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Bibliophile Mystery #6
Peril in Paperback
How to become the life of the party? First, survive the celebration…
Rare books and antiquities expert Brooklyn Wainwright is thrilled to be invited to the fiftieth birthday party of her neighbor Suzie’s aunt Grace. A retired founder of a major video game corporation, Grace is a larger-than-life character who’s turned her Lake Tahoe mansion into a fun house, full of everything from pinball machines and giant props to secret passageways and trap doors. Brooklyn is most excited to catalog Grace’s extensive collection of rare paperback pulp fiction.
Part of the fun involves a séance, but after the lights flicker, one guest is dead, poisoned by a cocktail intended for Grace. It seems someone is determined to turn Grace’s playful palatial estate into a house of horrors. Brooklyn suspects the key to the killer’s identity may lie in the roman á clef Grace has written about her life. With Grace in great peril, “must-read” takes on a whole new meaning, as Brooklyn tries to stop a murderer who’s through playing around…
Rare books and antiquities expert Brooklyn Wainwright is thrilled to be invited to the fiftieth birthday party of her neighbor Suzie’s aunt Grace. A retired founder of a major video game corporation, Grace is a larger-than-life character who’s turned her Lake Tahoe mansion into a fun house, full of everything from pinball machines and giant props to secret passageways and trap doors. Brooklyn is most excited to catalog Grace’s extensive collection of rare paperback pulp fiction.
Part of the fun involves a séance, but after the lights flicker, one guest is dead, poisoned by a cocktail intended for Grace. It seems someone is determined to turn Grace’s playful palatial estate into a house of horrors. Brooklyn suspects the key to the killer’s identity may lie in the roman á clef Grace has written about her life. With Grace in great peril, “must-read” takes on a whole new meaning, as Brooklyn tries to stop a murderer who’s through playing around…
303 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2012
408 people are currently reading
2180 people want to read
About the author
Kate Carlisle
97 books2,819 followersGolden Heart and Daphne du Maurier Award winning author Kate Carlisle spent over twenty years working in television production as an Associate Director for game and variety shows, including The Midnight Special, Solid Gold and The Gong Show. She traveled the world as a Dating Game chaperone and performed strange acts of silliness on The Gong Show. She also studied acting and singing, toiled in vineyards, collected books, joined a commune, sold fried chicken, modeled spring fashions and worked for a cruise ship line, but it was the year she spent in law school that finally drove her to begin writing fiction. It seemed the safest way to kill off her professors. Those professors are breathing easier now that Kate spends most of her time writing near the beach in Southern California where she lives with her perfect husband.
A lifelong love of old books and an appreciation of the art of bookbinding led Kate to create the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. Kate is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. She loves to drink good wine and watch other people cook.
Despite the appearance of overnight success, Kate's dream of publication took many, many years to fulfill.
A lifelong love of old books and an appreciation of the art of bookbinding led Kate to create the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. Kate is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. She loves to drink good wine and watch other people cook.
Despite the appearance of overnight success, Kate's dream of publication took many, many years to fulfill.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 409 reviews
December 10, 2021
Peril in Paperback is the 6th book in the Bibliophile Mysteries written by Kate Carlisle. I've read all the books in this series, plus I'm current with the author's Fixer-Upper series. I haven't yet read any of her other series. In this installment, Brooklyn visits a friend's aunt's elaborate mansion to help catalog her immense library, but by the time the first night ends with a séance, one of the guests is dead. It also appears as if the intended victim was really Suzie's Aunt Grace. Oops!
What a crazy cast of characters! Between the loony aunt, the complex business partners, the cruel family members, and the evil lawyer, there were few to like... but it was a beautifully written, classic Agatha Christie-esque story, mostly a locked room type of approach. Even the ambulance couldn't get to the house until the next day, so it felt like a stranded home where someone had planned to kill Grace before she changed her will. What exactly was she looking to do with her money?
I loved the first 80% of the book and was certain it would end up as a 5-star read. From the multiple accidents happening all around Brooklyn to the drama with her traveling boyfriend, I kept turning the pages. I secretly wanted her to have an affair with Gabriel, though I really do believe she belongs with the boyfriend, Derek. When the big scene finally arrives, it was a bit of a letdown. Sure, it had several great moments, but it was almost too quick... in the chapter, there was little lead-up with a hint of suggestion and then bang, the person pulls out his/her gun. I was like... wait, is this another red herring? Then... a second revelation comes, but it was kinda out of nowhere and didn't much have anything to do with that person being a possible suspect... so for the somewhat awkward climax, I had to drop .5 stars.
