The Book Supremacy

I really look forward to a new Bibliophile book and this is proof that they just keep getting better and better. Bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright and new husband Derek Stone are finishing up their honeymoon in France. I loved the descriptions of the Bouquinistes along the Seine and how Brooklyn manages to find a great copy of a James Bond novel as a memento for Derek. Derek runs into an old friend, who shares that another old friend has set up shop right on the Embarcadero in San Francisco. Back home, Brooklyn and Derek get back to real life and visit the spy shop, complete with escape rooms, his friend Owen has opened. Carlisle builds up to the mystery--I appreciate how we get to know and care for some new characters before the mystery show more takes over the narrative. I really liked the descriptions of the various escape rooms, how they fit into the murder and the return of a superb cast of characters. show less

The Book Supremacy is the thirteenth delightful installment in A Bibliophile Mystery series. I have been a fan of this book themed mystery series since the very beginning. I eagerly await each new installment and then devour it quickly. The Book Supremacy is a charming story with well-developed characters that takes us to France, wine country, and San Francisco. Kate Carlisle has a charming writing style that engages the reader and keeps them engrossed until the very last word. The descriptions of Paris transported me to the location. I could envision the green book stalls, the Seine, and the streets of Paris. The same can be said for Dharma and San Francisco. I especially loved SPECTRE with the various spy gadgets, books, café and show more escape rooms. I found the escape rooms to be intriguing and they sound like an hour of good fun. It is always fascinating to learn more about Brooklyn’s book restoration work and the lovely creations she makes from paper. The mystery is complex, and I like how everything tied together. There is action, suspense, a twist or two with the added touch of espionage. The mystery can be solved by armchair sleuths before the reveal, but that did not hinder my reading experience. While The Book Supremacy can be read alone, I heartily recommend reading the series in order (you will not be disappointed). It allows you to learn about Brooklyn, her work, friends and how she and Derek came to be together. I could not wait to get to the end of the story to find out what happened, but then I was sad that I had finished it (and must wait a year for another installment). There are recipes at the end of the book (Brooklyn does love good food and chocolate). The Book Supremacy is a story for fans of the series, the characters, and those who truly love books. The Book Supremacy has good food, intrigue, spy gadgets, a plethora of books, former spies, a cute cat named Charlie, a murder, escape rooms and one curious book restorer plus her dashing English husband. show less

This lovely story and the series are wonderful love notes to books. The writing is excellent, the mystery isn’t so much in the ‘who did it’ as in the ‘how we’ll catch him/her’, and the romance just gets lovelier with every new book in the series.

Brooklyn Wainwright is a bookbinder specializing in rare book restoration. She loves books – the feel of them, the smell of them – just being near them. Her passion is taking a book that has fallen on hard times and restoring it to its former glory. Oh – and she also has a penchant for stumbling over dead bodies. She’s married to a handsome, super sexy, ex-spy, Derek, who helps her solve the crimes.

Brooklyn and Derek finally had their wedding at the end of the previous book, show more Buried In Books. Now, as their honeymoon in Paris draws to a close, they spend time browsing in the lovely Bouquinistes (bookstalls that lined both sides of the Seine River). Brooklyn finds two lovely old books that she wants to restore – One is a perfect gift for Derek and another that is perfect for the mother of her friend Inspector Janice Lee, SFPD homicide detective.

Mysterious things begin to happen before they ever leave Paris. Derek meets an old colleague that he hasn’t seen in years – and their hotel room is broken into. Those mysterious things continue after they return to San Francisco. Then, there is the murder that is somehow connected to the book Brooklyn bought for Derek.

The times are tense at Derek’s company because somebody is creating strife in the workplace – and they have a murder on their hands – actually, maybe more than one murder. Are Derek and/or Brooklyn in danger as well? What would someone want with the book?

I highly recommend this book and this series. We have visits from the ongoing supporting characters like Alex and Gabriel and Brooklyn’s parents as well some new characters – Tinker, Soldier and Drummer Girl, also known as The Jackals. They are a fun addition to the story and you’ll like them.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. show less

Ah, Brooklyn, for such a sweet woman, you sure have a way of making women homicidally angry at you. In this latest adventure, the newlyweds come back from their honeymoon with a treasure, a first edition of The Spy Who Loved Me. A friend of Derek's from his spy days, who now owns a security store, asks to borrow the book to display during the store's 1st anniversary celebration. Of course, someone tries to steal it. And, of course, a dangerous woman has Brooklyn in her sights. Thank God she met Alex and learned self-defense or she'd be dead by now.

Thirteenth in the series, it contains less of what I've always found irritating (overplayed moments of swooning on the part of women when in the presence of testosterone-drenched heroes needed to rescue them). The plot is subtle and understated, and I can't say I fully understand the motivations of the bad actors. For a change we have a mystery involving Derek more than Brooklyn or any of her friends and family, although it cuts against type to learn that Derek's background checks for his employees is pretty weak. Maybe next time Inspector Lee will take center stage.

The most interesting part of the story was the use of escape rooms. Although not rising to the level of a gimmick--the escape rooms play no real role in the mystery, but are show more only a background element--the description of the puzzles are just enough to remind anyone who has done some escapes the high pressure stakes of trying to beat the clock. show less

THE BOOK SUPREMACY is book number thirteen in the Bibliophile Mystery series. This is a series I’ve wanted to read for a long time (I love book-themed cozies), so I decided to jump in with this latest installment.

Brooklyn Wainwright is a San Francisco-based book restorer, and she and new husband Derek are just starting married life after a romantic Paris honeymoon. Little did she know that a rare copy of The Spy Who Loved Me from a Paris street vendor would pull her into the world of international espionage.

I enjoyed the mystery in this book very much. It was interesting and multi-layered with a cast of intriguing characters. What began as a murder in a San Francisco spy shop turned out to be so much more. It did take some time for show more the action to get going, but once it did it was an exciting ride. Looking forward to catching up with Brooklyn & Derek’s backstory in the previous books!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. show less

I loved the first in the series when I read it several years ago and the newest installment didn't disappoint. Brooklyn is back with her delicious new husband, Derek, as they track a series of killings tied in to a spy shop, SPECTRE, and Derek's former colleagues.

The addition of the espionage story line was fantastic. It really upped the suspense and action aspects of the book. Some parts were slightly unbelievable, but it's a cozy mystery so it could slide. The mystery kept me guessing almost to the end. I had mys suspicions, but couldn't see how they tied together, so I was excited to see the how the mystery resolved.

Overall, it's a great cozy read and an action packed mystery that's truly enjoyable. I received an advanced copy show more through Penguin First to Read in exchange for an honest review. show less