I needed a comfort read earlier this week and immediately thought of Cleo and her bookmobile. Cleo feels like the grandma we all wish we had and you throw in her love of books and you get the perfect grandma. I think Cleo has the perfect job of driving the bookmobile. She gets to be surrounded by books all day, she gets to travel with said books, and she gets to be among fellow booklovers. The only downside of her job is the dead bodies she finds but that is just a little hiccup.

I instantly fell in love when I realized the book would be about Gone With the Wind, which is a favorite of mine. Even with all the recent controversy surrounding the book I still love it. I have visited the Margaret Mitchell House and felt the awe Cleo and her friends experienced touching a book she touched and signed. Fellow bibliophiles will understand.

The book is written as you can start with book 3 and be perfectly fine. The Bookmobile Mystery series is perfect for bibliophiles around the world.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Crooked Lane Books, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is a fun, entertaining cozy with humorous characters solving crimes. This series also involves books! If someone "stole" my books I might have to kill them too. Just kidding..........maybe!

This is the third book in the series but can be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery. The setting of a book fair is interesting and gave a great jumping-off place for the mystery. Cleo is a smart and relatable character. The mystery is full of twists and turns that kept me guessing until the end.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way, I have been influenced by anyone.

“Read or Alive” by Nora Page is the 3rd instalment in the Bookmobile Mystery series. It was an entertaining read, with a wonderful cast of characters.

I was happy to be visiting Catalpa Springs, Georgia again, I really like small town southern setting. Cleo is an older protagonist but I like my cozies with older sleuths rather than always young. Now who can resist Cleo’s cat, Rhett Butler, and Henry’s old pug, Mr. Chaucer, I am a sucker for fur babies in my mysteries.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed. There were plenty of suspects from locals to visitors and twists and turn to keep you guessing on who dunit.

Includes a yummy cookie recipe too.

I highly recommend this series to all my cozy loving friends.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Havoc and murder at the book fair! Cleo, our 76 year old heroine and head of the local library, was happy about the fair but then.....Hunter Fox is found murdered. With a tool from Cleo's friend Henry's business. Fox called himself a book scout but what he was was a thief and a villain. Unfortunately, Dot, Cleo's friend, was seen arguing with him so she's got two pals she needs to clear. Luckily she's had some experience as an amateur sleuth. Cozy readers know Fox had more than one person upset with him and for more than one reason. The charm in this is in Cleo, who's a fun, mature character. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Fine as a standalone AND there's a cookie recipe!

This Bookmobile Series, of which this is the third book, is rapidly becoming one of my favorite cozy series of all. Each book is better and better.

The reason? This series has an outstanding cast of secondary characters, among the best in any cozy series anywhere. The senior librarian/bookmobile driver leads the cast of characters, but her gentleman friend who owns the antiquarian bookstore, the librarian's relatives, her annoying neighbor, and the next-door neighbor/deputy all combine to make this a delightful series.

In this third installment, the nasty goings-on revolve around the antiquarian book fair in their small Georgia town.

Absolutely loved this one and would highly recommend it to those who love cozies!!

Cleo found herself in a quandary when her manfriend, not
boyfriend, too old for that title, got himself frame for murder, the same murder her cousin Dot also got arrested for, oh what a confusing time for this elderly amateur sleuth. Imagine a police chief who works with hearsay especially when it’s whispered in his ears by blond bubbelicious Marilyn Monroe wannabes. I find this police chief to be very lazy or maybe it’s age, but whatever it may be, it’s embarrassing. What a trying time for Cleo who seem to lose focus at times but no matter, she refused to be blindsided by the injustice of it all. Finding the real culprit and freeing her companion from the false murder charge is imperative because she was running out of time.

"Read or Alive" presents a cozy mystery that is ideal for book lovers! Cleo Watkins runs the local bookmobile and maintains a lively lifestyle as an active senior citizen. This novel takes place at the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society Fair. Cleo and her friends uncover "book butchery" activity, in which people are scammed out of their valuable books, which are then taken apart and sold as separate pages and sections. However, proving the scheme exists is harder than they might think.

Readers who are book-lovers will find this book totally entrancing and can surely identify with the thoughts of those who share the obsession with books! I really liked the idea that Cleo is a sassy and likeable, intelligent senior citizen. Add to the plot and characters some adorable animals, and you have the makings of a fun and cozy mystery novel.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It does follow the cozy mystery checklist to a T. It also seems to be aimed at a much older reader, which I am not. Having said that, I still enjoyed reading the book.

