A Controversial Cover - (Booktown Mystery) by Lorna Barrett (Hardcover)

A Controversial Cover by Lorna Barrett is the eighteenth A Booktown Mystery. The author provides the background information needed for new readers. A Controversial Cover is easy to read, but it is bland. Tricia Miles, I believe, is in her mid-forties, but she comes across as older (and stodgy). Tricia is dating David, a twenty something children’s librarian who is raising more than a few eyebrows in the town. David’s quirky attire to a funeral caused eyes to widen and tongues to wag. There are repetitive details in A Controversial Cover. I lost track of how many times it was mentioned that Tricia (well, technically, her assistant manager) is having trouble tracking down vintage mysteries. We get an update on Angelica’s dog each time Tricia goes over (which is usually twice a day). Food is a big topic in the book. I believe food (as well as David and Tricia’s romance) overshadows the whodunit (Tricia going grocery shopping, Tricia’s bare cupboards, Tricia and Angelica’s having lunch or dinner). The mystery was uncomplicated. By the halfway point, I was beginning to doubt there would be any investigation. I felt bad for the teacher that Tricia left dangling in the wind. The reveal was less than satisfactory. I was not a fan of the addition of foul language (there was a mild amount, but I would prefer none). There were some odd sentences in the story as well (such as, “quiet money in the collection containers”). I like Booktown (I cannot resist a bookshop and a town full of them is nirvana), but this visit ranks low on the happiness meter. I am sure my next visit to Stoneham will have me smiling and curious to see what mystery Tricia finds herself mixed up in.