I settled on 4.5 and really loved the atmosphere, the mystery plot, the various character personalities, and the way in which Brooklyn investigates the crime. As everything came together in the end, it reminded me how much this series is truly growing on me. On to #7 next week! I must catch up to #15 so I'm current in 2022.
What a crazy cast of characters! Between the loony aunt, the complex business partners, the cruel family members, and the evil lawyer, there were few to like... but it was a beautifully written, classic Agatha Christie-esque story, mostly a locked room type of approach. Even the ambulance couldn't get to the house until the next day, so it felt like a stranded home where someone had planned to kill Grace before she changed her will. What exactly was she looking to do with her money?
I loved the first 80% of the book and was certain it would end up as a 5-star read. From the multiple accidents happening all around Brooklyn to the drama with her traveling boyfriend, I kept turning the pages. I secretly wanted her to have an affair with Gabriel, though I really do believe she belongs with the boyfriend, Derek. When the big scene finally arrives, it was a bit of a letdown. Sure, it had several great moments, but it was almost too quick... in the chapter, there was little lead-up with a hint of suggestion and then bang, the person pulls out his/her gun. I was like... wait, is this another red herring? Then... a second revelation comes, but it was kinda out of nowhere and didn't much have anything to do with that person being a possible suspect... so for the somewhat awkward climax, I had to drop .5 stars.
I settled on 4.5 and really loved the atmosphere, the mystery plot, the various character personalities, and the way in which Brooklyn investigates the crime. As everything came together in the end, it reminded me how much this series is truly growing on me. On to #7 next week! I must catch up to #15 so I'm current in 2022.
February 16, 2020
Kate Carlisle’s series is unique: a bookbinder raised on a California commune, dating a British ex-agent. Her mysteries are light only on sexuality and violence. Superior to the average “cozy”, the wackiness is intelligent. We intimately know the broad family and lifelong friends. Only once did I give a three-star grade; to the previous novel. Logic must hold, no matter how inventive an outing is, Brooklyn needed to stop such juvenile doubting of Derek’s love, and a change of scenes was due. Her apartment and the museum have hosted story settings often enough. The thirty year-old protagonist did doubt her common-law partner, we hope for the final time. However, “Peril In Paperback”, 2012, supplied a more delicious setting than I would have dreamed: a tricky game mansion!
Suzie & Vinnie are a lesbian couple, who are Brooklyn’s loyal friends and neighbours. In a previous story, Brooklyn repaired books for Suzie’s wealthy Aunt Grace. We acquaint this game-designing mogul, when Grace invites the three girls to her Lake Tahoe mansion. Corporate betrayal, familial bitterness, and several secret identities furnish the plots. Those had my interest, as much as rare books that Brooklyn kept picking up in peculiar places, and Grace’s sweet cat. She entertained us upon shelves near the ceiling of Brooklyn’s guestroom.
I would have soared over the moon, if I had read the novel without glancing at any reviews. Incorrectly claiming that the story was largely about secret passageways, spoiled the thrill for me. There was only one chute. It might have sparked five stars, if I had been granted the surprise. I avoid dipping grades for elements authors don’t control but do designate a star for personal reactions. Nonetheless, this is my favourite of Kate’s novels! Her creativity was fantastic, as well as some unexpectedly emotional side stories.
Suzie & Vinnie are a lesbian couple, who are Brooklyn’s loyal friends and neighbours. In a previous story, Brooklyn repaired books for Suzie’s wealthy Aunt Grace. We acquaint this game-designing mogul, when Grace invites the three girls to her Lake Tahoe mansion. Corporate betrayal, familial bitterness, and several secret identities furnish the plots. Those had my interest, as much as rare books that Brooklyn kept picking up in peculiar places, and Grace’s sweet cat. She entertained us upon shelves near the ceiling of Brooklyn’s guestroom.
