Septuagenarian librarian and bookmobile maven, Cleo Watkins, has her hands full in this third installment of the Bookmobile mystery series. The Georgia Antiquarian Book Society has brought their fair to Catalpa Springs and her sweetheart Henry, a respected bookseller and bookbinder is the host. Unbeknownst to them a conman is in their midst and is making the rounds charming the locals out of their beloved prized books. He must have gone too far because he turns up dead and Cleo’s cousin Dot is the prime suspect. The conman stole her autographed copy of Gone With the Wind. Turns out the murder weapon is Henry’s bookbinding awl, so The sheriff sets his sights on Henry too. Cleo hits the books to discover the real killer.

This addition to the Bookmobile Mystery series was enjoyable, with a new mystery for Cleo to solve. Henry Lafayette, Cleo's beau has brought the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society Fair to Catalpa Springs and everyone is excited. Cleo and her BFF, Mary Rose Garland attend to see what they might be able to pick up and just to see and touch all the old and rare books, manuscripts, photographs, letters and more. What Cleo soon discovers is that some of the items on display and for sale may have been obtained illegally. When she realizes that some of her friends are being swindled or their items stolen, she tracks down the main culprit, but when he is murdered, she ups her sleuthing when Henry becomes the main suspect.

I enjoyed re-visiting Catalpa Springs, Georgia and meeting up with this varied cast of characters. Cleo is a septuagenarian librarian. She uses her Bookmobile to bring books to those who can't get to the actual library. She loves books and justice and both come to play in this mystery. Cleo and Henry have a sweet relationship and they are both booklovers. They are both well loved in the community and are able to suss out information. The police chief is the typical bumbling fool who jumps at the first suspect and is manipulated by the attractive visitor to town. Very cliché so it is up to Cleo to prove Henry is innocent. I love the four legged characters, Cleo’s cat, Rhett Butler, and Henry’s old pug, Mr. Chaucer. They are usually by the sides of their owners as they sleuth. There were several suspects in this story and a few red herrings here and there. Although I enjoyed this story, it didn't seem to have the same quirky feel as the first in the series. I will read more, especially #2 which I missed to see if I enjoy it more.

I enjoyed this cozy mystery story I listen to it on Audio and read some of it too. The main character was Cleo Watkins. She lives in a small town in the state of Georgia.She helps with the bookmobile around town and is a librarian. When a book event comes to town she is very excited about this. But she did not expect a murder would happen during the week of this event. Or expect that her friend or cousin would have been the main suspected.

This was a fun read I enjoyed trying to find out who the killer was. I was very surprised of who the killer was I never expected it while listen to it. I enjoyed the animals that the author put in.
This is the third in a series of books.
Also the narrator did a good job too.

I received  a complimentary copy via Netgalley and decided to get the audio to it. This is my honest unbiased opinion.

I really enjoyed Read or Alive by Nora Page. The murder mystery was well done, though I did guess who it was by the mid-point of the book. I wasn't sure of the why though until the reveal. I'm enjoying the character development and hope to see more facets to all of their personalities in the next book in the series.

Read or Alive by Nora Page features elderly sleuth Cleo Watkins. This cozy was so much fun to read. This book is #3 in the series, but it was easy to jump in without having read the previous books. I loved Cleo and Henry, along with their pets, Rhett Butler and Mr. Chaucer. Even when Henry was, of course, the main suspect, Cleo’s belief in Henry’s innocense never wavered. The author did an amazing job throwing in red herrings. I changed my mind several times! Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed it when the Antiquarian Book Fair came to town. I love Cleo's book Mobile. Although I enjoyed the story, I didn't care for the writer's tone of voice. The ages of the characters I couldn't relate to. A cozy mystery that uses the third person's point of view is something I'm not used to.

Thank you Crooked Lake Books and Netgalley For the ARC of this review. This was an honest Review.

