Absolutely love this series! Cleo Watkins is #goals for a librarian...well, minus the penchant for finding murder victims! Please keep them coming!

I'm really enjoying the Bookmobile Mysteries, and this was a good addition to the series. I loved being back with Cleo and her friends again. In this one, rare books go missing, and a man is murdered. It is up to Cleo to solve the case before the police arrest her gentleman friend, Henry.

As with the previous two books, I liked the characters, and found the storyline fun and entertaining. This was a quick and easy to read cozy mystery.

This was a great cozy mystery that had me guessing all the way through the story. Great clues, diabolical characters and a quaint Southern setting made the reading fun. The main character, Cleo, is intelligent, mannered, and full of heart. When her beau and her cousin are both accused of murder, she takes the case and finds the truth. I also love that she drives a bookmobile. I can't wait until the next installment. I received an advanced reader's copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Read or Alive by Nora Page is about librarian Cleo Watkins and her loved ones . The Georgia Antiquarian Book Society has come to Catalpa Sprints in honor of her friend, Henry. When someone is murdered over a rare book, Cleo’s cousin, Dot, as well as her friend, Henry, become suspects. Cleo has to help solve the mystery to protect her friends and family. This was a good mystery and is the 3rd in the Bookmobile Mystery Series. There were many suspects trying to scout out or steal first editions of books. Good thing Cleo was there to correct the Chief of Police. Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced readers copy for review.

I enjoyed this book more than Read on Arrival (#2 in the series). Perhaps it's because I know all the characters better having met them before.

Cleo, the librarian, once again is drawn into a murder. This time the main suspects are her cousin Dot and her gentleman friend Henry. The Georgia Antiquarian Book Society Fair is taking place in the town of Catalpa Springs and Henry is the host.

Books bring out both the best and worst in people. When an unscrupulous bookseller is murdered, there are plenty of people to suspect. Unfortunately, the Chief of Police is totally enamored with one of them and believes that she can do no wrong. The fact that he sees Cleo as an amateur and doesn't want her mixed up in his investigations is no help at all. The evidence points to Henry. How can Cleo prove his innocence?

Tension between lovers, missing witnesses, crabby neighbors, persistent buyers. This book has them all. And the end.... well, I shouldn't reveal anything.

What I love most about these books is that there is almost no violence other than the initial murder. There is nothing graphic. When the climax comes, it's not with the protagonist being held at gunpoint while she tries to figure a way out of her situation. Cleo is wise and does not take foolish chances. She knows what she is trying to find and works at it. She solves the mystery (with a little help from others) without endangering everyone around her. She is the perfect sleuth!

Hoping there will be a #4 soon to follow!

Although a bookmobile themed cozy is not a unique premise, the whodunit was well written and kept me guessing.
I just don’t find the characters appealing.

I've been re-reading the Donna Andrews series with the main character Meg Langslow. Looking for something similar I checked out Novelist and they recommended this series. When I saw this book was available to review, I jumped at the chance to review it. Sadly, it wasn't what I expected. The second in the series, Cleo Watkins is a 70 something librarian wheeling about town in her bookmobile. Her cousin is scammed out of some rare books and then the scammer ends up dead. Cleo has to find out who killed him before her cousin ends up in jail.
I read for characters, I want to like them I want them to be snarky and sarcastic or at least somewhat humorous. Since I'm getting older and discovered that older main characters appeal to me more. These characters did not appeal to me. I didn't find them likable, I didn't find the book quirky or humorous. It was well written, it had an okay mystery, but it didn't appeal to me. #netgalley #readoralive

Description
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.

My Review
Book 3 of the Bookmobile Mystery Series - Read or Alive is a great cozy mystery I am sure you will love as much as I did.

The novel starts off with librarian Cleo attending the local event at the Catalpa Springs Railway Depot. Cleo was as giddy as she could be since her only real weakness was her love of books.

Trouble soon ensues when the so-called Scout swindles many out of their prized possessions and then ends up dead.

Before any more of her friends become implicated Cleo jumps at the chance to figure out who really killed Hunter before it's too late.

The characters are well-defined and enjoyable - especially Cleo! Easy - fun read. Highly recommend.

Bookmobile Mystery #3

Two wrongful accusations have librarian Cleo Watkins and her loved ones booked for trouble.

It's always a fun time going to Catalpa Springs, Georgia, to visit librarian Cleo Watkins and her friends. And they are all here and quivering with excitement to be at the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society Event. Cleo's beau Henry will be there with a booth. Henry is a bookseller and restorer and is very well respected in his field. 


Everyone is looking forward to seeing old books, manuscripts and hoping to find a treasure or two.

Unfortunately not all book people are in love with books, but money. And there are some unscrupulous dealers at this event that catch Cleo's eye right away! Is the bookplate in a dealer's trash one from a book her cousin Dot owns? A first edition Gone With The Wind?

Someone in town is scamming people out of their priceless treasures. Also, unfortunately, the book scout who she has accused is found dead behind Henry's shop with death by bookbinding hammer!

Who in the world is setting up her friends? It's obvious to Cleo that the police are headed in the wrong direction so she has no choice but to check out the evidence and find a killer. And as usual her cat, Rhett Butler, will be assisting!

Being a Georgia girl with my own first copy of GWTW, this book was so much fun. The characters are clever and funny and most are way over 50, which makes it all the more fun!!  Who doesn't love bookmobiles and cozy mysteries? 

Well Done!