I would have soared over the moon, if I had read the novel without glancing at any reviews. Incorrectly claiming that the story was largely about secret passageways, spoiled the thrill for me. There was only one chute. It might have sparked five stars, if I had been granted the surprise. I avoid dipping grades for elements authors don’t control but do designate a star for personal reactions. Nonetheless, this is my favourite of Kate’s novels! Her creativity was fantastic, as well as some unexpectedly emotional side stories.
October 1, 2012
I put off reading this book as long as I could because this is my favorite series and I was practicing my delayed gratification skills. I think I made it 6 weeks, and then devoured the entire book in an afternoon.
Peril in Paperback is a fabulous, fun book and a really fun homage to the English House Mysteries. Derek wasn't much in this book at all, and I was prepared to sulk about that, but was very happily distracted by lots of Gabriel! Ms. Carlisle does a wonderful job of juggling the two men in a way that I find perfectly satisfying.
Brooklyn is the one character in all my books, I'd most like to be friends with - a brilliant sense of humour and snark, a fabulously eccentric family and possibly the best job in the universe. All the characters in this book are excellent and honestly I'm not afraid to admit that the fifth star in this book came purely from the absence of Minka. Really such a fun read.
The mystery itself was not only great fun, but included lots of suspects, lots of 'happenings', clues, secret passages and red herrings. While I had my guesses whittled down to one or two choices, I had no idea until the end. And the end! Such a great throwback to the classics! Loved it!!!!
Now I have to wait until stinking June of next year for the next book.
Peril in Paperback is a fabulous, fun book and a really fun homage to the English House Mysteries. Derek wasn't much in this book at all, and I was prepared to sulk about that, but was very happily distracted by lots of Gabriel! Ms. Carlisle does a wonderful job of juggling the two men in a way that I find perfectly satisfying.
Brooklyn is the one character in all my books, I'd most like to be friends with - a brilliant sense of humour and snark, a fabulously eccentric family and possibly the best job in the universe. All the characters in this book are excellent and honestly I'm not afraid to admit that the fifth star in this book came purely from the absence of Minka. Really such a fun read.
The mystery itself was not only great fun, but included lots of suspects, lots of 'happenings', clues, secret passages and red herrings. While I had my guesses whittled down to one or two choices, I had no idea until the end. And the end! Such a great throwback to the classics! Loved it!!!!
Now I have to wait until stinking June of next year for the next book.
May 6, 2021
Fun in between murder mystery. The characters are all likable or, at least, relatable. I didn't like that the story took so long to develop but when it finally did it was quirky and quick. I didn't hate it and might be tempted to read another but overall was just okay.
February 1, 2022
2.5 Stars
Pretty average story. There was nothing remarkable about it nor was it really remember able. It was slow moving and I was a little happy when it was over. I hope the next in the series is better!
Pretty average story. There was nothing remarkable about it nor was it really remember able. It was slow moving and I was a little happy when it was over. I hope the next in the series is better!
January 3, 2019
4 stelle e mezza
Questo è il classico mistero della stanza chiusa, solo che siamo in una mega-casa sommersa dalla neve. L'autrice è stata brava a far sì che più di una volta mi sono chiesta se avessi la soluzione giusta in mente, poi è venuto fuori che avevo, prima o dopo, "avvistato" le giuste risposte a parte una. Se non si fosse capito, se c'è un solo assassino, è anche vero che ci sono altri misteri secondari da risolvere.
Se devo fare un appunto, devo dire che non ho apprezzato molto i troppi momenti alla "caramba, che sorpresa" sparsi nella storia...
Questo è il classico mistero della stanza chiusa, solo che siamo in una mega-casa sommersa dalla neve. L'autrice è stata brava a far sì che più di una volta mi sono chiesta se avessi la soluzione giusta in mente, poi è venuto fuori che avevo, prima o dopo, "avvistato" le giuste risposte a parte una. Se non si fosse capito, se c'è un solo assassino, è anche vero che ci sono altri misteri secondari da risolvere.
Se devo fare un appunto, devo dire che non ho apprezzato molto i troppi momenti alla "caramba, che sorpresa" sparsi nella storia...
June 1, 2015
The Real Mystery? How an author, agent and publisher let this book get so ridiculous it leaves us wondering if this series can recover.
