I'm not sure whether to post Always Remember: the Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm by Charlie Mackesy as fiction or non-fiction. It's classified as a 'graphic novel' which does me no good at all because I think what's being said is factual! We meet up with the delightful characters from the earlier book again, this time after a big storm. The art work, as expected, is sweet and gentle. The story is a timeless message about self acceptance, liking who you are, having hope, being kind to others ... all things that felt so good in these troubled and chaotic times. I read it twice through in one sitting. Take some time, enjoy the artwork

From Canada today: before I saw the series Murdoch Mysteries I read some of the books by Maureen Jennings. Set in Toronto in the late 19th century it's a wonderful period piece. :-) The tv series is also excellent with a good cast starring Yannick Bisson. Watching them follow the clues that solve crime in that time period is fun! It almost borders on the science fiction sometimes, I think ... An earlier Canadian entry, Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy was also made into a tv series (I've not seen it) and it also stars Yannick Bisson.

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Alas, Gone With the Woodwinds looks to be the last of the Music Shop Mysteries (book four) by Jennifer Lamont Leo (there is a novella, but it's only available with kindle). There is an annual music competition that changes location each year, giving many small towns chance to benefit from being the host. Amanda Parrish (owner of the store) writes an old classmate of hers asking him to judge the woodwinds. He agrees ... and then is killed. Suspicion falls on Amanda's friend (couldn't happen!) so she starts her own investigation (works with the police though). There are lots of possibilities for motive: grudges, jealousy, revenge ... I love the connection with music in this series, I hope there will be more.

Murder Aboard the Olympic, by Jennifer S. Alderson is the first in her new series A Traveler's Tale of Murder. Set in the 1920's, the descriptions of the era are excellent. The main character, Evelyn is a journalist from America, one of the few women in that field. She is headed to do a series of travel stories across Europe, but her boss has requested that she do one about the crossing as well. A quiet crossing, with lots of well to do folks, is expected. Instead, another journalist is found murdered. He was not well liked as he often wrote about scandals and secrets and so on. In fact, he was fired from his job for doing just that. Then it was discovered he was blackmailing many of those making the crossing, too. This makes for many suspects! Can the murderer be found before they reach England?

From Canada today is author Kate Whishaw. I have posted all (I think) of her Lane Winslow Historical mystery books. They are beautifully written.

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I do have a fondness for mysteries with dogs, that should come as no surprise. :-) Sniffing Out Murder, by Kallie E. Benjamin, features Bailey, a Bloodhound. His owner, Priscilla, has recently quit her job to write (about him) full time ... her book for children was a huge success and her agent and publisher want more. She gets distracted from that when someone from her high school graduating class (not nice then, not nice now) is found dead ... by Bailey! That must mean he and Lyssa have to investigate, yes? ;-) This is the first of the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series.

The Armada Boy is the second in the DI Wesley Peterson series by Kate Ellis that was recommended by Canadian Reader. A group of veterans, from D-Day have gathered for a reunion at their wartime base. It's on an island that was evacuated to give the military a place to practice that invasion. (Read the notes at the back, they are fascinating). One is found dead in the ruins of an old church. The question, of course, is why? And, as with her first book, there is an event from 400 years earlier, a Spanish invasion of that island ... it did not go off as planned, the ship sunk and those that survived and made it to shore were killed by the locals. Could there be connections when it comes to motive? This is turning out to be a most interesting series.

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Faith Martin, author of many books, has started a new series with The Oxford Detective Society. Lyssa Moore loves writing biographies, even when she is the ghost author. She is asked by a relative to write about Amelia 'Monty' Montrose who died in the 1960's, at her birthday party. Her husband had died shortly before. It was deemed an accident or possibly suicide and the case was closed. The more Lyssa learns, the more odd things start to happen ... someone breaks into her home, her phone (land line) is sounding strange, someone may be following her ... someone who doesn't want the truth to come out, perhaps? She has help from her Oxford friends and Bibbie, her cat. Great start!

