Cleo
Watkins serves as the librarian in the small town of Catalpa
Springs, Georgia. The library building was heavily damaged
by a storm, and the mayor balks at spending the money to repair
it. Meanwhile, Cleo still has the bookmobile, Words on Wheels,
and finds herself in some hair-raising situations as she rolls
around town trying to solve crimes. The poor old bookmobile
is struggling to keep going and Cleo must find a way to have
it repaired and restored before it falls apart.
When
the eccentric curmudgeon Buford Krandall is murdered in his
home library, suspicion falls on Cleo's best friend, Mary-Rose
Garland, because of a neighborly dispute between Mary-Rose
and Buford which has gotten out of hand. Cleo knows, or is
fairly certain anyway, that her friend wouldn't kill anyone.
Then, when her grandson becomes the prime suspect and is arrested,
Cleo puts on her sleuthing cap and, along with library assistant
Leanna, her gentleman friend Henry, and library cat Rhett
Butler, she sets out to find the killer and save both her
library and her bookmobile.
A charming
mystery full of the manners and hospitality of the south,
this story is chock full of interesting small-town characters
and is steeped in tradition, and at the same time quirkiness.
The mystery is well-plotted, and I never guessed who the guilty
party was until Nora Page was ready to reveal the truth.
I'm always
delighted to find a new series replete with libraries, a cat,
a couple of dogs and a small town populated by a variety of
personalities. This cozy is humorous and offers a sweet touch
of romance between two seventy-somethings to boot! Included
is a recipe for Hummingbird Cake which sounds delicious! I
highly recommend that you don't miss this winner of a series
debut!
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