This is such a fun series, and I had a great time with this cozy mystery. I loved the plot, the twists and turns, and the characters!

I had never heard of a bookless library until this book and there was a mention of one in Texas. I had to look it up and it is located in San Antonio and is called BiblioTech. Apparently, there are actual locations but there doesn't seem to be any books and it is much like how the library in Cypress will be after the conversion, you can borrow a tablet or use a computer to access the information.

On to this book. This is the first in a new series and it starts off with a bang when the small town politicians decide to turn Cypress into the Silicon Valley of the South. To do this, they decide they need to get rid of the books in the library and make it all digital. Tru and several others think this is a very bad idea, and I tend to agree with them. But sometimes there is no changing stupid ideas made by those without a vision for the future. Then one of them ends up dead and for some reason, Tru becomes the main suspect. It is a race through the book to try and discover who the actual killer is and take the heat off of Tru. I liked how Tru realized that even though she has read mysteries, the clues in real life are not obvious.

I really like the cast of characters, it is a mixed bag between sane and just a little bit crazy. Tru's mom is quite a handful as well. Since this is the first book of a new series, you don't learn everything you need (or want) to know about the characters. We are given tidbits here and there and hopefully, in future books, we will learn more and the characters will become more rounded.

The mystery took me by surprise, and while I had some suspicions, I didn't know if I was on the right path until the end. Perhaps in future books, the police won't jump to conclusions based on flimsy evidence.

A good start to a new series and we give it 3 1/2 paws up.

A good first book in a new series. If you like mysteries then you should try it out. If you don't mind some slow points in establishing the backdrop of a series then you will like this mystery.

I loved the premise of this book - beloved library destroyed to make way for something much more technologically advanced. Unfortunately I could not get into this book and I tried several times. The book was really slow in parts and there was a lot of information with very little action. Overall I just didn't love the characters and this one didn't hold my attention.

The town library in Cypress is undergoing a change no library should suffer. The town’s aggressive town manager, Duggar Hargrove, has announced the library is going high tech. Computers and tablets are in and physical books are out. He hopes the change will bring high tech businesses to the area, revitalizing the economy. Anne Lowery, the newly hired technology specialist, is in charge of the renovation.
Not everyone is happy with the changes. Trudell Beckett, assistant librarian, (and the main character) has fought with Duggar over the changes. Duggar goes forward with his plan and Trudell goes forward with her plan to save the books.
She and several friends set up a secret library in the basement one night after the main library is closed. Morning comes before they finish. Trudell runs up from the basement to investigate a large thud. What she finds is Duggar Hargrove’s body crushed under a fallen shelf.
Suspects in the murder abound. Trudell isn’t the only one who was opposed to the library’s new format. Lida Farnsworth, head librarian and a stickler for the rules, was no fan of Duggar’s. Anne Lowery was in the same area but didn’t come running at the noise. Many of the townsfolk weren’t happy with Duggar either. The investigation also puts the secret library at risk of discovery. Can Trudell discover the murderer and still keep the secret library secret?

What a fabulous start to a new series! We meet Trudell an assistant librarian who is not happy that her small library is going book less. The plan is bring the library into the new technology era by having everything online accessible through computers, tablets, and phones. The man in charge of this is trying to entice tech companies to the area using this as enticement. Not everyone is happy about though. Tru has the grand plan of saving some of the books from the landfill by hiding them in a hidden room in the basement to have a secret library for those that love the printed book. With that in mind she breaks in with some friends to get it done but the following morning before they leave a loud crash brings her to the media room where she finds the man in charge crushed under a bookcase that should have been bolted to the floor. Due to her secret endeavors she quickly becomes a suspect by all the police agencies involved. She starts a bumbling investigation that is quite fun to follow while trying to clear her name. Add in an adorable cat and you get a cozy that with delight the reader. Full of small town flair and characters of all varieties to keep you turning the page unable to put it down. Makes for a fantastic start to what is going to be a wonderful cozy mystery series. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

“You always had a library book in your hand. You called them your best friends. Who does that? Books are books. They’re not people.” “Booklovers do that,” I said. “All booklovers.””

