Once upon a Spine

I received a copy of this book at my request. I chose to voluntarily review this book. The opinions in this review are my own. Brooklyn Wainwright and her fiancé Derek get to know each other's family members in some interesting ways throughout the storyline of this book. I enjoyed all the book descriptions and the way the details of Brooklyn's work were woven into the heart of the story. The plot pacing was well chosen for the story. The mystery and sleuthing skills were great once again in this installment of A Bibliophile Mystery series. I can identify with many of the things Brooklyn feels, especially in the beginning of the story. I would recommend this book to other readers that enjoy mysteries and good books.

Not to be Missed In-laws, out-laws and everything in between come together in Once Upon a Spine by Kate Carlisle. In the continuation of the Bibliophile Mystery series, Brooklyn Wainwright and her Bond-like fiancé Derek Stone find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation. The Courtyard is a community treasure housing charming small businesses that include an indie bookstore, pie shop and hat shop to name a few. When one of the shop owners is found murdered and another is seriously injured, Brooklyn and Derek work to solve the case that includes, among other things, a very valuable copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. To add to the stress of the situation. Brooklyn is preparing to meet her fiance’s parents as well as introduced them to her own. Readers can count on a mystery with no shortage of suspects, family ties and insight into the world of book collecting. All is served with an assortment of wines and delectable appetizers with recipes found in the back of the book. Once Upon a Spine should be at the top of your summer reading list.

This 11th installment of the Bibliophile Mysteries was a fun light read that rounded out some of the parts of Brooklyn & Derek's life that readers may not have known before. While Dharma didn't see a lot of action in this book, we got a nice well rounded idea of Brooklyn & Derek's neighborhood and the interesting people around them. Like every bibliophile mystery, a murder and a book are somehow tied together, although the motives of the villains in this story were a little less obvious than others. It was lovely reading about Derek's family and the meeting of the mom's, and overall this book was an extremely enjoyable light summer read. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Once Upon a Spine by Kate Carlisle is the eleventh book in A Bibliophile Mystery series. Brooklyn Wainwright lives in San Francisco, California with her fiancé, Derek Stone. Brooklyn is a bookbinder and paper artist. At the Brothers Bookshop in the Courtyard, Brooklyn has been coveting a beautiful and rare copy of Alice in Wonderland owned by Eddie Cox (co-owner of the shop). She has always been fascinated by Lewis Carroll and his Alice books. Terrence Payton, who co-owns Brothers Bookshop with Eddie, mentions that he had a similar copy of Alice in Wonderland, but it was stolen six months previously. Bonnie Carson comes into the shop and mentions that once again someone has vandalized the building with graffiti. Later that week Brooklyn is out early to get coffee from the Beanery and looks into the Rabbit Hole as she goes walks by the shop. She notices the place in a disarray and enters to find Will Rabbit, the owner, on the ground. Brooklyn finds another victim under one of the shelving units. She quickly contacts 911 and Inspector Janice Lee. When the shelving is removed, they find Joey Falco, the cobbler, underneath. Joey dies on the way to the hospital. Brooklyn looks in Joey’s shop door (looking for her burgundy heels Joey was repairing) and discovers the shop in a shambles. Why were Joey and Will attacked? What was the killer looking for in Joey’s shop? The next day Derek’s parents arrive from England (Brooklyn has yet to meet them), and Brooklyn’s parents are visiting as well. Brooklyn will have to work in sleuthing among the sightseeing trips. It seems, though, that the killer is not yet finished. Bonnie would be roadkill if not for Brooklyn’s quick actions. Can Brooklyn close the book on this case before another victim gets struck down? Once Upon a Spine is a delightful cozy mystery. Kate Carlisle has a conversational writing style that makes for an easy to read book. The book is well-crafted and has a good pace. I enjoyed the addition of Derek’s parents. Meg Stone is nothing like I expected. Meg and Becky’s (Brooklyn’s mother) antics had me laughing a few times. The mystery is multifaceted and complex which I adored. Readers will have a hard time solving this one. I give Once Upon a Spine 5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). While Once Upon a Spine is the eleventh book in the series, it can be a stand-alone. The author does provide background information on Brooklyn, her career, and relationship with Derek. I like how far Brooklyn and Janice Lee’s relationship has progressed since the beginning of the series. I loved the description of Brooklyn’s Alice project especially the details on papermaking. Once Upon a Spine has great characters, beautiful setting, complicated crime, wonderful book descriptions, and humor along with a nice easy writing style. All these elements come together for a pleasure reading experience. I hope we get Brooklyn and Derek’s wedding in the next A Bibliophile Mystery. It will be entertaining to see what the two-mother’s put together.

I have read all the books in this series and this on just became my favorite!! A fun and witty mystery!