Here's a mystery with an interesting twist to the plot ... the author must have had fun writing it! The Secret Detective Agency, by Helena Dixon is set in 1941 London (well, England). It starts with a body in a pond. Who is it, and why is she there? Those assigned to figure things out do know each other, but don't necessarily like each other. One is good with codes and ciphers and unfit for active service due to severe asthma. The other manages agents sent out on various missions who smokes, and has a cat. The problem is that pretty much everything is secret, even the agents don't all know each other. Each has a code name for their respective mission, and no one can talk about anything, which makes asking questions especially hard. So, how do you figure things out? The bodies will pile up as Arthur and Jane work to figure things out.

The Mystery Guest is a Maid Novel by Nita Prose. What's fun here is that while there are familiar characters from her first book, it is not a sequel! You can read the books in any order. :-) The beautiful hotel where Molly works looks stunning ... everything cleaned, polished, dusted and so on for the gathering that will feature a famous author, one that is a bit of a recluse, and who has an announcement to make. J.D. Grimthorpe dies before he can finish what he wants to say, but it is really a heart attack? Events from her past surface as Molly works to solve the mystery.

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It took a while for the next Lane Winslow book Lightning Strikes the Silence, by Iona Whishaw to come out, and then a while for me to read it (it's a big book and I've been leaning towards shorter stories of late), but when I started I could not put it down. This is a favorite author of mine, her writing is simply beautiful from the descriptions of the time period to the events in the story ... in this case not too long after WWII and what appears to be an unexploded bomb (that wasn't). Add to that the dead body of a Japanese woman and a surviving (but mute) child and all kinds of feelings from the war are brought up. Then there is the death of a local jeweler, too, what is going on? I won't wait as long to read the next in the series!

And, speaking of a good series ... The Case of the Disappearing Duchess is the sixth in the Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer and was just as good a read as the earlier books. (I'm told the Netflix series is excellent as well, by at least three people). Enola and her brother are both looking for the Duchess, but it is Enola that figures out she has been kidnapped, and why. Sherlock is also looking for Enola (and completely misses her once, when she is in costume) because he needs help deciphering a cryptic message from their mother. Mycroft, of course, wants to find Enola and send her to a proper boarding school. Will they meet up? Come to terms? Figure everything out?

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Ginny Reese is a vet who manages to get involved with murder ... she has been described as the result of James Herriot and Jessica Fletcher having a baby (pg 15). This time it starts with a bone her dog finds when her hay storage shed collapses in a wind storm. It's human, buried about 20 years ... the resulting investigation and fallout from that is proof to me why it's best to avoid high school reunions! (Not that I've been to any of mine). A Nose for Death is a Cozy Pet Lovers Mystery by M.K. Dean. And, while full of angst from those sometimes troublesome years in high school, is a cozy in the traditional sense. :-)

A former governor has gone missing ... is it something to be worried about, or typical for this person now that he's retired? Fred (the Great Dane) and Megan join Crystal on her search for her dad in A Tail for Trouble, by Rimmy London. Then missing money is discovered, and, a young boy goes missing. There is a storm brewing as well so time is of the essence. Tuck in a bit of romance and this book has something for just about every reader (who like a good cozy, that is). ;-) It is the third in the Megan Henny Cozy Mystery series. It is set here in the pnw, which is also something I enjoy.

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Kitty and her new husband, Inspector Robert Crawford Sinclair, are on their honeymoon in Paris. It is the city of light and they are enjoying a time 'away from work'. You know that will not last and sure enough, a body is found. It should be a matter for the French police, but Kitty, and eventually her hubby, cannot help aiding them. The search takes them across Paris and even into the Catacombs. A Murder in Paris is the 10th book in Magda Alexander's Kitty Worthington Mystery series. Nice descriptions of Paris, and the food! ;-)

Responding to a call from a friend, Santiago, in jail, Megan visits him only to be given a message in gibberish ... just what is he talking about? And is it in code? She knows he is not a spy but can she prove it? There is a necklace, too, with a strange and unusual history. And, Megan is trying to figure out what her small business can be, since renting scooters for the tourists did not work! When Fred, the dog (a Great Dane) is kid, er, dog-napped, things get serious (and scary). Sniffing Out the Spy, by Rimmy London, is the second of her Megan Henny Cozy Mystery series.

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Here's another 'non-mystery' with an unusual friendship. The Library, by Bella Osborne. Tom (a teenager) is unhappy at home, his mother has died and his dad drinks, a lot. He escapes to the small, local library and discovers two things: he likes reading romance novels (tells the librarian they are for his mom) and a new friend ... Maggie, a woman 'of a certain age' (who knew grammas could be such fun)? They strike up a friendship and he finds refuge in her home, taking care of sheep and chickens. Then, their little library is threatened with closure and they rally to help save it. A nice read for these rather bleak times.

