One Book in the Grave: A Bibliophile Mystery [Mass Market Paperback]

Kate Carlisle (Author)

Book Description

Release date: February 7, 2012 | Series: BIBLIOPHILE MYSTERY (Book 5)

There may be grave consequences for bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright as she attempts to solve two murders tied to one book...

Brooklyn's chance to restore a rare first edition of Beauty and the Beast seems a fairytale come true--until she realizes the book last belonged to an old friend of hers. Three years ago, Max Adams, a renowned, brawny papermaker, fell in love with a stunning beauty, Emily, and gave her the copy of Beauty and the Beast as a symbol of their love. Soon afterward, he died in a car crash, and Brooklyn has always suspected his possessive ex-girlfriend and her jealous beau.


Now she decides to find out who sold the book and return it to its rightful owner--Emily. She believes a rare book dealer can assist her, but when she arrives at his shop, she finds him murdered. Is it possible the same couple who may have killed Daniel is now after his edition of Beauty and the Beast? With the help of her handsome boyfriend, Derek Stone, Brooklyn must unravel the murder plot--before she ends up in a plot herself...

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for the Bibliophile Mysteries:

"Terrific...great fun all around."--Library Journal (starred review)

"[A] fun and funny delightful debut."--Lorna Barrett, New York Times bestselling author of the Booktown Mysteries

"Books seldom kill, of course, but this one could murder an early bedtime."--Richmond Times-Dispatch

Praise for the Bibliophile Mysteries:

"Terrific...great fun all around."—Library Journal (starred review)

"[A] fun and funny delightful debut."—Lorna Barrett, New York Times bestselling author of the Booktown Mysteries

"Books seldom kill, of course, but this one could murder an early bedtime."—Richmond Times-Dispatch

About the Author

A native Californian, award-winning writer Kate Carlisle worked in television for many years before turning to writing. A lifelong fascination with the art and craft of bookbinding led her to write the Bibliophile Mysteries featuring Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery, and murder. Kate lives and writes in Southern California. Visit her website at www.katecarlisle.com.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Signet; Original edition (February 7, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451236122
• ISBN-13: 978-0451236128
• Product Dimensions: 4.2 x 0.9 x 6.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #61,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Visit Kate online at www.KateCarlisle.com or www.Facebook.com/KateCarlisleBooks

Bestselling author Kate Carlisle spent over twenty years working in television production as an Associate Director for game and variety shows, including The Midnight Special, Solid Gold and The Gong Show. She traveled the world as a Dating Game chaperone and performed strange acts of silliness on The Gong Show. She also studied acting and singing, toiled in vineyards, collected books, joined a commune, sold fried chicken, modeled spring fashions and worked for a cruise ship line, but it was the year she spent in law school that finally drove her to begin writing fiction. It seemed the safest way to kill off her professors. Those professors are breathing easier now that Kate spends most of her time writing near the beach in Southern California where she lives with her perfect husband.

A lifelong love of old books and an appreciation of the art of bookbinding led Kate to create the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring rare book expert Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. Kate is a member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. She loves to drink good wine and watch other people cook.

The Real Story

For award-winning author Kate Carlisle, the gleaming brass ring of publication eluded her grasp for the longest time. People were starting to talk. Was it simply bad luck? Bad timing? Bad writing? Bad hair? A panel of experts were convened to analyze the details of Kate's life and certain patterns began to emerge that clearly indicated...well, let's just call them Bad Choices. Yes, Kate made some wrong moves on her personal path to publication, and in the interests of full disclosure--and as a cautionary tale--the highlights are listed below.

The Early Years

Kate was born in Los Angeles, California. Need we say more? Name one famous author who was born in Los Angeles. You can't do it. Why? Because all really famous authors are born somewhere else. A rural town in upstate Michigan, a crab shack on the Eastern shore, somewhere on the prairie, in a bayou, on the frozen tundra. Anywhere but LA.

And yet, despite this almost overwhelming handicap, Kate was born with good skin and a naturally attractive telephone voice which led her parents to wonder if she might have a future in either cosmetology or telephone solicitation.

Growing up, Kate and her family moved every few years. She would tell new teachers she was a Navy brat, but the truth is, her father's mounting gambling debts often forced the family to escape in the night with whatever they could carry on their backs. Kate learned to sleep with her favorite toys clutched in her arms, which may explain why her beloved Baldhead Barbie remains in Kate's special toy collection to this day.

Kate's creativity with scissors, not to mention her uncanny ability to tell great whopping lies, alarmed her parents enough that they sent Kate off to be educated by the nuns.

When Good Things Happen to Bad Girls

Thus began Kate's long and desperate search for a creative outlet and a good haircut. Chafing under the authoritarian rule of Sister Mary Cletus at Holy Rosary Academy, Kate escaped by making up stories. One of her favorites was a tale about a wild pony who rescued a strange, lonely farm girl with a bad haircut. Given their daughter's fascination with ponies, Kate's parents thought she might grow up to be a bookie like her Uncle Jerry.

