I am loving this new series recommended by Canadian Reader: The High Society Lady Detective Series, by Sara Rosett. After a successful conclusion to her first case, Olive Belgrave opens her own detective agency but, sadly, has only been hired to find missing cats and dogs. Then she is asked to, quietly, investigate the disappearance of a famous author. You know it won't go smoothly! Murder at Blackburn Hall is the second in the series.

A body has been found (no surprise, right?) ... it is even someone easily recognized. Problem is, she drowned and was buried FIVE years ago. Just what is going on? Penny Green, a reporter, was, um, removed from her job when she wrote an article that was contrary to what her boss wanted. She is hoping this case will get her back on the payroll. Set in London, 1883, in the world of the theater and politicians (lots of opportunities for lies, masquerade, etc.) Limelight, the first of the Penny Green Mystery series by Emily Organ, was a great read! A word of warning ... if I had started this earlier in the day, it would have been a one day read.

It's been a while since I read one of Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mystery books so it was nice to get back to some familiar characters in Murder on Pleasant Avenue. This one deals with kidnappings (kids and women) and gangs, so when a woman goes missing, it's cause for concern. Then Gino (one of the main characters) is accused of murder. Sarah and Frank follow the trail to prove he didn't do it. A page turner for sure! :-)

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In the bag of books from County Reader was The Scholar, by Dervla McTiernan. I'm calling it a 'methodical police procedural' ... it was not a cozy, there were no wild car chases, or even shots fired ... just the step by step process of solving the crime. It starts with a hit and run. The body of the victim was not recognizable, but there was in ID card in her pocket ... except that the police soon find that THAT person is still alive. So just who is the dead person? Just to keep things interesting there's another case going on, too, about a father who may or may not have been trying to kill his family. Just as a FYI, there's lots of 'family' stuff going on, not always happy. It's a well written, compelling read.

Here it is! The first in the new Aunt Bessie series! The Adams File: an Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mystery, by Diana Xarissa. Aunt Bessie's friend Andrew has formed a group to work on old, cold cases that his boss would really like to see cleared. This time it's a child that went missing several years back. Add to that, a current case where a cashier at the store where Bessie shops has been fired, and accused of theft. I thoroughly enjoyed this book ... it's short, just 183 pages, there's no violent death, etc. just a nice story. There are a few new characters, some you'll like, some you won't. Give it a try!

It's all about family ... Charlotte's cousin has been murdered, and the twin brother has been accused ... Sure that he never could have done such a thing, she again partners with the Earl of Wrexford to prove it. This involves 'high society', however, fraught with rumors and gossip. Secrets will be revealed. Murder at Kingston Palace is the third in the Wrexford and Sloan Historical Mystery series by Andrea Penrose and like her others if full of wonderful characters and lots of twists in the plot.

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Another first in a series, also recommended by Canadian Reader was Eggs in Purgatory, a Cackleberry Club Mystery, by Laura Childs. I've read others by this author and have enjoyed them so I'm not sure how I missed this one (it's from some years back). Three widows have joined together to form a business, a small cafe, both to keep them busy and to provide an income. Business improves for the wrong reason ... a body is found in a car in the parking lot. It's a small town, news travels fast, and the cafe seems to be in the center of it all. There's scandal possibly involving one of the deceased husbands, and an odd cult just out of town. (Is there a link??) When a second murder occurs, the cafe becomes even more popular.

The manager of the museum has been found dead. It is ruled a suicide, but Daniel Wilson is doubtful .... even though the gun was found next to the body, it's pretty much impossible to shoot oneself directly in the center of the forehead. Then, his partner, Abigail Fenton, discovers that several artifacts on display are actually fakes. Figuring out the why and how makes Murder at the Ashmolean, by Jim Eldridge another great historical mystery.

In need of a short read one evening, I opted for another of the Markham Sisters novellas by Diana Xarissa: The Walters Case. A wedding is just a few days away and the sisters are working on the final details. The venue where the reception will be held has been very busy, and money has gone missing. Then, the 'other' venue (owned by the ex-hubby) is also robbed. It's always from the bar. From a locked box. How is this happening? Aunt Bessie is visiting from the Isle of Man and she gets involved, too.

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Here's a fun arm chair travel book (or, you could do it for real, if you like): Art Hiding In New York: an Illustrated Guide to the City's Secret Masterpieces, by Lori Zimmer with illustrations by Maria Krasinski (they met when they were kids!). There are art installations pretty much everywhere in New York, one is even an 'audible installation' so you have to go to that location and listen! Some you can touch, or climb, others you view by looking up, or down, some light up at night ... it's a diverse collection for sure! All but one are free and a few no longer exist but the history is interesting.

