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Beloved Bookroom Mystery #3
A Book Club to Die For
When a member of an exclusive book club is checked out, spunky librarian Trudell Becket must sort fact from fiction to solve the murder.
The Cypress Arete Society is one of the town’s oldest and most exclusive clubs. When assistant librarian Trudell Becket is invited to speak to the group about the library, its modernization, and her efforts to bring printed books to the reading public, her friend Flossie tags along. Flossie has been on the book club’s waiting list for five years, and she’s determined to find out why she’s never received an invitation to join.
But not long after Tru and Flossie arrive for the meeting, they’re shocked to find the club’s president, Rebecca White, dead in the kitchen. Rebecca was a former TV actress and local celebrity but was not known for being patient or pleasant. She’d been particularly unkind to the book club’s host for the evening, who also happens to be the mother of Detective Jace Bailey, Tru’s boyfriend. And Rebecca had made it clear that she didn’t think Flossie was book club material.
With her boyfriend and one of her best friends wrapped up in a murder, Tru has to work fast to figure out who cut Rebecca’s story short before the killer takes another victim out of circulation....
The Cypress Arete Society is one of the town’s oldest and most exclusive clubs. When assistant librarian Trudell Becket is invited to speak to the group about the library, its modernization, and her efforts to bring printed books to the reading public, her friend Flossie tags along. Flossie has been on the book club’s waiting list for five years, and she’s determined to find out why she’s never received an invitation to join.
But not long after Tru and Flossie arrive for the meeting, they’re shocked to find the club’s president, Rebecca White, dead in the kitchen. Rebecca was a former TV actress and local celebrity but was not known for being patient or pleasant. She’d been particularly unkind to the book club’s host for the evening, who also happens to be the mother of Detective Jace Bailey, Tru’s boyfriend. And Rebecca had made it clear that she didn’t think Flossie was book club material.
With her boyfriend and one of her best friends wrapped up in a murder, Tru has to work fast to figure out who cut Rebecca’s story short before the killer takes another victim out of circulation....
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 2022
36 people are currently reading
707 people want to read
About the author
Dorothy St. James
15 books589 followersPseudonym for author Dorothy McFalls
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, tiny little 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.
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, tiny little 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 132 reviews
November 2, 2022
Tru Becket has been invited to speak at the exclusive Arete Society, a book club that has waiting lists to join. In fact, her friend Flossie is one of those waiting to get in, and she has come with Tru in order to plead her case. The meeting winds up being canceled, however, when Tru finds the group’s president dead in the kitchen. The police think that Hazel, this month’s hostess, snapped and killed the victim, but Tru doesn’t think so. Can she come up with an alternative suspect?
This book is a variation on the locked room mystery, and I have come to realize how much I enjoyed those added twists to the story. A couple of things were obvious early on, but overall, this was still a compelling mystery with suspects strong enough to keep you engaged. The series regulars are all here and are fantastic as well. There are some regulars who can get annoying, but they were kept in the background and added to the fun. And this book is fun. I laughed more than I had at the first two. One sub-plot in particular made me laugh every time it popped up. If you are looking for a light mystery, this is one you’ll enjoy.
Note: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
This book is a variation on the locked room mystery, and I have come to realize how much I enjoyed those added twists to the story. A couple of things were obvious early on, but overall, this was still a compelling mystery with suspects strong enough to keep you engaged. The series regulars are all here and are fantastic as well. There are some regulars who can get annoying, but they were kept in the background and added to the fun. And this book is fun. I laughed more than I had at the first two. One sub-plot in particular made me laugh every time it popped up. If you are looking for a light mystery, this is one you’ll enjoy.
Note: I received an ARC of this book.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
July 19, 2023
First of all, I have to say 3 things.
1) A book club that you can only attend if you are exclusively invited to be a part of its membership? What gives?
The characters seem to chatter on and on about their concerns about wanting to be a part of this exclusive book club and impressing this President of the book club.
2) Re: the murder victim. Why am I happy that the murder victim becomes the murder victim? What gives?
I have a feeling most readers will agree that the murder victim was a really vile, mean-spirited person. But I actually smiled. Shame on me!
3) A local library that has to have a secret basement that carries actual books because the regular library only has digital resources – i.e., becomes a paperless technological center? What gives?
So, one character, Tru, the librarian carries around a tote bag to secretly hand out books to patrons. But of course, no one can tell anyone this is happening! Because, no one can know that she secreted away all those books to the basement instead of throwing them out!
What?!
And that was all within the first 20 pages.
And then…
The murder. In the kitchen. At the exclusive book club meeting.
“What was I in for,” I wondered.
The book meandered along attempting to find its way through several characters to find out who would want to kill Rebecca, the President of the exclusive book club, a former soap star with plenty of enemies.
I would like to say this could be a cozy mystery for modern book lovers.
But…
The conversations and actions of the characters were so nonsensical and superficial, they fell flat.
This is not a book club to die for, at all.
Please do not invite me to this one!
The only thing that held this book together…
The cover. Love the cat!
May 11, 2024
A cozy mystery series involving a library and a cat? Yes please, sign me up.
Tru, an assistant librarian, runs a secret library checkout room in the libraries' basement with discarded books because the library has decided to go with digital books only. I hope this never happens to the libraries I go to.
The book checkout doesn't involve technology just the old-fashioned cards you sign books out with.
The Cypress Arete Society invites assistant librarian, Trudell Becket to speak at their book club. After Tru informs her friend Flossie of this, she won't take no for an answer and invites herself to the meeting. Now Flossie has been trying to join this book club for five years and there's never been an opening yet. In the kitchen, club president Rebecca White is found dead by Flossie and Tru. Not known to be overly friendly she has been rude to Tru and holds steady on her insistence Flossie is not getting into the book club. Is it a matter of sour grapes that has this former TV actress and local celebrity found stone cold on the floor? Fast paced mystery that kept me guessing and enjoying this book.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
Tru, an assistant librarian, runs a secret library checkout room in the libraries' basement with discarded books because the library has decided to go with digital books only. I hope this never happens to the libraries I go to.
The book checkout doesn't involve technology just the old-fashioned cards you sign books out with.
The Cypress Arete Society invites assistant librarian, Trudell Becket to speak at their book club. After Tru informs her friend Flossie of this, she won't take no for an answer and invites herself to the meeting. Now Flossie has been trying to join this book club for five years and there's never been an opening yet. In the kitchen, club president Rebecca White is found dead by Flossie and Tru. Not known to be overly friendly she has been rude to Tru and holds steady on her insistence Flossie is not getting into the book club. Is it a matter of sour grapes that has this former TV actress and local celebrity found stone cold on the floor? Fast paced mystery that kept me guessing and enjoying this book.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
November 11, 2022
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Assistant librarian Trudell Becket has been asked to speak at the Cypress Arete Society one of the town’s oldest and most exclusive book clubs about the library including the modernization that removed all the print books and how she is trying to bring print materials back to readers. Her friend Flossie tags along to see if she can figure out why she has not been admitted to the club.
The meeting is being hosted by Hazel Bailey. Hazel has a reputation for hosting elegant dinners so she is taken aback when the president of the group, Rebecca White, a former actress and local celebrity, goes on a tirade about everything she has prepared especially after she followed all the preferences requested. She also pushes Tru to help her rearrange all the furniture in the living room, one chair several times until she went back to the kitchen to be sure Hazel had come up with a more appropriate menu. Just a few minutes later Tru and Flossie hear a loud crash. Flossie heads to the kitchen to see what happened while Tru moves to answer the door as guests have started to arrive including her boss, Mrs. Farnsworth. A second crash leaves the guests on the doorstep while Tru rushes to the kitchen. Hazel is nowhere to be seen but there is a huge food mess on the floor and Rebecca White’s dead body not far away.
The evidence points to Hazel or Flossie. Tru knows both have to be innocent but when her boyfriend/Hazel’s son Detective Jace Bailey is unable to work the case she has no choice. She needs to investigate the death herself before the wrong person is booked for the crime.
There is never a dull moment at the Cypress library and this time the excitement goes on the road to Hazel Bailey’s house but that doesn’t mean there isn’t craziness happening at the library too. As part of the continued madness to modernize, the library is now testing out a robot librarian who is definitely not ready to be out in the public. With plenty of bugs to work out, it needs to back to his barn before someone gets hurt. Robots in libraries just makes me sad.
Tru is an excellent protagonist. She is smart and methodical. People just open up to her and give her information to keep moving her investigation along. The relationship with Jace is moving at a perfect pace and I loved the way she supported him as he was quite upset to be taken off the case that could send his mother to jail.
Ms. St James has surrounded Tru will a wonderful supporting cast of characters. Mrs. Farnsworth speaks volumes all with a whisper. Flossie is like me. While I am not totally wheelchair ridden, I do have to use one when I leave the house. It makes me so happy to see a disabled person featured in a story. A person that doesn’t let her disability control her life. She does some amazing things that I envy. IT Tech Anne who is heading up the modernization of the library. She and Tru have an understanding and are getting close to actually being friends. Anne has an experience that was just one instance of me laughing out loud while reading this story. Tori, Tru’s best friend since Kindergarten, brews the best coffee in the state and is always there when Tru needs her, and Mama Eddy who is a hoot. An opinionated Southern woman famous for the “hissy-fits” she is apt to throw. I can’t forget Tru’s cat, Dewey Decimal. She sneaks him into the library every day and he hangs out amongst the books in the Beloved Bookroom. He is also good at helping Tru with her investigations.
The mystery is basically a closed-room mystery. The victim was not well-liked by the Cypress Arete Society members so there is a houseful of suspects. Tru had her work cut out for her. The clues were dropped at a pretty quick pace intermixed with the subplot of Tru’s missing father. I did deduce the killer before the reveal but I was delighted to follow along with Tru as she put everything together. I was surprised by what Tru’s eccentric father was involved in but was happy with the way the plotline played out in this story.
A Book Club To Die For was another Perfect Escape from Dorothy St. James. I am still at odds about a library without books but another surprise was revealed in this book that may shake things up a lot so I am beyond excited to see what the future holds for Cypress and its residents.
To really understand the theme of this series I believe the books should be read in order.
Assistant librarian Trudell Becket has been asked to speak at the Cypress Arete Society one of the town’s oldest and most exclusive book clubs about the library including the modernization that removed all the print books and how she is trying to bring print materials back to readers. Her friend Flossie tags along to see if she can figure out why she has not been admitted to the club.
