Better Off Read: A Bookmobile Mystery

by Nora Page Narrated by Ann Richardson

Overview

When her best hope of saving her storm-damaged library is found murdered, senior librarian Cleo Watkins hits the road in her bookmobile in search of justice.

Septuagenarian librarian Cleo Watkins won't be shushed when an upstart young mayor threatens to permanently shelve her tiny town's storm-damaged library. She takes to her bookmobile, Words on Wheels, to collect allies and rally library support throughout Catalpa Springs, Georgia.

However, Cleo soon rolls into trouble. A major benefactor known for his eccentric DIY projects requests all available books on getting away with murder. He's no Georgia peach, and Cleo wonders if she should worry about his plans. She knows she should when she discovers him bludgeoned-and evidence points to her best friend, Mary-Rose Garland.

Sure of Mary-Rose's innocence, Cleo applies her librarian's sleuthing skills to the case, assisted by friends, family, and the dapper antiquarian bookseller everyone keeps calling her boyfriend. Evidence stacks up, but a killer is overdue to strike again. With lives and her library on the line, Cleo must shift into high gear to close the book on murder in Better Off Read, the charming Bookmobile series debut by Nora Page.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

03/26/2018
When septuagenarian librarian Cleo Watkins of Catalpa Springs, Ga., learns that the new mayor wants to close her storm-ravaged library to fund his high-end fishing pier and floating casino, she takes matters into her own hands, in this funny, fast-paced series launch from the pseudonymous Page. Cleo sets out to rally support for saving the library in Words on Wheels, a yellow school bus turned mobile library. But when someone fatally bludgeons one of the library’s major benefactors, an aficionado of true crime books, Cleo enlists the support of friends and family to keep her best friend, Mary-Rose Garland, and her 24-year-old grandson, Ollie, from being implicated in the crime. Page pulls together all the elements needed to sustain a cozy series: an eccentric cast of supporting characters, a potential suitor, a cat named Rhett, a quaint town, great food, and, most importantly, a dynamo of a lead in Cleo, who drives with a lead foot and refuses to back down from anything or anyone, including bullies and murderers. Agent: Christina Hogrebe, Jane Rotrosen Agency. (May)

From the Publisher

Funny [and] fast-paced . . . A dynamo of a lead in Cleo, who drives with a lead foot and refuses to back down from anything or anyone, including bullies and murderers.”
—Publishers Weekly

“Outstanding . . . A delightful cast of characters and an engaging amateur sleuth in Cleo, this mystery is a page-turning whodunit that will have readers longing for another volume featuring this intrepid librarian.”
—Jenn McKinlay, New York Times–bestselling author of the Library Lover’s mysteries

“Better Off Read by Nora Page is, indeed, a page turner, and so much more! Librarian Cleo Watkins and her mobile library, Word on Wheels, will roll right into your heart as Cleo uses her clever smarts to solve a perfectly plotted mystery. You’ll love every moment you spend with Cleo and her friends in Catalpa Springs, Georgia.”
—Paige Shelton, New York Times–bestselling author of the Scottish Bookshop mysteries

“A spunky heroine, a furry side-kick with ‘cat-itude’, and plenty of southern charm. What more could readers want?”
—Lucy Arlington, New York Times–bestselling author of the Novel Idea mysteries

“Who wouldn’t want to get on the bookmobile with Cleo Watkins, the librarian who just never quits? . . . a fun and witty read with the perfect blend of action, humor, romance and a twisty mystery. Great fun!”
—Victoria Abbott, award-winning author of the Book Collector mysteries

“A delightful mystery with quirky charm, the fight for the environment, and the love of books.”
—San Francisco Book Review

Product Details

BN ID:	2940179047346
Publisher:	Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Publication date:	06/16/2020
Series:	Bookmobile Mysteries , #1
Edition description:	Unabridged

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