I speeded through this book. I was gripped from the very start and swept along this fast-paced mystery. I felt like I was sat on Lydia's shoulder the whole time, journeying through the adventure. When it was clear her dad wasn't guilty I did work out who did it ahead of the reveal, but that didn't diminish my enjoyment of this book. Will be recommending.

Lydia is a reclusive twenty-something-year-old working at the Bright Ideas bookstore, a place eminently suited to her desire for quiet and anonymity, as indeed it suits the 'BookFrogs', the clientele of oddballs, misfits and homeless people who find refuge among the stacks. All this changes one night when Joey Molina, a regular customer with a troubled childhood in foster care and a jailbird past, hangs himself, thus starting a chain of events which will force Lydia to confront the gory past she is hiding from and will result in her setting out to find answers to many unanswered questions about the unsolved murder of her childhood friend's family, which she witnessed as a child.

The narrative rolls along nicely enough, keeping the reader going out of curiosity. However, I found the style of writing curiously like a school essay and it got in the way of my enjoyment of the story. Characters are not well developed - even the protagonist Lydia remains a cipher and we get very little sense of her inner life and the lasting effects of having witnessed a bloody triple murder as a ten-year-old. Her relationship with boyfriend David seems comfortable but unchallenging, but again David remains a marginal character and we are left with little idea of why they are together or why this may no longer remain the right thing for Lydia. There is a great deal of overstatement too, which offended my intelligence as a reader, and there are passages and moments of hackneyed description which seem to have been tagged on as an afterthought because that's what the author thought might be expected.

All in all, an interesting and original plotline which the pedestrian writing doesn't do justice to.

I was unable to finish this book as I found it very melancholy. I was quite disappointed as I've always loved books that are set in a bookshop!

Lydia enjoys working at the Bright Ideas Bookstore in Denver, Colorado. She lives a quiet life and is a willing listener when any customer needs a friendly ear.

When she makes a shocking discovery on the top floor of the bookshop, however, her world is turned upside down. She is led to investigate the life of a vulnerable young man called Joey, who has hanged himself. Joey is one of the BookFrogs – the name given to those regulars who come in as much to find a place to shelter from life's hardships, as to buy books. Following a series of strange clues cut out of, or rather into, books, Lydia finds out more about Joey and his traumatic childhood.

This is not the first time Lydia has had to deal with trauma. As a child she witnessed a series of brutal murders, while on a sleepover at a friend's house. The perpetrator, nicknamed the Hammerman, has never been caught. While digging into Joey's story, she finds connections that lead her to attempt to discover the identity of the Hammerman.

Though she has a boyfriend, David who works in IT, Lydia reconnects with an old childhood friend, Raj Patel. Raj's parents run the gas and doughnut store where she and her friend Carol used to hang out as ten-year-olds. She also reluctantly reconnects with her estranged father who lives a reclusive life up in the mountains.

Filled with quirky characters, Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore is a gripping read. We dip in and out of the past, steadily learning the secrets of Lydia's early life. As the mysteries unravel, Lydia begins to suspect someone close to her of being the Hammerman. And though the reader, too, begins to have suspicions, the answer is unexpected and shocking.

This is a novel about the love of books, the nature of friendship, and the way childhood experiences shape us. While on some levels it is a murder mystery, it is also much more than that, and though it features more than one terrible tragedy, it is told with verve and sympathy.

This is one of those books I got from Netgalley that has taken me a while to get round to. I thoroughly enjoyed this it is quite simply a great idea within a novel storyline.

The mere idea of a bookstore where people go to read rather than buy, where inclusion is the norm and where the author drops book title names like pennies from heaven would have me lapping up every word to begin with. Then the author starts to unravel a different tale, a mystery from long ago - a crime never solved and I bet every reader thinks they know where its going - but most of them will be wrong.

This is so well written, the characters are unique and brilliantly defined and the whole also evokes a time gone by.

MIDNIGHT AT THE BRIGHT IDEAS BOOKSTORE has an interesting, multi-layered storyline with colorful characters and manages to be at the same time dark, clever, and one of the most original and gripping thrillers I have read recently.
Although the book goes back and forth between past events and the present storyline, it does so seamlessly and it manages to hold the reader's interest and attention throughout.
I have to admit that the end does not come as a complete surprise, but getting there is still a very enjoyable journey. Would recommend it.

I downloaded this book because I was attracted by the title and assumed it would be a quirky cosy mystery. It isn't - but I still enjoyed it!

Lydia works at the Bright Ideas Bookstore (larger than the name suggests) in Denver. One Friday night she's just closing up when she hears a strange noise from the third floor and finds Joey, her favourite BookFrog, hanging from an overhead beam. What could have led him to kill himself, and is the answer hidden in the crate of books he left for her - the pages defaced with neat little holes? The mystery deepens when Lydia finds a photo of herself in his possession - aged 10.

