{"product_id":"once-upon-a-spine-isbn-9780451477736","title":"Once upon a Spine","description":"\u003cb\u003eIn this Bibliophile Mystery from the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eBooks of a Feather\u003c\/i\u003e, San Francisco bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright stumbles through the looking glass in a tale of murder, rare books, and a quest for the perfect pie…\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBrooklyn'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. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut with a rare edition of \u003ci\u003eAlice's Adventures in Wonderland\u003c\/i\u003e 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?  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs 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 \u003ci\u003ekill \u003c\/i\u003eto help Brooklyn solve this murder—before another victim takes a tumble.\u003cb\u003ePraise for the \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e Bestselling Bibliophile Mysteries\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Kate Carlisle never fails to make me laugh, even as she has me turning the pages to see what’s going to happen next.”—Miranda James, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Carlisle’s dialogue is natural, her prose has great flow, and her striking descriptions bring Brooklyn’s world to life.”—\u003ci\u003eCrimespree \u003c\/i\u003eMagazine\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Captivating....The action builds to a surprising final showdown.”—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A true whodunit...highlights Carlisle’s story line skills, her love for books, and her always-endearing heroine.”—\u003ci\u003eRichmond Times-Dispatch\u003c\/i\u003eA native Californian, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author \u003cb\u003eKate Carlisle\u003c\/b\u003e worked in television for many years before turning to writing. A lifelong fascination with the art and craft of bookbinding led her to write the Bibliophile Mysteries featuring Brooklyn Wainwright, whose bookbinding and restoration skills invariably uncover old secrets, treachery, and murder. She is also the author of the Fixer-Upper Mysteries featuring small-town girl Shannon Hammer, a building contractor specializing in home restoration.Chapter One\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Lately, I have resorted to stalking. Not a person, but a book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e For weeks now I'd been visiting the book almost daily. It was a      little embarrassing to continually beg the bookstore owner to let      me hold it, page through it, study it. I just wanted to touch it,      stroke it, and once, when he wasn't looking, sniff it. But he      didn't seem to mind my fixation. He's as big a book nerd as I am.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The owner kept the book inside a clear, locked glass case      displayed on the shop's front counter, so it was pretty obvious he      didn't want people touching it. And who could blame him? The book      was exquisitely bound in vibrant red morocco leather. Rich gilding      swirled along the spine, spelling out the title, author's name,      and year of publication in fancy gold script. More gilding      outlined the thick raised cords that lent gravitas to the already      weighty tome.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In the center of the front cover was a brightly gilded rabbit      wearing a topcoat. The well-dressed creature glanced down at a      watch he held at the end of a chain, and he appeared nervous, as      though he might be running late for some important event.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The fact that a gilded illustration could convey real emotion was      pretty awesome, above and beyond the binding work. The first time      I saw it, I checked the inside cover for the bookbinder and was      thrilled to find the name George Bayntun of London. Favored by the      late Queen Mary, Bayntun's bindery in Bath, England, was world      renowned and was still operating to this day. I'd visited once and      had come away starstruck.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e On the back cover of the book was another elaborately raised      figure in gold, an odd-looking woman wearing a crown and carrying      a scepter. The red queen. She appeared headstrong and irate, as      though she might order someone's head lopped off at any moment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The book was Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, of course. This      copy was a fairly hard-to-find version in excellent condition,      with dark green-and-red-marbled endpapers and virtually no foxing      on its clean white pages. It contained dozens of classic      illustrations by the famous artist John Tenniel. The binding was      tight and even. And I wanted it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e My name is Brooklyn Wainwright, and I'm a bookbinder specializing      in rare-book restoration. I love books of all kinds, and I love my      job. It was exciting to know that I could give tired, torn,      droopy, bug-bitten books a brand-new life that would allow them to      continue to bring enjoyment for hundreds of years to come. It      might have sounded boring to some, but in my career so far I had      saved dozens of treasured childhood favorites from being thrown      away, rescued any number of priceless museum-quality books from      being carted off to the used-book store, and even solved a murder      or two-or ten-while I was at it. Just in case you thought      bookbinding sounded like a yawn-fest, trust me, my life was rarely      dull.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This particular copy of Alice didn't need restoring, though. It      was pristine. I wanted it because I had a fascination-okay, call      it an obsession-with the iconic Alice and her creator, Lewis      Carroll.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I gazed longingly at the book on display near the front counter of      Brothers Bookshop. The store was a book nerd's dream: a cozy,      tome-filled haven for people like me who were content to while      away an entire day browsing the shelves in hopes of discovering      the perfect little gem of a book to sink into.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The shop carried both new and used books along with all sorts of      charming gifts and cards and paper goods. There were comfy chairs      in every corner of the store, and a small section along one side      was devoted to antiquarian books.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e A magazine section was located at the back of the shop. At the      front, a wall of windows looked out onto the neighborhood, and      from there I could see my vintage apartment building on the other      side of the street.