Murder in the Library

A Word Travels Mobile Bookshop Cozy Mystery #1

by Penny Brooke

An industrious mobile bookshop owner. A quaint library in Vermont. And a mystery to solve.

Claudia Madison always wanted to own a bookshop but never had the money to do so. Let’s face it, rent prices can be killer. But with her now entering a new chapter in her life, she realizes she can make her dream a reality by launching a mobile bookshop. With her cat by her side and her free-spirited aunt in the passenger seat, they travel to Vermont, book shopping to find the next good story to add to their collection.

But their perfect line of work takes a twisted turn when they make their usual stop at the Greenwood Public Library to dig through the Last Chance books left after the semi-annual basement book sale. A tipped-over bookcase and a dead body leaves everyone in the town in an upheaval. Everyone has a past that catches up to them, and Claudia learns that skipping the prologue of anyone’s story could have deadly consequences.

Genres: Cozy Mystery, Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Ebooks, Mystery Thriller, Books About Books

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 8, 2023

About the author

Penny Brooke has been reading mysteries for as long as she can remember. When not penning her own stories, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, crocheting, and cozying up with her pups and a good novel.

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder in the Library is book one in the A Word Travels Mobile Bookshop Cozy Mystery series by Penny Brooke. It was Claudia Madison's dream to own a bookshop, but with limited funds, the only option for her was to launch a mobile bookshop. With her Aunt's help, she travels to Vermont to pick up new book supplies for her bookshop. However, on arrival, she became involved in the investigation of finding the killer of the person whose body was found at the Greenwood Public Library. The readers of Murder in the Library will continue to follow Claudia Madison to discover what happens.

Murder in the Library allowed me to imagine working in a job of my dreams, travelling the countryside and allowing communities to enjoy the wonderful world of reading. Reading Murder in the Library, you will learn about the beautiful countryside of Vermont, USA. Murder in the Library is an enjoyable, cozy mystery. I engaged with the characters and story from the first page.

I love Penny Brooke's portrayal of her characters and the way they interact with each other throughout this book. Murder in the Library was well-written and researched by Penny Brook. I like Penny Brooke's description of the settings of Murder in the Library, which complements the book's plot.

I recommend this book.

[Tari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claudia had a pretty cool business going. Usually you hear about bookmobiles in mysteries but this is the first bookshop on wheels I've read about. I felt bad for Claudia stopping off for some books a librarian friend saved back for her only to find out her friend was dead. Can't say I blame her wanting to stick around and see just who had it in for her friend that was apparently well-loved in the community.

That was some exciting showdown, but Claudia was resourceful and also had some help. Another great rescue helped out by a pet, this time it's Jasper the cat. Good boy, Jasper! He made an awfully good comfort kitty too! Can't wait to borrow the next book on KU when it's out and find out more about Claudia, Aunt Daisy Mae and their friends.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet, clean cozy mystery. No gory details, no steamy romance, just a murder to solve. Ok, there's a tiny bit of romance in there, but that definitely wasn't the focus.
I really enjoyed reading this book. This whodunit kept me guessing. I got sad, mad, happy, right along with Claudia and Aunt Daisy Mae. BTW Aunt Daisy Mae and Jasper could steal the show in a heartbeat. I can't wait to see them pop up in the next book.

[Wulfwyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dream Job

A mobile bookshop sounds like the dream job to me. I like the characters. Aunt Daisy Mae and Jasper were favorites. I am excited to read more of the series and get to know Claudia, Aunt and Jasper better.

[Jennifer Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew

Just the type of book I like, cozy mystery with not 1 but 2 libraries and a little romance in the middle...they heartfelt ending was like a perfect bow.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a bibliophile, I love any cozy series in a book related setting. Although started out slow when Claudia's librarian friend Layla is found dead in the library, it picked up quick with a few twists and turns that makes you wonder is it for love or money or both?

