Buried in Books by Kate Carlisle is a good mystery. I recommend this delightful book to all who love a fun mystery.

I always get excited for a new Kate Carlisle book and this one was so exception. As book twelve in the Bibliophile Mystery series, Brooklyn finds herself in some trouble again when some past friends come back into her life, carrying their extra baggage along with them. With her wedding on the way, this is not the kind of thing that Brooklyn wants to deal with, but she is forced into the foray when one of her friends is found murdered.

I really like the premise of this book. Having Heather and Sara really made things interesting and I could really feel for Brooklyn in this book. I loved how the author was able to bring so much detail to Heather and Sara, almost making them a main character of the book before the chaos starts. It’s these deep characterizations from the author that makes me come back to these books again and again. I can come into this series, not knowing anything at all about the book, but nonetheless, feeling a strong connection to the characters whether or not they end up alive or dead by the end of the book. This is hard to do, especially with already twelve books in the series, but Carlisle manages to do this well time and time again. I’m impressed.

The romance between Derek and Brooklyn is at an all-time high and I really loved getting the opportunity to see this romance grow. So in addition to the great mysteries in this series, I think Carlisle can make a wicked love story too.

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. The word building was phenomenal in this book. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series, and this book did not disappoint! Kate Carlisle is such a talented author, and I love the main character. She is very realistic and someone that I want as a friend. You can tell that Kate did her research for book binding, and I found the information in the book so fascinating. I highly recommend!

The Bibliophile books remain some of my favorite cozy mysteries ever. I know I'm in for a treat as soon as I start reading each book and I love I learn a little about history in each new book as well. With Buried in Books, we were finally getting the payoff of Brooklyn and Derek's wedding and it was so worth the wait.

I was pulled into Brooklyn and Derek's world once again from the very first page. I enjoy the mysteries in each story as they aren't overly gory yet keep me wanting to figure everything out before Brooklyn and Derek can. As it is Brooklyn and Derek's wedding week, I of course hoped they could keep the murders away from their happy day, but no way murder isn't going to continue to follow them around. Sadly just as Brooklyn is reconnecting with 2 best friends from college, she finds Sara dead, which puts Brooklyn in the middle of yet another murder case.

I found Buried in Books to be a very fast-paced read that kept me guessing almost right until the end. I say guessing as I'd figured out part of the puzzle but not everything. I love we got to spend time with so much of Brooklyn's family in this book as well. I seriously have mad love for both Brooklyn's and Derek's parents and when the 2 moms get together; there is nothing but laughter from me. I love the amount of humor mixed in with each book as it keep them from being too dark and the romance between Derek and Brooklyn is always spot on.

Buried in Books was another winner in the Bibliophile series for me. Twelve books in and I'm still loving the stories and anxiously awaiting each new release. I can't wait to see where Ms. Carlisle takes this series in the future.


Rating: 5 Stars (B+)

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an eARC of this book.
I often enjoy cozy mysteries when my brain wants a break. This one just didn't do it for me. Lots of time spent rehashing characters and nearly half the book was gone before there was a murder. Lots of others have like this book so maybe it was the wrong day for me.

I liked this story. It is book 12 in the Bibliophile Mystery Series and it surprises me that I haven't read any of the previous books. I'm sure many of the characters in this story have had their own lives featured in previous books. This one has the main characters, Brooklyn and Derrick preparing for their wedding with the families all in town. Meanwhile, Brooklyn is giving a demonstration on book binding at the local convention center for the national Librarians meeting. When a college friend is found murdered Brooklyn investigates to clear a girlfriend. A good cozy and I'll be checking on the previous 11 books. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

#BuriedInBooks# by: Kate Carlisle
Though this is the 12th book in this series, I found it delightful. San Francisco ambiance adds intriguing flavor to the story. Brooklyn is involved with her upcoming wedding to Derek, getting the many details just perfect. She's also dealing with a library convention and is surprised when two friends from her college roommate days show up at the convention with a special gift, two rare books. Brooklyn, in the bookbinding business, suspects one of the books is a forgery. One of the friends is murdered. Brooklyn and her fiance hasten to solve this murder before their big day. Great plot with many twists and turns. Loved the wedding scene. A satisfying ending with all story questions tied up.

Cute cozy mystery that revolves around books. Nice light read that entertained me while I read it. I will recommend the book to my coworkers, library patrons, and anyone who asks for a recommendation.

Having read all of the other books in this series, I have to say this is now among my favorites. It was nice to learn about Brooklyn's time in grad school and meet some characters from her past. Only Brooklyn would end up with her wedding the weekend following a library conference, and then have to solve a murder on her wedding day.