Brooklyn is back and while her boyfriend Derek is on assignment in Europe, she's going away for a week vacation to celebrate Suzie's eccentric Aunt's birthday. In the beautifully lakeside mansion with a few tricks of its own, a group of Aunt Grace's family and friends kick off the festivities with a seance. What starts as a little harmless fun communing with the dead ends with one of the living crossing to the other side. The group gets snowed in, blocking the police from reaching them but Brooklyn's dark and mysterious friend Gabriel shows up just in time to help her decipher the clues. Together they must attempt to discover who among them is a killer and stop them from killing again.
I wanted so badly to love this book. I've loved each of the other books in this series and was looking forward to see what kind of trouble Brooklyn would get into next. For starters, Derek wasn't in this book much and we got way too much of Brooklyn whining about it. Nevertheless, I was staying with the plot for about the first 60 pages, after which each revelation was more preposterous than the last. By the end of it, way too many coincidences and lucky guesses had occurred and I was wishing I'd skipped this installment. The whole story was an odd collection of revelations about an odd group of people staying under one odd roof which were so disjointed and unnecessary to further the plot or develop the characters that they'd been better left out. On top of that, there were way too many politically charged topics that the author made her view clear on and one oddly introduced and incredibly cliche new character it looks like we'll be reading about in the coming books. Luckily this wasn't my first exposure to the series. If it had been I'd never have finished it much less considered reading anything else by this author.
Brooklyn is back and while her boyfriend Derek is on assignment in Europe, she's going away for a week vacation to celebrate Suzie's eccentric Aunt's birthday. In the beautifully lakeside mansion with a few tricks of its own, a group of Aunt Grace's family and friends kick off the festivities with a seance. What starts as a little harmless fun communing with the dead ends with one of the living crossing to the other side. The group gets snowed in, blocking the police from reaching them but Brooklyn's dark and mysterious friend Gabriel shows up just in time to help her decipher the clues. Together they must attempt to discover who among them is a killer and stop them from killing again.
I wanted so badly to love this book. I've loved each of the other books in this series and was looking forward to see what kind of trouble Brooklyn would get into next. For starters, Derek wasn't in this book much and we got way too much of Brooklyn whining about it. Nevertheless, I was staying with the plot for about the first 60 pages, after which each revelation was more preposterous than the last. By the end of it, way too many coincidences and lucky guesses had occurred and I was wishing I'd skipped this installment. The whole story was an odd collection of revelations about an odd group of people staying under one odd roof which were so disjointed and unnecessary to further the plot or develop the characters that they'd been better left out. On top of that, there were way too many politically charged topics that the author made her view clear on and one oddly introduced and incredibly cliche new character it looks like we'll be reading about in the coming books. Luckily this wasn't my first exposure to the series. If it had been I'd never have finished it much less considered reading anything else by this author.
April 13, 2014
I wanted so much to love this book. It had all the elements that make a perfect cozy mystery for me. A fun cast of characters (most a bit one-dimensional, but that's not unusual for cozies), a large and crazy house to explore, a locked-in murder where everyone is trapped and held in suspicion, and a good sense of humor. In fact, for the first half of the book, I was thoroughly enjoying it.
However, the further the mystery got, the less it really worked as a mystery. Yes there was a murderer running rampant, even attacking more victims at random intervals to keep the danger levels up, and true there were plenty of secrets to unveil by the end. Nevertheless, I found myself honestly not caring much about the whodunnit or the whydunnit or any of that.
A lot of the problem seemed to come down to the protagonist. She was likeable enough (this was my first book from this series, and I'm giving it a lot of leeway in respect to ongoing storylines or character development of the main characters and so on), but she simply didn't do much. Sure she helped secure the scene/witnesses after the murder that started it all, and she was there (or at least first on the scene) for pretty much all the major events, but Gabriel was the one doing all the work in the vast majority of those scenes (if this wasn't a series book, he would have been a much better protagonist :P), and Brooklyn didn't really even care for the most part. Even in the big reveal scene, Brooklyn literally just stood there and watched everything happen in front of her. Everyone else was forcing out secrets, fighting the villain, revealing what they knew, and other than a few kinda pointless questions, she just stood there. To be honest, that whole scene is what dropped my rating to 2 stars since I was fully prepared to give it a nice, decent 3 before then.
The villain also irked me. I still think the motivation was ridiculous (made sense, but it seemed really forced, in a "this character is a horrible person thus requires very little actual reason to commit murder" sort of way), and they were so obvious I'd long since dismissed them as an actual possibility.
