Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Better off Read is the debut of the A Bookmobile Mystery series set in the small town of Catalpa Springs, Georgia and featuring seventy five year old librarian Cleo Watkins and her Persian cat Rhett Butler. A recent storm has severely damaged the local library and Cleo is working hard to get the monies for its repair, and her ancient school bus bookmobile "Words on Wheels" is sounding like it's about ready for a new engine.
Mayor Jebson Day doesn't want to see the town spend the money to fix the library, instead he has plans to knock down the building and develop a huge fishing pier that will attract professional fisherman from all over the world. The Mayor has the backing of local bank president Vernon Givens and between the two Cleo has a feeling the library is going to be doomed.
Desperate to save the library and bookmobile Cleo sets out to ask the eccentric library board member Buford Krandall for help. When she and her library assistant Leanna arrive at the Krandall estate they find the man dead in his library surrounded by library books. Krandall had been drilling in the local springs looking to bottle the waters and make a fortune, much to the dismay of his neighbor Mary-Rose Garland who relies on the natural springs for the pancakes and sweets she serves up at the Pancake Mill.
Mary-Rose is Cleo's best friend and when she tops the suspect list along with Cleo's grandson Ollie who had gotten involved with an environmental activist group determined to stop Krandall, Cleo sets out with the help of her "gentleman friend" Henry Lafayette and his pug, Mr. Chaucer to find the real killer.
A fun, fast paced read with plenty of suspects. A delightful group of characters and a cozy small town setting, cute animals including a family of skunks make for a great new series.
Mayor Jebson Day doesn't want to see the town spend the money to fix the library, instead he has plans to knock down the building and develop a huge fishing pier that will attract professional fisherman from all over the world. The Mayor has the backing of local bank president Vernon Givens and between the two Cleo has a feeling the library is going to be doomed.
Desperate to save the library and bookmobile Cleo sets out to ask the eccentric library board member Buford Krandall for help. When she and her library assistant Leanna arrive at the Krandall estate they find the man dead in his library surrounded by library books. Krandall had been drilling in the local springs looking to bottle the waters and make a fortune, much to the dismay of his neighbor Mary-Rose Garland who relies on the natural springs for the pancakes and sweets she serves up at the Pancake Mill.
Mary-Rose is Cleo's best friend and when she tops the suspect list along with Cleo's grandson Ollie who had gotten involved with an environmental activist group determined to stop Krandall, Cleo sets out with the help of her "gentleman friend" Henry Lafayette and his pug, Mr. Chaucer to find the real killer.
A fun, fast paced read with plenty of suspects. A delightful group of characters and a cozy small town setting, cute animals including a family of skunks make for a great new series.
Better Off Read by Nora Page is the first tale in A Bookmobile Mystery series. Cleo Watkins is the head librarian of the Catalpa Springs Public Library in Catalpa Springs, Georgia. Unfortunately, a storm recently downed a beautiful old tree right onto the library. Mayor Jeb Day does not wish to use city funds to revive the library (they have insurance). Instead, he wishes to make Catalpa Springs a fishing destination with a world class fishing pier and have a floating casino on Tallgrass River. Cleo still wants to get books out to public and starts taking out Words on Wheels, the bookmobile, out every day. Cleo has to stop by Krandall House with books ordered by the eccentric Buford Krandall who is in a feud with neighbor, Mary-Rose Garland. Cleo discovers the front door open, the library in a disarray and Buford dead. The evidence quickly mounts against Mary-Rose. Cleo knows her friend did not harm Buford and sets out to prove it with the help of her friends.
Better Off Read is a humorous cozy with a fast pace. Cleo Watkins is seventy-five and determined to save her library. The mayor is determined Cleo will retire and repurpose the library. Cleo is a smart, spunky strong-minded woman who leads a busy life and has a lead foot when driving (I am amazed she has not had her license revoked). I appreciate her passion for books and helping others find the right books for them to read. There is a cast of quirky characters to accompany Cleo in Better Off Read. There is Ollie, her grandson who does not know what he wants to do with his life. Leanna who works part-time at the library (before the storm) and is going to college to get her degree in library science. Henry Lafayette who is smitten with Cleo and has a pub named Mr. Chaucer. Bitsy Givens is president of the Ladies League, married to the local bank president and puts up with her demanding mother-in-law. Let us not forget Rhett Butler, the library cat who accompanies Cleo on her rounds in Words on Wheels. While there are some interesting characters, I felt the author introduced too many of them. They just kept coming and it is difficult to keep them all straight. I wish the author had limited the number and focused on developing them (they seemed superficial). Catalpa Springs is a small Southern town in Georgia near the Florida border. There is Southern hospitality, plenty of food and gossip flows freely and quickly. There seemed to be one zany antic after another throughout Better Off Read (I just wanted them to stop). There is an amazing amount of dialogue in the story. The mystery had some good components, but it gets lost. I believe when the solution to the murder is revealed, some readers will be scratching their heads. The book has a satisfying ending that wraps up all the storylines. I felt that there was too much going on (I could not begin to describe it all). Better Off Read had a great premise, but the final product was dissatisfying. My rating for Better Off Read is 3 out of 5 stars.
Better Off Read is a humorous cozy with a fast pace. Cleo Watkins is seventy-five and determined to save her library. The mayor is determined Cleo will retire and repurpose the library. Cleo is a smart, spunky strong-minded woman who leads a busy life and has a lead foot when driving (I am amazed she has not had her license revoked). I appreciate her passion for books and helping others find the right books for them to read. There is a cast of quirky characters to accompany Cleo in Better Off Read. There is Ollie, her grandson who does not know what he wants to do with his life. Leanna who works part-time at the library (before the storm) and is going to college to get her degree in library science. Henry Lafayette who is smitten with Cleo and has a pub named Mr. Chaucer. Bitsy Givens is president of the Ladies League, married to the local bank president and puts up with her demanding mother-in-law. Let us not forget Rhett Butler, the library cat who accompanies Cleo on her rounds in Words on Wheels. While there are some interesting characters, I felt the author introduced too many of them. They just kept coming and it is difficult to keep them all straight. I wish the author had limited the number and focused on developing them (they seemed superficial). Catalpa Springs is a small Southern town in Georgia near the Florida border. There is Southern hospitality, plenty of food and gossip flows freely and quickly. There seemed to be one zany antic after another throughout Better Off Read (I just wanted them to stop). There is an amazing amount of dialogue in the story. The mystery had some good components, but it gets lost. I believe when the solution to the murder is revealed, some readers will be scratching their heads. The book has a satisfying ending that wraps up all the storylines. I felt that there was too much going on (I could not begin to describe it all). Better Off Read had a great premise, but the final product was dissatisfying. My rating for Better Off Read is 3 out of 5 stars.