Kate Carlisle's twelfth book in the Bibliophile Mystery series is Buried in Books. Brooklyn has everything under control for her upcoming wedding and is confident she can also handle presenting at a librarian's convention in town. She gets a big surprise when her two college roommates show up at the convention. None of them have seen each other since her roommates argued over a guy in college. The friends try to one up each other with rare book gifts. When one of the friends is found dead buried in a pile of books, Brooklyn sets out to find the murderer. I have read previous books in the series, but it is really not necessary. This series features a strong female character, and this book is no exception. It is action packed until the end!

Love these books! Mostly because I'm a librarian but because the books are so well-written and because the main character is really great. Brooklyn has really grown into a great woman throughout the series and she's really kick-ass. It's also really nice to see a set of in-laws who actually get along with their future daughter-in-law and her family. Usually it's the complete opposite. This latest edition in the Bibliophile Mysteries brings my love of books, conferences, and seeing old friends together in one volume!

The story felt short and the ending rushed. But I couldn't help but love the setting of a library conference. Over all a decent cozy mystery. Will continue to read this series.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

This fabulous, fresh mystery reminds me of everything I have liked about this series over the years. It was so good to “visit” Brooklyn and Derek again, especially as their big day nears. Seeing her future mother-in-law, Meg get along so well with her mother is heartwarming. Vivid descriptions of the city Brooklyn loves, and the location chosen for their wedding, make me want to go there. Most of the characters are so familiar, it is like being amongst old friends. Eerie plot twists have frightening results, including on “their” day … if they make it through the ceremony.

Every last thing on Brooklyn’s wedding list has been taken care of, some designated to family and friends. She sees no problem attending and taking part in the annual National Librarians Association conference just before the wedding. She is leading a workshop in book binding and repairs, and she is also leading twenty raffle winners on a 3-hour tour of library and book hot spots in San Francisco. After all, why should she sit around fretting the last couple days before the wedding when she can be part of this conference for the 5th year? Famous last words.

Brooklyn’s mother and Meg jump into the bus tour, entertaining the winners with stories about how Brooklyn has come across a few bodies in various locations and helped solve the murders. They have another surprise, a shower for Brooklyn. Her mom invited her best friends in college, not realizing there was a reason she had not been in contact with them since. Things begin to get ugly when Heather and Sara see each other for the first time since college. Brooklyn tries to settle the waters. Each of the two former best friends brought her a rare book, one that would remind her of their time together. One is outrageously valuable…but giving away that book might be the reason why that friend was later found dead – by Brooklyn – in the basement of the hotel garage, buried under crates of books. There are two primary suspects, but the reason for her death has far more sinister aspects. Brooklyn races against the clock to find her friend’s killer before she and Derek take their vows, then her life is suddenly at risk, also. A couple unsavory-looking gents are following her around at the conference, and her murdered friend’s husband is suddenly trying to be her friend, as well as spend time with the surviving best friend.

Brooklyn and Derek are the most adorable, well-matched couple! They and their closest relatives and friends are defined primarily through rich, realistic dialog and determined actions. I am looking forward to learning more in upcoming mysteries about Derek’s parents, their siblings and their families. It sounds like the family who fights crime together, laughs together! Dharma sounds like a respite from the city, and is demonstrated by how family members love it there.

There are fun times ahead for this family! I really enjoyed seeing Brooklyn and Derek’s moms on the bus tour and how they entertained some of the librarians on board with some of Brooklyn’s past escapades. Learning more about her college days and friends was also interesting, and seeing who Heather and Sara had become over the years. The murder and race to solve it keep the pages turning; I was drawn in from the first page and thoroughly enjoyed the novel. While I had my suspicions of who the bad guy(s) might really be, I still was surprised and at moments entertained with some of the outcome. I highly recommend this delightful and spine-tingling story to those who enjoy well-written cozy mysteries that include the fascinating world of bookbinding and repair, books, and libraries. It can be read as a standalone, and I think that new readers will want to go back and read earlier mysteries afterwards. This is a not-to-be-missed offering in this exciting series!

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Buried in Books by Kate Carlisle is the twelfth A Bibliophile Mystery. Brooklyn Wainwright is marrying Derek Stone in just a few days. With the wedding plans completed, Brooklyn is off to attend the annual National Librarians Association conference. She is surprised when she runs into Heather Babcock. Brooklyn, Heather and Sara Martin were roommates and best friends in graduate school until Roderick came along. Brooklyn has not heard from Heather or Sara in twelve years. The next day after Brooklyn’s Book Lovers Tour of San Francisco, Brooklyn is surprised with a bridal shower. She is shocked when she discovers her mother invited Heather and Sara (oh dear). Heather gives Brooklyn a first edition of The Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang. Not to be one upped, Sara unexpectedly presents Brooklyn with a beautiful (and valuable) first edition of The Three Musketeers. Later Sara turns up dead which causes Brooklyn to take a closer look at her gift from Sara. When she discovers it is a forgery, Brooklyn wonders if Sara knew about it or was she innocent victim. With her wedding quickly approaching, Brooklyn finds herself once again embroiled in a mystery. Can Brooklyn wrap up the case before she dons her wedding gown, or will she end up being fitted for a coffin?

