ARC Review: A Just Clause by Lorna Barrett

“This book is not what I expected.”
~ Under the Covers

A JUST CLAUSE is the eleventh book in the Booktown Mystery series but it’s the first book that I’m trying from this author. I had some pretty high expectations going into this book because it is such a popular series and I have to say that this book is not what I expected.

While I do think the mystery is fun and moves at a good pace, it wasn’t something that I was fully invested in. I think there were two main reasons for this. The first reason is because even though Mysteries can be read as standalones, I wasn’t completely sold on the main heroine of the story. Tricia is a very likeable character but she and her sister can be a little over the top. Tricia finds a dead body and the prime suspect is her father. For some reason, she didn’t seem overly concerned about it. It almost felt like she was just finding out the news about a stranger instead. I didn’t feel the worry or urgency that I would expect a daughter to have when she learns her father is in danger.

The second thing I found disconcerting is the dialogue. I read a lot of books but I honestly never hear anyone talking like they do in this series. It’s quite formal and actually not very believable to me. But since I didn’t find it entirely cringe-worthy, I could ignore it. I guess I just have to get used to the cheery attitude that these characters have because it seems so odd to have that in a murder mystery.

Regardless, I am looking forward to reading more from Lorna Barrett. Perhaps if I start at the beginning of the series, I can come to understand Tricia and the gang a bit better.

[about-author author=”Lorna Barrett”]

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