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Derek Stone and I had decided to walk over here to do a little      book browsing on our way next door to shop for vegetables for      dinner.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The bookshop was part of a group of small stores located in a      charming three-story Victorian-era building across the street from      us. The building, known as the Courtyard, formed a large square,      with four shops on each side. Above each shop were two floors with      one spacious apartment on each floor. In the interior of the      square was a delightful little courtyard overflowing with flowers      and trees and several groupings of chairs and small tables. It was      the perfect place to enjoy a caffe latte and read a book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Hi, Eddie,\" I said to the bookshop owner as I inched closer to      the display.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Hey, Brooklyn,\" Eddie Cox said without glancing up from his perch      at the front counter. He knew it was me. Probably had seen me      hovering nearby for the last few minutes. \"I suppose you want to      get another look at the book.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I do,\" I said. \"How did you know?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e He chuckled. \"Just a lucky guess. Might have something to do with      the fact that you show up here every other day and beg to see it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e All too true. But at least so far I hadn't drooled on the glass      case. \"And here I thought I was being so subtle.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Subtle. Right.\" Still chuckling, he opened the drawer beneath the      cash register and pulled out a small set of keys. I had known      Eddie Cox and his brother-in-law, Terrence Payton, for almost four      years, ever since I'd moved in across the street from Brothers      Bookshop. The two men owned the charming shop together, and yes, I      was there almost every other day because, you know, books.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Eddie carefully handed me the Alice, and it was all I could do not      to clutch it to my chest in excitement. Instead, I put it down on      the counter and ran my finger across the smooth leather cover.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Eddie raised an eyebrow. \"I don't do this for everyone, you know.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I know you don't, and I really appreciate you doing it for me.      I'll be careful.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I know you will.\" He winked at me. \"Otherwise, I wouldn't allow      it anywhere near your greedy little hands.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With a quick laugh, I scanned the store and spied Derek at the end      of the middle aisle, where the latest mysteries and thrillers were      displayed. He appeared to be involved in one particular book, so I      knew I had a few minutes to enjoy the Alice. I opened it slowly,      turning as always to the title page, where the publication date      was posted: 1866.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e This copy was considered a first edition, but actually it wasn't.      The original version of the book had been published the year      before, in 1865, but those books had been taken off the market by      Lewis Carroll when his illustrator, John Tenniel, stated that the      quality of his drawings had been poorly reproduced.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e That earlier, 1865 version was known as the \"Suppressed Alice\" or      the \"Sixty-five Alice.\" All of those books were returned to the      publisher except for fifty author copies that Lewis Carroll had      kept for himself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Eventually, most of those author copies had ended up in others'      hands. Very few remained on the market today, and any that did      were considered beyond rare. One had been auctioned off recently      for almost two million dollars.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I would probably never get my hands on such a rare treasure as      that, but I was perfectly happy with the one I currently held in      my hands. This book was as fine as any I'd ever seen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Hello, Brooklyn.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I turned and saw Eddie's brother-in-law standing nearby.      \"Terrence. Hello.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Is he going to sell you the book this time?\" Terrence asked with      a twinkle in his eye.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I don't know.\" Glancing at Eddie, I bit back a smile. I knew he      wouldn't sell it to me, since I'd tried to buy it a few hundred      times before. But no harm in trying again. \"What about it, Eddie?      Will you sell me this book?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Never,\" Eddie insisted, as always. Then he added, \"It was a gift      from a very special friend.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Wow.\" He'd never mentioned that before. I gazed at the book in my      hand. \"Must be a nice friend.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I had a book just like that,\" Terrence grumbled. \"But someone      stole it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Are you kidding?\" Did I look as confused as I felt? \"You had a      copy of this same book?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Eddie barely suppressed an eye roll. \"Terrence always claims that,      but where's the proof?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I said it was stolen.\" Terrence's eyes narrowed in on Eddie, and      I suddenly wondered if he suspected his own brother-in-law had      taken the book from him.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Eddie shrugged. \"That's why I keep mine locked inside this      shatterproof case, right here in plain sight where everyone can      see it, which means no one can steal it. I'm no fool.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I'm not a fool, either.\" Terrence huffed, clearly insulted. He      turned to me. \"I'll have you know, my copy was locked inside the      safe in my closet upstairs. Fat lot of good that did me,\" he      added, muttering.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're just not as lucky as I am,\" Eddie said with a crooked grin      as he flexed his biceps. \"Or as manly.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e I laughed, but Terrence was not amused. He continued to glower,      shaking his head. \"You're the fool. I'm as lucky as anyone else.      Except when it comes to in-laws.