Brooklyn Wainwright is an expert in rare books and antiquities. As such, she eagerly accepts an invitation to the fiftieth birthday of Grace, who is her neighbour's aunt. The party brings together an eclectic group of people who often don't get along. The group includes some of Grace's family, her closest friends, and some business associates. Rumours begin running rampant when Grace announces that she has a big announcement to make, and speculation is that she is announcing a change in her will, which ratchets up tension among the family members.

While some people have fun exploring Grace's mansion, which has been converted into a fun-house style playhouse complete with secret passages, trap doors, and walls that move overnight, the house only serves to bring out the worst in some people. But Brooklyn is really only focused on Grace's extensive collection of books, which she hopes to repair, catalogue, and restore.

After announcing that she is publishing a novel (that is clearly loosely based on her own life), Grace arranges for a seance, during which one of the guests is killed. After a few clues are pieced together, it is all too obvious that a drink intended for Grace was poisoned. Because of the weather and the crime scene in the house, the police order that no one leaves, which means that the murderer is now in their midst. Unfortunately, soon after that, another event takes place that puts one of Grace's house staff at risk, and it becomes all too obvious that someone is targeting Grace. Has Grace revealed too much in her book and angered one of her guests?

Brooklyn begins racing through Grace's novel to try to figure out who has the biggest motive. However, another incident takes place, and then Grace's attorney goes missing! Brooklyn tries to figure out who could be angry enough at their host to not only want to kill her but to also risk harming other people trying to do so? And as if trying to solve a murder (while trying to avoid the murderer) isn't enough, Grace is dealing with a possible heartbreak. Is her boyfriend cheating on her while he's on assignment?

PERIL IN PAPERBACK grabbed my attention from the beginning and never let go. Some books have a lull, but this book was full speed ahead from the first page to the last. The mystery was well thought out, and I was kept guessing as to who the culprit was. My only slight criticism is that the red herring character was a bit overplayed. However, there were plenty of other characters with motive, and every time I had a theory, I would be proven wrong. I have read other books in the Bibliophile Mystery series before, and this most recent entry definitely did not disappoint!

Book Summary

How to become the life of the party? First, survive the celebration…

Rare books and antiquities expert Brooklyn Wainwright is thrilled to be invited to the fiftieth birthday party of her neighbor Suzie’s aunt Grace. A retired founder of a major video game corporation, Grace is a larger-than-life character who’s turned her Lake Tahoe mansion into a fun house, full of everything from pinball machines and giant props to secret passageways and trap doors. Brooklyn is most excited to catalog Grace’s extensive collection of rare paperback pulp fiction.

Part of the fun involves a séance, but after the lights flicker, one guest is dead, poisoned by a cocktail intended for Grace. It seems someone is determined to turn Grace’s playful palatial estate into a house of horrors. Brooklyn suspects the key to the killer’s identity may lie in the roman clef Grace has written about her life. With Grace in great peril, “must-read” takes on a whole new meaning, as Brooklyn tries to stop a murderer who’s through playing around…