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 á 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…

Sending this to my birthday partner, who loves a good mystery.

Sounds great - I've read some by this author before and I liked them. Thank you!

Adding this to a box for bookpatch - happy travels little book!

Thank you for the surprise bookbox! Looking forward to a good read.

A modern twist on the "house party at the mansion" trope we remember from classic murder mysteries. The author had fun with a cast of quirky house guests that include a lesbian couple that sculpt with chainsaws, and a handsome hunk with a mysterious past who kisses main character Brooklyn on the lips and calls her "babe" (Brooklyn assures us they're just friends). I did think some of the characters were written too one-dimensionally -- the unpleasant lawyer, the nasty sister-in-law--it seemed like the author was trying too hard to telegraph "POTENTIAL SUSPECT HERE!" but f you've read enough mysteries, you know that it's not usually the obvious choice who is ultimately unveiled as the perpetrator. I also have to take to task having a character unsarcastically declare "I'm having a marvelous time" less that a day after the murder has occurred. Really? Hmmm. Let's not be friends. Will finish up by saying that the book-repair info scattered throughout was interesting.

Releasing into waternixie's Small Mystery Bookbox. Happy Reading!

This book arrived via the Small Mystery Bookbox organized by @waternixie.

Please enjoy this cozy mystery and stay safe, everyone!