The series is about a librarian, Cleo Watkins, in her mid-seventies, who drives the towns library bus which brings books to places other than the library. That seems a bit of a stretch as many individuals of that age would hesitate to drive a repurposed school bus. She travels around the town solving crimes, including murder, as much as she seems to actually bring books to the citizens.

In this story, the town is deluged by an Antiquarian book society gathering. Books are for sale and there seems to be huge crowds gathering to buy them. There are thefts and murder and Cleo’s boyfriend, boyfriend book restorer Henry Lafayette, comes under suspicion. That is what it takes to get Cleo involved.

The story was fun while the premise seemed a little forced. There were scenes with Cleo in nursing homes that, in light of the current pandemic, seemed off. I realize that the book was written earlier but it is being released at this time. I mention it in case it bothers individuals; however, it didn’t effect my enjoyment of the book.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Read or Alive is the third book in Nora Page’s Bookmobile Mystery series. The story moves along at a steady pace, the well-developed characters are somewhat quirky and delightful, the mystery is well plotted, and humor is disbursed throughout the book. There are lots of twists and turns, and the final reveal came as a surprise.

Cleo Jane Watkins is a seventy-six-year-old librarian who drives Words on Wheels, a school bus that’s been converted into a bookmobile to readers throughout her community. Cleo’s “gentleman friend” and owner of Gilded Page Antiquarian and Rare Books, Henry Lafayette, has arranged for this year’s Georgia Antiquarian Book Society Fair, a one-week extravaganza of rare books, old books, used books, and bookish items, to take place in Catalpa Springs. When an attendee, Hunter Fox, is found murdered, Chief Silas Culpepper has narrowed in on two suspects, Dot Moore, Cleo’s cousin, and Henry. Prior to his death, Hunter had been going around town, targeting ladies, talking them out of valuable books. Hunter conned Dot out of multiple books, including a rare and valuable edition of “Gone With the Wind.” Dot was seen arguing with the victim about her books, and the murder weapon was an awl belonging to Henry, who confronted Hunter, supposedly threatening to have him banned from Georgia antiquarian. With the evidence stacking up against Dot and Henry, Cleo is determined to find the stolen books, clear her loved ones’ good names, and identify the thief and killer.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

The third book in the Bookmobile mystery series by Nora Page. Cleo is back with a new mystery to solve! A conman who deals in books comes to the antiquarian book show in Catalpa Springs. He's swindling Cleo's friends, and things go downhill when he is found killed. Cleo knows those close to her can't be behind the murder, so she sleuths to find the killer.

A cozy mystery centered around books. I enjoy Cleo, her bookmobile, and the small town setting. A delightful read with an older protagonist. Fun and entertaining.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The third installment of Nora Page’s Bookmobile Mystery Series begins with a premise difficult to dislike: a rare books fair. In addition to the library and bookmobile, we now have an entire hotel full of books (drool-worthy books) and book lovers. It’s an ideal setting for a crime that will strike readers to the heart. Unfortunately, the execution of this premise is messy. The chief of police is annoyingly stereotypical, and the reveal itself is much too complicated and sloppy. There is a lot of promise to this one, but it fails to really deliver.

It’s springtime, the excitement is in the air and old books are about to become someone’s newest great treasure. Librarian Cleo Watkins and her dearest friends are beyond themselves with Anticipation for the antiquarian book festival. That excitement comes to a quick halt when a body is found and the clues are pointing right back to Cleo’s dear friend. She knows this can not be so she does what a seventy something book mobile library does best, gets to the bottom of it.

Nora Page’s Read or Alive was a very enjoyable and entertaining read. Cleo is a fun character who is smart, personable and extremely loyal. She’s confident and takes on whatever life throws are her. Cleo’s sleuthing style is unique and unlike anything I’ve read before. Being the bookmobile librarian means she has many connections and knows lots of people throughout the town. She doesn’t necessarily go looking for the answers, they just seem to find her. Doesn’t hurt that she has the ear of the better part of the local law. Ms. Page’s style of writing is fun and allows a reader to fall deep within the story. The characters are interesting and entertaining, the plot is good and keeps you thinking. The setting is a quaint small town that is inviting with tons of charm. The friendships run deep and the antics of pets will definitely make you laugh. Read or Alive is a fine read for anyone who enjoys book themed cozy mysteries.

