Liv Green works cleaning houses. One client is a famous author (a recluse) whose books she loves. Over time, much to her surprise, a friendship starts, but then Essie, the author dies. Surprises continue when she is contacted by Essie's solicitor and told that a) she cannot tell anyone of Essie's death until November 1 (six months away), and b) she is to finish the novel Essie was working on. Why that date, and why was she picked to finish the book? Find the answers in The Messy Lives of Book People, by Phaedra Patrick.

Guilty Creatures: a Menagerie of Mysteries, edited by Martin Edwards is one of the nice collections of older short stories from British Library Crime Classics. In this case, an animal is involved with each them, sometimes even solving the mystery! I think my favorite was the one about earthworms.

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Almost three years to the day later, I read the second book about Troublesome Creek, by Kim Michele Richardson. This time, it's the daughter of the main character of that first book who is delivering books on her mule. The Book Woman's Daughter is another beautifully written book about horrible times and circumstances. (It kept me reading well past midnight). Honey, like others in her family, has blue skin (it's all explained) and so is 'different' (and we know how well that can play out). Her parents are arrested and imprisoned but Honey is saved from the childrens 'reform school' (a truly horrible place) because custody is granted to Hettie. Hettie dies, and her drunken son has to sell her place to pay bills, leaving Honey truly on her own. (She's 17). If the social worker catches up to her, she'll be sent to the reform school for sure. She takes on a job once held by her mother, of delivering books, magazines, and so on to the most remote parts of Appalachia. This is not always a pleasant story, but it is filled with strong characters, and wonderful friends, not to mention the power of books. A returning character is the mule, who is just as wonderful as in the first book.

Citizen K-9 by David Rosenfelt, looks to be the third in his K Team novels, (some how I've missed the second one). There are a few overlapping characters with his Andy Carpenter series, and quite the surprise with one of them! Corey, and his dog Simon have been asked to investigate a cold case of some years back. Is it murder, though? Or missing persons (the bodies have never been found). A tip leads them to the bodies, each found with a playing card. Why? A search brings up a few other cases nation wide with a playing card on the body of the victim. What is the connection? I like this author, his books are fun to read and you come to enjoy the interaction between the characters. This one has a nice twist to the plot, too. :-)

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The Dying Day is the second in The Malabar House series by Vaseem Khan. A respected and well known researcher (and war hero) is in Bombay where a rare copy of Dante's Divine Comedy is housed. One day he does not show up. And the manuscript is missing. The case goes to Inspector Persis Wadia and her co-workers (many of whom are reluctant to work with a woman). At first there is no body, just a series of riddles and word games. Then the bodies start showing up. One is that of a woman (probably a 'lady of the evening') found on the tracks. Set not too long after WWII, there are connections to the Nazi Party, POW and concentration camps, art theft and more. Given this, I won't say it was an 'easy' read (certainly not a cozy!), but it was a compelling read that kept me up late one evening! Just consider this, people are not always what they seem to be.

Extreme Vinyl Cafe is another collection of stories by Stuart McLean. I do enjoy reading the stories I'm so familiar with from his radio show! One of my most favorites is included here: The Lottery Ticket. Two were completely new to me, one in particular, The Cruise, I'd love to hear it from Stuart! (I thought I had all his cds, too)! Here, Dave and Morley end up on a cruise designed for seniors. The result is hysterical! (Think wheel chair races, elders bungee jumping). I think you'd enjoy these stories even without knowing about the wonderful show on CBC FM.

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Major Lennox, just a few days away from his wedding, is visiting his friend, ex-Inspector Swift. There is a phone call from Montague Morgan, claiming he is in trouble down on the London docks. There is a gunshot, a 'thud', nothing further. Seems straight forward enough, Swift calls Scotland Yard to investigate. Only the next day the operator who put the call through came around to tell him that the call did NOT originate from that location. (So, tracking someone by a phone is not new)! And so the mystery starts. Why lie about his location, and was Morgan even truly dead (no body, at least not his, as yet). There's the missing money, too. Oh, and boot leggers, from the US (think Prohibition). The Mystery of Montague Morgan is another of the mysteries featuring Heathcliffe ( but don't call him that) Lennox by Karen Baugh Menuhin. (Be sure to pay attention to the words in the Christmas carols sung by his butler).

