Brooklyn Wainwright is an expert in rare books and
antiquities. As such, she eagerly accepts an invitation to
the fiftieth birthday of Grace, who is her neighbour's aunt.
The party brings together an eclectic group of people who
often don't get along. The group includes some of Grace's
family, her closest friends, and some business associates.
Rumours begin running rampant when Grace announces that she
has a big announcement to make, and speculation is that she
is announcing a change in her will, which ratchets up
tension among the family members.
While some people have fun exploring Grace's mansion, which
has been converted into a fun-house style playhouse complete
with secret passages, trap doors, and walls that move
overnight, the house only serves to bring out the worst in
some people. But Brooklyn is really only focused on Grace's
extensive collection of books, which she hopes to repair,
catalogue, and restore.
After announcing that she is publishing a novel (that is
clearly loosely based on her own life), Grace arranges for a
seance, during which one of the guests is killed. After a
few clues are pieced together, it is all too obvious that a
drink
intended for Grace was poisoned. Because of the weather and
the crime scene in the house, the police order that no one
leaves, which means that the murderer is now in their midst.
Unfortunately, soon after that, another event takes place
that puts one of Grace's house staff at risk, and it becomes
all too obvious that someone is targeting Grace. Has Grace
revealed too much in her book and angered one of her guests?
Brooklyn begins racing through Grace's novel to try to
figure out who has the biggest motive. However, another
incident takes place, and then Grace's attorney goes
missing! Brooklyn tries to figure out who could be angry
enough at their host to not only want to kill her but to
also risk harming other people trying to do so? And as if
trying to solve a murder (while trying to avoid the
murderer) isn't enough, Grace is dealing with a possible
heartbreak. Is her boyfriend cheating on her while he's on
assignment?
PERIL IN PAPERBACK grabbed my attention from the beginning
and never
let go. Some books have a lull, but this book was full
speed ahead from the first page to the last. The mystery
was well thought out, and I was kept guessing as to who the
culprit was. My only slight criticism is that the red
herring character was a bit overplayed. However, there were
plenty of other characters with motive, and every time I had
a theory, I would be proven wrong. I have read other books
in the Bibliophile Mystery series before, and this
most
recent entry definitely did not disappoint!
How to become the life of the party? First, survive the
celebration…
Rare books and antiquities expert Brooklyn Wainwright is
thrilled to be invited to the fiftieth birthday party of her
neighbor Suzie’s aunt Grace. A retired founder of a major
video game corporation, Grace is a larger-than-life
character who’s turned her Lake Tahoe mansion into a fun
house, full of everything from pinball machines and giant
props to secret passageways and trap doors. Brooklyn is most
excited to catalog Grace’s extensive collection of rare
paperback pulp fiction.
Part of the fun involves a séance, but after the lights
flicker, one guest is dead, poisoned by a cocktail intended
for Grace. It seems someone is determined to turn Grace’s
playful palatial estate into a house of horrors. Brooklyn
suspects the key to the killer’s identity may lie in the
roman clef Grace has written about her life. With Grace in
great peril, “must-read” takes on a whole new meaning, as
Brooklyn tries to stop a murderer who’s through playing
around…
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