For a good read, where the ... wait, I promised no spoilers ... Albert, the retired policeman and his "service" dog Rex are going to Stilton to learn how to make the famous cheese. They arrive to find a crime scene: two days before the annual festival ALL the cheese has been stolen. In charge is a young, inexperienced officer who's boss has basically told him to stand down and do nothing, that missing cheese is not all the important. Albert does not believe this and encourages (and helps) Oxford to follow the leads to (hopefully) solve the crime. There are other issues (of course) including murders and counterfeit money. All in all a most satisfying read from Steven Higgs third Albert Smith's Culinary Capers book Stilton Slaughter. Don't miss the author notes at the end explaining how this book did not play out the way he originally intended.

Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! is the first Christmas book for this year, I read it in October, but it has holds, and that's when it came to me, and it was by Donna Andrews, a favorite ... and had lots of holds ... so I read and returned it promptly.  Someone has decided to make a 'reality' show of blacksmiths making weapons. Meg has no interest in this at all, but agrees to help out in the background. That, of course, is not going to happen, and when her mentor, and one of the competitors, is attacked and his arm broken, she reluctantly fills his place. At the end of the first day one person is eliminated, and then is found dead. The investigation opens up all sorts of old grudges, and rivalries, bribes and so forth. And don't forget the crows ... keep an eye on them!

Reading Hermit With Dog