There was an unexpected twist to Game Day this past month ... books! Not just talk about books, that always happens, but actual books! Three were a series by Nicola Pearson, the Callum Lange Mystery series. Set around Sauk Mountain, the descriptions of the area will be familiar to many of us. Callum Lange is a retired NYC detective who spent his summers growing up here with his uncle and decided then that he would retire here, far away from the noise and crime of the big city. That time has come and he is living in a yurt until he can build his cabin. The Case of the Barking Dog is the first time that he helps the local police (but you know it won't be the last). A body has been found, and nearby, some seeds. What is the connection? And of course, there is a barking dog. These are short, easy to read, and thoroughly enjoyable.

Next in the Callum Lange Mystery series, by Nicola Pearson, is The Man in the Mudroom. This time there have been a series of minor thefts: fire wood, and milk, and just why is there a man in the mudroom? Then a woman is reported missing, one who is in to wildcrafting (you'll learn a bit about this, too) and some amazing painted gourds. I'm enjoying the characters here, and the gathering of clues as the mystery unfolds.

What is the DEA doing 'way out in the middle of nowhere'? This is just what Callum Lange asks, and the answer is that it's a good place for a drug drop. The Body in the Blackberries is the third Callum Lange Mystery books by Nicola Pearson. What Lange and the DEA agent find, of course, is something worse than a dropped bag of drugs. Could there have been a plane in the early morning hours? And what about the lost dog? Have some of the local kids (some not so young any more) be involved? Another wonderful entry to this series, I sure hope there will be more!

Reading Hermit With Dog