Little Black Book

Kate Carlisle

Jun 2021 · Bibliophile Mystery Book 15 · Sold by Penguin

About this ebook

San Francisco book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright is on the case when a rare edition of Rebecca leads to murder in this latest installment of the New York Times bestselling Bibliophile Mystery series.

Brooklyn and her hunky husband, security expert Derek Stone, have just returned from a delightful trip to Dharma, where the construction of their new home away from home is well underway, when a little black book arrives in the mail from Scotland. The book is a rare British first edition of Rebecca, and there’s no return address on the package. The day after the book arrives, Claire Quinn shows up at Brooklyn and Derek’s home. Brooklyn met Claire when the two women worked as expert appraisers on the television show This Old Attic. Brooklyn appraised books on the show and Claire’s expertise was in antique British weaponry, but they bonded over their shared love of gothic novels.

Claire reveals that during a recent trip to Scotland she discovered her beloved aunt was missing and her home had been ransacked. Among her aunt’s belongings, Claire found the receipt for the package that wound up with Brooklyn and Derek. Claire believes both her own life and her aunt’s are in danger and worries that her past may be coming back to haunt her.

But just as Brooklyn and Derek begin to investigate, a man who Claire thinks was following her is found murdered, stabbed with a priceless jeweled dagger. With a death on their doorstep, Brooklyn and Derek page through the little black book, where they discover clues that will take them to the shadows of a medieval Scottish castle on the shores of Loch Ness. Under the watchful gaze of a mysterious laird and the irascible villagers who are suspicious of the strangers in their midst, Brooklyn and Derek must decode the secrets in Rebecca to keep their friend’s past from destroying their future....

Ratings and reviews

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.

I really liked this book. I love Kate Carlisle and her characters. The "Little Black Book " didn't disappoint. Of course the story starts with a mystery surrounding a book. In this case it is "Rebecca ". You travel pretty quickly from San Francisco to Dharma to Scotland. There are some plot twists and a character from a previous story brought back. This book focused alot on antique weaponry. Which was very interesting. A few loose ends made me wish for a little more finality though. I liked learning a little more about Derek's espionage days. This was a nice, quick easy read.

The book starts out in my favorite way – with the main character, Brooklyn, engaging in her work – book restoration. I just find it fascinating. And, true to form, a few minutes into the book and whammo, bammo, you are in the middle of another great story. Let the page turning begin! There are some especially great twists and turns in this book. I felt I had the murderer nailed down only to have the truth come out in the last few pages. This series of books are so satisfying and delicious. Just like a favorite, luxurious, lingering meal. Bon Appetit

About the author

A native Californian, New York Times bestselling author 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. She is also the author of the Fixer-Upper Mysteries featuring small-town girl Shannon Hammer, a building contractor specializing in home restoration.