This is the latest installment in the Booktown Mystery series. In this book, Tricia (the owner of mystery bookstore Haven't Got a Clue in Stoneham, New Hampshire) and her sister Angelica are staying for a night at the local bed and breakfast Sheer Comfort Inn. The inn, owned by Pippa and Jon Comfort, is hosting a few locals as a trial run before they actually open, but just as Tricia and Angelica begin to settle in for the night, Tricia goes for a walk and finds Pippa's dead body.

Not only does Tricia make that upsetting discovery, but while being questioned by the local police, she discovers that Jon Comfort isn't who he appears to be. He's actually Harry Tyler, a man that Tricia used to date -- until he died in a tragic accident nearly twenty years ago. Tyler initially denies Tricia's accusations, until he finally realizes that he has to come clean.

Harry soon becomes the prime suspect, largely because he has no alibi for the time Pippa was murdered. Although Tricia can't personally stand him because of how he deceived all of his friends and family, she can't conceive that he would be capable of killing someone. Despite warnings from the police chief (who also happens to be Tricia's boyfriend -- kind of), Tricia can't help but do some investigating of her own. She soon discovers, however, that Pippa had her own questionable past, which means that there were several people who may have had a motive to kill her.

Tricia investigates despite some personal issues that plague her. Grant (the police chief) tells her that they shouldn't talk while the investigation is ongoing since she discovered the body and may be considered a suspect by the DA. One of her employees is having marital issues and asks Tricia to intervene. And Angelica is up to her usual antics, positive she'll be the next Paula Deen and doing what she needs to make that happen.

While MURDER ON THE HALF SHELF was well-written and the usual cast of characters were still fun to read about, this is the kind of mystery that never fails to annoys. Much of the fun for the reader in a cozy is picking up on the clues throughout the book and discovering "whodunit" along with the amateur detective. However, in MURDER ON THE HALF SHELF, that was impossible. As the culprit was revealed, I was exasperated, as there was no way I could have figured out the motive no matter how carefully I read the book for clues. While I was right about the suspicious behavior of a character, I was wrong about why, through no fault of my own.

That being said, the rest of MURDER ON THE HALF SHELF was a great read, with much humor and some clever writing. This is a series I highly enjoy, and this misstep will not deter me from reading the next book when it comes out.