I downloaded this book because I was attracted by the title and assumed it would be a quirky cosy mystery. It isn't - but I still enjoyed it!

Lydia works at the Bright Ideas Bookstore (larger than the name suggests) in Denver. One Friday night she's just closing up when she hears a strange noise from the third floor and finds Joey, her favourite BookFrog, hanging from an overhead beam. What could have led him to kill himself, and is the answer hidden in the crate of books he left for her - the pages defaced with neat little holes? The mystery deepens when Lydia finds a photo of herself in his possession - aged 10.

Again, I can't give too many details because of spoilers, but the story is really in two parts. We have Lydia trawling through the sad detritus of Joey's life, trying to find out why he would kill himself, alongside a backstory of Lydia's childhood and the horrific event she witnessed shortly after the photo was taken. The first half is mostly about Lydia's initial investigation, the second half is how it connects with her past. I did prefer the first half, mainly because I liked meeting the characters who worked at and frequented the bookstore, especially Plath and Joey's friend Lyle. I also liked David but found Raj a bit creepy, and I couldn't understand why Lydia would suddenly become estranged from her father.

The story is sad in parts, and explores how one tragic event can affect the lives of those involved for years to come. It is also a murder mystery, although I suspect fans of this genre will find the identity of the murderer a bit too easy to guess. As I'm writing this, I still can't decide whether to give it 4 or 5 stars. Perhaps 4.5, rounded up to 5, because it is well-written, enjoyable (despite the sad bits!), and I loved the setting and most of the characters. And, despite guessing the ending, there were some twists that took me completely by surprise.

This books shows how so many lives are linked without us being aware. A page turning novel that makes you want to keep reading until you've discovered all of the threads that link each of the characters. Constant twists and turns keep the reader wanting to find out more about Joey, Lydia and Raj.

I just finished reading Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew J Sullivan. I got a copy via Netgalley. I really enjoyed this unique mystery novel. Set around Lydia, her work at the bookstore and her past. The story was well-paced, interesting characters and just a highly entertaining book. I gave it 4⭐️. Reccomend it to those who like mysteries.

I liked this book. The shy bookseller who is seeking answers to a mystery in the present uncovers secrets and solves a mystery in her past. Likeable characters and a plot that rolls along nicely.

The idea of the book. Is unusual and interesting and the plot grips you from the outset. Good character development. I really enjoyed this book and will recommend it to my book group

Lydia has successfully shed her traumatic past and now works in the Bright Ideas Bookstore, a place frequented by the lonely, lost and loveless, affectionately known as the ‘Bookfrogs’. When closing up one night Lydia discovers the body of one of her favourite frogs, Joey, hanging from the ceiling, and in his pocket is a photograph of her as a child. That isn’t the only mystery she has to contend with, however, as Joey has left her his meagre possessions – including cryptic clues hidden inside stacks of mutilated books. As Lydia starts to investigate his death, people from her past begin to reappear. What connection does Joey have with the life she has tried so hard to forget? And will discovering the truth put her life in danger once more?

This book should have ticked all the boxes for me but unfortunately something fell a little flat. Although the intertwining of past events with a mystery in the present was a great premise, especially within the setting of a bookstore, if felt the coincidences the development of the story relied upon were too many for me to be able to thoroughly engage with the tale. I also found Lydia a strangely unlikeable protagonist, never fully understanding other character’s attraction to her, nor the rationale behind her actions. I do love a good murder mystery, and some of the revelations in this book were unexpected and exciting, but just not enough to win me over. So many others have absolutely loved this book that I would encourage prospective readers to give it a go and make up their own minds.

I was given an ARC by Netgalley in exchange for an honest and independent review.

Bookseller Lydia finds customer Joey's body after he takes his own life in the bookstore where she works. But when his death starts to bring up the past, secrets start to emerge as Lydia unravels his past.

The story's setting of a bookstore is what appealed to me, somewhere I'd like to live surrounded by books. However, I didn't think the mystery genre would be for me, but I was drawn in from the start, and all the twists and turns kept me constantly guessing, and surprised. A great book; I hope the author does more like this.

When Joey commits suicide in the upstairs department of the bookstore, and leaves Lydia another book clerk, his most precious belongings. Lydia realises there is a puzzle to be solved, but Lydia doesn't like change and doesn't want the attention and notice that being on the local paper gives her.

Lydia is trying to hide from her past life but realises while looking into Joey secrets she will need to unravel her own life.

This was a well written story that keeps you guessing until the end, with all the characters lives and stories intertwining.

Very enjoyable read with lots of twists and turns.

I loved this book, I read until my eyes closed. Lydia lives her life hiding from her past, working in a bookstore keeps her focused on her present moment life. Then Joey kills himself in the bookstore and life changes for Lydia. She sets out to get to know more about her friends life and at the same time starts a journey about her own troubled past. The story is griping from the first page and holds your attention right up to the last and I did not see the end coming!! what a supprise.

An interesting mystery but it tries too hard and too long to achieve the plot's resolution. Not the book-lovers' book I was hoping for.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for a fair review.

I liked this story. I found it easy to read with a twist on the usual murder mystery novel.
I liked the characters, they seemed well thought out and each had their place in the story.
I thought the story as a whole was also well thought out and well written. I liked the switches between past and present for some of the characters which helped put a perspective on each of their tales.
I would definitely read more from this author and would recommend this as an all round good read.

This book had me gripped from the start,there is a lot of Secrets waiting to be read

First of all I would like to thank netgalIery for giving me the opportunity to review this book.

