One Hot Murder (Victoria Square Mystery) - Cozy Mystery Novel for Adults | Perfect for Book Clubs & Relaxing Evenings

Katie Bonner has her hands full as manager of Artisans Alley. There is a heat wave, the air conditioning at Artisans Alley is not working properly and she doesn't have the money to fix it. She also has to deal with problem vendors as well as the fact that someone is stealing their lunches. She is also trying to find time to be with her boyfriend Andy Rust - the two have different work schedules. The last thing she needs is to be involved in a murder case but after a suspicious fire at Wood U and the discovery of a murder victim at the store she is once again caught up in a murder investigation. Can she solve the crime without becoming a victim herself?“One Hot Murder” is the nicely done third novel in Lorraine Bartlett's Victoria Square cozy mystery series - a series that gets better with every book. Katie is a complex heroine – the reluctant manager of Artisans Alley who still holds on to her dream of managing an inn some day (happily Bartlett takes some steps to resolving this plot line before it becomes too annoying). In many ways Katie is a strong character who doesn't yet realize her strengths - I like the way she is growing as a character in each book. I also like the artisans Alley setting which I can picture in my mind and I wish it really existed so I could visit there! The book takes place during a heat wave and even though I was reading it during a blizzard I could feel Katie’s suffering from the heat! The mystery aspects are well done - there are several mysteries in this book besides the main mystery and all of these are nicely done. There is more than one surprise in this book and one change in particular makes me wonder what direction the series is going in. I look forward to reading the next book to see what happens to Katie and friends!“One Hot Murder” is another delightful cozy mystery by Lorraine Bartlett..