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! :-)

Reading Hermit With Dog