Book High And Low (Messy Bookshop Mysteries Book 2)

Book summary

In "Book High And Low," the reopening of Bind Me Again, a cozy used bookstore in East Tennessee, promises tidiness, but Garnet Stone finds herself on a secret mission to declutter the store, amidst the chaos caused by her messy boss Jane and two mischievous cats. Things take a dark turn when a mysterious death certificate surfaces inside a stack of traded-in books, leading to the murder of freelance editor Jacob Rome. Garnet and Jane embark on a quest to uncover the truth, unraveling a web of lies and secrets that goes far beyond the murder itself.

Excerpt from Book High And Low

Jane and I stared at the body lying on the sales floor. We had to resolve this before the used bookstore opened, which was in ten minutes.

“I don’t think this is going to work,” I said, pushing Princess aside. The tuxedo cat kept wanting to lay over the body’s stomach. “Can’t we just toss it in the dumpster and be done?”

“Garnet,” my boss Jane said, giving me a side look, “we just need to be creative.” She studied it.

I pointed at the body. “It’s twisted at the waist.”

Jane walked around to see it from my angle. “Ah. I see the problem now. We have to detach it there.” She pointed.

“Again?”

She crossed an arm over her chest and nibbled her nails. Jane’s lips swayed as if she was starting to second guess.

A couple walked by the bay window. One stopped and peered inside. The woman’s eyes went wide before easing her stance. I gave a little wave, and they continued down the street.

“This mannequin isn’t worth the trouble,” I said.

Since reopening the used bookstore, Jane kept bringing more treasures that her aunt had stashed away. When Teresa passed away five months ago, she’d left everything to Jane, mess included. If I’d learned anything in my time working with Teresa, it was that she had liked to collect stuff. She once said, “I’m an organizer.” That was partly true. Teresa knew her clutter.

In the course of solving a murder over the summer, Jane decided to carry out the store’s remodel as Teresa planned. Things went smoothly at that point; we worked well together. As the grand opening grew closer, more and more stuff magically appeared.

First, Jane brought ten boxes of books from Teresa’s personal library, ones Jane didn’t want to read. Next came a few boxes of fall decorations. I kept the good stuff and tossed what was beyond repair. Then, Jane brought books from the local flea market, all in the name of I-got-a-good-deal. I didn’t doubt it, considering the books were encyclopedias from the ‘80s. This morning was the mannequin. I had no idea why Jane’s aunt had bought the fiberglass with cracked feet and different-colored arm than the rest of the body. Yet here it was on this wonderful Wednesday morning.

More like Wacky-Wednesday.

“I disagree,” Jane said. “Once we’re done, I’m taking pictures and posting them on Instagram. Book fashion might be the next trend.”

I strongly disagreed but kept the thought to myself. No need to debate about a fake human when there were more important matters to attend. I glanced around the used bookstore, taking in the scenery.

Bind Me Again opened earlier this month. The remodel had freed up the place. After taking out the second staircase, the back area of the store allowed us to push bookshelves against the wall rather than squeezing them in the center. Part of the second floor was removed and converted into a loft. Here customers could shop the bargain books while gazing down at the main sales floor. The walls of the room that once held romance and horror books were knocked down as well, making the main sales floor bigger.

Now when customers entered Bind Me Again, they noticed the open layout. No more complaints about feeling claustrophobic. Everything had a home and books were not overcrowded. I smiled all day while putting genre labels on the bookshelf edges. Organizing the used bookshop was something I’d been looking forward to since Teresa first mentioned the update.

I pictured the L-shape counter to be spotless. Above it was a sheet of glass with books, appearing as if they were floating, a magical vibe while customer orders were being rung up. I’d also envisioned the loft area with comfy chairs surrounded by floor to ceiling bookshelves. Bookish pictures displayed on the walls. My favorite signage being, Just One More Chapter, written in bold letters above an open novel.

But things didn’t turn out as I’d hoped.

Despite knocking down some walls and eliminating an extra staircase, Bind Me Again still seemed to house more books than the shelves could carry. The bookstore always had a reputation to be a little messy, mainly due to Teresa’s struggle to throw anything away and acceptance of books no matter the damage. Jane and I had a long talk about the mess before a single book was placed on a shelf. She agreed the odd knickknacks that were placed on top of bookshelves, such as Tennessee Vols mini football helmets and collection of tea pots, had to go. Jane also agreed to not accept books that were in ruin and to recycle or donate those the bookstore already had. This cleared some of the clutter. Yet Jane inherited other habits from her aunt. Unfortunately, none involved being orderly.

As a used bookshop, customers brought in their unwanted books for store credit. It wasn’t uncommon to add novels and reorganize the space to accommodate them. I worked hard to maintain the books from being stacked horizontally or randomly placed over a row. How they were placed didn’t bother Jane as it did me. For her, restocking the shelves was like playing Tetris. If the books fit, it stayed.

Despite the mild clutter, there was a sense of coziness. Strands of globe lights ran along the edge of the bookshelves, adding more illumination. Since it was September, I used some of the new decorations Jane had brought. Miniature pumpkins were scattered here and there on shelves with larger ones on top. Between the rows, I zigzagged garland strands of red and orange leaves. While walking the aisles, it felt like I was strolling down a magical pumpkin patch surrounded by books.

Bind Me Again was more of an organized mess than a disarray. Yet I feared that if Jane kept bringing more treasures, the store might get out of control. I learned to handle a cute, organized mess, but not to the point where people wouldn’t want to shop here. To avoid tension or hurting her feelings, I kept my worries to myself and cleaned behind her back. Jane had been too busy in the office—which suited her better than working the sales floor—to notice what I’d been doing. Yet after a few weeks of doing this, I was burning out.

I faced Jane, telling myself to focus on the current task. How to abandon my boss while I tidied the place, all while keeping Princess with her. One glimpse at the L-shaped counter gave me an out.

“The online orders are ready,” I said. Two stacks were waiting to be put on the sales floor. Not all of our books were donated by customers. Jane bought some online through various sites. Books that were popular or requested from our regulars. Finding deals was one of Jane’s specialties.

My boss talked as if she didn’t hear me. “Stiffanie is going to be great. She’s going to look fashionable when I put clothes on her and a bag full of books.”

I resisted a groan. “You named it?” This mannequin would never leave now.

Jane held her head up high like a proud parent of an honor roll student. “I’ve always loved the name Stephanie and the name fits her.”