Hounding a Killer is the second in the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery series by Kallie E. Benjamin. An inheritance has gone missing, a large one, and the grandson of the deceased wants it found. The sooner the better. He has arguments with lots of the town folk ... and then goes missing .... without a trace. The police, knowing that Pris and Bailey helped out before, ask for their help again. On the very first search a body is found, and not that of the missing grandson, and so, as the saying goes, the plot thickens! Love following along as Bailey sniffs out clues and evidence ... in one case they should have listened to him (but no spoilers, remember)! Dog mysteries are such fun. :-)

The Canadian connection today will be this recommendation from Canadian Reader: Brought to Book, by Anthea Fraser, the first in her Rona Parish series. It has been re-released (as has the entire series, it seems) as Murder Most Bookish (but only as an e-book so I had to find a used copy). Rona is some who writes biographies, successful ones, and she has been asked to write about a recently deceased author. He died under, well, unusual circumstances that might have been suicide (at least that's what the police think). Things get worrisome as she investigates, does her usual research and so on. There are threatening notes and calls, her husband urges her to stop writing, but she can't do that (she is a bit compulsive). She has intense interviews with family and friends, even some from long ago. Either in book form or e-reader it's a good read.

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All retired inspector Tom Ramsey wants is to enjoy his retirement, with his dog. It didn't start out the way it was planned, he and his wife were going to travel, but she died. At some point he decided to hike various trails in England, with his dog. That's not going as planned, either ... murder keeps finding him and he ends up helping with the investigation. This time, however, he's considered a suspect! Ramsey and the Smuggling Ring is the second in the One Man and His Dog series by P.C. James. Lots of interesting twists.

It's been quiet for the Thursday Murder Club. (Also the name of the series). There is an upcoming wedding and a few family issues for folks, but then a wedding guest asks Elizabeth for help and Nick vanishes and things heat up. There is a car bomb, too, and a safe that may or maybe not be unopenable. Oh, and a large (maybe) fortune. The Impossible Fortune, by Richard Osman, is the newest in this series. I found it a bit scattered, but, it has been a while since I read any of the others! As usual, though, the characters were great. :-)

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What do retired spies like to do in retirement? Solve mysteries, of course! Here is the second Friday Street Murder Mystery by Russell Cooper: Easier Dead Than Done. Two murders have taken place, one in Italy, the second in England. Five years later the team get a letter asking for their help in solving them, and preventing a third muder. This is curious, yes? Follow along with this delightful gang of old spies (both field agents and those in the 'intelligence' part Military Intelligence) (the twins) as they discover and figure out the clues. Hard to put down.

Love the fact that in The Old Dogs' Club mysteries everyone is old! Dogs and humans alike. Old Dogs, Old Bones is the second in this series by Madison Boyd. There has been a massive storm and the wishing well, near the edge of the hill, is starting to slide. That includes mud, stones, coins ... and bones ... the belong to someone who went missing fifty years ago after the senior prom. The locals still remember her. They drag out old annuals and look for pictures of her ... she was active in a lot of clubs. Then they notice something about those photos, which takes them to the actual photos, not the ones cropped, etc. for the annual and they discover ... more. A good way to get everyone together is a reunion, so one is planned for many graduating classes (it was a small school). What will happen?

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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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