Again, I can't give too many details because of spoilers, but the story is really in two parts. We have Lydia trawling through the sad detritus of Joey's life, trying to find out why he would kill himself, alongside a backstory of Lydia's childhood and the horrific event she witnessed shortly after the photo was taken. The first half is mostly about Lydia's initial investigation, the second half is how it connects with her past. I did prefer the first half, mainly because I liked meeting the characters who worked at and frequented the bookstore, especially Plath and Joey's friend Lyle. I also liked David but found Raj a bit creepy, and I couldn't understand why Lydia would suddenly become estranged from her father.

The story is sad in parts, and explores how one tragic event can affect the lives of those involved for years to come. It is also a murder mystery, although I suspect fans of this genre will find the identity of the murderer a bit too easy to guess. As I'm writing this, I still can't decide whether to give it 4 or 5 stars. Perhaps 4.5, rounded up to 5, because it is well-written, enjoyable (despite the sad bits!), and I loved the setting and most of the characters. And, despite guessing the ending, there were some twists that took me completely by surprise.

This books shows how so many lives are linked without us being aware. A page turning novel that makes you want to keep reading until you've discovered all of the threads that link each of the characters. Constant twists and turns keep the reader wanting to find out more about Joey, Lydia and Raj.

I just finished reading Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J Sullivan. I got a copy via Netgalley. I really enjoyed this unique mystery novel. Set around Lydia, her work at the bookstore and her past. The story was well-paced, interesting characters and just a highly entertaining book. I gave it 4⭐️. Reccomend it to those who like mysteries.

I liked this book. The shy bookseller who is seeking answers to a mystery in the present uncovers secrets and solves a mystery in her past. Likeable characters and a plot that rolls along nicely.

The idea of the book. Is unusual and interesting and the plot grips you from the outset. Good character development. I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to my book group

Lydia has successfully shed her traumatic past and now works in the Bright Ideas Bookstore, a place frequented by the lonely, lost and loveless, affectionately known as the ‘Bookfrogs’. When closing up one night Lydia discovers the body of one of her favourite frogs, Joey, hanging from the ceiling, and in his pocket is a photograph of her as a child. That isn’t the only mystery she has to contend with, however, as Joey has left her his meagre possessions – including cryptic clues hidden inside stacks of mutilated books. As Lydia starts to investigate his death, people from her past begin to reappear. What connection does Joey have with the life she has tried so hard to forget? And will discovering the truth put her life in danger once more?

This book should have ticked all the boxes for me but unfortunately something fell a little flat. Although the intertwining of past events with a mystery in the present was a great premise, especially within the setting of a bookstore, if felt the coincidences the development of the story relied upon were too many for me to be able to thoroughly engage with the tale. I also found Lydia a strangely unlikeable protagonist, never fully understanding other character’s attraction to her, nor the rationale behind her actions. I do love a good murder mystery, and some of the revelations in this book were unexpected and exciting, but just not enough to win me over. So many others have absolutely loved this book that I would encourage prospective readers to give it a go and make up their own minds.

I was given an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Bookseller Lydia finds customer Joey's body after he takes his own life in the bookstore where she works. But when his death starts to bring up the past, secrets start to emerge as Lydia unravels his past.

The story's setting of a bookstore is what appealed to me, somewhere I'd like to live surrounded by books. However, I didn't think the mystery genre would be for me, but I was drawn in from the start, and all the twists and turns kept me constantly guessing, and surprised. A great book; I hope the author does more like this.

When Joey commits suicide in the upstairs department of the bookstore, and leaves Lydia another book clerk, his most precious belongings. Lydia realises there is a puzzle to be solved, but Lydia doesn't like change and doesn't want the attention and notice that being on the local paper gives her.

Lydia is trying to hide from her past life but realises while looking into Joey secrets she will need to unravel her own life.

This was a well written story that keeps you guessing until the end, with all the characters lives and stories intertwining.

Very enjoyable read with lots of twists and turns.

I loved this book, I read until my eyes closed. Lydia lives her life hiding from her past, working in a bookstore keeps her focused on her present moment life. Then Joey kills himself in the bookstore and life changes for Lydia. She sets out to get to know more about her friends life and at the same time starts a journey about her own troubled past. The story is griping from the first page and holds your attention right up to the last and I did not see the end coming!! what a supprise.

An interesting mystery but it tries too hard and too long to achieve the plot's resolution. Not the book-lovers' book I was hoping for.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

I liked this story. I found it easy to read with a twist on the usual murder mystery novel.
I liked the characters, they seemed well thought out and each had their place in the story.
I thought the story as a whole was also well thought out and well written. I liked the switches between past and present for some of the characters which helped put a perspective on each of their tales.
I would definitely read more from this author and would recommend this as an all round good read.

This book had me gripped from the start,there is a lot of Secrets waiting to be read

First of all I would like to thank netgalIery for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this book I could put it down and pick it up and pick up from where I left of it was an easy read.

It kept me guessing till the end I didn't expect what happened to happen but left me hang on to edge of my seat wanted to know what happened next.

Enjoyed the storyline brilliant read

Exciting and readable with plenty of twists and turns along the way.