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    Arsenic and Old Books
    Arsenic and Old Books
    Arsenic and Old Books
    Audiobook8 hours

    Arsenic and Old Books

    Written by Miranda James

    Narrated by Erin Bennett

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Lucinda Beckwith Long, the mayor of Athena, has donated a set of Civil War-era diaries to the archives of Athena College. The mayor would like Charlie to preserve and to substantiate them as a part of the Long family legacy-something that could benefit her son, Beck, as he prepares to campaign for the state senate.

    Beck's biggest rival is Jasper Singletary, and their families have been bitter enemies since the Civil War. He'd like to get a look at the diaries in an attempt to expose the Long family's past sins. Meanwhile, a history professor at the college is also determined to get her hands on the books in a last-ditch bid for tenure.

    Now Charlie is left with a catalog of questions. The diaries seem worth killing for, and one thing is certain: Charlie will need to be careful, because the more he reads, the closer he could be coming to his final chapter . . .
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJan 27, 2015
    ISBN9781452688886
    Arsenic and Old Books

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    Reviews for Arsenic and Old Books

    4/5

    94 ratings15 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I especially enjoyed the interaction between Charlie and his cat Diesel. It was a fun mystery with well-portrayed characters.
    • 5/5
      I love spending reading time with Charlie and Diesel. The Bonus Short Story included in this paperback edition, "When Charlie Met Diesel" is an absolute winning treat for all fans of the series. I've enjoyed each novel in this series but I think this one is my favorite! Of course, don't be too surprised if I say that about the next one too. ;)
    • 5/5
      I love spending reading time with Charlie and Diesel. The Bonus Short Story included in this paperback edition, "When Charlie Met Diesel" is an absolute winning treat for all fans of the series. I've enjoyed each novel in this series but I think this one is my favorite! Of course, don't be too surprised if I say that about the next one too. ;)
    • 4/5
      When the mayor of Athena, Mississippi, donates a set of Civil-War-era diaries to the local college archives, they come into the hands of our hero, librarian Charlie Harris. Before he can even begin to assess the donation, Charlie is bombarded with requests from a horde of obnoxious people who feel entitled to get first crack at them. What could be in them that prompts such interest? Pretty soon one of the obnoxious horde is dead and Charlie feels he must read through the diaries to see what’s so important. Only to help Kanesha Berry, chief sheriff’s deputy, to put together her case, of course. By Charlie’s side, to be sure, is his companion, Diesel the Maine Coon cat. The edition of the book I read featured a short story about how Charlie “met” Diesel – a very nice plus. What I love about this series is that obnoxious people generally get their comeuppance – and that doesn’t mean that all of them are murdered. Although, come to think of it, the victims in this series are usually not people who will be widely missed. Kind of like Agatha Christie mysteries. I have just one more book to read in this series and I will be finished. Needless to say, it will be on my favorites’ list and I will keep my eyes open for any new “Cat in the Stacks” mysteries.
    • 4/5
      A lovely cozy that was a total page turner. The kind of book that keeps you up past your bedtime wanting to know what will happen next. Especially love Diesel the Maine Coone kitty!
    • 3/5
      Summary: Charlie, a university archivist, is given diaries from the Civil War to authenticate because the contents might help a local politician. When the diaries are stolen and one of the parties interested in the diaries is murdered, Charlie decides to investigate with the help of his cat Diesel. My Rating: 3/5I had a very complicated relationship with this book. There was a point, early on where it almost was a DNF. Then, there were several times I thought it was going to be a 4 star read. This is my first Cat in the Stacks mystery but Arsenic and Old Books it isn't the first in the series and that may have impacted my reading experience. Let's start with what I enjoyed. I absolutely loved Diesel the Cat. He was probably my favorite character in the book.I also really enjoyed the mysteries. We have the mystery of the stolen diaries, the murder, and then there is a mystery within the diary themselves. All of them had me eagerly turning pages and excited to get the next clue. We are shown snippets of the diary and it was wonderfully balanced. There was enough from the diary that I wanted more but it didn't overwhelm the stories (as can happen when there is a book within a book). I thought the balance of the present mystery with the diary was just about perfect and I never felt bored when we switched to the diary to learn about what had happened during the Civil War. Unfortunately, there were also several things in the book that didn't work for me. Early in the book, and one of the reasons it was almost a DNF, there was quite a bit of info dumping. I think that was because the author was trying to catch us up on the characters in Charlie's world but for me it was too much too fast. I also didn't feel like I necessarily needed to know about characters who played very small roles or no roles in the story. I also did not like the portrayal of the person who was murdered and Charlie's attitude towards them. I know that is many mysteries the person who is murdered is awful but I felt like Charlie's interactions with the victim made them seem awful but not for reasons they should have seemed awful. I know that is a bit vague but trying not to spoil anything.Another issue I had was that the back of the book suggested to me that Charlie would be in danger as he tried to solve the mystery but I didn't feel much suspense in this book or worry that Charlie would be harmed as he investigated. For me, the biggest issue I had with this book was the ending. Not only did I not love the resolution of the primary mystery but I hated the way the reveal happened. It was very abrupt. I think the best way to summarize my feelings for this book was we had a slow start then things sped up and I was loving the ride, then we stumbled pretty hard at the end. I can't really recommend this book because of how disappointed I was at the way the book ended but it wasn't a bad ride to that point either.