The meeting is being hosted by Hazel Bailey. Hazel has a reputation for hosting elegant dinners so she is taken aback when the president of the group, Rebecca White, a former actress and local celebrity, goes on a tirade about everything she has prepared especially after she followed all the preferences requested. She also pushes Tru to help her rearrange all the furniture in the living room, one chair several times until she went back to the kitchen to be sure Hazel had come up with a more appropriate menu. Just a few minutes later Tru and Flossie hear a loud crash. Flossie heads to the kitchen to see what happened while Tru moves to answer the door as guests have started to arrive including her boss, Mrs. Farnsworth. A second crash leaves the guests on the doorstep while Tru rushes to the kitchen. Hazel is nowhere to be seen but there is a huge food mess on the floor and Rebecca White’s dead body not far away.
The evidence points to Hazel or Flossie. Tru knows both have to be innocent but when her boyfriend/Hazel’s son Detective Jace Bailey is unable to work the case she has no choice. She needs to investigate the death herself before the wrong person is booked for the crime.
There is never a dull moment at the Cypress library and this time the excitement goes on the road to Hazel Bailey’s house but that doesn’t mean there isn’t craziness happening at the library too. As part of the continued madness to modernize, the library is now testing out a robot librarian who is definitely not ready to be out in the public. With plenty of bugs to work out, it needs to back to his barn before someone gets hurt. Robots in libraries just makes me sad.
Tru is an excellent protagonist. She is smart and methodical. People just open up to her and give her information to keep moving her investigation along. The relationship with Jace is moving at a perfect pace and I loved the way she supported him as he was quite upset to be taken off the case that could send his mother to jail.
Ms. St James has surrounded Tru will a wonderful supporting cast of characters. Mrs. Farnsworth speaks volumes all with a whisper. Flossie is like me. While I am not totally wheelchair ridden, I do have to use one when I leave the house. It makes me so happy to see a disabled person featured in a story. A person that doesn’t let her disability control her life. She does some amazing things that I envy. IT Tech Anne who is heading up the modernization of the library. She and Tru have an understanding and are getting close to actually being friends. Anne has an experience that was just one instance of me laughing out loud while reading this story. Tori, Tru’s best friend since Kindergarten, brews the best coffee in the state and is always there when Tru needs her, and Mama Eddy who is a hoot. An opinionated Southern woman famous for the “hissy-fits” she is apt to throw. I can’t forget Tru’s cat, Dewey Decimal. She sneaks him into the library every day and he hangs out amongst the books in the Beloved Bookroom. He is also good at helping Tru with her investigations.
The mystery is basically a closed-room mystery. The victim was not well-liked by the Cypress Arete Society members so there is a houseful of suspects. Tru had her work cut out for her. The clues were dropped at a pretty quick pace intermixed with the subplot of Tru’s missing father. I did deduce the killer before the reveal but I was delighted to follow along with Tru as she put everything together. I was surprised by what Tru’s eccentric father was involved in but was happy with the way the plotline played out in this story.
A Book Club To Die For was another Perfect Escape from Dorothy St. James. I am still at odds about a library without books but another surprise was revealed in this book that may shake things up a lot so I am beyond excited to see what the future holds for Cypress and its residents.
To really understand the theme of this series I believe the books should be read in order.
November 6, 2022
This series just keeps getting better and better! We catch up with Tru as she is getting ready to speak to the elite Arete Society book club about the library. Since several of the members enjoy the hidden part of the library Tru us uber excited to speak about how she is getting around the no book policy of the town's all electric library, but she forgot that her boss was a member of the group.This wouldn't be a problem if her boss knew the secrets but alas she does not making this extra precarious. This is a very snooty book club, which goes against everything I believe, which makes for lots of suspects when they find the president dead in the kitchen. While the woman was widely hated events quickly make Tru's boyfriends mother the main suspect so of course she has to investigate in an effort to find the actual guilty party. Makes for quite the fun read as she follows the clues with some help from her friends. Sure to delight cozy fans. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
March 29, 2024
Trudell (Tru) was asked to speak to an exclusive book club about the modernization of her beloved library. Tru's friend Flossie tagged along and the meeting which was being held at her boyfriend, Jace's parents' house. Shortly after arriving at the house one of the members dies unexpectedly. Tru is told to stay out of the investigation, but when her friends are the top suspects Tru has to get involved. Can Tru clear her friends before the killer decides to target her or someone close to her?
There is always something going on at the library and with Tru's cat and friends. Some of these library scenes are hilarious. Tru is a smart and resourceful female protagonist. Tru and Jace have great chemistry both in their investigation and relationship. The story is well-written and moves at a quick pace. The mystery is full of twists, turns, and surprises.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, I have not been influenced by anyone.
There is always something going on at the library and with Tru's cat and friends. Some of these library scenes are hilarious. Tru is a smart and resourceful female protagonist. Tru and Jace have great chemistry both in their investigation and relationship. The story is well-written and moves at a quick pace. The mystery is full of twists, turns, and surprises.
All thoughts and opinions are my own, I have not been influenced by anyone.
November 4, 2022
*Source* Publisher
*Genre* Cozy Mystery
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
A Book Club to Die For is the third installment in author Dorothy St. James' A Beloved Bookworm Mystery series. Trudell (Tru) Beckett and her Scooby-Doo mystery book club friends are back in a story that is filled with twists as a former Hollywood star is found dead, and Tru once again proves that even a well read librarian who loves mysteries can sometime see what others can't see. Tru, while assistant librarian in the fictional town of Cypress, South Carolina, has successfully embarked on a secretive project where she saved as many library books as she could before they were sent to the county dump for disposal.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
*Genre* Cozy Mystery
*Rating* 3.5-4
*Thoughts*
A Book Club to Die For is the third installment in author Dorothy St. James' A Beloved Bookworm Mystery series. Trudell (Tru) Beckett and her Scooby-Doo mystery book club friends are back in a story that is filled with twists as a former Hollywood star is found dead, and Tru once again proves that even a well read librarian who loves mysteries can sometime see what others can't see. Tru, while assistant librarian in the fictional town of Cypress, South Carolina, has successfully embarked on a secretive project where she saved as many library books as she could before they were sent to the county dump for disposal.
*Full Review @ Gizmos Reviews*
https://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/20...
October 16, 2022
This is in interesting series. The local library has gone totally electronic, no physical books are on the shelves, at least not in the main library.
If you know who to ask, you might be invited to tour the secret library, but be prepared to find yourself caught up in a wild murder investigation.
This series piques my curiosity and I'm looking forward to the next book.
If you know who to ask, you might be invited to tour the secret library, but be prepared to find yourself caught up in a wild murder investigation.
This series piques my curiosity and I'm looking forward to the next book.
December 21, 2022
Jace, the detective, was wimpy. The cat pointed out the murder by knocking a certain genre off the shelf...Really????
January 1, 2023
4.5 stars
Let me just start out by saying that if you haven’t started reading this Beloved Bookroom Mystery series, you need to correct that as soon as possible. It’s one of my current faves, and I’m delighted every time a new one releases.
In A Book Club to Die For, we have my favorite story yet.
“What we had on our hands was a murder that could rival the best locked-room mysteries of classic literature.”
Oh indeed, Tru. A highbrow book club meeting ends before it begins, thanks to the death of its much disliked (but also much revered) leader… in a room that supposedly no one else was in. With Tru’s boyfriend Jace’s mother Hazel the prime suspect, and Tru’s friend Flossie a close runner-up, the stakes are high for Tru to solve the case in A Book Club to Die For. All while trying to keep her secret bookworm a secret from the head librarian, dodge the new robot librarian that has a penchant for attacking unsuspecting patrons & librarians, and find her suddenly-missing father. Whew! There’s a lot going on in this book, and every last word is highly entertaining and engaging. The mystery is really cleverly woven, and I didn’t figure it out until it was being revealed in front of my eyes.
I’ve said it before, I think, but Tru is such a great series protagonist. She’s an avid reader and lover of books (so we readers instantly identify with her) as well as a librarian who started a secret bookroom in the basement of the library after the city turned it high-tech and tossed out all the physical copies (which she rescued, thank you very much). She also has a gaggle of smart, savvy, and lovable friends with entertaining quirks, a very intuitive cat with a big personality, and a swoony detective boyfriend who makes Tru – and me – smile. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop further in this book without moving too fast, and I also enjoyed seeing Tori still so happy with Charlie too. We learn more about Flossie’s mysterious writing career in this book, as well, and I was delighted to get to know her better as a result. She’s another of my fave characters in this series so this new insight made me happy.
Bottom Line: I really loved the set-up of this particular mystery, and I once again loved my visit with Tru and her band of secret-bookroom-running/amateur-sleuthing friends. (And, of course, Dewey the cat.) A Book Club to Die For takes readers on a twisty journey with colorful characters, Southern wit, a rogue robot librarian, Jace’s arrested mother, Tru’s missing father, Dewey’s curious eccentricities, and a clever mystery. I enjoy this series so much, and I can’t wait for more visits to the secret bookroom.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
Let me just start out by saying that if you haven’t started reading this Beloved Bookroom Mystery series, you need to correct that as soon as possible. It’s one of my current faves, and I’m delighted every time a new one releases.
In A Book Club to Die For, we have my favorite story yet.
“What we had on our hands was a murder that could rival the best locked-room mysteries of classic literature.”
Oh indeed, Tru. A highbrow book club meeting ends before it begins, thanks to the death of its much disliked (but also much revered) leader… in a room that supposedly no one else was in. With Tru’s boyfriend Jace’s mother Hazel the prime suspect, and Tru’s friend Flossie a close runner-up, the stakes are high for Tru to solve the case in A Book Club to Die For. All while trying to keep her secret bookworm a secret from the head librarian, dodge the new robot librarian that has a penchant for attacking unsuspecting patrons & librarians, and find her suddenly-missing father. Whew! There’s a lot going on in this book, and every last word is highly entertaining and engaging. The mystery is really cleverly woven, and I didn’t figure it out until it was being revealed in front of my eyes.
I’ve said it before, I think, but Tru is such a great series protagonist. She’s an avid reader and lover of books (so we readers instantly identify with her) as well as a librarian who started a secret bookroom in the basement of the library after the city turned it high-tech and tossed out all the physical copies (which she rescued, thank you very much). She also has a gaggle of smart, savvy, and lovable friends with entertaining quirks, a very intuitive cat with a big personality, and a swoony detective boyfriend who makes Tru – and me – smile. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop further in this book without moving too fast, and I also enjoyed seeing Tori still so happy with Charlie too. We learn more about Flossie’s mysterious writing career in this book, as well, and I was delighted to get to know her better as a result. She’s another of my fave characters in this series so this new insight made me happy.
