The Charlatan Murders, by Jennifer Berg is one of her Elliott Bay Mystery books. It's 1955 and a well respected and wealthy woman (who is also a very successful business person) has been murdered. There are lots of suspects as it happened during a family gathering. The family does not get along well! There are also staff persons who might have something to gain from her death. Newly appointed Detective Michael Riggs is assigned to the case. His brother (deceased), he is reminded by his boss, was a great detective but the same is not expected of Michael. Also, this is a 'high profile' murder, so, um, he'd best 'be careful' who he arrests ... All in all, not the best way to start a new job! It was fun to return to this series and I'm hoping for more.

Before Ray Bradbury wrote his wonderful science fiction and fantasy stories, he tried his hand at hard boiled detective stories. "Written in the '40's when I was in my twenties" (read the author's notes at the back), he tells Chandler and Hammett not to worry! Killer, Come Back to Me: the Crime Stories of Ray Bradbury is a collection of Bradbury that I'd never read. (Well, most of them, there are a couple that were familiar here). I've not read a lot of the hard boiled type detective stories, so I really can't compare, but while I enjoyed discovering some 'new' Bradbury, I'm glad he went on to write other things!

Reading Hermit With Dog