Book Review: Homicide in Hardcover by Kate Carlisle

Homicide in Hardcover
Author: Kate Carlisle
Series: A Bibliophile Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Berkley; Reprint edition (January 21, 2009)

Description: Book expert Brooklyn Wainwright discovers that murder is always a bestseller in the first novel in the New York Times bestselling Bibliophile Mystery series.

Brooklyn Wainwright is a skilled surgeon. Sure, her patients might smell like mold and have spines made of leather, but no ailing book is going to die on her watch. The same can’t be said of Abraham Karastovsky, Brooklyn’s friend and former employer.

On the eve of a celebration for his latest book restoration, Brooklyn finds her mentor lying in a pool of his own blood. With his final breath Abraham leaves Brooklyn with a cryptic message, “Remember the Devil,” and gives her a priceless—and supposedly cursed—copy of Goethe’s Faust for safe-keeping.

Brooklyn suddenly finds herself accused of murder and theft, thanks to Derek Stone, the humorless—and annoyingly attractive—British security officer who found her kneeling over the body. Now she has to read the clues left behind by her mentor if she is going to restore justice...

My Thoughts: The first book in the Bibliophile mystery series introduces book restorer Brooklyn Wainright and her eccentric family. Brooklyn spent most of her childhood living in a commune in California's wine country. Her parents met as Deadheads traveling around following the band. However, now they are very successful members of a rich commune. Her father makes wine. Her mother follows every path to enlightenment. 

The commune is where she met Abraham Karastovsky who first began teaching her how to repair books when she was eight. Brooklyn broke off her apprenticeship with him when she went off to college and graduate school. Abraham didn't think she needed what college taught her. 

They met again at an opening at the Covington where rare books were going to be the focus of attention. They mended their past differences and renewed their long friendship just in time for Abraham to be found murdered. 

Brooklyn discovers the body and shortly after is discovered by Commander Derek Stone who is doing the security for the exhibition. He initially suspects her, and she is keeping secrets. She isn't willing to mention that she saw her mother in the same area as the murder. 

When one of her ex-fiancés asks her to take over Abraham's restoration of a very valuable edition of Faust, Brooklyn agrees even though the book is believed to be cursed having left a string of dead owners behind it. 

And the deaths continue when a second, somewhat criminal book restorer is also murdered. Brooklyn also discovered his body since she had an appointment with him. Brooklyn also comes under attack when her studio is vandalized, and she is knocked unconscious. 

This was a fun series beginning. I liked the information about bookbinding. I liked Brooklyn and the cast of characters who surround her. I'm eager to read more in the series. 

I bought this one February 22, 2024. You can buy your copy here.