Bottom Line: I really loved the set-up of this particular mystery, and I once again loved my visit with Tru and her band of secret-bookroom-running/amateur-sleuthing friends. (And, of course, Dewey the cat.) A Book Club to Die For takes readers on a twisty journey with colorful characters, Southern wit, a rogue robot librarian, Jace’s arrested mother, Tru’s missing father, Dewey’s curious eccentricities, and a clever mystery. I enjoy this series so much, and I can’t wait for more visits to the secret bookroom.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
June 19, 2025
As with many series I've read over the past 50 years, the third installment is often disappointing ... The clues to identify whodunit were repeated too many times so I figured it out too early. And she didn't listen to the cat!!! We all know you should listen to the cat. I don't plan to buy any more books in this series. Oh, well, on to the next novel on my TBR list.
October 3, 2022
Tru Becket is an assistant librarian who has solved a couple of mysteries. She works in a library that has gotten rid of all of its books in favor of technology. But Tru has a secret print library in the basement for people, like her, who love print books.
She has been asked to make a presentation to the Cypress Arete Society - the oldest and most prestigious book club in town. When she and her friend Flossie arrive early, they discover Rebecca White who is the club president moving furniture and harassing this month's hostess. When she rushes off to the kitchen to "supervise" Hazel Bailey who is this month's hostess and the mother of Tru's boyfriend Jace, Tru is left arranging furniture until there are a couple of loud thumps in the kitchen.
When Tru gets there, Rebecca is dead on the floor and the only possible suspects are Rachel and Flossie. Tru can't believe that either of them could have killed Rebecca, but the police don't agree.
Jace askes Tru to do her own investigating and find out who really killed Rebecca which leads to lots of possibilities since Rebecca wasn't very well loved. She was an actress on a soap before she quit and came to Cypress where she has been busy throwing her weight around.
I liked Tru and thought that the story was well-plotted. This is the first in the series that I have read, and it worked well as a standalone for me. I got very involved trying to figure out who really did murder Rebecca since there were so many likely possibilities.
Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this one.
She has been asked to make a presentation to the Cypress Arete Society - the oldest and most prestigious book club in town. When she and her friend Flossie arrive early, they discover Rebecca White who is the club president moving furniture and harassing this month's hostess. When she rushes off to the kitchen to "supervise" Hazel Bailey who is this month's hostess and the mother of Tru's boyfriend Jace, Tru is left arranging furniture until there are a couple of loud thumps in the kitchen.
When Tru gets there, Rebecca is dead on the floor and the only possible suspects are Rachel and Flossie. Tru can't believe that either of them could have killed Rebecca, but the police don't agree.
Jace askes Tru to do her own investigating and find out who really killed Rebecca which leads to lots of possibilities since Rebecca wasn't very well loved. She was an actress on a soap before she quit and came to Cypress where she has been busy throwing her weight around.
I liked Tru and thought that the story was well-plotted. This is the first in the series that I have read, and it worked well as a standalone for me. I got very involved trying to figure out who really did murder Rebecca since there were so many likely possibilities.
Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy this one.
November 1, 2022
This is one of my favorite cozy series . The author has created such a fun unique series set in a small town in South Carolina that has wonderful charcters brought to life and a librarian protagnist that is savvy smart and funny. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.
Trudell is a recent assistant director of a library in Cypress, SC. Her library is unique in that the city council had all the books removed and the library is digital only. This is horrifying to Trudell and she saved many of the books and created a secret library in the basement that she manages with the help of some friends keeping her secret. They meet downstairs in secret, read and check out books without knowledge of the library director or the city council. Tru sneaks her cat Dewey in and out of the basement library each day . Dewey is very opinated and a fun addition to this series as she carries him back and forth in a tote bag.. As part of her devotion to the written word she carries books and distrubtes them to people she knows are readers.
One local book club is a very snobby pretentious group of people and has asked her to speak at their event. When she arrives chaos reigns between the host and a ex actress member. Soon a murder occurs. The author had me laughing out loud at the hysterical antics of this scene . The hostess is considered the primary suspect and Tru takes on the investigation as she is the Mother of her love interest who is devastated.
The variety of characters is brillant characterization. From Tru's brash Southern Mama who wants her to marry and drives her crazy. To the townspeople and library employees. The characters are richly drawn and entertaining. The sleuth was very well crafted and kept me guessing to conclusion. I loved this next in series . I look forward to the next in series.
Trudell is a recent assistant director of a library in Cypress, SC. Her library is unique in that the city council had all the books removed and the library is digital only. This is horrifying to Trudell and she saved many of the books and created a secret library in the basement that she manages with the help of some friends keeping her secret. They meet downstairs in secret, read and check out books without knowledge of the library director or the city council. Tru sneaks her cat Dewey in and out of the basement library each day . Dewey is very opinated and a fun addition to this series as she carries him back and forth in a tote bag.. As part of her devotion to the written word she carries books and distrubtes them to people she knows are readers.
One local book club is a very snobby pretentious group of people and has asked her to speak at their event. When she arrives chaos reigns between the host and a ex actress member. Soon a murder occurs. The author had me laughing out loud at the hysterical antics of this scene . The hostess is considered the primary suspect and Tru takes on the investigation as she is the Mother of her love interest who is devastated.
The variety of characters is brillant characterization. From Tru's brash Southern Mama who wants her to marry and drives her crazy. To the townspeople and library employees. The characters are richly drawn and entertaining. The sleuth was very well crafted and kept me guessing to conclusion. I loved this next in series . I look forward to the next in series.
January 24, 2023
I thought I'd give this series a second chance, but DNF. Disliked Tru's twittering the first few pages, the incredibly awkward telling-to-the reader from Flossie, and the over-the-top actress. Too many books, too little time, none at all to waste on such an irritating book.
October 28, 2022
3.5 stars - starts slow, but I enjoyed the ending.
January 8, 2024
¨Librarians are keepers of knowledge, caretakers of truth, and sowers of wisdom¨. Tru gets invited to give a speech at the most well-known book club in her state. Everything seems to be going according to plan until there is a loud crash in the kitchen and the doorbell starts franticly ringing. Tru goes into the kitchen to find the famous actor, Rebecca White, dead on the floor. The doorbell keeps franticly ringing, so Tru goes to answer the door, and all of the book club members have shown up. The police show up a little later and start questioning everyone. The police final out for now that Hazel was the one who murdered Rebecca because Hazel was the only one in the kitchen at the time of the murder. Tru however does not believe that Hazel was the murderer, so she sets out to do her own investigation. Ever since the murder Tru has started to question all of the book club members to see how they knew Rebecca, what they knew about her, and how/what made them join the book club. Every person that Tru has talked to has always shown some sort of clue or said something that put them on Tru´s radar. One evening Tru went back to Hazel´s house to look for more clues. She decided to go look in the woods that are behind Hazel´s house. At the end of the trail that she followed, it led her to her dad's house, and from there she found the clues that she needed to help solve this puzzle. In the end, after she put all of the pieces together, she uncovered who the murderer was. The murderer was Emma.
In my opinion, I did not really enjoy this book. I do feel that there were more things that I hated, rather than enjoyed. I did really enjoy how every person sort of became a suspect. It gave it the feeling like it was going to end with everyone being the murderer. However though there is a lot that I did not enjoy. First I did not enjoy how slow passed it was. I feel as if there could have been a lot of unnecessary stuff/information that could have been removed from the story. There were definitely some points that were too exaggerated. I do also feel that there were a bunch of unnecessary characters. For instance the character sissy. She only showed up once in the story, and somehow she still managed to become a suspect when she had nothing to do at all with what happened. I also feel that the news reporter and her crew were very unnecessary. Whenever they showed up in the story, it just led that part of the story into chaos that was unnecessary to have. I also hated the fact that the whole town was an old western town, except for the library which was very modern day. Speaking of the modern-day library, I feel that it was unnecessary to make so many of the chapters about the LUFI robot. The robot served no purpose other than causing chaos that didn´t need to be there. How I did like how every person sort of became a suspect, but I didn´t like how every chapter was about a new suspect. I feel this made it seem as if Tru had no time to actually see if someone was a suspect or not. It made it seem as if the investigation was rushed.
I personally would not recommend this book to some. I felt like it was way to slow, and there were a lot of unnecessary things. It also felt to much like a child's book rather than a young adult, or adult book.
In my opinion, I did not really enjoy this book. I do feel that there were more things that I hated, rather than enjoyed. I did really enjoy how every person sort of became a suspect. It gave it the feeling like it was going to end with everyone being the murderer. However though there is a lot that I did not enjoy. First I did not enjoy how slow passed it was. I feel as if there could have been a lot of unnecessary stuff/information that could have been removed from the story. There were definitely some points that were too exaggerated. I do also feel that there were a bunch of unnecessary characters. For instance the character sissy. She only showed up once in the story, and somehow she still managed to become a suspect when she had nothing to do at all with what happened. I also feel that the news reporter and her crew were very unnecessary. Whenever they showed up in the story, it just led that part of the story into chaos that was unnecessary to have. I also hated the fact that the whole town was an old western town, except for the library which was very modern day. Speaking of the modern-day library, I feel that it was unnecessary to make so many of the chapters about the LUFI robot. The robot served no purpose other than causing chaos that didn´t need to be there. How I did like how every person sort of became a suspect, but I didn´t like how every chapter was about a new suspect. I feel this made it seem as if Tru had no time to actually see if someone was a suspect or not. It made it seem as if the investigation was rushed.
I personally would not recommend this book to some. I felt like it was way to slow, and there were a lot of unnecessary things. It also felt to much like a child's book rather than a young adult, or adult book.
June 5, 2025
I really enjoyed this series. This was my first time reading a cozy mystery and was introduced to it through purchasing a Blind Date a with a Book. I thought the series wrapped up really well and..spoiler here…when Mrs. Farnsworth tells Trudell that she knew about the secret book room..
I was out loud saying oooooh my god!!! The only downside for me was that I would have liked to have seen Trudell and Jace’s relationship develop further. I will definitely read more books by this author.
I was out loud saying oooooh my god!!! The only downside for me was that I would have liked to have seen Trudell and Jace’s relationship develop further. I will definitely read more books by this author.
November 1, 2022
“Instinct is a marvelous thing. It can neither be explained nor ignored.”
Tru has been invited to talk about books at the Cypress Arete Book Club, the towns most exclusive book club that is hard to become a member of. She was worried about her talk. There was obviously no reason to be as Rebecca, head of the book club ends up dead before anything began.
