Newlyweds Brooklyn and Derek are enjoying the final days of their honeymoon in Paris. As they’re browsing the book stalls along the Seine, Brooklyn finds the perfect gift for Derek, a first edition James Bond novel, The Spy Who Loved Me. When they bump into Ned, an old friend from Derek’s spy days, Brooklyn shows him her latest treasure. Once they’re back home in San Francisco, they visit a spy shop Ned mentioned. The owner begs them to let him display the book Brooklyn found in Paris as part of the shop’s first anniversary celebration. Before they agree, Derek makes sure the security is up to snuff—turns out, the unassuming book is worth a great deal more than sentimental value. Soon after, Derek is dismayed when he receives a mysterious letter from Paris announcing Ned’s death. Then late one night, someone is killed inside the spy shop. Are the murders connected to Brooklyn’s rare, pricey book? Is there something even more sinister afoot? Brooklyn and the spy who loves her will have to delve into the darkest parts of Derek’s past to unmask an enemy who’s been waiting for the chance to destroy everything they hold dear.
The Book Supremacy is the thirteenth book in the Bibliophile Mystery Series. I don’t usually read a book this far in a series if I haven’t read any of the previous books, but I decided to take a chance. I love cozy mysteries, and I kept hearing wonderful things about this series.
Indeed the plot was great! The mystery was good and not at all predictable. The pacing was just right with a narrative full of dynamic dialogues that made the story flow really smoothly. Brooklyn and Derek were great characters. Their relationship was cute–I just wished I knew more about their back story. I loved the fact that this book started in Paris and for the first chapters, I was really hooked. Having just visited Paris, it was a bit bitter-sweet for me, but Carlisle’s excellent descriptions of la Ville des Lumières really transported me back to one of my favorite cities in the world. Unfortunately, as the story went on, I just wasn’t as invested. The book has so many characters, friends, co-workers, and family members that had already been introduced in other installments, and since I’d never got to know these characters before, I had a hard time picturing them. I see why some people think this can be a standalone book. This book is a not a continuation of a previous story, per se, but I believe that for you to get into the story and appreciate these characters, you should read the earlier books in the series.
I received an early copy of this book for free from Penguin Random House First To Read in exchange for my honest review.
Growing up, Josie and Meredith Garland shared a loving, if sometimes contentious relationship. Josie was impulsive, spirited, and outgoing; Meredith hardworking, thoughtful, and reserved. When tragedy strikes their family, their different responses to the event splinter their delicate bond. Fifteen years later, Josie and Meredith are in their late thirties, following very different paths. Josie, a first-grade teacher, is single—and this close to swearing off dating for good. What she wants more than the right guy, however, is to become a mother—a feeling that is heightened when her ex-boyfriend’s daughter ends up in her class. Determined to have the future she’s always wanted, Josie decides to take matters into her own hands. On the outside, Meredith is the model daughter with the perfect life. A successful attorney, she’s married to a wonderful man, and together they’re raising a beautiful four-year-old daughter. Yet lately, Meredith feels dissatisfied and restless, secretly wondering if she chose the life that was expected of her rather than the one she truly desired. As the anniversary of their tragedy looms and painful secrets from the past begin to surface, Josie and Meredith must not only confront the issues that divide them but also come to terms with their own choices
A Wondrous Bookshelf 