Steeple Chasing: Around Britain by Church, is the second book I've read by Peter Ross. I like his style ... there's history and humor, and good information if you want to travel to these places (and even if you don't). There are churches with cats, and wells (water is holy, or healing). There are sites where a church has been located for centuries. Some have pagan rites. One is using an item that has been used since the 1600s, which made a visiting historian gasp ... it should be safely tucked away in a museum, not (gasp) handled without gloves! There are steeplejacks, those who climb those steeples, either for repair, or as a hobby. and, my favorite, the ones with bells. Many still do change ringing, which has nothing to do with playing melodies (although, they do that, too), but rather complex and long sequences that change in an orderly fashion (with odd names such as Plain Bob Triples, Yorkshire Surprise and so on). If fact, handbells came from needing a way to practice change ringing without keeping the entire country side awake. It's a challenge! Imagine pulling a rope, with a large bell attached to a wheel ... you have to figure in how long it takes your bell to sound (varies with the size of the bell) and then, partnered with seven others, play the changes precisely and perfectly. No music to read, just a precise order to follow depending on which change you were playing. I know this because I was once in a bell choir ... the small bells, not the big ones, and had a dedicated and wonderful conductor who wrote many changes out for us to play and explained the history.

I'll say right up front here, I almost did not include this book in my blog, but finally did so because it might appeal more to other readers (it did in the reviews I read anyway.) The Riddles of the Sphinx: Inheriting the Feminist History of the Crossword Puzzle, by Anna Shechtman sounded most interesting as did the description on the back of the book, and in The Chuckanut Reader. The history of the crossword puzzle was interesting. Early on they were often created by women, it was something they could book on crosswords: Early on (1900's), it seems they were created by women as it was something they could do while at home and attending to proper wife/mother duties. However, they were NOT supposed to do them, as it could become an addiction and they would then be avoiding those proper wife/mother duties! During the Jazz age there were all kinds of fun clues, much more so than today, and (do try and blush here) some were rather risque. In addition, though, is a lot (too much for this reader) on the author's battle with anorexia, and I found the chapter on French feminists to be a bit long. Reviews were mixed, some loved it, others had the same reaction I mention here.

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Jonathan Cardew, Jonny to his friends, always wanted to be a detective. When he was a young man, he was just about to tell his father, too, except Dad had had a heart attack and died, leaving the family business to Jonny. A packaging business. With everything needed for mailing, shipping, storing stuff, from the boxes to the packing materials, to the taping and including labeling, shipping and sometimes, delivering. It was not an inspired life, but now there was a son, who did like the business so arrangements were made for him to take over and Jonny could retire. His wife is still working so he sometimes wanders down to a local cafe run by Jasmine and it is there, sharing a table one morning, with Katya, a retired police woman, and Ivo, a young man, nearly homeless but an excellent handyman with a dog (Harold), that the Breakfast Club Detective group is formed. A body had been found and has been determined a death by natural causes which causes a lot of discussion ... and the start of their investigation. Great characters, clever writing, some nice twists to the plot ... Death in the Long Walk is the first Breakfast Club Detectives book by Hilary Pugh.

Oddly enough, my next read after The Attenbury Emeralds was also about a necklace that went missing: A Burglary in Belgravia, by Lynda Wilcox is set in London in 1924. It's during a play that Lady Eleanor Blackwell hears what might have been a gunshot, or at least something hitting the floor. Upon investigation of the box next door (think individual rooms here, the fancy/expensive seats in a theater) she finds Sir David Bristol dead from a gunshot wound. Determined to stay away and let the police do their job, that changes when the lead in the play (and mistress to Sir David) asks for her help. There are other murders, too, all with a connection to a pearl necklace. And there are threats for her to stop. Some nice details here (Lady Eleanor has certain skills she learned during 'her part' in the war), as did her maid/friend Tilly. Not a bad read. :-)

A Date with Death is a prequel to the West Wales Murder Mysteries series by P. F. Ford. It's a bit darker than the rest of the series, but with the good writing we expect from this author. One of the detectives, Sarah, is returning to work after maternity leave. Her husband is often absent so there is tension on the home front. One of her coworkers is being especially creepy so there is tension at work, too. There is pressure on her boss to solve a series of robberies and two murders ... NOW. Let's just say there is a lot going on! I figured part of one of the mysteries out, see if you do, too. :-)

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I've read a lot of books about libraries but this one might be my favorite! There are libraries here with collections older than the Vatican, ones really 'hidden' in that there is no actual address and you need permission (and directions) to visit, and one that is mobile, yes, as many are, but this one is on a car transformed into something that looks like a tank and is a 'weapon of mass instruction'! (p.47) When the familiar, oh-so-well-known red phone boxes of the UK became, well, unneeded in this era of cell phones, they were threatened with extinction, until someone had the bright idea to make them into small libraries (mobile service was being cut at about this time, too). Some have been made into tea shops, art galleries and so on, but the majority are now small, neighborhood libraries! And there's a little free library at the south pole. Right next to the marker indicating that location! There are several research facilities here, and this is to serve the folks there ... and is put out only as weather allows. :-) There are lots more, too. Hidden Libraries: the World's Most Unusual Book Depositories, by DC Helmuh is a book I've read twice already, and will browse through one more time before it is returned.

