3.5 stars

This gentle cozy features librarian Cleo Watkins. She may be a senior but she's (thankfully) plenty sharp and wily enough to solve a local murder.

Cleo's library has been damaged in a storm and their slippery town mayor can't seem to commit to fixing the building, even though he has plenty of money for his pet project, a new fishing pier. Meanwhile eccentric old Buford Krandall, long a thorn in everyone's side, is found murdered. Since he was an irascible old coot, there are plenty of suspects.

Cleo is a pleasant character, along with her ensemble of friends: Henry, an antiquarian bookseller; Leanna, a young library student; Vernon and Bitsy, the local bank president and his wife, and Mary Rose, Cleo's childhood best friend. Not to mention Gabby -- the smart young police officer who lives next door.

Charming if not always plausible. Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in return for my honest review.

Better Off Read is a firsrt book in Bookmobile mystery series. It is a perfect cozy for me. It has smart sleuth, charming setting, quirky and funny characters and well crafted plot.
Retired librarian Cleo has her bookmobile that she uses to deliver books to readers. However her precious libarary is damaged and she realises that she can't expect any help from the mayor she decides to ask local eccentric for help. But when she goes to talk to him she finds out that someone has gotten to him first and killed him.
Very rarely I have strong feelings for negative characters but the mayor is so ignorant and ridiculous that I kept wishing that someone will kill him. I enjoy books where sleuths are librarians or book owners so this one was a special treat. I want to take a ride with Cleo in her bookmobile. I am also fond of southern settings and characters and this one did not disappoint, it is so charming and wacky.I have thoroughly enjoyed it.

An enjoyable cozy mystery. Being a reader has us cheering for the protagonist in her endeavors to repair the library and keep the bookmobile functioning. Local politics and eccentric characters add interest to the tale. Pets and a smidgeon of romance are also included.

Pretty hard to resist any cozy mystery with that cover! The blurb describes a septuagenarian librarian who is forced to race around in a converted school bus now bookmobile after her Catalpa Springs, Georgia library suffers major storm damage and needs repair. She has a Persian cat--whose name I loved (Rhett Butler), who really doesn't behave like a cat.

Protagonist Cleo Watkins is not your average senior still working because she needs the money and apparently the mayor has major ideas for the library money anyway. A number of small town characters are introduced. The problem begins when her major supporter for repair funds turns up dead. It's thought that her bff Mary-Rose may have had something to do with offing him as they were having a turf war over the springs separating their respective properties, so Cleo will weed through the list of possible suspects to save her friend. (Apparently, the man didn't have any.) And she does have an officer neighbor who can provide investigative support. (Forget the "chief.")

Loved that the MC was going to be a little closer to my age, but the plot kinda dawdled along at the beginning. Once she got the Words on Wheels bookmobile going, the storyline seemed to smooth out and speed up a little. I enjoyed the bookstore owner, Henry, also very much an active senior, with a low-key pug. Cleo is very determined to save her library, is sharp-witted, and articulate.

Then came a conclusion, the perpetrator revealed, which left me scratching my head. No, I didn't see it coming as I don't think I was ever given the information. Overall though, it's a fun, cozy mystery whether a slightly awkward start to a new series or not, has room to grow. The author has introduced some interesting characters who she may very well spend more time developing in #2.

I was given this ebook download by the publisher and NetGalley and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. I can recommend to any who enjoy a good southern cozy mystery, though I'm not quite sure her target is seniors--more perhaps the "youth of old age" (50-60?). I would entertain a second book in the series to see if Cleo has "matured."

Spunky sleuth in her 70s!

I love that Nora Page has started a new cozy series with Cleo a senior with energy to spare. I think this series has a lot of promise but for some reason that I can't quite put my finger on it just didn't keep my interest well enough. I know I found the Mayor over the top and annoying, but I think he was meant to be like that. I think in general the story was just ok.
I received an advance reader copy from Netgalley.

I enjoyed Better Off Read, a Bookmobile Mystery by Nora Page.

