Review
ONCE UPON A SPINE by Kate Carlisle
The Eleventh Bibliophile Mystery
Brooklyn Wainwright is a nervous wreck. Her future in-laws are coming to
visit and she's in a panic wondering if they'll like her. Her anxiety
level is increased as they will also be meeting her parents. How will
Derek's British family react to Brooklyn's new agey mother? Easing her
tension is the love she has not only for Derek, but their neighborhood
with all the lovely shops and shopkeepers. Heck, the bookstore owners
even let her touch their display only copy of a rare edition of ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND.
But all is not as lovely as it seems. As Brooklyn goes out for an early
cup of coffee she discovers the door to the local market open and
inside finds the store trashed, the shop owner lying on the floor, and a
body under a huge shelving unit. Is it an accident or has Brooklyn
stumbled upon a murder once more?
Kate Carlisle creates such wonderful ambiance in her bibliophile series. Vivid descriptions allow me to visualize myself exploring the Courtyard and all its charming shops, spending time trying on hats I can't afford at Kitty's hat shop, trying to make healthy food choices at The Rabbit Hole (though more likely making choices at Sweetie Pies), and spending lots of money at Brothers Bookshop.
One of my favorites parts of each bibliophile mystery is learning about the classic book it features. Like Brooklyn, I am a huge fan of Lewis Carroll and all things Alice and was excited to see that ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND was the book featured in ONCE UPON A SPINE. While I was thrilled to learn new facts, I was unfamiliar with the Suppressed ALICE, I was disappointed that more attention wasn't given to the book. That being said, more details about it wouldn't have moved the plot along so weren't really necessary, but the book nerd in me still wanted more.
The mix of characters in ONCE UPON A SPINE is brilliant. The meeting of Brooklyn and Derek's parents is a delight and it's wonderful to see the trio of couples so compatible, especially compared to the romantic relationships between the other characters in the book.
ONCE UPON A SPINE is a fine entry in the Bibliophile Mystery series that celebrates relationships while providing an engaging well plotted mystery.
One of my favorites parts of each bibliophile mystery is learning about the classic book it features. Like Brooklyn, I am a huge fan of Lewis Carroll and all things Alice and was excited to see that ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND was the book featured in ONCE UPON A SPINE. While I was thrilled to learn new facts, I was unfamiliar with the Suppressed ALICE, I was disappointed that more attention wasn't given to the book. That being said, more details about it wouldn't have moved the plot along so weren't really necessary, but the book nerd in me still wanted more.
The mix of characters in ONCE UPON A SPINE is brilliant. The meeting of Brooklyn and Derek's parents is a delight and it's wonderful to see the trio of couples so compatible, especially compared to the romantic relationships between the other characters in the book.
ONCE UPON A SPINE is a fine entry in the Bibliophile Mystery series that celebrates relationships while providing an engaging well plotted mystery.
This is one author that I read all of her books love the way she writes and she always writes a adventurous books! peggy clayton Can't wait to read a print copy of this book!
ReplyDeleteI know. This is one series I always pre-order. I got behind though.
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