It was the subtitle of The Upstairs Delicatessen that caught my eye ... :on Eating, Reading, Reading about Eating & Eating while Reading. (!) The author (Dwight Garner) loves to eat and to read and this memoir reflects just that. The notes that must have been made to include so many books and the meals and food that they contained boggles the mind (there are notes and permissions at the end). It is divided by meals, as well as a chapter on Shopping and even Napping! I quite enjoyed this but will warn others that there is a section on, um, 'other' things that can be done with food (not sure whether I was appalled or amused) and one much too detailed description of what happens when you cut off the head of a chicken. (Although, maybe, if you don't already know, this will be of interest). And yes, it did make me hungry, and yes, I often read while I eat! (With apologies to my mother, who did raise me better). ;-)

Curiosities of Literature: a Feast for Book Lovers, by John Sutherland lived up to it's name ... curious selections indeed! Who wrote the first western? I'll bet it's not who you might think it is! Did you know JM Barrie came up with a now popular name for girls? What did various presidents read? There's a section on farts (really!), from both characters in books and authors. There are books with their own action figures, or other odd things (think Yorick and a skull for your desk). A different sort of read, for sure.

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I tend to avoid, at least at first, books on best selling lists, not sure why, but I've always done this. However, The Briar Club, by Kate Quinn, was recommended by Canadian Reader, and the entire book club! So, I gave it a try ... and read it in less than two days! It's 1950, in Washington D.C., in a rather run down (and therefore cheap) boarding house. Folks pretty much keep to themselves until one boarder, Grace, changes all that. She has a weekly dinner party (if it can be called that when it's all done on a hot plate and folks sit on the floor), where the residents get to know each other. There are lots of secrets, of course, and histories good and bad. It's the McCarthy era and one resident is on the look out for Commies; one has a (maybe) gangster boyfriend; a young mother, trying to be 'perfect' while waiting for her husband (a doctor in Korea) to come home; a elderly woman who escaped from eastern Europe ... and Grace, she has a secret, too. Things are going well, too well, perhaps, until they aren't. I'm not doing this justice here, but I don't want to give anything away! Do what the author asks and don't read the historic notes at the end first (I often start there).

This book is a Lord Peter Wimsey story, written, not by Dorothy L. Sayers, but by Jill Paton Walsh, who knew, worked with, and had Sayers permission! The Attenbury Emeralds takes the reader back to his first case ... finding a large (and rather gaudy) heirloom. The setting is the 1950's, some thirty years after this case and Lord Peter is explaining it to his wife. The emeralds have made the news once again as there is a dispute as to who actually owns them. There are plot twists, of course, and copies of the jewels (some good, some paste) that needed tracking down when they first went missing, discussions of where they were from originally, and so on. I rather enjoyed the read, but reviews have suggested that if you are a die hard Sayers fan, you might not like it as much. :-)

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Murder on a High Note is the first in the Music Shop Mystery books by Jennifer Lamont Leo. It's set in a small town in Idaho in 1916. For most of the year Timber Coulee is a lumber town, but for six weeks every summer it is host to an established and much loved music camp. This year, sadly, due to the war in Europe, there are 'anti-foreigner' feelings and stores are vandalized depending on the last name of the owner. (Some things never change, do they). Then the expected guest conductor cancels and in his place is an unknown ... who is this guy? He is charming, and he is a conductor, but why does he have an interest in an old man's death and the boxes in his shed? Join with Amanda (the store owner) and her niece as they work through the clues. A fun start!

As much as I love (and prefer) a printed book, this one, Tragedy at Piddleton Hotel, might be better as an audio book! It's written to be humorous, something much easier to convey with voices than just letters on a page! Annabel Churchill, now a widow, has moved to the village of Compton Poppleford. She has purchased the detective agency there, somethings she's sure she can do because her late husband was a detective with the London police. It comes with a secretary. Her first case is a fat cat, the owner wants to know who else is feeding his cat! Then there's a more serious case: local busy body Mrs. Furzgate has died in a fall down a flight of stairs. Was it an accident? There was a dropped sticky bun at the top of the stairs after all. Delightfully crazy characters (pay attention to their names) and some sleuthing that is almost slap stick, this was a hoot of a read! It is the first in the Churchill & Pemberley Cosy Murder Mystery series by Emily Organ.