Well, now Tru is going to be busy proving her friends are innocent.
Can she find the real killer?
A victim that was not exactly liked, plenty of suspects, fast paced action will keep you guessing and turning the pages in this well plotted mystery.
Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Prime Crime and Dorothy St. James for the opportunity to read this book.
Tru has been invited to talk about books at the Cypress Arete Book Club, the towns most exclusive book club that is hard to become a member of. She was worried about her talk. There was obviously no reason to be as Rebecca, head of the book club ends up dead before anything began.
Well, now Tru is going to be busy proving her friends are innocent.
Can she find the real killer?
A victim that was not exactly liked, plenty of suspects, fast paced action will keep you guessing and turning the pages in this well plotted mystery.
Thank you NetGalley, Berkley Prime Crime and Dorothy St. James for the opportunity to read this book.
November 2, 2022
Trudell Beckett is an old-fashioned librarian. So when the library in her town of Cypress, South Carolina decided to go high tech, by getting rid of the print books in favor of computers and tablets, offering electronic books and magazines instead, she couldn’t help but balk. She rescued as many of the books as she could and set up a secret library in the basement, in a room that was a bomb shelter during World War II. She has friends who volunteer to help, and her cat Dewey keeps watch over the books while Tru works upstairs.
When Trudell is asked to speak about the library to the most elite book club in town, she agrees, if for no other reason than to find out what their meetings are really like. The Arete Society is meeting at Hazel Bailey’s this month, and she is known for her hosting skills. Trudell knows she’s going to see a beautifully decorated home and eat a delicious meal. But as soon as Tru shows up with her good friend Flossie, she can tell that things are not going well. Hazel is frazzled, and when they get inside, they find out why.
The president of the book club is local celebrity Rebecca White. She had been an actress when she was younger, scoring a role on a popular soap opera. But she had retired from acting while she was still young, and she had moved to Cypress. Now she was ruling the book club with an iron fist. As Tru and Flossie make their way into Hazel’s house, they immediately hear Rebecca criticizing Hazel for the food she has clearly spent hours making. Then Rebecca drags Trudell into the living room and makes her help rearrange the furniture to where Rebecca wants it, instead of the cozy space that Hazel had crafted.
Rebecca gives Trudell her final instructions for the living room and then returns to the kitchen. When there is a loud bang, Flossie rolls her wheelchair in to figure out what that was. And when there is a second bang, Tru goes to the kitchen to join her. Flossie tells her friend that the second bang was her, banging her chair into the cabinet. But then Tru notices Rebecca on the floor, surrounded by a broken casserole dish and the upscale macaroni salad Hazel had prepared. Trudell can tell that Rebecca won’t be eating anything, any more. And then Hazel comes back into the kitchen from the back door, where she had been throwing out the dessert she had burned while Rebecca had distracted her.
Trudell can’t figure out who could have killed Rebecca. They were the only ones in the house. Hazel had clearly been really frustrated with Rebecca, but would she kill her? Flossie was one of Tru’s best friends, but she had been trying to get into the book club for five years, and Rebecca was clearly standing in her way. Tru can’t see her killing anyone, and she didn’t think that Flossie could have hit Rebecca hard enough from her wheelchair to kill her. Is it possible that someone snuck in to the house and killed Rebecca while Hazel was outside and Trudell and Flossie were in the living room? Who would do that?
The rest of the book club members show up shortly before the police, so they are taken to the living room to wait to be questioned. There is the mayor’s wife and the head librarian, the new town manager, and special guest Joyce Flowers, who was going to interview Rebecca for her show Ideal Life. And then Jace shows up. Jace is Hazel’s son and Trudell’s boyfriend, but he’s also a police officer. He’s not allowed in the house, so when Tru is able to leave, she takes Jace back to her place. They stay up late talking about the murder and who could have killed Rebecca, and Jace ends up falling asleep on her sofa.
The next morning, on only a couple of hours of sleep, Trudell heads to the library to do her job, but nothing goes right. She’s late, which her boss hates. And then the local start-up Tech Boys are there testing a new robot librarian. But Tru hadn’t been there when all the other librarians had been scanned by the robot, so it thinks Tru is an intruder and corners her in the library. She finally gets free and gets an angry call from her mother. When she had been outrunning the robot, Tru had ignored the calls ad texts she’d gotten. But while talking to her mother, she finds out that no one has seen her father for several days. There is mail piled up at his place, and he doesn’t answer her texts.
Trudell is in a tough place. Jace is begging her to investigate the murder, to show that his mother hadn’t killed Rebecca. Her father is missing. And things are strained at the library, between her secret basement library and the tech gone wild. Will she be able to solve all the mysteries, find her father and solve a murder, to keep everyone she loves happy? Or will she inadvertently get too close to a killer, who wants to take her out of circulation?
A Book Club to Die For is the third book in Dorothy St. James’ Beloved Bookroom Mystery series. These cozy murder mysteries are charming and sweet (aside from the murders, obviously). Trudell and her friends are smart and industrious, and they are upholding the library traditions of the past with their basement library with real books, a card catalog, and cards to check them out. Fans of traditional libraries will enjoy the nostalgia of that, and fans of well-written mysteries will enjoy the plot.
I am a big fan of these mysteries. There is a grace to the writing that makes the reading feel effortless. These are fun characters, and the secret basement library feels a little like an old-fashioned speakeasy. I also loved the contrast with the upscale book club and all the gossip and rumors of those in power in the town. A Book Club to Die For is a great installment to this series. It just gets better and better.
Egalleys for A Book Club to Die For were provided by Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley, with many thanks.
When Trudell is asked to speak about the library to the most elite book club in town, she agrees, if for no other reason than to find out what their meetings are really like. The Arete Society is meeting at Hazel Bailey’s this month, and she is known for her hosting skills. Trudell knows she’s going to see a beautifully decorated home and eat a delicious meal. But as soon as Tru shows up with her good friend Flossie, she can tell that things are not going well. Hazel is frazzled, and when they get inside, they find out why.
The president of the book club is local celebrity Rebecca White. She had been an actress when she was younger, scoring a role on a popular soap opera. But she had retired from acting while she was still young, and she had moved to Cypress. Now she was ruling the book club with an iron fist. As Tru and Flossie make their way into Hazel’s house, they immediately hear Rebecca criticizing Hazel for the food she has clearly spent hours making. Then Rebecca drags Trudell into the living room and makes her help rearrange the furniture to where Rebecca wants it, instead of the cozy space that Hazel had crafted.
Rebecca gives Trudell her final instructions for the living room and then returns to the kitchen. When there is a loud bang, Flossie rolls her wheelchair in to figure out what that was. And when there is a second bang, Tru goes to the kitchen to join her. Flossie tells her friend that the second bang was her, banging her chair into the cabinet. But then Tru notices Rebecca on the floor, surrounded by a broken casserole dish and the upscale macaroni salad Hazel had prepared. Trudell can tell that Rebecca won’t be eating anything, any more. And then Hazel comes back into the kitchen from the back door, where she had been throwing out the dessert she had burned while Rebecca had distracted her.
Trudell can’t figure out who could have killed Rebecca. They were the only ones in the house. Hazel had clearly been really frustrated with Rebecca, but would she kill her? Flossie was one of Tru’s best friends, but she had been trying to get into the book club for five years, and Rebecca was clearly standing in her way. Tru can’t see her killing anyone, and she didn’t think that Flossie could have hit Rebecca hard enough from her wheelchair to kill her. Is it possible that someone snuck in to the house and killed Rebecca while Hazel was outside and Trudell and Flossie were in the living room? Who would do that?
The rest of the book club members show up shortly before the police, so they are taken to the living room to wait to be questioned. There is the mayor’s wife and the head librarian, the new town manager, and special guest Joyce Flowers, who was going to interview Rebecca for her show Ideal Life. And then Jace shows up. Jace is Hazel’s son and Trudell’s boyfriend, but he’s also a police officer. He’s not allowed in the house, so when Tru is able to leave, she takes Jace back to her place. They stay up late talking about the murder and who could have killed Rebecca, and Jace ends up falling asleep on her sofa.
The next morning, on only a couple of hours of sleep, Trudell heads to the library to do her job, but nothing goes right. She’s late, which her boss hates. And then the local start-up Tech Boys are there testing a new robot librarian. But Tru hadn’t been there when all the other librarians had been scanned by the robot, so it thinks Tru is an intruder and corners her in the library. She finally gets free and gets an angry call from her mother. When she had been outrunning the robot, Tru had ignored the calls ad texts she’d gotten. But while talking to her mother, she finds out that no one has seen her father for several days. There is mail piled up at his place, and he doesn’t answer her texts.
Trudell is in a tough place. Jace is begging her to investigate the murder, to show that his mother hadn’t killed Rebecca. Her father is missing. And things are strained at the library, between her secret basement library and the tech gone wild. Will she be able to solve all the mysteries, find her father and solve a murder, to keep everyone she loves happy? Or will she inadvertently get too close to a killer, who wants to take her out of circulation?
A Book Club to Die For is the third book in Dorothy St. James’ Beloved Bookroom Mystery series. These cozy murder mysteries are charming and sweet (aside from the murders, obviously). Trudell and her friends are smart and industrious, and they are upholding the library traditions of the past with their basement library with real books, a card catalog, and cards to check them out. Fans of traditional libraries will enjoy the nostalgia of that, and fans of well-written mysteries will enjoy the plot.
I am a big fan of these mysteries. There is a grace to the writing that makes the reading feel effortless. These are fun characters, and the secret basement library feels a little like an old-fashioned speakeasy. I also loved the contrast with the upscale book club and all the gossip and rumors of those in power in the town. A Book Club to Die For is a great installment to this series. It just gets better and better.
Egalleys for A Book Club to Die For were provided by Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley, with many thanks.
November 17, 2022
https://openbooksociety.com/article/a...
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
This novel is wonderful! The author has imaginatively taken a very new, different idea that has been experimented with and designed an excellent cozy mystery series. The characters are an engaging mix of small-town, Southern characters with a couple notable exceptions, and the protagonists are a perfect age to be considered modern but not inexperienced. The mystery was really intriguing and held my attention throughout.
The concept is a library without books. With the reason being to attract big tech companies to move to Cypress, South Carolina from the west coast, the town bigwigs eliminated every book, historical document, periodical, CD, and DVD. They installed state of the art computers for researching. All materials would be digital, available for loaning and sending to one’s phone or tablet. I was horrified, especially when I learned that this has been put into practice in various places.
