If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlisle
This is the second book in this serie, but the first that I've read. It's a light mystery, but not a cosy. Brooklyn Wainwright is a bookbinder and rare book dealer. She is in Edinburgh to attend the city's book fair. She is doing a couple of workshops herself, and hoping to meet up with some old friends. After stopping for a quick refreshment to help her with the jet lag from her trip from the west coast of the United States, and a disappointment at the end, she meets up with a friend she hasn't seen in some time, Helen Chin. Helen and her were close until Helen's marriage to another book dealer, Martin. But now Helen says the marriage is close to over, and she's back to her old self, and involved seriously with someone new. They agree to get together later.
Brooklyn meets up with another previous acquaintance, but a less friendly one when she stops for a snack, and decides to get some fresh air. On her walk to reacquaint herself with the city, she is stopped again by another old friend, Kyle, who wants a favour. He has a rare book in wonderful condition, and wants her to help authenticate it. But the book is controversial and someone has already threatened him over it. Brooklyn agrees and takes the book.
When she and Helen stumble across Kyle's body on their tour that evening, Brooklyn can't help but connect it to the book he gave her. But she has more to worry about than the book, as it looks like Kyle was killed with one of her own bookbinding tools.
As the plot thickens, Brooklyn's parents and best friend Robin arrive, and get involved, as does the British man she is beginning to be involved with, Derek. Brooklyn can't help doing some sleuthing of her own as she tries to defend herself against the police's suspicion. But is she putting herself in even more danger?
Her family is quirky, but loving, and she has some interesting friends. Brooklyn is skilled at her profession, and that likely threatens some of the people who have taken a dislike to her. There is a lot going on her, and as Brooklyn gradually eliminates some suspects, she finds there is more to this than a historical scandal.
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