I've worked my way through books on the states, learning about state flowers, flags, and so on and decided I needed to do the same for Canada. What I found was Positively Canadian: a Fun Guide to Canadian Language, Culture and History, by Heather Ann Pattullo. It's designed for those new to Canada, and learning English as well! There's a nice entry for each province (with pictures) and then exercises at the end on verbs, idioms, and so on. I would have liked a bit more ... is there a motto? What does the license plate look like? Is there a song? Still, it was a nice read and I especially enjoyed the chapter on 'weird Canadian words'!

I think I'm glad I didn't have to learn British history, especially about the monarchy! It's twisted and convoluted, and rather sad. There were lots of arranged marriages, usually to bind one country to another. If a male heir was not produced (and quickly) wives were banished (or worse) and 'other arrangements' were made. Those next in line might not want to wait and made plans to do away with their parents. Religion played a part, too, and sometimes a distant (but acceptable) person was crowned king or queen even though they couldn't speak English. One thing for sure, Behind Palace Doors: Five Centuries of Sex, Adventure, Vice, Treachery, and Folly from Royal Britain, by Michael Farquhar, is much different than the history books we read in school!

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Merry Christmas everyone!

Here's another great collection of Christmas stories: The Usual Santas: a Collection of Soho Crime Christmas Capers. Eighteen short stories are divided into three categories about acts of kindness, holiday noir, and holiday secrets. The first section is absolutely delightful and includes the return of the wonderful elderly lady who is 'up to no good' by Helene Tursten. (See blog post from September 20, 2019). All Maud wants is a little peace and quiet ... The 'noir' section is truly that, brace yourself, these are dark, dark stories. Well written, though, and compelling reading. Part of the fun of the third group of stories is figuring out the secret. This was a great read!

Christmas Sweets is a collection of three stories by three well known mystery writers. The one by Joanne Fluke, The Twelve Desserts of Christmas, was not really a mystery, but rather a nice story about six children who could not go home for Christmas (they are in a boarding school) and the teachers who stayed with them. The cook did not have time to make any desserts before she left, but fortunately one of the teachers has a sister with a bakery. They come up with a fun plan as to how they will pick the requisite twelve desserts. Recipes are included. The last thing Jaine expected, when applying for a job is that she would end up as an elf. (Let's just say blackmail is used). In the story from Laura Levine, Nightmare on Elf Street, she ends up in a horrible, tight, ugly costume assisting Santa. One horrible and often drunk, one nice and a delight with the kids. One ends up dead. I'll admit ... I did not see the ending coming! And lastly, the one from Leslie Meier, (who writes wonderful holiday themed mysteries), The Christmas Thief. Something big, make that huge, is going to happen over the Christmas holiday at the hotel where Elizabeth works so all vacations are canceled, and Elizabeth unexpectedly finds herself in a demanding job. One of her duties was to help guard some rare and expensive jewels, which, of course, go missing. She is a suspect, but her Mom and Aunt Tilly (not really an aunt, but everyone calls her that) arrive to help solve the crime. These made for nice reading, with a cup of tea on an overcast December afternoon.

Kate Kingsbury is writing a wonderful series, well, a sub-series, I guess, as the Pennyfoot Holiday Mystery series take place within the Pennyfoot Hotel Mysteries. Christmas is coming, guests are gathering, a local ... a demanding local is preparing for her annual pantomime (always a disaster), new staff have .... interesting secrets ... and (naturally) a body is found. It is not a hotel guest, no one recognizes him other than to say he might have been at the gambling table (which is supposed to be for guests only), so who is he, and why is he dead? A Merry Murder is a nice winter time cozy.

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I have enjoyed the Elm Creek Quilts series, by Jennifer Chiaverini, for many years. Some time back, though, she stopped writing them and went on to historical fiction (they are good, too). Seems others were missing the Elm Creek gang, too, so the author provided us with The Christmas Boutique, just in time for the holidays. It was fun catching up with the familiar characters as well as meeting a few new ones. When the church that is supposed to house the annual sale is severely damaged in a flood, Elm Creek Camp steps into to provide a location, on very short notice. Lots of characters here, not all get along, there's petty jealousy and vandalism, it's also a story of redemption, family, and friendship. I sort of got the feeling it would be the last in this series ...

This was a wonderful read for one of our darker December days: The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories, by P.D. James. There are four short stories, some with a twist, some written in first person with a nod or two to Agatha Christie! One features a witness who never came forward. Why? One uncovered a family secret long buried. Thoroughly enjoyable!

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Christmas is coming, folks are going nuts and Melanie's friend, Claire, has a new business ... give her your list and she'll do the shopping for you! It's going well until she discovers the body of her newest client. She had been living in a rather run down house on the estate of a rich (very rich) recluse. Why? And is there a connection to their high school years? And, for fun, there are puppies! Three abandoned puppies add to the chaos in a house already filled with Poodles (and one mutt). Here Comes Santa Paws is a fun, short, seasonal addition to Laurien Berenson's Melanie Travis Canine Mystery series.