Looking forward to see what adventures the team of Claudia, Aunt Daisy Mae, and cat Jasper will come across next. Of course it will probably involve murder.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cath · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book one of the Word Travels Mobile Bookshop and the main characters are Claudia Madison and her eccentric and free spirited Aunt Daisy Mae, who travel around in their camper van turned mobile library, fulfilling Claudia’s dreams of having her own library. They travel to see one of her friends, Layla Johnson, the head librarian at Greenwood Public Library, who has kept aside a load of books from books that were being phased out of the library and let her have them at a cheap price. When Layla doesn’t answer any of Claudia’s calls or texts as they are on their way from the campsite, Claudia begins to worry that something is wrong! As they pull up to the library, they see a man running away, but shortly afterwards a young woman turns up in a brand new car. It turns out she is Melody, Layla’s assistant and she sends them off to check out the books Layla put aside for them, but instead they make an unpleasant discovery. They find Layla dead under a fallen bookcase and loads of books! Claudia is distraught at the discovery of her friend and wants to know what happened. The local sheriff is pretty useless and practically accuses Claudia and her aunt of being her killers!
Claudia’s friend and almost boyfriend, Noah, comes to support her and advises her to look into matters for her own peace of mind, but never thought she would actually try to solve the case herself! There are lots of red herrings along the way, as the bumbling sheriff quickly arrests someone, simply because they are homeless and used to be seen with Layla a lot. There is a lot that Layla hadn’t shared with Claudia over the past few months and it seems some of that could be the reason why she was killed. You have an ex-boyfriend who turned stalker and wasn’t willing for their relationship to be over, a woman who wanted lots of books banned, saying they were ruining children’s lives and actually wanted to work in the library, and so much more. Claudia and her aunt, as well as her cat Jasper, who seems to help at just the right moments, place themselves in harms way, to get justice for her friend. Someone is lying and spreading a lot of rumours around town, trying to hide what they have done and to paint a different picture of who is the guilty party and remove themselves from any investigation by the useless police force. The tale brings Claudia and her aunt closer together, even bringing Noah and Claudia to the promise of an actual date in the near future, so even though it starts with heart breaking news, it ends with something to uplift the heart and look forward to. A cute, murder mystery, with characters that have a lot more to show and I can’t wait to see where their travels take them next. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Suzanne]

This is my first book by this author and it won't be the last. This one is bit different in that it involves a bookmobile. Claudia has always wanted to own her own bookshop but unfortunately that takes money she doesn't have so she bought a van and turned it into a mobile bookshop. Now she and her eccentric Aunt Daisy Mae along with Claudia's perky cat Jasper travel the country selling books from the van turned bookshop.

This is a fun story, well except for the murder part. Claudia has a friend who runs a local library in Greenwood, Vermont. She puts books aside to sell to Claudia at a good price. Claudia is on her way to the library to get these books but it is strange that her friend, Layla, isn't answering her texts or calls. Layla always answers her texts, so this gives Claudia a bit of an uneasy feeling. When they arrive at the library, the door is locked and no one is answering the door. When Layla's assistant shows up and unlocks the door, the enter. When they discover an overturned bookcase with a body underneath it, it is very apparent that Layla is dead. The local police are called in an Claudia and Aunt Daisy Mae become immediate suspects and are told not to leave town. Since Claudia has to stay in town and the police department seems to be inept, she decides to do her own investigation. There are a lot of red herrings as Claudia makes it her mission to find out who killed her friend. Evidently Layla had some secrets she hadn't shared with Claudia. Could the motive be jealousy, revenge, money or something entirely different. There are several potential suspects along the way. As Claudia closes in could she be putting her own life in danger and become a victim herself.

I recommend this book. I love Claudia and Aunt Daisy Mae. They are 3-dimensional characters with a lot of personality. Aunt Daisy Mae is free spirited and just goes with the flow. Claudia's cat Jasper has a lot personality and just seems to show up when he is needed the most. I am looking forward to the next book to see where Claudia's next adventure takes her.

[Pam]

This book has an interesting premise - a traveling bookshop with the main character, her wacky aunt, and an unusual cat. I thought it was going to be good but the first chapter had a corpse and the main character had a murder board set up by the second chapter. I am so tired of the plot device of the main character trying to solve a murder working around and against the advice of law enforcement. I stopped by the third chapter.


Amazon review:
Claudia Madison always wanted to own a bookshop but never had the money to do so. Let’s face it, rent prices can be killer. But with her now entering a new chapter in her life, she realizes she can make her dream a reality by launching a mobile bookshop. With her cat by her side and her free-spirited aunt in the passenger seat, they travel to Vermont, book shopping to find the next good story to add to their collection.

But their perfect line of work takes a twisted turn when they make their usual stop at the Greenwood Public Library to dig through the Last Chance books left after the semi-annual basement book sale. A tipped-over bookcase and a dead body leaves everyone in the town in an upheaval. Everyone has a past that catches up to them, and Claudia learns that skipping the prologue of anyone’s story could have deadly consequences.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

What's not to like, a book about a mobile bookshop, a library, a cat, a cozy mystery and written by an author who I have read books by before and have loved them - it was a sure bet for me!