    • 3/5
      Pretty insipid cozy dealing with Civil War era diaries that become the target of theft and mayhem as two political candidates each become convinced that the contents will destroy his opponent.James is generous in doling out clues, and most readers will have figured things out long before the book's cast does.The main character, college librarian Charlie Harris, is a beige character throughout. The reader never really finds out much about him, except that he is owned by Diesel, a Maine Coon cat.This volume is part of a series "A Cat in the Stacks", but does little to tempt the reader to find additional volumes. It also includes a bonus short story, "When Charlie Met Diesel".
    • 5/5
      There are mysteries both old and new in this cozy featuring Charlie the librarian and Deisel the cat. When a set of Civil War diaries are donated to the library, much interest is arroused in their content. They stir up feelings of animosity between two rival politicians whose family feuds go back that far. More than one person wants to read the secrets contained in them. Throw in mystery deaths from that era, add in a current hit-and-run death, and top it off with the theft of books from Charlie’s office, you have the stage set for a great cozy tale. Deisel is just frosting on the cake, making an interesting story even more entertaining. Well-written with good character development, this series just keeps getting better.
    • 5/5
      Fantastic! First book I have read by Miranda James. It is a series but any reader can pick up a book in the middle of series (like I did) and be comfortable reading it.
    • 4/5
      Very enjoyable story. Comparable to the "Cat Who..." stories but with an archivist and a Main Coon cat. I am looking forward to reading more of this series.
    • 5/5
      Excellent characters not the least of whom is Diesel. The story, although set in the modern age of computers and overhead scanners, seems set in theMississippi of the 1920s. The author has fashioned characters that lived almost 100 years ago yet are just as lively as any alive today. The story develops slowly but accelerates after the body appears. The dead person is a big part of the first 100 pages but then fades into near obscurity. The ultimate story has excellent twists with some real surprises. I will read more by this author.
    • 4/5
      Usual cozy feeling, I want a Maine Coone, the past is never really gone in the South.
    • 4/5
      This one kept me guessing until the end. I really enjoyed the Civil War history being a part of the story. It makes me want to read more books on the war.
      I also loved the short story included in the book about when Charlie adopted Diesel. Very cute.
    • 5/5
      When Mayor Lucinda Beckwith Long gives Charlie Harris a set of Civil War era diaries, he is eager to read them not only for their history but because the contents may play a major part in the senate race between Lucinda's son Beck and Jason Singletary. It turns out the Charlie isn't the only one who wants those diaries and it looks like someone is even willing to kill if that is what it takes to get them.“Arsenic and Old Books” is the delightful sixth book in Miranda James’ (Dean James) Cat in the Stacks cozy mystery series - a series that gets better and better with each book. It took me a while to get used to reading about a male protagonist in a cozy mystery (the genre is full of female protagonists) but I like Charlie and of course his wonderful cat Diesel (there is a bonus short story about how Charlie met Diesel which it very cute to read). I also love the supporting characters - I need in Azalea in my life (my mouth was watering as I read the book)! The plot of the Civil War diaries was an interesting one - I am from New England and I am always fascinated at the south’s perspective of the Civil War. I also loved the snippets of the diary that we got to read. The mystery itself is well plotted with plenty of twists and turns - I was expecting someone else to die. There are also more than a few surprises involving the diary – this book kept me guessing from beginning to end!“Arsenic and Old Books” is another great cozy mystery by Miranda James.
    • 4/5
      This is the first book I’ve read by Miranda James. I found it to be a well written story. It was a fast and easy read. The words felt as though they just flowed effortlessly from the author’s pen (keyboard). ARESENIC AND OLD BOOKS, indeed the entire Cat In The Stack series, is told from the perspective of the lead character, who in the case is a man. I’ve never read a cozy with a male lead before. I found it to be refreshing. Charlie Harris is an enjoyable, and I love his interactions with his Main Coon cat, Diesel, and that Diesel is readily excepted into so many places. He goes everywhere! There are a few fun supporting characters as well, such as Charlie’s girlfriend, Helen Louise, his housekeeper Azalea, and his friend and co-worker, Melba, plus a few others. As for the mystery, it too was different from others I have read in cozies. While he was at the center of things, Charlie didn’t play a real big role in the solving part of this one the way most protagonists do. And while it was a good story and mystery, everything seemed to wrap up rather quickly at the end. I kept waiting for a little action and/or the big “ta-da” moment, but they never really came.