Jan 22 2021
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Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Broken Spine by Dorothy St. James

Posted by Jennifer in 4 Stars, Blog Tour, Cozy Mystery, Giveaways, Guest Post, Review / Leave a Comment

Celebrating Libraries with a New Mystery Series!

by Dorothy St. James

Libraries are the lifeblood of the community. Don’t believe me? Then you haven’t been to a library in a while. Your local library is the place to go if you’re in search of the latest tidbit of juicy gossip. All the best gossips congregate at the library to discuss community matters.

Need to learn how to use a computer? Go to the library. They’re offering a class.

Need to learn how to sew? Go to the library. Most libraries now have sewing machines and classes on how to use them. If not, the librarian will direct you to a book.

Need a fitness class? Ask for one at the library.

My local library has tablets, computers, telescopes, and passes to local attractions available to be checked out. It’s amazing how libraries have grown beyond simply providing a place to do research or to check out the latest bestseller. These mini-institutions provide services to the community, and often at no cost to the patron.

Last year, I attended plays, musical concerts, literary lectures, and even visited with an astronaut. And this all happened at my local library.

I have grown to love my library more and more as they expand their services despite shrinking budgets. These unsung heroes (the librarians) work hard and are dedicated to bringing the best to the community.

My admiration for librarians is the main reason why I decided to set my latest mystery series in a small-town library.Trudell Becket, known to her friends as Tru, finds herself in a bind when her library in lovely Cypress, South Carolina, is turned into a state-of-the-art bookless “technological center.” A library with no books breaks Tru’s book-loving heart so she decides to rescue hundreds of beloved tomes slated for the town dump. Under the cover of darkness, Tru, along with her best friends—coffee shop owner Tori Green and bestselling author Flossie Finnegan-Baker—set up a secret bookroom in the library’s basement and prepare to open it to their most loyal, trustworthy patrons.

But as Tru and her crew are putting the finishing touches on their new book room, the town manager, who was behind the big push for the library’s transformation, is crushed by an overturned shelf of DVDs. Tru becomes the prime suspect as she hadn’t hid the fact that she hated having all of those wonderful books replaced by tablets and computers. But if she gives the police her alibi, she’ll have to explain about the secret book room and risk losing the books.

Tru knows she’s in a heap of trouble, and it doesn’t help that the officer in charge of the case is her old crush from high school, who broke her teenaged heart. To keep herself out of jail and her beloved bookroom up and running, Tru—with the help of Tori, Flossie, and a brown tabby stray cat named Dewey Decimal—decides to investigate. And faster than you can say “Shhhh!” Tru quickly finds herself on the same page with a killer who would love to write her final chapter. . . .

The Broken Spine, which has been called a mystery that “is destined to become a favorite of all book lovers” byMiranda James, New York Times bestselling author of Cat Me if You Can, is the first book in the Beloved Bookroom Mystery series from Berkley Prime Crime. It arrived in bookstores everywhere January 19, 2021.

The Broken Spine (A Beloved Bookroom Mystery)
by Dorothy St. James

About The Broken Spine


The Broken Spine (A Beloved Bookroom Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Publisher: Berkley (January 19, 2021)
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-10: 0593098579
ISBN-13: 978-0593098578
Kindle ASIN: B086SCQ639

The first in an exciting new series featuring Trudell Becket, a spunky librarian who will stop at nothing to save her beloved books and catch a killer!

 

Trudell Becket, book-loving librarian, finds herself in a bind when the library where she works is turned into a state-of-the-art bookless library. In a rare move of rebellion, Trudell rescues hundreds of her library’s beloved books slated for the recycle center. She sets up a secret book room in the library’s basement and opens it to anyone who shares her love of the printed book.

 

When the town councilman, who was the vocal proponent of the library’s transformation into a “futuristic technological center,” is crushed under an overturned shelf of DVDs, Trudell becomes the police’s prime suspect for his murder. She was the only person in the library at the time of his death, or so the police believe. But that’s not true. For the past month, Trudell had been letting a few dozen residents into the building through the basement entrance so they could read and check out the printed books.

 

But if she tells the police about the backdoor patrons who were in the library at the time of the murder, she’d have to explain about the secret book room and risk losing the books. In order to protect herself from being arrested for a murder she didn’t commit, Trudell–with the help of a group of dedicated readers–decides to investigate. She quickly discovers you can’t always judge a book by its cover.

 

About Dorothy St. James

Mystery author Dorothy St. James was born in New York but raised in South Carolina. She makes her home on an artsy island community in South Carolina with her husband, a crazy dog, and fluffy cat. Though writing has always been a passion for her, she pursued an undergraduate degree in Wildlife Biology and a graduate degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning. She put her educational experience to use, having worked in all branches and all levels of government including local, regional, state, and federal. She even spent time during college working for a non-profit environmental watchdog organization.

Switching from government service and community planning to fiction writing wasn’t as big of a change as some might think. Her government work was all about the stories of the people and the places where they live. As an urban planner, Dorothy loved telling the stories of the people she met. And from that, her desire to tell the tales that were so alive in her heart grew until she could not ignore it any longer. In 2001, she took a leap of faith and pursued her dream of writing fiction full-time.

* Dorothy St. James is the alter-ego of award-winning multi-published author, Dorothy McFalls. She enjoys writing in several different genres. Her works have been nominated for many awards including: Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award, Reviewers International Organization Award, National Reader’s Choice Award, CataRomance Reviewers’ Choice Award, and The Romance Reviews Today Perfect 10! Award. Reviewers have called her work: “amazing”, “perfect”, “filled with emotion”, and “lined with danger.”

Author Links

Website:http://www.dorothystjames.com

Twitter:www.twitter.com/dorothywrites

Facebook:www.facebook.com/dorothy.stjames

Bookbub:www.bookbub.com/profile/dorothy-st-james

Purchase Links – AmazonIndieBoundBookshopB&N – 

 

Review of The Broken Spine

Review (4 Stars): Libraries have always been an amazing place for me.  When I was little, I got addicted to reading by checking out an Agatha Christie and I loved all the wonderful stories that I found at the library.  The Broken Spine is a fun mystery that reminds us all why we love libraries.  Tru is a delightful character that you will love because she is willing to do whatever it takes to save her library and it gets her in a lot of trouble.  This mystery was fun, charming and a great start to a new series.  Can’t wait to see what happens to Tru and the gang from here.

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TOUR PARTICIPANTS

January 19 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW

January 19 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

January 19 – Mysteries with Character – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 19 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 19 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

January 20 – Socrates Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 20 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 20 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW, GUEST POST

January 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW  

January 20 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

January 21 – Here’s How It Happened – SPOTLIGHT

January 21 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 21 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

January 21 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

January 22 – Books to the Ceiling – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

January 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 22 – Moonlight Rendezvous–  REVIEW, GUEST POST

January 22 – Cozy Up WIth Kathy – REVIEW

January 22 – View from the Birdhouse – SPOTLIGHT

January 23 – Baroness’ Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

January 23 – Diane Reviews Books – REVIEW

January 23 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT

January 23 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

January 23 – Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – GUEST POST

January 24 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 24 – Brianne’s Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 24 – Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers – SPOTLIGHT

January 24 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

January 25 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

January 25 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

January 25 – Literary Gold – CHARACTER GUEST POST

January 25 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT

January 25 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW

January 25 – Thoughts in Progress – SPOTLIGHT

 

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