Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore

What? What happens right away in this book with a lovely bookstore setting? No. It can't be. Someone commits suicide in this bookstore? Oh no! But, yes, that's what happened. And there are horrible, grisly murders to come...

I don't like scary stories. I will just be upfront about that. Murder of a child? With a hammer? And a suicide in a bookstore?

I would have never read this book on my own. But it was my book club's choice.

My rating is based on (1) my lack of love for the gory, (2) the awful suicide in a bookstore, and (3) my disappointment with the ending

4.25
Oh wow. I am flabbergasted. Didn't expect to love this book so much.
I picked it up on a whim from the library because the synopsis sounded so interesting. But I didn't expect to love the book so much and connect to the characters.

It started off as a slow burn mystery and somewhere along the halfway point it turned into smthg else entirely. When I mean slow burn I mean SLOWW (it took me a week to read the 1st half, but I read the 2nd half in less than a day lol) but after the halfway point secrets started getting revealed and it became so much more interesting.

I loved the characters so much(except for that one person) and the setting of the book is amazing, specially if you are a book lover(our mc is a bookseller) coz its filled with books,talks about loving books,how books impact our lives,etc

Highly recommend this if you want a good book that will keep you guessing till d very end!

2.5

My complaint is... I'm team David. Great pacing. Great way of explaining just enough to keep the pages turning.

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader as part of a quick takes post to catch up–emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness.
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A bookstore clerk finds a frequent customer dead in the shelves after he committed suicide. He has some sort of connection to her as a child, she discovers, and has left his few possessions to her. She's compelled to learn why he killed himself, why he died with a photo of her as a child in his possession, and along the way has to come to terms with horrific events from about the time the photo was taken.

There are a lot of layers to this novel—fantastic concept, heartbreaking conclusion. I never really connected with the protagonist, but I couldn't stop listening, either.

Mabey did a fine job with the narration, I should add. Looking over some of her other titles suggests that I'll be running into her again.

I read this book as part of a book club, and really enjoyed it! It's been a while since I read a good mystery and this one kept me guessing. The author's writing and storytelling made this a quick read and I liked the diversity of the characters, in background and personality and socioeconomic situation. This novel does a nice job of presenting a Denver that is on the cusp of gentrification of part of the city in the early 90s maybe? I would love to spend some more time there. The mystery, however, is what makes this book so good. There are plot twists and things I didn't see coming. The other thing worth mentioning is the ending. Sometimes a story will have a long and intricate build up to an ending that is lacking - almost as if an editor said, “wrap it up this week” or “chop out 100 pages” to the author. This book is very well done in that respect. There is a mystery. It is brought to a resolution but in a complete manner that leaves the reader satisfied but without whiplash or questions remaining.

This was such a good book. Start to finish it probably took me maybe three hours to read. And the first things i said as i finished the last page was ‘mm that was such a good book'. A little mystery. A little thriller. A little drama. In an interesting conclusion with nicely paced perspectives from multiple different characters.
The only complaint i have in some punctuation inconsistencies. They appear to be purposeful but they make dialogue somewhat difficult to read for about a third of the book.
Not enough for me to knock the book down a start but still something other readers should be aware of.

*3.5 stars - probably. It had potential to be more. After a bumpy start, it hit a nice stride through the middle but fell off for me at the end. Too much convenience in the story arch and an underdeveloped main character and lacking relationship depth. Still an enjoyable read.

A mystery involving a fictionalized Tattered Cover and doughnuts? What's not to like? The mystery itself didn't quite hold together for me - there were a lot of different styles (cozy, thriller, puzzle, western, soap opera) and they didn't always play nicely together. Still, an enjoyable read.

SPOILER ALERT

This was an entertaining page-turner, but ultimately there was nothing redeeming about the book's ending. The characters got closure on tragic life-altering events, but as a reader, I didn't get any satisfaction. Meh.

This book has a great mystery, well conceived and delivered with a thoughtful hand. I fell hard for these bookish characters in a way I hadn't in a long time. They were quirky and clever, and you were with the 100% throughout the story. So why the 3 star review?... Well, I had the hardest time trying to get into this one, the way the author slips from present to past was often hard to follow, and honestly I considered giving up on it multiple times...but then, Joey's letters appeared, and dammit I was hooked. Thankful I finished it. Hope the rest of you enjoy it.

Frankly, I cannot understand the slew of 3-, 4-, and 5- star reviews for Matthew Sullivan's “Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore.” What I can understand is how many people might be drawn to read this book about a woman who must solve a suicide in the upper floor of her bookstore. I am one of those fools who likes to read books about books, bookstores, libraries, authors, etc. Luckily, I picked this title up from the library and did not waste a dime on purchasing it.

Book nerds, do not be tricked!! Stay away!

The pace of the action drags and drags, which is an achievement for such a short title. Should a second star be awarded for making such a mess in a minimum of pages? I am a fan of efficiency, but not in this case! The mystery isn't all that interesting and, by the time we learn of the horrible event from Lydia's childhood, I wished the Hammerman had gotten her! The two, intertwined mysteries are forced.

Generally, the characterization is incredibly poor; I found myself not caring what happened to any of them almost immediately. The romantic relationship between Lydia and David? Bleh. Her “blossoming” relationship with Raj? Meeehhh. DON'T CARE. Dullsville.

