Today I'm joining 

Berkley Mystery 

in celebrating the release of  

HANDBOOK FOR HOMICIDE

Book 14 in the Booktown Mysteries

by Lorna Barrett

Tricia Miles must swim against the tide to catch a killer when Haven't Got A Clue's assistant manager is accused of murder in the latest entry to Lorna Barrett's New York Times bestselling Booktown series.

Haven't Got A Clue bookshop owner Tricia Miles's relationship is on the rocks. After a not-so-fun vacation with her on-again-off-again lover, Marshall Cambridge, Tricia's hoping for smooth sailing back in Stoneham. Unfortunately Booktown greets her not with blue skies but with another body.

When Tricia's assistant manager, Pixie, finds homeless vet Susan Morris's body behind Haven't Got A Clue, Pixie's checkered past makes her the prime suspect. Tricia sets out to clear Pixie's name armed with only an anchor insignia earring found at the scene of the crime.

As Tricia digs deeper she discovers Susan was involved in a scandal right before retiring from the Navy—but since nobody in the village knows Susan, even Tricia's one lead is in danger of drying up. With family drama brewing in the background and all of Stoneham convinced her manager is a murderer, Tricia knows she has to get to the bottom of the case soon before Pixie's life is sunk.

Releases July 21 in hardcover

Pre-order yours today!

No Place To Live

When Susan Morris is found dead in the dumpster behind Haven’t Got a Clue, Tricia Miles’s vintage mystery bookstore, it’s assumed that she died while digging through the garbage--especially after Tricia’s assistant, Pixie Poe, announces that Susan lived in her car.

People have really got to be down on their luck to have to live in their car, right? Well, maybe not. According to Pixie, who might not have been considered Susan’s friend, but they were acquaintances and Susan confided in her.

It turns out that quite a few people actually live in their cars—and it’s by choice. To save money, to be able to afford to travel, and/or just to live a minimal life free of possessions. For Susan, it was a little of each.

But there are drawbacks to that kind of life, too. And for Susan, it was fatal, because she wasn’t dumpster diving when she died, she was murdered. And it looks like it’s up to Tricia to find out why.

What is it that drives Tricia to relentlessly search for the truth when she stumbles across a homicide? In this instance, she’s worried that because of Pixie’s checkered past, the authorities might not look too hard when it comes to finding an alternate suspect in Susan’s death. And as she begins to look into Susan’s past, there are sinister reasons for someone else to have wanted to see her dead.

Check out my website to read an excerpt of the book.  https://bit.ly/38VHG3w

While you’re there, why not sign up for my online newsletter where you’ll find info on all my releases, events, and giveaways under all my mystery-genre names (they would be Lorna Barrett, Lorraine Bartlett, and L.L. Bartlett),. Leave your complete (including apartment number, etc.) snail mail address, and I’ll send you an assortment of bookmarks.

The immensely popular Booktown Mystery series is what put Lorraine Bartlett’s pen name Lorna Barrett on the New York Times Bestseller list, but it’s her talent -- whether writing as Lorna, or L.L. Bartlett, or Lorraine Bartlett—that keeps her in her reader’s hearts. This multi-published, Agatha-nominated author also pens the exciting Jeff Resnick Mysteries as well as the acclaimed Victoria Square and Lotus Bay Mystery series, and the Tales of Blythe Cove Manor, and has many short stories and novellas to her name(s).

Wow, how are we already up to number fourteen in the Booktown Mysteries? It seems like just last week when my sister handed me her copy of book one. I’ve seen a lot of growth in most of the characters in this series (With the exception of lead character, Tricia, who I have never clicked with), and major twists in these past fourteen tales. It’s really no wonder this series is as popular as it is.

HANDBOOK FOR HOMICIDE is a perfect installment to the Booktown Mysteries. Returning fans will not be disappointed in the storyline, or the amount of twists and turns it will take to get to the bottom of a murder. Indeed, you’ll have a great time on this journey with Tricia, and will not expect the ending.

Thanks to, HANDBOOK FOR HOMICIDE, I think you’ll really enjoy your fourteenth trip to Booktown, and will leave wanting to book your trip for a fifteenth visit!  

As always, please leave a comment and 

let me know what you think!

Follow my blog by submitting your email in 

upper right hand corner of this page (on the side bar).

Reading from your phone? Scroll to the bottom of your page and click"View web version". Then follow the above directions.