When everything was packed up for removal, Tru, the assistant librarian, created a secret bookroom the basement in what had been a WWII bomb shelter. Away from the prying eyes of the rule-following head librarian and other people who were adamant about this new system, Tru found a way to save a variety of books for all age groups and genres and a collection of important local historical documents. For those who loved print books but couldn’t be trusted with a secret, Tru delivers books based on their preferences without explanation of where she gets them from.
A very special book club is in Cypress for the elite readers, the Arete Society, that has been around for a century. There are never more than ten specially chosen members. The president for the past few years has been Rebecca, a former soap opera actress. Tru isn’t high society or wealthy enough to qualify. She has been invited to speak at a meeting, though, and talk about how she brings print copies of books to those who haven’t come into the digital age yet.
Flossie, an author who won’t divulge her pen name or what books she has written, has tried for decades to get into the Society, but they won’t invite her. She comes with Tru to the meeting as moral support and to see what the club is currently like. The hostess is Hazel, a new member who is known for her elegant society dinners and is the mother of Jace, Tru’s boyfriend.
Tru and Flossie arrived early and heard Rebecca having fits about what Hazel is making. At one point, they heard a crash in the kitchen, Flossie hurried in, and Tru heard another crash. Tru went to the kitchen to find Rebecca lying on the floor, dead, with a broken casserole dish and its contents on the floor. Hazel had been taking the garbage out and didn’t think anyone else was in her home. Flossie was the only one in the kitchen when the second crash occurred, but she could not have hit Rebecca over the head. Flossie has been in a wheelchair for many years and is unable to walk.
Hazel is the prime suspect, even though she had been outdoors at the time. Jace, a detective, is put on leave from the police department, and Tru is ordered to not snoop into the police investigation. The next day Tru is taken to the clinic, and the doctor suspects she has been poisoned. A couple days later, she and a state police crime scene investigator are almost shot in Hazel’s yard.
I enjoyed this eclectic cast of characters. From Mama Eddy, Tru’s mother, to Marigold, one of Rebecca’s biggest fans, to LIFU, the prototype of the perfect robotic librarian, it is quite a troop of Southern women to keep up with (and yes, LIFU is a “she”). At least until LIFU attacked Tru and Marigold and had to be tackled to the floor.
When Hazel was arrested, the police stopped looking for any other suspects. Tru did what she could to learn about everyone in the club. The author uses plot twists expertly and redirects Tru and her friends more than once. There was one perfect red herring until Tru began to look at clues again. I was very surprised at who the real bad guy was, and what the motives were. There were some very pleasant surprises for Tru amidst the drama. All loose ends were tied up, and while it makes a fascinating novel, I hope that bookless libraries don’t catch on! I highly recommend this cozy mystery and series!
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
This novel is wonderful! The author has imaginatively taken a very new, different idea that has been experimented with and designed an excellent cozy mystery series. The characters are an engaging mix of small-town, Southern characters with a couple notable exceptions, and the protagonists are a perfect age to be considered modern but not inexperienced. The mystery was really intriguing and held my attention throughout.
The concept is a library without books. With the reason being to attract big tech companies to move to Cypress, South Carolina from the west coast, the town bigwigs eliminated every book, historical document, periodical, CD, and DVD. They installed state of the art computers for researching. All materials would be digital, available for loaning and sending to one’s phone or tablet. I was horrified, especially when I learned that this has been put into practice in various places.
When everything was packed up for removal, Tru, the assistant librarian, created a secret bookroom the basement in what had been a WWII bomb shelter. Away from the prying eyes of the rule-following head librarian and other people who were adamant about this new system, Tru found a way to save a variety of books for all age groups and genres and a collection of important local historical documents. For those who loved print books but couldn’t be trusted with a secret, Tru delivers books based on their preferences without explanation of where she gets them from.
A very special book club is in Cypress for the elite readers, the Arete Society, that has been around for a century. There are never more than ten specially chosen members. The president for the past few years has been Rebecca, a former soap opera actress. Tru isn’t high society or wealthy enough to qualify. She has been invited to speak at a meeting, though, and talk about how she brings print copies of books to those who haven’t come into the digital age yet.
Flossie, an author who won’t divulge her pen name or what books she has written, has tried for decades to get into the Society, but they won’t invite her. She comes with Tru to the meeting as moral support and to see what the club is currently like. The hostess is Hazel, a new member who is known for her elegant society dinners and is the mother of Jace, Tru’s boyfriend.
Tru and Flossie arrived early and heard Rebecca having fits about what Hazel is making. At one point, they heard a crash in the kitchen, Flossie hurried in, and Tru heard another crash. Tru went to the kitchen to find Rebecca lying on the floor, dead, with a broken casserole dish and its contents on the floor. Hazel had been taking the garbage out and didn’t think anyone else was in her home. Flossie was the only one in the kitchen when the second crash occurred, but she could not have hit Rebecca over the head. Flossie has been in a wheelchair for many years and is unable to walk.
Hazel is the prime suspect, even though she had been outdoors at the time. Jace, a detective, is put on leave from the police department, and Tru is ordered to not snoop into the police investigation. The next day Tru is taken to the clinic, and the doctor suspects she has been poisoned. A couple days later, she and a state police crime scene investigator are almost shot in Hazel’s yard.
I enjoyed this eclectic cast of characters. From Mama Eddy, Tru’s mother, to Marigold, one of Rebecca’s biggest fans, to LIFU, the prototype of the perfect robotic librarian, it is quite a troop of Southern women to keep up with (and yes, LIFU is a “she”). At least until LIFU attacked Tru and Marigold and had to be tackled to the floor.
When Hazel was arrested, the police stopped looking for any other suspects. Tru did what she could to learn about everyone in the club. The author uses plot twists expertly and redirects Tru and her friends more than once. There was one perfect red herring until Tru began to look at clues again. I was very surprised at who the real bad guy was, and what the motives were. There were some very pleasant surprises for Tru amidst the drama. All loose ends were tied up, and while it makes a fascinating novel, I hope that bookless libraries don’t catch on! I highly recommend this cozy mystery and series!
November 19, 2023
A Book Club to Die For reminds me a bit of a cozy locked room mystery as we have a woman who is killed in a kitchen, with a variety of suspects and clues available to pursue if you know where to look. All of the regular characters are present in the book, and while I do find some of them particularly annoying, including Tru herself, the overall mystery was engaging and I always enjoy a mystery that features a book at its core.
First of all, the main characters True and Jace, while I do like them, are kind of wimpy in my estimation. Tru is controlled by her mother while Jace is controlled by his relationship with Tru and some of her behaviours, something that always rubs me the wrong way. And to keep blaming everything on Southern manners and traditions drives me bonkers. Tru is a grown-ass woman who can decisions for herself and to have her mother constantly nagging at her about what she eats, what she buys at the grocery store, and threatening to come to her house and clean out all her food is annoying. And to have to hide food in your own house from your mother? Maybe I don't understand southern thinking, but really? And Jace. To threaten someone's position on a force because of your relationship? I did think the other characters were interesting and really enjoyed the relationship Tru has with her best friend.
I did find the mystery to be interesting as there are book snobs to be found all over the world, and I love how the author includes that in her mystery. To have the mystery focused around an elite book club was fun, and I definitely enjoyed the irony and sarcasm around the comments in the book about people's reading preferences and styles and what they should be reading. And I liked how in a small town, such a book club could be incorporated into social status and be used to further one's career prospects. Philosophical clubs were used this way in the past (elite men's clubs), so it's not surprising to see them used this way in today's society, and the pressure to conform would be enormous.
The plot moved along rather quickly, and the pacing was even. Because of the nature of the murder, Jace was not allowed to investigate, so Tru got involved simply because she was there when it happened and people like to talk to her. The flow of conversations felt natural and Tru doesn't do stupid things like in other books or hinder the police in any way. I did find the solution to the mystery to be a bit bland, and wished it had been more complicated than it was so I felt a bit let down. The book does suffer from repetition, especially concerning the hidden library, something I still find a little silly, but I do love that cat. I think the discussions surrounding the use of technology versus the use of physical books to be quite fascinating, but the hidden library thing needs to be better developed. Anyone with an eye could figure out what was going on with that. And I'm still wondering if I should be upset at who died as she was a miserable piece of work. For the life of me, I just could have garner an ounce of sympathy.
A Book Club to Die For is a light, cozy read that was fairly predictable and did have a tendency to ramble on at times, especially when it came to that secret library. The characters were typical, no one actually stood out, although I think Flossie's job needs to be explored more as that kind of rankled, and the mystery was light, fun, but so, so easy to figure out. If you are looking for a light, fun read, then this is definitely for you.
First of all, the main characters True and Jace, while I do like them, are kind of wimpy in my estimation. Tru is controlled by her mother while Jace is controlled by his relationship with Tru and some of her behaviours, something that always rubs me the wrong way. And to keep blaming everything on Southern manners and traditions drives me bonkers. Tru is a grown-ass woman who can decisions for herself and to have her mother constantly nagging at her about what she eats, what she buys at the grocery store, and threatening to come to her house and clean out all her food is annoying. And to have to hide food in your own house from your mother? Maybe I don't understand southern thinking, but really? And Jace. To threaten someone's position on a force because of your relationship? I did think the other characters were interesting and really enjoyed the relationship Tru has with her best friend.
I did find the mystery to be interesting as there are book snobs to be found all over the world, and I love how the author includes that in her mystery. To have the mystery focused around an elite book club was fun, and I definitely enjoyed the irony and sarcasm around the comments in the book about people's reading preferences and styles and what they should be reading. And I liked how in a small town, such a book club could be incorporated into social status and be used to further one's career prospects. Philosophical clubs were used this way in the past (elite men's clubs), so it's not surprising to see them used this way in today's society, and the pressure to conform would be enormous.
The plot moved along rather quickly, and the pacing was even. Because of the nature of the murder, Jace was not allowed to investigate, so Tru got involved simply because she was there when it happened and people like to talk to her. The flow of conversations felt natural and Tru doesn't do stupid things like in other books or hinder the police in any way. I did find the solution to the mystery to be a bit bland, and wished it had been more complicated than it was so I felt a bit let down. The book does suffer from repetition, especially concerning the hidden library, something I still find a little silly, but I do love that cat. I think the discussions surrounding the use of technology versus the use of physical books to be quite fascinating, but the hidden library thing needs to be better developed. Anyone with an eye could figure out what was going on with that. And I'm still wondering if I should be upset at who died as she was a miserable piece of work. For the life of me, I just could have garner an ounce of sympathy.
