diff --git a/scrib_test.go b/scrib_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6966d24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scrib_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+package scribble
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"sync"
+	"testing"
+)
+
+type logger struct {
+	t *testing.T
+}
+
+func (l logger) Fatal(f string, a ...interface{}) { l.t.Fatalf(f, a...) }
+func (l logger) Error(f string, a ...interface{}) { l.t.Fatalf(f, a...) }
+func (l logger) Warn(f string, a ...interface{})  { l.t.Fatalf(f, a...) }
+func (l logger) Info(f string, a ...interface{})  {}
+func (l logger) Debug(f string, a ...interface{}) {}
+func (l logger) Trace(f string, a ...interface{}) {}
+
+func TestBasic(t *testing.T) {
+	var d *Driver
+	var err error
+
+	if d, err = New("./test-dir", logger{t}); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if err = d.Write("/fish", "big", "small"); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	var ans string
+
+	if err = d.Read("/fish/big", &ans); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if ans != "small" {
+		t.Fatal("Expected 'small' but read back ", ans)
+	}
+
+	var wg sync.WaitGroup
+
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		for i := 0; i < 10; i++ {
+			if err1 := d.Write("/fish", fmt.Sprintf("num%v", i), fmt.Sprintf("%v", i)); err1 != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err1)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	wg.Add(1)
+	go func() {
+		defer wg.Done()
+		for i := 10; i < 20; i++ {
+			if err1 := d.Write("/fish", fmt.Sprintf("num%v", i), fmt.Sprintf("%v", i)); err1 != nil {
+				t.Fatal(err1)
+				return
+			}
+		}
+	}()
+
+	wg.Wait()
+
+	var fishes []string
+
+	if err := d.Read("/fish", &fishes); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	if len(fishes) != 21 {
+		t.Fatalf("Expected 21 entries but found %v", len(fishes))
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/scribble.go b/scribble.go
index b6ea684..df24bfd 100644
--- a/scribble.go
+++ b/scribble.go
@@ -9,10 +9,12 @@
 package scribble
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"os"
+	"path/filepath"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 
@@ -26,6 +28,7 @@ type (
 	// a Driver is what is used to interact with the scribble database. It runs
 	// transactions, and provides log output
 	Driver struct {
+		maplock sync.RWMutex
 		mutexes map[string]sync.Mutex
 		dir     string         // the directory where scribble will create the database
 		log     hatchet.Logger // the logger scribble will log to
@@ -35,6 +38,8 @@ type (
 // New creates a new scribble database at the desired directory location, and
 // returns a *Driver to then use for interacting with the database
 func New(dir string, logger hatchet.Logger) (*Driver, error) {
+	dir = filepath.Clean(dir)
+
 	fmt.Printf("Creating database directory at '%v'...\n", dir)
 
 	//
@@ -67,7 +72,7 @@ func (d *Driver) Write(collection, resource string, v interface{}) error {
 	defer mutex.Unlock()
 
 	//
-	dir := d.dir + collection
+	dir := filepath.Join(d.dir, collection)
 
 	//
 	b, err := json.MarshalIndent(v, "", "\t")
@@ -80,7 +85,7 @@ func (d *Driver) Write(collection, resource string, v interface{}) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	finalPath := dir + "/" + resource + ".json"
+	finalPath := filepath.Join(dir, resource+".json")
 	tmpPath := finalPath + "~"
 
 	// write marshaled data to the temp file
@@ -88,6 +93,17 @@ func (d *Driver) Write(collection, resource string, v interface{}) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	if _, err := os.Stat(finalPath); err == nil {
+		if _, err = os.Stat(finalPath + ".bak"); err == nil {
+			if err = os.Remove(finalPath + ".bak"); err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
+		}
+		if err = os.Rename(finalPath, finalPath+".bak"); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
 	// move final file into place
 	return os.Rename(tmpPath, finalPath)
 }
@@ -95,57 +111,73 @@ func (d *Driver) Write(collection, resource string, v interface{}) error {
 // Read a record from the database
 func (d *Driver) Read(path string, v interface{}) error {
 
-	dir := d.dir + path
+	var err error
+	var fi os.FileInfo
+
+	dir := filepath.Join(d.dir, path)
 
 	//
-	fi, err := os.Stat(path)
-	if err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
+	fi, err = os.Stat(dir)
 
-	switch {
+	if err == nil {
+		if !fi.Mode().IsDir() {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Expected path %v to be a folder", path)
+		}
 
-	// if the path is a directory, attempt to read all entries into v
-	case fi.Mode().IsDir():
+		var files []os.FileInfo
 
 		// read all the files in the transaction.Collection
-		files, err := ioutil.ReadDir(dir)
+		files, err = ioutil.ReadDir(dir)
 		if err != nil {
 			// an error here just means the collection is either empty or doesn't exist
 		}
 
+		buf := bytes.Buffer{}
+
+		buf.WriteString("[")
+
 		// the files read from the database
-		var f []string
+		if len(files) > 0 {
 
-		// iterate over each of the files, attempting to read the file. If successful
-		// append the files to the collection of read files
-		for _, file := range files {
-			b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(dir + "/" + file.Name())
-			if err != nil {
-				return err
+			// iterate over each of the files, attempting to read the file. If successful
+			// append the files to the collection of read files
+			for _, file := range files {
+				if !strings.HasSuffix(file.Name(), ".json") {
+					continue
+				}
+
+				b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filepath.Join(dir, file.Name()))
+				if err != nil {
+					return err
+				}
+
+				// append read file
+				buf.Write(b)
+				buf.WriteString(",")
 			}
-
-			// append read file
-			f = append(f, string(b))
+			buf.Truncate(buf.Len() - len(","))
 		}
 
+		buf.WriteString("]")
+
 		// unmarhsal the read files as a comma delimeted byte array
-		return json.Unmarshal([]byte("["+strings.Join(f, ",")+"]"), v)
-
-		// if the path is a file, attempt to read the single file
-	case !fi.Mode().IsDir():
-
-		// read record from database
-		b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(dir + ".json")
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-
-		// unmarshal data into the transaction.Container
-		return json.Unmarshal(b, &v)
+		return json.Unmarshal(buf.Bytes(), v)
 	}
 
-	return nil
+	fi, err = os.Stat(dir + ".json")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	var b []byte
+	b, err = ioutil.ReadFile(dir + ".json")
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// unmarshal data into the transaction.Container
+	return json.Unmarshal(b, &v)
+
 }
 
 // Delete locks that database and then attempts to remove the collection/resource
@@ -165,11 +197,11 @@ func (d *Driver) Delete(path string) error {
 	switch {
 	// remove the collection from database
 	case fi.Mode().IsDir():
-		return os.Remove(d.dir + path)
+		return os.Remove(filepath.Join(d.dir, path))
 
 		// remove the record from database
 	default:
-		return os.Remove(d.dir + path + ".json")
+		return os.Remove(filepath.Join(d.dir, path, ".json"))
 	}
 }
 
@@ -177,12 +209,18 @@ func (d *Driver) Delete(path string) error {
 // is being modfied to avoid unsafe operations
 func (d *Driver) getOrCreateMutex(collection string) sync.Mutex {
 
+	d.maplock.RLock()
+
 	c, ok := d.mutexes[collection]
 
+	d.maplock.RUnlock()
 	// if the mutex doesn't exist make it
 	if !ok {
+
+		d.maplock.Lock()
 		c = sync.Mutex{}
 		d.mutexes[collection] = c
+		d.maplock.Unlock()
 	}
 
 	return c