So yeah, really not impressed with this book, but the writing and main characters were pretty fun (and honestly, starting partway into the series wasn't much of an issue beyond being confused on a couple relationships at first :P), so I'm more than ready to give it another shot with the first book. Hopefully the mystery is halfway decent next time around.
However, the further the mystery got, the less it really worked as a mystery. Yes there was a murderer running rampant, even attacking more victims at random intervals to keep the danger levels up, and true there were plenty of secrets to unveil by the end. Nevertheless, I found myself honestly not caring much about the whodunnit or the whydunnit or any of that.
A lot of the problem seemed to come down to the protagonist. She was likeable enough (this was my first book from this series, and I'm giving it a lot of leeway in respect to ongoing storylines or character development of the main characters and so on), but she simply didn't do much. Sure she helped secure the scene/witnesses after the murder that started it all, and she was there (or at least first on the scene) for pretty much all the major events, but Gabriel was the one doing all the work in the vast majority of those scenes (if this wasn't a series book, he would have been a much better protagonist :P), and Brooklyn didn't really even care for the most part. Even in the big reveal scene, Brooklyn literally just stood there and watched everything happen in front of her. Everyone else was forcing out secrets, fighting the villain, revealing what they knew, and other than a few kinda pointless questions, she just stood there. To be honest, that whole scene is what dropped my rating to 2 stars since I was fully prepared to give it a nice, decent 3 before then.
The villain also irked me. I still think the motivation was ridiculous (made sense, but it seemed really forced, in a "this character is a horrible person thus requires very little actual reason to commit murder" sort of way), and they were so obvious I'd long since dismissed them as an actual possibility.
So yeah, really not impressed with this book, but the writing and main characters were pretty fun (and honestly, starting partway into the series wasn't much of an issue beyond being confused on a couple relationships at first :P), so I'm more than ready to give it another shot with the first book. Hopefully the mystery is halfway decent next time around.
July 19, 2022
Best house party ever! This was a throw back to the old house party and murder books and I loved it! It was so much fun. I love Brooklyn but this book lost a star for not enough Derek. I did like that we got more Suzie and Vinnie and of course Gabriel showed up, such a small world. This series is so much fun with great characters and smart writing.
December 4, 2013
I love this series, but this book was just really not my favorite. I adore the characters and the last few books but this one kinda left be feeling a bit... Not happy...
First of all Derek Stone was not in the book save for maybe a few parts at the end. At first I thought it would be great for Brooklyn to finally solve something on her own but that wasn't really the case.
She more or less watched the whole thing take place around her. But it wasn't the story that turned me off to this book, it was the ending. It ended like a really bad soap opera. I seriously sat there after finishing the book with a feeling of "is this some kind of joke?" Because the first few always ended with a bang... This one sort of ended with a puff of smoke and some guy in a leotard singing Yankee Doodle. It was just bad. But I'm still going to read the next book and hope to god it doesn't end like this one. At all.
First of all Derek Stone was not in the book save for maybe a few parts at the end. At first I thought it would be great for Brooklyn to finally solve something on her own but that wasn't really the case.
She more or less watched the whole thing take place around her. But it wasn't the story that turned me off to this book, it was the ending. It ended like a really bad soap opera. I seriously sat there after finishing the book with a feeling of "is this some kind of joke?" Because the first few always ended with a bang... This one sort of ended with a puff of smoke and some guy in a leotard singing Yankee Doodle. It was just bad. But I'm still going to read the next book and hope to god it doesn't end like this one. At all.
July 25, 2017
Now here is a bibliophile book that truly lives up to it's name. The main character has a bedroom that is filled with books, she finds books all over the mansion, even in the wine cellar. She repairs books and reads books. A pretty good English Manor mystery is the center of the book about a group of computer game company employees trapped in the snow, lots of fun to read.
June 28, 2014
I've enjoyed this series, and I still enjoyed this installment, but not quite as much as past books.
This is an easy-reading, light and fun cozy series, perfect for beach/cottage or lazy rainy weekends. The characters are fun, quirky and interesting, and the plots the author comes up with are fairly clever and fun to try to figure out, although not Agatha Christie by any means. Still, they are good reads.