What a fascinating book. I was impressed by the storyline and the characters were all well written and complex. Where there are complex storylines combined with intriguing characters the reader experience is magnified tremendously. To have a book that is well written as well as entertaining is a delight. Reading is about escaping your world and entering another one. Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

Blurb from Amazon:

"Wrongful accusations have librarian Cleo Watkins and her loved ones booked for trouble.

It's springtime and septuagenarian librarian Cleo Watkins is celebrating new blooms and old books. To her delight, the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society has brought its annual fair to Catalpa Springs in honor of Cleo's gentleman friend, respected antiquarian bookseller and restorer, Henry Lafayette. However, trouble rolls in with the fair when a flirtatious book scout makes the rounds, charming locals out of prized books.

Among the conned is Cleo's cousin, Dot, who handed over a signed, first edition of Gone With the Wind. With no proof the scout took the valuable book, Dot is at a loss. And when the deceitful man is found murdered the very next morning, Dot becomes a prime suspect. To Cleo's dismay, so is Henry. The scene of the crime is behind Henry's shop and his bookbinding tool is the murder weapon. As evidence stacks up against Henry, the police aren't alone in questioning his innocence. Even friends and family ask Cleo how well she truly knows her gentleman friend.

Although books are at the heart of the crimes, Cleo feels dizzyingly out of her depths. Someone is setting up the people she holds dearest. With the authorities on the wrong trail, Cleo has no choice but to catalog the evidence herself. Along with her trusty bookmobile cat Rhett Butler, it will be up to Cleo to book the real killer for good."

Ok, this is my dream job, so I may be biased. Lol. This is the third installment of the Bookmobile mysteries and I'm hooked. I love all of the characters, the plotline flows without a hitch, and they always keep me guessing. I highly recommend this series!

Mysteries with Cleo and the bookmobile always make for a fun read and this one was another interesting mystery. I enjoyed the premise and the mystery kept me guessing. Looking forward to the next adventure with Cleo and the rest of the crew.

The third book in the Bookmobile mystery series by Nora Page is Read or Alive. Cleo is excited for the book society's book fair in Catalpa Springs. She plans time away from the bookmobile to attend. She soon discovers that her cousin Dot and others have been swindled by one of the attendees. When Cleo's boyfriend Henry becomes the main suspect, Cleo decides to investigate. I enjoy this series, but this particular book fell a bit flat. The killer was glaringly obvious, and the flow of the story was not as smooth as in the previous books. I would not say that I disliked it, but it is definitely not my favorite.

I love this series and this was an excellent addition.
I was happy to meet again the quirky and relatable characters and visit the lovely setting.
The mystery was solid, full of twists and turns, and kept me guessing.
I can't wait for the next instalment, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Read or Alive is the third in Nora Page series! Cleo Watkins is a Bookmobile Librarian in her Georgia town. Cleo and her gentleman friend, Henry were hosting the state Antiquarian Book Fair and they become involved in a murder. Cleo is widow who is passionate a books and all the sugary desserts that she should stay away from. When Henry becomes the prime suspect, Cleo has to get involve and solve the murder!

This is a gentle and undemanding cozy. Cleo is a widow who is passionate about books, her bookmobile, and the world of sugary desserts her doctor has told her to stay away from.

I really enjoyed the characters, this book was very entertaining, and very unpredictable.

First I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have really enjoyed this series, Cleo the septuagenarian librarian and her friend Henry are a delight and I hope I have half her spunk and energy when I get to be her age.

My only complaint, is that I crave pie the entire time I read these books!! Actually it's not really a complaint, I just need to go get some pie!

Love these characters and this series, I eagerly await the next book in this series.

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, DNF.

Book 3 in the series.

I'm sorry to say, I just can't seem to get in to this series. I don't connect with the main character at all. After multiple starts and stops, I finally gave up and put it down for good.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Cleo, her beau and her cousin are all wrapped up in a murder investigation of a shifty book scout who likes to weasel rare and valuable books away from vulnerable older ladies. Cousin Dot was one such victim and when she bridles at hi during the Antiquarian book fair, there are lots of witnesses. In fact, Dot almost goes out of her way to be the perfect suspect. The other top suspect is Henry so Cleo loses either way since they are two of the people she loves the most.

