Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Daniele

In Kate Carlisle’s fourteenth installment in the Bibliophile Mystery Series, The Grim Reader, Brooklyn and Derek are looking forward to some time away from San Francisco and Brooklyn’s hometown Dharma’s first annual Book Festival. Brooklyn’s mother Rebecca is head of the committee in charge of the weekend festivities, and though overall planning has gone well, it has not been without challenges – namely Saffron, a really negative committee member, and bully businessman Jacob Banyan. Banyan is full of threats for Rebecca, but she is more annoyed than afraid. When the festival’s co-chair is brutally murdered and the festival funds are MIA, Banyan becomes Brooklyn’s prime suspect. Things become quite personal when Rebecca has more than one close call and the body count rises. Brooklyn and Derek do all they can to get to the bottom of things all while trying to keep Rebecca safe.

The Grim Reader can be read as an enjoyable standalone mystery, but characters pop in and out and other books are mentioned throughout so I recommend reading the series in order if possible (all of the books are great fun). This tale takes place in Dharma, a utopian hippie colony turned small town, and it is a nice change of scenery from the series’ normal San Francisco setting. Dharma is nestled in California wine country and definitely a place I would like to visit if it was a real place. Beautiful weather, gorgeous scenic views, and consistently successful residents do make it seem a bit too perfect, but it is a cozy mystery after all.

The murders are a bit gruesome for a cozy mystery but not unbelievable over-the-top. Brooklyn and Derek’s involvement seems perfectly natural, and no one comes across as too nosy. The couple is still newly wed, but they are not too lovey-dovey. However, both of their mothers, as much fun as they are, do come off as saccharine. They express their pride in their children over and over again throughout the book, and it becomes noticeable enough that it jarred me out of the narrative more than once. This is a minor complaint that I am sure will not bother most readers. The mystery is pretty straight forward, and I had my suspicions about whodunit relatively early on. There are, however, enough suspects to keep readers second guessing. There are plenty of book restoration scenes to satisfy readers’ curiosity about Brooklyn’s profession.

The Grim Reader is engaging and entertaining, sure to please both longtime fans of the series and readers new to the Bibliophile Mystery series.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*

As always, Kate Carlisle has written a fun, captivating cozy mystery! I love the world she has built with these characters, and I love everything bookish in this series.

Brooklyn Wainwright and her husband Derek Stone are going back to visit the small community of Dharma, California, where Brooklyn grew up. Dharma is having their first annual Book Festival, and Brooklyn will be one of the vendors, teaching children how to make accordion books and appraising books for people. She's excited once again to see her family, and Derek's mom and dad have recently purchased a summer home there, since one of their sons is living with Brooklyn's sister, and Derek's mom Meg has become best friends with Brooklyn's mom Becky.

After they arrive they decide to surprise Becky at the festival meeting that she's chairing are are surprised themselves when a big man is standing in front of the group and starts arguing with Becky. Brooklyn and Derek are stunned, but watch the action, happy that Becky can hold her own. The man storms out, and they learn he's Jacob Banyan, and he's been buying up wineries in the county only to turn the wine into boxed wine instead of the fine wine like that produced by Brooklyn's family. He's angry because he's not being allowed into the festival to hawk his boxed wine, and is determined to take it out on the committee members, including Lawson Schmidt, whom he says something cryptic to before leaving.

But Becky is excited that for this first festival they are putting on a musical version of Little Women, and they've managed to snag an ex-Hollywood movie star for the role of Marmee. Everyone's excited about the festival, and Brooklyn is also, though she's happier just to have family and friends around her.

Unfortunately, things aren't going the way they're planned. There's more confrontations with Banyan, her mother has become a target of someone, and then there's a murder...one where Becky and Meg have found the body. Now everyone is on edge, and Brooklyn is trying to protect her mother with people watching her round-the-clock. But when a second murder occurs, the ante is upped and she knows that not only is there a killer out there, but her beloved mom is in danger, and Brooklyn will do whatever it takes to protect her...

