Barbara’s rating: 5 of 5 stars

Series: Bibliophile Mystery #14
Publication Date: 6/2/20
Number of Pages: 336

This is a wonderful series and this book just adds to it. It is well-written, well-plotted, and the characters – both main and supporting – are superb. You’d love to meet them all in person and become friends with them. Brooklyn Wainwright, a bookbinder and restoration expert and her drool-worthy, security expert husband, Derek Stone, have their mothers to protect as well as multiple murders to solve in this story.

It has long been a dream of Brooklyn’s to have a book festival in her hometown of Dharma, and her mother, Rebecca, has worked for the last two years to make that happen. The festival is within a few days of beginning when Brooklyn and Drake arrive from San Francisco where they now live. Brooklyn is bubbling with excitement and can hardly wait for it to begin. Yet, when they head into town to pick her mother up from a planning committee meeting, they witness a large, burly man harassing and threatening her. While Rebecca deals with him and doesn’t let him cow her, Brooklyn and Derek worry that it could lead to more. When more harassment occurs and a dead body is found in the committee room, they go into high gear to protect Rebecca.

Their chief suspect is the nasty businessman, Jacob Banyan, who continues to harass Rebecca. But, as more clues are discovered, more attempts on Rebecca’s life are made, and yet another body is discovered, they have more suspects than they know what to do with.

Is embezzlement at the bottom of crimes, or is it the first edition of Little Woman that Brooklyn is restoring – or is it something else altogether? You’ll just have to read this delightful mystery, meet all of the suspects, and figure it out for yourself. Can there be more than one perpetrator?

In addition to the crimes to solve, we get a delightful visit with both Brooklyn’s and Derek’s delightful families. Brooklyn’s parents are deadheads from the sixties who followed Guru Bob to the Sonoma Valley and set about creating their own community, Dharma. They are all now very wealthy and well-respected members of the community – even though Rebecca still gets into karma, chakra’s, spirit cleansing, etc. You’ll love them. If you get the chance, be sure to read the series from the beginning so you can get to know and learn to appreciate all of the cast of characters.

If you are looking for a delightful read, this is the one for you. Happy solving!

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