One of the most irritating tics of Matthew Sullivan's writing is the constant use of a character's name when another character is addressing him or her. “Lydia, would you like to go to the store? I know you are hungry, Lydia. Lydia always liked lunchmeat!” The first word of the book is...you guessed it...Lydia! I cannot even provide an annoying enough quote of how Lydia's name is used OVER and OVER throughout every piece of dialogue. Even more annoying is the author's propensity for inner monologue's to use the “she, Lydia” construction. WE KNOW WHO IS SPEAKING, MATTHEW! Good gravy.

Also, if you're still thinking, “Hey, let me listen instead of reading this boring-ass book that supposed to be interesting so I can hit my annual Goodreads ,” definitely avoid the audiobook. The narrator should consider another profession and, in a very odd interpretation, voices every man at an extremely slow speed.

What a brilliantly unexpected read! Full of twists and turns. Very well written.

This book came highly recommended by dear Goodreads friends and the front cover was more than inviting. So, the time finally came for me to start reading during a week-long seaside vacation. It seemed to be the perfect spot for reading a literary thriller. Almost two weeks later, I'm writing this review. It took me so long to gather my thoughts, because I'm in the unpleasant position to say that this was a book I liked. Just that. And if I take all of my expectations into consideration, then simply “liking” it isn't enough. I wanted to be blown away, to emerge myself to an experience that would feel similar to The Thirteenth Tale which I consider the finest bookish mystery. Instead, I found a book that was good. Sometimes, “good' makes me feel so disappointed....

The story starts with a bang, when something terrible happens inside a bookstore. From then on, Lydia -the main character- tries to find the answers to Joey's quest and to break free from a nightmare that butchered her childhood and her relationship with her father. One could say that we have quite a lot to focus on as readers. A suicide, a family massacre, a young man's struggle to break free from his tyrannical family, a troubled man estranged from his only child. Perhaps, it was a bit too much for the writer to handle.

For the most part, the writing was enganging. At times, it was almost poetic. Denver is so beautifully described that I felt I was there as I was reading. I think the writer succeeded in creating the atmosphere of the wintry city during the night with its bright lights and the dark corners. The bookstore also came to life so the setting was tangible and familiar. The dark scenes were also vividly depicted and I confess that I did look over my shoulder and out of the window once or twice. So what went wrong?

In my opinion, there was something in the interactions that left me utterly cold. I understand that it's a thriller, a situation we cannot fully relate to, so I wasn't particularly bothered by that. However, the dialogue was full of issues, in my opinion. I found it wooden, uninspired and, at times, unrealistic. Often, I found it awkward, silly, like a B- police film. It didn't take over the whole book but it was problematic for me. A book needs to succeed in all levels to feel satisfying and the interactions here were far from ideal.

My major problem is much better described in Adina's brilliant review. I felt that the “bookish” theme wasn't as present as I'd wanted it to be. Yes, there is a bookstore, a number of books become the instruments of discovery and Lydia is a major bookworm, but other than these instances, there was nothing substantial. I expected references to books, authors and literary characters, something that would trigger Lydia's thinking. A few quotes, at the very least, but there was no sign of any of these. Therefore, I'd venture to say that the whole setting was more of a gimmicky to appeal to dedicated readers like us. It may sound harsh, but this is how I felt.

The solution of the crime itself was well-written. To a degree. I was convinced I'd discovered the culprit early on but the revelation came out of nowhere and the built-up was really good. It was clever to combine problematic relationships with family problems and a deep feeling of isolation for most of the characters in a way that wasn't melodramatic or mundane. However- I hate this word- the motive felt underwelming. Less than original. The Epilogue was cheesy, all this paranorms- buffoonery was completely unnecessary, the closure and the aftermath felt rushed and too convenient. Also, Lydia's behaviour in the end made no sense to me. It was the horrible Epilogue that made me consider this book a lost chance and a major disappointment.

Now these writing issues cannot but influence the characters of the story. I fully agree with James. Lydia was a very sympathetic heroine, strong and clever and sensitive at times, but she didn't make a lasting impression on me and the way she deals with her personal relationships was quite questionable. I can't say that the cast was anything special overall. Raj was indifferent and Thomas was someone that troubled me at first, but in the end fell flat on the floor of the narrative. Joey was the heart of the story and the only character that created feelings in me. Anger, sadness and a deep sense of actions that are always in vain. He is the most complex person in the book, the one who is remotely interesting.

I don't know...I suppose I may sound a bit all over the place, but I feel frustrated. Yes, the novel is interesting and I do recommend reading it. There were certain moments of darkness and bright ideas beautifully orchestrated, but upon turning the last page, I felt underwhelmed. Perhaps my expectations were once again too high. I feel that the author wanted to tackle many issues and tropes, but somewhere along the way, the momentum was lost. It seemed to me like a poorly organized attack in basketball. When the rhythm is good and then, a mediocre, inexperienced player decides to throw the ball to the stands. While I am glad I read it, I didn't find it exceptional or memorable. It was nothing I haven't seen before, and to be honest, there are other mysteries out there that are truly and honestly “bookish” without trying to pretend and trick us. So, three stars given with a heavy heart....