I love a good cozy mystery! One that incorporates all of my favorite topics (i.e. genealogy, bookstores, libraries, cooking, painting, inn keeping, animals, etc.), throwing in some action-suspense, a who-done-it, interesting characters, and a plot that keeps me guessing, then you’ve got me hooked. I will say, I am one of those people who like to read a series from the beginning, but I often find you don’t have to… either way I highly recommend reading The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James.

*I received a complimentary copy of this novel from NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.*

As a librarian, I really should know better than to read a book about libraries and expect it to be accurate. I was very disappointed in this book as it was full of inaccurate stereotypes about libraries. The characters were also pretty unlikable and I had a hard time feeling any chemistry between the two love interests.

The bookless public library is an idea tossed around when someone thinks libraries need to modernize without understanding how libraries have evolved over the past 100 years. Generally, libraries in the United States currently function as community hubs containing a host of resources, with technology representing a massive subcategory. Yet, there’s an occasional push for libraries to ‘go bookless’ in favor of computers, makerspaces, 3D printers, and a massive catalog of ebooks. You know, all things readily available in many libraries … next to all the physical books. Fortunately, it’s a mostly harmless idea, with polling suggesting libraries in their traditional form remain popular in their communities.

In The Broken Spine, first in the Beloved Bookroom Mystery series, author Dorothy St. James taps into the strong emotions a lot of patrons and librarians would feel after finding out their library plans to go bookless. It’s the perfect backdrop for a cozy. I know plenty of readers who would be mad enough to kill if someone tossed their books. Which yes, is not healthy, but facts are facts. It’s also why when the town manager and bookless advocate is found dead, all eyes point to book-loving library assistant Trudell Becket.

While she didn’t kill anyone, she’s not totally innocent. Upset over all the books being tossed, she hatches a plan to steal back and set up a hidden room for patrons in the library basement. It’s a genuinely fun side plot to the broader investigation and, while the logistics of hiding a vault of books with non-employees zipping in and out of the basement is murky, St. James does a remarkable job of making it believable. And really, who wouldn’t want to visit a book speakeasy run by a rogue librarian? There’s also an adorable cat if you need another selling point.

The mystery itself is solid. Trudell does dash into some dangerous situations and she’s a little loose with the information she gathers, but not in a way that’s unbelievable or foolish. Instead, St. James puts her in world where she doesn’t know quite who she can trust—including friends—and the resulting risks she’s forced to take ultimately give the mystery more depth. Things are life and death, after all.

With a charming setting, twisty investigation, and plenty of feline moments, The Broken Spine is worth checking out.

This is a 3.5 star review. This is the first book in the series and the characters need to be more developed. Tru is a librarian in the small town of Cypress, South Carolina. The library is going all digital so Tru sets up a secret library in the basement where real books can be checked out. On the final moving day the Town Manager is crushed by a book shelf. Tru sets out to solve the crime and keep her bookroom a secret. I was able to figure out the motive and the mystery pretty early. It was a quick read but it was just OK. Since I really enjoy Biblio cozies I will probably read the next one.

This is the first book in a new series. I love her stories and look forward to more. Her series are easy to recommend.

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This book is well written and the characters are described well. This is a fast paced mystery thriller. It will keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page. I absolutely enjoyed Trudell's character. This book is set in Cypress, South Carolina. It will definitely keep you interested with what is happening in the story. This is the first book in this series and I can't wait to read the rest of the series. I didn't think that character did it. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. This book is in stores for $26.00 (USD). I can't wait to read more books by this author.

I love reading books about libraries and the theme of this book being about a library getting rid of their paper books and going digital was shocking. The cozy mystery whodunit was well written. The primary character, Tru, was well developed and I appreciated the quality of her character. Side characters and the cat added to the enjoyable read. I was surprised at the ending and who was actually guilty. That is always a plus for me in a good cozy mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I really liked this mystery especially the characters and can't wait to read more.

It might have been the perfect time for me to read The Broken Spine, a cozy mystery about a library that's been updated by removing the books. Assistant Librarian Trudell Becket isn't going to give up the town's beloved book collection without a fight and, along with her friends, sets up a library in the building's basement, stocking it with the books that were destined for the local landfill. She's down there working when a heavy shelf falls upstairs, killing the town manager. And because she won't reveal what she was really doing, she's the main suspect.

I really, really enjoyed this one and can't wait to spend more time with Tru and her friends in their secret basement library. It requires some suspension of disbelief, and I really hope that a future book fixed Tru's relationship with her overbearing mother, but as fun escapism I highly recommend it.

When the town manager proposes a bookless library, I wasn't the only one who was confused. Librarian Tru Beckett, in this lovely town of Cypress, South Carolina, want to try to save as many books as she can. She and her friends begin squirrelling away boxes when the same town manager is crushed to death by a shelf in the library. I thought the cat named Dewey Decimal was a cute touch in this fun read.