Canadian selections come from Wandering Reader today. While the last two are fiction authors, seems these first two lean more towards being artists! I do recognize Emily Carr and like her work, but Charles van Sandwyk was totally new to me. Descriptions of his art include "enchanting" and "endearing" and if you look him up, which is what I did, I think you'll agree! There are fairies and wonderful, whimsical birds, beautiful forests and clever insects. Take a look!

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It's summer so the doors and windows are open. I am now into hearing aids and while they are most certainly better than the ones my dad wore, they still are just amplifying sound ... so I am finding crows and seagulls to be loud and at times annoying. Still, crows are smart, we all know this, so I found a book. Crows: Encounters with the Wise Guys of the Avian World, by Candace Savage. Research included studies of their intellect, social interactions (with other crows, animals, and humans), and emotions. This is the 10th anniversary edition and includes personal stories of experiences of crows. It was a captivating read with just one complaint ... the layout is confusing! You turn the page, expecting to continue on with what you've been reading only to discover one of the personal stories instead. The chapter you are reading continues on in a a page or two. I finally figured out these entries have a subtle header and footer and went through and read those first, then went back and read the 'other' part of the book. Personally, I think this could have been done a better way. Still, the book was a good read, and won't take you long. Candace Savage is a Canadian author.

I like to read, and write (and was raised by an English teacher) so it's no surprise that I enjoy words and learning about them. I did that in Friends With Words: Adventures in Languageland, by Martha Barnette. The author is co-host of a show on PBS called A Way With Words, which I have not heard, but have read that it is excellent. In this book you will learn about origins, and regional differences (and why those occur), as well as slang and those odd phrases we sometimes hear from our grandparents (or someone of that age). Often humorous!

My Mom was always big on 'honey, think it through' so I am channeling her with this suggested read (on this 25th anniversary of 9/11) (or reread, hopefully) from my post of June 29, 2014: The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland, by Jim Defede. Small town, but with runways long enough for the big jets to land, it's where many planes ended up after the attacks on the twin towers, Pennsylvania and WA DC. In these unsettled times between our countries, think of our past history.

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Lady Hardcastle and her maid, Flo, are at it again. I do love this team! They are wonderful partners in figuring out a murder but can also play the perfect society woman and her proper maid when necessary. That is a hoot! In Murder on the Rocks they have been invited to a castle/fortress on a remote island that has been redesigned as a destination for the wealthy ... by an American. Everyone is supposed to be a special friend of this American, but it seems an unlikely group. When the husband of one of the guests (can be rather abusive to his blind wife) if found dead, no one is all that upset, but when a second body appears it's a bit more concerning. And, in good mystery plotting, there is a storm and they are trapped on the island. :-) This is part of the Lady Hardcastle Mystery series by T E Kinsey.

From Canada today it's Stuart McClean. I first learned of him on CBC FM and his radio show The Vinyl Cafe. He spoke once at Village Books. He was amazing (and died much too soon). Most, if not all, his books are somewhere in this blog. In the ones that are the stories (often in much greater detail) from the radio show I can hear his voice. The Morningside World of Stuart McLean are essays from another radio show (with that name, one that I never heard) about many of the small things in life, a pencil, perhaps, or the popsicle. Witty and charming.

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Once again I have tried a new author/series! This is almost always fun, I've had a couple I'm not going to recommend, but for the most part,it's been grand. This time it is Earl Grey and Shallow Graves, the first in the Waterwheel Cafe Mystery series by Victoria Tate. Keya Varma is excited to be opening her own cafe, with (you guessed it) a waterwheel. It is a marvelous old building and all is going well ... until a 30 year old skeleton of a young girl is discovered. Some progress is made by going through old files, but then a friend is discovered dead at the same site. This will change the investigation. Is there a connection? Not a bad start. Looks like other titles will use the names of tea. :-)

From Canada today: M L (Mary Lou) Longworth is a favorite author for Canadian Reader. She has written the Verlaque and Bonnet detective novels set in Aix-en-Provence. I'm told there are wonderful twists and turns to the plot! Canadian Reader loves the description of the area and learning of the history. You learn a lot about the different levels of French law enforcement, too! The main characters are well written and complex. Start with Death at the Chateau Bremont. I have not read this author as yet, but she is on my list!

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