I picked this book: Christmas Calamity at the Vicarage because of the theme. It is part of the Churchill & Pemberley Mystery series by Emily Organ. I know that I jumped in to the middle of the series here, but a bit of background would have been nice (and it can be done without spoiling the earlier books, Diana Xarissa does this quite well). Seems Churchill and Pemberley are 'little old lady sleuths' so when a body is found during the annual party at the vicarage, they jump right in to find the murderer. There are some great 'nods' to the game of Clue, a fun 'hunt' for the mince pies, as well as the other necessary elements of a snow storm and an old house with .... secrets. Oh, and all the evidence is pointing towards Churchill and Pemberley. ;-)

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Robert Lopresti is a local author who writes some very nice mysteries. Turns out he also writes short stories which have been published in various magazines. Shanks on Crime is a collection of those, plus a few seen here for the first time. A thoroughly enjoyable read! There's not always a murder, sometimes it's something that happened long ago, and, there's even a nod to another pnw mystery writer! Great fun!

It's December now so I will soon be starting the Christmas/holiday mysteries I have on my 'to be read' shelf. I sort of jumped the gun with Death on the Danube: a New Year's Murder in Budapest, by Jennifer S. Alderson, but this is a new author for me and I was curious. Lana has been asked by a good friend who runs a tour business to take over as a guide (the original one had a accident and is in the hospital). Lana agrees, after all, she's always wanted to see Budapest! Then someone goes missing and the body is found floating in the Danube. Accident? Murder? Seems to be a lot of motive (everyone is from the Seattle area and there's lots of 'history' amongst those on the tour). This is the first in the Travel Can Be Murder series.

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We are near, very near, the last Aunt Bessie book (in fact, it's on order as I keyboard this). The 'yearning' in Aunt Bessie Yearns, is poor Bessie, wanting nothing more than a dull, quiet walk on the beach but instead comes across another body. She thinks he looks familiar ... who is he? Is there a connection to what is going on at Thie yn Traie? There is gathering of businessmen going on after all, so there really could be a connection, yes? I had to chuckle at the end, 'something' happened that I think has only happened one other time in all the mysteries I've read! This is part of the Isle of Man Cozy Mystery series by Diana Xarissa.

Stealing the Crown looks to be the first in a new series by TP Fielden, A Guy Harford Mystery. Let's hope so! This was another great read by this author. It's London, 1941. Someone has been shot in Buckingham Palace. Looks to be a suicide, except the gun found next to the body does not belong to the victim. (Not to mention that a body certainly cannot be found in the Palace)! Guy Harford has been assigned to the case (reluctantly). Remember, this is war time ... who can be trusted? Are people telling the truth? Who might be a spy? This is fiction, based on fact ... see the author's note at the end.

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Lots of women worked at the Disney studios starting in the '30's. Walt Disney sought them out ... that's the good part. They were rarely, if ever credited, and poorly paid. Not so good, but given the times, not surprising. There were a few who made it 'up the ladder' because their work was so good. Disney might have been impressed, but it was rough going working with the other, all male, artists. And again, it was a long time before any of them saw screen credit. These names may have vanished into the archives, never to be seen again (okay, maybe that was a bit over dramatic, but it could have happened!), but for the efforts of Nathalia Holt, author of The Queens of Animation: the Untold Story of the Women Who Transformed the World of Disney and Made Cinematic History. This is wonderfully researched (scan the notes at the end, they are interesting), and well written book. It is powerful and depressing at the same time.

For one of those reads with short entries (you know, to read during the commercials) (!) try Interesting Stories for Curious People: A Collection of Fascinating Stories About History, Science, Pop Culture and Just About Anything Else You can Thing of, by Bill O'Neill. The sub-title pretty much says what I would have said! There are few incorrect names, but overall a fun collection.

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Charlotte Holmes is at it again ... posing as the representative for her (non-existent) invalid brother, Sherlock, she is out to clear the name of a friend who was caught, holding the gun, in a room with two dead men. A locked room. There is a great scene where I wanted to cheer as a widow takes over what is rightfully hers (and I'll say no more so you can cheer, too)! Murder on Cold Street is fifth in the Lady Sherlock series by Sherry Thomas.

Why would anyone want to murder a librarian? (Okay, I guess I can think of a few reasons). And then go on to murder others? Find out in Murder by Dewey Decimal, one of the A Measurements of Murder Mystery books by Stephen B. Bagley. There have been break-ins too, both at the library and at houses in town (it's a small town). Obviously someone is looking for some thing, but what? Not a bad story, it kept me up very late one night!

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