I don't think I liked this one as much as the first in the series but it was pretty good. The reason I didn't like it as well is that the mystery was mostly way on the back burner while Henry ran around worrying about plagiarism and the death of brick and mortar bookstores, specifically the bookstore where he got his start and that is still owned by his friend Barbara.

Also, there wasn't enough of Albert, Henry's "refuse management" friend and wise counsel.

But, I did enjoy spending time with Henry again and getting a glimpse into the world of booksellers, both in a physical store and as an online venture.

I will read the next in the series. ( )

I wanted to like this book. Hell, I want to like everything Small Beer Press does. It's about a Boston bookseller, I should love it just for that. But I think Hound was a better book. This felt unfinished, unpolished, like it hadn't been baked long enough. ( )

I think Hound was a stronger book overall. This one seemed a little less focused, with a less of a cohesive theme. Henry buys a book from his acquaintance Eddy Perry, a sometimes bookhound, sometimes druggie, who is then murdered, possibly for the money Henry just paid him. Among Eddy'd possessions, Henry finds the manuscript for his finished novel, which he then decides to try to get published. He has to track down the woman to whom it's dedicated, but the tracking happens entirely offstage, and this plotline is ignored for a good chunk of the book. Meanwhile, Henry is forced to confront his relationships with the various women in his life, as they all make demands upon him. Like and good fictional hero, Henry pulls out solutions to all their problems, more or less, almost accidentally, while Albert again fills the wise / wise-cracking friend role. ( )