Pub date 10/24/23

Brooklyn and her husband Derek head to Loch Ness Scotland to attend the wedding of their friends. The wedding is being held at their castle. Such a great location. This book is a mystery within a mystery. Who is stealing books from the castle library, and then there is a murder or two to contend with. I loved the setting and learning about the castle and the local village. I also learned a few new Scottish customs. This book made me happy and I didn't want to put it down. The main characters are wonderful and make you want to spend time with them.

I received a free copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Brooklyn and Derek plan a special Christmas Eve buffet with all the trimmings. The festive mood takes a twist when a phone call interrupts with an invitation to a wedding in Scotland. It should be a merry occasion, but the phone call ends with the news that twelve books have been lost or stolen from their library. These were first editions that would fetch a handsome price.
Off to Scotland at a moment's notice, with mom and dad tagging along. There’s lots going on in the castle in Scotland and so many people. So many suspicious people. I had to keep a cheat sheet to follow who was who, who knew what, and what their motive might be.
Lots of food, tons of drinks and planning for a wedding with little notice to anyone. There’s a lot to be learned about book binding and archery. There was just a lot going on with many people that made the missing books a small tidbit to deal with.
And then there’s murder. I was two-thirds through the book before the body was found.
The book provides an interesting description of a week among friends with some scary noises, bats and a weird librarian. Quite a mix.
I received an advanced reader copy from #Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Brooklyn and Derek are spending the Christmas holiday in Dharma with family and friends. A lavish Christmas Eve buffet is in full swing when Brooklyn receives a phone call from her friend. Claire. One phone call changes holiday plans. Claire wants Brooklyn and Derek to be witnesses at their wedding and to help solve the mystery of 12 Christmas books that have disappeared from the castle library. The only problem is that the wedding is scheduled on New Years Eve in Scotland.
Always ready to help a friend, Brooklyn, her parents and Derek head for Scotland.
What's meant to be a joyous event, turns deadly with attempts to kill the bride, the murder of a member of castle staff and a visitor.
The setting is spot on. The description of fantastic food is mouthwatering. So much so that the motive for the killings is a bit underwhelming.
This is the 17th Bibliophile mystery, and while not the best, it's still entertaining and brings fans up to date with the characters and introduces some new one.

This newest title in Kate Carlisle’s Bookbinder Mysteries is a fun cozy mystery. I’m a fan of the series, and enjoyed this one. Set in a Scottish castle for a New Year’s wedding, and featuring a library with missing books and a murder or two makes for a fun read, but I definitely had to suspend my disbelief and just go with it. The ending felt a little abrupt to me. This one wasn’t my personal favourite in the series, but I liked it and look forward to more Bookbinder Mysteries. Thanks to NetGalley and Berkeley for the ARC!

Love this series because it’s always consistently good. Brooklyn and Derek are invited to their friends wedding in Scotland over Christmas, and of course there’s a mystery they must solve. Brooklyn’s book knowledge is always integral to the plot, and I love learning new facets of book binding each time.

This series is like taking as vacation with old friends. I've been reading the Bibliophile mysteries from the start and still eagerly await each new entry. I can't say that for many cozy series, and this one made me stop and think a bit about why this series is different.

Partly (and maybe above all) Carlisle is a top-notch writer. She has a mastery of words and description, is excellent at character development and planning (HOW does she keep Brooklyn's family straight?!?), and plots a clever, clever mystery every time. I also don't see her re-using bits of dialog and narrative description the way some other authors do. As a reader, I feel like she, as the author, has really spent time and attention on every detail, and I truly appreciate that.

Readers new to the series might want to go back and read them in order, but it's not entirely necessary. You can read this one and still have a solid grasp of what's going on.

As usual, I'm recommending this.

A new Brooklyn Wainright and Derek Stone with a Christmas theme to boot is a very welcome addition to Kate Carlisle's series. Starting at a Christmas party in Dharma and ending at a wedding in Scotland, this book has it all, a mystery, bookbinding hints and great characters.
Christmas cozies don't get any better than this.

Kate Carlisle answered a question I’ve asked about her gorgeous book covers. The cover of The Twelve Books of Christmas, and, from what I can tell from her acknowledgements, other covers as well, was done by Daniel Craig. The cover is perfect with the library setting, the Christmas decorations, the Scottish tartan, and the cat. Craig captured the seventeenth book in the Bibliophile Mystery series perfectly.

Brooklyn Wainwright and her husband, Derek Stone, are celebrating Christmas week in their new second home in Dharma, California when she receives a phone call from Scotland. Brooklyn’s friend, Claire, wants to marry her fiance, Cameron McKinnon, Laird of Castle McKinnon, right after midnight on New Year’s Day. She would like Brooklyn and Derek to stand up for them. Because the Stone private jet is in California, it’s easy for Brooklyn, Derek, and Brooklyn’s parents to travel to Scotland. Claire warns Brooklyn, though, that she has a mystery involving books for the bookbinder to solve. It’s Brooklyn’s mother who says, “And as we all know, any mystery that involves Brooklyn and books invariably ends in murder.”

While the castle residents are still celebrating Christmas, they’re also preparing for Hogmanay, the ancient Sottish New Year’s rituals, and, of course, the wedding. But, Brooklyn wants to see the castle library and learn about the mystery. Claire hired a librarian to organize the library, but there are twelve books missing, all Christmas ones. Brooklyn doesn’t trust Olivia, the librarian, but it’s Brooklyn’s mother, Becky, who practices witchcraft, who confirms Brooklyn’s feeling, saying the woman has a dark heart. Olivia isn’t the only one, though. There’s a group of powerful women in the village who hate Claire for her relationship with the local laird, and they’re determined to take her down. It’s too bad for them that Claire has her own network of strong women, beginning with Brooklyn and Becky.

In between Christmas events, a little tourism, and preparations for Hogmanay, Brooklyn and Derek search the castle for the missing books. While searching one one of the towers, they find a body. Claire and Cameron push back their wedding in a show of respect, but another body makes Claire wonder if they should get married at all. Brooklyn and Derek are willing to tangle with local women, a killer, and even a Christmas tree or two if it means they can uncover a killer and a happily-ever-after for their friends.

Although this is the first book in Carlisle’s series to focus on Christmas, it’s not the first to feature Claire and Cameron. Followers of the entire series might recognize them from Little Black Book, the fifteenth mystery. However, you don’t need to have read the previous book. Carlisle does an excellent job in providing a brief background for the relationship between the characters.

I’ve had a problem with Brooklyn with the last couple books, finding her a little whiny. I’m happy to say she’s not whiny in this book. Instead, with the support of her husband and mother, she’s once again inquisitive, sharing her love and knowledge of books. The Twelve Books of Christmas are really just a tool to kick off the mystery, but Christmas books and a Scottish setting are always fun.

Brooklyn and Derek are called to Loch Ness Scotland to be the best man and bridesmaid for their friends wedding. The story quickly has the supernatural and death so the mystery of the missing twelve books widens.
Is it all connected?

A terrific cozy mystery set in a lovely landscape with the backdrop of christmas make for an enjoyable read

Take a trip across the pond to beautiful Scotland with Brooklyn and Derek! In addition to a book-soaked mystery, this latest entry in Carlisle's Bibliophile series provides an intriguing look into Scotland's history and traditions. Set during Christmas and New Year's, the book is as festive and appealing as the characters and makes for an entertaining read at any time of the year.

I enjoy the Bibliophile series. There is always book repair tips included in the story when Brooklyn is repairing books. In this books description it was stated that someone was poisoned and someone was killed with an arrow through the heart. In the book someone was killed with a dagger and not poisoned.