A Murder, A Mother-in-Law, and More in “Yule Be Dead”

In Yule Be Dead by Lorraine Bartlett, Katie Bonner is preparing for Christmas at Artisans Alley in Victoria Square when she visits the local tea shop and is offered the place for sale by Francine Barnett, who co-owns the place with her daughter, Vonne, but has been stuck running it by herself since Vonne lost interest a few months before. Then Francine gets word that Vonne is dead. Though the police try to let people believe she was killed in a car accident, it doesn’t take long for the rumor mill that is Victoria Square to figure out that Vonne was murdered.

Soon after the death, Katie learns that her late husband’s mother, the woman who made her life miserable while she was married, has planned a visit. But Margo turns out to have changed and even encourages Katie to date again. Afraid that she would make Margo upset, Katie has made Andy, herc longtime lover, pretend to have only a platonic relationship with her, but Margo turns the tables on them when she tries to set them up. But there is still a murder to solve in Victoria Square, and Katie determines to help with solving it. However, that could get her into even deeper trouble than she ever imagined.

One thing I really enjoy about Lorraine Bartlett’s writing (she also writes the Booktown series under the name of Lorna Barrett) is her vivid depictions of the real life that goes on around her characters. She builds a community instead of focusing on only one or two main characters, and we become invested in each person. Yule Be Dead is a strong example of that gift. Actually, my main (and only) complaint against her as a reviewer is that she has so much going on in her communities that it is hard to boil the books down to a basic summary! I notice that the official description doesn’t even mention Margo, Katie’s mother-in-law, yet Margo is a very significant character in this book. The characters are so natural that the mystery plots fold neatly into the mix, making even an outlandish mystery, which this most definitely is not, seem normal to readers.

Jorjeana Marie performs the audio narration of this book as in the previous books in the series, and as always she does a terrific job. She takes an already effectively written book and makes it seem even more realistic, impressing me thoroughly.

I really can’t praise Yule Be Dead enough. This book has it all: great characters, a romance (perhaps a love triangle?), a mother-in-law, and a fantastic mystery plot. What more could a lover of cozy mysteries desire! I give this book five stars!

To purchase this book for yourself, click here on Amazon.