A Book Club to Die For is a light, cozy read that was fairly predictable and did have a tendency to ramble on at times, especially when it came to that secret library. The characters were typical, no one actually stood out, although I think Flossie's job needs to be explored more as that kind of rankled, and the mystery was light, fun, but so, so easy to figure out. If you are looking for a light, fun read, then this is definitely for you.
October 25, 2022
I loved it! This is the best novel in the series. From the first novel, I felt a bond with Trudell, the assistant director of the library, and her friends in Cypress, SC. It had a stunning, horrifying premise, to eliminate every piece of reading and listening material in the library and replaced them with digital loans. Tru and her friends who love books established a secret reading room in the library basement, a safe place where Mrs. Farnsworth, the library director, never went. People who disagreed with the new policy and could keep secrets helped Tru rescue and maintain materials in the secret room.
Dewey is Tru’s cat who spends his days in the secret room. He is smuggled inside and to the bookroom in one of Tru’s totes. In another tote, Tru has print books for those who miss the books but don’t keep secrets well and hands them out on her walks. She brought things they asked for or might want to read based on her long-term working relationship with them. Delivering books to former patrons earned her an invitation to give a presentation to the Arete Society, the most prestigious book club in the Southeast.
The Society membership has always been very limited. Primarily considered are one’s social standing, home, ability to cook and hostess fabulous meals, and be big fans of Rebecca, the president, loved for her one-season stint on a soap opera. Rebecca is very persnickety about everything. Books are not meant to entertain but to be learned from, and if anyone reads a book Rebecca doesn’t approve of, they are kicked out and shunned.
Tru and her dear friend Flossie arrived at Hazel’s home early to set up for the presentation. She has spent days preparing for her very first time to hostess the meeting and dinner. Rebecca is also there, screeching displeasure over many things. After hearing a loud noise, Flossie wheeled into the kitchen, and Tru heard another crash. Running in, she found Flossie rolling her wheelchair out of a mess of tuna casserole, and found Rebecca on the floor, dead, with casserole all around her. The police chief immediately wants to arrest Hazel, who was taking the garbage out when the noises occurred. Hazel is the mother of Jace, Tru’s detective boyfriend who is forced to take leave to avoid a conflict of interest.
The variety of characters help make the story what it is, second only to the mystery itself. I like how Tru’s mother, Mama Eddy, is described as a “…bit more eccentric than the average Southerner. . . considering how colorful Southerners could be…”. There is the programmed robotic librarian that supposedly is the librarian of the future and takes both typed and spoken requests. I like Tru, Flossie, and best friend Tori the best; each is fresh and unique, and they all agree what should be in a library and how it should be run. I even came to enjoy Anne, the young IT specialist, fresh from Silicon Valley. Even though she preferred podcasts to reading, she kept Dewey and the bookroom secret.
I highly recommend this fabulous third in series, especially to those who appreciate well-written Southern cozy mysteries, “real” libraries, and cats! It kept me actively engaged and intrigued as I tried to guess whodunit. I was very surprised at who the bad guy was, and very satisfied overall with the novel and ending.
From a thankful heart: I received a complimentary copy of this novel, and this is my honest review.
Dewey is Tru’s cat who spends his days in the secret room. He is smuggled inside and to the bookroom in one of Tru’s totes. In another tote, Tru has print books for those who miss the books but don’t keep secrets well and hands them out on her walks. She brought things they asked for or might want to read based on her long-term working relationship with them. Delivering books to former patrons earned her an invitation to give a presentation to the Arete Society, the most prestigious book club in the Southeast.
The Society membership has always been very limited. Primarily considered are one’s social standing, home, ability to cook and hostess fabulous meals, and be big fans of Rebecca, the president, loved for her one-season stint on a soap opera. Rebecca is very persnickety about everything. Books are not meant to entertain but to be learned from, and if anyone reads a book Rebecca doesn’t approve of, they are kicked out and shunned.
Tru and her dear friend Flossie arrived at Hazel’s home early to set up for the presentation. She has spent days preparing for her very first time to hostess the meeting and dinner. Rebecca is also there, screeching displeasure over many things. After hearing a loud noise, Flossie wheeled into the kitchen, and Tru heard another crash. Running in, she found Flossie rolling her wheelchair out of a mess of tuna casserole, and found Rebecca on the floor, dead, with casserole all around her. The police chief immediately wants to arrest Hazel, who was taking the garbage out when the noises occurred. Hazel is the mother of Jace, Tru’s detective boyfriend who is forced to take leave to avoid a conflict of interest.
The variety of characters help make the story what it is, second only to the mystery itself. I like how Tru’s mother, Mama Eddy, is described as a “…bit more eccentric than the average Southerner. . . considering how colorful Southerners could be…”. There is the programmed robotic librarian that supposedly is the librarian of the future and takes both typed and spoken requests. I like Tru, Flossie, and best friend Tori the best; each is fresh and unique, and they all agree what should be in a library and how it should be run. I even came to enjoy Anne, the young IT specialist, fresh from Silicon Valley. Even though she preferred podcasts to reading, she kept Dewey and the bookroom secret.
I highly recommend this fabulous third in series, especially to those who appreciate well-written Southern cozy mysteries, “real” libraries, and cats! It kept me actively engaged and intrigued as I tried to guess whodunit. I was very surprised at who the bad guy was, and very satisfied overall with the novel and ending.
From a thankful heart: I received a complimentary copy of this novel, and this is my honest review.
January 8, 2024
No book club should read A Book Club to Die For
Trudell Becket, the main character, is invited to an elite book club society, but a murder happens while she's there. She starts investigating, and uncovers new suspects and motives every chapter. Small town drama ensues, with twists and turns and the slowest plot I’ve ever seen.
I read this book for a book club, and honestly, I didn’t like it. First up, the pacing is just awful, with about two days of Trudell investigating spanning over 200 pages. Also, that’s all for naught since the cat solves it! Why does that cat need to come into Trudell’s work anyways? He’s shown to attack romance novels, so why would Trudell bring him to a place with more books? That brings me to the topic of that a lot of things happen just for the plot to move along, and this tangent will have a bunch of spoilers. (SPOILER START) Trudell’s father goes missing, only for the sake of being away from his house so the murderer can kill Rebecca with no witnesses. Also I’m pretty sure the only fact that his girlfriend is brought up is so it’s plausible that he went on the cruise. Nothing really makes sense in correlation to each other, which is just bad writing. Plus, I really dislike all of the reactions to Rebecca’s death. Sure, the townspeople all hated her, but can’t they put that aside? Someone actually died, and it was someone they knew quite well. At least Marigold has a good reaction and that’s just because she actually mourns Rebecca! The book even says that “she appeared to be the only member who was truly going to miss Rebecca” (38). The bar is six feet under, it’s not that hard to mourn someone you knew. Also the motives that Trudell came up with are just so stupid. Killing Rebecca White because she’s moving away? Killing Rebecca because she insulted your cooking? The actual motive is even worse and makes no sense! Killing Rebecca because you read romance novels and don’t want to be made fun of? Why? That’s so dumb and makes no sense. (END OF SPOILERS)
Okay, I’m done ranting. Some good things: the characterization is pretty good. They’re all unique characters, albeit there are a bit too many to make any sense. I especially like Tori, Trudell’s friend, because she’s described nicely and had four husbands and divorced all of them. That’s very interesting to me, since that’s not usually the norm in the South. Also, the idea of the book is pretty interesting with the small town murder, as I don’t see that too much. However, those are pretty much the only compliments I have.
Overall, 3 stars. I dislike the writing style and I dislike how slow the plot is. The characters are interesting but there are far too many to keep track of. The plot is boring and nothing makes sense. Don’t read A Book Club to Die For, it’s not worth your time and it wasn't worth mine.
Trudell Becket, the main character, is invited to an elite book club society, but a murder happens while she's there. She starts investigating, and uncovers new suspects and motives every chapter. Small town drama ensues, with twists and turns and the slowest plot I’ve ever seen.
I read this book for a book club, and honestly, I didn’t like it. First up, the pacing is just awful, with about two days of Trudell investigating spanning over 200 pages. Also, that’s all for naught since the cat solves it! Why does that cat need to come into Trudell’s work anyways? He’s shown to attack romance novels, so why would Trudell bring him to a place with more books? That brings me to the topic of that a lot of things happen just for the plot to move along, and this tangent will have a bunch of spoilers. (SPOILER START) Trudell’s father goes missing, only for the sake of being away from his house so the murderer can kill Rebecca with no witnesses. Also I’m pretty sure the only fact that his girlfriend is brought up is so it’s plausible that he went on the cruise. Nothing really makes sense in correlation to each other, which is just bad writing. Plus, I really dislike all of the reactions to Rebecca’s death. Sure, the townspeople all hated her, but can’t they put that aside? Someone actually died, and it was someone they knew quite well. At least Marigold has a good reaction and that’s just because she actually mourns Rebecca! The book even says that “she appeared to be the only member who was truly going to miss Rebecca” (38). The bar is six feet under, it’s not that hard to mourn someone you knew. Also the motives that Trudell came up with are just so stupid. Killing Rebecca White because she’s moving away? Killing Rebecca because she insulted your cooking? The actual motive is even worse and makes no sense! Killing Rebecca because you read romance novels and don’t want to be made fun of? Why? That’s so dumb and makes no sense. (END OF SPOILERS)
Okay, I’m done ranting. Some good things: the characterization is pretty good. They’re all unique characters, albeit there are a bit too many to make any sense. I especially like Tori, Trudell’s friend, because she’s described nicely and had four husbands and divorced all of them. That’s very interesting to me, since that’s not usually the norm in the South. Also, the idea of the book is pretty interesting with the small town murder, as I don’t see that too much. However, those are pretty much the only compliments I have.
Overall, 3 stars. I dislike the writing style and I dislike how slow the plot is. The characters are interesting but there are far too many to keep track of. The plot is boring and nothing makes sense. Don’t read A Book Club to Die For, it’s not worth your time and it wasn't worth mine.
November 22, 2022
3.5 Stars
Trudell “Tru” Becket is an assistant librarian at the Cypress, South Carolina library. This library has been modernized into a bookless technological center in hopes of attracting high-tech industries to town. Tru created an unauthorized reading room in the basement of the library with the books that were going to be discarded, but only a select amount of people are in on the secret. Tru is invited to speak at the town’s most prestigious book club meeting and is worried the secret will somehow come out. Tru ends up facing bigger problems, though. Before the meeting starts, Tru and her friend, Flossie, discover the dead body of the book club president in the hostess’s kitchen. Now it’s up to Tru to figure out who the killer really is before the wrong person goes to prison for the murder.
