Description /Buy link takes you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Lorna Barrett is a pen name. Lorraine Bartlett, the author behind the pseudonym, has also written novels under the L.L. Bartlett pen name. Barret was encouraged to use different names for her novels because she wanted to write psychological suspense as well as cozy mysteries, and she was afraid that the decision to experiment with different sub-genres would confuse her readers.
Get notified when Lorna Barrett releases a new book at BookNotification.com.
Order of Booktown Mystery Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murder is Binding | 2008 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Bookmarked for Death | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Bookplate Special | 2009 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Chapter and Hearse | 2010 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Sentenced to Death | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 6 | Murder on the Half Shelf | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 7 | Not the Killing Type | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 8 | Book Clubbed | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 9 | A Fatal Chapter | 2015 | Description / Buy | |
| 10 | Title Wave | 2016 | Description / Buy | |
| 11 | A Just Clause | 2017 | Description / Buy | |
| 12 | Poisoned Pages | 2018 | Description / Buy | |
| 13 | A Killer Edition | 2019 | Description / Buy | |
| 14 | Handbook for Homicide | 2020 | Description / Buy | |
| 15 | A Deadly Deletion | 2021 | Description / Buy | |
| 16 | Clause of Death | 2022 | Description / Buy | |
| 17 | A Questionable Character | 2023 | Description / Buy | |
| 18 | A Controversial Cover | 2024 | Description / Buy |
While Lorna Barrett is primarily known for the Booktown mysteries, Lorraine Bartlett is typically associated with the Victoria Square Mysteries. On the other hand, L.L. Bartlett writes the Jeff Resnick Mysteries.
Barrett juggles all her pen names with relative ease. But on occasion, she worries that the success enjoyed by one pen name won’t translate into additional success for the other pen names because some of her readers do not realize that Lorna, Lorraine, and L.L. are the same person.
This issue tends to enhance Barrett’s concerns about the future of her career. As a full-time writer, the author loves the fact that she doesn’t have a day job. She can work on her own schedule and she doesn’t have to worry about commuting. That being said, she cannot ignore the fact that she doesn’t have any job security.
Her future is in the hands of her readers. She doesn’t have a job unless her audience buys her novels. The issue doesn’t necessarily keep Barrett up at night, though she will be the first to tell you that she is more of a ‘Glass Half Empty’ person.
Lorna Barrett did not set out to become a published author. In the beginning, she couldn’t imagine writing fiction on a professional level. From her point of view, she was far too ordinary. And as far as she was concerned, ordinary people did not write fiction.
Everything changed when she discovered Star Trek fanzines. They gave her the courage to put the stories in her head on paper. Once she started writing, she couldn’t stop. The first few stories Barrett penned were terrible but they gave the author the impetus to pursue publishing as a career.
She took a few detours along the way, the most significant being the time spent working as a data entry clerk. She remembers the job because she loved the work and her colleagues but she hated the environment.
In fact, she was relieved when the company fired her. Once she left, she decided to become a full-time writer. She blames her decision to write mysteries on her mother. The woman loved the genre and she would read it incessantly.
Barrett’s interest in mysteries was further cemented by all the cop shows she watched on television. She was attracted to stories in which the protagonist had to solve a mystery. It did not take her long to realize that writing mysteries was easier said than done.
Some books are easier for the author to write than others. For instance, it took Barrett just two months to complete ‘Dark Waters’. She has also written novels that have taken her nearly a year to finish. Fortunately, once she submits a manuscript, she rarely does revisions. Her editor gives her a lot of freedom.
Lorna Barrett Awards
Barrett received an Agatha Award nomination in 2009
Best Lorna Barrett Books
Barret’s favorite authors include P.B. Ryan, Dick Francis, and Barbara Michaels, to mention but a few. Some of the writer’s best books include:
Murder is Blinding: For Tricia Miles, Stoneham was a welcome change, at least initially. The people were so nice and the competition she encountered when she opened her bookstore was quite friendly. But that was before Doris Gleason died.
Someone wanted the rare cookbook she had just acquired and they did not hesitate to kill her for it. Unfortunately for Tricia, people think she killed Doris. She must identify the real killer before her reputation is permanently tarnished.
Bookmarked for Death: Tricia’s bookstore is doing so well that she has decided to celebrate its anniversary by inviting Zoe Carter to a book signing. She doesn’t expect the bestselling author to die in the washroom. No one knows what happened to her.
Though, a lot of people suspect her obnoxious niece. Tricia wants to leave the investigation in the hands of the Sheriff but he hasn’t given her any good reasons to trust him. If Trica wants answers, she must look for them herself.
When Does The Next Lorna Barrett book come out?
Lorna Barrett doesn't seem to have an upcoming book. Their newest book is A Controversial Cover and was released on July, 16th 2024. It is the newest book in the Booktown Mystery Series.