A perilous plot

Murder returns to Stoneham, NH, in Barrett's 19th "Booktown" novel (following A Controversial Cover). Sisters Tricia and Angelica Miles are surprised when their estranged mother, Sheila, shows up with an urn she claims contains their father's ashes. The sisters, who had a strained relationship with both parents, are even more confused when Sheila disappears the next day and they discover the ashes are actually kitty litter in which a stolen Rolex watch is buried. Then Sheila's best friend is found murdered in her room at Angelica's new business, Stonecreek Manor. The sisters fear that their parents were involved, since their father, who might not actually be dead, has a reputation for shady schemes. The situation gets more baffling when they find Sheila bound and unconscious in an unused attic at the manor. Tricia and Angelica suspect that their mother is faking amnesia and try to keep her from contacting their father. Things come to a harrowing climax as the sisters race to save a friend unwittingly caught up in the chaos. VERDICT Another enjoyable cozy mystery in the "Booktown" series. Barrett has created a convoluted puzzle for readers to unravel.--Sandra Knowles