Twelve Angry Librarians
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4.6 • 88 Ratings
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
The author of the New York Times bestselling Cat in the Stacks series is back with more Southern charm and beguiling mystery as Charlie Harris and his cat Diesel must find a killer in a room full of librarians...
Charlie is stressed out. The Southern Academic Libraries Association is holding this year’s annual meeting at Athena College. Since Charlie is the interim library director, he must deliver the welcome speech to all the visiting librarians. And as if that weren’t bad enough, the keynote address will be delivered by Charlie’s old nemesis from library school.
It’s been thirty years since Charlie has seen Gavin Fong, and he’s still an insufferable know-it-all capable of getting under everyone’s skin. In his keynote, Gavin puts forth a most unpopular opinion: that degreed librarians will be obsolete in the academic libraries of the future. So when Gavin drops dead, no one seems too upset...
But Charlie, who was seen having a heated argument with Gavin the day before, has jumped to the top of the suspect list. Now Charlie and Diesel must check out every clue to refine their search for the real killer among them before the next book Charlie reads comes from a prison library...
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
James's engaging eighth Cat in the Stacks mystery (after 2016's No Cats Allowed) finds affable Charlie Harris, the interim director of the Athena College library in Athena, Miss., looking forward to chairing a discussion panel and giving a short opening speech at the Southern Academic Library Association's conference that his college is hosting. A glance at the list of attendees turns up the names of old friends from his days at library school, but it also reveals someone else from Charlie's past: Gavin Fong, one of the most despised men in the SALA. Even the usually mild-mannered Charlie ends up taking a swing at Fong, who has made it clear that he's after the permanent job of library director at Athena College. When Fong is found dead, poisoned with a bottle of water from his private stock, Charlie steps up to investigate, accompanied by his leash-trained Maine Coon cat, Diesel. James (the pen name of Dean James), a Mississippi native, has a real knack for evoking a small Southern town with a strong sense of community.
Customer Reviews
Eighth book in series!
Twelve Angry Librarians by Miranda James is the eighth A Cat in the Stacks Mystery novel. Charlie Harris in is the interim library director at Athena College in Athena, Mississippi. Charlie must prepare a short speech to welcome the librarians to the Southern Academic Library Association Annual Conference. Charlie is shocked when he finds out that the keynote speaker is Gavin Fong. Charlie went to graduate school with Gavin over twenty-five years ago. There was an altercation between the two men after Gavin hit on Jackie, Charlie’s wife. After the opening speeches, the guests are mingling when Gavin approaches Charlie. Gavin has not changed one bit since college. He is still arrogant, condescending, and difficult. When Gavin tries to hit Charlie (three times), Charlie is forced to defend himself. This is not a good start to the conference. The next day Gavin is giving his upsetting keynote speech. After taking a drink of water, Gavin starts to choke and clutch at his throat while gasping for air. Gavin dies in front of the audience. Chief Deputy Kenesha Berry quickly arrives at the Farrington House (where the conference is being held). Kenesha has an unusual problem with this victim. Usually, she lacks for suspects. This time there are too many people who disliked Gavin (and would not mind seeing him dead). Charlie is a prime suspect after his altercation with Gavin the day before. Charlie wants to find the real killer before the conference ends and the killer gets away (or he ends up head librarian at the local prison). Things take a turn for the worse when another librarian is found dead in her hotel room with a water bottle nearby. Charlie has some personal matters that are diverting his attention. Charlie is in for a challenging weekend in Twelve Angry Librarians.
I found Twelve Angry Librarians to be my favorite book in A Cat in the Stacks Mystery series. It is well-written and pleasurable to read. I also found it to have a good pace which makes it easy to read. Twelve Angry Librarians may be the eighth book in the series, but a reader can enjoy it as a stand-alone. Miranda James provides all the information a reader needs. Twelve Angry Librarians contains relatable characters that readers will love. Diesel, the Maine Coon Cat, is especially enjoyable (with his little chirps and trills). I give Twelve Angry Librarians 5 out of 5 stars. I especially appreciated the well-crafted mystery in Twelve Angry Librarians. It was puzzling (in a wonderful way). I do not believe that many people will be able to figure out the whole solution. I wish more authors would create out-of-box murder mysteries that are complex and difficult for the reader to crack. Twelve Angry Librarians has good characters, a little romance, family situations, and a perplexing mystery. All these qualities make for a delightful cozy mystery. I hope you let Miranda James transport you to Charlie and Diesel’s world in Twelve Angry Librarians.