This is the fourteenth book in the series, and I do believe that it's just getting better every time. I discovered this series mid-way, and I'm enjoying going back to the beginning 'where it all started.' Saying that, you can see how much I love it. In this book, we get to know more about Becky, which is nice. She has both an inner and outer strength, which she passed on to Brooklyn, but Becky, for her part, isn't bothered by anything little like blood which still makes Brooklyn queasy. (Blood doesn't bother me, either, but my husband isn't real fond of it, ha!)

We learn a little more about about the place Brooklyn grew up, which everyone thinks was a commune but really wasn't, and of course, the author reiterates how Brooklyn and her siblings got their names, which is always nice. I also like how the relationship between Meg and Becky has gotten stronger; and I've always found it funny that Becky is proud of Brooklyn not only for who she is, but the fact that she manages to find dead bodies. It's rather macabre, but still done in a humorous way, so when Becky and Meg find the body, they're almost excited to have done so.

When the police start investigating, they want to know who wanted this person dead and why. But it leads to other things that are discovered and not in a good way - putting more than Becky in harm's way, and now Brooklyn and Derek are trying to find out what's going on while Brooklyn is still preparing for the festival.

The plot is done beautifully, the dialogue is witty and fun, and the characters are given depth and are believable and animated. The area around Dharma is described so lovely that I'd like to visit it someday. Ms. Carlisle has a way with words and a talent for bringing you into the story from the first page and taking you on the journey with her to the end. It all comes to a head eventually, which we know it will; and when the killer is discovered and the motive for the murders, it's as old as time itself, but never dull in the telling. Highly recommended.

Murder comes to Dharma! Brooklyn is in town for Dharma's first annual book fest with her mother as the chair. Unfortunately, a murder ruins the happiness of the occasion. Not only that, but her mother is in danger. Like Carlisle's other Bibliophile books, this is a fun and light read.

The mystery genre loves a good series, with many fan favorites going well past twenty books in a series. As a reader, this is pretty awesome - find an author and a character you like, and settle in for a regular dose of reading joy. This applies to one of my favorite cozy mystery writers, Kate Carlisle who writes several different series, including the Bibliophile Mystery series. Every June, a new book comes out, and I get to catch up with the same characters as if they are long time friends.

The Bibliophile series centers around Brooklyn Wainwright, a young, professional bookbinder who lives in San Francisco. Brooklyn was raised by her New Age hippie parents in a commune that is now a thriving Sonoma wine town. These two towns provide an excellent background for much of Brooklyn’s sleuthing. Along the way, many of the same characters continue to pop up including former British spy Derek Stone, local man of mystery Gabriel, Brooklyn’s best friend Robin, and numerous quirky Wainwright family members. The mysteries themselves are light and quick to read with humor and a little bit of romance. Each book features an old book to be restored and Carlisle does an excellent (if not sometimes long winded) job of explaining the restoration process. Books in the series can stand alone, but the series is definitely better when read in order to better see the character progression. The first book in the Bibliophile Mysteries is Homicide in Hardcover.

This year’s new release is The Grim Reader - number fourteen in the series. It takes place in Brooklyn’s hometown as the community gets ready to launch it’s first ever book festival. Everything is going well until Brooklyn’s mom is threatened and her fellow festival committee member turns up dead. The whole cast of characters is on hand for this book and we get a whole host of updates on what is happening in their lives. Unfortunately, The Grim Reader is not the strongest mystery in the series and is more predictable than others. That said, the book is still enjoyable, if only to catch up with the characters and their shenanigans. It is also nice to see how the characters have grown and evolved over the course of the series, especially Brooklyn. In the first book, Brooklyn starts out as a pretty clueless sleuth, likely to get herself killed, and grows into a strong female character, capable of holding her own.

Despite not having read previous books in the series, I was easily able to pick this up and jump right in although I am definitely going to read them. I really enjoyed the book and hope to see more of this idyllic town in past as well as future books. My favorite part about the book was how Brooklyn's friends and family were all so close, and for the most part the whole community. Brooklyn goes to the town where her mother is holding a book festival only things are not going so smoothly once her and her new dashing husband show up. Not only is Brooklyn's family there, her in laws also have a home there as well and it seems as if the two mothers are really great friends. It was an interesting story filled with plenty to love, wine, books and food. A surprise at the end are the free recipes included which is totally unexpected in a book about books. This book was really interesting and well written, the characters are lifelike and conversation flows naturally in the dialog, and the setting is perfect. I am really looking forward to the next book but just as happy to go back and start at the beginning.

