A Crafty Killing

Victoria Square Mystery, Book 1

By: Lorraine Bartlett

Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie

The last thing Katie Bonner wanted was to become the manager of Artisans Alley. But when her business partner, Ezra Hilton, is found bludgeoned to death, she has no other choice.

Business under Ezra had been faltering - but was it enough to provoke someone to murder? Only Katie can find the answer.

While the cops are proceeding by the book, Katie is investigating by the booths - for the answer to the killer's identity lies in the hidden secrets of Artisans Alley itself.

©2011 Lorraine Bartlett (P)2015 Tantor

Critic reviews

" A Crafty Killing begins with a bang!" ( Romance Readers Connection)

Fun and Enjoyable

What did you love best about A Crafty Killing?

The quirky characters and the craft cooperative.

What was one of the most memorable moments of A Crafty Killing?

Katie trying to deal with being majority owner of Artisans Alley and the people she has to deal with.

Any additional comments?

Well written book and really enjoy the characters being brought to life by the narrator.

I liked the ending

Story was very slow at times. It needed more action. Story was good. Ending was a surprise.

Creative premise on a cozy mystery

This is a really creative premise with a place for artists to sell their works, Artisans Alley. Ezra, the owner, gets pushed down the stairs, forcing the young widow Katie, whose last husband had invested in the alley and thus is a minor partner with Ezra, to have to take over.

I really enjoyed reading about the various characters and their lives. I also liked the way the police are not treated as dumb but given real lives and are real people.

This is a fun book that I recommend and look forward to the next in the series!

A crafty and artsy tale

I like the setting for this story - in an artsy, crafty small town. And there are cats, of course, so it's all good. Except the murders, they're never good ... but the bad guys always get caught in this wonderful world of fiction.

Good New Mystery

A Crafty Killing: Victoria Square Mystery: Book 1 got Lorraine Bartlett’s new series off to a good start. The mystery was engaging, drew me into the story and kept me there. I liked the characters. Katie grew on me as the story progressed. I especially liked the Victoria Square/Artisan co-op theme. The rebuilding of the business aspect was interesting, as was Katie’s dealing with artists and crafters. The story ended around holiday time, which made it a good December listen for me. It was definitely a good book. I’ll be interested in the continuing series.