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Ten Foot Cops: the World's Mounted Police, by Nigel Allsopp could have been an amazing book. It is a global history of mounted forces. It discusses when they were established (some have been disbanded and brought back, others are as new as 1995) and how the officers and mounts (some are camels) are selected and trained. Some are part of the police force, others are volunteers, or supported by donations, grants and so on. The author did a wonderful job of talking with members of these teams from around the world, you will learn a lot! However, it suffered from a lack of that final 'polish' ... you know, the last time through a manuscript when you clean it all up. There are incomplete sentences and thoughts, and 'spell check' should have been checked by a human as there are several uses of 'pray' instead of 'prey.' There are great photos, but most of them needed a caption. It kept me reading, the concept was spot on, but the delivery could have used some work. Just so you know ... I did read it all the way through, after all. :-)

The Horse and Buggy Doctor, by Arthur E. Hertzler, M.D. was originally published in 1938! Med school certainly has changed! ;-) Author said it wasn't really an autobiography, but there is a lot about his life included, such as a horrible childhood. It was the 'spare the rod, spoil the child' era, so parents, teachers, and clergy all beat children. There is humor too, though, he was thrashed (and the book burned) for reading an early book about anatomy which (gasp) mentioned that there were TWO sexes ... something that as a farm kid, he'd already figured out! It was a much slower process, too, since it could sometimes take several hours (and sometimes a change of horses) to get to the patient. Folks pretty much didn't call unless it was serious, though. This was an interesting read as it talks about the folks the good doctor went to see, those who came to his office (when he had one) and the hospital he set up. The forward was written by Milburn Stone, who played 'Doc' on the old TV show, Gunsmoke! Warning here, this was at times a tough read as animals were shot ... for food, for practice, and to ward of attacking dogs from a farm the doctor was visiting. Times were different, for sure! It's a dense read, too, and I sometimes took a break for something lighter in-between chapters, but you will get into the rhythm of the writing, pick out the funny bites and so on. All in all, an interesting read of a bygone era.

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Ian and Will Ferguson are Canadian humorists (humourists?) and brothers who wrote a cozy mystery! I Only Read Murder features an aging TV star who once had a very popular show. No good parts have come her way for a long time. When she receives a postcard with a cryptic message from a small town, she decides to follow up on it (it's from a former love) ... but it's certainly not what she expected! Still, the town is about to put on a play, one that is performed every year (exactly the same way) so she auditions for a part. The lead should have gone to her, but didn't, it goes to an unpopular person instead. That person (of course) ends up dead ... but who killed her, and why? And how, for that matter? Just a fun read from start to finish ... and I learned why it is considered bad luck to whistle on stage!

There is a surprise visitor in Yachts and Yelps, from the Isle of Man Ghostly series by Diana Xarissa ... someone who is looking for Mona, claiming to be a good friend (but hasn't spoken to her in eighteen years) and is unaware she is dead. He arrives on a yacht, with his extended (and unhappy) family and friends. What does he want from Mona? Later (of course) Fenella and her niece, Margaret stumble upon a body. It is one of the traveling companions. This makes everyone on board a suspect. Mona has to help, of course! There is an ex-wife, too, might she be a suspect here? We are nearly to the end of this fun series (although the author has many others out if you want to look her up).

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I do love quirky history books and Sweet Land of Liberty: a History of America in 11 Pies, by Rossi Anastopoulo did not disappoint. It starts with apple pie, nothing is more American than that, right? Except that most, if not all, the ingredients are NOT native to this country! There are pies where there are two versions, one baked for the plantation owners, the other for the slaves. There are pies with no fruit, in fact made with crackers (it's on the Ritz box to this day). With each pie there is a well written (great notes at the back) if often sobering, explanation, of our history, much of what we did not learn in history class. And, the final chapter, is back to the apple pie and how it became so strongly associated with the U.S., how the lingo and slang and references all developed to make it the American symbol it is.

Here's a topic that is decidedly foreign for me ... cooking! I am a terrible cook, and don't really enjoy spending time in the kitchen ... but I quite enjoyed Home Cooking: a Writer in the Kitchen, by Laurie Colwin! It's true, there are recipes,(which I ignored), but there are also delightful essays on cooking and what can happen (everyone has a failure at some point), on meals that were total flops (sometimes with guests), and surprising twists on favorites. Unexpectedly enjoyable. :-)

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I really am trying to make the West Wales Murder Mysteries by P.F. Ford last, but they are just so good it's easy to just pluck the next one of the shelf! Several old cottages, once home to miners and their families, are due for demolition, until, of course a body is found. The victim is dressed in fancy and expensive clothes, what was she doing in one of the shabby cabins? There is evidence, too, of, perhaps, squatters in another cabin as well. The team sets out to figure things out, and what a lot of interesting twists and turns there are in A Body in the Cottage. Clear your reading time, it's hard to put this one down.

