Lorna Barrett's Booktown Mystery, Book 11, "A Just Clause"

Well, this is the 11th book in the series and what an emotional book for me. I have felt such a connection to Tricia Miles throughout these books. I figured it out with this one. It's her lack of connection with her Mom. She loves her, but she has felt alienated and hurt by her all her life. While for totally different reasons, I felt the same. So her character resonates strongly for me.

In this book, Tricia is waiting on the major renovations to her apartment above the bookstore to be finished. The noise from said renovations is driving away customers as well as making her, Pixie Poe her assistant and Mr. Everett her long time friend and employee feel the stress from noise and dust. Her poor cat, Miss Marple, is hiding in a cat carrier in fear because of the noise and Tricia finally has to leave her at the Bungalow she is staying in at the Brookside Inn. She fears it will be another 2 months before she can move home. And we open with a book signing from author Steven Richardson, whom she met on the cruise to Bermuda back in January (Title Wave). Only the author is late and people are getting restless as they wait for his arrival. The weather is stormy and pouring down rain, so Tricia is hoping he hasn't had an accident on the way from Boston to Stoneham.

Angelica and Tricia have their hands full in this book, between a death just after the book signing, and their father showing back up in town after leaving them in the lurch months before with unpaid bills all over town and stealing antiques from Angelica's B and B, Sheer Comfort Inn, they are not happy to see him back. The humor comes from Angelica's cook at the Booked for Lunch Café who is growing Zucchini and discovers how prolific the crop is when you grow zucchini. She is coming up with all kinds of recipes to help get rid of the over abundance of the large green squash. I really got a laugh over this because I too have had this experience with how prolific zucchini really is.

Another wonderful story full of twists and turns. I feel for both of the sisters with the added pressures put on them by their parents. But love how they handle it all with their usual style and aplomb!

"A Just Clause" is available on Amazon at this link! And be prepared, book 12 comes out on July 10th, 2018! I can't wait! I will have a review up the minute I finish reading the book!