Brooklyn’s friend Ian runs the Covington Library, which is hosting an exhibit featuring John James Audubon’s massive masterpiece, Birds of America, currently on loan from an Arab sheik. During the gala celebrating the book, she is approached by Jared Mulrooney, the president of the National Birdwatchers Society, who urgently needs Brooklyn’s skilled hands to repair a less high-profile book of Audubon drawings that’s fallen victim to spilled wine.
At the same party, Brooklyn is flying high after she’s asked to refurbish and appraise a rare copy of Poor Richard’s Almanac. But everything runs afoul later that evening when Mulrooney’s body is discovered in the library. Rumors fly about a motive for murder. Perhaps Mulrooney wanted to sink his claws into the pricey Audubon book, but Brooklyn believes the man died fighting off a daring thief.
Soon more troubles ruffle Brooklyn’s feathers. Her parents pop in for a visit with an unsavory friend in tow, and there’s a strange man on her tail. With danger beginning to circle Brooklyn’s every move, it’s clear she must find answers before things really go south . . . ( )

Another great entry in a series I've loved since reading the first book. This time it's an art mystery at it's core. I just love Brooklyn, it was so good seeing her defend herself and kick the butt of the larcenous husband. I hate to see the heroine need to be saved in every book, and it was great that she and her parents are the people that wind up saving Derek this time.

Only one more book released so far in this series, kinda bummed about that I hope the author is busy working on the next volume. ( )

Brooklyn has volunteered to help catalog the bookstore that her friend inherited as well as locating rare books which she will then get to repair and get ready for sale. She has also been solicited in a divorce trial as a book expert, If that's not enough to keep her busy, Derek, her fiancé has a friend visiting from China. The valuable books that she has in her possession may cause a security issue because when a friend of her parents is found dead in their apartment, Brooklyn feels certain that one of the books is the reason. But how do you figure which book and the link to why?

The characters intertwine so well adding their own special contribution to the mystery solving process. The setting is great and the book information is so well inserted into the story. ( )

BOOKS OF A FEATHER by Kate Carlisle
This series (Bibliophile Mysteries) concerns a book binder/conservator who becomes involved with a murder very early on in each book. John James Audubon’s bird paintings figure prominently in this outing. You will learn a wee bit about painting and book conservation while solving an interesting mystery.
Brooklyn, the main character, has a long-term romance that seems to get regularly stalled while she is sleuthing. The mysteries are well plotted and well written with an occasional humorous incident. The characters are well rounded and Carlisle knows and relates interesting information about book binding, collecting and reading along the way.
Series readers will like following Carlisle’s mysteries and characters. These easy to follow mysteries won’t tax your brain but will provide hours of fun.
4 of 5 stars ( )

I began reading Kate Carlisle's Bibliophile mysteries when the series first began but stopped because I soon became consumed by an irrational loathing of one of the secondary characters. After being told that this character is no longer around, it didn't take any persuasion at all for me to begin reading once more.

I did find the mystery in Books of a Feather to be rather easy to solve, but that didn't bother me one little bit. Like all the best series, the mystery is important but the cast of characters and the setting are key. A beginning that has Brooklyn cataloging the books in an old shop and finding treasure after treasure immediately put me firmly in book lover's heaven.

With Brooklyn's personal and home security at risk, her friend Alex devises a series of self-defense exercises for her. I really liked this, since so many amateur sleuths in cozy series consistently put themselves (and others) at risk without doing a single thing about learning how to defend themselves. (I do appreciate common sense!) These self-defense exercises lead to my favorite line in the book, too-- "That's my mommy!"

After a long hiatus from the series, I loved catching up with what's been happening in Brooklyn's life as well as learning little tidbits. Did you know that the people living in San Francisco have given the omnipresent fog a name? Neither did I. But the absolute best thing about coming back to Carlisle's Bibliophile series is being able to watch Brooklyn work on old books. Watching her restore old treasures is sheer bliss and makes me feel that-- at that moment-- all is right in my world.

Now that I'm back in the fold, I'm looking forward to Brooklyn's next adventure. Bring it on! ( )