It's always fun getting a box of books from Wandering Reader as the mysteries that are found at garage and estate sales are different than those found up here. Return to Sender is one of those. It is book four in Tonay Kappes A Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery series. Bernadette Butler delivers the mail ... on foot ... to folks she's known for years. One day a registered letter is slipped into her bag by mistake, but since she knows who it is for, she figures she can deliver, get his signature and so on. He is not at his place of business and his partner seems puzzled by the letter. Then, later, when there is a 'return to sender' box the sender is found dead. There is a 'gadget' here that the creators were going to patent in both names, but that registered letter? It was from the patent bureau with just one name on it. And what about that return to sender package? Remember, too, this is neighborhood mail carrier who has solved crimes in the past (even though I have yet to read about them), so she's at it again ... and she has the help of the Front Porch Ladies for help ... those 'women of a certain age' who like to watch what is going on the neighborhood. A fun read, even jumping in at book four. :-)

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Now here is something like I've never read, even with as many mysteries as I've posted on my blog! It starts out fairly typical ... two women, life long friends, of retirement age, are pursuing a dream they've had for a very long time ... to travel the United States. They are single/widowed so they purchase an RV and head out, with a dog, to do just that. A wrong turn takes them down a road that becomes more and more remote, and they come across a man standing next to a car that broke down. There is no signal for phones. The man makes the women feel uncomfortable, so while they won't take him anywhere, they will call for a tow as soon as they get a signal. They do so, but when the tow truck driver arrives he finds the man dead. With pictures of them, and their license on his phone. They are arrested for his murder, (at gun point) but quickly cleared. Now, at the end of each chapter is a 'dispatch' from some government agency dealing with a secret project and missing scientists, possible espionage and so on. At one point there are even Russians! The women continue their trip, often encountering strange people who seem eager to make their acquaintance, check out their RV and so on. Whatever is going on? And no, do not expect Gemma and Jo to decide the police and feds are incompetent and set off to solve this ... like I said, it's not like any mystery I've read before! I think you will really enjoy One Wrong Turn, the first in the Gemma and Jo Mysteries by Patri Lawson.

Strike out 4 Murder, by J.C. Eaton was in the box from Wandering Reader, and was a title well in to the Sophie Kimball Mystery series. This is a small community, with lots of clubs (pretty much every one is retired), and everyone knows everyone else. A body is spotted on the golf course, and reported, but when the police and EMTs arrive, the body is gone. Then someone on the softball team (lower level) is suddenly promoted to a better team ... what happened to that player? Then the person who spotted the body in the first place is clipped with a softball ... if this all sounds sort of muddled, it is, but it's a fun read and all will be made clear. :-)

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If the title Mastering the Art of French Murder conjures up memories of another book with a similar title, it should! Julia Child is a character in this first An American in Paris Mystery (another familiar title) by Colleen Cambridge. It's 1950. Paris is recovering from the Occupation. Tabitha has moved there to help care for her grandfather and uncle. She is not a good cook and is taking lessons from a neighbor, a young Julia Child! Julia and her husband love to have parties and after one of them, a woman is found dead, stabbed. The weapon is next to the body, and it is one of Julia's knives. Then, Tabitha's name and contact information are found in a pocket. Inspector Merveille thinks the case is a slam dunk, but (of course) it's not! A rather nice start to the series. :-)

In one of those odd moments of timing, Canadian Reader and I ended up finding and ordering the same book: Murder Next Door, the first in the Jim and Ginger Cozy Mystery series by Arthur Pearce. When Jim Butterfield was fired, er, let go, from his job at the library, he opted to move to Oceanview Cove. It's where his late wife grew up, and she inherited her childhood home. They'd planned to move there in retirement, but now it was just Jim. Almost as soon as he meets his neighbors one of them is murdered and the cat that was living there moves in with Jim. There is something unique about this cat, seems some humans can hear him talking in real words. Turns out one of them is Jim. Since he is new to town, and could have a motive (the neighbor once dated Jim's wife in high school), Jim is considered a primary suspect. Jim and Ginger team up to find the real murderer. Quite the unlikely and fun team!

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Finally! It took a while for Alison Golden (along with Grace Dagnall) to come out with the next (the tenth) Inspector David Graham Mystery, but they finally did! Cleaning out an attic in an old house, one that has been an inn for a very long time, something odd is noticed. There's been a huge storm, the house has been buffeted about and there is lots of damage ... and yet, one piece of furniture has not shifted. Why is that? Because it has been disguised to look like an upholstered sofa but is actually made of concrete. And there is a body inside. And so begins The Case of the Body in the Block. Just how old is this body, and who is it? And, of course, why was it stashed in the attic? It was fun 'working' with these characters again.

