Published by: Ingrid King. Last Updated on: February 2, 2023 by Crystal Uys
Sentenced to Death is the fifth in Lorna Barrett’s bestselling Booktown mystery series featuring Tricia Miles, the owner of the Haven’t Got a Clue mystery book store and her cat, Miss Marple. I’ve come to love this series, but even if I didn’t know anything about it, I would have picked this one up just for its pretty cover. A cat, books, and a summery background – those are definitely a few of my favorite things! And the book lives up to its cover: this is a perfect summer read.
It’s Founder’s Day in Stoneham and the whole village has turned out to celebrate in the square, including Tricia’s friend and festivities organizer Deborah Black. As everyone watches Deborah give the opening speech, a small aircraft crashes into the village gazebo, killing both Deborah and the pilot. While the Sheriff’s Department is convinced that it was an accident, Tricia has a feeling that there’s more to the story.
Tricia gets suspicious when Deborah’s husband doesn’t seem to spend any time grieving the loss of his wife and doesn’t even hold a funeral for her. Instead, he quickly sells The Happy Domestic, the store Deborah owned, to Nigela Racita Associates, a company that appears to be on a mission to take over the small town. A second death proves to Tricia that she is on to something, and she continues her investigation.
One of the most appealing aspects of reading a mystery series for me is the return of the same characters. To me, it’s like visiting with old friends in each new book. If you’ve read the previous four books, you already know and love Tricia, Miss Marple, Angelica, Tricia’s sister, cookbook author and owner of The Cookery, and captain Baker, Tricia’s love interest (or is he?). Miss Marple makes more frequent appearances in this book than she did in the previous ones, which added an additional element of reading pleasure for me. Even if you haven’t read the earlier books, you will like this one, but be forewarned: it’s going to almost certainly make you want to catch up and read the other four!
Sentenced to Death is a highly entertaining summer read with exciting plot twists, the most unique murder weapon of any cozy I’ve ever read, likeable characters, and a lovable feline. Pick up your copy (it will be released June 7), pour yourself a cold summer beverage of your choice, and enjoy this delightful cozy.
Lorna Barrett is a New York Times bestselling and Agatha Award nominated author. You can learn more about Lorna by visiting her website and her blog Dazed and Confused.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author.
Coming Wednesday: A guest post by Fred, Lorna Barrett’s cat!
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About the author
Ingrid King is an award-winning author, former veterinary hospital manager, and veterinary journalist who is passionate about cats.
