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 … 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.
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When Cypress town manager Duggar Hargrove wants to pull the plug on paper books at the local library, assistant Trudell Becket has a plan to save her favorite tomes. But when Duggar turns up dead, It’s up to Trudell to save the books and catch the killer. Dorothy St. James has pulled off a charmer of a tale. Two thumbs up!
“Librarians were superheroes dressed in plain clothes.”
The Broken Spine is the first book I’ve read by Dorothy St. James (to my recollection) but I immediately fell in love with her writing voice and specifically the 1st person narrative for Tru. It was fun and lighthearted in tone – which is exactly what I needed after reading some intense suspense novels lately. Not to mention Tru is a character after my own bookish heart – with her library going high-tech (aka ‘no more print books’), she’s hiding a secret vault library in the basement that she’s salvaged from books she just couldn’t bear to let go to the landfill. And don’t all we bookworms support her in that?
I also loved getting to know Flossie and Tori – each of whom has a unique personality and maybe a couple of secrets too, possibly to be unearthed in future books. And then there’s Charlie and Jace who add a definite swoon factor to the mix. Of course I can’t forget to mention Dewey the cat who’s definitely a hero in his own right, with his quirks bringing plenty of opportunities to smile.
The mystery was well-plotted, in my opinion and the library setting certainly didn’t hurt. Not terribly hard to figure out the culprit once things got going but it wasn’t glaringly obvious either. Definitely a bevy of twists and turns and suspects to choose from, too, so while I was pretty sure I knew who it was I wasn’t 100% convinced until the villain was actually revealed.
Bottom Line: The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James is more than just a cozy mystery – it’s a love letter to libraries and bookworms alike. Tru is a fabulous heroine whom readers will instantly rally behind & cheer for, and even though I’m not a cat fan I can truly say that Dewey steals the show! Quirky supporting characters will leave you chuckling and caring about them at the same time, and a dash of romance was icing on the cake for me. I’m looking forward to following this series. All around this book just made me smile!
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Like me, Trudell Becket loves books. Being a librarian brings her so much joy. But the Cypress city manager is on a mission to bring tech companies to town so he has decided the way to do that is to make everything computerized and digital. His first major project is to make the library completely digital and send all the print books to the landfill. Trudell just can’t accept that so she comes up with a plan to rescue as many books as she can. She pitches her idea to her friends and they agree to help her. While executing her plan she hears a loud crash. Rushing to the noise she finds the city manager crushed beneath a media shelf that was filled with DVDs. A shelf that had been tampered with. Because she is the one that found him Trudell becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Now with a little more help from her friends, she decides to find the real culprit before she is booked for the crime.
Stop, full stop! A library with no physical books! Yes, technology is great but libraries hold our history. They are a gathering place. A place where dreams are born and goals are set. There is nothing like that new book smell, except maybe that old book smell. The joy that is felt as you open a book and set off on a new adventure. Yes, stories can be read or listened to on devices and loved but there of many types of books that just need to be in print format. All formats can coexist together, there is no need to just trash books especially first editions of some classics. Okay, I will get off my soapbox and tell you more about this book but I must say the premise of the story just broke my heart. That does not mean I did enjoy the book. If the job of a book is to evoke emotions this story truly does that.
I found Trudell to be a very interesting protagonist, a girl after my own heart. She has a diverse group of friends and co-workers, one of who I identified with completely. One has me on the fence. I feel we have just scratched the surface on these key characters. I want to get to know them all better. Dewey, the cat, was a favorite of mine. I found him to be quite captivating.
The mystery had a nice pace with twists and turns. I did hone in on someone very early in the story, I just needed to suss out all the reasons why. Trudell worked her way through all the suspects and did come around eventually to my way of thinking as all the clues finally fell into place for her. It was fun to see her process everything. I think the theme of the story, a bookless library, grabbed all of my attention at first and I was thrilled that the city manager was the victim. Had I been a character in the story I may have topped the suspect list myself. The motive ended up being a bit of a surprise but my thinking was definitely on the right track.
The Broken Spine is a very pleasing start to the Beloved Bookroom Series. I am curious to see where the author takes these characters and how they will develop. I am still trying to wrap my head around the bookless library idea. Ms. St. James has sure piqued my interest. A Perfect Bind will be released on September 7, 2021.