Buried in Books is a well-written and engaging book. The authors conversational writing style combined with the steady pacing makes Buried in Books easy to read. I started reading Buried in Books and did not put it down until I finished. There are many delightful humorous moments in Buried in Books. Brooklyn and Derek’s mothers are quite a pair. They are two peas in a pod and their families had better be prepared for more of their antics in the future. I love reading about the beautiful books Brooklyn encounters (the authors descriptions allowed me to visualize the wondrous tomes. It is also interesting to learn more about bookbinding (which makes A Bibliophile Mystery series unique) and creating one-of-a-kind handmade books. There are beautiful descriptions of San Francisco and various book lover attractions. I enjoyed how the victim was killed. It is unique and fits with the book. The murder does not occur until page 110. The author took the time to set the stage (give us background) for the crime. I was disappointed that the mystery was uncomplicated and easily solved. Brooklyn is a great character. She is intelligent, spunky and has a nose for murder. Brooklyn has grown over the course of the series, and I think that Derek is the perfect partner for her. He supports Brooklyn in her investigations and assists her while keeping her safe. There are many wonderful cozy moments in the book. We get to see the Wainwright and Stone families mingle, the wedding, lots of food, Brooklyn spending time with her friends, the sights of San Francisco, descriptions of old books, the convention, the rehearsal dinner, and special moments between Derek and Brooklyn. There are recipes for a couple of the dishes served at Derek and Brooklyn’s wedding at the end of the book. My rating for Buried in Books is 4 out of 5 stars. Fans of A Bibliophile Mystery series (and cozy mysteries) will be thoroughly delighted with Buried in Books.

I've enjoyed all the books in this series. I appreciate that the clues aren't blatantly left out in plain sight so that they seem unreasonable easy to find. But I think what will make this book stick out in my mind for a long time is the wedding. This has got to be one of the best weddings I have ever read.

I've been with this series since the beginning, and I continue to love the situations Brooklyn finds herself in. Loved reading more about Derek and his family. Brooklyn's mom and Derek's mom have a lot in common. Brooklyn is preparing for her wedding and the week before she is attending a conference, where of course she finds a dead body. Can all be solved before the wedding?

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review.

Buried in Books: A Bibliophile Mystery
By Kate Carlisle
Berkley
July 2018

Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s finally happening. Rare book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright is marrying Derek Stone, the dashing British security expert whom she first met over a dead body. Their history has been sprinkled throughout with more than one murder victim, but their successful investigations have led to a San Francisco wedding attended by Brooklyn’s parents, her location-named siblings, and Derek’s entire extended family from England. Less-than-enjoyable results of her lethal reputation are the true crime fans, who inundate her with lurid questions during Brooklyn’s National Librarians Association Conference Book Lovers’ Tour. When the tour concludes with a surprise bridal party, no one is more shocked than Brooklyn, especially when she is confronted by her two former best friends from Library School. The “Three Musketeers” bond shared between Brooklyn, Heather Babcock, and Sara Martin was shattered when Sara betrayed Heather by marrying her boyfriend. The acrimonious feelings from twelve years past haven’t lessened one bit, and Brooklyn’s unease is warranted when Sara turns up dead, literally buried by books.

In an act that seemed intended only to overshadow Heather’s gift of a sentimental book, Sara had given Brooklyn a rare book valued at over $74,000. Brooklyn can’t help but suspect that Sara’s husband Rod couldn’t have been pleased with the gift, although Heather doesn’t hesitate at forgive and reunite with the man who broke her heart and their friendships. The stress from the suspicion surrounding her friends may be what finally pushes the normally uber-organized Brooklyn into having some bridal freakouts, but her San Francisco friends and family are more than prepared to ease her path down the aisle with laughter, love, and a lot of preparation.

Fans of this long-running, book-loving mystery series will be rewarded for their loyalty through the appearances of nearly all of their favorite characters. As suitable for such a happy event, all of Brooklyn’s very large family, not to mention her many friends, arrive in town to give their best wishes to the happy couple. While this feels like a more-than-satisfying conclusion to such a charming and thrilling series, it leaves readers still wanting more adventures of these characters devoted to the protection of rare books. This is a wonderfully unique series that delves into the fascinating nuances of book conservation, book crimes, and literary appreciation. While Brooklyn and Derek deserve their happily-ever-after, mystery readers and “book nerds” wouldn’t mind if their future just happened to also involve a crime or two.