This is the first book in the new Beloved Bookroom Mystery series. Trudell Beckett is an assistant librarian struggling to accept the new bookless library that the mayor is implementing. Wanting to save her beloved books from the landfill, she rescues as many as she can fit in a storage room in the library’s basement and opens up her own secret book room. But when an elected official is crushed to death in the library by a book shelf that’s been tampered with, Tru becomes the prime suspect. Can she find the real killer before her book room is discovered or she ends up in jail?

A bookless library 😱😟😭 *promptly gasps and clutches nearest hardcover*. This was a such a cute book! I absolutely love stories where buildings become characters in and of themselves. In this one, it’s the library 😍❤️.

My love of books has not always been understood or appreciated in my life, so I have quite an affinity for Tru. I’m sure my husband thinks I’m nuts when I chase him around the house with open books yelling “smellllllllll this”. I believe Tru would understand, though 😌. Throw in a sexy cop, loyal friends, and a naughty cat and you have yourself the coziest of mysteries.

This book sucked me in almost immediately and I truly felt as if I was in their library watching these events unfold. If you love adorable murder mysteries, cats, or BOOKS, read this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for the ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. Available now!

Tru is not following the rules and, well, … sometimes a librarian has to do what a librarian has to do. When the town library upgrades to digital and removes every print book, Tru and a band of friends have taken it upon themselves to save as many as they can by secreting the books bound for the landfill into a secret basement room. When the man who ordered the books gone is found murdered, Tru, one of the more vocal against this idea, is on the shortlist of suspects.

From the start of the book, which began with a short history of the printed book (very informative I must say) until the last page, this book was pure reading enjoyment. The big question is…” Why did the library have to ditch the books in order to go digital?” I thought about my city library with its maker lab, 3D printers, digital music stations, and hacker labs and yet, on the day before the pandemic shutdown, they checked out a record 206,000 books. My heart bled for Tru and her flummoxed patrons. The next question that nagged at me was of course, “whodunnit?” I thought I knew, just because that person was very unlikeable I suppose, but then it could be this or that other person for really good reasons, but I really liked most of those people. I was right, but for all the wrong reasons, which is just fine with me. it was fun getting there.

More important than a good mystery at the beginning of a new series are the characters. The author doesn’t skimp here at all. From Tru’s core circle of friends and acquaintances to her regular patrons, each adds a bit of story goodness. Then there are the secondary characters, the ones you just know you are going to love to hate in the coming books. Then there is Dewey. I knew from his first page he was going to be wonderful.

So why should you read this book? Because it is enormously entertaining with characters that you will become attached to, with a spunky protagonist that represents the book lover in all of us.

This book is the first in a new series. With plans of an all digital library coming to fruition, saving the books takes a backseat to solving a murder. The plot is great and the characters are engaging, but I hope for more depth in the main character as the series develops. I am very excited for the next book.

I am a pretty big fan of cozy mysteries. They take me to a place that I want to visit and they pretty much have a happy ending which in today's world I'm all for.

This is a new author for me and for the most part I really liked this book.

I had a bit of a time getting into it as it started a little slow and at first I was annoyed by the main character Trudell Becket. She is an assistant librarian and I have a love of librarians so I gave her the benefit of the doubt that she could win me over and she did.

When a city manager wants to debook the library in favor of all digital Tru is absolutely devastated and devises a plan to save the books with a little help from her friends. When the city manager ends up dead within the library Tru is the number one suspect of the new detective in town who just happens to be an old school mate.

I will certainly keep reading this series because I loved how the author pulled the whole story together and it was well written.

Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

While I definitely hated the idea of a bookless library, I loved Tru's solution to the problem which resulted in a huge secret and a lot of personal guilt on her part when a guy was killed upstairs in the library while she was downstairs stocking the secret shelves.

