One Book in the Grave: A Bibliophile Mystery

morning with my two favorite neighbors, Suzie Stein and Vinnie Patel, to spend a week at the home of Suzie’s wealthy, eccentric aunt Grace Crawford.
     
    Grace’s good friend Ruth Kinsley had convinced Grace to celebrate her fiftieth birthday with an old-fashioned house party on the lake. In her invitation, Grace had promised her guests that this weeklong partywould be the most delightful, fabulous shindig ever—the sort of party we’d all still be talking about for the next fifty years.
     
    “I looked over my guest list,” Grace said, fluffing one of the pillows, “and I couldn’t think of anyone but you for this room.”
     
    “That’s sweet,” I said, hoping she could hear a trace of sincerity in my voice as I parked my rolling suitcase near the foot of the bed. “You know how much I love books.”
     
    “You and me both,” she said, laughing as she glanced around. “I guess that’s pretty clear.”
     
    I did a slow turn and gazed at the four walls, which were covered with nothing but full bookshelves. The occasional window interrupted the shelves, and, of course, there were necessary pieces of furniture planted here and there: an elegant dresser; a small but comfortable love seat that faced two matching chairs at one end of the long room; the bed, with its ornate, paneled headboard filled with—you guessed it—books. Other than those spots, bookshelves filled every inch of wall space. Even the dresser held a row of books.
     
    “I had no idea you had so many,” I said.
     
    She lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “I can’t seem to quit collecting.”
     
    Duh,
I thought to myself as I continued to survey the room. I knew Grace was a book lover. That was how we’d met. About a year ago, Grace had mentioned to Suzie that she wanted some of her favorite books rebound, so Suzie had recommended me. Since then, Grace and I had done business several times. I’d visited her home once before and we’d had afternoon tea in her grand salon.
     
    I liked her. She was down-to-earth and fun. Except for this massive home perched on the shores of Lake Tahoe, you’d never know the woman was a self-made billionaire who had earned her fortune in the fast-paced computer games industry. Her personality was the oddest blend of laid-back sixties cool, nerdy earnestness, andold-world elegance. Her quirky sensibilities—such as putting a suit of armor in the bathroom or serving bite-sized Twinkies next to the cucumber sandwiches at afternoon tea—made me smile.
     
    Plus, she’d given me quite a bit of business lately. I liked that about her, too.
     
    Vinnie had once referred to Grace as a hoarder, but I’d recently dealt with a true hoarder. I didn’t get the same uncomfortable feeling from Grace’s house as I had from that person’s. Grace was eccentric and a rabid collector, but a hoarder? I didn’t think so, although someone walking through this room might want to argue that.
     
    When Grace called to invite me to her birthday party, she’d asked if I wouldn’t mind doing some work while I was here. I had immediately agreed and had packed my travel set of tools and repair supplies. I was always happier when I was busy with books. Grace not only wanted some repairs made but she also requested that I oversee the archivist she’d hired to catalog her extensive library.
     
    Glancing around now, I realized what a huge job it would be. Heck, it would take more than a week to catalog this one bedroom alone. The archivist and I had our work cut out for us.
     
    Grace was watching me, so I smiled and gave the walls one more glance. “Thank you so much. I know I’ll enjoy my time here.”
     
    She seemed pleased as she nudged her glasses higher on her nose. “The library is at the end of this hall, so you can come and go without disturbing anyone else in the house. That’s another reason I thought this room would be perfect for you.”
     
    I smiled, determined to ease her mind. “It couldn’t be better. You know me. Can’t get enough books, right?”
     
    She laughed. It was a sweet trill, completely incongruous with her geeky personality, but charming. “I’ll let you get settled, and I’ll tell you what I’ve told everyone else: I want you to feel free to explore the whole house. I know you’ve been here before, but you’ve hardly seen any of the rooms. There are many surprises.”
     
    “I can’t wait. I’ve heard about some of them,” I said with amusement. Vinnie had already given