Katie Bonner had always dreamt of buying the Webster mansion
and converting it into a bed-and-breakfast. But instead,
her husband took their savings and bought craft fair
Artisans Alley shortly before being killed in a tragic
accident. Now Katie struggles to keep the business in the
black while watching another couple buy the mansion. Much
to her chagrin, their plans for the mansion are exactly hers
-- converting it into a quaint B&B. To add insult to
injury, as part of the town's Welcome Wagon, Katie must pay
them a visit while they are remodeling and she sees her
dream being played out.
The dream, however, turns rather surreal when a body is
found in the walls of the mansion. It turns out that the
body may be the niece of Katie's friend Rose, who is also a
vendor at Artisans Alley. Rose's niece Heather went missing
over two decades ago, and most people assumed she just left
town. But Rose was never convinced. Given the police's
disinterest back then, she is sure they will be equally
dismissive of the case now, and she asks Katie to help
figure out how Heather ended up in the wall.
As Katie begins her investigation, it becomes clear that not
only is the killer still alive and keeping an eye on the
investigation, but is willing to do what it takes to stop
Katie and cover their own tracks. In the meantime, Katie
has been recruited as a maid of honor in a rush wedding and
is trying to balance her wedding duties with her day-to-day
business duties, which now include trying to please two
warring vendors, one of whom is accusing another of theft.
THE WALLED FLOWER is a great book. Although it was not the
first in the
series, it was the first that I had read, and I appreciated
that Lorraine Bartlett made me comfortable with the
characters and I didn't feel at all lost. I also liked the
interaction that Katie had with her vendors, as well as her
inner struggle with her current job and the job she wishes
she had, as I think that's something with which most people
can identify. And I think most people can also identify
with the plight of a woman who is being pulled in several
directions at once.
As for the mystery itself, it was well-paced and
well-written. The list of suspects and respective motives
had a great mix, and I was kept guessing until the end. Ms.
Bartlett definitely gave me enough clues for me solve the
mystery, but I didn't it together until Katie did, which is
absolutely perfect.
If Katie Bonner's late husband hadn't invested all their savings in the crafts fair Artisans Alley, the Webster mansion could have been hers to remodel into a bed-and-breakfast. Instead that dream belongs to another young couple. But that dream becomes a nightmare when a skeleton is discovered sealed in the walls of the mansion. The bones belong to Helen Winston, who went missing twenty-two years ago. Heather's aunt, a jewelry vendor at Artisans Alley, asks Kate for help finding her niece's murderer. The case may be cold, but the killer is very much alive-and ready to go to any lengths to keep past secrets buried...
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