A match-made in cozy heaven for fans of Jenn McKinlay, Kate Carlisle, and book lovers everywhere, Nora Page’s third Bookmobile mystery will (book)worm its way into your heart.Wrongful accusations have librarian Cleo Watkins and her loved ones booked for trouble.It’s springtime and septuagenarian librarian Cleo Watkins is celebrating new blooms and old books. To her delight, the Georgia … 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.
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I needed a comfort read earlier this week and immediately thought of Cleo and her bookmobile. Cleo feels like the grandma we all wish we had and you throw in her love of books and you get the perfect grandma. I think Cleo has the perfect job of driving the bookmobile. She gets to be surrounded by books all day, she gets to travel with said books, and she gets to be among fellow booklovers. The only downside of her job is the dead bodies she finds but that is just a little hiccup.
I instantly fell in love when I realized the book would be about Gone With the Wind, which is a favorite of mine. Even with all the recent controversy surrounding the book I still love it. I have visited the Margaret Mitchell House and felt the awe Cleo and her friends experienced touching a book she touched and signed. Fellow bibliophiles will understand.
The book is written as you can start with book 3 and be perfectly fine. The Bookmobile Mystery series is perfect for bibliophiles around the world.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
“Read or Alive” by Nora Page is the 3rd instalment in the Bookmobile Mystery series. It was an entertaining read, with a wonderful cast of characters.
I was happy to be visiting Catalpa Springs, Georgia again, I really like small town southern setting. Cleo is an older protagonist but I like my cozies with older sleuths rather than always young. Now who can resist Cleo’s cat, Rhett Butler, and Henry’s old pug, Mr. Chaucer, I am a sucker for fur babies in my mysteries.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. There were plenty of suspects from locals to visitors and twists and turn to keep you guessing on who dunit.
Includes a yummy cookie recipe too.
I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.
I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.
This is the first book in this series I have read and I enjoyed it. Cleo is an older protagonist and that element added to the enjoyment of the book for me. I love how Cleo tries so many new things and still is fully enjoying her life in this season. A bookmobile is such a fun and creative idea. I wish we had a real life bookmobile in my town!
https://cozyexperience.com/read-or-alive-book-review/
This is a fabulous third offering in A Bookmobile Mystery series! If I had not already read the first two, the gorgeous cover would have drawn me in before even seeing the description. I love seeing the bus, Rhett Butler, and Mr. Chaucer in full color. Springtime in Georgia sounds beautiful, and what book lover can resist a book fair? The regular characters are very likable, a wonderful age group, and three-dimensional. This complex mystery is excellent with an unexpected whodunit.
Cleo Watkins, at 76, is still head librarian at the Catalpa Springs library. She frequently is found on the bookmobile, a repurposed school bus completely renovated by her grandson for an Eagle Scout project. Her protégé, Leanna, mans the library on any given day. Cleo and best friend Mary-Rose went to the book fair opening to see what bargains they might find among the rare, vintage, and used books.
One of the first things they saw was a very expensive French copy of Gone With the Wind and the booth of Kitty Peavey, outfitted to look and sound like Marilyn Monroe. Before they left her booth, Cleo was stunned to see the cover of a book open in the trash can near Kitty’s stall with the custom-made bookplate that belonged to her cousin Dot. It matches the size of Dot’s prized movie edition of Gone With the Wind, found at an estate sale years ago. In the door of the facility marched Dot, yelling for Hunter Fox, a “book scout” who had taken some of her valuable books on the auspices of selling them on commission. She tried to contact him several times to cancel the deal, but he didn’t return her calls. He denied it, they argued loudly, and she told him he would be sorry. The next day, she has the misfortune for find the man dead in the alley while on her way to work.
Cleo was taking Henry to his shop. Henry is her gentleman friend who owns Gilded Page Antiquarian & Rare Books. They saw Dot run into the street to flag them down, and she showed them her grisly find of only moments earlier. The police chief doesn’t appear to be one of the sharpest – or kindest – tools in the shed. His deputy and Cleo’s favorite neighbor, Gabby, also arrived. People heard Dot’s dispute with Fox the prior day, and she was immediately the prime suspect. When they found the murder weapon, one of his bookbinding tools, Henry became the suspect.
