stephanien's review
3.0
A Book Club to Die For reminds me a bit of a cozy locked room mystery as we have a woman who is killed in a kitchen, with a variety of suspects and clues available to pursue if you know where to look. All of the regular characters are present in the book, and while I do find some of them particularly annoying, including Tru herself, the overall mystery was engaging and I always enjoy a mystery that features a book at its core.
First of all, the main characters True and Jace, while I do like them, are kind of wimpy in my estimation. Tru is controlled by her mother while Jace is controlled by his relationship with Tru and some of her behaviours, something that always rubs me the wrong way. And to keep blaming everything on Southern manners and traditions drives me bonkers. Tru is a grown-ass woman who can decisions for herself and to have her mother constantly nagging at her about what she eats, what she buys at the grocery store, and threatening to come to her house and clean out all her food is annoying. And to have to hide food in your own house from your mother? Maybe I don't understand southern thinking, but really? And Jace. To threaten someone's position on a force because of your relationship? I did think the other characters were interesting and really enjoyed the relationship Tru has with her best friend.
I did find the mystery to be interesting as there are book snobs to be found all over the world, and I love how the author includes that in her mystery. To have the mystery focused around an elite book club was fun, and I definitely enjoyed the irony and sarcasm around the comments in the book about people's reading preferences and styles and what they should be reading. And I liked how in a small town, such a book club could be incorporated into social status and be used to further one's career prospects. Philosophical clubs were used this way in the past (elite men's clubs), so it's not surprising to see them used this way in today's society, and the pressure to conform would be enormous.
The plot moved along rather quickly, and the pacing was even. Because of the nature of the murder, Jace was not allowed to investigate, so Tru got involved simply because she was there when it happened and people like to talk to her. The flow of conversations felt natural and Tru doesn't do stupid things like in other books or hinder the police in any way. I did find the solution to the mystery to be a bit bland, and wished it had been more complicated than it was so I felt a bit let down. The book does suffer from repetition, especially concerning the hidden library, something I still find a little silly, but I do love that cat. I think the discussions surrounding the use of technology versus the use of physical books to be quite fascinating, but the hidden library thing needs to be better developed. Anyone with an eye could figure out what was going on with that. And I'm still wondering if I should be upset at who died as she was a miserable piece of work. For the life of me, I just could have garner an ounce of sympathy.
Verdict
A Book Club to Die For is a light, cozy read that was fairly predictable and did have a tendency to ramble on at times, especially when it came to that secret library. The characters were typical, no one actually stood out, although I think Flossie's job needs to be explored more as that kind of rankled, and the mystery was light, fun, but so, so easy to figure out. If you are looking for a light, fun read, then this is definitely for you.
fairywyvern's review
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
This was my first Dorothy St. James book and I am very happy to have been sent a copy by her. This book was very well written and had a rich mystery that kept me guessing until the end. The characters were very well developed. I had no trouble remembering them as I read the story. I usually get lost if there are too many. This was a mystery with a couple of simple questions added in for a little spice. It kept you wondering what was related and what wasn’t. I will definitely be putting this author on my buy list. This book has cozy vibes with a sweet cat that makes the story.
sdevine's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
shamrox's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
meezcarrie's review
5.0
4.5 stars
Let me just start out by saying that if you haven’t started reading this Beloved Bookroom Mystery series, you need to correct that as soon as possible. It’s one of my current faves, and I’m delighted every time a new one releases.
In A Book Club to Die For, we have my favorite story yet.
“What we had on our hands was a murder that could rival the best locked-room mysteries of classic literature.”
