70-something librarian Cleo Watkins is celebrating 50 years of librarianship. The library's renovations near completion in this installment, but the bookmobile continues to provide books to patrons. However, everything is threatened when Belle moves back to the area and begins her own "bookmobile" that contains almost no books. Belle charms people, including the library board president, and tries to get them to adapt new ways. Cleo and her assistant know Belle does not like books. Then a real estate agent with the library's oldest overdue book dies via a means that shows the perpetrator's familiarity with the victim. General and specific threats in the form of paper coffins begin appearing around town. Suspects abound. Cleo can't resist a little sleuthing on the side, and she feeds her info to her neighbor, Officer "Gabby." This one went on a little too long for me. It seemed to bog down in multiple places. The plot is not very believable. I do like some of the characters, particularly the up-and-coming librarian who works for Cleo and Officer Gabby, and I'll probably continue to occasionally throw one of these in my reading, but I won't rush to read the rest of the series. ( )

Read on Arrival is the second book in the new Bookmobile Mystery cozy series. 75-year old Cleo Watkins has been a librarian in Catalpa Springs, GA for decades. Her nemesis, Dixie Huddleston, checked out a book from the library 40 years earlier....and has refused to bring it back. At times she has offered to return it...but it has always been a trick. After decades of ridiculous behavior on Dixie's part, Cleo has had enough. She wishes Dixie would just go away. When the tiresome woman is found murdered, Cleo is shocked. She really did want the library's copy of Luck and Lore: Good Luck, Death Lore and Deadly Omens of the Deep South to be returned....but not over Dixie's dead body.

This is the first book I've read in this series. And, I really wanted to enjoy it as I love another popular cozy series with a bookmobile background theme.....but, I really had problems getting into this story. I didn't really connect with the characters or plot. The first few chapters involve a lot of squabbling between characters. I just found that hard to slog through. And the premise of a library allowing a patron to have an overdue book for 40 years.....that just doesn't happen. Long, long ago Dixie Huddleston would have paid the cost for replacing that book. Libraries are funded with public money and run by a board that reports to a city commisison or other government group. If someone checks out a book and refuses to return it....any library would either get the replacement price of that book or the physical book back...not allow their librarian to play a silly game of cat and mouse for four decades. Libraries have book replacement fees put into collections, added onto property taxes or other forced collection avenues....they even press theft charges if a patron absolutely refuses to return or pay for a book. Stealing library books can be a big deal. I found the plot premise of Dixie Huddleston getting by with stealing a book for decades silly. It kept me from losing myself in the story. A 40 year fight over a $10 book.... nah.

The rest of the plot was ok. The mystery moved at a nice pace. And the characters were ok. Cleo is an interesting character. After several decades as the head librarian, she is determined to protect the library and its patrons. But this series doesn't seem to be for me....not every story is for every reader. This one just doesn't seem to be my cup of tea. Middle of the road rating from me, as the writing style is pretty good and the setting/background is interesting and different. I just didn't enjoy this one. Other cozy enthusiasts might really love it. I hope so!! I'm passing on the rest of this series....moving on.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.** ( )

Read on Arrival is the second novel in A Bookmobile Mystery series. While it can be read alone, I believe it is best to indulge in Better Off Read first. Read on Arrival is nicely written with steady pacing and unique characters. Cleo Watkins is 75 ¾ and has no intention of retiring from her position as head librarian at Catalpa Springs Library. She has discovered she enjoys tootling about the countryside in her bookmobile-Words on Wheels. Cleo has Leanna, her assistant, to keep an eye on things at the library for her. There are a variety of quirky characters in the story ranging from Cleo’s gentleman friend, Henry to Deputy Gabby Honeywell to Rhett, the bookmobile’s Persian cat mascot. Catalpa Springs is a typical small Southern town where gossip spreads faster than maple syrup on a hot stack of pancakes and there are some unusual residents like Dixie. Humor is rampant throughout the story. It reminded me of the slapstick comedy reminiscent of I Love Lucy and The Three Stooges. There is plenty of activity in Read on Arrival with Dixie’s murder, death threats on coffin shapes items, Cleo investigating, and Belle trying to ruin the library. I did have to remind myself that this was a work of fiction (reality cannot be applied). Someone cannot get away with keeping a book checked out for 40 years today (twenty years ago, but not now). The situation with Belle is also unrealistic. Libraries do wish to attract readers, but they will not toss out their books to accomplish it (or rip off the covers because the colors do not match their color scheme). The mystery was straightforward, and I easily identified the killer (it was a piece of cake). There are pointed clues and a limited number of suspects. My favorite phrase from Read on Arrival is “don’t wake the slumbering human bed” from Rhett, the cat. Read on Arrival is a lighthearted, humorous cozy mystery with killer bees, death threats, a delinquent book, mimes, two dead bodies, a sleuthing librarian, an “innobrarian”, and a mascot named Rhett. ( )

I really enjoyed this second book in the Bookmobile mystery series, featuring Cleo Watkins, a 70-something librarian and driver of the bookmobile, Words on Wheels. Cleo had been working to have a 40-year overdue library book returned and also dealing with the inane ideas proposed by a kooky library consultant, backed by the library board, who wants to get rid of the books and make the library modern.

Oh yes, Cleo also deals with a murder, in a cozy, genteel Southern way.

While I've read the first in the series, readers could start the series with this book.

I love the supporting cast of characters, especially Cleo's best friend, her "gentleman friend" who runs the antiquarian bookstore in town, and her neighbor, a young police deputy. This is a terrific, dynamic, fun-filled cozy peopled with a quirky cast of characters.

Note, however, that with all the talk of pies and pancakes, you might find yourself craving those as you read this book.

Highly recommended!! I'm eager to read the next installments in this series.

(I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for a fair and honest review). ( )

Southern, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, seniors, librarian

If you like Southern cozies with seniors, a librarian, a cat, and a diabolical murder you will do the happy dance over this one! I almost gave up early over all the squabbling that comprised the backstory at the beginning, but that would have been a *criminal* mistake. All that mess really was essential to a very interesting and twisty tale full of red herrings and characters who truly are. The publisher's blurb is pretty good and there is no need for spoilers. Just don't let the very beginning cloud your judgment as there are real clues hidden there!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )