Before discussing Kate Carlisle’s fifteenth Bibliophile mystery, Little Black Book, I wanted to praise the cover artist. Because I read a .PDF, I have no idea who Berkley picked for the artist, but this cover is just stunning, and details are so accurate, from the cat to the tiny helicopter over the castle. It’s an eye-catching cover.
Bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright and her husband, security expert Derek Stone have piles of mail when they return to the San Francisco home after time visiting Brooklyn’s family in Dharma. While Derek naturally expects that a book in the mail is for Brooklyn, she notices it’s addressed to him, and it came from Scotland. Inside is a first edition, signed copy of Daphne du Maurier’s gothic classic Rebecca. He’s still trying to decide why Gwyneth Quinn, who once worked with him at MI6 would send him the book, when Gwyneth’s niece shows up. Brooklyn recognizes Claire Quinn. She worked with her for two weeks on the TV show, “This Old Attic”. Claire in an antique weaponry expert. But, she’s in San Francisco because Gwyneth is missing, and Claire wants to know what package she sent to Derek.
Although Derek and Brooklyn are cautious in dealing with Claire, her story of Gwyneth’s ransacked apartment and being followed rings true, especially after Alex, their neighbor, reports a man in the parking garage, and she and Derek find a dead man by his car. Claire can identify him from the night he tried to deliver a pizza, and a neighbor helped scare him off. When the trio heads to Dharma, and another man is killed there, Derek decides it’s time to take their search for answers to the source. The trio heads to Oddlochen, Scotland.
While I loved the setting in Oddlochen, Little Black Book wasn’t my favorite book in the series. Brooklyn was too nervous and jumpy in the first half of the book. Perhaps, now that she’s married, she realizes she has someone she worries about, a hostage to fortune. But, she came across as a little too whiny and high-strung in the early stages of the mystery. The mystery behind the mystery seemed a little convoluted with a large cast of suspects.
It’s always interesting to see what book will serve as background to the Bibliophile mysteries. As a fan of the gothic romances of the 1970s, I enjoyed the discussion of books by Phyllis A. Whitney and Victoria Holt. Of course, there was mention of the Brontes and the story of Rebecca. Maybe in the next book, though, Brooklyn might not be as jumpy as a gothic heroine.
Kate Carlisle’s website is https://katecarlisle.com/
Little Black Book by Kate Carlisle. Berkley Prime Crime, 2021. ISBN 9780593201435 (hardcover) 384p.
*****
FTC Full Disclosure – I read a .PDF on NetGalley.
I have to wonder when the first person named her child Brooklyn, because it has become fairly popular these days. We have a niece named Brooklyn, which I always thought was my sister’s tribute to the borough of her birth. Amazingly (to us), she has just graduated from high school. Time does fly.
Who knows where names come from sometimes, Jeff? I do know my parents named me Lesa because they said Lisa shouldn’t be pronounced with the long e sound.
I was happy to see your post this morning. I heard about the weather there. Stay safe!
My other sister’s name is spelled Lisa.
And, I’m soon going to have two Andreas working for me, pronounced two different ways.
I knew a Brooklyn back in High School. She had a brother named Dallas.
Without having the book in front of me, it seems to me that all of Brooklyn Wainwright’s brothers and sisters are named after cities. I know she has a sister named Savannah.
I’m confused by “Dharma“, which is a Hindu concept, being treated as a place.
Brooklyn’s parents joined a commune when she was a child. It was called “Dharma”. They had a spiritual leader, who all these years later, is still spiritual leader of the community. However, the members made a great deal of money with their wines and vineyards.
Thank you. Obviously I’m ignorant of this since I’ve read none of the books.
That’s okay, Richard. I know you don’t read many cozies. If you’re interested, though, I’d start at the beginning of the series with Homicide in Hardcover. And, each book in the series is centered around one particular classic book.