I had high hopes for this book. I wasn't that impressed. Though I loved the setting in Colorado and the book store descriptions, the point of the book was just a murder mystery that ties in with the present in an improbable way.

I was bored many times but I hung through it. I did not figure out the killer until it was revealed. I dont think its possible to figure it out anyway, thats neither here nor there. I just feel the book could have been better if it stuck with the patrons that would come to the bookstore, the days in and out working there ect..Not happening here. Some people will like this book a lot Im just not one of them.

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This is the first book I have read by this author, but definitely not the last. 

Joey Molina, a young BookFrog, hangs himself in one of the upper rooms of the Bright Ideas Bookstore. Lydia Smith, a young clerk at the bookstore, discovers the body and finds a photograph of herself as a little girl inside Joey's front shirt pocket. 

Additionally, when Joey dies, Lydia inherits his black wool suit, a white shirt, a red tie, a trash can with charred papers, and a crate of mutilated books. These items, along with a Post-it note, are clues and messages intended for Lydia to decipher. 

Slowly but surely, Lydia starts decoding the puzzle and reconnects with her childhood friend, Raj. 

Lydia decides to go talk to her father, Tomas, so she drives to Rio Vista over sixty miles southwest of Denver. She discovers that while Joey was a prisoner at the same prison that Tomas worked as a prison guard. Furthermore, he gave Joey the picture of Lydia at her tenth birthday, blowing out the candles.

Moreover, we realize the reason Tomas and Lydia moved to Rio Grande occurred after Lydia's childhood friend, Carol, and her parents were brutally murdered by the "Hammer man".  Since, Lydia survived the brutal attack by hiding in the cabinet. The police had always suspected Tomas of committing this vicious crime. 

But then there's the plot twist! Joey's birthparents are Maya Patel, Raj's mother, and Mr. Toole, Carol's father!  Apparently, the two of them had an affair over twenty years ago. Rohan, Raj's father, found out about the affair and killed Carol and her parents. 

The reason for Joey's suicide is not clearly explained, but I believe his traumatic childhood and living in numerous foster homes plus Maya rejecting him when he attempted to reach out to her. I will be honest I applauded Maya when she killed Rohan. 

I absolutely loved this book!  In the very first chapter, a suicide occurs in the Bright Ideas Bookstore, which immediately draws you into this mystery. In addition, I used to live in Denver and loved all the wonderful references to Lower Downtown (LoDo) and the Tattered Cover Bookstore (the inspiration for the Bright Ideas Bookstore).  As well as Union Station and Colfax Avenue. 

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What an interesting book! I love reading about bookstores and libraries, so this appealed to me.

Lydia is a bookseller who looks after her Bookfrogs that come into Bright Ideas Bookstore. She's damaged goods herself so has empathy for these customers who have secrets to keep. I won't give any spoilers here, just pay close attention to a traumatic event that happened to her as it will tie in to the ending. Her friend Raj plays a part as well.

Part story about books, part murder mystery, very much an indictment on poor parenting, this book has it all. Enjoyed very much!

Favorite lines: As she squinted into the note, Lydia saw that the part splitting the center of the woman's gray hair was nearly an inch wide. A sad landing strip, shiny under the bookstore lights.

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