THE BOOK SUPREMACY

A honeymoon, a rare book, and a past history of spying create a volatile mix.

On her last day in Paris, bookbinder and restorer Brooklyn Wainwright (Buried in Books, 2018, etc.), honeymooning in France with her security-expert husband, former spy Derek Stone, buys Derek a copy of The Spy Who Loved Me as a wedding gift. Soon thereafter, she spots Derek talking to someone who seems to be an old friend and notices a man in a hoodie watching them both. Both Derek and his friend, ex-colleague Ned Davies, shrug the watcher off. Back in their San Francisco loft, Brooklyn discovers that her inexpensive purchase is worth over $7,000, and Derek finds his business in turmoil over a troublemaking employee. A visit to SPECTRE, a shop that sells books and surveillance equipment and includes a cafe and escape rooms, gives Derek the idea of using its features to build trust among his squabbling employees. Owen Gibbons, another former colleague, who owns SPECTRE, asks Brooklyn to lend her newfound book for his anniversary celebration and assures her that his top-drawer security will keep it safe. They also meet Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, and Drummer Girl, a group of young writers who hang out in the cafe. The snake in the office is Lark, a beautiful but evil woman who hates Brooklyn for marrying Derek. Everyone but Lark enjoys the escape room experience. Each room has a different theme and is filled with clues that participants must use in order to escape in the time allowed. The plot turns deadly when someone breaks into SPECTRE, attempting to steal the book, and kills Tailor, who’s working late. The whole episode is caught on tape, but the well-disguised killer can’t be identified. Meanwhile, a note from Ned that accurately predicts his own murder suggests that Derek look for a list of names hidden in Brooklyn’s book, one of them Ned’s killer.

Charming characters, information on book restoration, and plenty of angst and spycraft do not quite make up for the mundane plot.