I like Bill Bryson's writing and while The Body: a Guide for Occupants is .... more dense (as in lots of information and detail) ... there is still that touch of humor that I expect from this author. In each section (Skin, Hair, Blood, etc.) you'll find a bit of history, an explanation of how it all works, changes in thinking about care, changes caused by aging and so on. There is an excellent bibliography and index and the edition I read also includes an afterword about Covid 19.

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Seems many books these days start with a blog and Librarian Tales: Funny, Strange, and Inspiring Dispatches From the Stacks, by William Ottens is one of them. The author has worked at all levels in the library, from page to director of a small branch ... including reference, circulation, and the children's room. If you've worked in a library, or use one on a regular basis there should be lots to make you smile (or cry) here. :-)

Ever wonder why we put things in alphabetical order, or how that even got started? It seems so obvious to us these days that we take it for granted, but things weren't always done that way. Early on, for example, just the first letter of the title might be used but nothing beyond that. Or just a first name was used, because a lot of people didn't have a last name. An interesting little bit of history here! To learn more, try A Place for Everything: the Curious History of Alphabetical Order, by Judith Flanders.

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Some time ago now I read the first mystery by Judith Flanders. I'm not sure why it took so long to get to the second, but read it I did and it's good! It takes place in the publishing and art world, something you wouldn't think would be a hot bed of death, but it is, and it's not a suicide. Once again Samantha is involved (I loved the comment on the back of the book that she is 'armed with her trusty weapons of satire, cynicism, and a stock of irrelevant information culled from novels'), but soon it seems someone is after her, too. A Bed of Scorpions, by Judith Flanders is a page turner!

Canadian Reader actually started a few books in to the High Society Lady Detective Series, by Sara Rosett, but liked it well enough to promptly go back and start with the first. That inspired me to start at the beginning: Murder at Archly Manor. It's 1923 and Olive Belgrave is in need of a job, something that is not easy to find for someone with her fancy upbringing. Her aunt offers her an unusual opportunity ... Olive's cousin is engaged to be married and her mother does not like the fiance. She asks Olive to look into his background. Without going into much detail, let's just say mayhem ensues!

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The last volume of the Markham Sisters mysteries arrived not long ago. I intend to read them one at a time, in between other books, so as to make them last as long as possible. We'll see how that plays out! ;-) The Vernon Case has the sisters busily running the last errands before Joan's wedding (there are always more, it seems). Janet is puzzled when she sees the same young man (it's the sweatshirt that catches her eye) four times in the same day ... and then later, he shows up in the hospital having suffered a serious overdose. Then it happens again, to another young man in the same sweatshirt. Just what is going on? Can there be a drug problem in the small town of Doveby Dale? Find out!

A body has been found in a graveyard. Recent, and above ground. A tourist, and with a finger that might or might not be pointing towards one of the oldest gravestones. A lot of family has come with this tourist, they are searching for their Irish ancestors. Just what did they find? Murder in an Irish Churchyard, by Carlene O'Connor, is one of her Irish Village Mystery books.

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The Iditarod starts tomorrow. I found just one new-to-me book this year: Iditarod Sled Dog Tales and Tails, by Terry Adkins and Jean Wise. Dr. Adkins was the veterinarian for the very first Iditarod back in 1973. The only one, imagine that! This was back when the trail was ungroomed, teams were bigger, and it took two weeks to reach Nome. That was when, Dr. Adkins admits, he caught the 'mushing bug' and would go on to run several races with his own team. We also meet many of those dogs in his book. A nice look at the history of the race, and the dogs that run.

Since Bibliomysteries, Volume Two: Stories of Crime in the World of Books and Bookstores, edited by Otto Penzler, is a collection, it took a while to read it. As with all collections, I did not read each and every story. Several were excellent, some I skimmed, and a couple I avoided as they were just too gritty for my tastes. (One of the best things about these collections is the diversity)! Oh, and in one of them ... Agatha Christie did it! ;-)

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Did you know that the Douglas Fir is not a real fir? Whether you do or not, Douglas Fir: the Story of the West's Most Remarkable Tree, by Stephen F. Arno and Carl E. Fiedler is a fun and informative read. There are inland and coastal varieties, there are dwarf firs and firs that grow taller than the redwoods in California. The salmon plays an important role in the life of the coastal fir. Fire, too, is important and the chapters on that are an eye opener. (Preventing forest fires, as we've learned, was not the best idea ....) The descriptions of what it was like, and how dangerous, to work in the timber industry were mind boggling.

The 99% Invisible City: a Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design, by Roman Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt is a fascinating look at things we pass every day but rarely (if at all) notice. From planned failures (breakaway posts), to fake facades to hide ugly power stations, etc., to those historical markers and so much more this was a great read. It is well written and with some nice touches of humor, but I would have loved photographs!

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