Little Black Book by Kate Carlisle has Brooklyn Wainwright and Derek Stone returning home to San Francisco where they find a package from Scotland addressed to Derek. The package contains a signed British first edition of Rebecca. The next day, Claire Quinn arrives asking for Derek to see if he received a package from her missing aunt. Claire found her aunt’s home ransacked and no sign of her aunt who was expecting her. Claire did find a copy of the postal receipt for the package. She was hoping Derek would know where to find her missing relative. Brooklyn notices that Claire is on edge and learns that someone broke into her apartment as well. They also made a second attempt at entry but were thwarted by a concerned neighbor. Derek and Brooklyn offer to help Claire with her intriguing mystery. Before they can begin, the man who broke into Claire’s apartment is found dead in the garage of their building. When Brooklyn looks through Rebecca, she finds a clue that sends the group to Scotland where danger is afoot. Derek will have his work cut out for him if he is to keep his new wife safe along with Claire. Will Brooklyn, Derek, and Claire find the answers they seek in the land of the brave?
Little Black Book by Kate Carlisle is the 15th A Bibliophile Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading each book in this delightful series. I look forward to a new installment each year where I can go on an adventure with Derek and the feisty, intelligent Brooklyn. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is the featured book and I like how it ties into the story. I thought Little Black Book was well-written with developed, engaging characters. The characters are what keep me coming back. I love Brooklyn Wainwright and her dashing husband, Derek. They have good friends and a large, interesting family (especially the Stone brothers). There is great chemistry between Derek and Brooklyn. It is obvious how much they love each other. Even better, though, they respect each other. The mystery was multi-faceted and intriguing. I enjoyed following the clues and getting to journey to Scotland. There is plenty of action as well. I enjoyed learning about steganography. I like how Brooklyn’s skills play into the mystery. If it involves a book, Brooklyn is your gal. It is great that the author includes information on bookbinding, book restoration, and book art. Thanks to the vivid word imagery, I could envision the mobile Brooklyn is creating. There is some mild foul language (I would rather Brooklyn use creative phrases related to books) as well as repetition of details related to the mystery. Little Black Book became more engaging the further I got into it, and I was sad when my visit to this creative world ended. I look forward to Brooklyn’s next adventure. Little Black Book is a compelling whodunit with a bewildering black book, cryptic clues, a dangerous dagger, a bulky bad guy, an AWOL aunt, and a hunky hubby.
Kris
The
Avid Reader
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