The Georgia Antiquarian Book Society is holding its annual fair in Catalpa Springs and librarian Cleo Watkins can’t wait to buy more books! Her gentleman friend, Henry Lafeyette, suggested their local town as a setting and is thrilled with the opportunity to showcase his own store, where he sells and restores antiquarian books. Unfortunately, an unscrupulous book dealer is now dead, and both Henry and Cleo’s cousin, Dot, are prime suspects in his murder. Has Cleo put her trust in the wrong person?

READ OR ALIVE is the third book in the Bookmobile Mystery series and can be read as a standalone. I suspect readers already familiar with the characters will have a stronger emotional reaction to the story line since they will have developed an affection for Henry from earlier books. However, I also think new readers to the series will want more of Cleo after reading READ OR ALIVE.

Cleo’s bookmobile is one of my favorite parts of the Bookmobile Mystery series. I remember using one regularly as a child/teen and it’s wonderful to read a mystery that keeps that magic going. READ OR ALIVE has lots of other special treats for book lovers, too, as Cleo and Henry browse through treasured collections of older books. One warning however, as fans of books and book collecting are likely to cringe at some of the things that happen to books themselves in READ OR ALIVE.

READ OR ALIVE is a very emotionally charged book. Unlike the prior book, READ OR ALIVE, that made me laugh throughout the story, READ OR ALIVE kept me on the edge of my seat worried for Cleo and her love for Henry and her small-town life. Nora Page does a marvelous job at showing the care and concern you see in a small town (the abundance of casseroles cracked me up) while still showing how there are areas for improvement, such as the distrust if one hasn’t lived there for generations. I have to commend Nora Page for the emotional depth to READ OR ALIVE, even as I wanted to yell at her for what she put Cleo through. Cozy mystery will relish the depth of the characters in the Bookmobile Mystery series and READ OR ALIVE continues to strengthen that. What a great read!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*
*book also featured in my Fresh Fiction column this month so link will be added for that in the link section*

This is a well written cozy that features septaugenarian Cleo, the bookmobile librarian and a secondary continuing cast that includes her gentleman friend Henry who is the prime suspect in the latest murder in the series. This is the third book of the series and while it is not necessary to have read the first two in order to understand this book, it helps with character development for Cleo's relationships with several of the secondary characters.

In this novel, Henry has arranged for the antiquarian booklovers society to hold their annual convention in Catalpa Springs. Everyone is excited to share their safe little town until one of the convention atttendees is murdered in the alley. It doesn't make things any better that it becomes apparent that the victim was swindling people out of their books, most notably Cleo's cousin Dot, who first falls under suspicion. Suspicion shifts to Henry when it is discovered one of his tools was the murder weapon.

It wasn't hard to figure out who the murderer was. While the plot had a few twists and turns, it was more entertaining than it was suspenseful. The book is likely to be most enjoyed by people who want a nice, uncomplicated murder, with little blood, guts, and gore coupled with lots of entertaining characters who add to Cleo's life story even if they don't add to the murder.

It's a good beach/travel read as it's easy to pick up and put down when other activities call you away from reading. My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an advance digital read copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Cleo Watkins and her cat, Rhett Butler, join Henry Lafayette and his dog, Mr. Chaucer, in another sleuthing adventure when the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society Fair comes to Catalpa Springs. A book dealing scam artist with a reputation for conning old ladies out of their rare books manages to “get away” with treasures from Cleo’s cousin Dot and another friend, Bernice Abernathy. When the con man, Hunter Fox, is found dead, the need to find the killer becomes imperative as both Dot and Henry are persons of interest in the investigation.

Wonderfully drawn characters populate Catalpa Springs as Nora Page shares the details of yet another complex mystery with red herrings and visiting book dealers.
Ms. Page writes a nicely paced story that holds readers’ attention to the very end.

This is a fabulous third offering in A Bookmobile Mystery series! If I had not already read the first two, the gorgeous cover would have drawn me in before even seeing the description. I love seeing the bus, Rhett Butler, and Mr. Chaucer in full color. Springtime in Georgia sounds beautiful, and what book lover can resist a book fair? The regular characters are very likable, a wonderful age group, and three-dimensional. This complex mystery is excellent with an unexpected whodunit.

Cleo Watkins, at 76, is still head librarian at the Catalpa Springs library. She frequently is found on the bookmobile, a repurposed school bus completely renovated by her grandson for an Eagle Scout project. Her protégé, Leanna, mans the library on any given day. Cleo and best friend Mary-Rose went to the book fair opening to see what bargains they might find among the rare, vintage, and used books.

