Kate Carlisle

Books: Mystery

Bibliophile Mystery: Homicide in Hardcover (2009)

Bibliophile Mystery

Homicide in Hardcover (2009)

A mystery about books! Sounds like JUST my thing!

It was not my thing.

I ended up rage reading to finish it.

Brooklyn is the child of hippies and a book restorer who is good enough to have set up her own independent business. She has been on the outs with her former mentor since doing so, and is delighted to be invited to a private opening of a book collection–most of which had been restored by Abraham.

Then murder happens and she ends up a suspect.

My first pissy note was on page 76, when she crosses crime scene tape to go into the house of the victim, and finds a napkin with a suspicious note.

I stuck the cocktail napkin in my pocket.

Because it's always a good idea to steal evidence. Especially when you had all the time in the world to just write down the brief note.

Note two is on page 147, when she is told to keep away from someone who is–at beast–unsavory.

"Thanks for the heads-up," I said. "I promise I'll keep my distance."

Starting sometime after two o'clock this afternoon.

Because that always works well for characters when the secretly run off to talk to someone they have been warned about.

SPOILER: It doesn't go well.

Because once there–the person doesn't answer, and …

Without a clear thought, I tried the doorknob. It turned easily and I pushed it open a few inches.

SPOILER: She finds a dead body.

She finally gets Obvious-Love-Interest-Who-Was-Initially-Hostile-and-Suspicious to trust her and then …

I stared at (OLIWWIHaS) as he came closer. I couldn't tell him what I knew.

And then!

Oh, crap. I looked into his eyes. "I know you're working with the police but I . . . I trust you."

But wait! After her stupidity, OLIWWIHaS randomly starts calling her "darling". And then a few chapters later, after they have done little but bicker and fight …

But then! She is clobbered on the head and knocked unconscious for several minutes.

Does OLIWWIHaS take her to the hospital or at least insist she talk to the EMTs who should have shown up with the police?

I yawned. "Sorry." He tilted his head at me.

"You need to sleep."

Yes. She needs to go to sleep and wake up to someone who knows how to treat a fucking concussion.

Also? She's supposed to be a hotshot book restorer and she is constantly eating chocolate while seemingly in the middle of restoring a priceless antique book.

So, I hated this story. I hated that she was an idiot. I hated that OLIWWIHaS was so very obviously the love interest. I hated how stupid the cops were. I hated how stupid her family was. I basically hated everything.

Publisher: Berkley

Rating: 3/10