The Grim Reader: A Bibliophile Mystery
By Kate Carlisle
Berkley
June 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

Rare book restorerer Brooklyn Wainwright and her husband Derek are delighted to be back in her hometown of Dharma, California for their first annual Dharma Book Festival. As much as they love living in San Francisco, it can’t compare to the communal warmth of the tourist-friendly wine country near Sonoma County. In addition to the variety of restaurants and craft shops run by Brooklyn’s numerous siblings in the wine country, her British in-laws have also recently purchased a second home in the town where Derek’s tarot-reading mother flourishes. As Festival Committee’s co-chair, Brooklyn’s own mother Rebecca has enlisted most of the family members and friends into participating in the book-themed events. Included in this is a musical theater performance of the selected Book of the Festival, with Little Women featuring a star performance by a famous actress from Sonoma. Her diva demands to play a role far below her age range pales in comparison to the outrageous behavior by Jacob Banyan, a winery owner buying up vineyards to rebrand them into low-grade box wines. An obnoxious bully who threatens Brooklyn’s mother and physically intimidates Brooklyn’s best friend, he has all of the Wainwrights and adjacent-relatives on alert protectively circling their wagons around the family matriarch.

When the mothers of both Brooklyn and Derek call with the news that they’ve discovered a dead body, Brooklyn can’t help but expect – and maybe hope – that the detested Jacob Banyan has finally driven someone to murder. Surprisingly, this time he is not the victim stabbed to death in the town hall, and the moms seem all too exuberant at the chance to run their own investigation. Brooklyn is more than happy to leave the detecting to her former fourth grade boyfriend Detective Stevie Willoughby, especially with Banyan still on the loose and escalating his attacks on the family. While cranky local resident Saffron Bergeron continues to object to the festival’s plans and accuses the Wainwrights as being a part of a cult, the Fellowship community led by Guru Bob only encourages peaceful interactions and acceptance of the members. Brooklyn’s going to need all of the meditations she can get as they learn of thefts from the festival funds, her mother is nearly run down, and the edition of “Little Women” she’s repairing may turn out to be worth thousands of dollars. As Brooklyn declares from experience learned from her extensive adventures, every time she’s “ever been involved in a murder investigation, it always had to do with a book.”

This outstanding 14th of the series fully exploits the strong bonds and long histories the characters have with one another. Brooklyn and Derek’s friends, many of them now having coupled up themselves, entertainingly arrive in Dharma for a visit and to share their own news and recent activities. It is so refreshing to have Brooklyn’s and Derek’s very large families shown to be so loving and accepting of one another, especially when it’s done through humor and good-natured teasing. The affection readers will feel towards Brooklyn’s extended family only makes Jacob Banyan’s behavior all the more infuriating, especially when it is actual assault and should be reported. Readers can be reassured to know that the goodwill, good humor, and generosity of Dharma lead to a rewarding conclusion, with loose ends tied up satisfyingly at the end. These characters continue to be so likable and fun that just spending time with them is more than enough reason to invest in the next installment. The exploration of rare literature, Brooklyn’s love of book restoration, and integration of intriguing further make this series impossible to resist.

This was a fun cozy mystery to read. This was the first book in this series that I have read but I don’t plan on it being my last. You don’t have to read the ones before this to figure out all the main characters. I loved Brooklyn and Derek and their families. The mystery is great and how they solve the murder is wonderful. I hope to read many more of these books. I received a copy of this book through Netgalley for a fair and honest opinion that I gave of my own free will.

