Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan

Summary: "When a bookshop patron commits suicide, his favorite store clerk must unravel the puzzle he left behind in this “intriguingly dark, twisty” (Kirkus Reviews) debut novel from an award-winning short story writer." -Amazon

Honestly, I chose this book because of the name and cover.  I had never hear of it or of the author, and I didn't really read the summary.  I just needed a break from a series I'm reading that has an odd intensity (more on that in another post).  I was pleasantly surprised!

The basics of this novel include murder, mystery, and broken relationships, so cheery and full of butterflies this novel is not.  Overall, I found the characters to be unique and the best part of this novel.  Their interactions, nuances, hurts, and joys were palpable, and definitely this particular author's strength.  The mystery was good, not unexpected, but not the obvious choice.  I ended this novel felling like it needed just a few more chapters to be perfect.  A little more actual intrigue and uncertainty before the revelation of the solution would have allowed me to add that extra star.  As is, this is a solid 4/5 for me.

4/5

352 pages