MADreads

Oh Roe! Whodunnit?

April 25th, 2009 Katharine - Sequoya

What do librarians do in their free time?  According to Charlaine Harris’ character Aurora “Roe” Teagarden, they accidentally solve murder mysteries in small towns.  The first in the series, Real Murders, introduces us to Aurora and a motley crue of characters making up fictional Atlanta suburb, Lawrenceton, GA.  Aurora belongs to a local group “Real Murders” that meets monthly to discuss famous crime cases.  On the fateful night they are to discuss the Wallace case at the local VFW hall, the most unexpected thing happens, one of the members of the group turns up dead in the kitchen!  Of course Aurora is the one who stumbles on the scene and across the other subsequent murders that take place in this sleepy southern town.

Who is doing all the killing in Lawrenceton?  Is it Perry the crazy son of Sally, local journalist and library volunteer?  Is it Robin Crusoe, the new celebrity murder mystery writer that is teaching at the local college?   Or is it Aurora’s sweet neighbor Mr. Crandall that has an antique gun collection in his living room?  As well as trying to piece together clues to figure out who’s doing all the killing, Aurora begins a romance with both Robin the professor and Arthur the detective that is working to find the “real murder.”  The dramatic conclusion of RM finds Aurora trapped in the neighbor’s basement being held hostage.  Speaking from experience, this is not a normal “night off from the library” situation.

Fans of Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse books won’t find this one as bloody and sexy (Aurora’s dating consists of quaint kisses, not vampire lust) but it is fun and fast paced.  As a working librarian, there were parts of the story that didn’t seem very realistic (we’ve haven’t stamped dates and used a paper card catalog for years!) but overall this cozy mystery novel was the perfect accompaniment on a short flight home from spring break.

Entry Filed under: Mystery