Murder in Old Bombay is the debut novel of Nev March ... and what a debut it is! It is based on true events, be sure to read the notes from the author at the end. Hired to solve the mystery of the deaths of two women, retired military man Jim Agnihotri is determined to see the case to the end, even after he is attacked several times. He is a master of disguise, and, it seems, the collector of orphaned children. A bit grittier in spots than I normally read, it still kept me reading far into the night.

Several of my friends have chickens, so it is no surprise that A Cop & a Coop, by Hillary Avis, caught my eye. :-) It is the first in her Clucks and Clues Mystery series. Leona has returned to her small home town, with the idea of starting an egg business. When she is clearing the land for her 'chicken palace' she digs up a pair of old boots. Not too surprising, actually, she's come across other garbage, too. However, the boots contain bones, human bones, and that's where things get 'interesting.' Secrets from the past surface, Leona meets up with former classmates, old rivalries flare up as the mystery of who was buried, and why is investigated.

Reading Hermit With Dog