Brooklyn’s oh-so-proper future in-laws are traveling from England to meet her, and if that’s not enough to set her on edge, rumors abound that the charming Courtyard shops across the street may be replaced by high-rise apartments. Their trendy neighborhood will be ruined unless Brooklyn and her fiancé, Derek Stone, can persuade the shopkeepers not to sell.
But with a rare edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland causing bad blood at the Brothers Bookshop and a string of petty vandalism making everyone nervous, Brooklyn and Derek feel like they’re attempting six impossible things before breakfast. Then the owner of the Rabbit Hole juice bar is felled by his own heavy shelves, and the local cobbler lies dead beside him. An accident . . . or something more sinister? Things get curiouser and curiouser when a second priceless copy of Alice is discovered. Will it stir up more trouble within the close-knit community?
As the Brits descend, Brooklyn learns they’re not so stuffy after all. Derek’s dad is won over with chocolate cream pie, and his psychic mum would kill to help Brooklyn solve this murder—before another victim takes a tumble.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author Kate Carlisle is a native Californian who worked in television production for many years before turning to writing. It was a lifelong fascination with the art and craft of bookbinding that led her to write the Bibliophile Mysteries, featuring Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery and murder. Her first book, Homicide in Hardcover, debuted in February 2010, followed by If Books Could Kill, The Lies That Bind, Murder Under Cover, One Book in the Grave.
With the publication of A High-End Finish in November 2014, Kate launched the Fixer-Upper Mysteries featuring building contractor Shannon Hammer, who specializes in Victorian home renovation and repair. The series is set in Lighthouse Cove, a seemingly idyllic town with many dark secrets hiding under its floorboards. Hallmark Movies & Mysteries Channel is bringing the Fixer-Upper Mysteries to TV in a series of movies starring Jewel and Colin Ferguson. The first movie premiered in January 2017, the second less than three months later, with plans to film several more.
Kate also studied acting and singing, toiled in vineyards, collected books, joined a commune, sold fried chicken, modeled spring fashions and worked for a cruise ship line, but it was the year she spent in law school that finally drove her to begin writing fiction. It seemed the safest way to kill off her professors. Those professors are breathing easier now that Kate spends most of her time writing near the beach in Southern California where she lives with her perfect hero husband.
Review of Once Upon A Spine
Review (4.5 Stars): Kate Carlisle is one of my favorite mystery writers and Once Upon A Spine is a delightful, well-written mystery with characters that you will instantly connect with. Brooklyn is nervous about meeting Derek’s parents before their upcoming nuptials but a rare copy of Alice in Wonderland is keeping her distracted until they arrive. When the owner of the Rabbit Hole juice bar is found dead and another rare copy of Alice in Wonderland is conveniently found, Brooklyn must follow the clues to find a killer before another victim becomes lost in wonderland.
I absolutely adore this series and I love how Brooklyn describes the process of restoring each of her lovely books. Alice in Wonderland is also one of my favorite stories and I would have loved to see the rare copy of this book just like Brooklyn did.
Brooklyn and Derek are finally getting married and I enjoyed meeting his parents and Brooklyn finding out that she could bond with his mother while solving a murder. Who would have guessed this? I loved the humor in this book during the scenes with them.
I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and I hope this series continues for many years to come.
