How do you turn the page on one horrific, mind-shattering experience that locks into your psyche like handcuffs on a wayward criminal?

Or in Lydia's case, make that two..........

Lydia Smith works as a dedicated clerk at the Bright Ideas Bookstore in Denver. And no one had any idea of what would await her in the upper level of the store that day. Lydia has her friendly BookFrogs who perch on chairs and seek out favorite niches within the shop on a daily basis. She loves the banter and the warmth of this atmosphere. But one of those BookFrogs, Joey Molina, hasn't come down after the "time to close" warning.

Lydia rushes up the stairs and is struck speechless. Joey has hung himself. While Joey never really interacted with the others, his landlady gives Lydia stacks of books from his apartment. Joey had no family or friends. And Joey had no story.

While flipping through the books, Lydia realizes that there is a series of codes within each book that Joey created with an exacto knife. Once Lydia gets the hang of it, she starts to decode strains of information about Joey. Something is out of kilter here.

And you'll find out something beyond out of kilter in regard to Lydia's past. You'd swear that this episode from her childhood had been penned by the likes of Stephen King in his earlier offerings. There's plenty of sprinkles with a side order of creepy here.

Matthew J. Sullivan presents a story like no other in that pile of books on your own table. There's plenty of mystery, unsolved crimes, searches for identity, family relationships, and a nice round of humor tucked in for good measure. Sullivan's use of Joey's code is a creative one. As readers, we like to work a bit along the storyline. And Sullivan provides that. Oh, dear sir, I am anxiously awaiting your next one and what you might just serve up..........

I received a copy of Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to Simon & Shuster (Scribner Books) and to Matthew Sullivan for the opportunity.

Wonderful book! The Bright Ideas Bookstore appears to be inspired by my favorite bookstore in the world : The Tattered Cover in Denver. The story is captivating; we follow Lydia as she tries to unravel the reasons behind a patron's suicide. When her investigation overlaps with a past traumatic experience in her own life, Lydia realizes how much the past has controlled her present. Sullivan writes believably from a woman's point of view (which is unusual for a male author). He weaves a complicated but credible plot with engaging characters. Sullivan is a gifted writer and I look forward to his next book.

I gave up after reading 10% of this because the story didn't interest me.

Multi-body mystery with a bookseller heroine who is disconnected from her life. As Lydia researches her past and men from it keep surfacing the book becomes a thriller, and the coincidences stack up. The relationships in the book ring true and are particularly well-written. Lydia is lacking in humour, which I find hard as a reader, but makes perfect sense given her life story. Many will enjoy this cross-genre novel.

I picked up this book expecting a charming, cozy mystery set in Denver. What I got was so much more. This is a wonderfully written debut novel. Sullivan gives us a literary novel that starts with a suicide, ends with the resolution of a twenty year old cold murder case and in between yields reflections about family, culture, belonging. And, not insignificantly, this book sings the praises of books and reading and the ability of books to change a life. Well-paced and well put together, this book is a gem. Highly recommended.

Cute, cozy mystery. The pacing was a bit slow at times, but overall, it was enjoyable and i look forward to reading more by this author.

I absolutely loved this book. I expected more of a light fluffy story...which it wasn't. Despite that, it was a fantastic mystery. I wanted to immerse myself in this world... I wanted to go shopping at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, I wanted to get to know Lydia (and Plath), and I wanted to go back in time and get to know Joey. I look forward to reading more books from this author.

This was a deeply immersive tale, weaving a past tragedy with a present one, and I couldn't wait to see both of them unfold. A wonderfully intriguing mystery.

It all starts with a suicide.

Lydia Smith lives a quiet life. She keeps a life that is surrounded by mystery. Her boyfriend knows little about her past, he's never met her family. She sells books at a downtown Denver bookshop, where "BookFrogs" - the lost and lonely regulars spend their day, filling seats. One night, as the store is closing, Lydia's favorite "frog', Joey, hangs himself from the rafters....and this is where the story takes off.

Matthew J. Sullivan has written a book that is exciting and mysterious. It's a book about a childhood, a tragedy and about family. We are all haunted by things in our past, and Lydia is no exception. Sullivan has created a world, that despite the Colorado winter, that I wanted to be part of.

Thanks to NetGalley, Matthew J Sullivan and Scribner for this eARC in exchange for this review.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. I typically start a review with a description of the story, but I can't wait that long to share that this is the best book I have read in a really long time and I read a LOT of books! Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore will make the top of every "must read book of the summer!"

