Bibliophile Mystery Series in Order: How to read Kate Carlisle’s Books?

Coming from American writer Kate Carlisle, author of the Fixer-Upper Mysteries, the Bibliophile Mystery series is about a book lover who solves crimes. This cozy mystery series resolves around Brooklyn Wainwright, a rare book expert in San Francisco, California. It’s her bookbinding and restoration skills that lead her to uncover old secrets, treachery, and murders.

Indeed, some of the old books Brooklyn restores are strangely linked to modern murder and, with the help of her beau, British security expert Derek Stone, she feels compelled to investigate.

How to read the Bibliophile Mysteries in Order?

Each book in the Bibliophile Mystery series offers a standalone story, but the lives of the different characters evolve from one book to the other.

1. Homicide in Hardcover – If rare book specialist Brooklyn Wainwright had her way, San Francisco’s streets would be covered in hardcover books. And on the eve of a celebration for the restoration of his most recent book, her mentor wouldn’t be found lying in a pool of his own blood. With his last breath, he sends a mysterious message to Brooklyn and hands her a rare copy of Goethe’s Faust, which is said to be cursed. Brooklyn is unexpectedly charged with murder and theft.
2. If Books Could Kill – Brooklyn Wainwright, a specialist in book restoration, is delighted to be attending the prestigious Edinburgh Book Fair. Kyle McVee, her ex, suddenly appears with a shocking revelation. He possesses the original of a controversial manuscript that has the power to alter history and degrade the cherished British monarchy.
3. The Lies That Bind – Brooklyn Wainwright is a specialist of antiquities and rare books. She has thus come back to her hometown of San Francisco to instruct a bookbinding course at Bay Area Book Arts. Sadly, BABA director Layla Fontaine is a terrible host who yells obscenities and rules over her staff. Brooklyn is able to cope with the aid of her boyfriend, British security guard Derek Stone.

4. Murder under Cover – Bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright anticipates making a stunning book and spicing up her love life when she receives an excellent copy of the Kama Sutra from her closest friend, Robin, to inspect and restore. Before Brooklyn ever gets going, though, Robin finds herself in serious trouble: her apartment has been broken into, and the nice guy she just met is dead in her bed. Robin is now the main suspect.
5. Pages of Sin (short story) – Brooklyn Wainwright, a rare book specialist, finds a fascinating letter sent to Wanda Frawley’s spouse in one of Wanda’s old books after Wanda tragically commits herself. The letter is found in a copy of Pride and Prejudice. Wanda’s sister declares her devotion to Wanda’s husband in it. Soon, other letters are found hidden between the pages of other Jane Austen books, each one hinting at sinister secrets-and maybe murder…
6. One Book in the Grave – Before she knows the book belongs to an old friend of hers, Brooklyn’s opportunity to repair a rare first edition of Beauty and the Beast sounds like a fairy tale come true. A copy of Beauty and the Beast was given to Emily ten years ago by the brawny, well-known papermaker Max Adams as a sign of their romance. Brooklyn had always believed that his possessive ex-girlfriend and her envious boyfriend were responsible for his sudden death in a vehicle accident.

7. Peril in Paperback – Brooklyn Wainwright, an expert in rare books and antiquities, is overjoyed to be invited to her neighbor Suzie’s aunt Grace’s 50th birthday celebration. Grace is a larger-than-life figure who transformed her Lake Tahoe estate into a fun house, complete with pinball machines, gigantic props, secret tunnels, and trap doors. Grace is a retired founder of a significant video game firm. Brooklyn is particularly eager to inventory Grace’s enormous collection of priceless paperback pulp novels. A séance is included in the entertainment, but after the lights flicker, one person is found dead after been poisoned with a beverage meant for Grace.
8. A Cookbook Conspiracy – Savannah, Brooklyn’s sister, and her previous culinary school classmates all found success as chefs, notably Baxter Cromwell, Savannah’s ex-boyfriend, who went on to achieve culinary superstardom. Savannah requests Brooklyn to restore a priceless old cookbook as a gift for him when he invites the old group to the grand opening of his new restaurant in San Francisco. Baxter is discovered dead, the cookbook is missing, and Savannah is the latest suspect the evening they all assemble.
9. The Book Stops Here – Brooklyn is delighted to be a rare book specialist and appraiser on the popular television program This Old Attic. Her first topic is a priceless first edition of the beloved children’s book The Secret Garden. After the show has aired, a guy barges onto the stage and demands the book be returned-or else-saying that the book’s owner, a flower vendor called Vera, discovered it at his garage sale. In the aftermath, the show’s host, Randolph Rayburn, confesses to Brooklyn that he is scared by the man’s threats and suspects that he is being pursued.