Sometimes I was a little confused at what was going on, because a character would ask something, then it wasn't answered directly and a new thing would come up. But it definitely all got wrapped up neatly at the end. (Maybe I was just excited to find out what happened next and read too fast.) I wasn't sure about the killer, but it made total sense. There were some great red herrings that fooled me for a bit too. I was just hoping they'd have an announcement they were going back to a regular library, but I guess if that happened, there wouldn't be any more to look forward to. I'm super anxious now for the next book! This one was very hard to put down!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

This first instalment in a new series by mystery writer Dorothy St. James sees assistant librarian Trudell (Tru) Becket at sixes and sevens when a decision is made to modernise her beloved library in Cypress, South Carolina. Instead of borrowing physical books, patrons will be downloading them or borrowing tablets containing pre-downloaded titles. This is too much for Trudell who cannot bear the thought of all those paper versions of classics being consigned to landfill or resold so takes it upon herself to create a secret library in the basement. But then Duggar Hargrove, the man behind the library policy change is discovered... killed by a shelving unit.

The Broken Spine was a riveting and thoroughly enjoyable introductory instalment in a promising series. Tru was determined and dedicated to her cause and I also loved the contributions of many of the secondary characters, particularly her best pal Tori Green. The brown tabby stray library cat, Dewey Decimal, was a big hit too. The mystery was very well done and the novel fast-paced. Engaging from the very beginning, there were potential suspects aplenty and I had fun trying to work out who committed the crime. The motive was equally flummoxing and I found myself suffering from 'just one more chapter' syndrome and reading late into the night. I am already looking forward to meeting up with Tru again in the next instalment, A Perfect Bind.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Great Escapes Book Tours at my request and this review is my unbiased opinion.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Like me, Trudell Becket loves books. Being a librarian brings her so much joy. But the Cypress city manager is on a mission to bring tech companies to town so he has decided the way to do that is to make everything computerized and digital. His first major project is to make the library completely digital and send all the print books to the landfill. Trudell just can’t accept that so she comes up with a plan to rescue as many books as she can. She pitches her idea to her friends and they agree to help her. While executing her plan she hears a loud crash. Rushing to the noise she finds the city manager crushed beneath a media shelf that was filled with DVDs. A shelf that had been tampered with. Because she is the one that found him Trudell becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Now with a little more help from her friends, she decides to find the real culprit before she is booked for the crime.

Stop, full stop! A library with no physical books! Yes, technology is great but libraries hold our history. They are a gathering place. A place where dreams are born and goals are set. There is nothing like that new book smell, except maybe that old book smell. The joy that is felt as you open a book and set off on a new adventure. Yes, stories can be read or listened to on devices and loved but there of many types of books that just need to be in print format. All formats can coexist together, there is no need to just trash books especially first editions of some classics. Okay, I will get off my soapbox and tell you more about this book but I must say the premise of the story just broke my heart. That does not mean I did enjoy the book. If the job of a book is to evoke emotions this story truly does that.

I found Trudell to be a very interesting protagonist, a girl after my own heart. She has a diverse group of friends and co-workers, one of who I identified with completely. One has me on the fence. I feel we have just scratched the surface on these key characters. I want to get to know them all better. Dewey, the cat, was a favorite of mine. I found him to be quite captivating.

The mystery had a nice pace with twists and turns. I did hone in on someone very early in the story, I just needed to suss out all the reasons why. Trudell worked her way through all the suspects and did come around eventually to my way of thinking as all the clues finally fell into place for her. It was fun to see her process everything. I think the theme of the story, a bookless library, grabbed all of my attention at first and I was thrilled that the city manager was the victim. Had I been a character in the story I may have topped the suspect list myself. The motive ended up being a bit of a surprise but my thinking was definitely on the right track.

The Broken Spine is a very pleasing start to the Beloved Bookroom Series. I am curious to see where the author takes these characters and how they will develop. I am still trying to wrap my head around the bookless library idea. Ms. St. James has sure piqued my interest. A Perfect Bind will be released on September 7, 2021.

