Two Birds with One Stone is the first in the Helen and Martha Murder series by Sigrid Vansandt. Instead of a scheduled meeting in the small English town of Marsden-Lacey, a body is found. Delighted to have met up (although the circumstances could have been better), Americans Martha and Helen become fast friends, as well as sleuths. The deceased is not a popular fellow, few will mourn his passing, but what was the motive? And it all starts in 1855, with the Bronte sisters, and a hidden manuscript.

Aunt Bessie is back! It will be a while until Canadian Reader can come for a visit so we have come up with a strategy ... I will collect the Aunt Bessie books and she will do the same with the Ghostly Mystery series, and we'll swap whenever the next visit is possible. :-) "U" was the next in line, in Aunt Bessie Understands. Hugh's wife is about to have their first child so he is a bit distracted, so much so that when he is supposed to be driving Aunt Bessie home, he drives to his home instead. (To be fair here, he is sleep deprived, and he and Bessie have just discovered a body in a vacation house that should have been empty). She understands all this, sends him into his house and walks to her home, just a short distance away. Turns out the body is a local who had moved away, so why was he back? And without telling anyone? (Well, except the murderer). This is another book in the Isle of Man Cozy Mystery series by Diana Xarissa.

Jacqueline Winspear writes wonderful historical mysteries and The American Agent, one of the Masie Dobbs books is no exception. An American correspondent, hoping to become part of Edward R. Murrow's team is found dead not long after her first broadcast from London. She reported on what she'd seen on a ride along with Masie Dobbs after one of the bombings of the city in 1940. Masie has been asked to investigate, as has an American agent. Turns out there is more to the American correspondent than they first thought, as well as an, mmm, 'interesting' ambassador from the U.S. And really, who can be trusted?It's hard to know that as there was a lot of war work that no one could talk about, there were spies, propaganda, secrets ... A great read with an intense feel for the time period.

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Here's a book I truly had no interest in reading. At All. Events conspired, however, and the timing was right so I decided to give it a try. 1. I'd just finished a wonderful, charming, delightful new author/series, you see. I always feel a bit bad for whatever book might follow something like that, it would have a lot to live up to, after all! 2. Kiwi had recently loaned me another book of a common theme, and, 3.Tall Reader's cousin passed this book on to her, and since she had grand kids coming and knew she wouldn't have much time to read so she passed it on to me ... I found myself taking a look at, and then reading Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man, by Mary L. Trump. (It's not really a 'tell all' regardless of what some news folks are saying). That's Dr. Trump, by the way, the author has a PH.D in Advanced Psychological Studies. It's rather like a train wreck ... it was hard to look away! This is a terrible family ... toxic, dysfunctional, unloving ... it explains a lot about the current POTUS, and why he should NOT be in the White House.

Now, just before this, Kiwi had loaned me The Trump Survival Guide: Everything You Need to Know About Living Through What You Hoped Would Never Happen, by Gene Stone (and several other contributors listed on the title page). This came out after the election, but before the inauguration and still the author was spot on most of the time. There are chapters on Civil Rights, Education, Energy, Environment, Immigration, and many more. There's a brief history of each, followed by what Obama did, and what the new president was likely to do, or at least try. Each chapter ends with what you can do to help keep some really bad possibilities from happening.

Naturally (well, to me, anyway), I thought I should include The Wit and Wisdom of Donald Trump, by Jack Knoff. It is a totally blank book. ;-) (It turns out there are several versions, by different authors ....!!)

The lack of an image of any book on this post is intentional.

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Flying, in the early days, was dangerous. Really, really dangerous. It was also fun, and thrilling ... something new and different. Racing became extremely popular. So, of course, women were not expected, or allowed to participate. They were weak and fragile, after all, and certainly not smart enough. Hah! Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History, by Keith O' Brien is the story of the women who chose to fly anyway. I agree with a review from the back cover, this is an exhilarating read.