The Grim Reader is the 14th book in the amazing Bibliophile series by Kate Carlisle and stars Brooklyn Wainwright and Derek Stone. Brooklyn is a book restoration expert and her new husband Derek is a security specialist. In this book, Dharma is having its first Book Festival and Brooklyn's mom is in charge of it. Brooklyn is helping and has a booth so she and Derek are in town for the festival. Many of their friends and families either live in Dharma or are also visiting, including Derek's parents. It adds some fun to revisit people and events from the other books in the series. Brooklyn's mom, Becky, is dealing with some tension between the members of the festival committee and it gets worse when a member of the committee is murdered. Becky seems to be on the murderer's radar as things keep happening. Brooklyn, Derek, their families, and friends all work together to keep Becky safe and find the killer. This book kept me guessing until the end! Very enjoyable! Another winner by Kate Carlisle! #TheGrimReader #NetGalley

Title: The Grim Reader
Author: Kate Carlisle
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5

This was a fun cozy mystery read. I haven’t read a single one of the Bibliophile Mystery series, which might have given this a little more depth for me, but this was a light, quick read. I never figured out who the murderer was, and I enjoyed the discovery process. And the books.

I did find everything a little too fluffy bunny/sweetness and light for my taste, though. I mean, no one thinks to report the town bully—or his cohorts—to the cops, even though he makes all sorts of explicit threats, including murder. This wasn’t believable to me, so it proved to be a bit of a stumbling block, but this was an enjoyable read.

Kate Carlisle is a bestselling author. The Grim Reader is her newest novel, #14 in the Bibliophile Mystery series.

(Galley courtesy of Berkley in exchange for an honest review.)

Loved this book! Of course, who wouldn’t love a book in this series? Or by this author. Brooklyn’s mom was such a neat lady. I think one of my favorite things about this author’s writing is how well she writes characters. I feel like I live in their community with them. But I don’t want to be the next one murdered lol.

Another fantastic addition to the series! I have enjoyed all the books in this series, and this one was no different. My favorite part of this book is the characters. They are so likable and fun to read about. Brooklyn's job as a book restorer is one that would interest any bookworm and I always find that aspect of the books really interesting. The mystery in this one is great and I definitely recommend it to any cozy mystery lovers.

Book restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright is excited to return to her hometown of Dharma, California with her husband Derek. They are going to be assisting Brooklyn’s mother Rebecca with Dharma’s first book festival. In spite of some in-fights between committee members, the preparations are going well until Brooklyn’s mother and mother-in-law discover a dead body. When it looks like Rebecca, as well as Brooklyn, could be the next targets, Brooklyn is determined to find out who is behind the murder.

The Grim Reader is the fourteenth book in the Bibliophile series. I think fans of the series will enjoy the book more than new readers. I read two of the prior books in the middle of the series and still felt confused about who all the characters are. I like having the book take place during a book festival and since the town of Dharma is located in Northern California’s wine country, that makes a nice setting. In the other two books I’ve read in this series, what set them apart was the work Brooklyn did restoring books. I loved the detailed information about what is entailed and the books being restored were central to the story. In this installment, the parts that describe Brooklyn’s work on restoring a potentially valuable edition of a classic are well-done and very interesting. However, there were too few of these scenes and Brooklyn’s speciality seems to be an afterthought in the book which is disappointing.

I found much of the dialogue in the book to be over-the-top, both the arguments during the festival planning meetings, as well as the loving words between Brooklyn’s family members. Neither end of the spectrum seems realistic to me and takes up too much of the book without moving the plot forward. It’s nice to see a loving, supporting family but the praise between the characters becomes less meaningful when repeated over and over. When Brooklyn was working on solving the mystery or working on book restoring, I enjoyed the book. Things get more exciting as the story nears the conclusion and I really liked the dramatic, unexpected way the book ends. Fans of the series will especially enjoy the final touching scene between Brooklyn and Derek. After the story ends, a few recipes and a book group discussion guide follow.

