The Body on the Train is part of the Kate Shackleton Mystery series by Frances Brody. During a routine delivery of forced rhubarb, a body is found. Who is he, and how and why did he end up in a box car? Reluctantly, Scotland Yard calls on Kate to help out (which is frustrating as they do not give her all the details). When there is another murder Kate is sure they are connected, but the how and why will result in her life being threatened. Recently too, a local home for orphans was closed, and demolished ... why so quickly? A nice, rich, detailed story.

A Stroke of Malice is one of the Lady Darby Mystery books by Anna Lee Huber. It's January, 1832 and Kiera and her husband are at a Twelfth Night Party. It should be a happy and joyous celebration, but something is not right, there are .... undercurrents of emotion going on. During a tour of the tunnels underneath the grand house, a body is found. It is dressed well, so it's not someone hiding out, or looking for shelter in the bad weather ... Naturally Sebastian and his wife investigate, but that becomes dangerous when her life is threatened. These are well written and absorbing mysteries, great reading for these times when we are supposed to stay at home. :-)

The Bar Harbor Retirement Home for Famous Writers (And Their Muses), by Terri-Lynne DeFino was totally off the mark from what I usually read. It wasn't a mystery, or historical fiction, or non-fiction. It was much more 'romancy' (in fact, the author has just such a series out). Still, the idea of an 'old folks home' for authors intrigued me, so I gave it a try. While there were parts that were just too graphic (for me, anyway), I did like the characters. They had a past together, they all had health reasons for being at Bar Harbor, and even the attendants are more than just 'employees'. I don't want to say too much, because all the reasons develop into a rather enjoyable story!

Reading Hermit With Dog