Rosa is looking for a quiet vacation away from her detective agency and has opted for a dude ranch not too far away. (You know this won't happen). While this is a new experience for Rosa and her family, many of the other guests know each other, and, as it turns out, are not happy to see each other. When one of the more obnoxious guests ends up dead, Rosa steps in and gathers a few clues before the police arrive. They work together to figure out the who and the why. Love the inclusion of 'beatnik' poetry in this one, author is doing a great job of including period details in her books! Murder at the Dude Ranch is the seventh Rosa Reed Mystery by Lee Strauss and Norm Strauss.

While not a die-hard fan of the original Sherlock Holmes, I have read several of those books, and enjoy the spin-offs. The most recent was The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes, by Leonard Goldberg. I had mixed feelings here, so I looked up the reviews ... which were also mixed! I liked the characters, all the familiar ones are here, Watson, Lestrade, etc., but they are the offspring of the originals. Mystery was good, overall, but some how it just sort of felt off to me, and the explanation of each of her findings of the clues was almost condescending. Still, I did finish it, so I'll go with the wimpy suggestion here of 'give it a try'. ;-)

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Here's an interesting look at real laws, some still on the books: Don't Hurt a Sasquatch and Other Wacky-but-Real Laws in the USA & Canada, by Tyler Vendetti and illustrated by June Lee. In one state, women needed permission from their husband to purchase false teeth, in another, you can be fined and even imprisoned for swearing, threatening, or using foul language over the phone! In one of the US territories, where it never snows, there are laws against using studded tires. A fun and curious read, for sure. (The one in the title, by the way, is here in Washington State).

In the Devil's Garden: a Sinful History of Forbidden Food, by Stewart Lee Allen needs to come with a warning. Author has divided up various foods that were, at one time, forbidden and/or taboo, by the seven deadly sins. He discusses when, and why they were forbidden, and what happened to those caught eating them. Humans do terrible things to each other, and to animals. Interesting, but not for the faint hearted.

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Died and Gone to Devon is the next in the Miss Dimont Mystery books by TP Felden. A new (very good) journalist has been hired by the small newspaper Judy works for, should she be worried? It's an election year, too, so there are politicians speaking all about (and needing a reporter there). Then one ends up dead and Judy and the new reporter want to know why, and who. Lots of running around in this one, each keen on the trail of a hint or tip that might be helpful. And let's not forget those speeches! Author is so good at the political non-speak you'll feel like you need a shovel! ;-)

Aunt Bessie is back in the second Cold Case Mystery book, The Bernhard File. The victim, engaged to be married, heads off, unexpectedly, to New York. Why? Was it for a chance to meet up with someone he'd met playing on on-line game? (Bessie is not impressed with those, by the way, when, as part of the investigation, she learns the basics) (!). Was it to help out a friend? Both ideas are put forward ... he's either a scoundrel or a good friend. And who is staying in the last cottage? The owners of this summer rental (vacant now, for several reasons) know someone is sleeping there, and no matter what they do, he/she is able to get back in. There is never any damage though, and it's often left cleaner than it was. Diana Xarissa has a another fine series going here. :-)

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I cannot believe just how much the heat dome affected my reading! This is just a one book post today as I scramble to 'catch up'!

According to the author, Colin Cotterill, The Delightful Life of a Suicide Pilot will be the last of the mysteries feature Dr. Siri Paiboun. This has been an excellent series and I'll be sorry to see it come to an end. It's 1981 and Dr. Siri has received an odd piece of mail ... it's a diary ... a bilingual diary ... in Laos and Japanese. It dates from World War II. Naturally the good doctor is intrigued (okay, obsessed). His journey to the solution takes him on tours of little known destinations (one accessed only via a tunnel), and uncovers details of something horrible that has happened. (Warning: this is described in some detail).

