There are several laugh out loud moments in Swamp Sniper, the third in the Miss Fortune Mystery series by Jana Deleon. The race for mayor is on: Ida May (local) and Ted Williams (a Yankee) have both made speeches (it's early in the race), but then Ted is murdered ... with poison found in Ida May's shed ... the pressure is on Deputy LaBlanc to arrest her and consider the case solved. Fortune and Gertie know Ida May is no murderer and take it upon themselves to investigate. Along the way they break into a house and actually find some decent evidence (which cannot be used) only to be followed by some mysterious (newcomers) men. This will happen more than once, just who are they, and why are they interested in Ted's death? Now, the women break in by picking locks, then relocking doors and so on, the men, they just break a window, often setting off alarms. Then there's the escape (under gun fire) in a leaking boat. Not to mention a foot caught in a toilet ... just a hoot of a read!

Christopher is studying for exams when he is whisked away from school by his grandfather, Lord Edgington, who has received a letter warning of a pending murder. The author of said letter the is elderly, infirm (and rich) Hugo Templeton-Swift. Present at the manor are Hugo, his much younger wife, his three estranged children, and an unusual group of servants. (And don't discount the doctor). Hugo is indeed murdered, but figuring out who will take some serious sleuthing. The Curious Case of the Templeton-Swifts is the sixth Lord Edgington Investigates book by Benedict Brown.

Reading Hermit With Dog