Small town newspapers used to include columns of local police activity. These days it's done in some form of social media. The one from Bangor, Maine even has a following!

The author, Timothy Cotton, is a lieutenant there and he does the posts that are included in Got Warrants: Dispatches from the Dooryard. Cleverly written (try reading them out loud!), these are the 'lesser' type crimes ... the drunks, or a bar fight, or, um, relieving oneself in a public place. The more I read the better I liked this book so give it a chance ... soon you'll see what he does with his stories, and that is where the fun begins.

Not all ideas are good and not everything turns out the way it should have. Some fails are expected (or so you'd think), others are a surprise. Adam Douglas has collected many of them in Mega Fails: the Hilariously Funny Book of Humorous Blunders and Misadventures. You'll laugh, you'll shake your head, you'll roll your eyes ... ! :-)

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It's been a while since I've read one of the Royal Spyness Mystery books so it was fun to get caught up with The Last Mrs. Summers, by Rhys Bowen. Lady Georgiana is back from her honeymoon and is on her way to see the cottage her good friend Belinda has inherited. They run into a former childhood friend. Seems she has 'married up' (to another friend from their past) and invites them to come for a visit. It is there that the learn of the death of the former wife ... and things start to get complicated ... Belinda has a 'past' with the husband, and then he is found dead in her bedroom ... it seems so obvious, but Lady Georgiana knows her friend is innocent. A fun read, full of twists and turns, old secrets, childhood memories ... do not start reading this book close to bedtime!

It's coming up on December, which means winter and holiday mysteries. Murder on a Midnight Clear by Sara Rosett is one of the many I hope to read this year. Jasper is off on one of his 'secret' jobs and Olive is worried. She follows him only to be involved in an automobile accident, and ends up at Holly Hill Lodge, where he is working. It's all here ... a large house, snowbound strangers, and, of course a murder. There are codes and encryptions, red herrings and hidden messages ... lots of fun here! An old turn of phrase was 'the butler did it' ... and while in this case, he didn't, he did do something and Jasper and Olive are on the case. This is part of the High Society Lady Detective series.

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Lana's good friend (and fellow tour guide), Randy is getting married. In Italy! Because he has a rather nasty ex-girlfriend (think restraining order) the actual location is a secret, even to those who have been invited. Things are going well as they group tours Rome, at least until that ex shows up, and makes threats. How did she find out where he was? When her body is found in the Trevi Fountain, and Randy is arrested, Lana once again finds herself searching for the real killer. Death By Fountain: a Christmas Murder in Rome, by Jennifer S. Alderson, is part of her Travel Can Be Murder series. This has been a most enjoyable series, with travel just the way I like it ... from my recliner. :-)

The Burning Issue of the Day is the next in the Lady Hardcastle series, by T E Kinsey, and said burning issue is votes for women. A body has been discovered in a building that burned down. It was that of an investigative journalist so the question becomes, what story was he working on? And why does the blame fall on a local group of suffragettes? A young woman has been arrested and is in jail. Things get really interesting when Lady Hardcastle and Florence are asked to investigate. Another hard to put down book in this delightful series.

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For a lovely walk along the waterfront, start down in Fairhaven (near Village Books) and head north. You'll end up at Boulevard Park and Taylor Dock! Boulevard Park & Taylor Dock: on the Old Bellingham Waterfront is a history of the efforts it took to see that this area became the beautiful park it is, and not some high-rise development. This is a well-researched and well written book ... not a surprise since the author is Brian L. Griffin, a local author and historian who has written other excellent books about this area. Great pictures, too. :-)

Some time back now, County Reader shared with me my first look at the magazine Mental Floss. Since then I've read other issues, plus a few of the books from it. The most recent one: The Curious Reader: a Literary Miscellany of Novels & Novelists, edited by Erin McCarthy and the team at Mental Floss just might be my favorite! It is a collection about about famous books with short biographies on the author. There are lists of books that influenced them, what they did about writer's block, or how a book differed from the movie. I loved learning where some of the books were written (parks, trains) and which authors loved cats. A great blend of detailed information and trivia.

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The author of the Lady Hardcastle mysteries I've been enjoying has started a new series and the first book, by T E Kinsey, is The Deadly Mystery of the Missing Diamonds. You'll recognize the new 'lead' characters, you first met them in the Lady Hardcastle books. They are perfectly placed to help solve a decades old mystery involving a deserter, missing gems, a secret hiding place and so on. As musicians they are playing at all the places where 'keeping an ear out' might provide helpful information. It all becomes more serious, and more personal, when one of the members of their band dies on stage.

The Library of Congress is reprinting books from their shelves under the title Library of Congress Crime Classics. This could be a lot of fun! The one I picked up was That Affair Next Door, by Anna Katharine Green (edited and with an introduction and notes, by Leslie S. Klinger). It was first printed in 1897 ... written by a woman .... and the main character was a woman .... all things 'just not done'! Be sure to read the historical notes here, they are fascinating, and, all the 'old' words that were familiar then, but are not now, are explained as you read. This is more, mmm, reflective I guess, than many of the books we read today as you follow along on what the characters are thinking, how they find and decipher any clues, what they think of the testimony of a witness and so on. Interesting, but moves slowly! What I found especially fun was what Amelia saw and considered important that the men did not!