I really enjoyed this book I could put it down and pick it up and pick up from where I left of it was an easy read.

It kept me guessing till the end I didn't expect what happened to happen but left me hang on to edge of my seat wanted to know what happened next.

Enjoyed the storyline brilliant read

Exciting and readable with plenty of twists and turns along the way.

One evening Lydia finds her favourite customer hanged between the shelves of the bookstore where she works. Stranger still he has a photo of her as a child in his pocket. Finding out that he has also left her his belongings leads to Lydia uncovering a series of complex clues that5 she must uncover to find the truth behind his death. In doing so, long buried secrets are revealed and a traumatic experience from her own past must be revisited.

This story started off with great promise, a crime mystery set in and around a bookstore seemed right up my alley. However, this didn’t really turn out to be the case. Although wholly readable, I felt the main protagonist Lydia to be somewhat irritating, always being very secretive and aloof. I assume this was the case to keep the reader guessing, but it was just frustrating and didn’t hinder me working out much of the plotline early on anyway.

I didn’t feel any empathy towards the characters and their situations, which I considered to be due to the lack of character development. I don’t think any of their emotions were clear therefore making them all seem rather wooden. None of the friendships or relationships were convincing, even those that were fraught.

While it may seem like I have just slated this novel from the off, it was a well-paced read and easy to follow. I felt no inclination at any time to give up on it, it just wasn’t what I have come to expect from this genre.

BookFrogs…… what a fascinating and interesting concept.
As fascinating and interesting as the rest of the book.

The story was very well constructed with multiple mysteries being unravelled at the same time, all centered around Lydia, who we quickly learn is a great mystery herself. Great, clever read.

Thanks NetGalley and Random House UK for a review copy.

An enjoyable read which kept me guessing, but ultimately I didn’t feel that invested in the characters and was a little disappointed by the end of the book. Just not for me unfortunately.

This is a moving, multilayered, imaginative, brilliant, literary mystery novel set amidst the background of a bookstore, book lovers and books, set in Denver, Colorado. The compassionate and sensitive Lydia is a book clerk at the Bright Ideas Bookstore inhabited by her beloved bookfrogs. One night, one of her favourite bookfrogs, Joey, hangs himself in the history section. A shell shocked Lydia is bewildered when she finds a photograph of a birthday party when she was 10 years old with her friends, the steadfast Raj and the wild whirlwind that was Carol. How is it Joey has it? Bequeathed Joey's meager belongings, Lydia finds books with cut out windows that link with other books providing cryptic clues. She deciphers the code with the help of her friends, and they turn out to be messages from beyond the grave for her and provide heartbreaking insights into who Joey is and his tormented life. This is a story of relationships, loss, trauma, family, a search for a place to belong, identity, grief and secrets.

A photograph of joey's suicide in the national media has Lydia in it, it is seen by those from her haunted past. This includes her estranged father, Tomas, retired Detective Moberg, and her childhood friend, Raj, all of whom re-enter her life. A famous photograph of a desperately traumatised Lydia at 10 years old shows her at the scene of the macabre murders of an entire family. Lydia has been silencing her past with a determination that borders on obsession, her boyfriend, David has no idea of her notorious history. Joey's death begins to slowly open the door to break the silence on what happened all those years, the terrifying nightmares of The Hammerman, and the younger Lydia's penchant for seeking the cupboard under the sink. The narrative takes us back to the past, Lydia's history as a child and her friendships, and the repercussions of the terrible events that take place which lead to relocation, the shock of her father becoming a corrections officer and the consequent change in his personality. In the present, Lydia is forced to confront the pain of her past in her search for Joey, and to face up to her demons in the closet.

As I reflect on my experience of reading this novel, I am struck by just how ingenious Matthew Sullivan is in his intricate and complex plotting, and in his atmospherically bleak narrative. His love of books is unmistakable, as he uses them as the medium to define characters, to provide clues and mystery, and give a focal bookstore background for Lydia and her eccentric array of eccentric bookfrogs. There is real expertise in the character development and the slow reveals of exactly who these people are and the connections between them. This is one of those books that I cannot recommend highly enough! Many thanks to Random House Cornerstone for an ARC.

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore was one of those books that you had to devour in one sitting, I honestly tried to put it down but I just needed to know what happened next. Sullivan makes the reader become invested in the characters that you feel you are right there with them. A book full of twists, turns and mystery and surprisingly comfort. I would highly recommend Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore for anyone.

Lydia is a clerk at the Bright Ideas Bookstore. She loves her job and is always welcoming to the regulars; including the ‘BookFrogs,’ who spend their time loitering in the bookstore all day. One of her favourites is a young man named Joey Molina and, in the opening of this novel Joey is found hanging in the shop. Lydia later finds that Joey has left his small collection of books for her and she becomes fascinated by the coded message that has to try to unravel.

We are also aware that Lydia herself is a mystery. Living with boyfriend, David, she is estranged from her father. As a child, Lydia was involved in a tragedy, involving the ‘Hammerman,’ and this event has, understandably, affected her life. The book veers between the present and the past, as Lydia tries to understand the part she played in Joey’s life, why he needed to contact her and to come to terms with the trauma of her childhood and the links between her past and her present.

Although I picked this book up knowing that I should love it – a mystery set around a bookstore – it was a relief to find that I really did enjoy it. It is much more than a typical crime novel, built around a bookshop. It is full of secrets, intrigue and has, not only a good setting, but a great cast of characters. I can hardly believe this is a debut – it is so assured and well written. I look forward to reading more from Matthew J. Sullivan and recommend this happily to all bibliophiles. I received a copy from this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.