Tru Beckett is the assistant librarian in her small town. She’s always loved books, so when the town manager comes up with a plan to turn the library into a bookless “technology center,” she does the only thing she can think to do. She saves as many books as she can to set up in a secret bookroom in the library’s basement. She and her friends are almost done with their book rescue mission when the town manager is murdered, killed under a shelf of DVDs in the main library. The police are looking at Tru as a suspect, certain she is hiding something from them. But in order to keep her secret, and the books, safe, True has to find the real killer. Can she do it?
As a book lover, I immediately sympathized with Tru in her quest to save the books, and I love how that secret added an extra layer to her motivation to solve the murder. A couple of times, I thought the plot was slowing down, but then something would happen to jump start it again. The result was a book I never wanted to put down. I loved how everything came together at the end. The characters were all strong, even a couple who only had a few scenes. This is a strong, fun debut, and I can’t wait to visit Tru again.
This is the first book in a new series. The library in Cypress is going through a change and a challenge. A book less library is what the mayor and town manager have pushed. A modern library with no books! Seriously!?
People are not happy with the change, especially Trudell who has a plan to save some of the books. She takes them to the basement to start a secret library.
I could relate to not not being able to hold a book to read, and not exactly being a tech person would be very unhappy to have a book less library in my town.
A murder is committed in the library which gets everyone mixed up in the investigation. Can Trudell catch a killer and save the books?
I love the cover of the book. Absolutely love Dewey the cat!! Looking forward to the next book!
Thank you NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing for the opportunity to read this book.
I love reading books about libraries and the theme of this book being about a library getting rid of their paper books and going digital was shocking. The cozy mystery whodunit was well written. The primary character, Tru, was well developed and I appreciated the quality of her character. Side characters and the cat added to the enjoyable read. I was surprised at the ending and who was actually guilty. That is always a plus for me in a good cozy mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.
Being a library lover I completely sided with the protagonist, Trudell, on saving the books. If her her shoes I probably would’ve done the same thing. The storyline was great and the mystery was well plotted. This being a first in series the characters at not very complex but this leaves room for the to develop over the series. The characters are relatable and for the most part likable. I look forward to reading more of this series in the future.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.
This is a wonderful cozy read by a new author for me. A librarian resorting to hiding books!
A nightmare has been released in the small town and the mayor is forcing it on the people and their beloved library. Changes will be coming and everyone is upset as the library will remove, sell, take to.the landfill all the books…..yup, a bookless library!
Tru can’t believe her library, her place of work and enjoyment is packing up books into piles and switching to an electronic library. Rent the book with your tablet, even children’s books can be read on tablets especially set up for the kids and parents. Put in a coffee bar, have computer stations and relax
Instead, Tru enlisted Flossie and Tori and other book lovers to grab books and sneak them to a forgotten bunker in the library basement. Meanwhile the mayor, his friend Duggar and Annie are going ahead piling the books up to take away. Unfortunately Tru finds Duggar dead, in the library, with no clues….except the sheriff wants to arrest her as she had been very vocal about the new library.
Enter Jace, a nice looking detective that has come back to the town….and treated Tru horribly in high school. Also enter Charlie, moving to town to open a used bookstore…whose side is he on? And the stray cat, Dewey, as in Dewey Decimal keeps escaping from the bunker and playing in the library.
A fun read, no worries, some good red herrings help keep you guessing why and who the killer is….a look into special editions. signed books and the love of books all play a part.
Tru is a delightful character as are her friends and Dewey. Can’t wait to read the next one and find out if the library survives and if the bunker full of books is discovered. 4.7 stars
When the town manager proposes a bookless library, I wasn’t the only one who was confused. Librarian Tru Beckett, in this lovely town of Cypress, South Carolina, wants to try to save as many books as she can. She and her friends begin squirrelling away boxes when the same town manager is crushed to death by a shelf in the library. I thought the cat named Dewey Decimal was a cute touch in this fun read.
When a town councilman is killed in her library, Trudell Becket, a prime suspect, investigates.
St. James gives us a solid plot that moves at a steady pace with abundant sleuthing, strong characters, and a host of suspects. The protagonist is lively, brilliant, and determined. The settings are well-described. And there’s an adorable cat.
A fabulous start to a new cozy mystery series.