Oh wow! I first fell in love with this cover but honestly once I finished this I was surprised by how much I loved it more than I thought possible! I was instantly hooked and read this in a sitting. Everything I want in a cozy mystery - fast-paced, great plot and characters and a ending that surprised me! I look forward to reading more books by This author and hoping soon!

This was a very good book with a unique take on ebooks. It also shows how much books can mean to someone and shows the lengths they are willing to take to save them.

I didn't want to start another series as I have so many on the go, but I couldn't resist this one when I read the synopsis. I do love my ebooks and audiobooks, but I can't imagine a library going completely digital, or a library boxing up books for the landfill!! Trudell Becket is shocked when she hears that the library where she works is going to become a bookless technology center, digital only. In a panic to save what books she can, she enlists the help of some fellow employees and favourite patrons to hide a stash of books in a hidden room in the library's basement. Classics an favourites are on the shelf in the hidden library within the basement. Not only are they trying to save books and organize their stash, but the man responsible for this terrible event, is found in the library, dead, murdered. Trudell becomes a suspect along with some of the other employees. Can she and her friends find out what really happened?

I really enjoyed this first book in a new series. I am a sucker for books set in or around libraries or bookstores, so the plot of this one really pulled me in. The characters were very likable and diverse. I enjoyed the setting and the mystery was intriguing. There were a lot of suspects, some red herrings and different storylines that all pulled together nicely in the end. I enjoyed how this book came together and am looking forward to the next book in the series to see what is next for Trudell and the library.

What an amazing start to a very promising series! I loved the main character and fell in love with her life and the town itself. I can’t wait to read more in this series.

For librarian Trudell Becket, the unthinkable is about to happen. Her beloved library in Cypress, South Carolina, is about to go “bookless,” meaning that their entire physical book collection will be chucked out as they go digital and high tech. Leading the push to embrace e-books and databases is the new town manager Duggar Hargrove, who has little regard or patience for Tru’s appreciation of what he sees as obsolete. So while Tru doesn’t exactly shed a tear when Duggar is crushed to death by DVD shelves, she knows that an intensive investigation could threaten to reveal everything she has planned for the future. Unknown to the mayor and officials who have ordered all of the library books to be discarded and destroyed, Tru has been smuggling a curated collection to the basement, where she and her besties intend to run a literal underground library book room. Using low-tech card catalogs and manual checkouts, Tru and her friends hope to preserve the honor of her profession and cater to those who feel ignored by the mobile, Wi-Fi generation.

Nearly as threatening as the investigation that could expose her unauthorized library is the investigator leading the case. Detective Jace Bailey shattered Tru’s heart and nearly got her flunked out back in high school, and he seems to have no remorse or intention of apologizing. While she is led to a clue linked to The Maltese Falcon, Tru feels much more comfortable following the lessons she learned from her beloved Nancy Drew mysteries. In order to prevent her book room from being discovered and to protect her heart, Tru will have to use all of the skills as a librarian and mystery reader to catch the killer in the library. And if the culprit happens to be the IT tech responsible for digitalizing and making the entire collection electronic, all the better.

This first in the series will undoubtedly appeal to book readers and library lovers, as it highlights the charm and value found in holding a physical book. It’s not just for nostalgic reasons that Tru creates her secret book room, as she rightly sees it as a community space and sanctuary for those not comfortable with computers and mobile devices. Tru’s place in the community as their librarian and neighbor is naturally and smoothly developed, with her ready to lead her own book room under the shushing, judgmental head librarian aboveground. Librarians will of course see Tru as a leader for the times, secret superheroes doing all they can to educate, entertain, and comfort patrons. A cat named Dewey only further pushes this book to the top of every cozy reader’s booklist for the year.

The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James is a cute cozy mystery that takes place in a "Bookless Library." Tru Becket has always had a love of books and has her dream job working at the library in her hometown. Everything is going along well in Tru's life until the Town Manager decides to turn her beloved library into a "Bookless Library"--meaning all those lovely volumes of books get replaced with e-readers to check out and the Children's Area gets turned into a coffee shop. Tru decides to take it on herself, with the help of her friends, to save the library books and create a secret library to give the Town's People actual books to read. On opening day of the "Bookless Library", while Tru is organizing her secret library in the library's basement, the Town Manager ends of dead upstairs. Tru and her friends are on the case trying to rule out the Town's People they know and love while trying to catch the real killer and keep their secret library a secret. I liked and enjoyed learning about and reading a cozy mystery set in a "Bookless Library." While a "Bookless Library" is a thing, I hope it doesn't become too much of a reality for a long time! I think cozy mystery readers will enjoy this light, fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. (This review is also on GoodReads.)

