Generally speaking, like most Cozy readers, I really enjoy reading themed mysteries about topics that I enjoy in real life >>> themes I can relate to. (Some of the everyday things I enjoy are holidays, dogs and cats, needlework, ETC.) I also enjoy reading Cozies that involve professions I think of as “fun” >>> librarians would be a good example of this because the theme involves books, which I happen to love. The Bibliophile Series stars Brooklyn Wainwright, a professional book restorer >>> definitely a theme that interests me and that I don’t know anything about!
In this first book in the series, the sleuth, Brooklyn, investigates the murder of her mentor. While Homicide in Hardcover doesn’t go into huge amounts of technical detail on the restoration of a valuable copy of Goethe’s Faust, it does interject a very different tone that helps get a feeling for the character overall. In this case, because her work is very detail oriented and meticulous in nature, it helps define her character as being perhaps a bit more “logical” than some other Cozy Mystery protagonists, like an artist or a baker, who might be considered possessing of a more “creative” mindset.
I don’t want to give away too much of this series, so I’ll keep this brief: Brooklyn’s family and friends are some of the terrific aspects of the Bibliophile series. The dialogue between the characters is fun, so the “regulars” are sorely missed when Brooklyn leaves town to attend to her bookbinding professional commitments. Kate Carlisle is a good story-teller who provides enough red herrings and twists to keep the reader invested in the crimes Brooklyn solves.
Another particular highlight of the Homicide in Hardcover is its setting, San Francisco. San Francisco has a very definite atmosphere, particularly expressed through Brooklyn’s parents, who are a pair of aging hippies who still live out on a commune outside the city proper. Enough detail goes into the setting that it is no surprise that the author, Kate Carlisle, is herself a native Californian. It’s clear that she has a strong grasp of both the area and the sort of eccentric, cosmopolitan personalities that can be found there.
If you’re interested in seeing some of the other entries I’ve written on the other Cozy Mystery series I’ve written up before, they can be found at the Most Recommended Cozy Mystery Series page on my site.
Karen says
I really enjoy this series….love the bookish repairs and the characters. Also, she eats what she wants…..hee.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Karen, you talk about two good things about the Bibliophile series. I find myself drawn to themes I personally enjoy, but the sleuth and the actual mysteries are what keep me coming back…
Carolyn says
I love this series. Love the characters (and since I lived thru the 60’s I can totally relate to her family’s back story. Also, the peek into repairing old books is fascinating.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Carolyn, thanks for the Kate Carlisle shout-out!
Joyce Ann Brown says
This sounds like a fun series. Being a former librarian and a voracious reader, I, too, like book-related cozy series. Thanks for the recommendation and your detailed review.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Joyce Ann, I hope you enjoy the Bibliophile series as much as the rest of us!
Julie b says
Since the series is older, I always figure everyone has already read them, but years ago a friend suggested braun’s ‘cat who’ series. I read all the books – and there are a lot of them! Then bought them all, over the years, then bought a few on kindle and audible. This series is almost famous for having the most perfect narrator for its audio books. He Is the main character ‘jim’, so much so that I prefer listening to the books, to reading them. (as I do with the Alan Bradley flavia de Luce mystery books read by Jayne Entwistle. She IS flavia, the precocious 60’s era British 12 year old chemistry prodigy mystery solver).
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Julie b, I have this very same feeling about listening to Lisette Lecat reading Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Mystery Series. It is one of my
very favorite series, yet I have never actually read any of them. I only listen to Lisette Lecat’s narration of the books. She is absolutely terrific!
Janice says
I enjoy this series a lot, especially the books that involve the commune. I also like Kate Carlisle’s other series that feature a female home renovation expert, also set in California.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Janice, I’m glad you pointed out Kate Carlisle’s other Cozy Mystery series. I can’t believe I didn’t mention her Fixer-Upper series!