A Cookbook Conspiracy is the 7th book in Kate Carlisle's Bibliophile Mysteries. I've read the previous ones in this series, and I am current on another of her series. Hopefully by this time next year I will be current on them all. What a great writer, and this was no exception. Fun, cozy, clever, and just plain easy to read. I really enjoy this sub-genre and this book is one of the main reasons. Cooking, friends, family, book drama... it has everything to keep you consistently entertained.

Brooklyn's sister visits, and Savannah's got a problem. All her former chef friends are cooking for a new restaurant opening in San Francisco, including Baxter, a notoriously difficult chef who's hurt most people in his inner circle. Toss in some blackmail, marital affairs, and a 230-year-old book that has Revolutionary secrets, and you've got quite the mystery unfolding. Baxter's killed. Clearly, this is a good thing. The man was bad news... and even though no one should be murdered, you will be glad to see this happen. It's fiction, friends!

Brooklyn meets more of Derek's family. They consider enlarging their apartment. Some changes are in store for both their families in the near future. And things are getting scary in downtown San Francisco. Good story, and it kept me focused. I would've loved some of the backstory to be fleshed out for the 5 or 6 culprits, and it felt a bit rushed to explore the reasons why each might kill Baxter. Otherwise, I think it's a great installment in the series. On to #8 later this month.1-fiction 3-multi-book-series34 s Patrizia1,674 37

Ho così tanti libri da leggere che mi ero dimenticata di questa serie... Sono felice di averla ripresa in mano perché si legge con piacere. Mi posso quasi immedesimare con la protagonista per il suo amore per i libri e la scarsa abilità culinaria (mi viene da dire che io non sono così ridotta male come lei...), l'unica cosa che le invidio tantissimo è Derek. Per quanto riguarda il giallo era chiaro che il colpevole era uno dei cuochi, ma la vittima era così odiosa che quasi non avevo intesse a scoprire chi fosse. Ben più interessante il mistero riguardante il libro di cucina e non dico altro per non fare spoiler.cozy-mystery-book10 s Lily (Night Owl Book Cafe)622 494

Thank you NAL Hardcover for providing me a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review!

4.5 Sold Stars!

Brooklyn is back in the seventh installment of A Bibliophile Mystery!

Brooklyn was always obsessed with food, unfortunately her cooking skills are sub-par and nothing ever comes out right. It was her sister Savannah who managed to attend of the most prestigious culinary schools in Paris, Cordon Bleu. Savannah and her friends graduated on top of their class, but it was Savannah's ex-boyfriend Baxter Cromwell who went out and became famous for his 'skills'

When Baxter turns to open a restaurant in San Francisco, he invites all the old gang from school to his opening gala where they will all be cooking for the restaurant that night. As a gift to Baxter, Savannah asks Brooklyn to restore one of the old tattered cookbooks that Baxter had once given to Savannah as a gift. A cookbook that is at last two hundred years old, with historical significances. Brooklyn cannot help but feel instantly drawn to the book and the woman behind it. When the book is restored and gifted to Baxter, shortly after he is found dead and the cookbook is missing!

Woo what a ride. Thoroughly enjoyed this one! I loved Brooklyn, she was so passionate about everything that she does, including restoring older books. I couldn't even comprehend how much work and care goes into restoring books until I read this one. The author and Brooklyn sure know their stuff and we get a glimpse of that through the story.

I loved the mystery, it had left me guessing until the very end. With all of the chefs being the possible suspect, the question of who killed Baxter and stole the cookbook hung tightly in the air. I couldn't help but wonder why they did it. With so many character, it wasn't hard to keep up. We get a glimpse of all of them as Brooklyn speaks to them and a little background from her time with them in Paris while she was visiting. It reminded me a little of Clue the game the way it was handled, heh It was very fun and exciting!