What makes things so frustrating is the Chief of Police happily puts both of them in the crosshairs while refusing to consider there might be better candidates. Thankfully deputy Gabby has an open mind and continues to look deeper into who might be framing the two. Between questionable and personal connections, several of the attendees, including a wannabe Marilyn Monroe, there is a ton of dirty dealing going on. And the ultimate prize is a first first edition of Gone With The Wind, complete with typos that were corrected in the next first printing and signed. There are lots of people who would kill for such a book. And if someone did, was that someone Dot, who is the true owner of the treasure?

With a bookmobile co-pilot in the form of a kitty named Rhett Butler, assorted other characters and nefarious doings, it’s a fun book for a summer read. I did suspect the villain from the outset but there were layers In the story that kept me wondering if I was right. Four purrs and two paws up.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

An interesting dip through small-town politics as they interact with the world of antiquarian book trading. The plot was uneven in places and formulaic in others, but all in all not a bad read.

Septuagenarian librarian Cleo Watkins loves her duties as bookmobile librarian in Catalpa Springs. And the fact the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society is holding its annual fair in Catalpa Springs in honor of Cleo's gentleman friend, esteemed antiquarian bookseller and restorer, Henry Lafayette makes life even better.

Everything is going great until a book scout shows up and flirts with some locals, charming them out of cherished books. Cleo’s cousin is one of his targets, duped out of her signed, first edition copy of Gone With the Wind. When the book scout turns up dead, Dot is definitely on the suspect list. But she’s not the only suspect connected to Cleo. The dead man is found behind Henry’s shop and was killed with one of his bookbinding tools. As evidence builds up, Cleo is soon on the hunt for the real killer to clear those close to her. Will she find the murderer before the fair leaves town, taking suspects out of Catalpa Springs?

This cozy mystery gives the reader a glimpse into a close-knit southern town and its inhabitants, some of them facing some pretty difficult circumstances. The author provides enough clues and hints to keep a reader guessing whodunit and enjoying the path as her sleuth tracks down the real killer.

Cleo Watkins gets involved in murder again in Read or Alive a Bookmobile mystery; books are being stolen and an antiquarian dealer is suspected of bilking collectors out of their prized books. Then he is murdered and Cleo's friend Henry, a book repair artisan, is suspected. More red herrings than usual. Good cozy which will be popular with the bookish crowd.

Read or Alive by Nora Page is the third book in the ‘Bookmobile Mystery’ series and it was an engrossing read.

What a highly entertaining cocktail of mystery and mayhem! This was a wonderful cozy mystery which was both lovely and enjoyable and it made perfect reading for me between other more intense novels. It was fantastic to return to the small town of Catapulta Springs, Georgia, and catch up with septuagenarian librarian Cleo Watkins. Protagonist Cleo makes a great amateur sleuth as she is hardworking, confident, astute, and game for anything. The other characters were also very well drawn and I especially liked the charming Henry Lafayette, Cleo's gentleman friend who owns Gilded Page Antiquarian & Rare Books. Cleo's ginger Persian cat, named Rhett Butler, and Henry's sweet pug, Chaucer added interest of the four-legged variety.

Funny and quirky with a fantastic plot, this book was a great package of fun and excitement and although it was quite long for a cozy, it was a perfect book to enjoy whilst relaxing on the sofa with a large mug of tea.

I really appreciated the clever writing from Nora Page in this novel which kept me intrigued right to the end. Whilst there was plenty of substance to this mystery and an abundance of red herrings to mislead the reader, there was a high comedic value, too. With its great story and wonderful characters, I would recommend Read or Alive to all cozy mystery lovers out there who are wanting an easy-to-read weekend read. If you prefer more humour than a mystery to your cozy reading then this would be a good choice. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel, at my request, from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.