I feel like I say this with every book but this series continues to get better and better. I can't say much without spoiling things but let's just say my jaw dropped and tears ran down my face.

I have been with this series from the beginning, and while it has never been lighthearted, this entry seems particularly dark. A hallmark of the Booktown Mysteries has been that the murderers can be literally anyone, even characters who previously seemed to be average, affable citizens. While the perpetrator in this one has not been particularly affable, he/she is on the "you'd least expect it" list.

In addition, the books have featured a lot of betrayal in the life of main character bookstore owner Tricia Miles. She has endured an abusive childhood, a broken marriage, cheating boyfriends (who usually wind up murdered by someone else's hand), and, in this one, betrayal by her own family members (even the beloved Mr. Everett even seems to line up against her).

I enjoy a main character who is not 20, not silly, and leads a less than charmed existence. I just hope that some light breaks through the clouds of Tricia's life in future books.

Full Disclosure--NetGalley and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.