Buried in Books

Buried Treasure Brooklyn Wainwright is trying to finalize her wedding plans, entertain in-laws who are in town for the wedding and attend and present at the annual librarian convention. Oh, and also solve the murder of a person from her past. Things are never calm in Brooklyn’s world as seen in the the latest installment in the Bibliophile Mystery series, Buried in Books by Kate Carlisle. Once again, the reader is treated to Brooklyn’s world of rare books, quirky in-laws, hunky groom Derek Stone and solving a murder that is connected to the rare book trade. The humor injected into this novel as well as the well-constructed plot keeps the reader engaged and longing to see what Brooklyn will tackle next.

Kate Carlisle does it again in this delight of a book about Mystery and Weddings. We didn't think Brooklyn and Derek could have a wedding without some drama thrown in. A little murder, a lot of twists and turns and a beautifully described wedding. I felt like I was there. I love the way Kate Carlisle throws humor in with the mystery. This book shouldn't be missed! Each book in the Bibliophile series just gets better and better!

Brooklyn Wainwright is ready to marry Derek Stone. She even has her bags packed to go on their honeymoon. She is going to attend the National Librarians Association Conference. She will be presenting a workshop on rare book restoration, giving a talk then doing a Book Lovers Tour of San Francisco. At the conference, Brooklyn runs into her roommates from grad school, Heather and Sara. They had been the “ Three Musketeers” until Sara won the heat of Heather’s love and ended up marrying him. They have been enemies for 12 years now. Sara and Heather surprise Brooklyn by attending Brooklyn’s wedding shower invited by her mother. They make peace at Brooklyn’s shower. Heather gifts her with a rare copy of The Red Fairy Book. Sara gifts her with a rare copy of the The Three Musketeers. Everything is progressing along smoothly for the wedding. The girls have a night out. Brooklyn invites her former roommates but they no show. Next day, Sara is missing. She was last seen in the hotel basement. Going down to the basement Brooklyn and Derek find Sara dead.....Buried in Books that fell on her. Accident or foul play? Brooklyn sets out to investigate. Murder, forgery, Derek’s relatives staying with Brooklyn’s in Dharma, the library restoring workshop, the Book Lover’s bus tour, the wedding shower, shenanigans happening through out the book will entertain the reader. All the characters are artfully created, vivid, some zany, some sinister, all interesting. The book restoration workshop was ver informative as to all the different techniques one is able to use to restore various books. A Highly Recommended Read!! I volunteered to read Buried in Books. Thanks to the Penguin’s First-to-Read Program for the opportunity. My opinion is my own.

A fantastic read from beginning to end!

Buried in Books by Kate Carlisle is the twelfth A Bibliophile Mystery. Brooklyn Wainwright is marrying Derek Stone in just a few days. With the wedding plans completed, Brooklyn is off to attend the annual National Librarians Association conference. She is surprised when she runs into Heather Babcock. Brooklyn, Heather and Sara Martin were roommates and best friends in graduate school until Roderick came along. Brooklyn has not heard from Heather or Sara in twelve years. The next day after Brooklyn’s Book Lovers Tour of San Francisco, Brooklyn is surprised with a bridal shower. She is shocked when she discovers her mother invited Heather and Sara (oh dear). Heather gives Brooklyn a first edition of The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang. Not to be one upped, Sara unexpectedly presents Brooklyn with a beautiful (and valuable) first edition of The Three Musketeers. Later Sara turns up dead which causes Brooklyn to take a closer look at her gift from Sara. When she discovers it is a forgery, Brooklyn wonders if Sara knew about it or was she innocent victim. With her wedding quickly approaching, Brooklyn finds herself once again embroiled in a mystery. Can Brooklyn wrap up the case before she dons her wedding gown or will she end up being fitted for a coffin? Buried in Books is a well-written and engaging book. The authors conversational writing style combined with the steady pacing makes Buried in Books easy to read. I started reading Buried in Books and did not put it down until I finished. There are many delightful humorous moments in Buried in Books. Brooklyn and Derek’s mothers are quite a pair. They are two peas in a pod and their families had better be prepared for more of their antics in the future. I love reading about the beautiful books Brooklyn encounters (the authors descriptions allowed me to visualize the wondrous tomes. It is also interesting to learn more about bookbinding (which makes A Bibliophile Mystery series unique) and creating one-of-a-kind handmade books. There are beautiful descriptions of San Francisco and various book lover attractions. I enjoyed how the victim was killed. It is unique and fits with the book. The murder does not occur until page 110. The author took the time to set the stage (give us background) for the crime. I was disappointed that the mystery was uncomplicated and easily solved. Brooklyn is a great character. She is intelligent, spunky and has a nose for murder. Brooklyn has grown over the course of the series, and I think that Derek is the perfect partner for her. He supports Brooklyn in her investigations and assists her while keeping her safe. There are many wonderful cozy moments in the book. We get to see the Wainwright and Stone families mingle, the wedding, lots of food, Brooklyn spending time with her friends, the sights of San Francisco, descriptions of old books, the convention, the rehearsal dinner, and special moments between Derek and Brooklyn. There are recipes for a couple of the dishes served at Derek and Brooklyn’s wedding at the end of the book. My rating for Buried in Books is 4 out of 5 stars. Fans of A Bibliophile Mystery series (and cozy mysteries) will be thoroughly delighted with Buried in Books.

I really enjoyed this 12th installment of Kate Carlisle's Bibliophile Mysteries! I was looking forward to the wedding of Brooklyn & Derek but was pleasantly surprised by everything that happened in this book. Brooklyn is reunited with her old librarian school best friends-turned-enemies, there's plenty of great moments with Inspector Janice, and a first glimpse of Derek's family and particularly his mom Meg. I had hoped to learn more about Derek's family in this book, but the focus was really more on Brooklyn's activities and the National Librarians Association Conference. That said, I am sure we will get more of the Stone family in future books! The pace of the book was excellent, and I finished it in one long cozy read on the couch with my kitty.