Read Or Alive

It’s springtime, and septuagenarian librarian Cleo Watkins is celebrating new blooms and old books. To her delight, the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society has brought its annual fair to Catalpa Springs in honor of Cleo’s gentleman friend, respected antiquarian bookseller, and restorer, Henry Lafayette. However, trouble rolls in with the fair when a flirtatious book scout makes the rounds, charming locals out of prized books.

Among the conned is Cleo’s cousin, Dot, who handed over a signed, first edition of Gone With the Wind. With no proof the scout took the valuable book, Dot is at a loss. And when the deceitful man is found murdered the very next morning, Dot becomes a prime suspect. To Cleo’s dismay, so is Henry. The scene of the crime is behind Henry’s shop, and his bookbinding tool is the murder weapon. As evidence stacks up against Henry, the police aren’t alone in questioning his innocence. Even friends and family ask Cleo how well she truly knows her gentleman friend.

Although books are at the heart of the crimes, Cleo feels dizzyingly out of her depths. Someone is setting up the people she holds dearest. With the authorities on the wrong trail, Cleo has no choice but to catalog the evidence herself. Along with her trusty bookmobile cat Rhett Butler, it will be up to Cleo to book the real killer for good.

Series: A Bookmobile Mystery – Book #3
Author: Nora Page
Genre: Cozy Mystery /Library
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Page Count: 320

Rating:

New from Nora Page the third book, Read Or Alive in the “A Bookmobile Mystery.” An exciting ride with red herrings that will have readers buried within the pages until the very last word.

Cleo Watkins is one of my favorite heroines. An older sleuth, librarian, she is as curious as her cat, Rhett, when she sets out to find a killer. Asking questions as politely as her upbringing will allow, which at times can be a hindrance, she slowly makes headway only to realize that not everyone who loves books is good people. The setting of a library and bookmobile instead of a traditional bookshop allows Cleo more freedom to come and go and get into more trouble. There are some terrific twists and turns throughout the story and will keep readers guessing the killer’s identity.

Henry, Cleo’s companion, and a local bookshop owner, as well as an antiquarian book restoration expert, is a suspect in the death of an antiquarian book dealer with questionable ethics. So is her cousin, Dot, who is a Gone With the Wind fan just as Cleo is, and owns the Drop By store. Neither Henry nor Dot has alibi’s, and the local chief of police is positive one of them killed the victim, and he wants to see someone behind bars as fast as possible. The fact that neither one may be guilty is beside the point as far as he is concerned. Thank goodness that officer Gabby and best friend Mary-Rose, who are there to add logic and understanding to the investigation and to make sure Cleo is never in danger. As a librarian, Cleo is primed to ask questions.

The mystery in this book is entertaining; readers will enjoy the companionship of all the characters. The town is attractive and easy to picture. The fact that townsfolk are happy to help out whenever needed makes this series a fan favorite leaving them with a sense of well-being and a smile. Henry’s bookshop, where most of the action takes place, intrigues even the most hardened cozy reader. When the killer is unveiled, readers will be surprised and delighted. The cookie recipe in the back is mouth-watering! I am happy to recommend Read or Alive to all readers and look forward to the next addition to the series.

Readers who love bookshop or library-based cozies will also enjoy Essie Lang’s bookshop mystery series “A Castle Bookshop Mystery” or the whodunit series by V.M. Burns intriguing “Mystery Bookshop”.

About the Author:

Nora Page, aka Ann Myers, lives in Colorado. Nora enjoys rainy weather, the perfect biscuit, and quiet evenings in with her husband and cat. You can often find her in the company of books. As Nora Page, she writes the Bookmobile Mystery Series. This series features a septuagenarian librarian of a small-town library, and who drives the “Words on Wheels” bookmobile in Catalpa Springs, Georgia.