A Good Cozy Mystery

I just finished reading a really good book. "Homicide in Harcover" by Kate Carlisle is a nice little cozy mystery - and I loved it. Were I to give it a grade, it would be an A+.

Her characters are quirky and funny and real, the plot well thought out, the mystery keeps you guessing and the setting (San Francisco) vivid without being overbearing. There was even a little romance, and family issues that would have been enough for some books, but Kate took them, blended them in and came up with complete and complex characters. For all those things, I would have enjoyed the book. But what really got me hooked was that I "got" the background.

The story centers around bookbinders and restorers. People who love old books, yet tear them apart in order to repair and restore ancient masterpieces. As a librarian and someone who has done a little binding and restoration, this is actually something I know. The author was speaking my language. And I loved it.

Okay, I know some people might find this boring, but I loved it. I loved the way she blended the terminology in with the story so it's not overdone. I loved that I understood what they were doing and why. I loved that there was a nice juicy mystery to solve while reading about something I knew.

In case you didn't get it yet, I loved this book.

Thank you Kate! And I hope there are more to come.