Tru, a librarian in small town Cypress, is distressed when the library is turned into a digital only facility. No books! She, however, has a plan- she moves books to a vault and invites those who love paper to borrow from it. One day, however, she hears a crash and finds Duggar, the town manager most behind the switch, dead under a shelf of DVDs. Cozy readers know that Tru will be the prime suspect but that there's more to the story that even she knows. Jace, the police officer handling the case, has unresolved history with her. Luckily she has good friends in Tori and Flossie. Oh and Dewey the cat, who roams the library and is quite the character. This is the first in a series and while firsts sometimes have wobbles, this would have benefitted from another edit to tighten it up and make it a tad more suspenseful. That said, props to any series featuring a librarian and books. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Worth a read. I'm curious where the next one will go.

This book is actually the first one I have read by this author. I wasn't sure what to expect but I was pleasantly surprised. I really liked it. The characters are real. The story has suspense and a bit of action. It was very interesting and kept my attention. It was a great read.

I love bookseller and library-themed cozies. They just have an atmosphere that makes me, as bookish person, feel, well... cozy. This one was no exception. Such a delightful start to a new series, with plenty of fun literary references and a mystery that's twisty enough to keep your attention.

The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James is the first book in the Beloved Bookworm series. It is currently scheduled for release on January 19 2021.

Trudell Becket, known to her friends as Tru, finds herself in a bind when her library in lovely Cypress, South Carolina, is turned into a state-of-the-art bookless “technological center.” A library with no books breaks Tru’s book-loving heart so she decides to rescue hundreds of beloved tomes slated for the town dump. Under the cover of darkness, Tru, along with her best friends—coffee shop owner Tori Green and mysterious bestselling author Flossie Finnegan-Baker—set up a secret bookroom in the library’s basement and prepare to open it to their most loyal, trustworthy patrons. But as Tru and her crew are putting the finishing touches on their new book room, the town manager, who was behind the big push for the library’s transformation, is crushed by an overturned shelf of DVDs. Tru becomes the prime suspect as she hadn’t hid the fact that she hated having all of those wonderful books replaced by tablets and computers. But if she gives the police her alibi, she’ll have to explain about the secret book room and risk losing the books. Tru knows she’s in a heap of trouble, and it doesn’t help that the officer in charge of the case is her old crush from high school, who broke her teenaged heart. To keep herself out of jail and her beloved bookroom up and running, Tru—with the help of Tori, Flossie, and a brown tabby stray cat named Dewey Decimal—decides to investigate. And faster than you can say “Shhhh!” Tru quickly finds herself on the same page with a killer who would love to write her final chapter.

The Broken Spine is a book that I had a little trouble with to start. The way librarians were discussed in the beginning left me with a bad taste in my mouth, and I almost set the book aside. However, I stuck with it and the book did get better and I tried to put that initial impression aside. I liked the character arch for Tru, although her role as the mousy librarian still irks me a bit, I do think that she came into herself by the end of the book. I thought the reveal of the secondary characters and the dynamics of the town was well done. I did think it was weird that the town's characters all knew each other, but then a number of police officers and other residents were strangers. My favorite part of the story was the cat, and some of the friendships that carried Tru through. The mystery was well layered and had plenty of twists and turns, and a good touch of danger. However, I do not think that I will continue reading this series.

The Broken Spine is a good mystery, and I liked the majority of the story.

First in a new series, finds Assistant Librarian Trudell Beckett flummoxed when her beloved Cypress, S.C., library is transforming into a “bookless” library where patrons can download books or borrow tablets. For Tru and her faithful patrons, this won’t work, they want to feel a book. In a clandestine mission, she decides to start moving select books to a secret library in the basement. All is going well until town councilman Duggar Hargrove, who was behind the library change, is found dead.

Now with time running out before all the remaining books are moved to the town dump, Tru and her band of friends, including a high school nemesis turned police detective, must find out what is really behind the library’s transformation and as a rotating group of possible suspects floats to the top, she finds herself in a delicate balance.

The Broken Spine may be a new series, but the librarian saving the day, complete with a cranky Head Librarian, is redundant and too reminiscent of Jenn McKinley’s Library Lovers Mysteries. The small town with inhabitants as poor as church mice that can warrant their own detective never sits well with me and the rest of the characters being single dimensional is leading me to think that this series will be a pass.