I was headed for various appointments, ones where there could be some waiting time so I wanted a light book to carry with me. I opted for the fifth Enola Holmes book, The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline, by Nancy Springer. Enola's land lady has received a cryptic and scary message demanding something from decades back, then she is kidnapped,and her house ransacked. Enola is determined to find out just what is going on. The trail takes her to a meeting with the Lady of the Lamp, Florence Nightingale and messages sent ... well, no, I won't tell you how, that's part of the fun of this story! (Pay attention to the title). ;-)

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Kiwi shared a charming, delightful book with me, one that should have you laughing out loud ... as well as being impressed by how smart an octopus is! Secrets of the Octopus, by Sy Montgomery is that book, and what a fun read it was. I learned, too, that the plural really is octopuses, not octopi! The 'i' ending indicates a Latin word, and octopus is Greek. :-) Octopuses are escape artists, and can get through an opening about the size of a quarter! And, in at least one escape, said octopus would escape from her tank, cross the lab to the tank with the food, eat some, but not all of it, and return to her tank before humans showed up in the morning. It took several days to figure this out, and that was only because one human showed up early for work and caught her in the act. They can learn by watching ... seeing humans unscrew a jar, for example, then they would demonstrate that they do could open a jar ... it's a fascinating read!

Here's a book that I found an interesting blend of the 'dry' (figuring out a definition for the word 'play') and amusing: Kingdom of Play: What Ball-Bouncing Octopuses, Belly-Flopping Monkeys, and Mud-Sliding Elephants Reveal About Life Itself, by David Toomey. It took a while before humans realized animals do play. (Sadly, it took time for us to even realize they think). This is explained, as is the process for defining 'play', that's the dry part, but, along with that are delightful and amusing examples of animals, fish, and insects having a good time for no specific reason. There's a bird who liked tossing rocks off a cliff, fish who jumped into human hands so as to be gently tossed back into the water (in an aquarium setting), elephants sliding down muddy hills, and of course, dogs at play. :-)

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Here it is! The next in Theresa Dahlheim's Forging the Circle series! (It is book three). Firedance was an engaging read, hard to put down (you've been warned)! Koren grew up on an island with snow and sled dogs (!!). An injury as a child has left her with a stutter so she is reluctant to talk, magic surrounds her but she has gone untrained mostly, until the sorceress seeks her out. The world is falling apart, magic is causing havoc and she might be the one that can help. To do this, she will need training and that is where the sorceress is taking her. Follow along as she learns more about herself, her own magic, and the world beyond her little, snowy island. She has a connection with animals that I particularly enjoyed.

The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies, by Alison Goodman, was both a good read, and a hard read. The Regency era was a terrible time for women. Men could, and did control everything, and anything, with the exception of murder to a wife, sister or daughter was legal. That was the hard part (warning: some of the things that were done are vividly described by the author). The good part are the main characters, twin sisters, both unmarried and now of spinster age (42), figure out ways to right these wrongs. Face it, proper society is boring, so when Augustus is asked to retrieve some love letters written to, er, the wrong person (not the hubby) she agrees. She is more than successful (you'll have to read to find out how and why) and that leads to others coming to her, and her sister, for help. Not a cozy, but a mystery with wonderful, strong lead characters.

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There was recently a show on PBS about women in World War II. From that I learned of a book: Our Mother's War: American Women at Home and at the Front During World War II, by Emily Yellin. It took a while to find a copy, but I did and it was a good read. At the time, women were not expected to be all that bright, to even want to work away from home and so on ... all thoughts from men, of course. (To be fair, not all men). The war would change everything. From the factories where women built planes, to those who flew them to their final destination before heading overseas, to building munitions and more. They were nurses and aides, serving both at home and on the front lines. They drove ambulances. On the lighter side (but still in war zones) they were entertainers and musicians in jazz bands and dance bands. And yes, there were prostitutes, too. Familiar images were created: Betty Crocker, Rosie the Riveter, pin up girls. This was an all encompassing read ... a bit dense, actually, so I read other books 'in between'. It is well written, with a wonderful index, bib and notes at the back. Give it a try!

And, because of the 'theme' of strong women, I'm partnering it with one sent up by Wandering Reader: Women to Reckon With: Untamed Women of the Olympic Wilderness, by Gary Peterson and Glynda Schaad. (It's local history, and was found 1000 miles away!) Wonderful pictures along with the histories of many of the women who first settled what became the state of Washington. There are farmers, ranchers, preachers, teachers ... these women could take care of themselves!

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One Fine Mess is the second Gemma and Jo Mysteries by Patri Lawson. While on their tour of the United States, Gemma is on the phone with a good friend when there is obviously an altercation and then nothing. She and Jo head directly for Twist's place, only to find him dead. He had inherited a huge mansion from an uncle, a hoarder, so the place was a mess, and he was trying to clear things out carefully. Nasty messages were sprayed on the RV, and, Twist had received several as well. The local police prove to be useless, so, with help from some friends of Twist, they set out to find the murderer on their own. Learn why Gemma creates special names for folks, and meet a delightful, goofy Great Dane. Lots of interesting twists in the plot here, but the book could have used a better final read through as there were some errors that spell check wouldn't catch, but a human would.

Word on line says that the next Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mystery, by Diana Xarissa, will be out in May so I went ahead and read The Olson File. This time it's a case from Iowa! And, the reporter who wrote up the story for the local (small town) paper has been allowed to be part of the investigation. The murder took place at a wedding, years ago, and was someone pretty much no one liked ... still, it was a murder and those should not go unsolved. Bessie has also been asked to help track down the sister of one of the locals ... she and her siblings were split up years ago when they went into foster care. And, to complicate things, Andrew is not well (worrisome, for sure). This is a good series, I sure hope P comes out as planned! :-)

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