I've been on a non-fiction kick for a while, but when that was over I headed back to P.F. Ford and the fourth of the West Wales Murder Mysteries, A Body at the Farmhouse. I have become quite fond of the characters and their interactions, they have become a great team that are happy to be working together for sure. There was supposed to be a wedding but instead, the groom finds his bride hanging from the rafters in the barn. It is assumed to be suicide (we know that's not true, right?), and there are hints that it is not, which sets our team on the trail of what happened.

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There are common words and phrases that we all use all the time: fast lane, eager beaver, no bones about it and more. Where did they all come from? (On the nose is not a racing term, by the way). One was a totally made up word that started as a prank. Word Nerds Unite!: the Fascinating Stories Behind 200 Words and Phrases, by Webb Garrison was a great read! Some of these I knew, some I only thought I knew (and was wrong) and many of the origins were new to me. Delightful!

If you enjoy books about language and how it changes you might like Gobsmacked! The British Invasion of American English, by Ben Yagoda. It's been happening for more than 200 years, after all, and the author traces the words and phrases back to the earliest use he can find. I was not all that surprised, actually, probably because I read so many mysteries by British authors! And, I'll admit to finding some of the history and graphs a bit dry, but overall I enjoyed the book as I am fond of using, um, less than familiar words and phrases. ;-)

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 Looks like I didn't hit 'publish' on Monday, sorry about that! There will be two posts today. :-)

It took a while for Quenby Olson to come out with the third Miss Percy Guide book, but Miss Percy's Definitive Guide to the Restoration of Dragons was worth the wait. Dragon eggs have begun hatching all over Wales. Miss Percy is the expert on these things and hopes to keep things under control, but her niece has other plans. Belinda has recently stolen a newly hatched dragon along with at least a dozen of unhatched eggs and headed to London, pretty much to gain attention to herself, and make money. Getting the eggs back will not be easy! The prince regent is interested, and is actually sponsoring Belinda. He wants to keep the eggs/dragons in London, they can only add to his popularity, yes? Belinda is putting herself forward as the expert on dragons (she has stolen Miss Percy's notebooks, put those into her own handwriting so it looks as if all the knowledge is hers). Said knowledge is incomplete! ALL dragons are different ... so far one can start a fire by sneezing, one needs to ingest coal on a regular basis, one burps acid that can burn whatever it touches ... Miss Percy is very worried if dragons are hatched in London and what might happen! The quest to find and return the eggs to Wales makes for a glorious adventure!

Those that live in Sunset Hall are old, so, when a body shows up next door, and they think they might have ideas about that, the police pretty much just dismiss them. They decide to solve the mystery themselves. Join this quirky bunch, all with various infirmities, mobility issues, and levels of dementia as they figure out the reason for not only the death of their neighbor but two more as well. Along the way you will learn more about the characters, a bit about their pasts, and why they live together. The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp is the first in the Miss Sharp Investigates series. It was written by Leonie Swann and translated from the German by Amy Bojang.

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After starting, and giving up on a book that looked hopeful, and had an interesting subject matter, but was too dry for this reader to continue, I plucked the fourth Enola Holmes mystery by Nancy Springer off my TBR shelf. Enola has been working on mundane, but paying cases ... a missing dog, a missing ring, and, of all things, a missing artificial leg! Back in the days before indoor plumbing, there were public restrooms, often with sitting areas so those weary (think women in layers of clothing) could 'set a bit'. It is here when Enola and a former client recognize each other. Lady Cecily, dressed in the most fashionable, uncomfortable and confining dress (and with questionable chaperones) manages to signal to Enola that she needs help. She does so through the language of the fan. (!) And so begins the Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan ... another grand romp with the younger sister of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes. Why is Cecily no longer with her mother, and just where is the mother? Who are the rather dreadful chaperones attending to her? And why is she being held at other times in an orphanage? Such fun!

A strange 999 call (think 911) with nothing more than ragged breathing leads the detectives of Llangwelli to a body, some odd tire tracks, and eventually, of course, another body. One of their own is attacked ... why? And how did the dead biker end up propped against a tree? Lots of odd happenings here, with some good twists and turns as the evidence is collected. A Body Down the Lane is the third West Wales Murder Mystery by P.F. Ford.

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Here's a book I could not resist, it's all about the use of librarians and archivists in WWII! At that time the U.S. did not have a good intelligence agency and the president was determined to correct that. He told the military to recruit folks who knew history, who could look things up, who could read and interpret it ... the military was most skeptical, but it not only worked, said 'bookish types' made for excellent spies! My favorite example deals with Enigma, remember that? And all the trouble to decode it? If someone knew where to look, it had actually been filed with the Patent Office in London. In 1927. With all the plans, how to build it, how to use it ... all in English! Then there was camouflage clothing (to start with) ... the military nearly dismissed it because it came from an artist and was considered to 'frou frou'! Museum curators were used, and art experts to locate and recover art stolen by the Nazis. Women were used, as were refugees ... all folks not really of a military bent and yet, they helped win the war, or as it was put, at the end of the book: "We need soldiers to win wars, but we need non soldiers to win peace." (p. 249). Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II, by Elyse Graham was a hard to put down book. You've been warned!

