Review: Homicide in Hardcover

{on Goodreads}

Brooklyn is a book conservationist, having studied under the finest professional in the country. Growing up in a commune, she was surrounded by an eclectic group of people, but each of one them has come to mean a great deal to her- especially Abraham, who introduced her to the book business when she was only eight years old. Brooklyn attends an event at the prestigious Covington library, where Abraham has been working on restoring Goethe's Faust, which is supposdely cursed. At the Covington, Brooklyn finds Abraham sprawled on the floor of his workroom, a victim of murder. She is hastily signed on to complete his work, but she finds herself distracted by the mystery of his murder, and puts herself in several dangerous situations as a result of her determination to solve the mystery. Navigating the murder case on her own is risky enough, though she is soon aided by a handsome British security agent. Brooklyn knows that she's missing an important piece of the puzzle, and while she searches for the clues that Abraham left behind, she encounters a number of ill-meaning adversaries. It appears that whoever the murderer is, Brooklyn's the next target. Is finishing the conservation of the Faust worth her life? Perhaps the curse has more power than she thought...

Like Killer Librarian, I picked this book because it's a Bibliophile Mystery. I did enjoy reading about the book binding process and loved the sinister provenance of the Faust. I had some trouble connecting with Brooklyn; her humor was forced throughout the book, and I found her constant need to eat junk food as an odd choice for her defining characteristic. There was room for more literary moments, and I would have appreciated those in place of the many cheesy clichés and similes. That being said, I did not correctly guess the identity of the murderer, and I was pleasantly surprised by the resolution. Though this mystery is not a feat of literary genius akin to the work of Agatha Christie, I'll certainly follow the series, as it gave me a nice break after having finished a heavier work of historical fiction. 

Bottom Line Rating: 3/5

Title: Homicide in Hardcover

Author: Kate Carlisle

Publisher: New American Library, 2009
Price: $7.19
ISBN: 0451226151
Format: Paperback
Source: Public Library
Book #5 of 2014