I'm listing both fiction and non-fiction books today as both authors are from Australia.

Here is another mystery by June Wright: Reservation for Murder: Mother Paul Investigates. The author, from Australia, was a fan of Agatha Christie, Margery Allingham, and Arthur Upfield. In fact, she got to meet Upfield, and asked how he came up with the idea of the main character in his books (the half-caste Bonaparte). He told her to create someone unusual ... so she did ... her main character is a nun! Set in a boarding house for young, working women and run by nuns you'd think life would be relatively quiet, yes? Someone is sending nasty letters to the residents, a body is found at the gates ... a stranger ... what would be his interest in the residence? There is an odd man with a concertina and a boat, and an agent from the U.S. shows up to help with the investigation. All in all, a most satisfying read. :-) (Her other book listed in this blog was Murder in the Telephone Exchange).

Life changed back in 2020 ... suddenly and abruptly! In those stay at home days of the pandemic life might have felt ... stagnant, perhaps gloomy ... there was lots to worry about ... kids, aging parents, work, bills ... but one morning Sophie Blackall had the idea to make a list, which became her book Thinks to Look Forward To: 52 Large and Small Joys For Today and Every Day. A gentle read, with soft illustrations, it is a list of hope and for better times to come. Read it, enjoy it, make your own list. :-)

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For a brief history of the ancient Greeks and Romans, try Naked Statues, Fat Gladiators, and War Elephants, by Garrett Ryan. Lots of bits about what they wore (and why) what they ate, how much money they made, what medical services were available, fighting battles using elephants and much more. A fun read, one of those books you can read during the ads on your tv program. :-) Don't miss the footnotes!

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A retired detective superintendent is taking a holiday ... a culinary tour of the British Isles. At his very first stop a thumb is found on top of a pork pie. So many possibilities here ... rival bakeries, drug smugglers ... and where is the rest of the body? His dog (an ex-police dog fired for having a bad attitude) could have resolved things a lot more quickly than the humans, after all, the answers are right there in front of his nose! Part of Pork Pie Pandemonium, by Steve Higgs is told from the perspective of the dog. Great fun! This is Albert Smith's Culinary Capers Recipe 1.

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Finally! Another book by Lynn Florkiewicz! Lord James Harrington and the New Year's Eve Mystery has Lord Harrington and his wife looking forward to the New Year's Eve ball of 1959. The start of a new decade should be most exciting! To add to the fun, a 'Wild West Show' is touring the UK and includes a collection of American Indian artifacts. There is extreme interest shown in this collection ... but why? They are of no value, the buyer knew this, the seller knew this, they are recently made items merely to show what the originals looked like. To try and determine if there's been, say, a swap, the collection is appraised ... twice ... and even X-rayed ... they are of NO value. So, why such intense interest? This has been a fun series!

A recommendation from Canadian Reader took me to Murder is Bad Manners, by Robin Stevens. It is the first in her Wells & Wong Mystery series. It takes place in a boarding school for girls in 1934. Hazel Wong and Daisy Wells have set up their very own detective agency ... but need a mystery to solve. Then (of course) a body is found ... and vanishes .... it was one of the teachers (who many thing was promoted when she shouldn't have been). Can they find the body, and figure out the murderer? This is a tween read, so it didn't take very long, but it was a good read. :-)

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I picked up The Littlest Library, by Poppy Alexander, because of the title, and the cover! Jess Metcalfe's life as been turned upside down and she's looking for a fresh start. Almost on impulse, she buys a small cottage in the countryside. On her property there is one of those red phone booths you once saw all over the UK. She turns it into a small library! Surprisingly, this causes a bit of controversy! I think this is considered on of those 'beach reads' (?) ... it's not a mystery, and it's light and happy (mostly). While not my usual style of reading, it was a fun read with some wonderful reflections on the power of books and reading.

Is the re-release of an old, much loved, children's story the cause for a death? And a missing person? Does that story contain clues of long ago death (thought to be an accident, but perhaps not)? And what about that box, found when the roof of the author of this book is being re-thatched? A Treacherous Tale, by Elizabeth Penney, is the second in her Cambridge Bookshop series. There's a 'story within a story' here, too, as we get to read that much loved tale from the past. Most enjoyable.

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Here's a book about something that took place on 9/11/2001 that I don't think I ever heard about ... all the boats that helped get folks off Manhattan Island when the roads, tunnels and bridges were closed. Fair warning here, I read Saved at the Seawall: Stories from the September 11 Boat Lift, by Jessica Dulong, in one day. Even before the Coast Guard arrived there were folks with boats transporting people across New York Harbor. Tugs, ferries, dinner boats, private boats, even small dinghies showed up to help get everyone off the island. It's an amazing story. There were 'land lubbers', too, helping get strollers, wheel chairs and the very young or very old get on and off. Businesses showed up to give out water, towels, sandwiches .... the author does a marvelous job at weaving the personal stories she collected with the real time events.

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Dotty Sayers has a decision to make. A military widow now, she can move to the new base (units have been consolidated) and live in military housing, or stay where she is (but finding her own place to live) and continue at her new job ... which she likes. It's not as easy as it sounds. When a body is found at a military parade things get even more complicated. And who are the strangers who have been seen around town, and making friends with the residents? Is there a connection to a missing military award? Fake Death is the first in the Dotty Sayers Antique Mystery series by Victoria Tait.

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Do you remember the TV show Longstreet, with the blind detective? Well, Odor of Violets, by Baynard Kendrick was the inspiration for that character. First published in 1940, it is a bit dated, but that's explained nicely in the introduction by Otto Penzler. There are two dogs, German Shepherds, who look a lot alike, both trained for different things. They are never seen together. It was most interesting to read how Captain McClain using all his other senses, solves crime. Consider the title, too, it plays into the story, and gives a most interesting twist to the end!

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If you like trivia, like to read, and are (ahem) of a certain age, then you should enjoy Annable's Treasury of Literary Teasers, by H.D. Annable. There are chapters on authors, characters, first and last lines and more. It was fun, and I read it by myself!It'd be even more fun with company!

I am enjoying the new version of All Creatures Great and Small on PBS more than I expected I would, what with the original series being so good! The companion book: The World of All Creatures Great & Small: Welcome to Skeldale House, by James Steen, and with a foreword by James Wight was a pleasure to read. I loved learning that this time, the country side was to be treated almost as if it was a character, too! (It really is, the scenery is beautiful). And also, how they expanded the roles of Helen and Mrs. Hall. You'll read about the animals, too, and what it's like to work with them. Warning: it's hard to put down, so get your chores done first!

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