The Broken Spine is the first witty, delightful and captivating instalment of Dorothy St James’ brilliant new series A Beloved Bookworm featuring a smart and clever sleuth readers are going to love: Trudell Becket.

For librarian Tru the library in the small town of Cypress, South Carolina, means the world to her. The library isn’t just where she works, but it has proved to be a refuge and sanctuary for her all throughout her life. As a teenager, Tru had found solace in the books she could borrow from the library and an escape from her fraught home life and as an adult, the sight of the library never fails to gladden her heart. Tru had always believed that the library will be there forever, but sadly, the powers that be do not share her passion for the printed word. The last few years had been particularly tough for Tru’s beloved library with the budget constantly being slashed, but not even the most pessimistic of souls could have foreseen the latest twist which the town manager has announced much to everyone’s shock and chagrin: the library is now going to be turned into a state of the art technological center – without any books! Not only will everything be digitized and available on digital devices, but all the lovely books which Tru and her fellow librarians have loved and taken care of are about to be destroyed! Tru is already upset, but the sight of all those lovely books being pulverized completely and utterly breaks her heart.

But Tru is not about to let all her beloved books go without a fight. Knowing how much the books and the library mean to her friends and neighbors in Cypress, she decides to rescue them and set up a secret room in the library’s basement open to a select few to indulge in their love of reading. But no sooner has Tru put the finishing touches to her book room that the town manager is crushed by an overturned shelf of DVDs leaving the finger of suspicion pointing firmly in her direction! Everybody in Cypress knew that Tru and the town manager weren’t exactly the best of friends, but she cannot give the police her alibi of where she was on the night of the murder as she does not want to risk jeopardizing the book room! What’s Tru going to do now?

Determined to clear her name and prove to everybody that she is not a killer, Tru decides to put all her years of mystery reading to good use to find out whodunnit. With the help of her friends and a tabby stray cat, will Tru manage to find the killer before it’s too late? Or will she end up the next victim on their hit list?

Dorothy St James’s The Broken Spine is a charming and compelling read cozy mystery fans will devour in one sitting. Brilliantly plotted and full of red herrings, twists and turns and delicious wit, The Broken Spine exquisitely blends tension, danger, humor and suspense in a fantastic mystery that will keep readers hooked throughout.

Tru Becket is a terrific heroine who is kind-hearted, intelligent, loyal and intuitive. Readers will thoroughly enjoy going along for the ride on this sleuthing adventure and be impatiently awaiting her next thrilling case.

A superb cozy mystery fans of Kate Carlisle and Joanne Fluke will lap up, Dorothy St James’ The Broken Spine is a must-read that should not be missed.

My Review: As a newbie to the Cozy Mystery genre, I am excited to discover a new series that I don't have a big backlist to catch up on. From what I have read so far in the genre, this book was right up my alley. I did struggle quite a bit with this one, I wasn't able to stay focused on it for some reason. The setting was great, a small town, a library and even better a secret library. I also really enjoyed the characters, Tru and her cast of friends, Jace the nosy detective with a history and of course best of all, Dewey the scrappy stray cat. I really enjoyed some much about this book but I think the part the really made it difficult for me to stay in the story was the first person narration. For some reason that really kept pulling me out of the story instead of putting me into it the way it should have; maybe because I wouldn't have handle things the way Tru did. All in all I really loved every other part of this story. I think I will give the next book a try and hopefully can settle into the narration style.

My Rating: I enjoyed so many aspects of this book but struggled so much with the narration that it made it difficult to read it for extended periods. I also figured out who did it quite a bit before Tru got there, so that also slowed the reading down for me. I give it a rating of Two Paws and a Stump Wag.

Title: The Broken Spine
Author: Dorothy St. James

Ch: 42

Pg: 320

Series: A Beloved Bookroom mystery

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Berkeley



The broken spine by Dorothy St James is a cozy mystery but as a bookworm and a library employee it’s starts out as a horror story. With the mayor and the town manager wanting to do away with books. Then a murder happens and then Trudell Becket has to clear her name and save her beloved library.


I enjoyed this cozy mystery but then I’m a sucker for cozies set in a library. It was a quick read I finished it in a day I couldn’t put it down.





I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

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 to hide a stash of books in a hidden room in the library's basement. When the man responsible for the change is killed...in the library, no less....Trudell is a suspect. She and her secret bookroom crew have to do some amateur investigating to keep Trudell out of trouble!

I love my local library's digital site....but I would really hate it if the 3 libraries I use suddenly got rid of all their physical books, movies and music offerings!! I can see the benefits....but it would leave so many patrons wanting "real'' books! Not to mention those without a computer or device would be left out in the cold! I silently cheered Trudell as I read about them sneaking books to the basement....and I kinda didn't feel too badly about the guy who got offed. :) Just kidding....but still...he was a bit of a wanker. Taking books to the landfill??? Grrrrr!!!!!!!!!