An enjoyable new series from author Dorothy St. James! When the town manager in Cypress, South Carolina decides to make the town library bookless, assistant librarian, Tru, is stunned. Tru and her friends Tori and Flossie, with help from Charlie, a guy Tori has just met, rescue books that were going to be sent to the landfill and create a secret book room in the basement of the library. They are finishing up when a crash is heard from upstairs and Tru finds the town manager underneath one of the heavy shelving units. Tru isn’t happy to learn that Detective Jace Bailey, who broke her heart in high school, is back in town and helping to investigate the murder. Jace seems to determined to find out what Tru is hiding and she worries that her secret will be discovered. Tru, Tori, and Flossie try their hand at investigating the murder to clear Tru’s name. This was a fun new series. The thought of a library without books is really hard to fathom and I think I would be just as upset as Tru seemed to be. I enjoyed Tru’s amateur sleuthing and overactive imagination. Throughout the whole book, I tried to figure out if Charlie was a good guy or a bad guy as it was often hard to tell. Dewey the cat was also a delight. I look forward to reading more about Tru and her friends and seeing what’s next for the library and secret book room, Jace and Tru (friendship or romance?), and Dewey!
The Cypress library in South Carolina is about to fall victim to a technology overhaul which will eliminate all of its physical books, replacing them with a digital catalog. The head and assistant librarians, as well as many of the patrons, are not happy about this new development. Although their disapproval is openly expressed, their feelings fall on deaf ears. The library conversion will take place. But in the midst of this transition the town manager who was in favor of the new changes is found dead, crushed under the weight of an overturned shelf of DVD’s. There are several suspects, including the assistant librarian, Trudell Beckett, who loved the library’s precious books. Admittedly, Tru has some secrets of her own, but she insists she’s innocent of this crime. Nevertheless, she remains on the suspect list. Tru has a few theories of her own about who may have killed Duggar Hargrove, and sadly her best friend, Tori, is on her list of suspects. So when someone is arrested and taken into custody for the murder, Tru should be relieved. Unfortunately, she isn’t convinced of the culprit’s guilt, and she’s intent on finding who the real killer is. Will she get to the bottom of what really happened before someone shuts her up for good?
I enjoyed this cozy mystery. The cast of characters were lively and diverse—from young to old, ditzy to feisty. Their personalities were entertaining and I found myself chuckling out loud on quite a few instances. I had difficulty determining who the murderer was which added to my enjoyment of the book. A number of the characters had motive, and the revelation at the end was both believable and creatively executed. And what’s a cozy mystery without an animal’s presence? Dewey (short for Dewey Decimal), Trudell’s brown tabby cat, was a nice addition to the story.
The audiobook narrator had a pleasant voice and I was impressed by how well she performed both male and female characters, young and old. My only complaint is that her breathy inhalation’s were noisy and distracting at times. If editing could somehow remedy this issue I would give her an A+.
Overall, I was very pleased with The Broken Spine and would definitely recommend it.
Thank you, Tantor Audio, for a complimentary download of The Broken Spine. My opinion of the book expressed in this review is entirely my own.
Trudell (Tru) Becket is a librarian who loves books and when the city manager of the small, southern town pushes for a book-less library, she’s not happy. So, in a rare form of rebellion, she enlists the help of some friends to “rescue” some books and set up a secret book room in the basement of the library. When Tru finds the city manager crushed under a shelf, she quickly becomes a top suspect. Since she can’t provide an alibi without giving away what she was doing, she and her two best friends set out to solve the mystery and find the killer themselves.
This is the first book in a new series and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The book’s well-written with well-rounded characters, some of whom you’ll like and others you won’t. I was pulled in from the beginning and didn’t want to put the book down. The mystery will keep you guessing throughout the book. I’m really looking forward to the next book and highly recommend this one.
The Broken Spine earns 5/5 Shhh-es…Exciting Entertainment!
Is there anything worse than finding out your neighborhood library is going high-tech? What do you do when you discover all those “sensory fulfilling” paper and ink, hard and soft, well-worn or sparkling new favorites will be discarded? If you are an assistant librarian Trudell Becket, you decide to rescue those classics and contemporary books and set up an “old-school” library in the basement for only the most discerning who can keep her secret. However, things get complicated when Duggar Hargrove, the man spearheading the digital paradise, is found crushed under DVD shelves. Murder? Tru is believed to have the best motive, opportunity, and means, but if she is honest about others who were visiting her underground library at the time of the murder, she’d lose everything! So, Tru decides she needs to get some answers and channeling her inner Nancy Drew might be the only way to clear up this mess, especially when the detective in charge is a nightmare from high school.