The small town of Cypress, South Carolina is getting a major overhaul of their library. In fact, they are removing all print books and turning it into a "bookless" library, complete with all the current technology services. Assistant Librarian, Trudell “Tru” Becket, is not happy with this turn of events. She’s not about to let this travesty happen.

As the print books are sent to a landfill, Tru teams up with a couple of friends to redirect the books to the library’s basement, where Tru sets up a secret library. She even finds a cat there and names him Dewey.

Tru is determined to provide the people of Cypress with library books, but she can’t let anyone know what she is doing. Then, the major supporter of the “bookless” library is found dead under a library shelf. Of course Tru is the primary suspect. The case happens to be investigated by her ex-boyfriend detective

Since the police only seem focused on her as the killer, Tru conducts her own investigation. She enlists the help of her friends, as well as her new feline pal, Dewey.

I always enjoy a cozy mystery set in a library. I never heard of a "bookless" library and I hope I never see one. Although I have primarily become an e-reader over the last few years, I still believe print books never go out of style. Readers should be able to choose their method to read.

That aside, I was so enchanted with this book. I loved Tru’s strength and determination to save her books. Another great aspect is Tru has two friends that stood by her throughout it all and helped her find the real killer. Of course, the addition of a cat who helps Tru also won me over.

The mystery is fast-paced with so many possible suspects. I was totally off on who I picked as the cuprit. I was surprised at the ending. I hope we’ll get more books in this series as I look forward to getting to know these characters even better.





FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

What a wonderful start to a new cozy series. A library going ALL digital? No books anywhere? Who would think this was a good idea? And then someone very involved with the decision is killed. Who had the most motive? Lots of suspects, but only one is guilty.

THE BROKEN SPINE by Dorothy St. James
The First Beloved Bookroom Mystery

Books mean the world to assistant librarian Trudell Becket, so when the city manager decides to make the Cypress Public Library a bookless library, she devises a plan. Sneaking her friends into the library after hours, they transport as many of the books headed for the landfill down to the basement as possible in order to create a secret library of real books. A loud crash makes Tru realized they've worked too far into the morning. Quickly telling her friends to leave the library Tru heads upstairs to find the reason for the crash. What she finds is a multimedia shelving unit that has toppled over-right onto the city manager. The very dead city manager. Soon becoming a prime suspect, Tru realizes that in order to protect the books and her secret library, she'll have to prove her innocence and find the real murderer.

Trudell Becket is a hero! The quiet reserved assistant librarian who has been pretty invisible for most of her life has a mission. She will do everything in her power to save the town's books. And when it comes to her cat, Tru becomes a fierce momma bear! I love her transformation and her inner fire. It goes to prove you should never underestimate the quiet ones. I dislike her mother immensely and look forward to meeting her father. Of course, I adore Dewey and would happily supply him with toys if I could!

The first Beloved Bookroom Mystery is a story about growth and quiet rebellion. It has you rooting for the underdogs, the book lovers, and stalwart friends while wondering who dun it. There are several twists and turns that had me unsure of who I could trust.

THE BROKEN SPINE is a charming novel that kept me engaged with its well plotted mystery and unique cast of characters.

The Broken Spine is the start of a new cozy mystery series about a librarian.

Whoever has heard of a bookless library? Not me. But apparently the first one opened in real life in 2014. Trudell is the assistant librarian at a small rural southern library. A new town manager decides to remodel Trudell’s library into a soulless bookless library. Worse, he is throwing away all the library’s books to make room for all the computers and tablets. When the man is found dead in the library crushed by a shelf of DVDs, Trudell is the number one suspect. She admits to being in the library seemingly alone with the victim at the time of the crime. She certainly has a clear motive. But she didn’t do it! Now she must find the real killer.

At the start of a new series, there is always a lot of background to go over. In many cases, that makes the characters feel somewhat one dimensional. That is the case with this book. In addition, the clues were a bit too obvious. However, I liked the setting, the humorous situations, and especially the cat. I will be looking for the next book in the series. 3 stars.

