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BOOK INFO
Title: Read of Alive
Author: Nora Page
Publisher: Crooked Lane
Publish Date: May 12, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Bookmobile Mystery #3
My Rating: 4/5
BOOK BLURB
A match-made in cozy heaven for fans of Jenn McKinlay, Kate Carlisle, and book lovers everywhere, Nora Page’s third Bookmobile mystery will (book)worm its way into your heart.
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
Read or Alive is 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.
This is the third book in the series, but it can be read as a standalone. However, I recommend starting with Better Off Read (book 1) and Read on Arrival (book 2).
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.
Books in the Bookmobile Mystery Series:
- Better Off Read
- Read on Arrival
- Read or Alive
Sounds really cute. Lovely review. I am looking for a good cozy mystery
Thanks! This series is a little different than the other cozies I read. In this series, the main character is in her 70s. 💜
As long as the character is intelligent I am a happy bird
I enjoy Cleo as a protagonist. I need to get to this one. Nice review Darinda.
Thanks, Carla! 💜