A library without books is a unique premise for a cozy mystery. This is the third book in the Beloved Bookworm series, but the author does a good job of catching new readers on the premise of the series and who the main characters are. It is the first I’ve read in the series, but I quickly got to know the characters, even if I didn’t like all of them. I didn’t fully connect with Tru, who seems very immature for a woman nearly forty years old. She lets her mom bully her and makes strange decisions, like bringing her cat to work with her every day and then having to hide him in the secret reading room before her boss sees him.
Tru is good at finding clues in the murder, though. Her boyfriend, Jace, is a police officer but was removed from the case since his mother is one of the prime suspects. It is refreshing that he asks her to look for evidence that would clear his mother since he isn’t allowed to get officially involved in the investigation. The victim, Rebecca, could be a bully, trying to run the lives and reading habits of book club members both in and outside of their meetings. Tru was able to ask questions of her acquaintance and friends to find plenty of suspects in Rebecca’s murder.
I enjoyed the side plot about Tru’s elderly friend Flossie and the way it played out. It’s known that Flossie writes bestselling books, but nobody knows what her pen name is. However, I didn’t understand why the likable, well-read, well-traveled Flossie was so interested in joining a book club that only allowed its members to read approved books at any time, not just for the club’s discussions. The story includes some clever red herrings, but I was able to figure out the identity of the murderer and solve another mystery involving Tru fairly easily. The book has several good points, but not connecting with the main character limited my enjoyment of it.
~ Christine
Trudell “Tru” Becket is an assistant librarian at the Cypress, South Carolina library. This library has been modernized into a bookless technological center in hopes of attracting high-tech industries to town. Tru created an unauthorized reading room in the basement of the library with the books that were going to be discarded, but only a select amount of people are in on the secret. Tru is invited to speak at the town’s most prestigious book club meeting and is worried the secret will somehow come out. Tru ends up facing bigger problems, though. Before the meeting starts, Tru and her friend, Flossie, discover the dead body of the book club president in the hostess’s kitchen. Now it’s up to Tru to figure out who the killer really is before the wrong person goes to prison for the murder.
A library without books is a unique premise for a cozy mystery. This is the third book in the Beloved Bookworm series, but the author does a good job of catching new readers on the premise of the series and who the main characters are. It is the first I’ve read in the series, but I quickly got to know the characters, even if I didn’t like all of them. I didn’t fully connect with Tru, who seems very immature for a woman nearly forty years old. She lets her mom bully her and makes strange decisions, like bringing her cat to work with her every day and then having to hide him in the secret reading room before her boss sees him.
Tru is good at finding clues in the murder, though. Her boyfriend, Jace, is a police officer but was removed from the case since his mother is one of the prime suspects. It is refreshing that he asks her to look for evidence that would clear his mother since he isn’t allowed to get officially involved in the investigation. The victim, Rebecca, could be a bully, trying to run the lives and reading habits of book club members both in and outside of their meetings. Tru was able to ask questions of her acquaintance and friends to find plenty of suspects in Rebecca’s murder.
I enjoyed the side plot about Tru’s elderly friend Flossie and the way it played out. It’s known that Flossie writes bestselling books, but nobody knows what her pen name is. However, I didn’t understand why the likable, well-read, well-traveled Flossie was so interested in joining a book club that only allowed its members to read approved books at any time, not just for the club’s discussions. The story includes some clever red herrings, but I was able to figure out the identity of the murderer and solve another mystery involving Tru fairly easily. The book has several good points, but not connecting with the main character limited my enjoyment of it.
~ Christine
January 8, 2024
An Okay Murder
This book was not my favorite but I enjoyed the many clues and the mystery that was at the heart of the story. The leader of the Arete Society, a super important book club in Cypress, is murdered. The Arete Society is “known throughout the state as the best and most prestigious book club.” The main character, Tru, was invited to speak about the library at the club’s meeting. Tru thinks it is up to her to solve the mystery before her boyfriend’s mother gets locked up. I haven’t read many murder mysteries, but this one held my interest. I found myself changing my predictions about who killed Rebecca, because there were many clues that pointed to different characters.
Full disclosure: I didn’t read the first two books before this one, but the characters and the setting still made sense. I didn’t even know it was part of a series before a member of my book club told me. The author does a good job of reminding the reader of characters and their traits, which makes the book read like it is a stand alone book. The author also does an amazing job of making sure there are a lot of clues and suspects. This helps the reader not find out who the killer is before the end of the story.
Unfortunately, I didn’t like this book. One of the reasons is because the main character’s cat helps solve the mystery. It's not obvious that the cat is sniffing out clues, it just looks like the cat is being a normal cat. Also, Tru brings her cat secretly to work? I don’t remember her getting permission to do that with her boss… I think that she should just leave the cat at home. Another problem is that nobody seemed to care that Rebecca was murdered. Sure, her best friend cries, but nobody goes into deep mourning. There are unnecessary plot points that can be removed and not change the story too much. The author characterizes Rebecca even after she’s died, but that just makes the first scene more confusing. We first see her as awful, but she’s really nice? Everyone hated her, except the people who idolized her. It doesn’t make sense! Another thing that didn’t make sense is the murderer and his or her motive. No spoilers, but I wouldn’t kill someone for that motive.
Overall, it was an okay book. I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt, because I haven’t read the first two books. The characters were nothing special overall, but some were loveable. The plot was a bit confusing at times, but I was able to get through it. I liked how the author created the murder mystery, with all the clues and suspects, so the murderer wasn’t completely obvious. I would most likely recommend reading the first two books first, because that will probably help with making the reader understand this intricate small town and why murders are always happening.
This book was not my favorite but I enjoyed the many clues and the mystery that was at the heart of the story. The leader of the Arete Society, a super important book club in Cypress, is murdered. The Arete Society is “known throughout the state as the best and most prestigious book club.” The main character, Tru, was invited to speak about the library at the club’s meeting. Tru thinks it is up to her to solve the mystery before her boyfriend’s mother gets locked up. I haven’t read many murder mysteries, but this one held my interest. I found myself changing my predictions about who killed Rebecca, because there were many clues that pointed to different characters.
Full disclosure: I didn’t read the first two books before this one, but the characters and the setting still made sense. I didn’t even know it was part of a series before a member of my book club told me. The author does a good job of reminding the reader of characters and their traits, which makes the book read like it is a stand alone book. The author also does an amazing job of making sure there are a lot of clues and suspects. This helps the reader not find out who the killer is before the end of the story.
Unfortunately, I didn’t like this book. One of the reasons is because the main character’s cat helps solve the mystery. It's not obvious that the cat is sniffing out clues, it just looks like the cat is being a normal cat. Also, Tru brings her cat secretly to work? I don’t remember her getting permission to do that with her boss… I think that she should just leave the cat at home. Another problem is that nobody seemed to care that Rebecca was murdered. Sure, her best friend cries, but nobody goes into deep mourning. There are unnecessary plot points that can be removed and not change the story too much. The author characterizes Rebecca even after she’s died, but that just makes the first scene more confusing. We first see her as awful, but she’s really nice? Everyone hated her, except the people who idolized her. It doesn’t make sense! Another thing that didn’t make sense is the murderer and his or her motive. No spoilers, but I wouldn’t kill someone for that motive.
Overall, it was an okay book. I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt, because I haven’t read the first two books. The characters were nothing special overall, but some were loveable. The plot was a bit confusing at times, but I was able to get through it. I liked how the author created the murder mystery, with all the clues and suspects, so the murderer wasn’t completely obvious. I would most likely recommend reading the first two books first, because that will probably help with making the reader understand this intricate small town and why murders are always happening.
October 26, 2022
A Book Club to Die For by Dorothy St. James is the third A Beloved Bookroom Mystery. For those new to the series, the book can be read as a standalone. A Book Club to Die For is easy to read and it has steady pacing. There is an interesting cast of characters (they would fit right into any small Southern town). I do not blame Tru for trying to save the library’s books and opening a secret library (any booklover in her position would do the same). Tru is having a hard time, though, keeping the secret library a secret. I cannot imagine a library without physical books. I just love Tru’s cat, Dewey (who could resist that cute face). The mystery is amusing. Tru is asked to speak at the elite Arete Society (a fancy book club). When the president of the group ends up dead before the meeting begins, the police zero in on the hostess of the event. Unfortunately, the hostess is Hazel Bailey who happens to be Jace’s mother (and Tru is dating Jace). Jace is not allowed to investigate. Tru dons her detective cap and sets out to expose the killer. Tru asks questions and soon learns that here are plenty of people who wished the victim dead. There is misdirection to keep readers off the trail of the true killer. I wish the solution had been more challenging. It can be deduced soon after the murder (before if you are an avid mystery reader). Everything comes together for Tru, and she sets out to capture the killer. When Tru is not busy working or trying to clear Jace’s mother, she is on the hunt for her father. He has disappeared and no one seems to know where he is located. Tru must also keep the basement library a secret from Mrs. Farnsworth, her boss (and the fact that Tru brings Dewey to work with her each day). A Book Club to Die For is told in the first person which leaves us privy to all of Tru’s thoughts. She tends to ramble. There are repetitive details (I lost track of how many times we are told that Flossie is dying to become a member of the Arete Society). I am baffled as to why Hazel would serve tuna noodle casserole at what is supposed to a classy event. There is humor scattered throughout. I especially found the Tech Bros latest creation hilarious (there is one scene involving yellow dust that cracked me up). A Book Club to Die For is an upbeat tale with a bag of books, a dead diva, a metal menace, a clever cat, a caffeine conundrum, a missing man, and a casserole killer.
August 25, 2024
I'll put it simply, I listened to all 3 books in this series as audiobooks.
And with each one, I guessed the killer VERY early on in the book. With each book, I turned up the reading speed more and more, all in the hopes of just learning I was right.
This last one, I listened at x2.40 just to finish it because I honestly had no patience. I had the killer's number as soon as the cops started interviewing witnesses.
Now, before you ask why I'm still reading this series, it's because I'm invested in the fricken romance between the main character (a librarian) and the local detective, because that's my niche! I love romance, whether as main plot or sub plot, I don't care.
And I know romance is not the main genre of this book, but I do think if the author is going to make romance the background filler, she should do better.
She slow played them so much, that it took till the end of the second book for the librarian to agree to a fricken date with little to no intimate interactions for me to feast upon while I wait! And after reading 2 books, I hadn't come this far not to see these two as a couple, so of course I read the third book.
