On a cold Tuesday in March, bookstore owner Otis Parker was found crushed beneath a 1,000- pound bookshelf in his aptly named New York City shop: Dead End Mystery. At first blush, his death seems an overly ironic demise—something that would warrant a write-up in The New York Post saying he was “Killed by the books he loved,” notes Detective John Corey. But nothing could be that simple. Start with a couple of missing furniture wedges, throw in a pompous author and a callous wife, and Corey sees a recipe for murder. As Corey unravels the details of the case, the web of betrayal grows ever thicker in this tale of passion, deceit, and the power and seduction of the novel.

In his signature style, Nelson DeMille weaves a snarky bibliomystery that revamps the classic mystery formula in its use of humor and irony. The Book Case’s criminals are weak, insipid, and almost comedic in their demeanor. In short, they are a riot to watch and a delight to see crushed. 

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