Charlie Harris is a librarian and archivist who lives in the small Mississippi town of Athena with his enormous Maine Coon cat, Diesel. Diesel is not just a pet — he goes to work with Charlie at the library, and his reactions to people often serve as a barometer for their trustworthiness.
The library and small-town Mississippi settings are well-drawn, and the series has a warm, Southern sensibility. Charlie is a widower navigating relationships with his adult children, a new romance, and a community of friends and colleagues. The mysteries often involve the academic and library world — rare books, university politics, literary estates — which gives them a distinctive flavor.
Miranda James (a pen name for Dean James) brings authentic knowledge of library science and rare books to the series, and the bibliographic details are a treat for book lovers.
Back to all reading orders. Learn more about Miranda James.