Thanks to Berkley, Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James has Trudell Becket, assistant librarian, distraught that her beloved library in Cypress, South Carolina is becoming bookless. The books are the heart of the library. The library and its books helped Trudell get through some difficult times growing up. When Trudell learns that the town manager, Duggar Hargrove is having the books tossed into the landfill, she comes up with a plan. Trudell along with a couple of trusted friends are transporting books into the basement vault when she hears a large crash. She rushes upstairs to find Duggar dead underneath a bookcase. Trudell is surprised to discover that the lead detective is Jace who humiliated her in high school. As if that is not bad enough, Trudell learns she is the prime suspect. Trudell with help from two close friends works to prove her innocence by finding the guilty party. The Broken Spine is the debut of A Beloved Bookroom Mystery series. I thought The Broken Spine had an interesting premise. A library with no books. This is the first time that I had heard of this concept. I found The Broken Spine was easy to read with some interesting characters. I do hope the author will provide more background on Trudell in the next book. I would like to see her fleshed out more (I want to know more about this book loving librarian) along with the other regular characters (Tori, Flossie, Jace, Charlie). I just loved the cat, Dewey. He is a cute and smart feline. I also liked Charlie who is new to town and opening The Deckled Edge. I thought that was a clever name for a bookstore. The mystery was clear-cut. There were a couple of suspects, a red herring, and direct clues. I would like to see that mystery in the next book to be more of a challenge. I was not a fan of Jace and the way he treated Trudell. I think Trudell deserves someone better as her romantic partner (maybe Jace will redeem himself in the next book). I did find the book slow in spots and there was repetition of information. I felt the story needed more depth. I am curious to see if Trudell can keep her secret library hidden from her boss along with Dewey. The Broken Spine is a unique cozy mystery with a bookless library, a clever cat, a demanding mayor, a bevy of beloved books, a determined detective, and a lockpicking librarian.

4.5 Stars ⭐️ - Top Pick

Every now and then, you come across a book that secures itself a home in your heart. The Broken Spine, part of the A Beloved Bookroom Mystery and the first in its series by Dorothy St. James, is a delightful read, bursting with originality and wit.

Welcome to Cypress, where the town council has deemed to convert the town’s image into a town of the future. Unfortunately, their vision of the future includes “converting” the only library in town into a modern, bookless library (gasp)! Not all is what it seems, though, and sometimes, drastic measures and small rebellions must take place in order to conserve a priceless treasure. But when the town’s manager is discovered dead and all signs point to murder, the main suspect is the very one that just committed the drastic measure and small rebellion (oh no). Get ready for this comical story, that will have you laughing out loud and cheering for the quiet ones.

Trudell “Tru” Becket, assistant librarian and lover of books, is the protagonist and hero of the quiet rebellion in this story. I loved that this character had a reserved personality, making her impulsive actions funny and meaningful. The supportive cast were a riot and contributed to the craziness of the situation. I liked that some of those characters were left with undiscovered history that will set up nicely for the other books to follow (or at least I hope so). But wait, there’s more. Adding to the mix is a surprise love interest with a relatable back story; high school crush comes back home and perhaps there’s something building between them? I sure hope so, because those two had great chemistry.

I loved the effortless writing of this author. I so enjoyed reading this book, that I read it, in one sitting (this does not happen often for me). This book is full of witty, funny scenes and dialogue with an amazing story flow and purposeful twists and turns. You know the author is taking you around the block, but it doesn’t matter because you’ll just want to keep reading.

An old-fashioned mystery, where the murder must be solved with good detective work and the help of a cat, of course! All around, a charming and fantastic first book in-series. I already can’t wait for more.

~ Patricia

Really good start to a new series! Interesting characters and a fun, new twist on cozy mysteries with a hidden library. I love the concept and eagerly await the next book in the series. And I love that it takes place in my home state of South Carolina. Technology takes over the town's public library and books are banished to the town landfill in place of computers and tablets. A hidden library is formed and only true bibliophiles are made aware of its location. When a murder occurs in the public library, the investigation endangers the location of the secret library of being discovered. Tru, the assistant librarian, takes it upon herself to solve the murder and protect her secret library.