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Title: A study in cliches...
Review: Want a quick course in mystery story formula writing? Look no farther: "Reservations for Murder" has them all. Here's a partial list: undeveloped main character with no real human foibles or conflicts; dumb sheriff; small town police force; good cafe where everyone gathers; nice scenery; love interest for the main character; hints of seamy sex for the secondary characters; a murder victim disliked by everybody; many motives for the killing; a lot of tea-drinking and assignations by the rosebushes. Season this recipe with 180 pages of really unimaginative writing and here you have it: a cliche of a novel, written quickly and without much skill, a Saturday afternoon time-waster if it's raining outside and there's nothing on tv.
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