One of the first things they saw was a very expensive French copy of Gone With the Wind and the booth of Kitty Peavey, outfitted to look and sound like Marilyn Monroe. Before they left her booth, Cleo was stunned to see the cover of a book open in the trash can near Kitty’s stall with the custom-made bookplate that belonged to her cousin Dot. It matches the size of Dot’s prized movie edition of Gone With the Wind, found at an estate sale years ago. In the door of the facility marched Dot, yelling for Hunter Fox, a “book scout” who had taken some of her valuable books on the auspices of selling them on commission. She tried to contact him several times to cancel the deal, but he didn’t return her calls. He denied it, they argued loudly, and she told him he would be sorry. The next day, she has the misfortune for find the man dead in the alley while on her way to work.

Cleo was taking Henry to his shop. Henry is her gentleman friend who owns Gilded Page Antiquarian & Rare Books. They saw Dot run into the street to flag them down, and she showed them her grisly find of only moments earlier. The police chief doesn’t appear to be one of the sharpest – or kindest – tools in the shed. His deputy and Cleo’s favorite neighbor, Gabby, also arrived. People heard Dot’s dispute with Fox the prior day, and she was immediately the prime suspect. When they found the murder weapon, one of his bookbinding tools, Henry became the suspect.

Cleo is on the case. In this small town, she knows most of the residents, many of whom are her bookmobile patrons. It is amazing what her network of friends can find, including that Dot was not the only woman taken in by Mr. Fox. Dot, Henry, and Chloe were befriended by a dealer next to Ms. Peavey’s stall, Buddy Boone. He found one of Dot’s books at another seller’s stall and made sure it was returned to her. I love the humor, the antics of the pets, and Cleo’s unflagging loyalty to Henry and Dot despite the evidence.

This mystery is well-plotted and executed. There are a couple red herrings that I kept veering towards despite a different possible suspect. The real whodunit was a surprise to me, as I had discounted the person more than once! All loose ends are tied up; the end is very satisfactory. I highly recommend this to lovers of well-written cozy mysteries, cats and dogs, libraries and bookstores, and Southern settings.

From a thankful heart: I received an advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher and NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

What better topic for an avid book reader than a cozy mystery set around a bookmobile, a book fair and the avid readers and collectors of Catalpa, Georgia. She may be old...76...but she's not going to stand still while her friends are defrauded and her friend accused of murdering the fraudster. This story and it's excellent cast of senior citizens was a refreshing change from the last few books I've read. Nora Page has built a community of book readers that is ready to face any and all challenges. A 5star read, indeed.

3.5 stars

Bookmobile librarian Cleo Watkins and her gentleman friend Henry become embroiled in a murder when Henry hosts the state antiquarian book fair in their Georgia town. The booksellers are an interesting bunch, including a couple of shysters who have apparently been either stealing or sweet-talking valuable books away from their elderly female owners.

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.

Henry falls under suspicion for the first murder, and Cleo's cousin Dot's valuable copy of Gone With the Wind gets taken. Then to top it off, a precious first edition is stolen from the bookmobile. How can Cleo not get involved? The local police chief is a buffoon, but one of Cleo's neighbors is a smart cop so Cleo can't help but investigate.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Cleo Watkins is one of my favorite mystery characters. At the age of 76 she could settle into retirement from being the town librarian, spending time with her gentleman friend, Henry. She has too much energy to slow down and still takes charge of the local bookmobile, Words on Wheels, the refitted school bus. It's now Spring in the town of Catalpa Springs, Georgia and all book lovers are eager to start their book hunting at the Antiquarian Book Society Fair. Book sellers and scouts are all over town and one or more of them are on the shady side. Cleo's cousin, Dot, crosses paths with one and he offers to sell her first edition of Gone With the Wind for her. When she wants to change her mind, he makes himself scarce - but not for long. She corners him at the event and a loud argument is heard by all. Cleo is pretty sure that there are more than a few book dealers selling books not acquired by legal methods. It's not long after that when the book scout is found dead - police look at Cleo's cousin until they learn that the murder weapon was a book restoring tool owned by Henry. Wrong but the police chief won't be swayed so Cleo, with the help of Dot, Henry, Mary-Rose and her next door neighbor, Gabby, a police deputy with a lot more investigating skills than the Chief of Police will ever have.Along with the humans there are two four legged companions, Cleo's cat, Rhett Butler and Henry's sweet pug, chaucer. The killer will soon be caught.
It's nice to read a mystery with a senior citizen sleuth. There have been many in the annals of crime fiction but not as many as I would like there to be. The puzzle was very satisfying and the red herrings had me guessing wrong. Add humor and a lovely small town setting and this makes for a great reading escape.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.