Riding Reader has an unusual way (to me) of selecting books. There's a stop at a local county branch of the library and then a quick dash in where five or so books are plucked either from a 'to be shelved' cart, or the new book shelf. It's a system that has worked well ... always a diversity in the subjects, and always at least one worth reading! Recently there was The Traveling Archivist: Eastern Oregon. It's the first in the Della Waters Archival Mystery series by Mary B. Hansen. The state of Oregon is initiating a new program, one designed to help small towns collect, preserve and protect various city records. A professional archivist is sent out for a period of several weeks, with supplies and, of course, the know how to do just this. It should be fairly easy but there is one rather obnoxious 'pillar of the community' who tries to thwart her at every step (His family founded this town after all, it is up to him to protect the history properly). The reason for this becomes more clear once Della finds some records, woefully misfiled (but with reason, as it turns out) of the trial documents for the massacre of thirty-four Chinese gold miners more than one hundred years in the past. Based on a true event. Not a bad debut!

The work done by the Six Triple Eight Battalion in World War II is most fascinating. The US Army did not know what to do with women, let alone Black women. They were finally all put in the same battalion and assigned a job where failure was a given. Except that it wasn't. There were millions (actually more) of pieces of mail waiting to be delivered. Others had tried and failed to clear it out. They were given six months ... they had it cleared in two! The non-fiction books I found were either picture books, or had such dismal reviews that I opted for a novel about them. Women of the Post, by Joshunda Sanders was a good read, but I would have liked more about how they did what they did! Still it was an excellent, if unsettling, read of what it was like to be Negro (in the language of the time period) and how they were treated. Powerful, too, these were strong, smart women.

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Today I'll be posting just one book, but it's an amazing book! I did look for a companion to go with it, and did find something, but despite a good bibliography and so on, the book itself, sadly, was just, well dull!

The Perfect Tuba: Forging Fulfillment from the Bass Horn, Band, and Hard Work, by Sam Quinones was not! Seems the author, who writes mostly about drugs and crime wanted to do an 'optimistic' book. He went back to a file he started some years ago on the tuba and decided that would be his next project. Yes, the tuba! The tuba is a relatively new instrument, dating from the late 1800's or so. Something was needed, with more power than a stringed instrument to anchor the orchestra. Many were, and are, produced, but two remain supreme, both owned by the Chicago Symphony at the time of the writing of this book: the York tubas made almost a century ago now. They have never been equaled in sound ... it's been tried, they've been studied ... (it was a fun chapter) ... and, the author actually got the chance to (try and) play one! It took a lot of air, but he finally made a sound, which, he said, sounded so much like a growling stomach that he felt the need to apologize. It was as if he had burped in a cathedral. (p. 24) An odd side note here, the instrument that takes the second most amount of air is the flute, mainly because most of that is wasted by blowing across the mouthpiece.

The author, who works mostly from interviews, sets out to meet up with tuba players across the country. In one of the poorest areas of Texas a director has set up a program to make music available to everyone. To that end he hires teachers who play a brass instrument, and will teach marching band. They will stay with a student from 6th grade through high school. They arrive early and stay late so there is always an open room for practicing (which they insist on). At concerts the girls wear a black dress, the boys black pants, white shirt and a tie (the director provides them if necessary). These bands do well, and start beating out fancier, more elite schools in competitions. Some of the students go off to college with scholarships ... I am not dong it justice here, this is an amazing program! I found myself nodding frequently while reading this, and thinking how much my dad would have approved.

Two observations here: I come from a musical background, my father was a band director, and had marching bands. I marched in band through college, and then played in various bands and orchestras for some time afterward. I played a brass instrument (so did my Dad, actually). I felt great kinship with many of the events in this book. Because of that, I asked a friend of mine, who is in a book club, if they would consider reading it. None of them have musical backgrounds so they said 'no'. I looked up the reviews, which were glowing ... even from those without a musical background but, they had read the earlier books by this author and loved his writing style (it is good) ... so ... there it is, maybe this will help you decide whether or not to read this book. :-)

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I am in a rut, aren't I?! Here's another of the Liturgical Mystery books by Mark Schweizer: The Diva Wore Diamonds. In spite of all the good in his life (and there is a lot of that), Hayden Konig has dreams of being a mystery writer in the style of Raymond Chandler, and is in the process of writing that novel along with his other jobs of police chief and choir director. The results are not good! When they were rebuilding the church (you'll learn why in an earlier book) they come across a time capsule buried in 1900. Among other things, it includes diamonds. Diamonds that were found on local property ... but where exactly? There is a squatter trying to claim land, folks trying to sabotage Bible School, and the world premiere of a previously unknown work by Henry Purcell. Oh,and a body (of course)! Madness and mayhem as usual for this author. :-)

Needing to get out of my rut I found and tried a new author and series for me: Dead in the Morning, the first in the Oxford Don Mysteries by Margaret Yorke. There is a large family, in a big house, being controlled by a rather nasty matriarch, who is confined to a wheel chair. Tension abounds (but folks pretend it doesn't). There is a housekeeper who keeps things together, and can cook as well! One of the sons has remarried (his first wife died), to an American! She seems to be well received, until she meets the housekeeper. THAT was a very strange interaction. How could they possibly know each other? Lot of secrets bubble to the surface here. Then the housekeeper ends up dead, but was she the intended target? The Oxford Don is a rather interesting character. Not a bad start.