Derek was just wonderful and I love his relationship with Brooklyn and the way it progressed. Brooklyn knows she has a lot going on with her, especially since she keeps stumbling into dead bodies. But Derek is supportive, and loving and generally concerned for her. A wonderful swoon worthy male!

I loved this cozy mystery, it was a great read to put your feet up on. Filled with interesting characters. Including Brooklyn's mother, who is learning New Age tricks in hopes of helping protect Brooklyn. It was kind of amusing.

I really enjoyed the way this book progressed and the way to mystery flowed. With so much more going on, we get to glimpse into Brooklyns life, family and her job. A wonderful read that left me wanting more. Cannot wait for the next book in the series. Kate Carlisle sure knows how to write a mystery with memorable character!challenge-2013 cozy-mystery favorite ...more9 s Robert Schneider84 2

It was the slowest of the series so far. Never realized the main character was so whinny before. It was definitely padded. Never read a book which rehashed what's happened so far so many times in great detail. Glad I got it cheap but it wasn't worth hardcover status in the series.8 s Kevin1,600 34

I was hungry a lot listening to this book, it seems that if the author is good at what she describes I want to eat it. I guess I'm a Hobbit wanting my second breakfast and all. Savannah was a great main suspect in the murder, you knew right off that Brooklyn would have to find the murderer and save her vegetarian sister.
audiobook biblio-mystery books-about-books ...more6 s Christine520 31

This was a fun quick read in the series. Very enjoyable and entertaining.cozies5 s Jennifer Brown2,482 76

This book felt a little darker than the others. The murder scene descriptions made me cringe a bit. I'm listening to this series, and I do not the way the narrator made Savannah sound. And I guess because of that, I didn't her character. I hope the next book is better!4 s Lorraine1,119 85

This was fun! Met Brooklyn's sister, blad by choice Savannah and Derek's cryptographer brother, Dalton and these two get along very well from the word go! Savannah who is a Cordon Blle chef requests that Brooklyn rebind a very old cookbook that her ex-boyfriend and chef, Baxter Cromwell, gave her. She just wants it gone! Brooklyn attempts to explain to Savannah that this cookbook is so old that it is extremely valuable. Savannah does not care. She just wants it rebound or whatever so she can give it to her ex, Baxter and be done with it. Brooklyn gives in, but she decides to read it first. Obedience Green is the author of this very old cookbook and she happens to originate from a small English village, the same village from which 3 of the chefs in Savannah's class had grown up. And to make it more cozy, no pun intended, Baxter is opening a restaurant in S.F. And all of the other chefs are invited to showcase their individual talents. Of course , there has to be a murder and one of the chefs is the 1st. Yes, there are more, but I am not telling! With Savannah and Dalton, Brooklyn and Derek, 2 of the chefs are married to each other, another pair had been together, but now they are not, it is all pretty crazy, but I definitely enjoyed myself. 4 1/2 stars. A well done & highly recommended cozy mystery added to The Bibliophile Mysteries.fiction historical-fiction mystery-cozy ...more4 s Sara1,200 53

Ah, fluffy fun. This is part of series of Bibliophile mysteries and this is the only one I've read so far. I couldn't resist a mystery about a cookbook! It was unbelievable but a fast, easy read that was totally stress free. I actually think I'll read another in this series. Sure, I to read The Great American Novel every now and then and I a book that kills off all the characters (every now and then) but sometimes you have to have a book that you know will have a happy ending without too much romance. (I'd rather people get killed off than get swept off their feet.) So, although this had a tad too much sappiness and happily-ever-afterness, I give it a 3 star.

Seriously, though, the lack of knowledge the main character has about certain bookish things is a bit amazing. I think she would be smarter. But then that makes me feel good, doesn't it? Maybe it's the author's ploy to give me that "I know more than you" superior feeling as I read.