Cleo is on the case. In this small town, she knows most of the residents, many of whom are her bookmobile patrons. It is amazing what her network of friends can find, including that Dot was not the only woman taken in by Mr. Fox. Dot, Henry, and Chloe were befriended by a dealer next to Ms. Peavey’s stall, Buddy Boone. He found one of Dot’s books at another seller’s stall and made sure it was returned to her. I love the humor, the antics of the pets, and Cleo’s unflagging loyalty to Henry and Dot despite the evidence.
This mystery is well-plotted and executed. There are a couple red herrings that I kept veering towards despite a different possible suspect. The real whodunit was a surprise to me, as I had discounted the person more than once! All loose ends are tied up; the end is very satisfactory. I highly recommend this to lovers of well-written cozy mysteries, cats and dogs, libraries and bookstores, and Southern settings.
From a thankful heart: I received an advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.
Librarian Cleo Watkins and her best friend, Mary Rose Garland are beyond excited to attend the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society Fair and pour over all the rare books, old books, manuscripts, photographs, etc., featured at the different booths. Henry Lafayette, Cleo’s significant other, will have a booth for his shop, the Gilded Page. When the fair opens, it quickly becomes evident to Cleo there are dealers selling goods they didn’t come by legally. Accusations fly, and someone turns up dead.
Book three in the Bookmobile Mystery series is an entertaining novel. I always enjoy re-visiting Catalpa Springs, Georgia and the affable cast of characters who feel like old friends. Cleo’s cat, Rhett Butler, and Henry’s old pug, Mr. Chaucer are sweet 4-legged companions for both their owners and are usually by their sides as they sleuth.
The mystery is a good one, and I didn’t realize who the culprit was until the author revealed how she had cleverly disguised them. I wish the Bookmobile had been featured more in this story, as it had in previous books. Cookie recipe included that sounds delish!
I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. Thank you.
Read of Alive by Nora Page is book three in the Bookmobile Mystery series. This is a delightful cozy with a wonderful cast of characters.
Cleo is a bookmobile librarian that doesn’t want to retire even though she could. This time the feisty senior is excited to be going to the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society Fair. After all, this is an honor for Catalpa Springs to be hosting. She has her shopping bag ready to be filled. Before she can start shopping, a body is found. Unfortunately, he has been conning the locals out of rare and priceless books including Cleo’s cousin, Dot.
There are plenty of suspects from locals to visitors. When the police chef starts looking at her cousin as the main suspect, Cleo knows it’s up to her to find out who really is guilty.
This cozy has it all, plenty of plot twists, friendship, family, romance, humor, and a cat named Rhett Butler.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an honest review.
Read or Alive is the third in Nora Page series! Cleo Watkins is a Bookmobile Librarian in her Georgia town. Cleo and her gentleman friend, Henry were hosting the state Antiquarian Book Fair and they become involved in a murder. Cleo is widow who is passionate a books and all the sugary desserts that she should stay away from. When Henry becomes the prime suspect, Cleo has to get involve and solve the murder!
This is a gentle and undemanding cozy. Cleo is a widow who is passionate about books, her bookmobile, and the world of sugary desserts her doctor has told her to stay away from.
I really enjoyed the characters, this book was very entertaining, and very unpredictable.
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is a fun, entertaining cozy with humorous characters solving crimes. This series also involves books! If someone “stole” my books I might have to kill them too. Just kidding……….maybe!
This is the third book in the series but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. The setting of a book fair is interesting and gave a great jumping-off place for the mystery. Cleo is a smart and relatable character. The mystery is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.
Cleo is back and man did she teach me some things about books! I never knew people cut books apart and sold individual pages. The town people turning against Henry mad me so mad but my favorite was the nursing home folks! They were !
