Kate Carlisle’s new mystery, Homicide in Hardcover, is a stunning debut on many levels. It’s one of those rare books that is not only smart and sophisticated; it has an intriguing plot, a delightful heroine (Brooklyn Wainwright), and enough twists and turns to keep you turning the pages.

Few books are “laugh-out-loud” funny--this one is pumped with witty dialogue. Think Kathy Griffin. Chelsea Handler. Laurie Notaro.

The premise is both clever and unusual–the heroine’s mentor, Abraham Karastovsky, is murdered and Brooklyn is determined to find his killer. She also needs to restore a priceless edition of Faust that Abraham gave to her during the last moments of his life.

Kate Carlisle makes the arcane world of rare books come alive for the reader. She adds enough detail to make book restoration interesting and compelling–offering a tantalizing glimpse into a subject that’s out of our everyday experience.

Brooklyn is an intelligent, thoroughly likeable heroine and there are a zany cast of secondary characters, including her mother who lives in a New-Age type commune called Dharma. Is there a hunky love interest in the mix? Of course. A drop-dead gorgeous British security expert named Derek Stone. Fingers crossed that all these wonderful characters reappear in Ms. Carlisle’s subsequent books. This looks like the start of a fabulous series. Stay tuned for the next installment.