And here's where I get upset, because all the romantic progression takes place off the page. I don't need spice to enjoy a romance, but I do need intimacy for a relationship to feel real. And there was none between the librarian and the detective, or the best friend and her bookish beau, in this last book. Both men come off as kind and sweet as usual, but this book left it all lacking...
But enough of the romance that wasn't there.
I'll focus back on the actual story...
Oh, yes, the librarian's dad goes on a cruise without telling anyone, nor does he tell his daughter he's dating someone to the point of proposing marriage? Better yet, our main character is in her 30s? And still let's her mother control her diet and throw away her food?
Did I mention, our main character is in her 30s? And lacks a fricken back bone?
At best, our librarian comes off as woman in her twenties with parents who still haven't figured themselves.
Overall, I was disappointed by the book series. Which is sad, because I wanted to love it.
And with each one, I guessed the killer VERY early on in the book. With each book, I turned up the reading speed more and more, all in the hopes of just learning I was right.
This last one, I listened at x2.40 just to finish it because I honestly had no patience. I had the killer's number as soon as the cops started interviewing witnesses.
Now, before you ask why I'm still reading this series, it's because I'm invested in the fricken romance between the main character (a librarian) and the local detective, because that's my niche! I love romance, whether as main plot or sub plot, I don't care.
And I know romance is not the main genre of this book, but I do think if the author is going to make romance the background filler, she should do better.
She slow played them so much, that it took till the end of the second book for the librarian to agree to a fricken date with little to no intimate interactions for me to feast upon while I wait! And after reading 2 books, I hadn't come this far not to see these two as a couple, so of course I read the third book.
And here's where I get upset, because all the romantic progression takes place off the page. I don't need spice to enjoy a romance, but I do need intimacy for a relationship to feel real. And there was none between the librarian and the detective, or the best friend and her bookish beau, in this last book. Both men come off as kind and sweet as usual, but this book left it all lacking...
But enough of the romance that wasn't there.
I'll focus back on the actual story...
Oh, yes, the librarian's dad goes on a cruise without telling anyone, nor does he tell his daughter he's dating someone to the point of proposing marriage? Better yet, our main character is in her 30s? And still let's her mother control her diet and throw away her food?
Did I mention, our main character is in her 30s? And lacks a fricken back bone?
At best, our librarian comes off as woman in her twenties with parents who still haven't figured themselves.
Overall, I was disappointed by the book series. Which is sad, because I wanted to love it.
November 8, 2022
Mystery-solving librarian Tru Becket has more than her share of mystifying circumstances to confront in book three of the Beloved Bookroom series: both her good friend Flossie and boyfriend Jace's mother Hazel are the main suspects in the murder of the president of the highly selective Arete Society book club; her father Ashley has disappeared without a trace; and her cat Dewey Decimal is behaving more oddly than usual. As troubling as an incommunicado parent and misbehaving pet can be, the hunt for an elusive killer takes center stage for Tru . . .
Tru is compelled to undertake an investigation to find the guilty party and clear the names of the women she cares about. This is no easy task as the victim, Rebecca White, antagonized and intimidated many of the town folk she came in contact with. There is no shortage of suspects, including members and aspiring members of the Arete Society. Tru must discover who had the strongest motive--and the opportunity--to murder Rebecca. And time is of the essence as Tru's proximity to the truth puts her own life in danger. Is Tru up to the task?
And in other matters . . . will Tru get to the bottom of her father's disappearance? Can she figure out why Dewey is acting destructively towards certain books in the library? Is there any connection between these odd occurrences and Rebecca's death?
In A Book Club to Die For, author Dorothy St. James has once again crafted an enjoyable blend of mystery, humor, and romance. Her talent for presenting numerous viable suspects and planting misleading clues keeps the plot moving forward at a satisfying pace. It's always a pleasure to visit St. James's small town of Cypress, South Carolina, where the unexpected is second nature for its eccentric book-loving residents. At the end of this installment, I'm left to wonder what further adventures and personal developments await in this series that is an ode to libraries and book lovers of all kinds.
Note: I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Tru is compelled to undertake an investigation to find the guilty party and clear the names of the women she cares about. This is no easy task as the victim, Rebecca White, antagonized and intimidated many of the town folk she came in contact with. There is no shortage of suspects, including members and aspiring members of the Arete Society. Tru must discover who had the strongest motive--and the opportunity--to murder Rebecca. And time is of the essence as Tru's proximity to the truth puts her own life in danger. Is Tru up to the task?
And in other matters . . . will Tru get to the bottom of her father's disappearance? Can she figure out why Dewey is acting destructively towards certain books in the library? Is there any connection between these odd occurrences and Rebecca's death?
In A Book Club to Die For, author Dorothy St. James has once again crafted an enjoyable blend of mystery, humor, and romance. Her talent for presenting numerous viable suspects and planting misleading clues keeps the plot moving forward at a satisfying pace. It's always a pleasure to visit St. James's small town of Cypress, South Carolina, where the unexpected is second nature for its eccentric book-loving residents. At the end of this installment, I'm left to wonder what further adventures and personal developments await in this series that is an ode to libraries and book lovers of all kinds.
Note: I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
November 4, 2022
A BOOK CLUB TO DIE FOR by Dorothy St. James
The Third Beloved Bookroom Mystery
Invited to speak at the exclusive Arete Society Book Club, librarian Trudell Becket knows the night will be a disaster, she just doesn't know how bad it will actually turn out to be. When she agreed to speak to the women about how she's circumventing the no book policy of the town's all electric library, Tru forgot that her boss was a member of the group. The boss who doesn't have an inkling about the secret real book library Tru runs. The excitement of her friend, Flossie, and the rudeness of the book club president have Tru in a state, but the biggest shock comes when she finds the club's president dead in the kitchen. Now her boyfriend's mother is the prime suspect, she's having doubts about Flossie's innocence, her father is missing, and robots have invaded the library!
The idea of a library without books and a book club that censures you for reading unapproved books is an anathema to me. Fortunately, Tru is of the same mind as are many of the citizens of Cypress. I love how "good girl", rule follower Tru continues to break the rules to share the joy of reading books, whatever the genre.
In the third Beloved Bookroom mystery we see elitism and literary snobbishness as well as cliques and the desire to belong. Duplicitous behavior makes for a confounding mystery that had me captivated. Subtle clues, and not so subtle ones, provide readers with many aha moments...which in one case led me to think I had it solved...and I did solve something, just not the main thing. Doubts about loved ones amp the anxiety while help from unexpected places eases the tension.
A BOOK CLUB TO DIE FOR is a delightful mystery that captures both the humor and pathos of technology and book clubs. The story and characters engaged me from the start and never let go. I absolutely love this series and can't wait to see what happens next!
The Third Beloved Bookroom Mystery
Invited to speak at the exclusive Arete Society Book Club, librarian Trudell Becket knows the night will be a disaster, she just doesn't know how bad it will actually turn out to be. When she agreed to speak to the women about how she's circumventing the no book policy of the town's all electric library, Tru forgot that her boss was a member of the group. The boss who doesn't have an inkling about the secret real book library Tru runs. The excitement of her friend, Flossie, and the rudeness of the book club president have Tru in a state, but the biggest shock comes when she finds the club's president dead in the kitchen. Now her boyfriend's mother is the prime suspect, she's having doubts about Flossie's innocence, her father is missing, and robots have invaded the library!
The idea of a library without books and a book club that censures you for reading unapproved books is an anathema to me. Fortunately, Tru is of the same mind as are many of the citizens of Cypress. I love how "good girl", rule follower Tru continues to break the rules to share the joy of reading books, whatever the genre.
In the third Beloved Bookroom mystery we see elitism and literary snobbishness as well as cliques and the desire to belong. Duplicitous behavior makes for a confounding mystery that had me captivated. Subtle clues, and not so subtle ones, provide readers with many aha moments...which in one case led me to think I had it solved...and I did solve something, just not the main thing. Doubts about loved ones amp the anxiety while help from unexpected places eases the tension.
A BOOK CLUB TO DIE FOR is a delightful mystery that captures both the humor and pathos of technology and book clubs. The story and characters engaged me from the start and never let go. I absolutely love this series and can't wait to see what happens next!
January 9, 2024
An Unserious and Light Murder Mystery
DISCLAIMER: I did not read the first two books and I was aware it was a series only after I finished it. This is a bias in my personal opinion. I will also use SPOILERS while reviewing the book.
The book "A Book Club to Die" For by Dorothy St. James is a fun and cozy read with an exaggerated cartoonesque plot and characters. This murder mystery is definitely not a thriller, and doesn’t follow the usual high-stakes creepy atmosphere most do. To elaborate, the motive for the murder is centered around high-society books, and the main character’s cat is the one that helps indirectly solve it. Causal side-plots are happening all the time, and it gets solved in I believe a matter of 1 a week. The characters act “quirky”, in the modern connotation of the word. Personally I’m not into the tone, but that’s why I WON'T say it’s bad – the book has done nothing wrong, it’s just my personal preference. The pacing in the first half of the book for me was extremely slow. Half of that could have been on me, I was not super hyped, but things move slowly nonetheless until much later. What I will say is that the characterization is very descriptive. The author describes their clothes, accessories, and mannerisms that are pretty good at giving us an impression of them. Whoever is into light drama and light murder mysteries with trope-y characters, this is for you.
DISCLAIMER: I did not read the first two books and I was aware it was a series only after I finished it. This is a bias in my personal opinion. I will also use SPOILERS while reviewing the book.
The book "A Book Club to Die" For by Dorothy St. James is a fun and cozy read with an exaggerated cartoonesque plot and characters. This murder mystery is definitely not a thriller, and doesn’t follow the usual high-stakes creepy atmosphere most do. To elaborate, the motive for the murder is centered around high-society books, and the main character’s cat is the one that helps indirectly solve it. Causal side-plots are happening all the time, and it gets solved in I believe a matter of 1 a week. The characters act “quirky”, in the modern connotation of the word. Personally I’m not into the tone, but that’s why I WON'T say it’s bad – the book has done nothing wrong, it’s just my personal preference. The pacing in the first half of the book for me was extremely slow. Half of that could have been on me, I was not super hyped, but things move slowly nonetheless until much later. What I will say is that the characterization is very descriptive. The author describes their clothes, accessories, and mannerisms that are pretty good at giving us an impression of them. Whoever is into light drama and light murder mysteries with trope-y characters, this is for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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