This book fell a little flat for me because the main character, Brooklyn, was written as more whiny than in past books, and that never connects well for me. In the past she has been a bit of a kook, which, given her family and upbringing isn't a surprise, but she's been independent and strong, navigating through the murders she somehow keeps ending up in the middle of with determination and chutzpa. This time around, the author had her all dramatic and drippy about boyfriend stuff.
I think that is another thing that was missing for me in this book - most of the supporting characters who usually make an appearance in the stuff Brooklyn gets involved in were missing this time, because of the setting. While I liked most of the characters who were in this remote house-party turned deadly, I like the people in Brooklyn's life better as part of the stories in this series.
So overall, this was okay, and I will read future installments because I do like these books and the characters. This just wasn't my favourite in the series.
This is an easy-reading, light and fun cozy series, perfect for beach/cottage or lazy rainy weekends. The characters are fun, quirky and interesting, and the plots the author comes up with are fairly clever and fun to try to figure out, although not Agatha Christie by any means. Still, they are good reads.
This book fell a little flat for me because the main character, Brooklyn, was written as more whiny than in past books, and that never connects well for me. In the past she has been a bit of a kook, which, given her family and upbringing isn't a surprise, but she's been independent and strong, navigating through the murders she somehow keeps ending up in the middle of with determination and chutzpa. This time around, the author had her all dramatic and drippy about boyfriend stuff.
I think that is another thing that was missing for me in this book - most of the supporting characters who usually make an appearance in the stuff Brooklyn gets involved in were missing this time, because of the setting. While I liked most of the characters who were in this remote house-party turned deadly, I like the people in Brooklyn's life better as part of the stories in this series.
So overall, this was okay, and I will read future installments because I do like these books and the characters. This just wasn't my favourite in the series.
May 19, 2020
2.5 stars
what's with the random cats that Brooklyn encounters on her travels?
I know she eventually gets her own pet kitty but i couldn't figure out the reason behind the detail in the stories. is it just that the writer is a pet or cat person?
there were too many characters to keep track of in this book.
Susie Berneis (the narrator) does a good job of voicing these books but i found her choice of tone for the character Grace annoying. (she's an older lady yet it was done in a little girl voice)
Also, i found the "movable mousetrap house" bit very confusing.
while i like Derek, it was cool to have a story that featured Gabriel. He's a great character. And i like that the writer doesn't have a love triangle w/the 2 sexy men & protagonist. Brooklyn is definitely Derek's gal but good friends w/Gabriel & it all works.
lots of surprises in the final reveal. and i was glad to finally learn about how Lily entered their lives.
very sweet!
what's with the random cats that Brooklyn encounters on her travels?
I know she eventually gets her own pet kitty but i couldn't figure out the reason behind the detail in the stories. is it just that the writer is a pet or cat person?
there were too many characters to keep track of in this book.
Susie Berneis (the narrator) does a good job of voicing these books but i found her choice of tone for the character Grace annoying. (she's an older lady yet it was done in a little girl voice)
Also, i found the "movable mousetrap house" bit very confusing.
while i like Derek, it was cool to have a story that featured Gabriel. He's a great character. And i like that the writer doesn't have a love triangle w/the 2 sexy men & protagonist. Brooklyn is definitely Derek's gal but good friends w/Gabriel & it all works.
lots of surprises in the final reveal. and i was glad to finally learn about how Lily entered their lives.
very sweet!
January 28, 2015
A cute book in the series, although Brooklyn was a little more annoying than usual. Maybe too many extraneous plot things going on. But I love the bookbinding info, and Gabriel, so I will keep reading.
November 10, 2012
I love the character of Brooklyn and I enjoy the writing style, but the plot was too over the top for me.
July 17, 2020
I have really been enjoying this series and can't understand why I waited so long to pick it up. This is perhaps my favorite of the series to date. It is a nod to the old fashioned murder at a house party mystery. Add in that the hostess is a game developer and you get some strange things happening with the walls and hallways changing, not to mention trap doors. I enjoy all of the characters but I'm still trying to figure Gabriel and his secret. I think the author is developing these characters well and the friendship between Brooklyn, Vinnie, and Suzie jumps off the page. It is genuine and feels like the type of friendship we all want to have in our lives. It was a bit unusual to get so little of Derek in this book, but I think it allowed the author to let Brooklyn stand on her own.
