The streets of San
Francisco would be lined with hardcovers if rare book expert Brooklyn
Wainwright had her way. And her mentor wouldn't be lying in a pool of
his own blood on the eve of a celebration for his latest book
restoration.
With his final breath he leaves Brooklyn a cryptic message, and gives her a priceless and supposedly cursed copy of Goethe's Faust for safekeeping. Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to the humorless, but attractive, British security officer who finds her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice… |
Homicide in Hardcover is a cute, quirky start to a mystery series.
This isn't a cozy about a bookshop owner, but a book restorer who repairs valuable tombs that have degraded with age and abuse. It opens with a touching scene where she reunites with her mentor, her friend, only to find him brutally murdered moments later.
Her internal monologue and family left me giggling, giving the series needed humor as it breaks between the tragedy of the murder. I loved the protagonist's quick wit and comebacks, her sarcasm in relationships and life beliefs, her introverted personality and work obsessed personality. The far out new age family and circle is a fun accompaniment. The writing style is a winner.
The mystery side is decent - there's some worthy misdirecting, a little actual investigating, and of course tricky tangling with some colorful detectives. It wasn't obvious who the murderer was, but the villain made sense in the end when the veil is lifted away. There's a tense scene or two that made the book hard to put down, but overall this is a rather sedate mystery pace.
Despite humor and quirk, the book balances the subject of murder and investigating evenly enough. I think I'll like the series, but the book didn't engross me yet. I'm thinking the next, especially considering how fun the characters are, will do the trick. I hope so since I bought the next three books already. Maybe a risky gamble, but how can a book-lover and mystery lover resists a bibliophile mystery series?
Book Quotes:
“Men were good for one thing only. Killing spiders. Other than that, I was on my own. It was sad though. Where was the chivalry of yesteryear?”
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