10. Ripped From the Pages – Brooklyn is now staying with her parents in Sonoma, but she joins an excavation of the caverns that are buried deep beneath their commune. Unearthed items include paintings, rare volumes, wine cases, a jewelry box, and a fully mummified mummy. A rare first copy of Jules Verne’s A Journey to the Center of the Earth with a hidden treasure map is discovered when the deceased man’s belongings are examined more closely.
11. Books of a Feather – The Covington Library, maintained by Brooklyn’s friend, is now exhibiting an exhibition of John James Audubon’s monumental work, Birds of America. Jared Mulrooney, the head of the Bay Area Birdwatchers Society, approaches her at the book’s gala and asks her to fix a little-known volume of Audubon illustrations. When Mulrooney’s body is found in the library, Brooklyn, who is attending the same party, is in a great mood after being asked to restore a rare edition of Poor Richard’s Almanack.
12. Once Upon a Spine – She will be meeting Brooklyn’s oh-so-proper future in-laws in England, and if that weren’t enough to make her nervous, she has heard whispers that the beautiful Courtyard shops across the street would be replaced with high-rise flats. If Brooklyn and her fiance Derek Stone can’t convince the store owners to stay open, their stylish neighborhood will be destroyed. Brooklyn and Derek feel like they are trying to accomplish six impossible tasks before breakfast, but a rare copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is causing a rift at the Brothers Bookshop, and a spate of minor vandalism has everyone on edge.

13. Buried in Books – Brooklyn is eager to begin her new life with Derek and has done everything she can to be ready for their wedding. But when Brooklyn’s college rivals Heather and Sara shock her with a last-minute bridal shower, things don’t go as planned. But when the women give Brooklyn rare volumes of The Red Fairy Book and The Three Musketeers, Brooklyn is moved. Brooklyn can’t help but wonder if the victim played a role in this fraud or if a killer is still out there swindling and killing when one of her enemies is discovered dead and one of the precious books is discovered to be a counterfeit.
14. The Book Supremacy – Brooklyn and Derek are taking advantage of their remaining time in Paris for their honeymoon. Brooklyn discovers the ideal present for Derek when they are perusing the book stands along the Seine: a first edition copy of the James Bond book The Spy Who Loved Me. Brooklyn reveals Ned, an old acquaintance from Derek’s time as a spy, her most recent find when they cross paths. When they return to San Francisco, they go to the spy store Ned recommended. The proprietor begs them to allow him to display the book Brooklyn found in Paris so that he may commemorate the shop’s first birthday. The modest book turns out to be far more valuable than its sentimental value.
15. The Grim Reader – Brooklyn is thrilled to attend the inaugural Dharma Book Festival with her hot new husband Derek. The whole community is interested, and Rebecca, Brooklyn’s mother, is in control. She has Brooklyn evaluating rare books while simultaneously putting up the show Little Women to amuse festival guests. Brooklyn, who is incredibly proud of her mother’s can-do attitude, is prepared to confront the avaricious local businessman who is pestering Rebecca and appears to ruin Dharma.

16. Little Black Book – A small black book from Scotland recently arrived in the mail after Brooklyn and Derek’s enjoyable vacation to Dharma. They receive a visit from Claire Quinn the day after the book is delivered. Brooklyn and Claire met while serving as professional appraisers for the television program This Old Attic. Claire adds that she learned her adored aunt was missing and that her house had been plundered during a recent vacation to Scotland. Claire discovered the shipping receipt that Brooklyn and Derek’s box ended up with among her aunt’s stuff. Claire thinks that her life and the life of her aunt are in jeopardy.
17. The Paper Caper – A citywide competition based on The Prince and the Pauper is held during Covington Library’s inaugural Mark Twain Festival, which is funded by newspaper owner Joseph Cabot. The winner will get to live like Joseph for a few days and have access to all of his wealth and influence. Brooklyn and Derek are concerned that the contest may be drawing unfavorable attention. Brooklyn isn’t persuaded that the victim is the intended target when someone is inexplicably poisoned in front of her. She and Derek are now forced to race through San Francisco’s streets in search of leads and suspects before yet another murder becomes front-page news.
18. The Twelve Books of Christmas – Brooklyn and Derek are in the middle of a great Christmas vacation in Dharma when their close friend Claire calls them from Loch Ness in Scotland in a panic. She just received a proposal from Cameron MacKinnon, the laird of the castle. They want Derek and Brooklyn to be their witnesses when they exchange vows on New Year’s Day. Twelve extremely valuable, priceless volumes have gone missing from the castle library, and Claire is hoping Brooklyn can help her solve this mystery while they are there.

If our article about Kate Carlisle’s Bibliophile Mystery Books in Order is useful to you, don’t forget to bookmark it! You may also be interested in more cozy mysteries like Cleo Coyle’s books, Josie Prescott Antiques Mysteries or Jessica Ellicott’s series.