Claudia drives a mobile bookshop, driving around the Country with her Aunt Daisy Mae in the passenger seat and Jasper, the black cat who finds cozy places to nap, until it's time to cause mischief. She buys her second hand books from libraries and markets, then sells them on the road. A vast change from her life in a publishing house, but Claudia loves it.

Claudia is visiting Greenwood Library run by her fellow book nerd Layla, but she's got a strange feeling something isn't right when she can't get Layla on the phone. When she arrives and finds a bookshelf toppled over, and a body under it, she knows she's right to be concerned. There follows a cozy mystery driven by greed, lots of dead ends and a touch of romance.

This is the first book in this series, but Penny Brooke, has written several other series of cozy mysteries. Seabreeze Bookshop is one, Garden Cove Library is another; so if you liked this book, then I can recommend these other series. They're all really good and well worth reading.

[Shelly Joyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder in the library (a world travel’s Mobile bookshop cozy mystery) is book one in the series written by Mrs Penny Brooke. The premise of the story is the main character, Claudia Madison, created a mobile book store along with her aunt, Daisy-Mae, and cherished cat jasper. As they travel to a small town to meet up with a friend, who is also selling them some books at a deep discount, they discovered that she has been murdered. The detectives assigned to the case doesn’t seem interested in finding out the real truth of what happened to her friend, so Claudia takes it upon herself to search for clues. She discovers the killer and is almost killed her self in the process.

The main character, Claudia was very relatable. I really wanted to root for her to get the clues. You could feel the different emotions that were portrayed throughout the personalities of the different characters. The ending is good. You didn’t see the guilty person until the final pages of the book. I recommend this quaint story for a cozy murder mystery read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[penny · Rating 3 out of 5]

rating: 3.5/5

im really loving cosy murder mysteries at the moment!! this was a really nice short read before bed to relax me and soothe me into sleep!

i loved our fmc, but jasper has to be my favourite! i imagine jasper as a black fluffy cat with fur as soft as silk. Aunt Daisy mae was an amazing side character, and i really did like noah. even though layla is dead, her personality still shines through during the book as the writer tells us about layla throughout it.

at the beginning of the book it was truly a mystery to me who the murderer was but as i delve further into it maybe about 60-70% through i guessed who it was which is fine but i love less predictable stories. this is a really nice comforting read though and its not as hard on the brain, meaning you dont have to put too much thought into it.

i loved the length of the book, i think it was perfect for this story and the pace was on point. i will definitely continue with this series.

i recommend this to those who like:
- cosy (murder) mysteries
- short reads
- books about books (library, bookshop etc)

thank you penny brooke for writing this book! also name twins, (my names penny).

instagram: hadesbookss

[Daryl P Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travelling bookshop heroine cosy mystery, first in series.

Penny Brooke has many of the expected ingredients in this genre. Determined, feisty female heroine: side-kick with quirks; victim or suspect is good friend or relation; police prejudiced or lazy and a pet with distinctive character.

There are several suspects for the non-gory murder and the frustration from the police ordering the travelling bookshop duo to stay put is evident. There is a travelling good friend and an attractive man who come in and out of town to help. I had rumbled the murderer before half-way through although there are some hints and twists along the way. I think Jasper the cat got most attention from both the author and in the story. There are scenes of peril and difficulty.

Easy, entertaining read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[TheCatLady · Rating 4 out of 5]

I did find that the book had a bit of a slow, meandering start but once it got rolling there was a good mystery and plenty of suspects (although I did guess the murderer fairly early on).

I enjoyed Claudia, her Aunt Daisy Mae and Jasper the cat who always seems to come through at the right times. I also like that it's a mobile bookshop, meaning the mysteries will take place in different locations as the series continues.

I like Brooke's series' and this one follows the same formula of a reluctant sleuth, a small town with secrets and a bunch of realistic characters. I would read more of this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rhonda Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice clean short read

Loved this! Did not see the ending. Love Claudia and Aunt Daisy Mae. Love the idea of traveling bookshop. Claudia is traveling to Vermont and plans on meeting up with Layla but when she gets there Claudia and the library assistant Melody discover her dead. Claudia is unsatisfied with the performance of the police department and decides to investigate on her own. Jason, Layla's ex boyfriend definitely seems to viable candidate for the murder as well as Kara, an over demanding woman who had an argument with Layla. Find out who is guilty and who shall remain free. What happens to Claudia. Who do the police actually arrest?Answers to these questions and mire in "Murder in the Library" Get it NOW

[Barb · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up

This was a fun start to a new-to-me series, although it's quite short (just over 150 pages), so everything felt rushed. I like Claudia, the MC, and her Aunt Daisy Mae, but can't imagine traveling the way they do with any of my aunts :)

I knew who the murder victim was going to be before it happened, even though the character never appeared in the book except as a victim, and I knew who the primary suspect was going to be too. For such a short book, there were quite a few red herrings, but my hunch about the culprit proved to be correct. The motive seemed silly to me, but I've never given serious thought to committing murder, so who knows?