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I am finding, as I age, that I enjoy "comparing notes" with friends as to what we remember for our past, so, how could I resist a book with the title I Remember That! Captivating Stories, Interesting Facts and Fun Trivia for Seniors, by Bill O'Neill? (It's even printed in larger font). Nice little bits of history with a quiz at the end of each chapter (not required!), but with a few errors (and these are just the ones I found), such as Dr. Spock for Star Trek (one of my pet peeves ... it's Mister!) Overall, though, it was a fun and quick read.

We Learnt About Hitler at the Mickey Mouse Club: a Childhood on the Eve of War, by Enid Elliott Linder is just what the title indicates ... what it was like to be a kid in England just prior to World War II. Enid and her sister, the children of a butler and lady's maid spent spent their early years 'below stairs' in some of the best houses in the country. This was unusual as most times the 'help' could not have their children on site. They had to be 'unheard' and 'unseen'. When they could, they moved back to the city ... it may not have been the best idea as the father never did get another job as good as what he left, and that lead to issues with alcohol. Still, it was a loving family and there were some good times, and this is evident in the writing. Eventually the sisters were sent to the country ... that did NOT work out well (and is touched on only briefly) and they were reunited with their parents as soon as possible. A touching and charming read. It was compiled and edited by the author's niece, Elaine Cox.

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Murder in London: a 1950s Historical Mystery is part of the Rosa Reed Mystery series by Lee Strauss & Norm Strauss. Rosa and her 'intended' travel to London to solve a cold case, the one where Rosa's good friend Vivian, was murdered. To complicate things, Rosa was once engaged to Vivian's brother. Interesting twists and turns to the plot here, and a family secret that I did not see coming! One of the fun things about this series is that Rosa meets up with then unknown musicians! Last time it was Elvis, this time it was ... well, see if you can figure it out by the description!

Back in September of 2018 I read a book told from the perspective of the murderer: An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good. It was more comedy noir than one might expect, given the subject, but it was a hoot! Here, in An Elderly Lady Must Not Be Crossed, Maud is back! Not only does she, um, resolve some current problems, but on the long flight to Africa, memories of her life come to the surface. It's great fun to follow her 'logic' as to who she selects to 'hustle off this mortal coil' and how she can put on a confused, feeble old lady persona when necessary. Same author (of course), same translator: Helene Tursten and Marlaine Delargy.

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Any time you watch a CSI type show or hear about a case solved using forensics you need to think of, and thank, Frances Glessner Lee. 18 Tiny Deaths: the Untold Story of the Woman Who Invented Modern Forensics, by Bruce Goldfarb is the story of that remarkable woman. Born into a wealthy family she was well educated, but could not go on to any college as none took women students at that time. What a shame! Although, given what she did, what she really was lacking was that formal acknowledgment ... a diploma, she had all the smarts. She was determined that there needed to be someone with medical training at a death, whether it was natural causes or not. At the time, any man could be appointed as coroner ... the baker, a nephew. Eye witnesses were often paid to say what was wanted, others were bribed to say it was an accidental death, and so on. Ms. Lee recognized a lot could be learned from a scene of death and pushed for classes and standards to be developed. She also created small, to scale, detailed dioramas of death scenes to be used for study. (A technique still used today). This was a wonderful and empowering read, what she managed to do was unbelievable. Sadly, though, the job is not yet done, there are still counties and states without such standards for a medical examiner. (big sigh)(!)

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Years ago I started the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne novels by Julia Spencer-Fleming with In the Bleak Mid-Winter. It was a wonderful series and I thought I was all caught up ... but I wasn't! After a bit of a break, the author got back to her writing again and I recently came across Through the Evil Days. The main characters are married now, and expecting. The police department were Russ works, may be eliminated, and Clare (a priest) is in trouble because she was, um, expecting at the time of her wedding. These turn out to be small problems compared to murder, arson and kidnapping. Not to mention the worst winter weather in a long time. These are not cozies, folks, so be forewarned. They are tough, gritty reads, but extremely well done. Personally I thought this one was a bit too much of that, and a few of the reviews I read agree, but most don't. If you've not read these books, do start at the beginning!

It seems that when author J.M. Poole started the Corgi Case Files books he didn't plan on more than a few ... but he's up to #12 now with Case of the Shady Shamrock and several more are planned! A mysterious box has arrived on the porch of Zach's house. The labels are torn and smeared so it's not sure who sent it ... and inside is a strange silver box. There are symbols on it, Celtic symbols. Some move a bit when pushed. It's a puzzle box! But again, who sent it and why? Is there something inside? And why is someone after it? This has some fun Irish history as well as the delightful dogs once again helping to solve the crime (as it turns out, one from hundreds of years ago). These ARE cozies, and are just a delightful read!

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