As a teenager, Kate fell in with the wrong crowd. She grew big hair and started flirting with boys, but her school spirit never waned. In fact, Kate's sophomore class at Holy Rosary won a trip to Safari World for selling the most chocolate almond bars, due mainly to Kate's strategy of selling her candy bars to sailors at the downtown bus station. When Kate would ask if they'd like to buy some candy, the sailors would invariably respond, "Is your name Candy?" Her mother held out hope that Kate might someday find her niche in Sales.

Lying For Fun and Profit

But Sales weren't on Kate's radar. Instead, a friend got her a job on a game show and Kate grabbed that opportunity with both hands. She dropped out of college, bleached her hair and went on to spend years in production working on countless films and television shows, hanging out with rock stars and partying with the beautiful people.

But Kate realized she was losing her grip on what was truly important in life. She quit show biz and gave herself a permanent wave. Forsaking her worldly goods, she joined a cult. It worked out well at first. The cult leader owned a vineyard. But within months, the grapes were picked, the wine was drunk, and Kate's hair was losing its wave. It was time to move on. But where to go? What to do? Kate decided to seek professional guidance. After relating her life story to her therapist and lamenting that she'd run out of options, the woman gave her a dirty look and called her a big fat liar. Liar? Kate shouted "Eureka!" and applied to law school.

All The Right Moves...Really

During her first year of law school, Kate again turned to writing as a way of escaping the drudgery of studying because, let's face it, she wasn't the greatest student in the world. But this time there were no stories of wild ponies or lonely little girls with bad haircuts. No, this time her stories were filled with hot, lusty men and smart, spunky women investigating murders and falling in love. There was danger and adventure and treachery...and sex!

Faster than you can say res ipsa loquitur, Kate dropped out of law school and signed up for writing classes. She joined Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America where she met lots of wonderful writers and made fabulous friends. She wrote books and attended writers' conferences and sent out query letters and entered writing contests in hopes of selling her manuscripts to the perfect publisher.

And one day, Kate walked out of the hair salon with the best haircut she'd ever received. The sun was shining, the air was clean, the planets were aligned, and suddenly her phone rang. It was "The Call." Kate became a published author that day. Her destiny was fulfilled. And her hair was perfect.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Love this series, but not too crazy about this book March 21, 2012

By S. D.

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I've enjoyed this book series from the beginning, but I have to admit this particular book was not one of my favorites. The plot was a bit contrived and some of the characters have become unrealistic. Brooklyn's nemesis seemed to be thrown in at the strangest moments (not in a good way) and has gone from being an amusing nuisance to being just plain annoying. The strangest part of the book, though, seems to be the author's frequent description of Brooklyn's boyfriend. It seems as though you can't turn a page without reading about how gorgeous he is. Ok, we get it, enough already.

The book is worth reading if you like the series, but hopefully the next book will be thought out a bit better and we can go back to liking Brooklyn and company for the fun characters they were in earlier books.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Mix of Books & Mystery February 7, 2012

By Cindy Chow

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Normally book addict and bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright would be thrilled to take on the challenging job of restoring a rare first edition, but not when the book turns out to have been stolen and contains her last memories of papermaker Max Adams. When she traces the book back to the previous seller Brooklyn is even more horrified to find a dead body, impaled with a weapon seemingly to have been owned by the deceased Max. The classic edition Beauty and the Beast had been a gift given by Brooklyn to Max and his fiancée Emily as an engagement present, and after his death the book was stolen out of Emily's house. Confused and hurt, Brooklyn looks for answers and comfort from her communal-living parents and Guru Bob, who provides both while also adding a surprising twist to the mystery.

Brooklyn's eccentric family always serve as a treat for the reader, with her city-named siblings and protective parents providing light comic relief. Brooklyn herself is more beleaguered with the fear that she is becoming a magnet for bodies and the teasing sarcasm from San Francisco Inspector Janice Lee doesn't help. At times, though, the reader may be distracted when the novel ventures into chick-lit territory as Brooklyn continually rhapsodizes over the comparative hotness of her boyfriend/ security expert Derek Stone and the equally studly and mysterious Gabriel. They're both super hot, I get it. Surprisingly, far more interesting are the meticulous details of bookbinding, book mending, and paper making. The plot is strong with engaging family characters and thankfully the minimal participation of the Brooklyn's over-the-top sociopathic competitor Minka LaBoeuf. The fifth in the Bibliophile Mysteries continues to run strong, and the characters show enough growth and promise to make this a long-running series.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Amazing Read March 21, 2012

By L. Rigod

Format:Mass Market Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

What do I like about this book? The question would be better served as to what I don't like about this book and the answer is 'Nothing.' I totally enjoyed each and every one of the 291 pages I read. Including the glimpse of the next book in the series.

Brooklyn Wainwright is emotionally connected to her newest commission, to repair a first edition copy of 'Beauty and the Beast' which she gave as an engagement gift to two dear friends. The emotion comes in as the couple were devastated a mere two days later by the tragic death of the groom to be, Max Adams. Further tragedy hit the bride to be, when her home gets robbed and her copy of the book is stolen. This was three years earlier, but, all the traumatic feelings return as Brooklyn seeks the thief only to find a dead body, again.

That is as much as I'm going to say about this unusual tale of murder, mystery, and chaos. Cult religions, vengeance, and greed enter the scenes and once again, we are treated to a romantic suspense novel of high quality.

Treat yourself to a wonderful book which will have you lose time as you can't put it down.