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e They were both ignoring me now. Over the last few years, I'd      realized that the two men butted heads more often than not. Family      was never easy, but still . . . If you didn't get along with your      brother-in-law, why go into business with him?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The two men were in their forties and fairly nice-looking in      different ways. Eddie had a classic runner's physique, tall and      slim, with silver hair and a rakish goatee, which suited him.      Terrence was a few inches shorter and bulkier, but most of his      girth was muscle. He looked as though he might've been a boxer in      his youth.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The two men had married sisters who divorced them within weeks of      each other and moved to Florida together. I got the feeling that      Eddie and Terrence didn't miss their ex-wives too much. They were      both book fanatics who spent all of their time in the bookshop.      I'd never known them to take a day off.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Handing the book back to Eddie, I tried to veer our conversation      around to the original subject. \"Not that you both don't deserve      the very finest things, but who in their right mind would give up      such a beautiful book?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Eddie wiggled his eyebrows and grinned slyly. \"A generous person      who recognizes greatness, I suppose.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It was Terrence's turn to roll his eyes. I started to grin, but      something bumped into my ankle and I jolted. Glancing down, I saw      Furbie, the bookshop cat, staring up at me with his teeth      clenching a stuffed mouse. Stuffed with catnip was my guess, if      Furbie's lazy gaze meant anything.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Hello, Furbie,\" I murmured, and reached down to scratch the soft      gray fur around his ears. \"Aren't you a pretty kitty?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In response to the flattery, he dropped the toy at my feet. I      picked it up and tossed it a few yards down the nearest aisle,      expecting the frisky cat to pounce after it. Instead, he gave me a      censorious look, tossed his head imperiously, and sidled awkwardly      after the mouse.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I think Furbie's drunk,\" I said.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"It's Terrence's fault,\" Eddie claimed. \"He's an enabler.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're just jealous,\" Terrence retorted, \"because Furbie likes me      best.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Of course he does, because you feed him catnip and empower his      bad behavior.\" Eddie turned to me. \"I'm the disciplinarian.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You're just a meanie,\" Terrence muttered, and they were off on      another squabble-fest, this time over the cat. These two would      tangle over anything!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e After letting them go off for a few more seconds, I tried to steer      them back to the topic of Terrence's missing book.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"When did you lose your copy of Alice?\" I asked Terrence as Eddie      unlocked the glass case and gingerly slipped his Alice back      inside.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I didn't lose it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Sorry. When was it stolen?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Terrence thought for a moment. \"I guess it's been about six      months.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e In the grand scheme of tragedies, I knew this would come in low on      the list. But as a book person, I really felt bad for him. \"I'm      sorry, Terrence.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Yes,\" he said pointedly, still glaring at Eddie, \"so am I.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Eddie put the key to the case back in the drawer and turned to      Terrence. \"You should be more careful.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Oh, shut up.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Eddie grinned at me, a silent acknowledgment that he had just won      this little argument. Their bickering was usually more      good-natured, but this time Terrence looked truly offended, which      worried me a little. It seemed like they might have quarreled over      the stolen book before.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Derek approached and placed a short stack of books on the front      counter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"What have you got there?\" I asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I found a few spy novels I thought my father might enjoy.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Oh. That's nice.\" But my stomach gave a little twist at the      mention of his father. Derek's parents were going to be visiting      from England for the first time the following week, and I still      wasn't ready to meet them.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Derek and I had been together three years, and the one time I'd      traveled to England with him, his parents had been away on an      anniversary cruise around the Mediterranean. Now that he and I      were getting married, it seemed ridiculous that I'd never met      them. But as Derek arranged for their whirlwind trip to San      Francisco, I found myself growing more and more uneasy about our      first encounter.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Would they like me? It sounded so neurotic to worry, but these      were my future in-laws! Of course I was worried. But still, I was      sure they were wonderful, and I knew we would all love one      another. They had to be the nicest people in the world because      Derek was simply a delightful man. But they were English. I had      lived in London for a short while years ago, and I truly loved the      people, but there was a reserve to some of them that I didn't      always understand. I had been raised in a thoroughly American      peace-and-love commune founded by fans of the Grateful Dead, and I      still wore Birkenstocks to prove it. My family was boisterous and      fun loving. I simply couldn't imagine what Derek's parents would      think of me. And Derek, while awesome, could be intimidating to      others when he wanted to be. At times it was one of his best      attributes. But it made me wonder if his parents might be      intimidating as well.","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304865386725,"sku":"NP9780451477736","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780451477736.jpg?v=1767734149","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/once-upon-a-spine-isbn-9780451477736","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}