Better Off Read

 Better Off Read is the first book in the Bookmobile series by Nora Page.   One aspect of the book that did confuse me was the references to all the previous mysteries Cleo had solved.  I am not sure if this is a spinoff from another series or if the references are just intended to give background on Cleo and her investigative prowess.  I did really enjoy how strong of characters Cleo and her friends are,  giving a positive image of older characters rather than a weak and feeble representation. This book has some laugh-out-loud moments that made it fun to read.  The mystery itself is well constructed with plenty of clues and misdirection included in the storyline.  I listened to this on audio and really appreciated the different inflections the narrator used for all the different characters.  I will look for other books narrated by her and would like to continue reading this series.  

Better Off Read by Nora Page
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This cozy certainly has a cast of unlikely detectives. Cleo and Henry are definitely of retirement age even if they do t choose to retire. Cleo seems like the spunky grandma every kid wants and every parent dreads. She is definitely an independent and inquisitive lady. She finds herself trying to solve more than one murder plus other mysteries. There are definitely laugh out loud moments in the story. The characters ages and wits remind the reader age is only a number

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  64
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   52
3. Audiobook  #2023AudiobookChallenge 13
4. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  GA
5. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
6. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
7. What an Animal Book #20
8. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #57
9. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #47
10. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #23
11. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #50
12. Craving for Cozies  Book #44
13. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #102  Shot #1
14. Medical Examiner Challenge 7  Toe Tags
15. Pick your Poison  # 49 A book with a car, truck or bus on the cover
16. Beyond the Bookends  May Detective