The protagonist, Cleo, is a spunky septuagenarian who will make you laugh.
This cozy had everything I look for, from the colorful cover to the very last sentence. I found myself entertained by the colorful characters and the mystery kept me guessing until the reveal.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

I was instantly drawn to Cleo, the lively protagonist of this new cozy mystery series, and to her cause of wanting to restore the storm-damaged public library to her community. From the first page, I felt right at home in the small-town setting, which is also home to Cleo's gentleman friend, her grandson, her grandson's surly girlfriend, and a host of other quirky and memorable townspeople. The story strikes just the right balance between light-hearted humor and serious sleuthing, and Cleo is a refreshingly believable 70-year-old rather than a stereotypical "old lady." I'll definitely be interested in reading future installments!

I have very strong and mixed feelings about Better of Read by Nora Page, this book is coming out this June from Crooked Lane Books is written in away that made me so angry and frustrated with the main character Cleo's nemesis the town Mayor, that I wanted to throw the book across the room. Nora does a brilliant job of making you despise the town's mayor, and will have you seeing red! I love the idea of this book and series, I love that the main character is in her mid seventies and I love the setting of the book. I struggled with the storyline because I was so mad at the character of the Mayor though. I can't remember when a cozy mystery had me so riled up! I hope you enjoy Better off Read. I do love the cat and pug in this book!

Better Off Read by Nora Page saa the first book in the new book series. I got this books because I promise to give the honest review.

The story was quite nice cozy mystery with interesting plot and characters. It was also nice to see books where is older main character, I think. The covers were reason why I wanted read this. It wasn't dissapointment and there was many times when it was so hard to be calm. If you like books like this, there will be many times when you enjoy this. The language was clever but not too difficult which is good, when the reader is other than native speaker of English. Love it and hope that I can find this book someday in my mother tongue also and that I can find other books in the series.

Better Off Read is the first book in the Bookmobile Mystery series. The main character, Cleo Watkins is a librarian who also runs a bookmobile, words on wheels, in the city of Catalpa Springs, Georgia. Cleo is desperately trying to fix the damaged library and prevent the young mayor, Jeb Day, from closing it down. Cleo soon comes across the body of an old patron, Buford Krandall, and evidence seems to point to her friend Mary-Rose, so Cleo decides to solve the murder on her own and clear the name of her best friend.

Ok, so this book was the classic example of judging a book by its cover. I mean, isn't this cover super cute? I loved everything about it--a cute cat, a cute dog, a bookmobile, all the elements for a great cozy mystery. Unfortunately, this book was quite disappointing to me. The premise is great, a librarian fighting to keep the city's public library alive, a murder needing to be solved, a small town setting, Southern cooking, you name it. The problem with the story is that although the premise was great, the characters were very unrealistic and poorly developed. Cleo, the main character, is supposed to be this seventy-year-old lady who really seemed more like someone in their forties or fifties. It is not to say that a person in their seventies can't be as active and energetic as Cleo, but it just didn't feel that way when you were reading the book.

The story as a whole did not hold my interest and I found myself putting this book down way too many times. I really wanted to love this book, but it just didn't do it for me. Since this is book one in the series, I believe there is still hope for the other books to come.

I would like to thank Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun quick and light read which I always enjoy in a cozy. I liked the characters and felt the story flowed pretty well.

Better Off Read by Nora Page is the first book in the new cozy Bookmobile Mystery series. The story centers around Cleo Watkins who is a seventy five year old librarian who is willing to do anything to save her library when the mayor threatens closure.

After a storm damaged the main library Cleo took to the streets in her bookmobile, Words on Wheels, to continue her lending habits and find support for her cause. But when a supporter of the library winds up dead Cleo puts her years of mystery reading skills to use to help solve the crime.

Better Off Read is one of those books that on the surface seemed to check all those fun cozy mystery boxes that I love. However, there just seemed to be a bit of something lacking in the story that kept me from becoming totally invested in this one.