Cleo Watkins is one of my favorite mystery characters. At the age of 76 she could settle into retirement from being the town librarian, spending time with her gentleman friend, Henry. She has too much energy to slow down and still takes charge of the local bookmobile, Words on Wheels, the refitted school bus. It’s now Spring in the town of Catalpa Springs, Georgia and all book lovers are eager to start their book hunting at the Antiquarian Book Society Fair. Book sellers and scouts are all over town and one or more of them are on the shady side. Cleo’s cousin, Dot, crosses paths with one and he offers to sell her first edition of Gone With the Wind for her. When she wants to change her mind, he makes himself scarce – but not for long. She corners him at the event and a loud argument is heard by all. Cleo is pretty sure that there are more than a few book dealers selling books not acquired by legal methods. It’s not long after that when the book scout is found dead – police look at Cleo’s cousin until they learn that the murder weapon was a book restoring tool owned by Henry. Wrong but the police chief won’t be swayed so Cleo, with the help of Dot, Henry, Mary-Rose and her next door neighbor, Gabby, a police deputy with a lot more investigating skills than the Chief of Police will ever have.Along with the humans there are two four legged companions, Cleo’s cat, Rhett Butler and Henry’s sweet pug, chaucer. The killer will soon be caught.
It’s nice to read a mystery with a senior citizen sleuth. There have been many in the annals of crime fiction but not as many as I would like there to be. The puzzle was very satisfying and the red herrings had me guessing wrong. Add humor and a lovely small town setting and this makes for a great reading escape.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I have lots of fond memories of the book mobile that I was lucky enough to use as a child. I love Cleo and her love for books. You have lots of folks in this story that love books, or do they? It’s a great story line. You have a colorful cast of characters that you will have to figure out just exactly how they play into the story. Join Cleo, Henry, Mary Rose, Gabby, Oliver and of course Rhett and Mr. Chaucer as they figure out all the twists and turns. Great story and wonderful characters. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
New from Crooked Lane Books comes Nora Page’s 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, 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 or Dot have alibi’s, and the local chief of police is positive one of them killed the victim and 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.
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.
Cleo and her friends have an antiquarian book fair in their town, that was arranged by Henry (Cleo’s boyfriend). Everyone is enjoying themselves until someone is murdered–an unscrupulous book buyer. Two of Cleo’s favorite people come under suspicion.
This is a fun cozy. The characters are quirky. There is Cleo, a 70 something librarian who drives a bookmobile and solves mysteries. The murder victim is a suave, slick talking criminal. There is the typical staid and uptight professor, a Marilyn Monroe wanna be, etc. They are fun the the mystery had me going. Jumping from one suspect to the next. I also love the animals, Rhett Butler is Cleo’s cat and Mr. Chaucer is Henry’s pug. The ending took me a bit by surprise. This was an enjoyable read.
Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and offer my honest opinion of this book.
Read or Alive by Nora Page was another engaging mystery in the Bookmobile Mystery series.
Ms. Page’s descriptive writing has allowed the characters, Cleo, Dot, MaryRose, Henry to come to life within these books. It’s refreshing to have characters that are mature and contribute so much to their communities. Cleo’s sleuthing is realistic because she basically just puts the word out to her library patrons and they bring the clues to her. Catalpa Springs seems to be a charming small town that also has it’s usual drawbacks, nosy neighbors and a grapevine that works faster than the internet. Although the pace of the story seemed to slow down in the middle, it was a well written mystery with plenty of twists to keep me guessing until the reveal.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
seniors, amateur-sleuth, small-town, friendship, law-enforcement, pets
The good, the sleazy, and the devious. The Book mobile librarian is also the town’s best sleuth, but she amasses her clues and info from everyone, including her neighbor who is local law enforcement and much more astute than the chief. There’s an antiquarian book show in town, and the smarmy sleaze winds up murdered. Lots of suspects including a real prize of a manipulative older blonde. Good sleuthing with plenty of twists and red herrings. I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!