The Broken Spine (A Beloved Bookroom Mystery)
by Dorothy St. James
The Broken Spine
A Beloved Bookroom Mystery, Book 1
Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Berkley
Publish Date: January 19, 2021
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 0593098579
ISBN-13: 978-0593098578
Kindle ASIN: B086SCQ639
About The Broken Spine:
The first in an exciting new series featuring Trudell Becket, a spunky librarian who will stop at nothing to save her beloved books and catch a killer! Trudell Becket, book-loving librarian, finds herself in a bind when the library where she works is turned into a state-of-the-art bookless library. In a rare move of rebellion, Trudell rescues hundreds of her library's beloved books slated for the recycle center. She sets up a secret book room in the library's basement and opens it to anyone who shares her love of the printed book.
When the town councilman, who was the vocal proponent of the library's transformation into a "futuristic technological center," is crushed under an overturned shelf of DVDs, Trudell becomes the police's prime suspect for his murder. She was the only person in the library at the time of his death, or so the police believe. But that's not true. For the past month, Trudell had been letting a few dozen residents into the building through the basement entrance so they could read and check out the printed books.
But if she tells the police about the backdoor patrons who were in the library at the time of the murder, she'd have to explain about the secret book room and risk losing the books. In order to protect herself from being arrested for a murder she didn't commit, Trudell--with the help of a group of dedicated readers--decides to investigate. She quickly discovers you can't always judge a book by its cover.
My Review:
The Broken Spine is the first book in the new Beloved Bookroom Mystery series by Dorothy St. James. The premise is completely captivating and I was excited to read about Trudell and the upcoming changes to her town's library. Tru is determined to vocalize her displeasure with the new format and doing so puts her in the crosshairs of Cypress's finest. Her sleuthing and trying to figure out who committed murder inside the library also jeopardizes her life.
The thought of a bookless library terrifies me and I spent a good portion of the first few chapters completely anxious and reading in complete disbelief. I was horrified that anyone would think a bookless library is a good idea. While not a new concept, it's new to me and I would never support a bookless public library. I love my print books way too much. I have an e-reader (which is how I read The Broken Spine) so I'm not against the use of technology, I just don't think bookless is the way public libraries should go. Bookless research libraries and university libraries don't bother me. When I was working on my Bachelor's and Master's degrees, I never stepped foot in the the university library, I used the online library. When I want to read a book from a favorite or new author, I want to be able to go to my local library and peruse the shelves and pick up a paperback or hardcover book. I totally understand Tru's reaction to the new library concept.
Tru's passion causes her to make some silly mistakes and decisions. Fortunately, Tru has helpful friends and I enjoyed their interactions. The book was well-written and fast-paced. I was engaged from the very beginning. There are a lot of potential suspects and I had fun trying to figure out who committed the crime. I was totally blindsided. The murderer was someone on my list at the beginning but one I crossed off until closer to the reveal. The reason was staggering and I couldn't believe what I read. I look forward to seeing Tru's next shenanigans.
I was provided a copy of the book to read.
My Rating:
About Dorothy St. James:
Mystery author Dorothy St. James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband, a crazy dog, and fluffy cat. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.
Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn't as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.
* Dorothy St. James is the alter-ego of award-winning multi-published author, Dorothy McFalls. She enjoys writing in several different genres. Her works have been nominated for many awards including: Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader's Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers' Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: "amazing", "perfect", "filled with emotion", and "lined with danger."
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