Helpful Score: 20
This book sounded like a good read and a different plot line. Started out in the first couple chapters introducing every character (it seems) all at once. Unfortunately, what really killed it for me was the language. I just fail to understand why authors have to mess up what sounds like a good mystery by inserting foul language throughout the book. I was very disappointed in this book and author. This of course represents just my humble opinion, but I would not recommend it.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
Helpful Score: 13
First Line: My teacher always told me that in order to save a patient you'd have to kill him first.
When book restorer Brooklyn Wainwright decided to go into business for herself, it caused a rift between her and her teacher, Abraham Karastovsky. She is relieved when he welcomes her with open arms at a party in the prestigious Covington Library in San Francisco, but a short time later Brooklyn walks into a workroom to find Abraham lying in a pool of blood. Leaving her with a cryptic message and an extremely rare (and supposedly cursed) volume of Faust, she finds herself right in the middle of a murder investigation, complete with family members as suspects and a delectable British security officer.
Although Hardcover in Homicide suffers a bit from wanting to be all things to all people with a wide-ranging cast of characters that could've been pared down, I did enjoy the book. The information about book restoration was fascinating without bogging down the pace. The San Francisco-Napa Valley locales added the perfect ambiance to the story, and Carlisle does have some gems in her line-up of characters-- foremost among them Brooklyn's family. Her parents live in a commune named Dharma in the Napa Valley, and her siblings have similarly geographic names: Austin, China.... Led by Guru Bob, the people of Dharma are quite the interesting bunch to visit, and I'm hoping that future books in the series will let us get to know Brooklyn's siblings better.
Led by a very interesting main character, once this series tightens its focus a bit, it will be a very entertaining one to follow. One small aside: I find it amusing that Homicide in Hardcover is published as a mass market paperback (but then, I can be easily amused)!
When book restorer Brooklyn Wainwright decided to go into business for herself, it caused a rift between her and her teacher, Abraham Karastovsky. She is relieved when he welcomes her with open arms at a party in the prestigious Covington Library in San Francisco, but a short time later Brooklyn walks into a workroom to find Abraham lying in a pool of blood. Leaving her with a cryptic message and an extremely rare (and supposedly cursed) volume of Faust, she finds herself right in the middle of a murder investigation, complete with family members as suspects and a delectable British security officer.
Although Hardcover in Homicide suffers a bit from wanting to be all things to all people with a wide-ranging cast of characters that could've been pared down, I did enjoy the book. The information about book restoration was fascinating without bogging down the pace. The San Francisco-Napa Valley locales added the perfect ambiance to the story, and Carlisle does have some gems in her line-up of characters-- foremost among them Brooklyn's family. Her parents live in a commune named Dharma in the Napa Valley, and her siblings have similarly geographic names: Austin, China.... Led by Guru Bob, the people of Dharma are quite the interesting bunch to visit, and I'm hoping that future books in the series will let us get to know Brooklyn's siblings better.
Led by a very interesting main character, once this series tightens its focus a bit, it will be a very entertaining one to follow. One small aside: I find it amusing that Homicide in Hardcover is published as a mass market paperback (but then, I can be easily amused)!
Really surprisingly good 'read', for a debut novel. Totally caught me up in the characters. Enjoyable, and thought about it, the characters, for days after completing it. I DO wish to read the next book by this author.
Helpful Score: 5
cute, but this book has it all:
the young, blonde, cute protagonist who is overshadowed by a flambouyant friend.
the male protagonist who is drop dead gorgeous and RICH and who falls for her.
the lesbian friends.
the inheritance so she ends up rich at the end.
the wacky but wonderful mother.
With this list of cliches, if you are an avid mystery reader, you can probably name half a dozen books with these identical elements.
Still, if you overlook the lack of depth to the characters (people are either 100% good or 100% evil), overlook the cliches, and overlook the predictability of the plot and the fact that each plot "twist" is very expected, then this is a cute book for a first work by a brand new author.
the young, blonde, cute protagonist who is overshadowed by a flambouyant friend.
the male protagonist who is drop dead gorgeous and RICH and who falls for her.
the lesbian friends.
the inheritance so she ends up rich at the end.
the wacky but wonderful mother.
With this list of cliches, if you are an avid mystery reader, you can probably name half a dozen books with these identical elements.
Still, if you overlook the lack of depth to the characters (people are either 100% good or 100% evil), overlook the cliches, and overlook the predictability of the plot and the fact that each plot "twist" is very expected, then this is a cute book for a first work by a brand new author.
Heather F. (AZmom875) -
Helpful Score: 4
I just got started and so far, She has added the token, lesbian neighbor, her cuter best friend, and just crammed a whole bunch of other characters left and right into a party. Do I even want to finish?