You also know it's a bit chick lit when there are sentences such as "I am so not going in there". Ah, well, it must have worked. I am so going to read the first book in the series.food-and-cooking mystery series-i-need-to-finish4 s Lindsey133 6

This book was just good, which is sad as I had such high hopes for it. I think the move from a paperback to a hardcover really hurt the quality. There was just so much filler that wouldn't have been there in a paperback.4 s Deb Lester617 21

Kate Carlisle returns to her Bibliophile Mystery series with A Cookbook Conspiracy. Readers who love food, as well as, books will be especially happy with this installment. With a combination of history, mystery and culinary craftiness this book offers a little something for everyone. The restoration of a valuable cookbook takes center stage and lands Brooklyn's sister, Savannah in some hot water. A great new whodunit to add to any readers collection.

What I d:

Being a voracious reader for practically all my life makes me really enjoy books about books. The Bibliophile Mysteries satisfy that part of me that loves to learn about books, libraries, collections, and restoration. Carlisle generally uses a particular book in each of her mysteries to draw the reader in and lend authenticity to each story she creates. In her latest book, it's a very valuable cookbook that needs to be restored and which plays a big part in the murder that Brooklyn needs to solve. I loved the information about the book and where it came from, the secret code that provides a lot of evidence and all things related to the restoration, however there was a little less of that in this book than usual for a Bibliophile mystery.

Kate Carlisle s to add a bit of history to her mysteries and that always entertains me well because I am a history buff myself. Using the 240 year old cookbook also gave this book a different avenue of interest. Since Brooklyn's sister is a chef, and she is the one having the cookbook restored readers get to learn a lot about the behind scenes culinary world as well. I thought this was a great way to add new interest in the series and I think new and old readers a will enjoy this part of the book.

Baxter Cornwall was a real piece of work, or so I think. Readers don't get to understand the true evil of this villain because he doesn't have any dialogue in the book. He is killed very early on and the reader is left to find out how bad he was and what he was capable of through the eyes of other characters in the book. It was hard to form a connection to a character who was such a huge part of the story, but is not really present in the book. His connection to Savannah carried that part of the story, but I found myself wanting a little more where the villain was concerned.

The mystery aspects of the story were quite well written. Carlisle used the cookbook to create a very intriguing situation in which Baxter is killed and the 240 year old cookbook holds the key to figuring out a current murder. I loved the combination of the past meeting the present in such a dramatic way. Carlisle never disappoints when it comes to keeping the reader in the dark. I didn't figure this one out until Brooklyn did.

What I didn't :

I felt there were a few problems with this one but as usual they may just be my own hangups and not the general consensus. So take it with a grain of salt and read it and find out what you think. This book was more centered on the culinary elements than the book restoration and bibliophile aspects the series is known for. The villain was a bit uninspiring because the reader did not get to know him and why he was evil. There were also parts of the story that felt a piecemeal, or stitched together, including the visit from Brooklyn and Savannah's parents. It felt it was only added so that the quirky family was present and not central to the story.

Bottom Line:

There were good points and bad points to this one. I loved the theme and idea behind the cookbook and the way it was represented on the story, but I wanted more relation to books and restoring them than to chefs and culinary interests. The combination of mystery and history really works, but the details were not there for this one. Not a bad book, but not my favorite of the series either.3 s Srivani66 18

This book did not deliver on any of its promises -

1) Its a terrible murder mystery.
2) It didn't have any interesting tidbits about bookbinding.
3) Even though one of the protagonists was a chef and the book was titled 'Cookbook Conspiracy' it didn't have anything about food other than everybody getting together for dinners all the time while chefs from the group were dropping dead flies.
4) The quotes from the cookbook in question is about the only saving grace of this book. The plot of the cookbook itself is very thin.
5) The protagonist who is supposed to be the crime-solver does nothing to actually solve the crime. She doesn't even read the 200 year old cookbook that she thinks is so awesome and valuable.