NetGalley/ May 12th, 2020 by Crooked Lane Books

This was a fun and engaging cozy mystery. It's a well crafted mystery and I had no clue until the end who dunnit. Cannot wait to read more from Nora Page.
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Bookmobile Mystery # 3. Cleo Watkins is a librarian in Catalpa Springs Georgia and she is excited that the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society has brought its annual fair to town. As she and her friend Mary Rose go to fair to see Henry and his booth along with all the other book sellers. There appears to be some unscrupulous folks about and it appears that Cleo’s cousin Dot along with others have been conned out of their prized possessions among which is Dot’s signed first edition of Gone with the Wind. Dot has no proof that that flirtatious book scout is the one that took it, however when he ends up dead behind Henry’s shop it looks like Cleo needs to get into action to protect her beau and cousin before the fair and the seller’s leave town. This is a good solid cozy and the story keeps you engaged. I like that the characters are older as that is different than many of the books on the market. Nice for a change. This is a good series and look forward to the next.

This was a fun and engaging cosy mystery. It's a well crafted mystery and I had no clue who the culprit was until the end due to some red herrings. I also really liked the bookmobile and several of the characters.

With the encouragement of Henry Lafayette, the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society has brought its annual fair to Catalpa Springs. In Read or Alive by Nora Page, bookmobile librarian Cleo Watkins is thrilled for Henry, her gentleman friend. She loves books as much as he does.

Unfortunately, not all Society members have the best interest of books at heart. Two such character are the vivacious, flirty Marilyn Monroe lookalike Kitty Peavy and handsome, suave Hunter Fox. Both are less than scrupulous when it comes to purchasing books. Then one of them is murdered.

A delighful, charming series

First book of this series I've read and was pleasantly surprised by Cleo and her love of books and friends. Cleo is a fun senior with a heart that feels deeply and a mind sharp as a tack. Loved the added recipe for cookies that are an integral part of story

The book had me at a cat named Rhett Butler! Cleo Watkins is a senior librarian who drives a bookmobile and solves crimes with the help her partner, Rhett Butler who is adorable. When an antique book fair turns deadly, it's up to Cleo to find the real murderer before her life or those he loves changes forever!

I love senior sleuths and Cleo is one of the best I've "met". Smart, kind, involved in the community and a devoted friend, Cleo has her hands full solving this mystery. So many things I liked about this book -the mystery and small town setting, well written supporting characters, her relationship with her "gentleman friend" Henry, nosy neighbors, a young female police officer who is smarter than the grumpy chief, the bookmobile and of course, Rhett Butler and Henry's lovable canine Mr. Chaucy.

Cleo continually surprised me! It's a fun series that I'll definitely follow. Got to see what's going on with Cleo and Henry!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of this book,

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books, for providing me a free digital advance copy of "Read or Alive" in exchange for feedback.

"Read or Alive" had all of what I'm looking for in a cozy mystery - an engaging puzzle, likeable characters, a satisfying conclusion, and a cat.

Cleo Watkins is a librarian who manages the bookmobile, but she has taken the day off to go to an antiquarian book festival, to meet her friends (and her dreamy boyfriend) and browse among the beautiful old books. Disaster strikes almost immediately - first, as it becomes clear that a pair of extremely shady book dealers have scammed Cleo's cousin Dot out of a number of treasured books, including her autographed first edition of "Gone with the Wind," and then as (perhaps inevitably, considering that this is a mystery novel) murder strikes the book festival. Now, Cleo has to investigate - to solve the crime, clear the good name of her dear, dear boyfriend, and, if at all possible, recover Dot's stolen books.

This is book three of a series, and I haven't read the first two, but Nora Page does an excellent job of making sure I knew what I needed to know to enjoy it, and I never felt like I had missed something by jumping into the middle of the series. I liked the major characters, especially the lead, and because I was recently talking to an older friend who was complaining that it's almost impossibly difficult to find books with main characters over the age about seventy, I noticed and appreciated that Cleo is in her seventies.

I look to a cozy mystery for coziness, and I laughed at myself because I actually got pretty tense at the scenes involving the shady book dealers and their shady, shady offenses against books. When it became clear that Kitty was actually CUTTING OUT PAGES from the stolen books, I felt some feelings. Murder is fine, but it turns out that my personal psychology draws a hard line at book mutilation. Which will probably tell you something about me.

I'd definitely read another book in this series the next time I'm looking for a cozy, and might even go back and try the beginning of the series.

Librarian Cleo Watkins and her best friend, Mary Rose Garland are beyond excited to attend the Georgia Antiquarian Book Society Fair and pour over all the rare books, old books, manuscripts, photographs, etc., featured at the different booths. Henry Lafayette, Cleo’s significant other, will have a booth for his shop, the Gilded Page. When the fair opens, it quickly becomes evident to Cleo there are dealers selling goods they didn’t come by legally. Accusations fly, and someone turns up dead.

Book three in the Bookmobile Mystery series is an entertaining novel. I always enjoy re-visiting Catalpa Springs, Georgia and the affable cast of characters who feel like old friends. Cleo’s cat, Rhett Butler, and Henry’s old pug, Mr. Chaucer are sweet 4-legged companions for both their owners and are usually by their sides as they sleuth.

The mystery is a good one, and I didn’t realize who the culprit was until the author revealed how she had cleverly disguised them. I wish the Bookmobile had been featured more in this story, as it had in previous books. Cookie recipe included that sounds delish!

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books. Thank you.

Unfortunately, I was not able to make it past chapter two in this book. I've enjoyed her others, so am really not sure why. I will try again later and update my review if I am able to finish it.

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the arc! This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series and this third entry is the best one yet. I kept thinking I had it all figured out and then realized I didn’t! If you like cozy mysteries featuring librarians, cute pets and strong storytelling add this to your list!

A cute and cozy mystery. Cleo and her fellow book lovers are being scammed out of their rare finds and some are being murdered or set up as the guilty party. The author had me questioning who the guilty party was until the very end.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc.