Dear Priscilla, by Mark Schweizer, is unlike anything I've read before. While it did have a 'liturgical' theme, like his series, it was also dark, a 'noir comedy thriller' ... ! It was written in the middle of his delightful series so, was it to counter all that humor and fun? Or something else? The cops here were corrupt, on the take, but still tried to put away bad guys, too ... and when one 'bad guy' was contacting them through an advice column, one of the police took over answering the letters to 'Priscilla' ... oh, just read it, give it a chance, I quite enjoyed it! I did finally learn a bit more about the author. He had a PhD in music, and at some point worked for Methodists, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Baptists, Disciples of Christ, and Christian Scientists. He called himself 'ecumenically promiscuous!

Murder in the Reading Room is exactly that ... someone dies (quietly and with no witnesses) in the busy reading room of the British Library. Hannah is there to look up a rare book a customer of her book shop has asked about. She and her aunt Violet learn he had been researching a lost piece of Italian sculpture, one that may or may not be part of a local families collection of art brought back during war times. It could just as easily be a replica. Which is it? Then it was stolen. Or was it? Engaging read, and part of the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery series by Anita Davison.

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The cold case file gang has solved every case they've been given. Some folks, back at headquarters are not happy with this, it seems. This time, instead of given several choices of cases, they are handed one. One that has almost no information with it, about it, witnesses, or so on. Have they been set up to fail? It sure feels like it. Then there is the vandalism at Andy's new restaurant. It's not even open yet? Why? Two intriguing cases face Aunt Bessie and her friends in The Snow File, the 19th Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mystery by Diana Xarissa.

It was fun getting back to the Veronica Vale Investigates series by Kitty Kildare. This time a barmaid is found dead, one who was well liked and popular. The police think they have solved the death, that it's an easy solution this time. Veronica does not agree so she takes on the case and looks into it herself. Death at the Fox and Fiddle is the 11th book in this series. Set in the 1920s the feel for the era is wonderful.

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Subjects for my non-fiction reads have been .... curious .... recently and today is no exception. I'll start with an unusual travel guide from Lonely Planet: Toilets of the World: 100 Strange & Spectacular Thrones, Commodes, Loos, & Latrines. Some are functional (re-purposed brass instruments), some are not (on the bottom of the ocean, a row of them). Some are remote (in a desert, or the arctic) some are on busy streets (big cities) or with an interesting design or feature. Spend some time with the photos.

Not sure why undertakers caught my interest but there will be a few books on that subject! Kenneth McKenzie and Todd Harra are the co-authors of two, the first being Over Our Dead Bodies: Undertakers Lift the Lid. It is a collection of funeral stories that are sad, funny, outrageous, unexpected and more. Usually, but not always, there are 'hint's that a service might not be all that quiet so off duty police, in plain clothes are hired to be at the service just in case things go bad. There could be someone from a shelter who specifically plans on attending these services mainly to get a decent meal. A runaway horse drawn hearse. All true and respectfully told here.

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I have several friends who love to garden which is why, I'm sure, The Gardener's Plot, by Deborah J. Benoit caught my eye. :-) Maggie is happy to be back in the Berkshires, where she spent much time as a child. Since she loves gardening she has signed up to help Violet Bloom set up a community garden on a currently vacant lot, but one that once held a business that burned to the ground. There is one very pushy realtor determined to get that lot, and others ... he is the one found dead, in that very vacant lot. On opening day. And Violet is missing, too. Lots of secrets start to surface as Maggie works out what happened. Lots of hints about gardening, too, which even as a non garden type I found interesting. This is the debut novel by Ms. Benoit. She did a great job.

This is the second of a cozy series by Tunio Sahil: Christmas Returns to Marigold Falls (part of the Cozy Mysteries with Humor for Senior Women). Christmas Eve, and the annual parade are coming, and Santa has gone missing. This is most unlike him, so there must be a reason ... there is, one some forty years in the making. Follow along with the Thursday Morning Detective Society as they find him, and solve the mystery. Not a bad little story, but self published, and (remember, my mother was an English teacher) could have used a bit of proof reading.

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It didn't take long for me to pluck the third Unlikely Murder Club book of my shelf. Agatha is looking forward to building the props for the local theater's summer plays. It's just the sort of 'behind the scenes' job she likes. Until the murder, of course. One of her tools was used, but she's not a suspect, instead, she's asked to help find the murderer. As with so many mysteries, it's tied to 'something' in the past, in this case a pirate! There are rumors of a buried treasure and when clues are found relating to that, the search begins in earnest. An Unlikely Drama, by Gina X. Grant was another fun read in this series.

Murder, Mystery, and the Inheritance, by A.P. Wells, is the first in a new series and author for me. Hazel has given up everything to move to the house her uncle left her ... it's clear across the country, after all. However when she arrives she discovers the property is now a crime scene, she is a suspect, and there's a clause in the will that could keep her from inheriting everything. It's a recent clause, added since she's read the will ... she now has 30 days to solve her uncle's murder or everything goes to the local Historical Society. It proves to be a most interesting challenge.

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Despite my mom's best efforts I never caught the travel bug, I am a happy house hermit. I do enjoy hearing/reading of travels, though, and here's the book that caught my eye recently: There's No Toilet Paper ... on the Road Less Traveled: the Best of Travel Humor and Misadventure, collected and edited by Doug Lansky. There are some familiar names here, such as Dave Berry and Bill Bryson, and many I did not recognize, but all were good at humor! From a nudist beach, to eating strange things (think potato bugs), to goat races to much, much more it was a delightful read.

Given the previous title, it didn't take much for me to decide to then read How to Replace an Empty Roll of Toilet Paper: an Instruction Manual, by Nathaniel Erickson. What a hoot! Written in a 'serious' style it tells exactly how to replace this important item on several different types of holders. It also teaches how to put the fancy little triangle you might see on a roll of the stuff in a nice hotel. :-) Charming, silly, and fun.

And, this theme gave me the perfect place for this book! Why are My Nuts in the Toilet Water and Other Questions Older Men Need Answered by Allen F. Mahon. I've done a lot of reading an the aging process in women and decided I should see how 'the other half' does it! ;-) There are similar issues ... things that sag, drop, or fall. Hair in unexpected and unwanted places. Foods that cause, um, reactions they never did in the past. Sounds that emerge when sitting. Standing. Just moving ...! Memory issues and so on. All nicely printed in large type so it's easy for old eyes to read! Hysterical!

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This book has a familiar (sort of) author ... well, co-author. The Vaudeville Murders, the first Libby Seale Mystery is by Miriam & Joseph Zellnik, a brother and sister team of writers. Joseph wrote a recent entry to this post about the off Broadway opening of The Sound of Music. This one too, involves music in a way, and, it's set here, in the Pacific Northwest! (Oregon in the 1890's)! New to the area is Libby Seale who works as a seamstress at Crowther's Portland Variety ... at least until the murder. There's lots of interesting history here ... not all of it nice ... the other person interested in the murder (then another) is newspaperman, Peter Eberle. Together they will form a team. Sort of anyway, to solve the murders. A great start.

Death By the Book is the second in the Mercy McCarthy Mystery series, by Lucy Connelly. There's a literary festival going on, one that is very busy with lots of events. The main attraction, though, is James Brandt, who, face it, is not very nice. He's the one found dead from what looks like a falling bookcase, but folks are not convinced this is what actually happens. Then Mercy's dog sniffs out another body (in an odd location) who is Mr. Brandt's agent. Is there a connection? As the investigation goes on lots old secrets start to emerge involving the mayor, a chef and a botanist. What happened in the past?

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