The Book Nook

Charlie Harris is well known for his good nature and for his pet Maine coon Diesel that he walks around town on a leash. Charlie has returned to his hometown to immerse himself in books, but when he takes the plunge into a recent acquisition he will be in over his head. The mayor of Athena Lucinda Beckwith Long, donates a recently discovered set of Civil War-era diaries to the archives of Athena College. She'd like Charlie to preserve and to add them as part of the Long family collection, something that could help her son, Beck, as he plans to campaign for the state senate. Beck’s biggest rival and competition is Jasper Singletary. His roots are just as deep as Beck’s, and the two families have been enemies since the Civil War. Jasper claims the Long's have a history of underhanded behavior at the expense of the Singletary's. He’d like to look at the diaries to expose the Long family’s past sins. Marie Steverton, a history professor at the college is determined to get a hold of the books in her last chance for tenure. Reporter Kelly Grimes also wants to look at the diaries to help one of the candidates. But for one of them their interest turns deadly very quickly.
The diaries seem like they are worth killing for, and one thing is very certain, Charlie will need to be extra careful, since the more he reads of the diaries, the closer he's coming to his final chapter.

This story has not one but two mysteries and they both have twists and turns that get wrapped up nicely at the end of the book. The author gives us a unique look of how the Civil War affected the Long's and the Singletary's not just during the war but even afterwards also. I did miss reading about Sean, Laura, Justin, and Stuart except for the short cameos they make throughout the story. It is nice to see Charlie and Helen Louise's relationship continue to grow. I also liked the news that Laura tells her family at the end of the story but I won't spoil it here.