by Sara Voigt (@meaningfulmadness)
I am coming at you with another backlist title that I REALLY enjoyed! Matt Sullivan's Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore is a treat. Oh, how I want to work at the Bright Ideas Bookstore! I saw this book recommended by one of the bookish bloggers I follow on Instagram way back, and I loved the cover. Also, I just loved the name of the book. Throw in the review I read, and this book was a must read for me. Luckily, my library had it, and I was number one in line, so I was able to get it pretty quickly. Whew! I loathe waiting on a book I am anxious to read. (Plus, I am *trying* (wink, wink) not to buy books for a little while, but it is so hard.)
Anyhoo...back to this book...
The protagonist in this story, Lydia, a bookseller at the Bright Ideas Bookstore, has a mysterious past. When Joey, one of the intriguing Bookfrogs who frequents the bookstore, dies, it is up to Lydia to piece together what has happened and why.
I don't want to give much more of a plot summary because you just have to read it. The less you know going in, the better.
I loved this book. It is a twisty mystery, and it is plot driven; however, unlike a lot of suspense books I read, this book has well-developed characters, a colorful setting, and a lot more literary merit than I usually find in this genre. This is not to say it is not a page-turner, because it is. This book combines everything I love in a book—characters who have depth and are worth rooting for, an interesting backdrop for the story, and an immersive plot that kept me guessing. The only thing I can say that is at all negative is that I was left wanting to know more about the Bookfrogs, the group of social misfits who find solace and camaraderie in the bookstore. (Don't worry—you will learn a little more about the Bookfrogs in the first few chapters of the book.)
So, if you like a twisty mystery, a book set in a bookstore with lots of bookish intrigue, this is the book for you.
(A note to our readers: click on the hashtags above to see our other blog posts with the same hashtag.)
Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page.
Loving what you see here? Please comment below (scroll ALL the way down to comment), share this post using the social media buttons below (scroll down for those as well!), and find us on social media to share your thoughts!
Want to support Unabridged?
Check out our Merch Store!
Become a patron on Patreon.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram.
Like and follow our Facebook Page.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
Check out our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Follow us @unabridgedpod on Twitter.
Subscribe to our podcast and rate us on Apple Podcasts or on Stitcher.
Check us out on Podbean.
Please note that we a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.