cover image MAD Librarian

MAD Librarian

Michael Guillebeau. Madison, $20 trade paper (404p) ISBN 978-0-9972-0552-7

Guillebeau (Josh Whatever) blends humor and mystery perfectly in this comic thriller set in the small city of Maddington, Ala. Head librarian Serenity Hammer has dedicated herself to keeping the Maddington Public Library “a calm oasis of normalcy.” But her idealism proves not to be enough when a change in the city’s administration leaves the library perilously low on funds and at risk of closing its doors. At the 11th hour, Serenity happens upon an obscure city account with a balance sufficient to meet her current needs—and more. Convinced of the righteousness of her cause, Serenity, aided by her assistant, Amanda Doom, accesses the account and starts transferring money to the library. After she manages to pay for repairs to the air conditioning and to their internet service provider, Serenity dreams bigger. She plots to transform the library into an innovative center that would house a community space as well as books. The tension rises after Serenity receives threatening notes from gangsters, and a murder occurs on the library’s premises. Guillebeau keeps things light with frequent laugh-out-loud lines. (BookLife)