A Crafty Killing

Here's the first book I've finished reading during my recuperation:

A Crafty Killing is Lorraine Bartlett's first in her new Victoria Square Mystery series. It's in the cozy mystery genre - amateur protagonist, no violence on the page - and works wonderfully. Katie Bonner finds herself manager of Artisans Alley in Victoria Square, a fictional village in New York State, after her husband dies and his business partner shows up dead. She ends up figuring out the murder and improving the business prospects for Artisans Alley at the same time. The book is published by Berkley Prime Crime. As usual, Lorraine paints colorful, fleshed-out characters, places us in a delightful and sometimes spooky setting, and tells a great story. This promises to be series that leaves you eager for the next installment.

Lorraine also writes as Lorna Barrett. She has a very successful series -- that is, NYT Bestseller-kind of success -- the Booktown Mysteries, also published by Berkley. I've read all the currently published volumes and can't wait to read the next. And she has her Jeff Resnick series under the name LL Bartlett, which I haven't gotten to yet.

Lorraine's a busy woman - did I also mention she blogs daily at Dazed and Confused? I recommend anything she's written.