The Broken Spine, published in 2021, is the first book in the Beloved Bookroom Mysteries series. Currently, there are two books in the series, with the third coming out in November 2022.
For thirteen years, Tru Becket has been an assistant librarian in her home town of Cypress, South Carolina. When Duggar Hargrove, the town manager, decides to make the library fully digital, Tru and her friends devise a plan to set up the discarded books in the library’s basement for the town’s lovers of physical books. Keeping the new bookroom a secret proves difficult, though, when Duggar is murdered in the library. With police crawling all over the building and the secret bookroom in danger of being discovered, Tru sets out to find the killer and restore peace to her beloved library and town.
Along the way, Tru meets a stray cat who emerges from the library’s alley late one night while Tru is trying to break into the back door. He’s lanky and brown with black tiger stripes and scurries past Tru to roam the library while Tru and her friends move the books destined for the landfill into the secret basement bookroom. Luckily, Tru catches the cat before anyone notices him. However, by that time, Duggar’s body has been discovered, and the police have descended. Tru takes the cat in and names him Dewey (after the Dewey Decimal System).
Dewey’s not the only shining star of The Broken Spine. Tru’s friends are no slouches, either. Tori, a serial divorcee, is Tru’s best friend and the owner of Perks Coffee Shop. Flossie is an elderly published author who keeps her pen name a closely-held secret. No on in town knows how successful she is. And Charlie is a handsome newcomer who has just opened a used bookstore in town.
Tru’s personality, though, is my favorite thing about The Broken Spine. She’s the epitome of someone who keeps getting knocked down but keeps getting back up. Since she found Duggar’s body, the police suspect her of killing him. But she doesn’t let it get her down. She continues to do her job and gets the secret bookroom up and running. She doesn’t even get flustered when one of the police detectives turns out to be her old high school crush. Back in high school, the jerk used her, stole from her, and humiliated her. Now, he’s gathering evidence against her. Yet, Tru’s able to be civil with him. Personally, I’d punch him in the throat. Then there’s the high school mean girl who has grown into a beautiful mother of three but hasn’t outgrown her hurtful, gossipy behavior. Does Tru cry over the mean things mean girl says about her? No, she blows mean girl off and walks away. Good for you, Tru.
I just hope Tru doesn’t fall for her high school crush again. Although he eventually apologizes for how he treated her in high school, I really hope they don’t couple up. I think Tru deserves better. And I’m hoping that, if I don’t mention his name, he’ll go away so Tru can find someone more worthy of her time. I really enjoyed The Broken Spine and am looking forward to reading book two.
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