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It was supposed to be a quiet vacation at the beach, and to look for office space for Veronica's new business venture. It turned out, of course, to be anything but that. Death at the Harbour Arms is the fifth in the Veronica Vale Investigates mysteries by Kitty Kildare. The body of a young woman is found floating off a pier late one night. She was a young, pushy, determined (and talented) journalist. She was known to dig deep for a story ... so who did she annoy? The doctor with a terminally ill wife? The owner/manager of several pubs (and entertainment for men)? One of the ladies who worked for him? Someone else? This series has good, strong female characters, doing jobs meant for men in a time when women should be home having babies. A good read!

Yes, you are right, you are seeing many of the Liturgical Mystery books by Mark Schweizer in recent posts ... seems I just can't keep away from them! The Mezzo Wore Mink is another fun, funny read. This time, as the title hints, it's about mink ... or rather minque (an interesting hybrid of two fur bearing animals). Hopes are high for a lucrative fur business, but things go awry when they escape. Dozens of them! And then there's the Christian nudist camp opening down the road a ways. And to avoid competition with other Christmas celebrations, the first ever production of The Living Gobbler. Kept me up late reading and chuckling. Don't miss the 'advance praise' page in this series, it's worth a read!

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Books by two favorite authors today!

The Bass Wore Scales, is another of the Liturgical Mystery books by Mark Schweizer (#5). In addition to the expected puns, and 'bad' writing there is the additional challenge of determining if, when reading the word bass it is the fish or the musician! There is a 'talking' gorilla (knows sign language) visiting this summer. The interim priest has determined he has been 'saved' and therefore needs to be baptized and sneaks him away to do just that. Sadly, said priest is then found dead. Did Kokomo kill him?

The Romani are camped in a nearby field. They are not well liked by the citizens of Birch Hill so when the body of a young woman is found in one of their caravans, the towns folk want them all arrested. Redmond and Haze have their work cut out for them for sure. Follow along as they figure out this convoluted case (I can't say much, I promised no spoilers)! When a second young woman goes missing the case gets even more complicated. A warning here, this is not a cozy and there is something that happens that is most unpleasant, I'm not even sure it had to happen exactly as the author wrote it, but it's there, so brace yourself! Murder in the Caravan is the fourth of the Redmond and Hazy Mystery series by Irina Shapiro. Well written, great characters, I'll be reading the next one soon!

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I'm finding it hard not to ignore everything but the dog when reading this series by Irina Shapiro. Murder at the Mill is the third in her Redmond and Haze Mystery series. This time the body was found (with no clothes) strapped to a water wheel. Is there a reason for the location and lack of clothing? (It does suggest anger against the victim). The clues are few and it takes a while to figure all this out, but Captain Redmond and Inspector Haze are determined to do so. Secrets in their own lives emerge as well. An excellent read!

A gift from Riding Reader, Metropolitan Mysteries: a Casebook of London's Detectives, edited by Martin Edwards proved to be another good entry by this editor and publisher of British Crime Classics. Some of the authors included will be familiar, others not so much, or even not at all as some the stories were published in the early 1900's. There is a good introduction at the start explaining some of the words, phrases, and attitudes that might not be as well known, or acceptable today. I'll admit to skimming a couple of the selections, but over all just a nice period read.

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All is not well at the Carraway Dog Park ... much of it has been blocked off to build something no one asked for and no one wanted ... but it was progressing until Rosie (a basset hound) dug up the body of the councilman responsible for said project. And so their investigation begins ... Lorraine (a former PI), Cecil (retired funeral director) and Dixie (stroke survivor). Their dogs Gus (a pug), Winston (Yorkshire terrier) and Rosie help. The police have stalled out on this, seems there really isn't anyone who didn't want Wade dead. The Old Dogs' Club, by Madison Boyd was a good read with some fun characters. :-)

The cold case the crew is working on this time might be one of the hardest yet ... none of those interviewed when the murder actually happened had much to say. They have been re-interviewed as time passes but still, little more has been revealed. Will our cold case folks come up different questions to ask? The Richards File is book 18 in the Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mystery series by Diana Xarissa. It's always nice getting back to the familiar characters created by this author.

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