There are
days when Katie Bonner regrets taking over as manager of Artisan
Alley in Victoria Square. This is one of those days, only
worse. There’s been a fire at Wood U, and a murder victim
found inside. Things are hot in the square due to a protracted
heat wave and tempers are flaring. Because she is the head
of the Merchant’s Association, it’s up to Katie
to try to cool the hotheads off.
Dennis Wheeler, the owner of Wood U,
is probably the victim, but there has been no formal identification
made. There are newcomers to the square as well. The Webster
mansion, recently sold to a couple of men who plan to restore
it and transform it into an inn, suffers a break-in, and the
men are nervous about the possibility that the fire at Wood
U was arson. Despite the fact that they are about to embark
on Katie’s dream with their plans for the inn, Katie
wants to see them succeed.
Here is what we know so far: the Wood
U had a fire and had a body inside. Katie’s having issues
with her vendors in Artisan Alley, and issues with the merchants
in the Association. The person who died at Wood U may or may
not have been the owner. Katie feels it is up to her to solve
all of this, yet she’s getting nowhere fast.
While
I’ve enjoyed both of the previous books in this series,
and gave a positive review to The Walled Flower,
I wasn’t as impressed with “One Hot Murder.”
The pace was slow, almost plodding, and with the identity
of the victim uncertain for so long, I found that I didn’t
care who was dead or who had killed the victim. The protagonist,
Katie, seemed unable to resolve her own problems let alone
uncover a killer. If you are a die-hard fan of the series,
please, buy a copy and read it. There’s a chance you
may read it and, with a different pair of eyes, you might
find a better story.
Reviews
of other titles in this series
The
Walled Flower #2
One
Hot Murder #3
Dead,
Bath and Beyond #4
Yule
Be Dead
#5
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