This was such a nice cozy mystery. I loved the library setting an a cute southern town and the close friendships. I thought there were a few plot holes, though. I didn’t understand a certain element in the book or how it was explained at the end. The whole idea of it at the beginning never made sense to me. But all in all, it was a good mystery book!

I really thought this was an interesting book. What caught my attention to begin with was the fact that the amateur sleuth in this book was an Assistant Librarian. You don't see that very often. So, I was naturally intrigued as I love the Library, always have, always will.

This is my first book by Dorothy St. James. And I know this is the first in a new series so that was also something that caught my attention. It was a little slow and confusing at the beginning but that's normal with the first of a series. I kept with it and I am glad that I did. I love the fact that everything was clearly original. And Oh dear God in Heaven, was it ever hard for me to read about any library getting rid of actual books. Oh, it twists my stomach even now thinking about it.

I liked the back story that went a long with the mystery because I also think that that's important to understanding the characters.

Trudell is a lovely person. You can see that instantly. She is very passionate and willing to go to the ends of the Earth for what and who she loves. I actually really enjoyed her.

I did enjoy reading about the town of Cypress, South Carolina and I hope there will be more tidbits about it in the coming books.

The only negative thing that I can say is that a few of the characters I did not care for but I am hoping that there will be redeeming qualities about them showing up in the next few books.

All in all, though, I really enjoyed this book. After everything finally took off I finished this book in one day! And that says a lot about a good book to. Hang in there with this new series. I really think it's going to be worth it.

This ARC was given to me by NetGalley to read and review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this first book in a new series.
Trudell Becket finds herself in a bind when her library is turned into a bookless library. A library with no books breaks Trudell's book-loving heart and she decides to rescue hundreds of beloved books 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. When the town councilman, who was a vocal supporter of the library's transformation is crushed by an overturned shelf of DVDs, Trudell becomes the prime suspect. She was the only person in the library at the time of his murder, or so the police believe. But the visitors to Trudell's secret bookroom were actually all there too. If she tells the police about the backdoor patrons who were in the library at the time of the murder, she'd have to explain about the secret book room and risk losing the books. To keep herself out of jail, Trudell--with the help of a group of dedicated readers--decides to investigate.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one.

Tru found refuge in books during her childhood and has been a library assistant in her hometown ever since. Now the new city manager wants to modernize the library and eliminate the physical books. What is Tru to do? Will her plans to save the books fail when the city manager is murdered in the library? Tru believes that the books are priceless in their ability to bring joy to people and I believe she is right.

As a librarian for 20+ years, I couldn't resist the premise of this book. A library is discarding all of its books and going totally electronic and Tru, the assistant librarian, wants to rescue the books from being sent to a landfill. Then there is a murder in the building, and she is a suspect, despite it being obvious that she had nothing to do with the crime. Sadly, for me this book was filled with unlikable characters and a lame mystery plot--very disappointed, Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.

"The Broken Spine" the first instalment in the "A Beloved Bookroom" Mystery series by Dorothy St. James . OMG what a great start to a wonderful cozy mystery series! I just loved this book.

I really enjoyed this story, there was humor, murder and a cat. What’s not to like! I read almost in one sitting but finally succumbed to sleep with only a few chapters left.

The mystery moved at a good pace, was interesting and I thought well plotted. I loved the characters living in Cypress South Carolina especially Tru and BFF Tori Green and mysterious bestselling author Flossie Finnegan-Baker. I did suspect whodunnit fairly early but was never 100% sure.

Overall I found it to be a very entertaining read and I’m looking forward to book two to find out what Tru does with Dewey and the bookroom.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Berkley and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This will be interesting to see how long they can keep the library a secret. I enjoyed getting to know the character. The mystery kept me guessing and the why of what was happening was interesting.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest reveiw.

