Review: Bookplate Special

Title: Bookplate Special
Author: Lorna Barrett
Listening Time: 8 hours and 24 minutes
Challenges: Cozy Mystery Challenge
Rating: 3/5

Summary from Goodreads:

Tricia Miles, owner of Haven’t a Clue mystery bookstore, is still settling into Stoneham, New Hampshire, the kind of town where everybody knows your name—and where everyone’s quick to lend a hand, even when murder is afoot . . .

The kinder folks of Stoneham might call Pammy Fredericks a free spirit. The less kind, a freeloading thief. Tricia has put up—and put up with—her uninvited college roommate for weeks. In return, Pammy, has stolen $100, among other things. But the day she’s kicked out, Pammy’s found dead in a dumpster, leaving loads of questions unanswered. Like what was she foraging for? Did her killer want it too? To piece the case together, Tricia will have to dive in head-first.…

I thought that this third book in the Booktown cozy mystery series started off a bit slower than the first two books.  I had a bit of a harder time getting involved in the mystery, and I found that I didn't like the murder victim or a few of the newer characters introduced.  It made it more difficult for me to listen.  However, about a third of the way through the book, it began to pick up pace and I became more intrigued.

I had a much more difficult time figuring out who the criminal was in Bookplate Special.  This one really kept me guessing, and I had about five or six different theories, and of course they were all wrong.  When the true killer was revealed I was shocked.  Never once did I suspect this person of any crime.

This series has really renewed by interest in cozy mysteries.  I've been checking out the Berkley publishing website, looking at the different cozy mysteries that they published and I'm really intrigued.  This has always been a genre that I've thought about reading, but up until this past year, I've never really looked any further.  I'm so glad that my library had this series on audio because it really opened my eyes.

I already have the next book in the series downloaded and ready to go as soon as I finish Baby, Drive South.  Book five is on hold!  I'll probably have the whole series caught up in the next week or so depending on how long book five takes to get to me.  I think I'll use my audible credit for book six library doesn't have it yet.

Have you read any good cozies lately, or know of any other series that I might enjoy?