A Crafty Killing (A Victoria Square Mystery, #1) by Lorraine Bartlett

A Crafty Killing by Lorraine Bartlett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Crafty Killing is the first in the Victoria Square Mystery series, and if the first book is as good as the rest, this is going to be one wonderful series.

Katie Bonner is young, and had big dreams, dreams of a bed and breakfast for her and husband Chad, and he was on board, then he got into Artisan's Alley, which was an antique and craft market, although some vendors wanted no crafts and others did, it wasn't doing too well, but Chad saw visions for it. It created some in fighting between Chad and Katie, and just when it looked like she might be starting to listen to his thinking, he was killed in a car crash. Katie inherited Chad's part of Artisan's Alley and didn't really do anything with it, until the fateful day that Ezra, the owner of Artisans Alley was found dead, now Katie, still in shock and grief over losing Chad, is confronted with owning a whole building she resents, still feeling it caused Chad's death, and having to take over that building and make it work.

Along with trying to make the store profitable and a success, she has to mend some bridges with the community that Ezra burned, and she starts understanding Chad and his desire to get into this now, instead of waiting for the time when they could open a B&B, and trying to figure out what really happened to Ezra, only to find another dead body in the building. Now she really needs to know what is going on, and the one person that befriends her only turns out to be more and more involved in it all as she goes along. When will it end, will she ever figure it out, and will she quit resenting the building and let it become her dream?

I just wanted to hop in the book and hug Katie at times and at other times wanted to slap the whining little girl. I felt she was so wrapped up in the dream of the B&B, that she couldn't or wouldn't listen to Chad about other options and things that might actually be more their style and to their advantages than a B&B. I loved the twists and turns in the plot and how it all turned round in the end, it was not who you ever expected in the beginning, and still to the end it was not who I expected.

It was well-written and I found myself feeling like I was there, rooting for this town and the creative area of town, and just really even dreaming myself of where it could go and what it could become. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, really wanting to see where it goes and how it changes.

I hope that I was able to share enough to get you interested in the book, but not too much as to spoil the story for you, but I do hope you will take a chance and read this one, you won't be disappointed. Thanks!

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Sealed with a Kill (A Decoupage Mystery, #3)

Sealed with a Kill by Lucy Lawrence

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book Three of the decoupage mystery series is another excellent book set in the small village of Morse point.

On a walking tour of the lake, a number of visitors to Morse Point on a "Leaf Peepers" tour, lead by Brenna, find more  than just leaves, they discover a dead body.  At first Brenna thinks she will be able to walk away from it, but it turns out that the dead person is Tenley's father's business partner. Well, so much for leaving it alone and letting Chief Baker take care of this one.

Along with the investigating, we get to learn more about the characters in the book. We watch as Matt and Tenley continue to grow their relationship, and this time they are ready to stand up to Tenley's parents and not allow them to destory the relationship.

other relationships are also growing, the relationship between Nate and Brenna starts to change.

A great book, a great story and so exciting. Loved this whole series.



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Cut to the Corpse (A Decoupage Mystery, #2)

Cut to the Corpse by Lucy Lawrence

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Book two of the Decoupage Mystery finds all the same residents of Morse Point, including a few new members.

Jake Haywood and Tara Montgomery have just gotten engaged and somehow Brenna and Tenley have become friends of the bride-to-be. One night the girls head out for a bachorette party with some of Tara's friends, and although Tenley and Brenna go home early, the night gets wild. Brenna has to pick up Tara the next morning to met with tara's mom only to find Tara in bed with Jake's best friend Clue, and it gets even worse, Clue is dead.

Leave it to Brenna to stick her nose into the investigation and figure out the who and when and what.

The relationship between Brenna and Nate, and then Brenna and Dom are explored and see how they develop. Also, Matt and Tenley take the next step in their relationship, thanks to Brenna and actually go out on a date.

Of course it ends up being another well written and enjoyable book by the author. Ready to read the next.



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Stuck on Murder (A Decoupage Mystery, #1) by Lucy Lawrence

Stuck on Murder by Lucy Lawrence

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Author Jenn McKinlay, who writes the Cupcake Mystery Series and the Library Lovers Mystery series, is also the author of this, the Decoupage Mystery Series, although she writes it under the name of Lucy Lawrence. Since I had read the Cupcake Mystery Series and the Library Lovers, and enjoyed them very much, I looked for others by the same author.

Brenna Miller is a former big city gal, who has moved to the tiny village of Morse Point, where outsiders, no matter how long they have been there, are still not trusted. Nothing bad has happened in fifty years in Morse Point, until the Mayor is found in a trunk in the lake. There are those that want to blame Brenna, even though she had nothing to do with it, because she is an outsider, but even more want to blame her landlord, Nate Williams, who although he has been there for year is still an outsider.

Brenna has a hidden history that happened to her back in Boston, making her scared of an violence and untrusting of the police. We slowly learn this history in the book, and realize her fears and her motivation for investigating herself.

It is a well written book, and I enjoyed the story and the village of Morse Point. I look forward to reading books two and three to learn more about the town and the people. There are some real characters, and then there is a budding or smoldering romance between local Matt and Brenna's best friend Tenley, and Brenna's own attraction to her landlord, Nate Williams and Dom Cappicola, a former mob family man who is trying to take the family business legit.

So much to discover and enjoy.



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