I really enjoy Dorothy St. James’s first in her new series, Beloved Book Room Mystery, but I felt very guilty, too. I love my iPad with its setting for brightness control, font size, and bookmarking and highlighting without ruining the pages. But, to each his own! The premise is still exciting with a clever mystery and conundrum, descriptive images and witty banter, and enjoyable investigation and “Wow” ending, but it’s the characters that I really enjoyed…I’m excited about this series! Additional kudos go to the extras provided. Authors often include extra bits like Notes, Prefaces, or Glossaries to provide insight or background, and sometimes those extra bits are written from the perspective of one of the characters. Do not miss the “A (Very) Shirt History of Books” by Trudeau Becket, Assistant Librarian.
I loved the idea of rescuing the books of the library and opening a small secret library for select patrons. Even though I read many books on an e-reader, like Trudell Becket, I value books. Old books, new books, hold in your hand and flip the pages books! It is how I instilled a love of reading in my children. Searching for books both old and new has given me hours of pleasure. Reading a wide variety of topics-heaven! So I admire Tru and her exciting plan for after the library becomes bookless.
But…so many things in this book are impossible. A head librarian who hides out in her office all day? An assistant librarian who spends hours in the basement? Nobody notices or complains? Also, you don’t have very many likeable characters when all is said and done Even Tru’s own mother isn’t someone I’d want to be around.
Life is about balance. THE BROKEN SPINE is also about balance. It just isn’t as warm and friendly as I expected. Relationships all seem shallow-even between “best” friends. I liked the book, but I didn’t love it. I will probably read the next book in the series hoping it will be more what I’d hoped this one would be.
I appreciate The Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. My opinions are strictly my own, and I was happy to have this opportunity.
The Broken Spine has some interesting moments, is written by a seasoned veteran, and has a great plot. Unfortunately, it also has a main character that isn’t very likable, has anger issues, and is on the childish side. The fact that she wants to save print books at the library she works for is terrific, but no one, no matter how much they love books, would risk going to prison for murder if they had an alibi they could prove. This is the main drawback in this story for me, other than Tru herself. I love books, print books imparticular, I would be heartbroken if someone took my books away, especially to the dump. But Tru is obsessed and enraged beyond the norm.
There is no appeal to me of an all-digital library, and apparently, many people in real life and in Tru’s world agree. But when the man behind the change from print to digital is murdered at the library, and Tru is the first person on the scene, even though she shouldn’t have been, Tru becomes the prime suspect. In and of itself, this is a great start to the book; I love the idea of the secret library. It’s only normal for Tru to want to save the books, be angry and even try to find ways to stop the wanton destruction of books. But the way she goes about it causes people to wonder if she isn’t a killer or mentally unbalanced. There are, of course, other suspects, and the killer wasn’t hard to figure out. The motives varied quite a bit from person to person, but in the end, it became apparent that this motive was as old as time.
I am interested to see where the author can take this series. The main characters need to grow and quickly to become more likable. I enjoyed the interaction between the stray cat, Dewey, the library patrons, and Tru; he may even have been the best character in the story. I enjoyed Tori and Flossie but did not care for the detective who is looking like Tru’s love interest. I love the idea of a secret library within a library; I think all libraries should have one. The Broken Spine needed more work, and the characters needed more depth. A plot centered around the love of books can quickly destroy a series if it is the only thing the characters and future books are based on; I certainly hope this is not the case with this new series. I hope that Tru matures in the next addition, becomes more likable, and learns to deal with her past and insecurities.
The town library in Cypress is undergoing a change no library should suffer. The town’s aggressive town manager, Duggar Hargrove, has announced the library is going high tech. Computers and tablets are in and physical books are out. He hopes the change will bring high tech businesses to the area, revitalizing the economy. Anne Lowery, the newly hired technology specialist, is in charge of the renovation.
Not everyone is happy with the changes. Trudell Beckett, assistant librarian, (and the main character) has fought with Duggar over the changes. Duggar goes forward with his plan and Trudell goes forward with her plan to save the books.
She and several friends set up a secret library in the basement one night after the main library is closed. Morning comes before they finish. Trudell runs up from the basement to investigate a large thud. What she finds is Duggar Hargrove’s body crushed under a fallen shelf.
Suspects in the murder abound. Trudell isn’t the only one who was opposed to the library’s new format. Lida Farnsworth, head librarian and a stickler for the rules, was no fan of Duggar’s. Anne Lowery was in the same area but didn’t come running at the noise. Many of the townsfolk weren’t happy with Duggar either. The investigation also puts the secret library at risk of discovery. Can Trudell discover the murderer and still keep the secret library secret?
