Saturday’s rainy weather was perfect for curling up with a good book. Anyone who ventured to the Books in Boothbay event, presented by the Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library and the Boothbay Railway Village, had the opportunity to curl up with hundreds of books and dozens of authors, as well.

A steady flow of book lovers entered the old Boothbay Town Hall at the Railway Village and made their way through tables piled with books and authors eager to talk.

This was the 12th year for Boothbay’s summer book fair and it takes a considerable effort to coordinate the event. Sharon Pulkkinen has been the organizational genius behind the scenes for several years. Pulkkinen said once the doors close, it is virtually time to start planning the next one.

Books in Boothbay aims to draw the most popular Maine authors who have published in the last 12 to 18 months. First, Pulkkinen figures out who her main authors of interest are, being sure to cover a balanced range of genres. By January, she is contacting authors and lining up the attendees.

It’s a labor of love that is not only appreciated by book readers, but by the authors, as well.

“The authors have as much fun as the customers. At most book signings, there are one or two authors at most. Here there is a whole bunch of authors and they have a great time together. Sometimes the authors spend more than they make. They really enjoy the camaraderie,” Pulkkinen said.

Edith Maxwell and Stephanie Gayle, members of the New England Chapter of Sisters in Crime,  wholeheartedly agreed with Pulkkinen’s assessment and said they enjoyed the chance to meet with other authors and their readers.

“We spend most of our time alone. This is a nice change,” Gayle said.

The crime writers were well represented at the event, as were their close allies, the mystery writers. Maxwell and Gayle seemed to have cornered the market on humorous, rural crime titles, such as “Farmed and Dangerous,” “Murder Most Fowl” and “Idyll Threats.”

Mystery and true crime writer, Kate Clark Flora, who was surrounded by a collection of her works, was joined this year by former Maine game warden Roger Guay and his dog, Nilla. Their new book, “A Good Man with a Dog,” recounts Guay’s 25-year career in the Maine woods.

Flora said she and Guay first met when she was researching the true crime story “Finding Amy” and Guay was searching for Amy’s body with cadaver dogs. Over the years, their occupations caused them to cross paths. When Guay decided to retire, he contacted Flora to help him tell his story.

Guay and Flora found the easiest way to get to all those years of stories was to drive around in Guay’s truck. As they passed former crime scenes, Guay’s memory would be triggered and Flora, recorder in hand, would capture it. At first, she wasn’t quite sure how the story would unfold, but over time, it all seemed to fall into place. The book not only captures  Guay’s stories, Flora also delves into canine training and the emotional and psychological effects of the job on Guay.

This year Books in Boothbay offered a special event, a chance to solve a murder mystery in the Old Railway Chapel. Presented by Sisters in Crime, amateur sleuths were provided with information on the victim, the evidence, the murder weapon,  a list of suspects (seven crime and mystery authors) and a chance to investigate the crime scene.

If you were unable to make it to Saturday’s Books in Boothbay and are interested in finding one of the great Maine reads featured, head over to Sherman’s Bookstore, where you may even find a signed copy.