A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett

Cover Illustration by Chris Beatrice
Cover Design by Annette Fiore Defex

FIRST IN A BRAND NEW SERIES!
A VICTORIA SQUARE MYSTERY

A Berkley Prime Crime Mystery

A Division of Penguin Publishing

Release Date:  February 1, 2011

• ISBN-10: 0425239853
• ISBN-13: 978-0425239858

Artisans Alley is the cornerstone of Victoria Square. It is an old applesauce warehouse renovated into a collection of booths for  artists and craft dealers to sell their wares.   Because her husband emptied their savings account to become a partner in this business Kate Bonner's dream of buying a huge Victorian House down the street and turning it into a Bed & Breakfast are put on hold.

Then her husband dies in a freak car accident and she becomes the business parter of Ezra Hilton.  She keeps her job at an insurance company and lets Ezra run the Alley.  Hopefully she can recoup her investment and still open her B&B.

This plan goes awry when Ezra Hilton is found dead at the bottom of a staircase at the Artisan's Alley.  It's ruled a homicide by blunt force trauma and a bloody mess.  This means Kate has no choice but to manage the Alley and she learns that the place is in serious financial trouble. Can she turn the place around and make it profitable? Was the financial status of the business enough to drive someone to murder?  Does that mean she is working side by side with the killer?  Why is it taking so long for the police to solve this crime. These are all the questions that push Kate into doing a little investigating of her own. Adding the question is she putting herself in danger? Of course she is, it's a cozy mystery.

I rarely say I LOVE the first book in a series because I feel you have to get to know the characters and the setting and usually the debut story just really breaks the ice and starts to get you involved  in the characters and their lives with a good mystery thrown in.  That being said this author is a master storyteller and she pulled me in and wouldn't let go.  Everything you want in a cozy mystery is found in this story in the perfect amounts.  The plot is genuine and authentic. The characters are real and believable. The setting is delightful. Victorian Square is a place you will want to visit again and again.  I can tell already this is going to be an incredibly fun series, one you won't want to miss!

Be sure to check out Lorraine's Blog too.

I am going to let you in on a secret you will find out when you visit Lorraine's blog.  She is also the author of the wonderful books below and if you love the series as much as I do I can guarantee you are going to love the book reviewed above.

Your Escape With A Good Book Travel Agent

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Berkley Prime Crime,  a Division of Penguin Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”