Brenda H. (booksinvt) - , reviewed on 1/13/2018 + 458 more book reviews

Better off Read is the debut of the A Bookmobile Mystery series set in the small town of Catalpa Springs, Georgia and featuring seventy five year old librarian Cleo Watkins and her Persian cat Rhett Butler. A recent storm has severely damaged the local library and Cleo is working hard to get the monies for its repair, and her ancient school bus bookmobile "Words on Wheels" is sounding like it's about ready for a new engine.

Mayor Jebson Day doesn't want to see the town spend the money to fix the library, instead he has plans to knock down the building and develop a huge fishing pier that will attract professional fisherman from all over the world. The Mayor has the backing of local bank president Vernon Givens and between the two Cleo has a feeling the library is going to be doomed.

Desperate to save the library and bookmobile Cleo sets out to ask the eccentric library board member Buford Krandall for help. When she and her library assistant Leanna arrive at the Krandall estate they find the man dead in his library surrounded by library books. Krandall had been drilling in the local springs looking to bottle the waters and make a fortune, much to the dismay of his neighbor Mary-Rose Garland who relies on the natural springs for the pancakes and sweets she serves up at the Pancake Mill.

Mary-Rose is Cleo's best friend and when she tops the suspect list along with Cleo's grandson Ollie who had gotten involved with an environmental activist group determined to stop Krandall, Cleo sets out with the help of her "gentleman friend" Henry Lafayette and his pug, Mr. Chaucer to find the real killer.

A fun, fast paced read with plenty of suspects. A delightful group of characters and a cozy small town setting, cute animals including a family of skunks make for a great new series.

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