History repeats itself...

 The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes.  William Morrow, 4 March 2025.

Brianna Labuskes has become one of my favorite historical fiction authors.

Her previous two historical novels, The Librarian of Burned Books (2023) and The Lost Book of Bonn (2024) each made my "best of the year" list.  

The location of the most recent book moves from Europe to the USA.  

The story follows the lives of three women in the 1900s, and takes place primarily in Montana, where, at the time, "copper was king".

Millie Lang grew up on a ranch in Texas, an orphan who was raised by her aunt and uncle.  Desperate to get away from being treated as an unpaid servant, she ran away to seek her fortune, and ended up taking a job as an editor with the Federal Writers' Project, part of the Federal One Project.  The FWP produced the American Guide series, travel guides for each state.  After rescuing a colleague who was being sexually assulted (and punching the attacker in the nose), she's sent to Montana to work on that guidebook as well as to get her out of the line of fire.

Alice Monroe is the daughter of the wealthy Clark Monroe, an influential businessman in Missoula.  Having had health issues as a child, she is over-protected by her widowed father, but has managed to get a job at the local library.  Her father does allow her to deliver library books to people at nearby mining camps, but she must be accompanied by her Clark's right-hand-man, Murdoch "Mac" MacTavish.  Alice is frustrated that the number of camps she can visit is so limited, and vows to find a way to go further afield.

We meet Colette Durand in 1914, when she's 11 years old.  Her father, Claude, works for the Anaconda Mining Company in Hell Raisin' Gulch.  Although he supports himself and his daughter by working as a miner, Claude is able to recite most of Shakespeare's plays from memory.  His love of literature and storytelling is passed on to Collette, who runs freely around the tiny town.

In 1924, when Alice comes up with the idea of creating a library in a boxcar on the train that travels the network of railways that serve the logging and mining camps, the paths of the three women finally begin to intersect.

The themes of this story are very pertinent to the events unfolding in the United States today, and it is heartening to see that the "Robber Barons" did not prevail.

This book will definitely be on my 2025 "best" list!

Funny Friday - Vintage Bloom County (1983)

Cozy Monday

Twelve Angry Librarians (Cat in the Stacks #8) by Miranda James (Berkley Prime Crime hardcover, 21 February 2017).

Charlie Harris enjoys being the interim library director at Athena College, but he's happy to only be "interim".  Having to deliver the welcome address to the Southern Academic Libraries Association annual conference, being held at Athena is very stressful, though, as Charlie does not enjoy public speaking.

To add to that stress, Charlie's nemesis from library school, Gavin Fong, is the keynote speaker.  To be fair, Gavin has always rubbed most people the wrong way, being an insufferable and conceited and certain he knows everything.

And he seems to still take pleasure in baiting Charlie, who eventually reaches the end of his patience and takes a swing at Gavin.  When Gavin is found dead the next day, Charlie is at the top of the suspect list.

Of course, we all know he's innocent, as does Chief Deputy Kanesha Berry.  But CD Berry has to find concrete evidence of Charlie's innocence.  Though there's no shortage of people who wished Fong harm, finding the real culprit is a difficult task.

This is an extremely well-constructed mystery.  Clues and red herrings are perfectly placed, and the identity of the killer should be a real surprise.

Charlie and his Maine Coon cat Diesel, as well as their family and friends, are a charming group, and spending time with them is a delight!

The publisher has generously offered a copy of Twelve Angry Librarians to one of my readers.  Please comment below before 12:01 a.m. on Monday, February 20th.  Entries from the US only, please.  
Please don't forget to include an email address where I can contact you if you win!

FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for providing me with a review copy of this book.

Funny Friday

Dilbert (May 28, 1989)

The Mystery of the Girl Detective

The Silence of the Library (Cat in the Stacks Mystery #5) by Miranda James (Berkley Prime Crime mass market, 28 January 2014).

Charlie Harris and his cat Diesel are back!

Charlie's helping to organize the Athena Public Library's National Library Week exhibit, which is honoring Electra Barnes Cartwright, who's about to celebrate her 100th birthday.  Charlie is a big fan of Cartwright's Veronica Thane mystery series, about a teen sleuth, and inherited a collection of her books from his Aunt Dottie.

But when the news that the author herself might make an appearance, a number of collectors and aficionados descend on the small town, causing all kinds of havoc.  Charlie, the library staff and even the police department have trouble keeping them under control.

Charlie and Diesel are as charming as always, and fans will be gratified that Charlie and Helen's relationship has developed into a romance.

Please drop by Stuff and Nonsense tomorrow for a guest post by Miranda James.



FTC Full Disclosure:  Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.