About the Book
Genre: Cozy Mystery, #5 in A Cat in the Stacks Mystery Series
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime Mystery
Release Date: February 2014
Synopsis from Goodreads:
Everyone in Athena, Mississippi, knows Charlie Harris, the librarian with a rescued Maine coon cat named Diesel. He’s returned to his hometown to immerse himself in books, but a celebrated author’s visit draws an unruly swarm of fanatic mystery buffs…and one devious killer.
It’s National Library Week, and the Athena Public Library is planning an exhibit to honor the centenary of famous novelist Electra Barnes Cartwright—creator of the beloved Veronica Thane series.
Charlie has a soft spot for Cartwright’s girl detective stories (not to mention an extensive collection of her books!). When the author agrees to make a rare public appearance, the news of her whereabouts goes viral overnight, and series devotees and book collectors converge on Athena.
After all, it’s rumored that Cartwright penned Veronica Thane stories that remain under wraps, and one rabid fan will stop at nothing—not even murder—to get hold of the rare books….
Author Guest Blog
I blame Nancy Drew for my life of crime. Reading it and writing it, that is.
I was ten when I borrowed The Secret of Shadow Ranch from a cousin. It was the first mystery I ever read, and I was hooked. Then, to my delight, I discovered this was only one of a long series of adventures in which Nancy solved mystery after mystery. Just as exciting, I soon found other amateur mystery-solvers: the Hardy Boys, the Dana Girls, Judy Bolton, Trixie Belden, and many more. By the time I began reading adult mysteries, my love of the amateur detective was completely entrenched.
When I decided I wanted to write a mystery myself, I knew my main character would be an amateur. After all, I’m not a policeman, or a lawyer, or a private detective. But I do have a healthy dose of curiosity about the world around me and the people in it. Charlie Harris, the sleuth in my “Cat in the Stacks” series, is just like me in that respect. He’s also about my age (fiftyish, if you must know), he’s a librarian, he grew up in Mississippi, and he has a Maine coon cat. That’s as far as it goes, however. (I have two cats, by the way, neither of which is a Maine coon. Also, Diesel is much better behaved than my two.)
I wanted to incorporate my knowledge of, and love for, these juvenile series books into one of my own books, and in the new book, The Silence of the Library, I have done so. I created a series character in the mold of Nancy Drew and the other girl detectives and called her Veronica Thane. The author of the series, Electra Barnes Cartwright, was inspired by Mildred Wirt Benson (the first writer, aka “Carolyn Keene”, of the Nancy Drew series, Margaret Sutton, author of the Judy Bolton series, and Julie Campbell Tatham, the original author of Trixie Belden. In fact the book is dedicated to their memories.
The most fun part of writing this book for me was the “excerpts” from the first Veronica Thane book. I reread some of my favorite girl detective stories from the 1930s to get a sense of the style in my head, and off I went. I hope readers will get a kick out of this aspect of the story. Of course, The Silence of the Library includes murder – a subject that usually didn’t come up in the classic juvenile series books. But when you get a number of rabid book collectors together, with hints of a rare and highly collectible volume, something deadly is sure to happen.
BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!!
How would you like to win a paperback copy of The Silence of the Library by Miranda James? Thanks to Berkley, I have one paperback to giveaway to one lucky winner.
Just a few simple rules...
1) You must fill out the form below.
2) US Residents Only
3) For an extra entry: Follow this blog
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6) For an extra 2 entries: Post this giveaway on your blog.
7) For an extra 2 entries: Tweet about this giveaway.
8) For an extra 2 entries: Like one of my reviews on Amazon.
9) For an extra 2 entries: Leave a comment for the author.
The giveaway begins on February 8th (midnight est) and ends on February 15th (midnight est).
The winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond, otherwise a new winner will be chosen.
Good luck!
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Happy weekend!
ReplyDeletelooks fantastic!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great cozy.
ReplyDeleteCaptivating and special. thanks. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteCozies with cats are just the perfect read as far as I'm concerned. And Diesel is a perfect cat for a cozy.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
What a fun series. I love the title of this new book
ReplyDeleteYay...more cats and books books! :O) I just finished one and am looking forward to the next!
ReplyDeleteI guess I have met two of the three inspirations for your Ms Cartwright. I never got to meet Julie. Though I think the Judy Bolton Fans would love to have you join us in Coudersport some October!
ReplyDeletethis series has been in my TBR pile!!!
ReplyDeletehave to start it soon!!
congrats & continued success!!
Looks awesome! Thanks for the post.
ReplyDeleteHow cute is that cover? Great guest post too!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a really great read. I just love cozy mysteries. Thanks for having the giveaway.
ReplyDeleteThis one definitely has my attention. I was never big on nancy Drew, but LOVED Trixie Belden, and recently gifted my youngest niece with the first book.
ReplyDeleteI have read this book and loved it. If I win, I will donate my old copy to the local senior center's free library.
ReplyDeleteOh, I loved all those books too -- Nancy Drew was probably my favorite, but I read them all. And then I introduced them to my children -- and my son took to the Hardy Boys especially, but he would read Nancy, and Encyclopedia Brown -- I don't remember the others. My daughter didn't get into the mysteries so much.
ReplyDeleteI think this book is a great idea -- and I appreciate your writing it. I take it as a tribute to these older series, and to their authors.