Oh indeed, Tru. A highbrow book club meeting ends before it begins, thanks to the death of its much disliked (but also much revered) leader… in a room that supposedly no one else was in. With Tru’s boyfriend Jace’s mother Hazel the prime suspect, and Tru’s friend Flossie a close runner-up, the stakes are high for Tru to solve the case in A Book Club to Die For. All while trying to keep her secret bookworm a secret from the head librarian, dodge the new robot librarian that has a penchant for attacking unsuspecting patrons & librarians, and find her suddenly-missing father. Whew! There’s a lot going on in this book, and every last word is highly entertaining and engaging. The mystery is really cleverly woven, and I didn’t figure it out until it was being revealed in front of my eyes.
I’ve said it before, I think, but Tru is such a great series protagonist. She’s an avid reader and lover of books (so we readers instantly identify with her) as well as a librarian who started a secret bookroom in the basement of the library after the city turned it high-tech and tossed out all the physical copies (which she rescued, thank you very much). She also has a gaggle of smart, savvy, and lovable friends with entertaining quirks, a very intuitive cat with a big personality, and a swoony detective boyfriend who makes Tru – and me – smile. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop further in this book without moving too fast, and I also enjoyed seeing Tori still so happy with Charlie too. We learn more about Flossie’s mysterious writing career in this book, as well, and I was delighted to get to know her better as a result. She’s another of my fave characters in this series so this new insight made me happy.
Bottom Line: I really loved the set-up of this particular mystery, and I once again loved my visit with Tru and her band of secret-bookroom-running/amateur-sleuthing friends. (And, of course, Dewey the cat.) A Book Club to Die For takes readers on a twisty journey with colorful characters, Southern wit, a rogue robot librarian, Jace’s arrested mother, Tru’s missing father, Dewey’s curious eccentricities, and a clever mystery. I enjoy this series so much, and I can’t wait for more visits to the secret bookroom.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
Let me just start out by saying that if you haven’t started reading this Beloved Bookroom Mystery series, you need to correct that as soon as possible. It’s one of my current faves, and I’m delighted every time a new one releases.
In A Book Club to Die For, we have my favorite story yet.
“What we had on our hands was a murder that could rival the best locked-room mysteries of classic literature.”
Oh indeed, Tru. A highbrow book club meeting ends before it begins, thanks to the death of its much disliked (but also much revered) leader… in a room that supposedly no one else was in. With Tru’s boyfriend Jace’s mother Hazel the prime suspect, and Tru’s friend Flossie a close runner-up, the stakes are high for Tru to solve the case in A Book Club to Die For. All while trying to keep her secret bookworm a secret from the head librarian, dodge the new robot librarian that has a penchant for attacking unsuspecting patrons & librarians, and find her suddenly-missing father. Whew! There’s a lot going on in this book, and every last word is highly entertaining and engaging. The mystery is really cleverly woven, and I didn’t figure it out until it was being revealed in front of my eyes.
I’ve said it before, I think, but Tru is such a great series protagonist. She’s an avid reader and lover of books (so we readers instantly identify with her) as well as a librarian who started a secret bookroom in the basement of the library after the city turned it high-tech and tossed out all the physical copies (which she rescued, thank you very much). She also has a gaggle of smart, savvy, and lovable friends with entertaining quirks, a very intuitive cat with a big personality, and a swoony detective boyfriend who makes Tru – and me – smile. I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop further in this book without moving too fast, and I also enjoyed seeing Tori still so happy with Charlie too. We learn more about Flossie’s mysterious writing career in this book, as well, and I was delighted to get to know her better as a result. She’s another of my fave characters in this series so this new insight made me happy.
Bottom Line: I really loved the set-up of this particular mystery, and I once again loved my visit with Tru and her band of secret-bookroom-running/amateur-sleuthing friends. (And, of course, Dewey the cat.) A Book Club to Die For takes readers on a twisty journey with colorful characters, Southern wit, a rogue robot librarian, Jace’s arrested mother, Tru’s missing father, Dewey’s curious eccentricities, and a clever mystery. I enjoy this series so much, and I can’t wait for more visits to the secret bookroom.
(I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book)
first reviewed at Reading Is My SuperPower
rants_n_reads's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.0
staceyrz's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.0