The mystery was well done. There were plenty of threads to unravel and secrets to discover. In the end, I did not guess the identity of the killer, or any of the secrets with the exception of perhaps one - but that was late in the game.
I've got the next book on hold at the library and can't wait for it to arrive so I can dive back into this series. I hope the people ahead of me in the hold line read quickly.
The mystery was well done. There were plenty of threads to unravel and secrets to discover. In the end, I did not guess the identity of the killer, or any of the secrets with the exception of perhaps one - but that was late in the game.
I've got the next book on hold at the library and can't wait for it to arrive so I can dive back into this series. I hope the people ahead of me in the hold line read quickly.
January 9, 2023
Brooklyn and her insecurities - that really should be the title of this book. This book was sort of ehh because it seemed Brooklyn was checked out for the first part of it mired in self pity and worries and Derek, her boyfriend, who is away on assignment for a month posing as the fiancé an heiress. When she’s invited to spend the week at her friend/neighbor’s estate to celebrate Grace’s birthday, murder, family secrets, insider trading, and more are revealed as it becomes clear that someone wants Grace dead. Together with Gabriel, Brooklyn tried to find the culprit before Grace becomes the next victim.
April 22, 2017
I have enjoyed the previous books in this series as light, entertaining reading. This one just didn't hit the mark for me. The action was frantic and often made little sense, plus much if the dialogue was within the protagonist's head not really advancing the plot. Things happened that had no anchor in the story; people behaved unrealistically; and characters popped in and out like popcorn.
I finished the book just in case somehow the author pulled it all together somehow at the end. No such luck. From the ratings, many people must have seen more in this book than I did. That's why we all should be thankful for a robust publishing industry that brings us so many types of books.
I finished the book just in case somehow the author pulled it all together somehow at the end. No such luck. From the ratings, many people must have seen more in this book than I did. That's why we all should be thankful for a robust publishing industry that brings us so many types of books.
January 30, 2013
I think I'm done with this series. The main character's emotional immaturity is just too much. I'm not bothered by the thing with the boyfriend, that's normal. It's her reaction to everyone else, especially people she dislikes.
I didn't care for the "I should have known he was gay because he had a well developed feminine side and good taste in clothes" or the "every woman loves a man holding a baby" thing. The second isn't as offensive as the first but it still bothered me.
And the phones appear to be working fine to call the police for the entire book and we just miss the part where they aren't working?
As for the main plot, the reveal at the end strains credibility. (One reveal yes, two identical reveals, no).
I didn't care for the "I should have known he was gay because he had a well developed feminine side and good taste in clothes" or the "every woman loves a man holding a baby" thing. The second isn't as offensive as the first but it still bothered me.
And the phones appear to be working fine to call the police for the entire book and we just miss the part where they aren't working?
As for the main plot, the reveal at the end strains credibility. (One reveal yes, two identical reveals, no).
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2012
I wasn't familiar with this series so it took me awhile to get caught up with who was who and the book started slow for me. It didn't pick up until page 75 when someone is murdered. Then towards the end it was rushed into one tight bow. I wanted to, but I did not find the main character likable. I was disappointed in the book.
May 21, 2014
This has been one of my favorite books, so far, from this series. There were multiple mysteries going on, but they were not tangled together, so it wasn't at all confusing. I really enjoy the recurring characters in this series as well. They are quirky and amusing, and they grow in depth with each new book. The only problem I have is that I really like both Derek *and* Gabriel!
August 26, 2012
I loved this book. I think that Kate's main character is endearing. Brooklyn just continues to get herself into these amazing situations and gets out will keep me laughing and wanting more. Please keep these books coming. I love everyone a little more than the last.
September 19, 2012
This series is a favorite of mine and this one did not disappoint. I think it was better for not having Derek around. Was nice to not have the term "darling" popping up every few sentences!! Good story, great characters....can't ask for much more! RECOMMEND!!
September 14, 2012
I truly love the Bibliophile series.. I'm still trying to figure out if it's Kate putting the words into Brooklyn's mouth or Brooklyn to Kate's. The stories are always involved and intriguing. After reading the teaser for next year's new book, I can't wait to read that one also.