Cleo is a fun character that gives a whole new meaning to the spunky elderly with her constant on the go, was that realistic, not necessarily but this is fiction so I did enjoy it. The rest of the characters however weren’t really standing out much to me and the story didn’t really have that wow factor when it came to the conclusion. I think the series has potential to be really fun but this first book was just an alright read for me.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Interesting start to a new series that likely will be constrained by the age of Cleo- a 75 year old who is spritely and determined to keep serving the people of Catalpa Springs with her bookmobile. There's a good cast of characters for this cozy, including her friends Mary Rose, Gabby, and Henry who will help absolve Mary Rose of murder charges. It's pretty much a classic cozy. A gentle suggestion would be a detached edit for consistency and maybe a paring of some info early on. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

This cozy mystery is set in the tiny town of Catalpa Springs, Georgia and featuring seventy five year old librarian Cleo Watkins, often accompanied by her Persian cat, Rhett Butler. Cleo is working hard to save the local library, recently damaged, and driving a ricketty school bus bookmobile "Words on Wheels," .

Sleazy Mayor Jebson Day doesn't want to see the town spend the money to fix the library, instead he has plans to knock down the building and develop a huge fishing pier. The Mayor has the backing of local bank president Vernon Givens, though Bitsy Givens, the bank president’s wife, is trying to get support for Chloe from her Ladies’ League.

Chloe goes to visit the local rich eccentric in hopes of a donation. Buford Krandall is rude and mean, though he loves books. He’s too busy waging war on his neighbor, Chloe’s bestie, who runs a pancake house.

The book started off rocky, with far too much data and names thrown at the reader, in a tone that tried to hard to be whimsical and funny. For example, the narrative tone gives Chloe’s reckless speeding in her old bus a wink and a nod, though I don’t know how many people find reckless speeding at all funny.

But once Krandall is found dead, the book seems to find its rhythm. The author balances plot with the introduction of new wacky characters, and keeps the reader guessing as to the murderer, while building suspense. There are some rookie errors, like lack of clarity with the local police and investigative forces (my understanding is that even tiny towns are clear about boundaries in such cases) but overall it was a fun read once it got going. The female characters were the most fun, all vivid.

Better Off Read is the debut 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, and humor is disbursed throughout the book. There are lots of twists and turns and the final reveal came as a surprise. I’m looking forward to reading future books in this series.

Cleo Jane Watkins is a seventy-five year old librarian in Catalpa Springs, Georgia and known for her successful sleuthing. After a violent storm hit the area and damaged the Catalpa Springs Library, Jebson “Jeb” Day, the new mayor, informs her that the town has more important needs than to repair her beloved library. Cleo is furious, but because she’s a proper, well-mannered Southern lady, contained her anger when she learned Jeb wanted to spend money on an unnecessary new fishing pier and a floating casino, and even when he called her “the overdue librarian” because she was well past retirement age. When she brought up insurance funds and the money from the upcoming silent auction the Ladies League Gala was donating to the library, he countered that the town needed to put their money into something that would give back on the investment. The county’s only library now was Words on Wheels, the fickle old school bus her grandson, Sam, and his friends had refurbished as an Eagle Scouts project the year before. When Cleo and her friend, Henry Lafayette, the owner of The Gilded Page Antiquarian and Rare Books, visit Buford Krandall, the library board’s longest standing member of and town council member for help, they find his drilling machine destroyed, his library in disarray, and Buford lying on the floor, deceased. Buford had recently upset Mary-Rose Garland by drilling in the local springs with the intent to bottle the water and force Mary-Rose, who uses the natural springs for pancakes and sweets at the Pancake Mill, to purchase it from him. When questioned, she confesses to damaging the machine, but not to the murder. Mary-Rose and Cleo’s grandson, Ollie, are both arrested, and Whitney Greene, a Save Our Springs volunteer, runs. While still trying to save the library, Cleo is determined to find the murderer and clear her friend and grandson’s names.