I would like to read the next book in this series, but I have to find a copy first :)

[Tess Ailshire · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy read, perhaps a bit more simplistic than many of the genre. It includes few twists or turns, and a rather clear-cut whodunit. Or, perhaps more accurately, clear-cut who-didn't-do-it, leaving only one real suspect.

More than sufficient for an afternoon's read by the fire.

I was disappointed in the editing. One doesn't expect misused tenses ("as if she was still here") or pronouns ("Us book nerds ...") from "book nerds". One doesn't expect a character to drive away before getting in to a car, or for someone "towering over" the character to reach "up" to brush away hair. One expects clear antecedents in a well-edited story.

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fellow book lover and long time supporter of the mobile bookstore finds her own ending in a favorite locale

local police suspect Claudia, an out of towner who was in a bad place at the wrong time

Can Aunt Daisy Mar, Claudia and Jasper the cat resolve the mysteries and malfeasance surrounding the death of her friend?

is it finally time to settle down instead if traveling- or will that choice become involuntary?

kitty, friends and family packed whodunnit.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the cozy mysteries that have book mobiles and what's a book mobile without a trusty sidekick like Jasper the cat. Claudia is going to pick up some books from her Librarian friend for the book mobile only go find out she has been killed, so what's a good friend to do just drive away no she's going to find out did this and bring them to justice. Another great series from Penny Brooke and I want more.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kim Loomer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claudia goes to Greenwood to visit her best friend.

Claudia tries to get the police to solve a murder but they are not great at their job. So Claudia, along with her Aunt and her cat, try to see if they can figure out what happened. It was a great little book with a story that hooked me right from the start. Now I am headed for the second book in the series. I love finding good new authors.

[Miranda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Books and murder

Claudia and Aunt Daisy Mae travel around selling books from their van. They stop at Claudia’s friend’s library and find her dead.
Claudia is devastated and finds herself immersed in the trial of finding her friend’s murderer. She goes through sadness while trying to solve the case.
When she gets close, Claudia gets in trouble herself. Her cat, Jasper, stays with her to calm her, and show his love.
An interesting mystery, with lots of love.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Claudia and her aunt own a mobile bookstore. They drive a van that is converted into a mobile bookstore and they travel the country selling books. Already an unusual and unique plaot.
They are going to a small town to pick up library disgards from a good friwnd Who upon arriving, turns up dead.
The plot goes rather dill at this point. There is the typical inept law enforcement looking in the wrong direction. The two mobile book van pair go poking their noses into things, And the poor suspect that is falsely accused. Sorry, folks, I guessed the culprit less than a third through.

[Debbie Benson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. A good mystery with the culprit being unknown until the end. Layla was living her dream until greed ends her life. Her friend Claudia investigates on her own and solves the murder and digs up some other stuff as well.

[Juanita E. Arp · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book, the storyline is well written and entertaining. I know someone has to die in a murder mystery, but this I thought was also sad with the death in the library. I can't wait to read more from this author. I received this book as a Free ARC copy to read and I voluntarily leave this review.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was a great start to the Word Travels Mobile Bookshop series, it had a great cozy mystery element and I was glad I got to read this. The characters were what I was looking for and I enjoyed how good the mystery was. I'm excited to read more in this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and entertaining cozy mystery read that keeps you turning the pages as you try to solve the mystery of who dun it before you reach the end. Fun characters that are a bit quirky at times but work well together to solve the mystery.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters and the mystery and I understood why Claudia got involved in the investigation but didn't like the danger she put herself in. Also I felt like I missed a prequel or these characters were spun-off from another series. I felt like I was missing some backstory. But I will definitely read book 2.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t usually read cozies but I made an exception in this case because Library in the title got me. I love books about books. Also, I love the characters in the book. The bookmobile is a compelling idea. It sounds like something I’d like to do

I read it as a refresher between some of my more serious reading. It didn’t disappoint. I’m glad I read it. I’d highly recommend it.

[Jennifer Laird-Lord · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is mystery and murder that Claudia along with her aunt try to solve. It's a quick but nice read. I would recommend this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.