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Food Americana: the Remarkable People and Incredible Stories behind America's Favorite Dishes, by David Page turned out to be a timely read ... there's a chapter about fried chicken sandwiches! (If you've seen ads on tv this will make more sense). Why and how does something become popular? (I don't understand sushi)(!) My favorite chapter was the one on barbecue. Methods of just how to bbq, how long, what seasonings are used (many are a closely guarded secret), and regional differences are discussed. Some families have been providing bbq to locals for five generations. You'll learn more about bagels, pizza, and ice cream too. :-)

This book might actually be a good companion to the one above (it's been a while since my posts have had a theme): Ten Restaurants That Changed America, by Paul Freedman. This is not about the ten that are the best, or the most well known, but rather ones that changed how we ate out, what we ate when we were out, and how some changed who ate out. There was Delmonico's, for a fancy, expensive, impressive experience ... much different than grabbing a bite in a local pub. It was a way to show off. Then there was Howard Johnson and his restaurants that stretched across the country. They looked the same, offered the same menu, and were clean and child friendly (not all that common early on) ... something that made a long distance journey or road trip easier. A few tried something new and (gasp) shocking by providing a nice lunch or tea for women without an escort. There were those that specialized in local foods and introduced eaters to new tastes, spices and the like. This is a serious, but well written, history book folks! You'll learn about various time periods in our history as you read this, take your time, there's no test at the end. ;-)

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My dog and I didn't do much more than lie in front of the fan during the time of the 'heat dome' and the formerly unheard of triple digit heat so I am a bit behind in my reading. Who knew it'd be too hot to read! Anyway, this post has one fiction and one non-fiction book, a bit of a change from my usual posts. Hope we are back to more normal weather now, and that you all stayed safe and cool.

Murder at the Races, one of the Rosa Reed Mystery books by Lee Strauss and Norm Strauss is about the early days of NASCAR racing. I am not a fan so I read this because it was the next in the series. ;-) As expected the mystery was good and I enjoyed the characters. (Keep an eye on the cat). What causes an experienced (and the winning) driver to crash after the race is over? And what made the ME suspicious? This is a great cozy series. :-)

Do you watch the news? How accurate is it? Do you believe what you read or hear? What about things like Twitter, where just about anything can by posted by just about anyone? Shouldn't we change this? Is it even possible? For a most interesting read about this, go for Veils of Distortion: How the News Media Warps Our Minds, by John Zada.

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It's back to Pomme Valley and the detective Corgi dogs Sherlock and Watson, in Case of the Abandoned Bones, by J.M. Poole. A skeleton is found buried under a large rock. It dates back to Oregon's Gold Rush days and an unsolved mystery as to the location of a mine. Then, a local book store owner is murdered. What is the connection? And how does one hide a mine so well, for so many years? Keep an eye on the dogs, they often have things figured out before the humans. ;-)

Radio Girls, by Sarah-Jane Stratford is listed as historical/biographical fiction. Be sure to start with the author's note at the back. Set after WWI, during the time when radio, and the BBC were new ... would it last? Would folks trust what they heard? What do you broadcast? (Got a chuckle over the sound effects crew!) Women were new to the workforce (should they even be part of it?) (And votes for women???? Let's not even go there!!) Overall it was an interesting read, but I never warmed up to the main character (although I did like how she changed over the course of the book). I did like learning more about the early days of the BBC, and the historical figures were interesting.

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For a different view of an investigation try Of Mutts and Men, one of the Chet and Bernie Mysteries by Spencer Quinn. Follow along as the crime/mystery is solved from Chet, the dog's observations. These are fun! I love how phrases we use, say, 'stop pussy footing around', sound fine to us, but to Chet, well, he's going to be looking or sniffing for a cat! This time the story revolves around water, or lack there of, so it was an interesting read during the all time heat wave here in the Pacific Northwest.

I often listen to my CDs of The Vinyl Cafe on those nights when I cannot sleep. Stuart McLean had one of those great 'story telling' voices. I like to read those stories, too, as they often include more details than the stories from the radio show. Secrets From the Vinyl Cafe was a delightful collection from someone I miss to this day. (He died in 2017). I hear his voice as I read. :-)

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I don't always 'get' some of the cartoons in magazines and newspapers, but here's a collection I did understand: The Ultimate Cartoon Book of Book Cartoons by the World's Greatest Cartoonists, edited by Bob Eckstein. This is a fun gathering of cartoons about books, readers, authors, book stores and so on. Excellent with an afternoon cup of tea. :-)

Humans used to be better about reading the weather ... from the look of the sky, to wind direction, what plants, bugs and animals were doing, and so on. Knowing that sort of thing is helpful in a garden, which is what Peter Wohlleben explains in The Weather Detective: Rediscovering Nature's Secret Signs. This was an interesting read, and, if one is a gardener, most helpful! I especially enjoyed the entry on telling time by using plants! :-)

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