Retro Reading: Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass
Remember the Bookmobile?
Many of the crimozies I've read have taken place in small towns throughout the country and now northern Michigan can claim it's special place in the literary mystery world.
The premise for Lending a Paw is great. A dedicated librarian begins driving a bookmobile throughout the county with an unlikely passenger, her cat, Eddie and she lives in the most coolest house-a houseboat.
Before reading this book, it had been years since I had even thought of a bookmobile and I give author Laurie Cass plenty of kudos for even thinking of it. My thought was the bookmobile would be on the road and we'd be introduced to a variety of interesting characters. Unfortunately, the whole thing falls flat.
The main character, Minnie Hamilton, is really a boring character. With each turn of the page, I found myself really not caring for her. For me, she had no depth and came across as too reserved.
There were many times I thought the story would turn itself around, but I just couldn't get into the story. My mind was drifting terribly as I forced myself to read.
In the past some of these series have started out bad and then found their voice so I'm hoping this but, in the second installment, Tailing a Tabby it hasn't happened yet.