Arsenic and Old Books (A Cat in the Stacks Mystery, #6) – Miranda James - 4 stars

[Linda C]

Charlie Harris, archivist at Athena College, MS, is presented with a set of diaries from the Civil War era by the Mayor to add to the Long family collection. While doing a preliminary assessment of their condition he is contacted by 2 different people wanting immediate access. Both have agendas which they think the diaries will advance. Putting them off while he does his assessment and contacts the donor, he is surprised when they are summarily stolen. What is in these diaries that are suddenly so popular. Charlie logically begins researching and then one of the two is murdered.

James does a good job of explaining archivist procedures and following research methods in historical sleuthing. It was nice to see a logical progression rather than the jumping to conclusion and putting oneself in danger method used in many cozies.