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 enlarge | Author: Lorna Barrett
Publisher: Berkley
Category: Book
List Price: $6.99
Buy New: $3.26
You Save: $3.73 (53%)
New (32) from $3.26
Avg. Customer Rating:  30 reviews
Sales Rank: 2216
Media: Mass Market Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 6.7 x 4.1 x 0.6
ISBN: 0425219585
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780425219584
ASIN: 0425219585
Publication Date: April 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: GREAT BUY!Brand New From US Distributor! WE ARE A 5 STAR SELLER with OVER 3,500,000 BOOKS SOLD!!! OVER ~ 600,000 FEEDBACKS ~ POSTED!!!
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| Customer Reviews:
 Enjoyable book June 22, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I really enjoyed this book. This is the 1st in this new series. I will read the next book in series when it is out.
Found this title most...... June 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
enjoyable and am looking forward to the next title in this series.
Having read most, but not all, of the previous reviews, I have to say that I do agree with some of the comments with regard to awkward phrasing,
punctuation, etc. Add to that my own discomfort with Tricia's inner thoughts and feelings about her sister, and hoping that the author sees fit to alter what appears to me to be a "changing-for-the-better" relationship between the sisters, I still maintain my 5-star rating.
I loved the town and all the possibilities that exist for this series to grow on...especially Ms. Sheriff who must learn to control herself, as well as follow the law or leave it!! Loved Miss Marple tremendously, feel as though Angelica will grow in a positive way, as will Tricia, and
as for her two employees, well, for me they just saved the day on all heartwarming levels.....
And for someone who donates her books, I loved the cover artwork enough to keep this one on my shelf...
Other recommendations: Julie Hyzy's State of the Onion, Mary Jane Maffini-check amazon.com for her series'; Deb Baker, Michele Martinez,
David Rosenfelt, Lee Child, Harlan Coben. ENJOY
 A New Book on Murder May 27, 2008
11 out of 12 found this review helpful
Tricia Miles has found life in Stoneham to be a nice change from life in the big city. The historic down town area consists of nothing but bookstores, and running her own mystery bookstore has been a real joy.
But one fall day things change from good to bad. First, her sister Angelica shows up for an unannounced, extended visit. The two sisters have a strained relationship, and Tricia can't wait until she leaves.
Much worse, however, is finding the body of Doris Gleason. Doris owned the cookbook shop next door to Tricia's. She could be quarrelsome, but she didn't deserve to die. Tricia immediately notices that the antique cookbook Doris had just acquired is missing. Was theft the motive? Or was it something more sinister?
I'm of two minds about this debut. On the one hand, I loved it and the setting. What reader wouldn't love the idea of a town devoted to bookstores? And the little details of the book made me smile every time they showed up on the page. The plot twisted in a couple surprising directions. Angelica and Tricia have a complicated relationship, and I could identify with both of them at the same time. And Tricia's employee Ginny and regular customer Mr. Everett are both a delight as well.
On the other hand, this debut had some flaws. The rest of the characters are a little flat. In fact, the characters I already mentioned could be flat at times as well. The ending is too abrupt. While logical, it needed more time to be fully developed. Finally, the writing is okay, but it was often awkward, forcing me to backtrack and reread stuff to make sure I understood.
In the end, I did enjoy the book enough to give the sequel a chance. Hopefully, the problems will be ironed out as the series progresses.
Great series! May 27, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Lorna Barrett creates a wonderful cast of characters in a cozy place most readers would like to visit, a comfortable mystery bookstore. Murder Is Binding, Barrett's first book in the series, makes us care about Tricia Miles and her sister, who's her opposite, and the people who inhabit Tricia's store. The mystery keeps us guessing and caring. I can't wait for Barrett's next book in the series.
June Shaw, author of RELATIVE DANGER
Satisfactory cozy mystery May 26, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
Summary
Tricia Miles, a 30-something recent divorcee, moves to New Hampshire to open a mystery bookstore and get a fresh start. Much to Tricia's chagrin, her beautiful, wealthy, charming sister, Angelica comes for a visit. As if dealing with her sister was not troublesome enough, Tricia stumbles onto the murder of a fellow bookstore owner, Doris Gleason, who was well-known for her disagreeable nature. Soon, Tricia finds herself as the #1 suspect for Doris' murder. Only her sleuthing skills will save the day!
Kudos
The murder happens right away. Although this is the first book in the series, Barrett sets up the background and conflict quickly. Barrett's writing is lean and the story moves along quickly.
Criticisms
The characters are extremely unoriginal. They're nearly direct knock-offs of Laura Childs' teashop series. The sibling rivalry thing has been a little done-to-death in cozy mysteries, too.
Finally, when Angelica turns out to be a gourmet cook, it's so contrived that it jarred me out of the story. It literally made me think, "The only reason this character is a cook is because the publisher wanted to print recipes at the back of the book."
This is an adequate book if you've read everything by your favorite authors. If there's no improvement in the next book, I'll give up on this series.
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