I have been looking for a new cozy mystery series for a while and Im so happy that I found this one! I really loved the small town feel, also there was a cat.. and im a sucker for books and cats so how could I not love this!
All tru wants to do is save the books from the library. when they are supposed to be sent out to the landfill she saves as man of them as possible, and I can definitely get behind that..
Jace used to live in town but has just recently moved back hes trying to prove himself in his job as a police officer and really zeros in on Tru as a suspect. He alternately is super friendly telling her to be careful and buying toys for her cat, and then not believing her when she tells him information and thinking she was the murderer because she would do anything for the library. So im not sure how I feel about him totally yet. I think he will probably get better as the series progresses. I do hope we see alot more of her friends.. and especially Charlie, even though he is a secretive guy I really like him as a character,
There was a point earlyish on in the book when I guessed who the killer was, though with every new suspect and information gathered I was constantly second guessing myself.
I can't wait for more books in this series and see what new mischief Tru and Dewey can get themselves into next. y

This was a well-written and evenly paced whodunit that quickly became a page-turner as I had to know how this was going to end. Who wanted the town manager dead? Was it the newcomers to the town? Was it a long-time resident? You’ll have to read this book to find out.

The author knows how to stage a story with a tightly woven, multi-plot storyline that had me completely immersed in the various aspects in the telling of this tale. The mystery was nicely done giving up enough of the drama to keep me intrigued and in suspense. With visually descriptive narrative, I was pulled in the middle of all the action as I followed along with Tru and the people that she encountered in her search for answers to the murder. The engaging dialogue kept paced with how well this story was being told and the feel of a small-town atmosphere added to the closeness of the residents. The author did a great job and when I thought I had a handle on things, the author changed directions with a few red herrings that enhanced my reading pleasure. What a fun time I had learning about the various characters, a bit of their backstory and their role in this bright and exciting beginning to this new series and I look forward to more adventures with Tru and her friends.

Good points: I liked the premise and the main characters. Trudell and her friends are wonderful. I would have read a whole series just centered on their antics. Bad points: the romance with Jace was not only a distraction, but was actually *uninteresting*. Jace was boring, and I did not understand Tru's attraction to him. Charlie the mysterious used bookstore owner was a much better fit. Additionally, Tru just seems to stumble across the information she needs to solve the mystery with very little actual work on her part. Sorry, but I can't really recommend this one.

Set in a small town, where the powers that be have decided to shift towards a 'bookless library,' The Broken Spine is a great cozy mystery, perfect for booklovers. The main character Tru wanted nothing more than to save the beloved books in her library from going to a landfill. Everything goes a little sideways when the town manager ends up murdered. Tru is the prime suspect because everyone knows she was totally against the changes.

Tru and her friends, along with an old high school romantic interest, much figure out the 'whodunnit.' There are a wide array of suspects, plenty of clues and 'red herrings,' an adorable cat named Dewey, and plenty of cozy vibes. I cannot imagine any booklover or any fan of cozy mysteries would not like this book. To me, it was a great read, and I will definitely be looking forward to the next in the series. I cannot wait to read more from this author!

The Broken Spine is the catalyst for a new series. Trudell becomes a rogue librarian in a desperate attempt to save the library's books. The town decided to have a booklets library, a booklover's worst nightmare. I can't imagine a more cold and sterile environment than a completely digital public library. The main instigator is killed in the library and Trudell is one of the main suspects. How can she protect the precious books she faced, but solve the mystery. My favorite character was Dewey. He added pizzaz to the story

This is a cute cozy romance - who doesn't love books and cats!? There's a possible love interest for the series in a guy she remembers from high school (who was kind of an asshole...) who has returned to town as a cop. Lots of surprising and interesting twists that kept me pulled into the story and made me reluctant to put the book down. Dewey Decimal (the feline side character) was definitely a major draw for the book!

This is the first in the series, and I'm definitely interested in reading more.

First, I would like to say a big thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Cozy mysteries are right in my wheel house, especially when they are book themed, and The Broken Spine did not disappoint! Dorothy St. James writes such lovable characters that you can't help but cheer them on. As with every good cozy mystery, the "will they, won't they" romance element has you as hooked as the question of who done it.

Tru is a librarian and avid lover of books - specifically physical books. For her, nothing is better than holding a copy of your childhood favorite or comfort read in your hands. Enter Duggar, the town manager, who is insistent that the library be brought into the 21st century. All books will be removed and ereaders, computers, and STEAM rooms will take their place. As Tru is secreting books to the basement in an effort to save the physical copies, she hears a loud thud upstairs. Upon rushing to the main level, she finds Duggar - dead underneath one of the shelves in the media room.

From there, the plot unfolds as Tru discovers that not everything is as it seems.

A completely and thoroughly enjoyable read. Well developed characters, tightly crafted story, and engaging read. Lost myself for a couple of hours which is all I ever truly want from a novel.