Some time back Canadian Reader and I decided we were glad we were in grad school when we were. Further proof of that was offered recently when Kiwi shared the MLA Handbook: Ninth Edition with me! Curiously, I like enjoy books that explain how to properly write and punctuate a paper, how to cite various references, and so forth. In my day it was the book by Kate L. Turabian, my copy is still here on my shelf. This book is from the Modern Language Association of America. It's always important to give proper credit to your sources and these days there are a lot of options. It's as simple as logging on to the Internet, but then there are online papers, dictionaries, encyclopedias, magazines ... things on Facebook pages, Twitter, email and so forth. There are video clips, news stories ... and how to properly credit any of these is complicated! That, plus so much more is in this book. Granted, I did not read it from cover to cover, but if I was writing a paper, I would have!

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Some members of the Skipton city council are dying. Others seem to have fancy new cars, or have gone off on pricey vacations. Empty farms have been discovered, and there have been threatening letters. When the Council person from Toot Hansell becomes a victim, one of the members of the local WI just has to step in and replace him, doesn't she? When she is targeted, DI Adams steps in to figure out what is going on. So do the dragons. (Think about that). Game of Scones is the fourth of the Beaufort Scales Mystery books by Kim M. Watt.

If you've been reading the Bruno, Chief of Police books by Martin Walker, then you should thoroughly enjoy Bruno's Challenge and Other Stories of the French Countryside. All the familiar characters are here, plus a few that are new. All the wonderful descriptions of meals are here, in fact, if you like to cook, this might just read as a cook book! Bruno has some nice little problems to resolve, no murders or nasty characters here, just a good collection of stories.

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It was nice to return to the French countryside in one of the Bruno, Chief of Police novels by Martin Walter. The title: The Coldest Case, is a bit of a clue, it is an old case, some 30 years old. A visit to an exhibit of facial recognition of ancient skulls gives Bruno the idea that similar techniques could be used on the skull (damaged) from this decades old case. This opens up all kinds of old, long buried secrets from the Cold War. The area, in drought conditions for some years, is under an intense fire watch. (Don't miss the new use of an ancient tool)! And Balzac, the beloved Basset, is the father of nine puppies! And, of course, there's lots of descriptions of the amazing meals Bruno and his friends prepare. An excellent series!

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I am quite enjoying the Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mystery series by Diana Xarissa.

This time, in The Flowers File, it's a missing person, and stolen cars. The missing person has been missing for two years. Only his girlfriend seems worried, his siblings just don't seem to care much. And as for the stolen cars ... really, who would steal a car on a small island? Matters were made, more interesting (?) when rental cars were stolen from a visiting policeman. Twice. A fun, short read.

Seems Seattle Reader really enjoyed Baking Bad. So much so than in a very short period of time, all the books in the series had been read, as was another series by Kim M. Watt, and (drum roll, please), a collection of short stories titled Oddly Enough: Tales of the Unordinary, which was highly recommended. It took me a while to get to it, but what a grand read! There are tales of knights and dragons, and one of those 'be careful what you wish for' stories. You'll learn why only one sock goes missing ... just a fun collection of stories, many that are familiar ... but have a twist.

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Nursing Shorts: Stories About Being a Nurse by a Nurse, by Vennie Anderson, is exactly what is says it is! She started as a Candy Striper and ended her career working for the VA. In between there were many stories: happy and sad, depressing and frustrating, many what you might expect, and a few, well, not so much. Along the way she learned she had a talent for developing materials for patients and their families (something not done before). A nicely done memoir.

The Girl Explorers: the Untold Story of the Globetrotting Women Who Trekked, Flew, and Fought Their Way Around the World, by Jayne Zanglein will take you on an incredible journey of women who climbed mountains. In skirts and corsets. (Or, if a scandalous nature, then bloomers)! They were the first, or among the first to fly, to go on extended trips into Africa, or China. Sometimes they went with their husbands, sometimes in the company of other women. When the were not allowed to join the Explorers Club, even though they met every requirement, they formed the Society of Women Geographers. There are early deep sea divers, and pilots, film makers, sculptors, all who made a difference but have been overlooked or ignored by history. Until now.

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We learn a bit more about David Graham in The Case of the Forsaken Child, and the reasons why he made the transfer to the small island of Jersey. A conference is in progress, one involving lots of cops from all over the UK, including a former partner and mentor, who is suffering from memory loss. One of the attendees tells Inspector Graham that she thinks her cover has been blown. She later ends up dead, and then, her partner, is electrocuted on stage at another of the sessions. There's no lack of help here, everyone is a cop! This is the seventh in the Inspector David Graham Mystery series by Alison Golden and Grace Dagnall.

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If I could give advice to our favorite fictional sleuths, it would be 'don't take a vacation'!! It will not be a restful respite, with lazy days in the sun, or on the deck of a ship, or fishing in the river. That 'tradition' holds true for DI Adams in Book 3 of the Beaufort Scales mysteries: Manor of Life & Death, by Kim M. Watt. A peaceful spa retreat for DI Adams is not to be. (Clues might have been dragons doing yoga on the terrace, and many members of the Toot Hansell Women's Institute at the same place, on the same weekend). Then there's a big storm, which effectively cuts of both communication and closes all the roads, and a body (of course). Chaos ensues! Another fun read in this delightful series.

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It might be cliche to say a mystery started on a dark and stormy night, but in The Case of the Pretty Lady, one of the Inspector David Graham Mystery novels by Alison Golden and Grace Dagnall, that's exactly what happened. There is a hurricane, after which the body of a missing scientist washes up on shore. He was involved in some controversial studies of marine life that may (or may not) have affected the local fishing industry. Needless to say, it's not going over very well. Add to this the conflict with French fishermen. And those divers .... just what are they looking for? Good read, fun characters.

Here it is, the last Peculiar Crimes Unit book by Christopher Fowler: London Bridge is Falling Down. The PCU has been closed down. Again. For good. Except ... if they can claim an open case, that might extend the deadline. Looking for anything they investigate the death 'by natural causes' of an elderly woman. However they find no food in the apartment, not in the refrigerator, not in the cupboards. There is no phone of any kind. No radio. No pens or pencils. No shoes. Then a connection between the victim and Arthur Bryant is found. And other bodies start to pile up. What do they all have in common? And why now? As always, a good read with interesting bits of history tossed in. I will miss the PCU, but this was a good ending.

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