~ Christine

The Grim Reader by Kate Carlisle is the 14th A Bibliophile Mystery. I have read each book in this entertaining series, but The Grim Reader can be read as a standalone (but, really, why would you want to). I have enjoyed following Brooklyn from the very beginning. Brooklyn Wainwright is a bookbinder who specializes in rare books. She lives in San Francisco with her dashing husband, Derek Stone and their adorable cat, Charlie. Derek and Brooklyn are in Dharma, Brooklyn’s hometown, for the first annual Dharma Book Festival. This festival is featuring Little Women by Louisa May Alcott and will include a one-night performance of Little Women—the musical (it was performed on Broadway). Brooklyn’s mother, Becky Wainwright is co-chair of the festival committee and she has been having a difficult time with Jacob Banyan. Jacob has been acquiring wineries in the area by dubious means and turning their fine vintage into a box wine which has the other winery owners up in arms. Jacob threatens Becky more than once in an attempt to get his way. I like that all the women in the Wainwright family are strong and creative. Brooklyn is a spitfire just like her mother. The Grim Reader contains Kate Carlisle’s signature writing style which is engaging. The story is narrated by Brooklyn. I was quickly drawn into the book which moved along at a quick page. The mystery was intriguing with a murder or two, an attempt on Becky’s life, and missing money. While I narrowed in on my choice of killer early on, my interest did not wane. I kept turning the pages quickly so I could see how the whodunit would play out. The reveal scene was a delightful and creative. The dialogue is witty and provided me with many laughs. Brooklyn does a little book restoration in this story, but not as much as in other books. I missed Brooklyn doing a creative, unique paper project. Of course, Brooklyn is busy visiting family, preparing for the festival, keeping her mother safe, playing with Charlie, and repairing a first edition copy of Little Women. There are some delectable culinary delights in this book that will have your mouth watering. Thankfully, there are recipes at the end of the book. There are some great tidbits regarding Little Women in the book. The Grim Reader is a story that takes me on a journey into Brooklyn’s world that I was sad to see end. I cannot wait for the next A Bibliophile Mystery to come out next year. My favorite line comes from Brooklyn when she said, “Couldn’t we stumble across a poisoning once in a while.” Poor Brooklyn has an aversion to blood. One of Brooklyn’s other lines that had me laughing is, “So suck it up buttercup.” The Grim Reader is a compelling cozy mystery with a big bully, committee chaos, beaucoup blood, missing money, a bounty of books, and a fun festival.

This is the 14th Bibliophile Mystery by cozy author Kate Carlisle. I enjoy this series and have read each book in the series. I highly recommend this series for your reading enjoyment. My thanks to Net Galley and to the Publisher for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own. I enjoyed this next in series based in Brooklyn's home town which gives the reader background on how Brooklyn grew up in a small unconventional winery community and features her Mother as a strong smart charcter.

In this 14th in this beloved series our favorite protagonist book binder / book expert Brooklyn Wainwright and her husband Derek are home in beautiful Darma in Sonoma County with their parents for a book fair. Darma is a small winery community that was built with the help of her parents over the years into a thriving town where the residents are friends and the wineries are very popular. Brooklyn's Mother is organizing the festival and there is dissension among the fair participants. Brooklyn's Mother has been threatened with harm by a nefarious resident who she refuses to allow into the fair. He has been buying up well known wineries and ruining their reputation and is disliked by most of the town. Rebecca refuses to allow him to participate and words are exchanged in front of the city council. Derek and Brooklyn have accompanied her to a meeting to protect her and witness the confrontations. When a murder occurs in the city hall and the money for the fair has been stolen Brooklyn and Derek are on the case. They have their investigation well in hand as well as protecting Brooklyn's Mother when a second murder occurs.

I loved this next in series. The author so brilliantly crafts the sleuth to surprise the reader to conclusion. The twist and turns of suspects and clues are part of this author's charm to cozy readers. The wonderful addition of references to classic books is always pleasing to this reader. The charcters are richly drawn and all are like being the presence of old friends. Brooklyn and Derek are a formidable team of investigators devoted to each other and their families. The supporting charcters of their families are warm and friendly. The respect and closeness of the family is heartwarming . I love the receipes the author included. This is wonderful addition to this popular series that was a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend this series and look forward to the next in series. Very well done to the author !
Review cross posted upon publication date. Thank you to Berkeley Publishing.