There have other books about obituaries in my blog, but mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving, by Mo Rocca and Jonathan Greenberg has an interesting twist. It's not just about people. There are entries for dragons, and fashion trends (think corset, codpiece), scientific ideas, characters from TV shows (like the older brother on Happy Days), even trees. There are people included as well, some you'll recognize, some you won't. Oddly, a nice way to spend an afternoon. :-)

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In the stack of books left by Canadian Reader last year was the second book by Jim Eldridge (see the post for January 27, 2020 for the first): Murder at the British Museum. A body has been found ... that of a professor who was about to give a talk on the legend (or truths?) of King Arthur. Daniel Wilson and Abigail Fenton (now partners in the private sector) are hired by the museum to figure out the who and why. Stubborn police (the chief is sure it was a lunatic) and annoying journalists hamper their investigation. This is a great series!

The rogue cops of the Awkward Squad are back, this time they were brought in on a high profile case because Anne Capestan was once married to the son of the deceased. (She is also the one sent to tell him). Other bodies show up as well, and there could be a connection here, but how? The investigation is made all the more difficult because the 'real' detectives are not willing to share what information they have, see that this distant precinct has updated computer programs and so forth. Add to this the arrival of a new member of the Squad all makes for an interesting read in Stick Together, by Sophie Henaff and translated from the French by Sam Gordon. I love how they are able to figure things out!

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Here's one for my 'you read what?' list: Oh, La La! Homegrown Stories, Helpful Tips, and Garden Wisdom, by Ciscoe Morris. I do not garden ... if it doesn't bark or whinny then I'm just not interested. However, I do know who Cisco is, and this looked like it could be good ... and it was! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book (even with the short bits on more serious gardening stuff) and even laughed out loud several times. I had no idea Wisteria could be so aggressive. Or the best way to keep deer out of a yard (this was one of the 'big laugh' chapters).

I am not, and have never been a fan of phones, so imagine how I feel about unsolicited calls! Caller ID and call blocking helps, but still, too many get through. Naturally, I had to see if I could find a book! Telephone Terrorism: the Story of Robocalls and the TCPA, by Dennis Brown, was the result. (That's the Telephone Consumer Protection Act). There are laws, several, on the books, designed to prevent unwanted calls, but frankly, there are loop holes big enough for a garbage truck to navigate. This is the history of those laws, who protested and why. It's a dry topic folks, but the author has a nice style, and even injects a bit of humor here and there. It is also possible, and your right, to go after the companies who violate the Do Not Call list and that process is explained here as well.

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Secrets in a Bottle is the first in the Whodunit Antiques mystery series, by Shelly West. It does read a bit like a 'first' book, but there are many things to like ... a small town, dogs, a long lost relative ... and pirates! A phone message from her mother sends Abigail to check on her grandmother who is in the hospital ... a grandmother she didn't even know was still alive. Who broke into the antique shop? And what does the ship in a bottle have to do with it? And why haven't her mother and grandmother spoken for decades? A good "clean" cozy! (It says so, right on the back cover). :-)

It seems I either like a book by Alexander McCall Smith, or I don't (a couple I couldn't even finish!). The Department of Sensitive Crimes, first in the Detective Varg series, I did like. The crimes here are not the ones that make the headlines. Often they are minor crimes that no one wants to deal with. A man has been stabbed, in the back of his knee but no one saw anything happen. A young woman makes up a boyfriend, and then has him disappear and one of her friends worries she has killed him. There are strange things happening at a local inn. So, nothing major, but an engaging read all the same. :-) Canadian Reader has heard the author speak and said he is delightful. She and Tall Reader enjoyed this book, too.

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I've thought about reading this book for a while, but it seemed like NOW was the perfect time: The Great Influenza: the Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, by John M. Barry. Dense and detailed ... it's a good thing there is no test (!) ... it was certainly a timely read! (Yes, I did do a bit of skimming here and there). It was a virus that spread, and did so quickly, aided by troop movements (think of crowded trains, tents, mess halls) and by people moving to cities for work (think crowded apartments, people working shifts and sharing beds in shifts, lack of laundry facilities, or even showers). Bodies stacked up in the streets, on porches, next to the bed where they died. There weren't enough coffins, or grave diggers,or space in grave yards. The images that came to mind were overwhelming. Things that were learned include quarantining and distancing, closing schools, churches, businesses, washing hands, Wearing A Mask. Given some of the images on the news I'm not sure we learned these lessons.

