Reviews

The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James

Only show reviews with written explanations

reader_cheryl's review

4.0

The town library in Cypress is undergoing a change no library should suffer. The town’s aggressive town manager, Duggar Hargrove, has announced the library is going high tech. Computers and tablets are in and physical books are out. He hopes the change will bring high tech businesses to the area, revitalizing the economy. Anne Lowery, the newly hired technology specialist, is in charge of the renovation.
Not everyone is happy with the changes. Trudell Beckett, assistant librarian, (and the main character) has fought with Duggar over the changes. Duggar goes forward with his plan and Trudell goes forward with her plan to save the books.
She and several friends set up a secret library in the basement one night after the main library is closed. Morning comes before they finish. Trudell runs up from the basement to investigate a large thud. What she finds is Duggar Hargrove’s body crushed under a fallen shelf.
Suspects in the murder abound. Trudell isn’t the only one who was opposed to the library’s new format. Lida Farnsworth, head librarian and a stickler for the rules, was no fan of Duggar’s. Anne Lowery was in the same area but didn’t come running at the noise. Many of the townsfolk weren’t happy with Duggar either. The investigation also puts the secret library at risk of discovery. Can Trudell discover the murderer and still keep the secret library secret?

leroberts's review

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

bookwoman37's review

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lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

This is a 3.5 star review. This is the first book in the series and the characters need to be more developed. Tru is a librarian in the small town of Cypress, South Carolina. The library is going all digital so Tru sets up a secret library in the basement where real books can be checked out. On the final moving day the Town Manager is crushed by a book shelf. Tru sets out to solve the crime and keep her bookroom a secret. I was able to figure out the motive and the mystery pretty early. It was a quick read but it was just OK. Since I really enjoy Biblio cozies I will probably read the next one.