Brooklyn and her husband Derek are off to Dharma to not only visit family but Brooklyn is also go I g to be a part of the town's first annual Book Festival. Brooklyn's mom is in charge of the entire festival bringing in most of the town to be a part of it all. Brooklyn will have her own booth doing book appraisals, a fun craft for children and showing off her skills with book repair. When a local business man interrupts the meeting of the committee members working on the festival and threatens Brooklyn's mom she is ready to jump in and defend. Her mom handles the situation admirably but it still leaves a bad taste in Brooklyn's mouth. Things go from bad to worse When a committee member is murdered and it looks like he stole all the Festival's funds. Brooklyn steps in to help her mom not only in investigating the man's death but also financially so that the festival can go on. After her mom is almost run over she realizes that she must dig deeper before those she loves end up hurt or worse dead. Follow along as Brooklyn and Derek take the investigation into their own hands in hopes of finding out the identity of the killer before he harms anyone else!

This is an engaging and entertaining cozy mystery. Although it is the 14th book in a series, I have not read any of the other books, so I know that it can be read and enjoyed as a stand alone. This is the story of Brooklyn and Derek’s visit to a wine country commune named Dharma. They are there for the Book Festival and to support Brooklyn’s mom Rebecca who is the chair of the committee in charge of the festival. Things start to go wrong when the co-chair is murdered and then all of the money he was in charge of for the festival disappeared. In addition to working on binding a first edition of “Little Women”, Brooklyn is tasked with solving the mystery before her mom is hurt or worse. This is a cute story that moves along at a fast pace. With lots of little tidbits of information about “Little Women” and tons of humor about the lifestyle of Brooklyn’s flower-child type family, it was well worth the read. My favorite character was Meg, Derek’s mom who remains calm no matter what is happening around her. Her mannerisms and actions were humorous, so I really liked her. Fans of cozy mysteries will want to read this one. Now, I need to go back and get started on the other thirteen books in the series...I feel like I’m missing out on some good times with these quirky characters!
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”

Brooklyn is back in this 14th book in the Bibliophile mystery series. Brooklyn is a book-restoration expert who occasionally gets involved with a murder mystery. In this book, Brooklyn and her husband are visiting Dharma, a small town in California's wine country. They are gearing up for Dharma's first book festival, and Brooklyn's mother is organizing the event. Everything seems to be going well... until someone on the festival committee is murdered. Brooklyn is on the case to find the killer.

Likable characters in a charming setting. I haven't read all of the books in this series, but it is one I try to read in order. As with most series, it helps better understand backstories. Still, The Grim Reader can be read as a standalone.

An engaging and entertaining cozy mystery. I enjoy cozies that involve books, so I usually like the books in this series. In addition to books, there is also a lot of talk about wine in The Grim Reader. A recommended read for fans of cozies featuring books and wine. Delightful and fun.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Brooklyn and Derek are in Dharma with their families, preparing for a big book festival co-organized by Brooklyn’s mom. This year will highlight Little Women. I guess so there’s an excuse to have Brooklyn work on an older edition? The choice is explained as there’s more women than men on the committee, but no contemporary literature was mentioned.
Unfortunately, Rebecca (Brooklyn’s Mom) and Meg (Derek’s mother) stumble across the dead body of Rebecca’s co-chair before the festival even starts. There is no shortage of drama and suspects, including a new neighbour who’s been trying to buy his way in and offer threats to everyone he meets along the way.
The mystery wasn’t surprising, the drama felt like puzzle pieces that didn’t fit,character development was weak, and I found it easy to put down. I think it would appeal more strongly to readers who have a nostalgia for Little Women.

I had such a great time reading The Grim Reader by Kate Carlisle.
It’s been a while since I’ve caught up with Brooklyn & Derek, and it was fun to be with all of them again.
Brooklyn’s hometown of Dharma is having their first annual book festival.
Things take an ugly turn when a gruesome murder takes place, and Brooklyn and Derek find themselves wrapped up in the investigation.
I’m looking forward to reading the books I’ve missed and will highly recommend this book to my friends.