The Broken Spine is the first book in the new Beloved Bookroom cozy mystery series. The book centers around Tru Beckett, a librarian in a small southern town. The library where Tru works is going completely digital, but - with the help of several friends - Tru decides to make a Beloved Bookroom "secret" library in the basement of the building. She saves old books for the bookroom -- not realizing that someone wants some of the books enough to kill for them. Tru works with her friends to solve the mystery.

I wanted to read this novel because I have enjoyed the author's Southern Chocolate Shop series of mysteries. I also am partial to cozy mysteries set in libraries.

This was a fun read and a great start to a new series! As a book lover (especially vintage books) I loved the book details and Tru's love of old books. She also loves the Nancy Drew series and there were some fun references to this series through this book.

The mystery was well paced. I figured the killer out a bit before Tru, but enjoyed watching her solve the crime.

I also liked Tru's romantic interest, the high school crush who went horribly wrong years ago. Tru also has a lovable and mischievous rescue cat who adds some enjoyable scenes.

I recommend The Broken Spine for fans of cozy mysteries, and especially for anyone who enjoys library and small-town settings.

When you begin this cozy, you'll know who many of the bad guys are within a few pages. At leas, you'll think you know. You'll meet a (literal) pearl-clutching head librarian, who tells Trudell Becket that she was only hired as Assistant Librarian because the only other candidate was a sadly-unqualified drunkard. You'll met Anne, a young tech specialist who has leapt into the promise of a solely-technological future. And you'll meet Duggar (hiss! boo!), the aggressive town manager whose dream of making Cypress, SC into a major digital hub begins with a massive upgrade to the library.

Now, that doesn't sound so terrible, does it? Why is he a (hiss! boo!) villain? Because his version of "upgrade" is a completely book-less library. No more moldy paper. No more tomes on shelves. All books are to be packed up immediately and delivered to where they belong in the shiny, happy future: the dump. (Now, do I hear a "hiss! boo!"?

Already the staff lounge has been overtaken by a mainframe, its accoutrements, and extremely-protective Anne. The children's room will soon become a cafe. Library patrons and staff are appalled, upset, angry, and depressed. Is it any wonder that when Duggar is found dead under a section of fallen DVD shelving, no one is terribly upset?

As details emerge, we get to meet Tru and her friends, who, with the assistance of a totally adorable kitten named Dewey, have already begun to rescue books and set up a secret library-in-exile
(actually, library-in-bomb-shelter). We meet two of her high-school friends, including Jace, with whom she has an unfortunately-memorable history, and who does not meet Tru's standard of police work: "What would Nancy Drew do?" Tru's bizarre and unsupportive mother Edwina collects pig-shaped buttons, teaches the local cotillion class, and throws away Tru's pizza. Flossie, who is often writing with her purple laptop, bristles when the local cafe does not carry Coke. And townspeople who are allowed into the secret library or who get special deliveries by bike-riding Tru, are rooting for her success. There's also a <i>Maltese Falcon</i> reference that may or may not be important --

I loved this series opener, with distinct and very real characters and a very promising kitten. It has humor, enough red herrings to <feed a growing cat</s> distract and entertain, and satisfying underpinning of true love for books. Real books.

5 stars. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC to review.

I did enjoy the mystery and the twists and turns and was surprised by the ending. I thought the semi-romance wasn’t believable. I didn’t enjoy how stereotypical Tru was, perhaps the author should interview a number of librarians to get their perspective on this character. I also didn’t enjoy Tru’s annoying questioning of others, she’s not at all good at investigating. Hopefully future mysteries in this series will improve on the main characters.

⭐️⭐️⭐️🌗

The Broken Spine is exactly what you’d expect from a cozy mystery with a librarian MC. There’s a bit of intrigue and a /lot/ of love for books liberally dashed throughout. As with most amateur detective stories, Trudell, our librarian only gets invested in actively uncovering the crime when she finds herself as a main suspect. I did enjoy that she wasn’t just a blank canvas character, even though the primary function of the story is obviously the plot. Tru’s motivations were all very distinct and well-played to the story. As this is the start of the series, I think the characters that are introduced were definitely given a lot of potential for exploration in future stories.
I will say that Tru is realistically bad at solving mysteries. While she does eventually get the job done (through no small aid of multiple friends and the detective she has a complicated past with), she basically wildly volleys between sticking to one suspect above all reason or just pointing fingers in all directions. However, given that she’s just a librarian attempting to imitate Nancy Drew to save her skin and the library’s physical book collection while she’s at it... her relative ineptness can be forgiven.
Still, the plot was easy to follow, the writing good, and the ending satisfying. There was very little falling action/resolution after the climax, though that is not uncommon in mysteries. The pacing beyond that was good and I enjoyed this quick book as a bit of a cozy palette cleanser between heavier reads.
It wasn’t perfect and I don’t think it will be a new favorite, but I did enjoy myself and am happy with my decision to read it. If you want a cozy, bookish mystery and some quirky, small town vibes (and a cute cat)? This book will work for you!