I enjoyed reading ARSENIC AND OLD BOOKS by Miranda James.
It is packed with
suspense throughout which will leave it hard for you to
put down. With loveable
characters that you would feel at home with, this novel is
a must to put on your
list to read. Miranda James starts it out at a great pace
with all the events
happening at a reasonable rate. I felt with such a great
storyline the last chapter
could have been extended a little more without the quick
explanation of by
whom and why the murder took place. I personally like my
suspense to last until
the end with that "Oh my, what will happen to them" as the
main character gets
himself in a bind. However, all in all it is still a great
read I would recommend as
long as you do not mind the lack of suspense at the end.
The main character, Charlie, works in Athena College's
archive when the
mayor approached him with her husband's ancestor's diaries
from the civil war.
She, along with her husband is donating them to the
college in hopes that the
students at the school could use them. Once the word gets
out about the diaries
everyone, it seems, want to read them first. Including
those that might have a
hand at seeing the mayor's son not making it to the senate
seat. What could be in
these diaries that are worth killing for?
Overall ARSENIC AND OLD BOOKS is a brilliant
storyline with the most
entertaining characters that gives you that cozy up on the
couch feeling that I
usually love from a cozy mystery. Plus this novel has a
bonus short story at the
end! Miranda James' A Cat in the Stacks Mystery
series has many more
adventures ahead I'm sure and I look forward to the next
one.
In Athena, Mississippi, librarian Charlie Harris is known
for his good nature—and for his Maine coon cat Diesel that
he walks on a leash. Charlie returned to his hometown to
immerse himself in books, but taking the plunge into a
recent acquisition will have him in over his head…
Lucinda Beckwith Long, the mayor of Athena, has donated a
set of Civil War-era diaries to the archives of Athena
College. The books were recently discovered among the
personal effects of an ancestor of Mrs. Long’s husband.
The
mayor would like Charlie to preserve and to substantiate
them as a part of the Long family legacy—something that
could benefit her son, Beck, as he prepares to campaign
for
the state senate.
Beck’s biggest rival is Jasper Singletary. His Southern
roots are as deep as Beck’s, and their families have been
bitter enemies since the Civil War. Jasper claims the Long
clan has a history of underhanded behavior at the expense
of
the Singletarys. He’d like to get a look at the diaries in
an attempt to expose the Long family’s past sins.
Meanwhile,
a history professor at the college is also determined to
get
her hands on the books in a last-ditch bid for tenure. But
their interest suddenly turns deadly…
Now Charlie is left with a catalog of questions. The
diaries
seem worth killing for, and one thing is certain: Charlie
will need to be careful, because the more he reads, the
closer he could be coming to his final chapter…