Buried in Books bubbles over with Bs: a bride, books aplenty, bookbinding, a body, and the beautiful Bay area. Kate Carlisle’s 12th Bibliophile Mystery operates on two interwoven tracks—the personal and the professional. Book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright has chosen to spend the week leading up to her wedding to Derek Stone at a conference in San Francisco. Not as a participant but as a presenter.

For the fifth year in a row, I had been asked to present the bookbinding workshop for the annual National Librarians Association conference. It was a real honor to be asked because there had to be hundreds of talented bookbinders among the librarians who attended every year.

Can any bride be so organized? Brooklyn already has her bag packed for her honeymoon in Paris! A fly in the ointment comes in the form of some ghoulish attendees who want her “to dish about the murders during the workshop.” Seriously? How rude. Just because books and solving related murders were seemingly her modus operandi:

When it came to any connection between rare books and murder, the only bit of information I was willing to offer was this: If you thought that books weren’t worth killing for, you were dead wrong.

To an audience of librarians and “book nerds,” the allure of one of their own dishing on murders as well as rare books is an irresistible combination. Maybe so, but in Brooklyn’s mind, “I didn’t even like thinking about the bodies I’d stumbled across, let alone using them as filler in my workshop program. It wasn’t going to happen.”

Who should Brooklyn run into during registration but Heather Babcock, one of her two best friends from graduate school. Back in the day, Brooklyn, Heather, and Sara Martin (the third member of the trio) dubbed themselves the Three Musketeers. Unfortunately, a man came between Heather and Sara, and their friendship shattered. Brooklyn and Heather laugh and talk as they catch up over café lattes and biscotti, but 12 years have passed since they’ve spoken. All because of Roderick, Heather’s boyfriend, who had cheated on her with Sara. Is there still a “big fat bitchy elephant in the room?” Is Heather still angry?

I frowned. “Do you think she’ll be coming to the conference?”

“I sure hope not,” Heather said. Her jaw tightened and her eyes narrowed in unrepressed fury. “Because I swear, if I ever see Sara Martin again, I’ll kill her.”

Brooklyn can’t get that furious statement out of her head. “I’ll kill her” ricochets through her brain as she walks four blocks home to her fantastic flat, south of Market, close enough to walk to AT&T Park, the home of the SF Giants. The icing on the cake, though, is Derek, her “gorgeous fiancé,” who is waiting for her at home, eager to discuss the signature cocktails for their wedding. Derek is a Renaissance man: mixology is but one of his talents when he’s moonlighting from “his top secret job at M16, England’s mysterious intelligence agency.” Who better for Brooklyn? The lead up to their nuptials was solving bookish murders together. But Derek senses Brooklyn is troubled:

“You seem a little stressed.”

“Not a bit.” He regarded at me for a long moment, then frowned. “But something happened to you, I can tell. Was it at the conference?”

I blinked and shook my hair back. How did he do that? Not that I minded him being able to gauge my every emotion and thought by osmosis, but it was disconcerting nonetheless.

Brooklyn spills the beans on what happened years ago. Neither she nor Derek are surprised when Sara shows up at the conference, husband Rod in tow. Both Heather and Sara are invited to Brooklyn’s surprise wedding shower where they each give her a book. Sara’s is especially meaningful, a rare first edition of The Three Musketeers worth over $74,000. Except, it’s a forgery, as Brooklyn discovers. Even non-bibliophiles will be fascinated by the details of Brooklyn’s rare book chops. Old books speak to her.

I heard them calling my name. The severed hinge, the shredded headband, the faded gilding. They whispered, Help us Brooklyn Wainwright, you’re our only hope.

I felt their pain. Really. I didn’t make this stuff up.

When Sara Martin’s body is discovered, literally “buried in books,” Brooklyn’s intuition married with Derek’s investigative skills combine to solve the murder, all the while counting down to their wedding.

Will they make it to the ceremony alive? Turn the exciting pages of Carlisle’s Buried in Books to find out. Surely no one will blame fans for wondering if Paris will be a serene honeymoon location for two people who are a magnet for literary mayhem and murder!

This was a fun step back into this series. I feel like I've missed out on a couple of the books, but that didn't really impact my enjoyment of this one. This one has two focuses, the murder mystery and the wedding. I thought I'd be more into the wedding stuff, but I just wasn't feeling it. Maybe I've overdosed on wedding themed things lately. Still, it was an enjoyable read. You should pick it up.