The Walled Flower
Author: Lorraine Bartlett
Publisher: Penguin Group/Berkley
Pub. Date: February 7, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0425246160
Pages: 304
Digital Price: $7.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
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If Katie Bonner’s late husband hadn’t invested all their savings in the crafts fair Artisans Alley, the Webster mansion could have been hers to remodel into a bed-and-breakfast. Instead that dream belongs to another young couple. But that dream becomes a nightmare when a skeleton is discovered sealed in the walls of the mansion. The bones belong to Heather Winston, who went missing twenty-two years ago. Heather’s aunt, a jewelry vendor at Artisans Alley, asks Kate for help finding her niece’s murderer. The case may be cold, but the killer is very much alive-and ready to go to any lengths to keep past secrets buried…

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REVIEW

Katie Bonner puts her envy behind her and welcomes Janice and Toby Ryan to the group of merchants in Victoria Square. The Ryans are renovating an old mansion into a Bed and Breakfast, which was Katie had longed to do before her late husband used the money they had saved for the purchase of the home to invest in Artisan’s Alley, a craft marketplace.

However, the new owners of the mansion are in for a shock when the renovation process uncovers a skeleton hidden in one of the walls. When the skeleton is identified as belonging to the niece of Katie’s friend Rose, Katie gives into Rose’s plea to look into the murder. Katie is already overloaded with work, but she can’t turn her friend down and soon is embroiled in the age-old murder mystery that seems to be hitting someone a little too close to home.

Katie is a character with too much on her plate. She is still struggling to learn to manage Artisan’s Alley and deal with issues between some of the crafters, and now is not only a reluctant matron of honor for an acquaintance, but also a reluctant detective. I think most of us can relate to Katie. She wants to help others, so she takes on more and more and then complains when she starts feeling overwhelmed. However, reading about it can get a little old, and I wish she would learn to “Just Say No.” However, once Katie commits to something, she gives it her all, whether it’s keeping the craft mall running smoothly, planning a last minute bridal shower, or questioning suspects to get to the truth about Heather’s murder.

Katie’s relationship with pizza chef Andy Rust is a major part of the book, and normally I love a little romance mixed in with my mysteries. Unfortunately, I have mixed feelings about Andy. I don’t know if this is the way the author has intended to portray Andy, but to me he comes across somewhat pushy and arrogant taking advantage of Katie’s difficulty finding a new apartment to convince her to move in with him. At other times, he just seems clueless and I wonder how much he really cares about Katie. For every nice thing he does, he turns around and does something completely thoughtless. He is a hard-worker, but to the point of being a workaholic and never seems to be around for Katie’s adventures in detecting. Maybe I have misread Andy, but I’m not sure he’s the right match for Katie.

I think this series has promise. The mystery of Heather’s disappearance and murder is interesting and Katie is a thorough investigator. I enjoy reading about the day-to-day operation of the craft mall. There are a variety of represented and different types of characters, which adds to the appeal of the book. I’m a little surprised that while the book takes place at a craft mall, there are no detailed projects included. However, there are a couple of recipes that tie back to the story at the end of the book. There is room for improvement in the characters, but I care about them enough to be curious what lies ahead for Katie, her relationship with Andy, the craft mall, as well as Katie’s dream of owning a bed and breakfast. Fans of Laura Childs or Margaret Grace will enjoy the setting, Katie’s determination, and the assorted crafters that make up the cast of characters in this series.

Rating: 3.5 (Good – Recommend)

Reviewed by Christine K.

Clobbered by Camembert
Author: Avery Aames
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Pub. Date: February 7, 2012
ISBN-13: 978-0425245873
Pages: 305
Digital Price: $7.99
Print Retail Price: $7.99
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Charlotte Bessette–proprietor of Fromagerie Bessette, affectionately known in Providence, Ohio, as the Cheese Shop–is busy setting up her tent for the town’s Winter Wonderland faire, where she’ll offer fine wines and scrumptious cheeses. In the midst of the preparations, Charlotte meets an old friend of her mother, Kaitlyn Clydesdale, who has come back to Providence with plans to start a new honeybee farm.

When Kaitlyn is found dead in the cottage of Charlotte’s assistant Rebecca, suspicion falls on Rebecca’s boyfriend, a honeybee farmer himself. Charlotte knows this beekeeper wouldn’t hurt a fly, so she decides to find the real killer. While the town buzzes with gossip, can Charlotte catch the culprit without getting stung herself?

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REVIEW

Cheese shop proprietress Charlotte Bessette, her business partner Matthew, and her assistant Rebecca have their hands full preparing for Providence, Ohio’s annual Winter Wonderland faire. The trio has been working long hours and has even enlisted the help of family and friends in an attempt to prepare for the mass of tourists that’s expected, so the last thing any of them needs is a distraction. A distraction they get, however, in the form of Kaitlyn Clydesdale: a cutthroat businesswoman who blows into town with plans to build a new honeybee farm right next door to the one owned by Rebecca’s boyfriend Ipo – and whose business partner is none other than Charlotte’s slimy ex-fiancé Chip.

Kaitlyn wastes no time making enemies in Providence, but when she’s found murdered in the living room of Rebecca’s cottage, Ipo quickly becomes the prime suspect. Ipo swears he’s innocent of the crime and claims to have an alibi, but the police remain unconvinced. Can Charlotte find the time to catch Kaitlyn’s real killer, or will Ipo go down for a crime he didn’t commit?

Clobbered by Camembert is the third in Avery Aames’ Cheese Shop Mystery series. This, like Aames’ other Cheese Shop tales, has a lot going for it: a charming small-town atmosphere, a whole host of viable murder suspects, and last, but certainly not least, CHEESE. Unfortunately, while I liked Clobbered by Camembert better than the previous two installments, I still don’t think it lives up to its full potential. The setup is promising, but the murder is implausible, there’s not enough action, and what little drama there is feels both manufactured and overwrought. Add to that a bloated plot, a slow pace, and muddy, overly descriptive prose, and you have a book that (to me, anyway) feels too long by half.

Charlotte is a fairly winsome heroine, and her interactions with her ex-fiancé (and inner turmoil regarding his return to town) give her character a nice depth and complexity. The supporting cast, however, is too large and is comprised almost entirely of overly quirky characters with ridiculous names, making the whole book feel a bit like the circus has come to town. One or two oddballs would be understandable – even the smallest of villages has its share of weird – but Aames went overboard when she populated Providence and it ultimately detracts from her fictional world rather than adding to it.

Aames has no shortage of fans, and her books have garnered her plenty of nominations and awards; after three books, though, I’m forced to admit that her writing just isn’t for me.

Rating: 3.5 (Good – Recommend)

Reviewed by Kat