It was a day like no other, I hung my trench coat on a hook and went through my mail. I opened the manilla envelope with a sense of trepidation and unease. I should have known I had nothing to fear as I noted the return address. My public library was reminding me that it was time once again for Centre County Reads! As nervous as a bride on her wedding day, I opened the brochure with trembling hands. What would "they" choose? What genre would "they" approach? Who are "they" anyway?  Well, I scanned the brochure like the self-checkout at the library - quickly, efficiently, and hoping against hope they'd choose something I love. What do you know? I jumped from my seat like a passenger in a James Bond Aston Martin as I shoulted "Eureka!" The Centre County Reads group had found a book that fit me like a glove (and not a cheap vinyl glove, but the high-end leather type you find only one of every day on the floor of the library) - The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett.

But wait, there was more... the Centre County Reads 2010 adventure continued with enough entertainment to put all the speakeasies in Chicago out of business... From a writing contest to games to discussions, there were so many events that I realized I'd have to close my Private Eye office for a while so I could attend them all. I didn't want to be like a CATA passenger running 10 minutes too late to catch the Centre County Reads Express! 

If you like a little noir in your coffee, join me at one or all of the hotsy totsy events going on county-wide. Don't be a wiseguy - click on the links to find out the whens & wheres of this year's event.