I love the old Broadway musicals, so was curious when I found The Sound of Murder, the first in the Musical Murder series by K.L. Montgomery. It involves a traveling theatre troupe, getting ready to put on The Sound of Music in a small southern town. All seems to be going well until Ruby finds the body of the actor playing the Mother Abbess in the creek of a park where she is taking her morning jog. She and her new friend Nova decide to investigate, (they don't think the local police are doing enough) and that takes them into an interesting trail of bike gangs, and a Will, a big insurance payoff and more. Not a bad little mystery!

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There's more going on at Oakton Academy than meets the eye. And not just with the students! Lord Edginton has come to watch the end of term festivities (which include his grandson) when a body is discovered, that of an unpopular headmaster. There's a fair amount of motive here, and a good number of suspects (it's actually a rather complicated case)! Follow along in the second of the Lord Edginton Investigates series: A Body at a Boarding School: a 1920s Mystery, by Benedict Brown.

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I loved the comment on the back of Buried in a Good Book (first in the By the Book Mystery series by Tamara Berry): "turns out solving a real crime is more difficult than writing about it ..."

Well known mystery author Tess Harrow and her daughter are looking to escape real life for a while and have come to a remote cabin she owns in the Okanogan. Instead of peace and quiet she finds a body. Or rather, parts of a body. On her property. The local detective (who has read her books, and says they are inaccurate) is not thrilled with her involvement . Then there are the sightings of Bigfoot, a lynx cub, and some toucans! Putting it all together was fun!

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For a lighter, often humorous read, try Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old: a highly judgmental, unapologetically honest accounting of all the things our elders are doing wrong, by Steven Petrow with Roseann Foley Henry. The table of contents alone will make you chuckle! Did you know that double spacing after a period dates you? (I do, it does)! There are hysterical chapters here on what not to do (early bird specials, refusing to use a walker), but also some excellent ones on the end of life ... saying I love you to family and friends, write your own obituary and so forth. A good balance of humor and wisdom.

Amber Share loves our national parks, has visited many of them, and often reads about them on line. Much to her surprise, not all reviews were good ... and for what seemed to be unfair reasons (White Sands being too sandy, for example). She looked for other such posts and ended up with a book: Subpar Parks: America's Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors. It was a nice read! There's a bit of history for each park, the 'subpar' review, and the author's description of that park. Just a hint here ... parks in Alaska are too cold, those in Florida are too humid!

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Midnight at Malabar House is the first in a new series by Vaseem Khan. It is well written (no surprise) and rich in historical detail. Persis Wadia, the first (and only) woman detective has been assigned to Malabar House, where the most unwanted of the police are sent. She is surprised then, when they are called on to investigate the murder of a prominent English diplomat. Lots of twists and turns here, including a confession, which satisfies everyone but Persis. She is told to stop any further investigating, but (of course) she does not! The final conclusion was ... interesting.

Yet another spin on Sherlock Holmes is All Roads Lead to Whitechapel: a Baker Street Inquiry, by Michelle Birkby. Here, it's Mrs. Hudson, and Mary Watson who take on the case (with a little help from Irene Adler). She makes good use of the Baker Street Irregulars, too. Women are in danger. Who, and why? All in all, a very good read!

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There's something new in the headquarters of the Brighton Police, a tea kettle that turns it self off once the water boils! As much as everyone wants to stand around and watch that happen, there is police work to do. A local gang member has gone missing, a dangerous criminal (who likes to kill police) has escaped, and Inspector Steine's new popularity is, well, too much! This includes a large, loud and somewhat annoying secretary to handle all the mail and keep him safe. (well, maybe). There's a Freudian psychiatrist, too, what's she up to? And don't forget Mrs. Groynes (makes tea and cleans for the police, but also is a criminal mastermind), she must be up to something (she is, something big)! Don't overlook the 'black and white' theme. Psycho by the Sea is the fourth Constable Twitten Mystery by Lynne Truss.

Guy Hartford, artist and sometimes spy for the Royals is called upon to solve a potentially devastating rumor concerning Edward and Mrs. Simpson. Edward has been told to 'behave himself' but this rumor indicates he is doing anything but that. The plot thickens, as the saying goes, when the body of a former courtier of Edward is found in an abandoned (but once very popular) royal lodging. Betraying the Crown is the third Guy Harford Mystery by TP Fielden. Based on true events that never made the English news ... be sure to read the author's note at the end. Maybe even start with it.

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