There was a basket on the steps of Newgate Prison. Giles thought it might hold something for one of the prisoners. It didn't. It was a head. Belonging to the prison's hangman. That did not narrow down the list of suspects as much as you might think. You'll learn a lot about the 'art' or maybe the business of hanging in Murder of a Hangman, by Irina Shapiro. (Number 13 in her Redmond and Haze Mystery series). A hanging could be quick and easy or slow and painful and the one with the most control over that, and why, was the hangman. Could it be an angry family member for one of those slow deaths? Or someone wanting to move up the ladder, as the saying goes?There is a hierarchy in the profession, after all. Another intense read by this author.

I picked this title because I'd had a 'day of mulch'. That is, an email conversation with Canadian Reader about work in the backyard requiring mulch. Then the final puzzle in Wheel of Fortune (which I got and the contestant didn't) of 'mulching your garden'. So how could I pass up on Mayhem in Mulch, a new to me author and series? Betty has recently moved to Bluejay Ridge, starting a new life for herself. She loves her new house (with a garden that needs lots of work) and her new neighbors. All is going well until she comes across a body in the local garden center. By her own admission she is a nosy sort of person so when the sheriff seems focused on her, and other clues leading nowhere, she jumps in to find the real murderer. This is the first Betty Benino Mystery by Janet Fix.

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Do you understand cricket? I sure don't (okay, no surprise, I know very little about most sports). ;-) It is a much loved sport in England though,and especially, it seems, in the 1920's. And that's where the murder takes place in Death at the Jolly Cricketer, book 7 of the Veronica Vale Investigates mysteries by Kitty Kildare. It's at the pub, after the match, and the body is found at the bottom of the stairs into the cellar. Sir Gerald was a prominent member of society, who would do him in? In addition to working out all the twists and turns of the mystery (scandal, grudges, betrayals) Veronica is worried about her friend, Ruby, who is missing. This has been a fun series.

Here's another subject about which I know very little ... coffee! A brother and sister have moved back to their small home town and have opened a fun little shop were folks can get an amazing array of coffees and pet shelter dogs in need of adoption. No Filter is book one in the Barks & Beans Cafe Mystery series by Heather Day Gilbert. The local golf instructor has been murdered and Macy (the sister) had taken on his dog ... a Great Dane. She finds a mysterious message sewn to the underside of his collar. She hides it in a 'safe place' in her old family home ... good thing since some one breaks in, looking for it, and takes the dog. She copies the message off for her own keeping and gives the original to the local police. She does her own investigating, too, of course! Not a bad start.

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Seems I just can't stop myself from reading another Liturgical Mystery by Mark Schweizer and The Lyric Wore Lycra is one of the last. :-( Hayden loves his job(s) as police chief and organist in the small town in which he lives. Lent starts soon, a somber, reflective time so the music for the church services must reflect that. And, a class will be added to the roster: Paunches Pilates. There is, of course, a murder, and a group determined to force a meeting concerning a transgender bathroom in the church (there's just the one ....). All in all another great read in this series.

As mentioned earlier, book 11 in this series, (Redmond and Haze Mystery) ended with such a cliff hanger that I went on to read this book next. To say too much would be a spoiler, at least in my mind, so, there's been a death and a kidnapping and that's all I'll say! It's a struggle to try and figure out why this woman was killed, but things start to make more sense as Redmond and Haze learn more of her past. And the man she was about to marry (also found dead). There is one delightful scene with the chambermaid, the one who found the dead man and the manager of the hotel has sequestered in a nice room so she can talk to the police ... remember, this is an era of 'knowing your place' ... when that is about to happen she asks the manager for tea and a nice breakfast! Normally 'help' might get a bowl of porridge, but a nice breakfast? Hardly! Made me chuckle. :-) Murder Among the Dead is the 12th in this series by Irina Shapiro.

