Derek Stone first appeared in Homicide in Hardcover and one of the best ways to learn about a person is by asking questions, so let’s get to know Derek.

What is your full name?
Derek Stone. I prefer not to share my middle name.

How old are you?
37

What is your profession?
I’m a security expert. Mostly international corporations, or as a consultant to various governments, though my team does take on the occasional celebrity client, as well.

Do you have a significant other?
Indeed. I married the love of my life a few months ago. Her name is Brooklyn Wainwright, and she’s the world’s most talented bookbinder. (She would say something more modest, but I assure you it’s true. She brings old, dead books back to life.) I can’t say I knew from the first time I saw her, since I was reasonably certain at that moment that she had murdered the man who lay at her feet. But by the time we captured the real killer, I was smitten.

Do you have any siblings?
I do. I’m the fourth of five boys. Our poor mother had her hands full.

Are your parents nearby?
Actually, they did recently purchase a home nearby, and I’m chuffed. I grew up in England, but after I met Brooklyn, I moved my company to San Francisco. My parents have become dear friends with her parents, so they’ve decided to spend part of the year in Dharma, the wine-country commune where Brooklyn grew up and where her parents still live.

Brooklyn and I will be heading to Dharma very soon for the first annual Dharma Book Festival. Rebecca, Brooklyn’s mother, is one of the organizers, and of course, as a bookbinder, Brooklyn is delighted to help. I’ll tag along because, well—please don’t tell Brooklyn I said this—with her propensity for stumbling across the recently deceased, I don’t like to let her out of my sight.

If you’re interested, you’ll find a free map of Dharma in the Secret Room at katecarlisle.com. My parents’ home has been added to the map so you can see where their new home is.

Who is your best friend?
My brother Dalton has always been somewhat of my partner in crime.

Do you have any pets?
Yes, Brooklyn and I adopted a cat with the unlikely name of Charlie Cupcake.

What town do you live in?
We have a condo in San Francisco. I’d also like to talk to Brooklyn about spending more time in Dharma, which is quite a small town. It’s a charming place with quaint shops, friendly people, and breathtaking views of the wine country.

What is your favorite spot in your home?
The reading nook, of course. Brooklyn and I read side by side, pausing occasionally to share an interesting passage, with little Charlie curled up on either her lap or mine.

Favorite meal and dessert?
Nowhere in the world does seafood taste as fresh and delicious as in San Francisco. I’m quite fond of simple fish and chips, but I think my favorite dish is grilled sea bass.

For dessert, I’ll be very specific—profiteroles stuffed with vanilla ice cream, served with warm, thick chocolate syrup, from our favorite restaurant in Paris. (The Book Supremacy)

Do you have any hobbies?
Does protecting Brooklyn’s life count as a hobby, or would you consider that more of an avocation?

What is your favorite vacation spot?
Paris was quite nice. We honeymooned there. Our visit was marred by murder, but you can’t hold that against Paris—it seems to happen wherever we go.

What music do you listen to?
I have eclectic musical tastes. Everything from classical to classic rock.

Do you have a favorite book?
I do. And not just a title, but the actual copy of the book—Brooklyn found an exceedingly rare first edition of The Spy Who Loved Me while we were on our honeymoon. I’ll treasure it forever. . . despite the darkness it brought temporarily into our lives.

What is your idea of a really fun time?
I have the most fun when my family and Brooklyn’s family all get together. We’re a boisterous crowd. I already mentioned I’m one of five; Brooklyn is one of six. When we get together, there’s always a lot of delicious food, and the wine flows freely—and it’s excellent wine, made in Dharma from grapes grown on Dharma land. Life is good.

If you were to write a memoir, what would you call it?
** Top Secret **

Amateur or professional sleuth and whom do you work with?
I wouldn’t call myself a professional sleuth, but I am a security professional with a military background. Still, in the matters of interest to your readers, I’m more of a sidekick to my intrepid wife. Brooklyn is most definitely an amateur sleuth with a keen eye for detail. She is quite. . . impressive. I’m a lucky man.

In a few sentences, what is a typical day in your life like?
A typical day when there’s no murder afoot? I go to the office quite early so I can touch base with my teams doing ops in Europe and the Middle East. Then I spend most every workday putting out fires, sometimes quite literally, before meeting my love for dinner. She’s not much of a cook, though she does try. Her biggest failing when it comes to cooking is that she frequently loses track of time while she’s restoring a book.

The Grim Reader is the 14th book in the “Bibliophile” cozy mystery series, released June 2, 2020.

San Francisco book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright was hoping for a fun, relaxing weekend at a local book fair, but a murderer made other plans in the latest in this New York Times bestselling series. Includes seven breakfast recipes.

Brooklyn and her new hunky husband, Derek, are excited to be guests at Dharma’s first annual Book Festival. The entire town is involved and Brooklyn’s mom Rebecca is taking charge. In addition to all of her other event related duties, she’s got Brooklyn doing rare book appraisals and is also staging Little Women, the musical to delight the festival goers. If that wasn’t enough, she and Meg—Derek’s mom—will have a booth where they read palms and tarot cards.

Brooklyn couldn’t be prouder of her mom’s do-it-all attitude so when a greedy local businessman who seems intent on destroying Dharma starts harassing Rebecca, Brooklyn is ready to take him down. Rebecca is able to hold her own with the nasty jerk until one of her fellow festival committee members is brutally murdered and the money for the festival seems to have vanished into thin air.

Things get even more personal when one of Brooklyn’s nearest and dearest is nearly run down in cold blood. Brooklyn and Derek go into attack mode and the pressure is on to catch a spineless killer before they find themselves skipping the festival for a funeral.

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About the author
Kate Carlisle is the New York Times bestselling author of two ongoing series: the Bibliophile Mysteries featuring San Francisco bookbinder Brooklyn Wainwright, whose rare book restoration skills uncover old secrets, treachery and murder; and the Fixer-Upper Mysteries (as seen on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries), featuring Shannon Hammer, a home contractor who discovers not only skeletons in her neighbors’ closets, but murder victims, too. Kate’s newest book is The Grim Reader, available June 2. Visit her website at katecarlisle.com.

All comments are welcomed.