Doris Gleason, owner of a cookbook store next door to Tricia’s store, Haven’t Got a Clue, is trying to organize the merchants to revolt against the high rents landlord and Chamber of Commerce president Bob Kelly if asking for upon the renewal of a store’s lease. Doris claims she cannot possibly afford the increase and is trying to bully other owners into standing tough with her. 

The next evening, Tricia sees smoke coming from The Cookery and enters the store only to find Doris dead, stabbed with a kitchen knife, her prized cookbook pamphlet worth upwards of $10,000 missing. Sheriff Wendy Adams immediately suspects Tricia (the one who finds the body…), and when the early American cookbook shows up hidden among Tricia’s stock, the Sheriff’s suspicions only grow. 

Tricia is determined not to let the unpleasant Sheriff (who may be annoyed at the attention handsome Mike Harris is paying to the newcomer) railroad her straight to jail and begins to investigate. Doris’ twin turns up, as does a junk picker who admits to selling the cookbook to Doris, and who is killed in a car accident shortly after selling some things to Tricia.  Even stranger, Tricia begins finding all sorts of connections to Mike Harris, who besides wooing Tricia, is running for selectman. 

 Tricia has come to Stoneham to start a new life; before she can get can too settled, her older, overbearing sister Angelica shows up to lick her wounds after her fourth divorce.  Angelica is hoping to repair the sisters’ relationship, and perhaps also start over again in Stoneham. Tricia is not so sure she is ready to have Angelica so close. Tricia is slowly making friends in her new hometown, and wants to assimilate into the community, though she is wary of men, especially Bob, newspaper reporter Russ, and even Mike after a strange encounter at his house. 

It is a bit unbelievable the way Sheriff Adams latches onto Tricia as a suspect with very little evidence, and even after Tricia brings some theories and facts to her attention.  Readers may grow frustrated as Tricia and Angelica are often on the verge of figuring out one big part of the puzzle, but then quickly back away from it. 

There are some clever twists, and what bibliophile wouldn’t love to visit - or even live in - a town like Stoneham? Murder is Binding is a fun read with a new heroine who will have readers curious enough about her to return for another visit to New Hampshire.                                                  

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry