It begins with a book signing in Gemma's bookstore in the small town of Derbyshire, which ends abruptly with the death of the guest author ... and that's where the mystery begins. It looks to be an accidental overdose, but Gemma and Mavis (her assistant) are not so sure. The author was always very careful with his medication, and there are those who may have a motive. A Bitter Pill is the first in the Bookshop Mysteries by S.A. Reeves. It was an excellent start!

Another good start to a new series is The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder, by C.L. Miller. The author's mother is Judith Miller who has written several books about antiques, many of which her daughter helped on, so, she is well versed in the subject. :-) Freya has been out of the antique market for a long time and now she learns that the man who was her mentor, and the one who kicked her out of the profession is dead, murdered. There are hints and clues that he left behind, obviously designed for her ... but why? And what happened all those years ago where he treated her so poorly? He also left her (and her rather quirky aunt) his business and old house. She can see immediately that many of the things that were once real are now reproductions ... what's up with that? Then there are the threatening notes. Be on the lookout for more by this author.

Reading Hermit With Dog

 

Warning! This book could keep you up late, very late! It is a nod to Jane Austen, in fact, one of the reviews (from Alexander McCall Smith) says it is exactly the sort of mystery she would have written, if she wrote mysteries. :-) A grand party is being held, one where the guests will come and stay the month. It has been carefully planned, until an unexpected, uninvited and unwanted guest shows up. Mr. Wickam has some hold on everyone and is not afraid to use it. Proper manners mean he has to be invited to stay (the weather takes a turn for the worse), but it puts a damper on the party. When he is found dead, everyone is a suspect. How will they figure it all out? The Murder of Mr. Wickam is by Claudia Gray (a pseudonym of Amy Vincent). Well written, and in an older, more ... reflective style ... take your time, enjoy the read, but don't expect to get much else done! It is the first in the Mr. Darcy and Miss Tilney series.

Here's a book, as a musician, I could not resist (even though I never had the chance to play in the pit) ... Tales from the Pit, by Peter Neville! Each chapter focuses on a different instrument and that musicians experience playing in the small group below the stage. Note, it takes place in smaller towns, this is not the pit orchestra of a large Broadway type show! One curious thing is that it is often called a band (which to me always meant no strings), and Wandering Reader who HAS played in the pit agrees with me. The book is from Scotland so I am guessing it might be a local turn of phrase. :-) Once I got past that I quite enjoyed this, but it might make more sense if you are a musician, too. :-)

Reading Hermit With Dog

 

From Canadian Reader came a recommendation for the first in a new (to us) series: The Case of the Missing Marquess, by Nancy Springer. It is the first in her Enola Holmes Mystery series. Enola is the (much) younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes, and, given the era, a bit of a scandal given that it means she is a child of an older mother! It is written for 8 - 12 year olds, but at least four of us agree that it is more fun if you know the characters and a bit about that time era. Enola's mother has gone missing. Her brothers come to check out things and discover that while Enola is well educated, she has not ever been sent to finishing school and so does not know (gasp) how to act like a proper young lady. Mycroft plans to remedy that, but Enola does not want to go to such a school ... so she runs away. Her hunt for her mother, and the clues that she finds make for a most enjoyable read, one that won't take you long. :-)

The Witch is Back, by Angela M. Sanders in the sixth book in her Witch Way Librarian Mystery Series, and another excellent read! Wilfred, Oregon, is usually a quiet little town, folks all get along, and so on ... until poison pen letters start arriving, each with a threat to 'tell all'. Who is sending them? The monetary demands to keep quiet are small, the secrets old, some decades old, so how are they being found out? And what about the body at the bottom of the cliff? And why is Josie's magic feeling ... blocked?

Reading Hermit With Dog

 

When I learned that there will be a new Miss Fortune Mystery in the new year I decided to read the one that's been sitting on my shelf for a while: Marsh Madness, by Jana Deleon. There is a reunion coming up, a 10 year (from high school) reunion and one group, who were friends back then (or where they?) decides to meet up early at a local B&B for a 'pre-reunion' gathering. When one of them turns up dead, evidence points to one of the owners of that B&B and an accidental poisoning. This is something that could ruin the business and he and his wife would lose the house they love. He asks Fortune to look into it since the local policeman (it's a small town, there's just the one) is a total idiot (he really is). Follow along as Fortune, Ida Belle, and of course, Gertie work on solving what actually happened. Another great entry in this series!

Canadian Reader was here over the holidays, and brought the last of the Isle of Man Ghostly Cozy books by Diana Xarissa so I felt I could read Weddings and Witnesses knowing that I had them on my shelf. :-) Plans are going well as the wedding day for Shelly Quirk draws closer. Her Aunt has arrived (a most interesting new character) and the wedding party has moved to the Seaview Hotel for the last few days. The hotel is transitionally closed during the colder months, but opened for this wedding. Prior to that closing was a group of women celebrating a divorce. As far as any one knows, they'd all checked out, and yet, a body was found in one of the rooms, with evidence that she had been living in that room for some time. How did she get in? Who knew she was there? And why was she murdered then, and not some time earlier? Can this be solved before the wedding?

Reading Hermit With Dog

 

Something that might have been more common before Ancestry.com was that folks liked to brag that they were related to George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, or one of the other more illustrious presidents. Alas, my family is related to Warren G. Harding. He's on the list of 'worst' presidents. However, I learned something new when I went to look for a book about him, there have some historians who have worked at exonerating him from that list! The one I read was The Jazz Age President: Defending Warren G. Harding, by Ryan S. Walters. Turns out, Harding wasn't all that bad, there were some issues, yes, but he also created the Veteran’s Bureau, revived the economy, reduced taxes and government spending, and urged for equal rights for Blacks. Unemployment went from 15% to 3%. All in less than three years (he died in office). Now, about those scandals, yes, they did happen, but he was unaware of them and benefited in no way, however, he did take responsibility because he put those men in those positions. And the affairs, there were some (as with FDR, JFK, LBJ and Clinton), but none in the White House, and the women mentioned never existed. (The stories of these affairs came out four years after his death). So, while he is not a candidate for Mt. Rushmore, he does not deserve to be on the 'worst' list, either.

Here is a book of tales from a small animal vet, one who made house calls. Tales of a Pet Vet: Stories From the Clinic and House Calls, by Dr. Dawn Filos. House calls for vet visits is a good idea in many ways ... the animal and owner are more comfortable, and the vet can check on things ... like the "cup" measurement one owner was using to feed her (very) overweight dog was from a Big Gulp! :-) In addition to her anecdotes about being a vet the author also included some thoughtful chapters on end of life decisions, setting up a trust for the pet(s) should the owner die first, and alternative medicines and treatments. Nicely done.

Reading Hermit With Dog

 

I learned of this book when reading Dinner with the President. It took a bit to track it down, and it is a used copy with some torn pages (and missing paragraphs), but Hot Dogs and Cocktails: When FDR Met King George VI at Hyde Park on Hudson was worth it! There's a lot more here than the title implies, it's about the tour the King and Queen took across Canada first, then down to meet with FDR. It's beautifully written, author Peter Conradi is also known for The King's Speech (along with Mark Logue).  King George VI was hoping to get confirmation that the US would offer assistance to England against Hitler. FDR decided to keep it causal, and have a picnic ... and serve the royal couple hot dogs ... on paper plates! It caused all kinds of furor! (Eleanor made a wise observation that it was learning/trying something different on your travels that were the things you remembered). FDR was wise, and had something more traditional also prepared, but it turns out George and Elizabeth loved the hot dogs (once they were taught how to eat them), and the King tried a few beers as well!

This turned out to be a book I picked up that was something different than what I thought! It looked like stacks of books ... mysteries, history, biographies, and so on. Well, it was, but much different than what I was expecting. My fault, entirely for not reading the cover more carefully. I was thinking it was going to be about the sort of books I read, and it wasn't. Bibliophile Diverse Spines, by Jamise Harper & Jane Mount, and illustrated by Jane Mount is an intense collection of books by authors "of backgrounds different from your own." (pg 9) Authors who have been marginalized by white society. So, there are books by Asians, Blacks, Latinos, LGTBQ and more. Be sure to check out the map on page 110-111, I spent a lot of time there! I am embarrassed to say I've only read three of the books I found here, but I have added several to my list. :-) An unexpected, interesting read.

Reading Hermit With Dog

 

Proof that great minds think alike! Canadian Reader and I both picked up The Christmas Jigsaw Murders, by Alexandra Benedict as gifts for each other! :-) An excellent read, but no cozy. Author likes Dickens, keep that in mind. She also has puzzles and so on scattered throughout the book (it's all explained in the front) so that makes it fun, too. Lonely, curmudgeonly, but well known crossword puzzle setter, Edie, receives a package ... containing six puzzle pieces and a message. They show part of a crime scene (including part of a body) and the warning that there will be more if she doesn't figure out the puzzle in time. There are more bodies, and the threats are getting more personal. Edie reaches out to the one family member to help. Secrets from the past surface, bad/sad memories and so on (remember, the author likes Dickens). A rather grim, but overall it was a great winter read.

Remember the phrase "and now for something completely different" from Monty Python? Well, that's what this book was ... for me, at least! It is NOT a mystery, not even close. I think (gasp) it can be considered a rom com! When the woman in charge of, well, most everything, at the school her kids attend cancels all the events leading up to Christmas, Melody decides to step up and take over. She enlists the help of family (including twin boys, aged 10) and friends to help. The results are funny, and uplifting (mostly) and, well, romancy. The Christmas Cookie Wars, by Eliza Evans was a nice read, although not the type of book I am likely to read again. It was Christmas, though, and it looked fun! ;-)

Reading Hermit With Dog