I liked the characters and setting. The plot moved along at a nice pace and there was plenty of sleuthing and suspects. Very entertaining and fun to read!

Excellent start to a new cozy series! I'm eagerly awaiting book 2 in the Beloved Bookroom mystery series!

**I voluntarily read a review copy of this book from Berkley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

The Broken Spine earns 5/5 Shhh-es...Exciting Entertainment!

Is there anything worse than finding out your neighborhood library is going high-tech? What do you do when you discover all those “sensory fulfilling” paper and ink, hard and soft, well-worn or sparkling new favorites will be discarded? If you are an assistant librarian Trudell Becket, you decide to rescue those classics and contemporary books and set up an “old-school” library in the basement for only the most discerning who can keep her secret. However, things get complicated when Duggar Hargrove, the man spearheading the digital paradise, is found crushed under DVD shelves. Murder? Tru is believed to have the best motive, opportunity, and means, but if she is honest about others who were visiting her underground library at the time of the murder, she’d lose everything! So, Tru decides she needs to get some answers and channeling her inner Nancy Drew might be the only way to clear up this mess, especially when the detective in charge is a nightmare from high school.

I really enjoy Dorothy St. James’s first in her new series, Beloved Book Room Mystery, but I felt very guilty, too. I love my iPad with its setting for brightness control, font size, and bookmarking and highlighting without ruining the pages. But, to each his own! The premise is still exciting with a clever mystery and conundrum, descriptive images and witty banter, and enjoyable investigation and “Wow” ending, but it’s the characters that I really enjoyed...I’m excited about this series! Additional kudos go to the extras provided. Authors often include extra bits like Notes, Prefaces, or Glossaries to provide insight or background, and sometimes those extra bits are written from the perspective of one of the characters. Do not miss the “A (Very) Shirt History of Books” by Trudeau Becket, Assistant Librarian.

The Broken Spine is the debut of the A Beloved Bookroom Mystery series set in the small town of Cypress, South Carolina and featuring assistant librarian Trudell "Tru" Becket. Much to Tru's dismay, the town's Mayor Goodvale and town manager Duggar Hargrove have decided to make the library bookless - only high tech computers, tablets and printers. They are hoping this new type of library will help turn Cypress into the Silicon Valley of the South and will bring a new group of people to the struggling town.

Tru is beside herself, the library has been her home away from home since early childhood. The books are scheduled to be taken to the landfill so she decides to sneak into the library at night and pick out the best books and open a secret library in the unused vault in the library basement. Added by her two friends Tori and Flossie and Tori's mysterious boyfriend Charlie, Tru manages to get most of the books moved downstairs before daybreak. A loud noise from above sends her running to not only discover that the library has opened and other employees are already at work but Duggar Hargrove has been killed by a falling bookshelf. Someone had unbolted the shelf from the floor and the police immediately suspect Tru since she'd had a very public fight with Duggar a day earlier. In an effort to keep her new library a secret and clear her name, Tru sets out to catch a killer.

I had been looking forward to reading this book based upon the description but, part way through I found myself questioning whether I was truly enjoying the read or just trying to get to the end because I rarely give up on a book. The characters (especially Tru) were hard to warm up to, the idea of a secret library in the basement with people coming and going and nobody upstairs hearing the noise was a little far fetched and left me often thinking wow, must be one heck of a big basement vault. And didn't anybody upstairs notice that Tru was constantly downstairs in a supposed empty basement? For me sadly, the best part of the book was the stray cat, Dewey who adopts Tru. I did start feeling a little better by the end and will definitely give the next installment a try before giving up the series.

I received an advanced copy of The Broken Spine from NetGalley via Berkley Books. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

The idea of this cozy is wonderful. Unfortunately poorly executed in the written word. I’m hopeful the characters will improve, they will have a more realistic take on how the jobs are preformed. Going forward this series could have promise.

Princess Fuzzypants here: As so many of us shift from the printed word to e-books and on-line research, the centre of the story is all too current. What happens to old libraries and their dusty collections in a digital world? Tru’s beloved library is facing that dilemma and worse. The town manager has determined that in order to bring in new business, they must turn their town into a hub of new technology and with the agreement of the mayor, he plans is to remove all the books and send them to a landfill. Tru cannot stand back and let this happen.