If you read, really read, and enjoy doing so then you should get a chuckle out of Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed. I found my self laughing and nodding in several places. There are chapters on how to choose a book, spoofs on familiar titles (just a list, but you will laugh), signs you might be a character in a book, and, of course, chapters on why we read. Those include: because we had to (class), to finish a series, for love, to learn, to cry ... all good reasons to keep us up late and turning the pages. Most enjoyable.

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Every so often interesting books pop up when I'm looking for something else, and I have to read them, yes? Such is the case with The Secret Life of Hidden Places: Concealed Rooms, Clandestine Passageways, and the Curious Minds That Made Them, by Stefan Bachmann & April Genevieve Tucholke. There are houses that look traditional, but the actual living space is all underground. There are tunnels leading to pubs, or churches. Hidden rooms behind bookcases (my favorite), and secret doorways. Some are long gone, some you can visit, some are the inspiration for authors. All in all, a good read.

Seems I've been on a bit of a 'death' binge recently. I'm going to credit (or blame) that on the fact that I got my will all updated and in place last year. (It's as good a reason as any, yes?) I also liked the title of this book by Spencer Henry and Madison Reyes: Obitchuary: the Big Hot Book of Death. It's based on a podcast, which, as I under-stand, can take on a life of their own! The authors were exchanging the most outlandish obits they could find (not all are nice) and that lead to how we handle death so there are chapters on what to do with the deceased: burial, cremation, casket, coffin, natural, embalming (and to what degree), and on how to acknowledge that death: somber and serious or a celebration of life (which can include strippers!), with crowds of people, or just a few friends. You will also read about executions and pet cemeteries. Nicely written, but maybe something for a summer day? ;-)

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The Newton File, one of the Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mystery series, by Diana Xarissa, introduces a new, despicable character: Jeremy. He is a reporter for a London newspaper and seems determined to show the cold case team in the worst light possible. He can't have access to the police files, but there's been a lot in the newspapers about this cold case, including an annual update so he has much to work with ... and is happy using it ... then there's a recent missing person. The owners of the Seaview report that he checked in and hasn't been seen since. The friends he came with are not worried, and yet ... join in as this unusual team work to solve two mysteries!

After a rather intense read I opted for the third in the Enola Holmes stories by Nancy Springer. The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets was another fun romp with Sherlock Holmes younger sister. Dr. Watson has gone missing. Enola has met him, and likes him and wants to help. Using a disguise, she visits his wife, taking a nice bunch of flowers (flowers all have meanings, you know) and while there she notices a most unusual display with some most unusual blooms ... with a meaning that might mean death. Now, Sherlock is also looking for his friend and Enola needs to keep out of his way. How she does this makes for a wonderful way to spend a cold, winter afternoon! :-)

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Timing was nearly perfect with the arrival of A Body Out at Sea, by P.F. Ford. It's the second in the West Wales Murder Mysteries series. I could start it almost immediately!It starts with a pile of clothes, and a towel, all neatly folded near the water. Folks report seeing a man jogging earlier in the day, but why he would go swimming on such a cold day, and in a dangerous area is anyone's guess. Was it suicide? Or something carefully planned to get out of a bad situation of some sort? Then a skull is found when builders are digging a foundation for an extension on a home. Now there are two mysteries to solve. The skull is identified as a young woman who went missing some years back and the daughter of the woman who lives next door to the extension that is being built. She says that is not possible, but then, she is known to have memory issues. Her ex is still in the picture (a VERY odd situation). Then, the daughter does show up alive. How can that be? There is a record of just one birth ... lots of twists and turns in the plot. I thought I'd figured some of it out, but I was wrong! This is proving to be an excellent series!

Louise Penny is an amazing writer, it's easy to get caught up in her books. That being said, I am finding she is a bit dark for me these days, The Grey Wolf fitting into that pattern. Beautiful writing, but oh, so challenging. Armand is summoned to a meeting with a curious man, who gives him cryptic messages and dies in his arms. Those comments will make him wonder who he can trust, (amongst folks he has worked with for years). Why is a monk 'out of uniform' and walking down the street? The odd messages and some curious events make him wonder if there is a threat, a serious threat coming. And does it involve water? A tough read, but it is Louise Penny!

