"I confess I have an active imagination. It comes from being confronted one too many times by vicious killers." That comment from Brooklyn Wainwright, bookbinder and protagonist, is a bit of an understatement since this is the fifteenth adventure in which readers find her involved. This time her husband receives a package sent by an old colleague. When that same colleague goes missing and her niece Claire turns up in San Francisco asking for Derek's help, the duo are back in the middle of another mystery with killers on the loose.
"Anytime Derek and I had been dragged into something secretive or dangerous, it had always been connected to a book." When a possible coded message is discovered in the rare copy of Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca that was in the package, it seems that a book once again is the catalyst. A large portion of the story takes place in Scotland where the missing colleague lived. The laird's castle, the nearby village, and the local pub offer plenty of opportunities for Brooklyn and Derek to absorb the atmosphere as they search for clues.
This time it isn't only Brooklyn's rare book expertise that is tied into the mystery, but also Claire's. Fans will remember Claire as the antique weapons expert that was also an appraiser on the television show "This Old Attic" which had hired Brooklyn for some episodes filmed in San Francisco in The Book Stops Here (Bibliophile Mystery #8). Several suspicious characters wind up dead with expensive jeweled daggers as the murder weapons. Is Claire being framed or warned off?
With the typical mix of tense situations, book trivia, newlywed snuggling, and networking with friends old and new - Little Black Book is sure to please readers whether they are new to the series or longtime admirers.
I read an advance copy provided by the publisher for review purposes.* Publication date is set for June 29. If you haven't met Brooklyn between the pages of her earlier literary outings, that will give you time to make her acquaintance while you wait.
*The lines I have quoted may change slightly before final editing.
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