Twelve Angry Librarians by Miranda James Published by Berkley Books on January 2, 2018
Source: Gift
Genres: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 288
Format: Paperback
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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...
I’m late to the Cat in the Stacks series. I’m not sure that starting with Twelve Angry Librarians was really the best choice. Maybe I would have enjoyed the story more if I knew Charlie and his family and girlfriend better. And the cat was more of a conversation piece than actual character. The story was fine, just not as good as I expected based on other reviews.
Charlie is interim library director and the Southern Academic Libraries Association is holding their convention at the college. When the keynote speaker is killed, it seems like everyone at the conference had a reason to hate him, including Charlie. There’s lots of gossip and “we hated him but had to work with him.” I don’t understand how such a terrible man ended up as the keynote speaker when the audience was full of people who actively disliked him. Maybe I haven’t been to enough conferences, but there was so much gossip and the one guy actually punched the other.
The mystery was good. Lots of suspects, clues that could point in multiple directions. I liked the final whodunit, it was pretty appropriate.
I’m not sure that I’ll pick up any more of the series, though.
About Miranda James
Miranda James is the pseudonym of Dean James, a seventh-generation Mississippian recently returned home after over thirty years in Texas. Currently a librarian in the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Dean has published articles on topics in library science, the history of science/medicine, and mystery fiction.
His first novel, Cruel as the Grave (Silver Dagger Mysteries) was published in 2000. Since then he has published twenty more novels, writing under his own name and the pseudonyms Jimmie Ruth Evans and Honor Hartman. In August 2010 he launched the series writing as Miranda James.
Dean lives with two cats, thousands of books, and thinks frequently about killing people – but only in the pages of fiction.
Aw, too bad you didn’t like it more because it sure has a great title.
It wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t my cup of tea.
Awww it did sound good. Maybe you you should start at the beginning?
I think that might have helped, but I doubt I’ll bother to go back now.
I.liked the cover too
Yeah, it’s cute. and who can pass up books and a cat?