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Ever since Tall Reader told me about a movie she saw about the black women of the 6888 battalion I've been looking for a book (movie is on a streaming service I don't have) ... with little luck ... one was one of the worst books I've read in a long time (self-published, needed an editor!) ... the other, though, turned out quite good! While there wasn't enough on the 6888th, it was an incredible history book (read sort of like a doctoral thesis) ... To Serve My Country, To Serve My Race: the Story of the Only African American WACS Stationed Overseas during World War II, by Brenda L. Moore. It discusses all of those who served, why they chose the military, their background and education. Just a fascinating read! There is an excellent bibliography, end notes and index. too.

Here's a good, fun, entertaining book that is perfect for reading during the ads on a tv show! (I've included others in my posts). :-) The United States of Epic Fails: 52 Crazy Stories and Blunders Through History That You Didn't Get Taught in School, by Bill O'Neill. It includes those 'oops' moments in business, politics, military and sports. Some were unexpected, some not (when looked at from today's perspective), and my favorite ... the winning touchdown for a major game ... scored when the guy carrying the ball crossed the wrong end zone!

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As with the first in the Enola Holmes series, I really believe that someone who is familiar with both the Holmes characters, and the era where they take place will enjoy these more than the intended age group of 8 - 12! In this case, it's because of the the discussion of mesmerism. :-) The Case of the Left Handed Lady is the second in the series by Nancy Springer and is full of delightful quirks and historical bits and bobs. This time Enola is looking for a missing daughter ... Lady Cecily, who has vanished without a trace. During her search Enola has discovered some charcoal drawings Cecily has done. They are much different than the childish ones she has done that hang on the walls. Why is this? (There is a hint in the title).

Here it is, the book we've all been waiting for (well, okay, some of us ...) ;-) The Gastrothief, one of Steve Higgs Albert Smith's Culinary Capers mysteries. Albert is closing in on the mastermind behind the kidnapping of chefs and supplies, proving he is not just a crazy old man with a dog! Rex is on the trail of a scent ... one of meat, when he goes missing and the search for him brings this series to a rousing conclusion (almost)! We finally meet the paranoid person behind the quest for the perfect survival community. It's a great read ... and, since Albert and Rex have not yet visited all the small towns planned on their original journey, there are a few more books to come!

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 I love a good musical ... I am 'old school' in that I am stuck, with few exceptions, in the days of Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Lowe and so on. And while I do enjoy the movie versions of some of them, for others, well, the big screen is ... too much ... the story and music are much better when 'limited' to the space on a stage. (An an example would be "People Will Say We're in Love" from Oklahoma! where, on stage, the two leads sang, under spotlights that never quite touched vs a wide open meadow, vaseline lens, and the two embracing ...) While I've read about the composers and lyricists, and some of the actors, this is my first book about the dancers! And what a read it was! It's all here ... the auditions, the rehearsals, the directors and choreographers ... the good, the bad (some so bad they closed opening night) and, like Box Office Poison, (below) a few 'what were they thinking?' ... I Danced on Broadway: Memoir of a Career on Stage, by Lee Wilson was a most entertaining and informative read!

Not every film makes a profit, we know that, but these, the ones discussed in Box Office Poison: Hollywood's Story in a Century of Flops, by Tim Robery are the ones that failed big time. (Although some have a cult following now, due to streaming services). From silent and black and white to color, special effects and computer generated images, here are the movies that failed to capture an audience. It includes sequels, adaptations from books, and a few 'what were they thinking?' ... all in all a most engaging read.

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Here's the first in a new-to-me series: A Body on the Beach. It is the first of the West Wales Murder Mysteries by P.F. Ford, and what a wonderful read it was! Detective Norman has been brought out of retirement to head up a group of 'misfits' (says so on the back cover) that have all been sent to a small town in Wales to get them out of the way. In the past all cases of any interest have been sent on to Inspector Hickstead, from Region (he's smarter than all of the misfits, after all) but this time, when a body is found on the beach, and with Detective Norman in charge that's all about to change. Turns out the 'misfits' have good instincts, and good training, but they've all run afoul of the powers that be at some point. Norman is good at letting people use their strengths, gives credit where it's due and so on. It's amazing what that can do for folks! An amazing start for what Canadian Reader said is an amazing series! :-)

I was always rather fond of Queen Elizabeth and was pleased when S.J. Bennett came out with the series Her Majesty the Queen Investigates. This one: A Death in Diamonds, is the fourth in the series and was a grand read. Strange things have been happening ... a speech goes missing, every copy .... EVERY copy, including the carbon copies that should be in files. Fortunately a young staff woman remembers the speech, word for word so can recreate it. The Queen likes Joan and asks her to fill in for someone who needs, hm ... well, you'll have to read the book to find that out ... The male staff do NOT like her (she's really, really good at her job). Then the Queen is served oysters when on tour. She loves them but never eats them when they don't come from her own kitchen, and staff know this, so who made this error? Could someone on her staff be out to 'get her' for some reason? Who can she trust? And what about those dead bodies, one wearing an expensive tiara?