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

Librarian Cleo Watkins won’t be quietened when the new, young mayor threatens to permanently close down her tiny town’s storm-damaged library. She takes to her bookmobile, Words on Wheels, to collect allies and rally library support throughout Catalpa Springs, Georgia. She won’t allow her advanced age to stop her or murder.

A major benefactor known for his eccentric DIY projects requests all available books on getting away with murder. He’s no Georgia peach, and Cleo wonders if she should worry about his plans. But too late she discovers him bludgeoned, and evidence points to her best friend, Mary-Rose Garland.

Certain of Mary-Rose’s innocence, Cleo applies her librarian’s sleuthing skills to the case, assisted by friends, family, and the dapper antiquarian bookseller everyone keeps calling her boyfriend. Evidence stacks up. With lives and her library on the line, Cleo must shift into high gear to close the book on murder.
--

Series: A Bookmobile Mystery
Author: Nora Page
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Career
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Publishing Date: May 8, 2018

Better Off Read, is a series debut by Nora Page. This book is filled with colorful characters, easy to dislike victims. The small town of Catalpa Springs is a wonderful look into small-town life. Mixed with the murder of a very unpopular man, this book has all the makings of a great new series that readers will love.

Cleo isn’t your average main character or the average librarian. Her age gives her insights into everyday life and how to handle rash decisions by young social climbers who don’t know that libraries are for more than just reading books. Cleo is smart, talented and funny. She worries about her town and its residents to the point of sleeplessness. She is determined and stubborn with just enough gumption to keep hope alive.

Cleo is passionate about the library and is almost at a loss on what to do when a bad storm destroys parts of the building and closes the doors until repairs can be made. Unfortunately, the new mayor thinks the library is a waste of money, and the budget should go towards his ideas to bring in tourists to the small community.

Other characters are just as appealing as Cleo and enhance the story. Mary Rose is stubborn, at times downright rude and seems to forget her age when tromping through the thick brush or making plans to get even with an old adversary.

This story is easy to read and flows nicely from one chapter to another. The evidence falls into place but never gives away the guilty party until the very end. Overall Better Off Read and the future series is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys main characters who have experience and knowledge on their side.

ARC provided by NetGalley

As far as cozy mysteries go, this wasn’t all that bad of a book. However, it didn’t really keep my interest while I was reading it, either. So I am not sure if I would pick up any books that may follow in the series.

Better Off Read is the first book in the bookmobile series by Nora Page. It follows Cleo Watkins, library of her small Georgia town, as she tries to raise funds to get her beloved library back in working order. In the mean time, she is driving the Words on wheels bus to deliver books, and finds one od her staunchest supporters dead. Before long, Cleo's on the case. Everyone from her childhood friend to her beloved grandson is a suspect. With the help of some friends and her cat Rhett Butler Cleo cracks the case.
This story was just ok for me. I liked the premise and the characters, but it lacked that certain something that would pull you in. But the series and characters have great potential, so I will definitely give the next book a go.

I really enjoyed this first book in a new cozy series. The book opens as Cleo, a senior librarian is working hard to save her small town library. The library was damaged in a storm so until repairs can be made she is running the library in a book mobile. The current mayor thinks the town would be better off if the library was bulldozed and replaced with a fancy new tourist building. On one her book deliveries she discovers the a body. When her best friend falls under suspicion she sets out to solve the murder. She is helped in her investigation by the owner of the local used bookstore and her eccentric family members. There are a lot of suspects and the solution made sense. I really liked the mystery, the characters and the southern small town setting. I am excited to read the next one already. Enjoy

Arrgghh! I hate when I am disappointed by a book I so wanted to like! The whole premise of this book was likeable but missed the mark.

First, it was the main character, Cleo. She is an aging librarian, like 75! Not only is she working in the library, but she is driving the bookmobile!! Really?! My neighbors are in their 70s and very active, but they aren't nearly as Cleo is described.

Second, there was such an info dump that it overwhelmed and disconnected me from the story.

I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.