Handbook for Homicide

[cornerofmadness]

Handbook for Homicide by Lorna Barrett

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


Even two stars feels generous and given strictly because there are 14 books in the series so maybe there's something I'm not seeing but it's been a long time since I have read a character this obnoxious. I am disadvantaged coming into this 14 books in so maybe Tricia has redeeming qualities but I didn't see them.

She was taken to Ireland by her boyfriend who is a travel agent. She knows this. She knows he'll be busy. She spends literally the entire book boo hooing his 'lack of passion' and how he didn't have time for her. Look, you knew this going in. Bitching nonstop makes you a highly unlikable entitled character. In fact she treats most people in the book like this. Almost everyone in town seems to have a beef with Tricia and after reading this, let me say I'm with the town. I don't want to know this woman either. And somehow there is a love triangle between her and the sheriff and the current boyfriend even though the sheriff (her ex) is now engaged and she is bitter ugly about it, in spite of saying who cares he blew it with me. Another one of the major players (who runs the newspaper who wants to put his kid in foster care because his wife walked out on them and he can't be bothered raising the kid) was another ex of hers. How? She's so unpleasant I can't imagine three men being after her.

I only read as much as I did because the crime was vaguely interesting, a homeless Navy vet who was known to most of the town. She had ties to Pixie, Tricia's bookstore manager (who is an ex-prostitute convinced the cops want to blame her not that they have said so) and to her boyfriend. I mean there was a lot that could be said about this woman and her dangerous position and how we treat a) veterans b) homeless c) women in general but no it more or less villainizes her too.

Yeah I won't be reading more of this one. I'm shocked the mystery isn't who killed Tricia.



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