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Here is a lovely, thoughtful read from Tall Reader: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, by Robin Wall Kimmerer. It's how nature works, keeps itself in balance, and how humans have really messed that up. It also offers a way to get that balance back, a world where we are not using everything up in a way that will eventually destroy everything. It wouldn't be easy, and is (sadly) unlikely to happen. Good new is, though, that some folks are trying!

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If you want a non-fiction book that reads like high adventure, pick up The Art Thief: a True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession, by Michael Finkel. Stephane Breitwieser stole art, lots of it, in broad daylight. His girlfriend was his lookout. The thefts were thoughtful, and planned, and sometimes, they even stopped and chatted with museum staff on their way out! Thefts were not for monetary gain, he kept the art in their apartment where he could be surrounded by it every day. How he did this, and how he was caught made for a grand adventure on a cold, winter day. :-)

Author Peggy Orenstein had a busy life, one where she traveled a lot to talk about her books ... then Covid happened, and the lock down. She already knew how to knit, but some how took it into her head to learn about the entire process, from shearing a sheep, to spinning and dyeing the wool (all with natural things) to knitting a sweater. She found someone who would teach her how to shear a sheep (all masked and at the proper distance) and so it began ... Unraveling: How I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater was a most engaging read, and I don't knit! There are some life lessons, and some history about knitting which were very interesting. There are no pictures so consider going on-line to look up the final result. :-)

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Just how might an author incorporate a xylophone into a story line? Very nicely if that author is Diana Xarissa! Fenella's niece, Margaret, is back on the island. They go for a late night stroll when Fenella trips and breaks her arm. The ER doc, knowing Fenella has worked on other mysteries on the island, asks for help in finding her missing boyfriend. This relationship is new, maybe he's just avoiding the ER doc? The plot thickens, as they say, when they check his apartment and find a strange man dead on the floor. Xylophones and X-rays is another delightful entry into the Isle of Man Ghostly Series.

Here is a mystery unlike most of the ones I read. Not only are those doing the investigating younger than the usual sleuths in the stories I like, they are also pregnant! Alice and Joe have moved from London to a small town, where they can afford to rent a small house instead of a very tiny apartment. Alice is about eight months pregnant and has signed up for a pre-birthing class to meet the local midwife as well as others in the same condition she's in. A local business owner dies that night. Investigating proves to be a way to not only walk her dog (so she can go ask folks questions) but also to make friends in her new location. The Expectant Detectives, by Kat Ailes was different (for this reader anyway), for sure!

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There is a theme to my choices today ... cemeteries! Both authors like to wander through them, especially the older ones. Both had experiences when young with them.

Greg Melville considers them to be overlooked and underused historical resources. You can learn a lot from them. His first summer job was as seasonal help, mowing around the tombstones in his local cemetery. He was young and energetic and mowing quickly when one of the full time employees took him aside, told him to slow down, look around, pay attention to what he was doing. He did so and started to recognize some of the names in the old part of the graveyard as names he saw on streets and buildings and parks downtown. Then there was a section with similar death dates for those died during an epidemic. There were sections for veterans of the two World Wars, and so on. This would spark a life long interest in history! In some cemeteries, he learned, discrimination is still evident, those where blacks and whites were divided, and even now one will get care, one won't (it's getting better). Many city parks are built over old ones with little care given as to who lies beneath. Chinese could not be buried, even in the local potters field, or they had to pay a fee when no one else did. Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America's Cemeteries is an interesting read and includes discussions on word origins and changes ... undertaker to mortician to funeral director, or coffin to casket (it's the shape), or when embalming began (there were scams here!). At some point cemeteries became separate from churches and an industry was born. This changed the layout (think flat, easy to mow) and using the cemetery. for weddings and concerts. Interesting note: those planned communities, where everything looks the same? That design came from cemeteries! A really engaging read.

That took me to A Tomb With a View: the Stories & Glories of Graveyards, by Peter Ross. These are graveyards in the UK. Here, the author spends time learning about who is buried in various graveyards, and how they ended up where they did. Why are flowers still left at a centuries old marker? There is a familiar story here, too, for some of us anyway, about Greyfriars Bobby, a small dog who returned to his masters grave every morning for years. And an interesting story of a small graveyard, wedged between two busy roads that is unmarked, with no names ... everyone there died of a plague when there was concern that the body could transmit the disease, so they were buried far away (at that time). What happens when a graveyard fills up? There is some concern too, over the trend for cremation and the scattering of ashes. If a graveyard is no longer used, it will fall into disrepair, and, without markers for the deceased, we're losing bits of history. Food for thought, as they say!

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