I didn't come out liking any of the characters. The writing is not the worst, but not far from it.2013 our-book-collection3 s Peggy1,012 65

I am really enjoying this series and glad I finally moved it up on the TBR pile. It is amazing that one person can discover so many dead bodies. The characters are really entertaining. Brooklyn and Derrick are a fun couple. Their relationship seems to be progressing and they do make a good team when solving mysteries. We get a chance to see more of Brooklyn's sister Savannah and as an added bonus we get to meet one of Derreck's brothers. The mystery kept me engaged and guessing until the end. I was surprised by the killers identity as well as the motive. I've already pout the next book on hold at the library.2020-goodreads-challenge book-related-themed borrowed-library ...more3 s Betty2,006 59

Brooklyn repairs an ancient COOKBOOK which she feels belongs in a museum for her sister. Savannah gives the book to Chef Baxter in public. The BOOK causes quite a stir among the chefs gather there. Later Savannah is found standing over Baxter holding the bloody knife that kill him. Derek discovers that the margins of the BOOK have codes written on them. Brooklyn needs to find the killer in order to clear her sister's name. There recipes for dishes mention in the book.e-books kate-carisle3 s Rebecca1,740 3

4.25 stars
Brooklyn's sister Savannah, a world renowned Chef, is being featured in a new restaurant being opened by an old friend. As a thank you to him, she wants Brooklyn to fix up an old cookbook so she can give it to her friend as a gift. In fact, it was a book he had once given her, back in their culinary school days. Savannah is trusting and a little naive, but Brooklyn knows her "friend" Baxter is not a good person. So it is not surprise to us that he ends up murdered in his own restaurant. The suspects? All of his old culinary school "friends". Or are they really friends? We quickly find out that there are long histories between Baxter and all the characters...and he is truly a manipulative and calculating guy. Though none of them can believe that one of their friends is a killer....someone must have murdered him. And why?

Brooklyn of course jumps at the chance to investigate to help clear Savannah's name. She is reluctant to believe any of the culinary friends are the murderer, but she efficiently looks into each one as a suspect. I wish Derek was by her side for more of her investigating, because I LOVE HIM. I also adore her family, I would love to visit Dharma and live with them. I would happily take a protection spell from her mother.

I was actually not very surprised by the identity of the killer. Raoul seemed almost too good to be true. To nice, too emotional, too upset by all the deaths. It actually seemed in character for him to commit these acts to protect his family...in his mind the only way to do so. I also d how the mystery revolved someway around the cookbook and learning more about it's secrets.

This is one of my favorite series because of the awesome characters. Brooklyn is funny and strong and I love learning more and more about old books and book binding. Derek and her family and friends are amazing recurring characters and I feel I really know many of them. I can't wait to continue this series2 s Kathy1,416 3

I enjoyed this 7th book in the series. Brooklyn is given a cookbook over 200 years old by her sister, Savannah and asked to repair it so she can give it to another chef as a gift. Surprisingly enough, after she does so the chef is killed (with Savannah left holding the knife) and the cookbook is missing. Once again, the gang is investigating, and this time they are joined by Dalton, one of Derek's 4 brothers and just as good looking. Since he and Savannah hit it off, I wonder if she is introducing a new character? 2 s Dawn35 7

I really enjoyed the plot and look forward to reading more of the Bibliophile mysteries.2 s JoAn2,224 1 follower

A Cookbook Conspiracy by Kate Carlisle was another intriguing mystery in this series. I loved learning small facts about code encryption in this one from Derek's brother Dalton. I do enjoy this series and waiting impatiently for my library to send me the next one in audio book.cozy-mystery2 s Fred1,010 63

A Cookbook Conspiracy is the seventh book in the A Bibliophile Mystery series.

Savannah, Brooklyn's sister, chef and owner of an upscale restaurant in Sonoma county, has asked Brooklyn to do repairs to a hand written cookbook from the 1700's. Baxter Cromwell, who had given her the cookbook, is preparing to open an upscale restaurant in San Francisco and has invited the old gang to a special grand opening where they all will prepare their own special dishes. When Savannah present the book to Baxter, Brooklyn notices that Kevin is very angry about the gift. When Brooklyn and Derek return to the restaurant, they find Baxter Baxter dead and Savannah holding a large, bloody fish knife over his lifeless body. Of course with Savannah finding the body, she was a person of interest, then one of the other chefs started giving the police incorrect information. So it is up to Brooklyn with the help of Derek to find out just who the killer was.

