Just when things are getting back to normal in Booktown, Tricia and Angelica have their lives turned upside down by a shocking visitor from their past in this cozy mystery in the New York Times bestselling series. Tricia Miles, mystery bookstore owner and amateur sleuth, is in for a surprise when her ne’er-do-well father, John, comes to town—and promptly becomes a prime suspect in the murder of a … suspect in the murder of a woman with her own scandalous past. Even Tricia’s faith in the old man is shaken when the Stoneham police break the news that her father is a known con man who has done jail time.
But what about bestselling thriller author Steven Richardson? Is it a coincidence that he arrived for a book signing just before the crime or that the victim was found with a signed copy of his latest bestseller?
From merlot to murder, Tricia is determined to clear the family name before another body shows up and ruins Stoneham’s first—and highly anticipated—wine and jazz festival.
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
We return to Booktown just in time for bestselling thriller author Steven Richardson’s book signing at Haven’t Got A Clue. Tricia is totally surprised when her dad walks into the signing. He left abruptly his last visit owing a lot of money. Before she has time to worry about him the signing is over and her dad has disappeared. Tricia and Angelica lock up the store and head to the Dog Eared Page for a drink, but see something down the street, a hardcover copy of Steven Richardson’s new book. Tricia picks up the book and looks around and discovers a body. It is Carol Talbot. She was at the signing and had altercations with both her father and Steven. This can’t be good. Both men are going to be prime suspects.
I love this series! Tricia, Angelica, Pixie Poe, and Mr. Everett always make me feel right at home. All the characters are expertly crafted and continue to evolve. Tricia is renovating her space above her store after a fire. Angelica’s businesses are thriving. Pixie Poe is getting married and Mr. Everett and his wife Grace are blissfully happy. The Miles sisters learn more about their dad’s past and their mother comes to visit too. With Tricia and Miss Marple already displaced from their home due to the construction, Angelica just having her loft and most of the other lodging in the town full, it becomes a funny juggling act to accommodate everyone. What I like the best though is the way these sisters work together, take care of each other, and still try to everything they can for their friends and Booktown.
This story is filled with plenty of drama too. The girl’s father goes missing and just when they track him down his is gone again. He really isn’t a nice man. Their mother has taken care of him forever but she had enough and kicked him out. He takes terrible advantage of his daughters and even their friends.
Then, of course, there is the murder and then another murder. Could their father really have killed someone? The victim has a dark past, could the killer know her from then? Twists, turns, spins, this story has it all. The author sets a fast pace and doesn’t let up until all has been revealed.
Lorna Barrett continues to delight me with her writing. Strong characters and fantastic stories. I am excited about the next installment, Poisoned Pages, it releases next month.
Just when things are getting back to normal in Booktown, Tricia and Angelica have their lives turned upside down by a shocking visitor from their past in this latest entry in Lorna Barrett’s New York Times bestselling series. Another winner!
A Just Clause is #11 in this series,(The Booktown Mystery series), but it is still a fresh take on the characters–as they develop and grow through the series– and the town. It is a series that works best if read in order to get the most comprehensive view of the characters. The dysfunctional relationships between the sisters and parents to daughter are working towards a unity of sorts, the murder is as twisty as the relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed this read!
I love Stoneham and the wonderful businesses Lorna Barrett created. Sounds like a great place to be (without the dead bodies). Wish I could attend the Wine and Jazz festival.
Tricia is doing renovations to her apartment on top of her bookstore Haven’t Got A Clue. How long before they will be finished?
Tricia and Angelica find the body of a woman who had just attended the author book signing at her mystery bookstore.
Tricia also finds out just what a con artist her dad really is, but is he capable of murder as well? Can her mom and dad find a way to reconcile?
Welcome back to Stoneham where murders seem to occur and Tricia is the one to find the bodies.
A mystery with twists, suspects, more than one murder and layers of information to dig through.
I always feel like I am back with friends during my visit to Stoneham. The writing of Lorna Barrett always makes me feel as if i am right there with Tricia, Angelica and friends flaws and all.
Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley/Penguin Random House for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Thank you Lorna Barrett for another wonderful read!
I enjoy this series. The sisters Tricia and Angela have bonded despite a disfunctional childhood. This book begins a bonding of this crazy family while Tricia, known as the town jinx because she keeps finding bodies, gets involved in yet another murder.
A good cozy.
It was an enjoyable read… as a fan of librarians everywhere, and of good food, it was fun. Thought the plot dragged a bit in the middle, but it picked up again.
Quite the plot, leaving the reader wondering about each of the characters.
Can they be taken a face value?
Are they lying?
Which of the revelations are actually important?
I love this series of books! The characters become your friends
A Just Clause is book 11 in the Booktown Mystery Series by Lorna Barrett. Although some details about the about the characters can be better understood by reading the previous books in the series this book can be enjoyed as a stand alone mystery. A Just Clause picks up just a few months after book 10 (Title Wave). Tricia once again is involved in finding a dead body, continuing her nickname of the village jinx. While dealing with her living space being renovated, Tricia is having to deal with some new and unsettling information about her father and her parents separation. Can Tricia and her sister Angelica help their parent reconcile? Can the sisters get past finding out about their father’s past and their mother’s refusal to put past issues behind her? Will Tricia once again get involved in the investigation and can she keep out of harm’s way
My favorite characters are the main characters-Tricia and Angelica Miles. The sisters although successful business women do not have perfect lives which makes them more realistic. Their family issues make the sisters more relatable. Mrs. Barrett added enough red herrings in the story to keep you guess until the end of the book. In addition to the mystery of a murder or two, Tricia and Angelica are having to deal with some upsetting new about their father. Angelica continuously has to make restitution for their father’s “borrowing” and their mother has thrown Mr. Miles out and is refusing to take him back. As much as I like the sisters I find it hard to root for a reconciliation between them and their parents. However I was pleasantly surprised at the ending. I can’t wait to to see what happens in the next book with the family and how Tricia’s renovation turns out. I would definitely recommend this book to mystery lovers.
Great book as usual
always a good time, great author. Lots of fun, easy and fast read.
In this 11th book of the series Tricia is hosting a book signing for author Steven Richardson who she met on a cruise in the previous book. During the signing not only does Tricia’s father show up bringing more issues for the sisters but local Carol Talbot slaps a couple of the guest. When the signing is over Tricia and her sister head out for a drink to discuss their father. On the way to the bar they discover the body of Carol Talbot and the whodunit begins. The sisters father being one of the people that Carol had slapped lends to worry about where he disappeared to in the middle of the signing. Tricia also wonders what reason Carol had to slap author Steven Richardson. Did one of the two kill her and if so why? During the search for who could have killed Carol, Tricia learns her father isn’t the man that she has always known him to be and wonders if she should reveal what she knows to her sister. Barrett delivers an engaging and cleverly plotted book. The reader is drawn in from the beginning and the story flowed well the rest of the way through. I quite enjoyed how she brought the relationship that the main character has with both parents to a head throughout the series and with this book to a bit of a resolve. I would definitely recommend this series and look forward to future books.