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Murder at the Highland Games is the fourth in the Ally McKinley Mystery series by Dee MacDonald. It starts out as such a fun day: dancing, bagpipes, competitions of all kinds, which, much to the annoyance of the locals, are being won by (shudder) Canadians! Yes, they do have ties to the area, but really, to come in and win everything? Then one of them dies, and there's no doubt it was murder. As Ally works on figuring things out she learns just how many locals had motive. Not to mention the wife. And her uncle. A complex case for sure, and a great read. :-)

A young woman has been found dead, in a boat, wrapped in a shawl that makes her look like a mermaid. Who is she? And why the staging? When Redmond and Haze dig into her past there are all kinds of unexpected findings, including a connection with the London underworld. And a mermaid tattoo. On more than one person. Murder of a Mermaid is the 11th in the Redmond and Haze Mystery series by Irina Shapiro, and it ended with such a dramatic cliff hangar that I read the next book immediately!

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The description on the back of Remainders of the Day: a Bookshop Diary, by Shaun Bythell calls it "a hilariously grumpy year behind the counter ..." which is absolutely true! Also witty and charming and a most enjoyable read, just like his earlier books. You will read about the books he'll buy for his shop (the largest used bookshop in Scotland) and those he won't (and why). You'll get to know his customers from the regulars to the tourists, those who buy, those who will argue over any price ... it's more engaging than I am making it sound, trust me!

A recent viewing of the movie The Sound of Music inspired a search for a book on Oscar Hammerstein II (there is already one on my shelf about Richard Rodgers). I found this: Oscar Hammerstein II and the Invention of the Musical, by Laurie Winer. It wasn't quite what I was looking for, that is, what inspired his wonderful lyrics, but still a most interesting read. Maybe more of a social history book? There are what influenced the books/stories picked for musicals of that era, what was happening around the world, issues in the news and so on. Turns out, Rodgers and Hammerstein were quite progressive for their time. :-) There are the failures, here, too, and some of the not so positive aspects of their characters. I felt it was well balanced, though. A somewhat dense and detailed read. :-)

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Here is a cozy, a true cozy, in the traditional sense ... and a fun, quick read as well: Cozy Mysteries with Humor for Senior Women: A Small Town Murder Mystery with Amateur Sleuths, Puzzles, and Snarky Seniors, (gotta love the subtitle!) by Tunia Sahil. There are several mysteries to solve here, from murder to missing gnomes and the Thursday Morning Detective Society tackles them all!

A stablehand found the Earl of Granville dead in the stable one morning. Skewered with a pitchfork, a very gruesome end. Redmond and Haze are soon on the case, which turns out to have lots of ... well, to paraphrase from the back of the book... "disturbing revelations". I don't want to give anything away here! Murder in the Mews was another great read by Irina Shapiro. It is the 10th in the Redmond and Haze series. (It looks like I might have skipped book nine, but that's actually where I started, it was in a box sent to me from Wandering Reader, it is in the January 12, 2026 post).

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 I am trying to make myself slow down in the reading of the Liturgical Mystery series, after all, there is a finite number of them as the author (Mark Schweizer) is dead, but it's hard ... they are so much fun! The Maestro Wore Mohair is number 12. (Number 11, remember, is in the post from December 29, 2025 as it had arrived in a box from Wandering Reader and got all this started). ;-) There do seem to be a lot of murders in this small town but this time, at least, it's a cold case, from some thirty years ago. A body has been found in the woods. It's near what was a camp, then a nudist village, and now is being transformed into a Renaissance Faire ground, which is when the body was unearthed. Who was at that camp all those years ago? And what happened? (Many of the records have been burned). Can the small police force of Hayden, Nancy and Dave figure it out? And not to worry, the 'bad' writing entries are just as bad!

Here's a curious and fun mystery, especially if you like to do word search puzzles! Murder Among the Stacks, the first in A Cranberry Creek Word Search Mystery series, by Rosie A. Point and puzzles by Charles Timmerman. Each short chapter includes a word search puzzle with words from that chapter. Abby is starting a new life, in a new (small) town. She runs a book store and has a local, well known author for her first event. Things to not go well when said author dies at that event and Abby is considered a primary suspect. However, there is also the mother, a good friend (really?) and her assistant who all could have possible motives whereas Abby does not. A quick read (but I did not do the puzzles). ;-)

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