What a fabulous start to a new series! We meet Trudell an assistant librarian who is not happy that her small library is going book less. The plan is bring the library into the new technology era by having everything online accessible through computers, tablets, and phones. The man in charge of this is trying to entice tech companies to the area using this as enticement. Not everyone is happy about though. Tru has the grand plan of saving some of the books from the landfill by hiding them in a hidden room in the basement to have a secret library for those that love the printed book. With that in mind she breaks in with some friends to get it done but the following morning before they leave a loud crash brings her to the media room where she finds the man in charge crushed under a bookcase that should have been bolted to the floor. Due to her secret endeavors she quickly becomes a suspect by all the police agencies involved. She starts a bumbling investigation that is quite fun to follow while trying to clear her name. Add in an adorable cat and you get a cozy that with delight the reader. Full of small town flair and characters of all varieties to keep you turning the page unable to put it down. Makes for a fantastic start to what is going to be a wonderful cozy mystery series. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.
THE BROKEN SPINE by Dorothy St. James
The First Beloved Bookroom Mystery
Books mean the world to assistant librarian Trudell Becket, so when the city manager decides to make the Cypress Public Library a bookless library, she devises a plan. Sneaking her friends into the library after hours, they transport as many of the books headed for the landfill down to the basement as possible in order to create a secret library of real books. A loud crash makes Tru realized they’ve worked too far into the morning. Quickly telling her friends to leave the library Tru heads upstairs to find the reason for the crash. What she finds is a multimedia shelving unit that has toppled over-right onto the city manager. The very dead city manager. Soon becoming a prime suspect, Tru realizes that in order to protect the books and her secret library, she’ll have to prove her innocence and find the real murderer.
Trudell Becket is a hero! The quiet reserved assistant librarian who has been pretty invisible for most of her life has a mission. She will do everything in her power to save the town’s books. And when it comes to her cat, Tru becomes a fierce momma bear! I love her transformation and her inner fire. It goes to prove you should never underestimate the quiet ones. I dislike her mother immensely and look forward to meeting her father. Of course, I adore Dewey and would happily supply him with toys if I could!
The first Beloved Bookroom Mystery is a story about growth and quiet rebellion. It has you rooting for the underdogs, the book lovers, and stalwart friends while wondering who dun it. There are several twists and turns that had me unsure of who I could trust.
THE BROKEN SPINE is a charming novel that kept me engaged with its well plotted mystery and unique cast of characters.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James has Trudell Becket, assistant librarian, distraught that her beloved library in Cypress, South Carolina is becoming bookless. The books are the heart of the library. The library and its books helped Trudell get through some difficult times growing up. When Trudell learns that the town manager, Duggar Hargrove is having the books tossed into the landfill, she comes up with a plan. Trudell along with a couple of trusted friends are transporting books into the basement vault when she hears a large crash. She rushes upstairs to find Duggar dead underneath a bookcase. Trudell is surprised to discover that the lead detective is Jace who humiliated her in high school. As if that is not bad enough, Trudell learns she is the prime suspect. Trudell with help from two close friends works to prove her innocence by finding the guilty party. The Broken Spine is the debut of A Beloved Bookroom Mystery series. I thought The Broken Spine had an interesting premise. A library with no books. This is the first time that I had heard of this concept. I found The Broken Spine was easy to read with some interesting characters. I do hope the author will provide more background on Trudell in the next book. I would like to see her fleshed out more (I want to know more about this book loving librarian) along with the other regular characters (Tori, Flossie, Jace, Charlie). I just loved the cat, Dewey. He is a cute and smart feline. I also liked Charlie who is new to town and opening The Deckled Edge. I thought that was a clever name for a bookstore. The mystery was clear-cut. There were a couple of suspects, a red herring, and direct clues. I would like to see that mystery in the next book to be more of a challenge. I was not a fan of Jace and the way he treated Trudell. I think Trudell deserves someone better as her romantic partner (maybe Jace will redeem himself in the next book). I did find the book slow in spots and there was repetition of information. I felt the story needed more depth. I am curious to see if Trudell can keep her secret library hidden from her boss along with Dewey. The Broken Spine is a unique cozy mystery with a bookless library, a clever cat, a demanding mayor, a bevy of beloved books, a determined detective, and a lockpicking librarian.