Mr. Everett & Ginny, and of course her cat Miss Marple, continue to happily sell books at her store, Haven’t Got A Clue. Her sister Angelica owns the Cookery bookstore, a diner, and is now a published author about to embark on a book signing tour.

Unfortunately, Angelica’s signing in Stoneham is a bust, with no one showing up, not even her boyfriend Bob.  Tricia decides to hunt him down and give him a little piece of her mind, but before she can find him, an explosion occurs at History Repeats Itself, the town's history bookstore, destroying the building and most definitely killing Jim Roth, the owner.  Tricia is shocked when she sees Bob emerge from the ruins. He is being very tight-lipped about what he was doing there and what, if anything, he saw.  Now the question is, was Jim the only target? Did the killer want to take Bob out too, or was it just a case of wrong place, wrong time?  Tricia must once again put on her investigative hat, whittle down the list of suspects, and find out who killed Jim Roth. Is it the local store worker who was having a secret romance with Jim? His mother who was tired of bailing him out of one jam after another,  the cook at Angelica’s diner with a criminal history or the waitress with the bad attitude? Someone who was looking to collect on some gambling debts? Or even Bob himself so that he could collect the insurance money to pay the rent Jim hasn’t paid in months?

And while all this murder and mayhem is going on Angelica is wondering why Bob is being so distant, Ginny is struggling to hold onto her little cottage in the woods, Mr. Everett is having a tough time with the fact his lovely new wife has more money than him, and Tricia is dealing with the unwanted attention of her news reporter ex-boyfriend while wishing things with the Sherriff could get back on track. Chapter & Hearse is a light and enjoyable mystery, so if you’re looking for something fun and heartwarming you’ve found the right book. Author Lorna Barrett keeps the pace moving, and there is never a dull moment in the book. The ending is wonderfully sweet, and we are reminded of the proverbial expression about one chapter ending and another beginning.  Let me know when the next bus is heading out to Booktown because I will most definitely be on it!

FTC Full Disclosure ~ The author sent me the book in hopes I would review it.