With the help of some book loving friends, and a little tabby named Dewey who adopts her, she hijacks the classics and hides them away in a basement vault that everyone has forgotten exists. She opens up, to a select few, the hidden library and continues to hand out books to patrons around town. Because of her strong opposition to the destruction of the books, when the town manager is crushed by a book shelf in the library, Tru becomes the easy suspect. Somehow she must find the real villain to clear her name but her efforts seem to be thwarted by the former high school football hero turned cop who broke her heart years ago. The only thing that they seem to agree upon is their mutual love of Dewey.

There are a fair number of twists and blind alleys to keep the reader guessing. Even when it seems she has solved the mystery, there is still one more surprise. It is a fun read and of course, Dewey is the hero and the star. Four purrs and two paws up.

Every new Cozy Mystery starts with an idea. A protagonist who is clever, likeable and most likely lives in a small town. Her friends, it is almost certain the protagonist is a woman, will be quirky..
The dialogue will be both loving and filled with banter. Our protagonist will have a pet, most often these days it will be a cat. All this is true with Dorothy St. James new series " Beloved Bookroom Mystery". The City Government of Cypress wants to revitalize the town. They have big plans, make Cypress "The Silicon Valley of the South". First up, digitize the towns library, remove all the books, bring in the computers! It will be the library of the future. Doesn't matter if the library board, the staff or the townsfolk hate the idea. The deed is done.
Rather than see all her beloved books go to the local dump, Tru, steals them and creates a lending library in the basement of library. After all she is the Assistant Librarian, and she knows how to pick locks. A reverberating crash disrupts the stealth workers. Tru dashes into a media room to find a body crushed under heavy shelving. One bad guy is dead; our hero is the main suspect.
Tru models her investigative skills after the intrepid Nancy Drew. This was part of the problem for this reader. The author's view of librarians seems to be stuck in the 1950's. Tru is plucky, the Head Librarian is starchy -- she actually clutches her pearls, the romantic interest is studly. Dewey, the stray cat is cute. The red herrings are there, with enough suspects to make the puzzle interesting.
I spent over 30 years in the library profession, this is not how it works. If the series continues, one hopes the author listens more carefully to contemporary library voices.

Full disclosure: I received this ARC from netgalley and Berkley Press in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you for this opportunity.

I loved the idea of rescuing the books of the library and opening a small secret library for select patrons. Even though I read many books on an e-reader, like Trudell Becket, I value books. Old books, new books, hold in your hand and flip the pages books! It is how I instilled a love of reading in my children. Searching for books both old and new has given me hours of pleasure. Reading a wide variety of topics-heaven! So I admire Tru and her exciting plan for after the library becomes bookless.

But...so many things in this book are impossible. A head librarian who hides out in her office all day? An assistant librarian who spends hours in the basement? Nobody notices or complains? Also, you don't have very many likeable characters when all is said and done Even Tru's own mother isn't someone I'd want to be around.

Life is about balance. THE BROKEN SPINE is also about balance. It just isn't as warm and friendly as I expected. Relationships all seem shallow-even between "best" friends. I liked the book, but I didn't love it. I will probably read the next book in the series hoping it will be more what I'd hoped this one would be.

I appreciate The Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. My opinions are strictly my own, and I was happy to have this opportunity.

A mystery revolving around a book store, a murder and family ties and friendship. Who is trustworthy, who is not. Twists and turns and enough intrigue to keep you interested until the end.

4.5 stars

This is the first book in the Beloved Bookworm mystery series by Dorothy St. James.

When a person came in and wanted to get all the old books out of the library and move everything digital, I was horrified. Why, why, why? Of course, after that, I was hooked. The storyline really captivated me. This is a very timely story that pulls at all our heartstrings, especially those of us who love books.

The mystery was great, the words just poured out effortlessly and the characters were ones I look forward to seeing in future books. Just great stuff. Check it out.

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

3.5 stars = Good+

I enjoyed the cast here and I really liked how the mystery worked out. I was confused a little about Tru - in some ways she is supposed to be this forgettable, mousy person people treat pretty dismissively. At the same time, though, she is also everyone's top suspect because of how vocal and angry she is about the changes to the library. I guess we don't get to see the "vocally angry" bits in the story - it's just reported to us by other characters. Even with that wrinkle, I still enjoyed this and will likely pick up book 2 to read later this year.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the digital advance reading copy of this book.

This was such a fun, cozy mystery. I freaking love the cat (Dewey) he is awesome! The characters were interesting and I loved how Tru was handling all the changes in the library.

I enjoyed trying to figure out who the murderer was, Dorothy St. James did a great job of throwing suspicion at so many of the characters. I was ultimately able to guess the killer correctly but not until the last couple of chapters.

When I first read the description of, THE BROKEN SPINE, it sounded more like a dystopian (Hey, no books in a library is a grim thing to me), but certainly futuristic tale than it did a cozy set in modern times.

