Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Sentenced to Death-Lorna Barrett

Sentenced to Death
Lorna Barrett
Berkley, Jun 7 2011, $7.99
ISBN: 9780425241868

Stoneham, New Hampshire celebrates the Founder’s Day weekend. Happy Domestic owner Deborah Black provides the welcoming speech. However, as she talks a small plane accidentally crashes in the gazebo where Deborah is giving her presentation. Deborah is killed.

The victim’s husband David immediately sells the store and refuses to see his toddler Davey. Grieving for the death of her friend, Tricia Miles, owner of the Haven't Got a Clue mystery bookstore, is stunned by the behavior of David and her mother Elizabeth Crane. Additionally someone is trashing the Happy Domestic. So unable to remain on the sidelines, Tricia investigates.

Sentenced to Death is am entertaining regional amateur sleuth (see Chapter and Hearse) as Deborah’s death seems like a horrific accident as no motive appears for anything otherwise. In fact the heroine investigates the odd reactive behavior of her late friend’s family rather than a death. With Angelica the sib and romantic hints besides Russ the stalking reporter, sub-genre fans will enjoy this fine New Hampshire mystery.

Harriet Klausner

No comments: