The Wicked Bible

This is book 2 of the series. I had not read the 1st or 3rd but after reading this from beginning to end, without stopping, I immediately ordered the other two. I highly recommend this book. I received an ARC for free but am voluntarily leaving this review.

When Shelby County Librarian, Deborah Strong attends a conference, she is confronted by a mystery that spans hundreds of years, when a bible and a few other artifacts are stolen from the archives. Can she figure out what happened before the conference ends, allowing someone to create the perfect crime? When Deborah Strong finds a mysterious letter written to Abigail Brewster from a mysterious Clara, she has to figure out the connections between the two woman. Fortunately, Deborah knows a woman, Susan Warner, who is incredibly familiar with Abigail Brewster’s life, having run the Abigail Brewster Society Conference in Death of a Keynote Speaker, by the same author. (one of my favorite literary devices) The bones for an incredible book are here and I honestly could not put this book down, because I was so drawn into the mystery. The author’s ability to connect the dots and make research interesting is first rate. The subject matter is fascinating and I am curious to see how the main character starts building the connections to the world around her that you can see are keeping her mired and stuck in the past. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I plummeted into Sharon Dean’s THE WICKED BIBLE and did not come up for air until the final satisfying lines. Dean’s story stars intrepid small-town librarian Deborah Strong drawn to the connections between a book called THE WICKED BIBLE, a woman renowned to have been the wickedest woman, and a letter penned decades earlier — as she teases out the tangles and figures out the story, she resolves long-buried secrets and creates a new path forward for herself. A genuinely gripping story with a fascinating woman at the center with remarkable prose and rich sensory details, this story is a genuine pleasure to read. I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The Wicked Bible by Sharon Dean is a mystery without a murder, which is rather unusual in many books, and that’s one reason why I enjoyed it. Who knew that librarians are so interesting. I actually learned a bit about doing research, which is another reason why the book is different. But it’s not in the least dry or boring. Deborah is a great character who is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery. This was an enjoyable read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a quick read because I didn’t want to stop! The characters are revealed in a way that keeps you guessing. The haunting back story of Deborah adds another layer to the mystery at hand. I felt I was watching the story unfold around me with a very clear picture of the setting and characters. Also included an interesting bit of history on the first Wicked Bible and social issues of the nineteenth century.

A week-long conference about libraries at New Hampshire’s state university does not list the mysterious theft of a valuable Bible as one of the seminars. Small-city librarian Deborah Strong begins the week looking for a promising distraction from the cold case she recently solved. Fans of author Sharon L. Dean will thoroughly enjoy this third book in the Deborah Strong Mysteries. The characters, setting and unique story will hold the interest of all readers. “The Wicked Bible” also works as a standalone book for readers new to the series.

The author is very sure footed with skillfilly presented evil characters…ones that a reader will enjoy hating with some glee.

Deborah Strong, a librarian who attends a conference and chooses to research a letter found inside a rare copy of a misprinted Bible, known as The Wicked Bible, becomes embroiled in the mystery when both of these (and another relevant source book) are stolen. Deborah is a complicated character, worthy of her last name. She struggles to seek the truth, even as she faces her own fears and sorrows, and to make sense of the human foibles that test our beliefs and emotions every day. The author weaves a story with just the right amount of history, local color, characterization, and philosophical reflection to make the book delightful and memorable.

A story about libraries and historical fiction is my favorite subjects in books. Throw in a little romance and a dash of mystery makes a great story. The author gives enough twists and mystery to keep the reader invested in the story. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Following an eye-catching, arresting title, Sharon Dean’s The Wicked Bible concerns Deborah Strong’s participation in a library conference at Murkland College. The plucky Shelby, New Hampshire librarian and amateur sleuth soon finds herself involved in the investigation of the theft of the Bible in question, which leads to a mysterious letter and an apparent abortion clinic dating back to the nineteenth century. Dean effectively uses the trope of the past coming back to inform the present, which, to this reviewer, is reminiscent of Ross MacDonald’s Lew Archer stories. Absorbing and eerie, author Dean beautifully captures the essence of small-town life and all the peccadilloes one finds therein. Highly recommended!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. The Wicked Bible really appealed to me when reading the blurb because I am very much interested in stories involving librarians and libraries, mysteries and books! I loved the historical aspect of the “Wicked Bible” coming into play and thought this would be very interesting. It had its moments. I liked the parts of the plot that involved the letter from Clara James and how it indicated a relationship with Abigail at Madame Restell’s . I also thought Deborah was a strong main character and I enjoyed her thoughts and the way she figured out the puzzle. The parts that I didn’t enjoy and left me with a score of 3 were the unfinished business aspects of the story. There were way too many loose threads and somewhat unnecessary plot points. The crazy blind date professor….nothing is resolved or settled with his story, which is far fetched and tenuous from the beginning and really doesn’t fit well with the rest of the book. The story of Clara and Abigail is never really resolved and is treated almost as it’s own separate plot, bringing in Susan Warner from the Authors other mystery series. The killer/thief is neatly injured in a car accident that occurs when no one is around and isn’t explained. There is a ton of allusion to blacks in the state of New Hampshirite without any real purpose to having mentioned this fact in the story. It was offensive that the inclusion of the black population in New Hampshire was even mentioned in this way. The book was flawed, I won’t read another in the series, but the author is a talented writer and I think with more organization of plot could really have a great mystery.

The Wicked Bible is a literary mystery that combines a sylvan college setting, a one-of-a-kind Bible, and the possibility of romance to present a puzzle that keeps the reader guessing to the final pages. A widow who more than lives up to her name, Deborah Strong thrives under circumstances a lesser woman might shy away from. What begins as a simple theft turns into a far more complicated crime, and Deborah’s determined effort to expose it makes for a very satisfying story.