June 12, 2018
I enjoyed this Bibliophile mystery. Lots of unusual characters gathered together in a very unusual mansion near Lake Tahoe. Just enough about books to keep it interesting. I loved Grace, the birthday girl, who loved games and tricks. The ending was a surprise, and kind of fun.
August 14, 2012
It's a typical Kate Carlisle offering. Fun and quick. Lots of quirky characters.
March 21, 2017
4.5 stars!
I think I love Brooklyn more and more with each book. I would love her to jump out of the book and be my friend. I also enjoy how this series mixes it up with the mystery locations. This time Brooklyn is staying for a week at a house party for her friend Suzie's aunt. There is a crazy and strong group of characters involved and the house is so over the top and interesting (but watch you step). It reminded me an Agatha Christie style dinner party murder mystery, in that all the suspects are stuck in the house and Brooklyn wants to figure out whodunit. I enjoyed the mix of her friends and complete strangers being involved. I can really relate to Brooklyn and I love following her as the MC and even the random snippets of what is going on in her mind, almost as a stream of consciousness, but not quite.
I enjoyed the mystery and there seemed so many plausible culprits, but of course it's always hard to actually think people are capable of murder. I didn't guess the murderer, but My only complaint was NOT ENOUGH DEREK!
I think I love Brooklyn more and more with each book. I would love her to jump out of the book and be my friend. I also enjoy how this series mixes it up with the mystery locations. This time Brooklyn is staying for a week at a house party for her friend Suzie's aunt. There is a crazy and strong group of characters involved and the house is so over the top and interesting (but watch you step). It reminded me an Agatha Christie style dinner party murder mystery, in that all the suspects are stuck in the house and Brooklyn wants to figure out whodunit. I enjoyed the mix of her friends and complete strangers being involved. I can really relate to Brooklyn and I love following her as the MC and even the random snippets of what is going on in her mind, almost as a stream of consciousness, but not quite.
I enjoyed the mystery and there seemed so many plausible culprits, but of course it's always hard to actually think people are capable of murder. I didn't guess the murderer, but My only complaint was NOT ENOUGH DEREK!
March 29, 2019
#6
Derek has gone on an assignment to protect a young woman who is being stalked, while he is gone, Brooklyn has been invited to stay at her neighbor's, Susie, aunt's home for a week to celebrate a birthday of the aunt. The aunt also loves books and has become friends with Brooklyn and hires her frequently to fix books. While she is there, she is to help the young man who is making a list of all the books in Grace's collection. During the festivities, she learns more about her neighbor, Vinnie, Susie's partner. When someone is murdered by drinking a poisoned iced tea, Gabriel arrives in time to prevent another death (from giving CPR) and the two begin working together to try and find out who is out to kill their host.
This story was fun and moved and while I enjoy Derek's level-headedness, I was glad he was not in the story and it seemed to save the story. The story can be read out of order, as that is how I have been reading the series.
Derek has gone on an assignment to protect a young woman who is being stalked, while he is gone, Brooklyn has been invited to stay at her neighbor's, Susie, aunt's home for a week to celebrate a birthday of the aunt. The aunt also loves books and has become friends with Brooklyn and hires her frequently to fix books. While she is there, she is to help the young man who is making a list of all the books in Grace's collection. During the festivities, she learns more about her neighbor, Vinnie, Susie's partner. When someone is murdered by drinking a poisoned iced tea, Gabriel arrives in time to prevent another death (from giving CPR) and the two begin working together to try and find out who is out to kill their host.
This story was fun and moved and while I enjoy Derek's level-headedness, I was glad he was not in the story and it seemed to save the story. The story can be read out of order, as that is how I have been reading the series.
January 24, 2021
I think that this sixth book is the one that I have enjoyed the most. In this book, Brooklyn and her friends Susie and Vinnie are invited to a week long 50th birthday bash of Susie's Aunt Grace. Several people are invited in all, and Grace is in charge of a company that invents video games. Her house is set up with several unique traps, changing hallways, holograms, etc. During one of the seances set up for entertainment, a guest dies. Who, and why? There are several surprises in this book. Also, Derek is out of town and doesn't show up until like the last 20 pages, which certainly gives Gabriel time to try his wiles with Brooklyn.
June 13, 2017
Grace is an awesome character, and I would love to spend time in her house. Since this was my first in this series I didn't have the background on the main characters. Peril in Paperback was a great read and stood on its own.
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