What sort of socks do you wear? Are they subtle or wild and crazy? Do you wear them with sandals? I could not resist this book: How to Wear Socks, by John Jannuzzi! It includes a history of socks, types of socks (and what they are made of), how to properly wear the various styles, and how to fold them! There are even instructions on how to darn a sock. I had to learn this ... in a Home Ec class. As I remember, I got a C! There is also a chapter on alternative uses for socks. All in all, a fun read.

This was another title that I could not resist: Princesses Behaving Badly: Real Stories from History -- Without the Fairy-Tale Endings, by Linda Rodriguez McRobbie. The author starts with a quote as to how at some point every little girl pretends to be a princess. Every little girl? Not the author! (nor me, nor a couple of friends I've had a chance to ask in the past few days). From ancient times to present day (well, almost) here are short biographies about warriors, schemers, those who liked to party, or were, um, badly behaved. Not all were treated well (sadly, too, as today some of their behavior would be recognized as a mental disorder). What I especially liked is that in the intro (don't miss it!) the author explains how hard it was to write about many of these women. IF there was any mention of them it would have been brief, AND, just who was doing the writing? It is a possibility that the original author, given the times he lived in, would have wanted to show such bold women in a bad light. An excellent read.

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Here's the second in the Countess of Harleigh Mystery series: A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder, by Dianne Freeman. Frances (the Countess) is looking forward to some peace and quite and a good visit with her sister now that most of her (upper class) neighbors have headed to the country for grouse hunting season. Instead, a body is found. It is a friend, and someone her cousin had been dating (which makes him a prime suspect). Then there are what look to be black mails notes. And a gossip column written by a Miss Information. Another fun historical romp. :-)

Canadian Reader gets the credit for finding this book: The Body in the Dales, by J.R. Ellis. It is the first in the Yorkshire Murder Mystery series. Normally there is a visit or two during the year where we swap out stacks of books, but that isn't happening this year so I went ahead and ordered a copy for myself. I'm glad I did, it is a great read (I'm ordering book #2)! It is the first day for DS Carter, recently arrived from London, and he finds himself following his new boss across muddy fields ... in his new shoes! A body has been found in one of the many local caves. He is a local, and not well liked. The placement of the body is suspect (a long hike into the cave), as is the fact that he was an experience caver, but was not dressed in the proper gear. How did the body get where it was found? And, since he was not well liked, well, there are lots of suspects. Lots of twists and turns here, making for a great read.

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When Kiwi discovered I'd been reading about garbage and what happens to it, I was loaned Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale, by Adam Minter. It partners well with those books. :-) When you donate items to thrift stores, and so on, just what happens next? I had no idea they would be shipped so far away and put to so many different uses. It's a huge business (and has to be profitable for it to continue). The author did some serious traveling for his book, asked lots of questions, and visited lots of sites where used items are sorted, re-purposed and so forth.

Here's a book that fits nicely with other books about strong women I've included in my blog: Pioneer Doctor: the Story of a Woman's Work, by Mari Grana. Wow! It is amazing! Dr. Mary (Mollie) Babcock is one of the first female doctors. Initially her husband was supportive, but when she graduated and he was still treating her like a nurse, handling all the money and so forth, she (gasp) leaves him for a job in a small mining town in Montana. She supports birth control (remember the Comstock Laws), and was a suffragette. The author is her grand-daughter so there are family stories she remembers as well as an amazing job at research. Just an incredible life!

If you have trouble sleeping, or just want some good tips on relaxing, then try trick yourself to sleep: 222 Ways to Fall and Stay Asleep, by Kim Jones. (I'm not sure why the main title does not have caps, but the sub-title did, but, there it is, just like in the book)! Lots of good ideas here, some you've probably seen before. Just one question though, we are told to power off our devices several hours before bed time ... and yet, some of the suggestions recommend apps ... wouldn't you need a device for that? (I could be way off the mark here, I do not have a smart phone, etc., just a tablet where I've downloaded a few games).

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