“Fiction reveals truths that reality obscures.” ~ Ralph Wando Emerson

That quote pretty much sums up my life. I live for the tales and the truths that are whispered in the pages of my favorite books. As a librarian, I’ve made books my vocation. It was a purposeful choice. Novels have always been there for me through good times and, especially, through rough times. The stories they tell are a comfort in an uncomfortable world.

Gracious, I need that comfort now. You see, I’ve been fretting for the past couple of days about what was to come this evening.

Was it going to be a good time? (It should be.)

Or was it going to turn into one of those dreaded rough times? (I worry it will.)

I was asked to speak at tonight’s Arete Society meeting. The Arete Society is Cypress’s most prestigious book club. And being asked to speak at one of their meetings is a great honor. I might have even squealed a bit after I’d received the invitation. And those who know me, know I’m not one who is prone to squealing.

The society had asked for me to speak to them about my work at the library and my outreach with the community, bringing print books to a town whose library had been converted into an all-electronic, paperless technological wonder. The town leaders have even recently brought in a robot librarian. I hope they don’t intend for the mechanical menace to replace me!

Everything tonight should be fine. All the book club members are avid supporters of books. They’re my allies. A few of them are even my friends. But what some of them don’t know—especially the gossips in the group—is that while the main floor of the public library has been converted into a high-tech showplace, I’ve taken it upon myself to convert the library’s basement into an old-fashioned library, complete with a card catalog, book slips with rubber-stamped due dates, and (you guessed it) hold-in-your-hands books.

It’s my version of paradise.

And if the wrong people in town learn about it, they’ll take it all away from me.

That’s why I’m worried. If I say the wrong thing at tonight’s meeting, if I inadvertently hint at the world of books hidden in the library’s lower level, my world could come crashing down around me.

No matter what, I cannot let that happen.

I started my morning as I always do, walking the five blocks from my cottage to the library on Main Street. I always carry two tote bags. Dewey Decimal, the stray tabby cat that had slipped into the library and into my heart, is in one tote bag. He loves the library nearly as much as I do. So I sneak him into work and into the basement library with me every morning. The other tote bag holds the books that I lend out to those in Cypress who cannot be trusted with the secret. It’d be unfair to keep books away from those who cannot keep their mouths shut, so I try my best to carry books to those who might need them. I seem to be doing a fairly good job of it. Everyone seems happy to see me. And I did get this invitation to give a presentation at the Arete Society, an invitation that is as rare as finding an edible meal in Aunt Sal’s kitchen.

But my friends have my back. Tori helped me pick out the perfect outfit for the evening. And Flossie has volunteered to come with me to help steer away any difficult questions the ladies might ask. Still, my heart has been beating faster and faster as the meeting time comes closer.

Nothing bad could possibly happen. Right?

Although the ladies are some of society’s most respected, this is still a book club. My friends and I are members of our own book club. And our club is a safe place, a happy place. We laugh. We support each other. We share our love of books.

What could possibly be dangerous about that?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Could you please tell that to my gut? Because it’s demanding my body to stay on high alert, making me all jumpy and nervous. No matter the stern self-talk I keep having with myself, I can’t shake the feeling that a disaster will happen at the meeting.

To find out what happens at tonight’s meeting, read A Book Club To Die For by Dorothy St. James

A Book Club to Die For, A Beloved Bookroom Mystery #3
Genre: Cozy
Release: November 2022
Purchase Link

When a member of an exclusive book club is checked out, spunky librarian Trudell Becket must sort fact from fiction to solve the murder.

The Cypress Arete Society is one of the town’s oldest and most exclusive clubs. When assistant librarian Trudell Becket is invited to speak to the group about the library, its modernization, and her efforts to bring printed books to the reading public, her friend Flossie invites herself along. Flossie has been on the book club’s waiting list for five years, and she’s determined to find out why she’s never received an invitation to join.

But not long after Tru and Flossie arrive for the meeting, they’re shocked to find the club’s president, Rebecca White, dead in the kitchen. Rebecca was a former TV actress and local celebrity, but was not known for being patient or pleasant. She’d been particularly unkind to the book club’s host for the evening, who also happens to be the mother of Detective Jace Bailey, Tru’s boyfriend. And Rebecca had made it clear that she didn’t think Flossie was book club material.

With her boyfriend and one of her best friends wrapped up in a murder, Tru has to work fast to figure out who cut Rebecca’s story short before the killer takes another victim out of circulation. . .

About the author
Dorothy St. James is the author of several cozy mystery series. She lives in the Lowcountry of South Carolina with her family and neurotic pets. She often can be found at the local library, searching for her next favorite read. You can also find Dorothy on social media: Facebook at Dorothy St. James, Twitter at @dorothywrites, Instagram at @dorothymcfalls, TikTok at @dorothywrites, or sign up for her enewsletter at dorothystjames.com.

All comments are welcomed.