Here it is, the last Aunt Bessie until Canadian Reader arrives with more (there might be just one, actually …) in December! Aunt Bessie Provides, one of the Isle of Man Cozy Mystery books, by Diana Xarissa has Constable Hugh Watterson (newly married and looking for a house) working on a cold case. It involves a body that washed up on the beach twenty years back. Naturally, Aunt Bessie steps in to help. Tracking down those who might have been on the island back then is quite a challenge! And will the locals remember much? Or be willing to talk about it?

A healthy dog is brought into a vet to be put down … Andy Carpenter’s vet, to be specific. Why? The microchip information does not match what information was given. Again, why? This is how it all starts in Bark of the Night, the most recent Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt. Andy is reluctant to take on a case, but the young man is innocent and has a rather formidable grandmother who says so. Another clever court room mystery with great characters and really, really bad guys!

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Do you ever have company from ‘away’? What do you recommend they see while they are here? I discovered a rather curious little series of books: Greater Than a Tourist. These are tour books, but done by a local to … wherever … there are books for cities in France, Greece, India … one for the state of New Jersey … and one for Bellingham WA! Greater Than a Tourist: Bellingham, Washington USA: 50 Travel Tips from a Local, by Andrea Chin. Not bad, but a few of my favorite places were left out. Still, it may be a good thing to share with your company.

I think I’ve done this before … listed a book because the subject was fascinating even though the writing was not all that good. (To be fair here, the reviews were mostly good, but I did find one ‘academic’ reviewer that agreed with me). America’s Female Buffalo Soldier: A New Look at the Life of Cathy Williams in History and Memory, by Phillip Thomas Tucker. Born a slave, Cathy Williams went on to serve as a Buffalo Soldier, and then on to a successful life as a free woman. Worth a look!

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The new Louise Penny book, A Better Man, is dark and grim, Canadian Reader called it ‘Nordic Noir’ and that seems to fit. It is also a powerful read dealing with threats on several levels: physical, virtual, and emotional. There’s a young woman who is missing, a distraught father, and a husband that is less than concerned. Gamache has been reassigned (demoted) and has been assigned to the case. There’s lots going on here, some of it hard to read, because of the subject matter, not the writing! As always, Louise Penny’s writing is captivating.

Kiwi recently shared an old favorite (for both of us) when here for a visit: Five O’clock Charlie, by Marguerite Henry and illustrated by Wesley Dennis. Charlie once had a full life … there was plowing, logging, hauling, raking … and trips into town for a wonderful treat. Now he is retired, and life is boring. He finally takes matters into his own hands, er, hooves, and finds something new to occupy his time. The title holds a clue, but you’ll have to read the book to find out what it is. It’s a kid’s book (just a shade up from a picture book) so it won’t take you long. :-)

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What is it about little old women behaving badly that makes for such fun reading? (Maybe the ‘unexpected-ness’ of it all?) This author, who has a popular police procedural series out had the idea to write from the view of the person doing the murders (and why) and An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good was the result! A collection of stories, it’s short, and a quick, fun read! Author is Helene Tursten, and Marlaine DeLargy did the translation.

Lady Gold, make that Mrs. Ginger Reed now, was enjoying the gathering after a boat race on the Thames between rival universities when a young man drops dead. The medical examiner determined it was death by drowning. How can this be? I learned something new in Murder at the Boat Club, by Lee Strauss! Ginger is now married and I love that she and her husband have decided to work together, and how. Turns out, not all the members of the crew team are friends, or even like each other that much, so just what was the motive for murder (there are several options)? Another great addition to the Ginger Gold Mystery Series. :-)

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I have mixed feelings about Women Who Dared to Break All the Rules, by Jeremy Scott. On the one hand, the writing is rather clunky and disjointed, but on the other, the topic is interesting. I did not care for some of the women he included, but they were rule breakers! Some really changed things (or tried to do so), others just seemed out for their own pleasure. See what you think!

How do books get selected for the shelves in a TV show? What do soldiers like to read? What books are most often left behind (in a motel, on a plane)? What books do people buy but never read? This was a fun read: A Book of Book Lists, by Alex Johnson. I smiled, I laughed, I shook my head (think book burning) … I loved that the list of poetry books includes music books (John Denver was an amazing poet). A most entertaining read. :-)

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Here’s another of those wonderful history books by Mark Kurlansky: Milk! A 10,000- Year Fracas. What animal produces the best milk? What animal’s milk is closest to human milk? Milk has ties to religion, politics, business … and so much more! Is there such a thing as buffalo cheese? When did men control breast feeding? (Really, there was a law in Prussia that the husband determined when a child would be weaned)! Not just milk, either, there are chapters on butter, cheese, yogurt and so on. A fascinating global tour from ancient times to present day.

This is a delightful book for the serious cook and reader! I am just one of those, but I have two friends who should thoroughly enjoy The Little Library Cookbook: 100 Recipes From Your Favorite Books, by Kate Young. (She is also both …) I enjoyed reading why the author selected the books she did, and when she read them, but was left a bit clueless on the cooking end of each chapter. ;-) There are what look to be fun ideas for meals, snacks, and holidays. (Note: title is copied exactly as shown, I’m not sure why the italics are there).

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Otto Penzler has gathered together another wonderful collection of short stories: Bibliomysteries: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores. There’s much to enjoy here, from a drug lord who loves books, to a deadly bookcase, even a Columbo story! One is based on a true story involving pronghorns and a dirigible.

If Ginger Gold and Inspector Reed’s wedding was a bit out of the ordinary, it was nothing compared to the honeymoon! They were traveling on the Flying Scotsman, a high speed train that also carried the mail. Something … unusual was found in one of the mail bags and the Inspector is called in to figure everything out. Naturally, Ginger has to help! It doesn’t help that those cars that are sidelined are the ones with the first class passengers who are less than amused at being detained. As with other Ginger Gold Mystery books, Murder Aboard the Flying Scotsman, by Lee Strauss, was hard to put down.

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The title here: The Book: an Homage, is perfect! Author Burkhard Spinnen (with a translation by Aaron Kerner) has written a collection of essays on all things ‘book’. How they feel, or even smell. New books, old books, favorite books, those that were gifts or might have been stolen. Libraries (public and private), book stores (new and used), this was a ‘feel good’ read. Yes you can put lots of books on your electronic device, but how can that replace the pride of shelves of the real thing? And what does the printed book have in common with the horse? The illustrations by Line Hoven are a delight.

Packing My Library: an Elegy and Ten Digressions, by Alberto Manguel is a curious little collection of reflections on a life with books (in this case, the author), his own personal library, and why libraries are important. It would go well partnered with The Book: an Homage mentioned above.

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When I did a search on ‘mounted police’ I got a lot of hits about the Royal Canadian Mounted Police … many of them (yuk) romance books! So not what I was wanting! Buried amongst all those, however, was Merlin: the True Story of a Courageous Police Horse, by Gordon Thorburn. I love the description that he is ‘tall, dark, and handsome, but is not a movie star’! He, and his human Karen Howell, work in London. There are bits about his training as well as his daily work, and why, even today, mounted police are necessary.

You might be familiar with some of the entries in this book, then again, maybe not! Either way, this was a fun read: The Greatest Stories Never Told: 100 Tales From History to Astonish, Bewilder, and Stupefy, by Rick Beyer. (I did the one on music by this author in my post of August 19, 2017). How did Ivory Soap (the one that floats) get started? Who sent the first fax? And when? Most Parisians hated the Eiffel Tower, and were determined to be rid of it, what saved it? If you do any sort of a trivia night with friends and family, read this book!

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