There are all kinds of detectives: male, female, cooks, librarians, young, retired and so on, but blind? You'll find that in The Blind Detective, by Christina Koning. You'll also find some well written descriptions of World War I. (The book was written in honor of the author's grandfather). Frederick Rowlands, blinded at Ypres, has found work as a switchboard operator. He's married, with two children and one on the way, life is going well. That will change when he overhears the start of a conversation. It will lead to his involvement in a murder investigation, using different skills and talents from the more traditional detectives. It looks to be the first in a series. (This book was originally published in 2014 as Line of Sight). Note: Back in 1971 there was the (sadly) short-lived tv series Longstreet about a blind insurance investigator.

Even though, as the name implies, Doglover is a dog lover, the book handed to me this time was Saddled with Murder, by Eileen Brady. It is a new author and series for me, and, I learned, it's the first in a new series about an established character by this author. I was a bit confused at first, but got it sorted out and enjoyed a new read. Kate is a vet in a new location, filling in for another vet who is on a world tour. It's Christmas and one of the staff has made her infamous Litterbox Cake. Seems that, and making a wish are traditional, and, the wish has to be selfish. Kate makes hers, wishing that two difficult clients will go away, someone adds their names, someone else adds a third person. Unfortunately, it all ends up on line when the baker posts the reaction to Litterbox Cake, and the wishes are included. Then those people start dying. Figuring it all out made for a hard to put down read. It is a Dr. Kate Vet Mystery.

Reading Hermit With Dog