An interesting side story, is that Derek finds what appears to be a cryptic message of some sort along the margins of the book. He contacts his brother, Dalton, who is a cryptographer with the M16 and he is so excited by what he sees, that he shows up the next day anxious to solve this mystery.

Carlisle tells a wonderful and skillfully uses the characters to tell it. Most all of the recurring characters are back to provide Brooklyn and Savannah the much needed support. I'm anxious to see if Dalton will be showing up in future books.

Definitely will be looking forward to the next book.2 s Barb249 12

I always learn so much about bookbinding from reading one of Kate Carlisle's books. Plus, each one is centered around the restoration of a different antique volume. In A COOKBOOK CONSPIRACY the book in question is a handwritten cookbook from the time of the Revolutionary War, and there are dozens of hilarious quotes concerning the preparation of some pretty odd victuals. Then we have the chefs: eight old friends who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. The settings are vividly described, the characters are believable, the plot is amazing. There's actually a connection between the old cookbook and the murderous events. And a new romance pops up for Brooklyn's sister, Savannah. We spend more time with the residents of Dharma, as well as hanging out at Brooklyn and Derek's San Francisco apartment. Kate Carlisle is writing some of the best cozy mysteries available today, and this book is a perfect example of the quality of her craft.2 s Jane Lump768 4

A waste of time. Shallow characters, weak plot, awkward style. I finished it because I was raised Catholic and that's what I do, but it was, as I sad, a waste of time.2 s Stacy1,272 8

Next in the Bibliophile mysteries for me, I was ecstatic to find this one in print at my local library. It's been a struggle for me to find the earlier ones in this series, though I'm happy that from here on out, it will be easier to obtain the remainder in this series. Brooklyn and her sister Savannah are featured in this one, along with her hunky boyfriend Derek and his equally hunky brother Dalton, who jets over from England to help out a bit. Savannah and fellow chef friends from their time at Le Cordon Bleu are taking turns cooking at a posh new restaurant for a fellow classmate, whom no one really s. Surprise, surprise, he turns up dead! The mystery ensues and I admit, I was enjoying it so much, that I didn't quite figure this one out. Brooklyn is repairing a pre-Revolutionary era cookbook for Savannah to gift to the dead guy (which he receives right before he makes his exit), and the book has a lot of fascinating parts that a foodie me really enjoyed. Bravo, really enjoyed this one :) cozies library-loan1 Joe1,246 19

Lighter than her usual story.
Fun.
I never felt any danger.
The food sounds good.
Not enough clues.
A good visit with fun characters-friends.1 Heidi Burkhart2,335 53

A little fluffy, but the main character is a book binder. Who can resist her descriptions of mending valuable old books! Perfect light summer reading. 1 Kristi442 11

The best part about this series is the some of the knowledge I gain about things I never would have otherwise. Not bad for some light reading. I also love that Brooklyn is a book binder. contemporary library mystery1 Lesley Looper2,214 69

This was an entertaining installment in the Bibliophile Mystery Series. I d the cookbook and how it was incorporated throughout the storyline. The characters were pretty interesting, too.books-about-books cooking mystery1 Linda2,031 46

I love this series! The characters are what makes it great and I loved an additional Stone brother in this one. I hope we get to meet all of Derek’s brothers at some point. I enjoyed the story with all of Savannah’s chef friends and feel I gained 5 pounds just reading about the food. I also d that the featured book Brooklyn was working on was a vintage cookbook.challenge1 Megan624

I love these books. I love the characters. I love all the bookish geekiness. But jeez everybody is always super good looking!
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