The Walled Flower
Victoria Square Mystery # 2
Lorraine Bartlett

Berkley Prime Crime
Feb 2012/ ISBN: 978-0-425-24616-0
Mystery/Cozy

Reviewed by Laura Hinds

Katie Bonner has been working her fingers to the bone in order to get the business she inherited after both her husband and his partner died within months of each other out of the red. Artisans Alley featured custom artisanship by local artists as well as local crafts people who make lower-end items. Striking a balance between the two camps is not easy. Yet as Katie is about to find out, it's a lot easier than suddenly being thrust into the role as bridesmaid for an acquaintance, trying to find a new place to live, and oh yes, the little matter of discovering the bones of a long-missing woman and attempting to find out who killed her.

Rose Nash, who has a jewelry booth in Artisans Alley, is the aunt of the late Heather Winston. Heather had disappeared 22 years ago, and now her remains have been found walled up inside the empty Webster mansion. The mansion had recently been sold, and with it Katie's hopes and dreams to buy it herself one day and run it as a B&B. Between the finality of Rose's loss and the death of Katie's dreams, the case becomes personal to her, and Katie pushes the envelope of caution while trying to smoke out the murderer.

This is the second book in the Victoria Square Mystery series, following A Crafty Killing. I've had the pleasure of reading both, and while each is fine as a stand-alone story, the two complement each other nicely. There are eclectic characters in The Walled Flower, ranging from a hometown film director who made it big to vendors at the Artisan Artistry who show their temperamental natures. Rather than a plethora of suspects in the case, it is hard to find a sufficient motive for murder amongst those on the list. Especially after two more killings take place in a rapid manner. Whodunnit? I wasn't sure until the very end.

Those who enjoy a cozy mystery with an interesting setting, relationships that are growing in each book, and a protagonist who aches to follow her dreams will love this book. There's a bit of a romance in the works here, lots of mouthwatering food mentioned, and even some recipes in the back of the book. Overall, I'd say this is a must-read for fans of Lorraine Bartlett who also writes as Lorna Barrett.

Reviews of other titles in this series

The Walled Flower #2
One Hot Murder #3
Dead, Bath and Beyond #4
Yule Be Dead #5