Lydia Smith is a reclusive bibliophile who works at a neighborhood bookstore. One night at closing she discovers one of the bookstore's regular customers has hung himself, and as she struggles to free him, she sees a photograph of her at her tenth birthday party in his pocket. Joey Molina, before his death, put together a very challenging set of clues for Lydia to figure out who he was and along the way Lydia is going to, quite possibly, learn who she is as well. This is a suspenseful, psychological, mystery and I literally found myself gasping out loud at the twists and turns in this novel. It is a must read and a must buy!!

I came close to giving this 5 stars--I thought it was a great story! The mystery kept me guessing and it was so well written. The characters were well developed with such poignant stories of their own. Vivid descriptions and clever words had me highlighting several passages.
The first couple chapters were dark but then it took off and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The bookstore setting was wonderful--I wanted to go there!
Highly recommend!
Advanced reader copy courtesy of the publishers at NetGalley for review.

Matthew Sullivan's debut mystery is set in a Denver bookstore, the Brght Ideas Bookstore. Main character, and bookseller, Lydia Smith, has a secret past life as a child survivor of an infamous local crime, a new name and stable relationship until one of her favorite bookstore customers commits suicide in the bookstore. Joey Molina leaves his few possessions to Lydia in an act that seems to defy logic and she is catapulted into the search for the reasons behind his suicide. Book and mystery lovers will savor this novel for its bookish setting, unique premise, excellent pacing, and compellingly bibliophilic characters. You don't want to miss this one!

What a great weekend read, and a huge surprise. I had no idea to expect such an engrossing thriller with a marvelous cool tone and such compelling characters. And what a tricky, clever puzzle as well. A total slam dunk of a hit, and a terrific summer book indeed.

Quality. That's not a word I usually use in a book review, but it certainly applies in this case. Matthew J. Sullivan has written a first rate mystery I didn't solve until the end, but it's so much more than that. I truly cared about the characters and, as I turned the last page, I felt as if my emotions had been put through the wringer.

Add Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore to your list of must reads for 2017.

Riveting tale. Its' plot kept evolving into more subplots that the reader wanted to get to the end quicker than he could physically read the pages. Ending was excellent and unexpected.

This is an unusual story that is part mystery, and part examination of a small, very dysfunctional group of people.

Lydia was psychologically scarred when she was 10 by being the only survivor of a gruesome murder at the house where she was at a sleepover. She managed to hide, but her girlfriend Carol and Carol’s parents were killed horrifically by someone who was never found, but known thereafter as “The Hammerman.” The story was sensationalized at the time, and now Lydia, using a different last name, seeks to remain anonymous. She has never even told her boyfriend of five years about her past.

Lydia, now 30, has been working for the past six years at Bright Ideas Bookstore in Denver. As the story opens, one of the regulars in the store, Joey, just hung himself from the rafters of the top floor. It is Lydia who discovers him, and to her shock, she finds a childhood picture of herself in one of his pockets. She sets out to discover how he got this, and what message he intended for her. Her quest is aided by the fact that Joey bequeathed her his meager possessions, among them a set of mutilated books offering clues, if a bit hard to decipher.

Lydia’s investigations eventually yield a number of shocking secrets, upending everything she thought she knew, and allowing her finally to solve the mystery of what really happened that traumatic night of her childhood she can never forget.

Evaluation: The mysteries in this book weren’t all that well hidden, but the process of their unfolding was interesting. But this isn’t a pleasant or diverting story; nor did it, in my opinion, have any reason to have included such nightmarish aspects. It’s almost - but not quite - like a horror book. I can't say I enjoyed it enough to have been glad I read it.

Lydia is a 30ish employee at a large independent bookstore in Denver. In addition to regular customers, there is a group of aimless man who spend their days at the bookstore and are lovingly called the Book Frogs. As she is closing up one night, Lydia realizes one of her favorite Book Frogs, a damaged young man who reads voraciously on all topics, has not been seen leaving. She finds him hanging from a pipe in the third floor, and peaking out of his pocket is a photograph of her when she was 10 years old. Before the police arrive, she takes the photo. Her investigation into what would have made him kill himself, and how he got the photo, revives painful memories of a crime she witnessed as a child, and so begins a quest that will solve a murder and shed new light on her own history.

This is a compulsive read which moves at an unusual pace. It is not a breakneck thriller, but instead has a constant tension, as well as many more twists and turns than might be expected. Many of the characters are explored in considerable depth, with the bookstore being a character in its own right, and this is the kind of bookstore most bookaholics can only dream of finding. If you love bookstores and atmospheric tales, this might be for you.

Love this book! Great story, characters that resonate, a VERY cool bookstore, all well written with enough twists to have me reading the entire book in one sitting.