Itβs an early spring day in the small Michigan town of Chilson.Β The weather is still a little blustery and Assistant Library Director, Minnie Hamilton, is packing up her outreach bookmobile to make the rounds with her partner, Hunter Morales.Β Minnie is planning on catching up with a few patrons, but when one bookmobile patron, Ryan Anderson, makes a quick retreat, Minnie knows something is up.Β She will soon learn what Ryan is running from in the 10th book in The Bookmobile Cat Mystery series, THE CRIME THAT BINDS. Β
Not long after Ryanβs strange behavior, Minnie learns the police are looking to question the young man about a downstate bank robbery and death of a security guard.Β Minnie knows Ryan could never do such a thing and wonders why he ran.Β What evidence do the police have connecting Ryan to the crime? Β When Minnie starts to investigate, sheβs not getting many answers.Β Then a second murder occurs and everyone is pointing at the missing Ryan.Β Some people in town have turned against the young man, but Minnie knows he is innocent.Β When she stumbles across Ryan hiding in the woods and scared, she knows she must do all she can to clear his name.Β As Minnie delves into the clues, sheβs got a list of suspects and a curious clue about a missing Vittori Conti sculpture.Β Can she clear Ryan's name, keep her finance Rafe happy, ensure her best friend Kristen doesnβt overdo it before her baby's arrival, and help the current Library Director keep his job?
THE CRIME THAT BINDS is a fun and entertaining cozy mystery set in the picturesque Michigan town of Chilson, where the weather can be brutal, and so can some of the residents.Β The mystery is a little confusing as the first incident gets overshadowed by the second, and there are really no similarities between the crimes, except the possibility that Ryan is the suspect.Β The characters and relationships are strong throughout, and Minnie has a good outlook on life.Β She enjoys her job and the camaraderie with her fellow residents.Β Eddie is an Einstein feline and helps with clues and critical moments in the mystery.Β His scenes are cute and endearing.Β Many good things work in this cozy mystery, but the convoluted plot may make this installment less strong than other books in the series. Β
Late March is prime reading weather in the small northern Michigan town of Chilson. Though snowfall and cloudy skies deter outdoor activities, life inside the bookmobile is warm and cheerful. But as Minnie and Eddie are making the rounds to deliver comforting reads, they see something strange: loyal bookmobile patron Ryan Anderson making a sudden u-turn and speeding away. When Minnie discovers the police want to question Ryan about a bank robbery and the death of a security guard, she realizes she’s one of the only people who thinks Ryan isn’t morally bankrupt.
When an additional murder victim is discovered, the police immediately suspect her patron, but Minnie isn’t convinced. And when she encounters Ryan hiding from the police, she decides to help him by investigating the crimes. Minnie and Eddie will have to fight tooth and claw to prove his innocence.
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