From the back cover . . . Trudell Becket finds herself in a bind when her library is turned into a state-of-the-art bookless 'technological center'. A library with no books breaks Trudell's book-loving heart and she decides to rescue hundreds of beloved tomes slated for the recycle center. Under the cover of darkness, Trudell sets up a secret book room in the library's basement and opens it to her loyal patrons.

I could see if Tru had maybe moved the books to her home, but in the basement of the library seemed unbelievable with all the activity that it would cause.

Despite the back cover, I did go ahead and read THE BROKEN SPINE. There is no doubt author Dorothy St. James is a good writer, so I wanted to follow through.

To me, the mystery was solid right up until the reveal. There were plenty of suspects so I found myself yo-yoing between who I thought the killer was. Turns out I was right, but had changed my mind, so I ended up being wrong at the finish.

There were some nice comedic bits in this story, allowing the author’s sense of humor show through. One bit even made me laugh out loud. However, even with the humorous aspects, I didn’t connect well with most of the characters. But, that has happened to me many times with the new book in a series. It can take a while to flesh out the characters.

I will give the next book in the, Beloved Bookroom Mystery series a try. As for, THE BROKEN SPINE, there are wonderful reviews, so please, if it sounds like a book you would like to read, give it a try. It has generated some wonderful reviews!

First time reading this author and this book was wonderful. I loved the library setting and the great set of characters. Nice blend of humor and mystery and it left me guessing who might be the culprit.

Without a doubt, the characters drive this story. Tru is a single, introverted, librarian who is passionate about the printed page and the classics. She's also a rule follower, who when pushed breaks a few. Although insecure, Tru won't let go of the secret bookroom with print books and classics, speaks her mind, often to her own detriment. She also adopts a cat, Raven, and keeps bringing him or her to work.

The supporting characters each have a story from her best friend, Tori, and Flossie to Charlie, Tori's latest love interest, and Jace, the jock-now-cop, who broke Tru's heart in high school and returns to Cypress after some issues in New York. At times, it's hard to figure out who are the good guys and who Tru should be careful around. When it all comes together, it makes sense and I, at least, hadn't figured it out before Tru.

The story has a steady pace once the foundation is set. If you like cozy mysteries in a small town and love books as much as Tru, you'll enjoy this one, especially the "hero" of the day at the end.

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book in the hopes that I would post an honest review. This has not affected the content of my review in any way.

This Southern set cozy is part murder mystery and part rescue mission, rescuing the library books that are about to end up in the landfill so the town can have a bookless library. Would you think that Trudell Becket, yes she is Beckets's girl (everyone seems to know her Dad), is a mild mannered librarian? I think not! Tru is an amazing and multifaceted character who is passionate about the the books, her friends, Dewey the formerly homeless cat, and her freedom, since she obviously did not kill the city manager. There is more than one mystery to this story and a few well crafted red herrings, plus a possible love interest. That is, if Tru, can let go the hurts and wrongs of the past.

The Broken Spine has some interesting moments, is written by a seasoned veteran, and has a great plot. Unfortunately, it also has a main character that isn’t very likable, has anger issues, and is on the childish side. The fact that she wants to save print books at the library she works for is terrific, but no one, no matter how much they love books, would risk going to prison for murder if they had an alibi they could prove. This is the main drawback in this story for me, other than Tru herself. I love books, print books imparticular, I would be heartbroken if someone took my books away, especially to the dump. But Tru is obsessed and enraged beyond the norm.

There is no appeal to me of an all-digital library, and apparently, many people in real life and in Tru’s world agree. But when the man behind the change from print to digital is murdered at the library, and Tru is the first person on the scene, even though she shouldn’t have been, Tru becomes the prime suspect. In and of itself, this is a great start to the book; I love the idea of the secret library. It’s only normal for Tru to want to save the books, be angry and even try to find ways to stop the wanton destruction of books. But the way she goes about it causes people to wonder if she isn’t a killer or mentally unbalanced. There are, of course, other suspects, and the killer wasn’t hard to figure out. The motives varied quite a bit from person to person, but in the end, it became apparent that this motive was as old as time.

I am interested to see where the author can take this series. The main characters need to grow and quickly to become more likable. I enjoyed the interaction between the stray cat, Dewey, the library patrons, and Tru; he may even have been the best character in the story. I enjoyed Tori and Flossie but did not care for the detective who is looking like Tru’s love interest. I love the idea of a secret library within a library; I think all libraries should have one. The Broken Spine needed more work, and the characters needed more depth. A plot centered around the love of books can quickly destroy a series if it is the only thing the characters and future books are based on; I certainly hope this is not the case with this new series. I hope that Tru matures in the next addition, becomes more likable, and learns to deal with her past and insecurities.

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!