Here's another the mysteries featuring 'old folks' (there are many nowadays)! Problem is, Margaret cannot remember something she is sure will be useful. And it's her best friend that was murdered so she really wants to help! She has a wonderful grandson who spends a lot of time with her, and thinks he can spark her memory. Follow along as they investigate this case. The Margaret Code was written by Richard Hooton in honor and memory of his grandmother, who had Alzheimer's, and with whom he spent a lot of time. I was impressed. :-)

It starts with a rare bird, said to be nesting at a fine villa in the Swiss Alps. Lady Caroline has been sent to assist her Uncle Albert who is there to add said bird to his life list. All cannot go well, you know that, and one, then two people are found dead. She's done this before, solved a murder (A Body in the Villa is the third in the Lady Caroline Murder Mystery series by Isabella Bassett), and when the police are, um, well, not heading in the right direction she just has to step in and help! Sent in the 1920's, in an era of wealth and privilege, this was a most interesting read that came up in the box from Wandering Reader.

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Professor Fitger was looking forward to a break when he learned he was 'selected' to chaperone eleven undergrads on the annual Payne Experience: Abroad to London. (Selected meaning that the prof originally scheduled is suddenly unavailable and everyone else has a good excuse (think family, holidays, etc.) and since he is single, well ....) He is a literature professor, so he expects each student to turn in a short (500 word) paragraph about everything they visit, with a longer essay at the end of the class. The students, as you will learn, are an eclectic bunch! This is not a mystery, but The English Experience, by Julie Schumacher was not a bad read. ;-)

Another book in the box from Wandering Reader was All She Wrote, a Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery, by Tonya Kappes. There is someone new in town, Courtney, who is the niece of Florence, who does many good things for the community, but is also, well, sort of a pain! Naturally Bernadette (the mail carrier) and the Front Porch Ladies (retired neighbors) are most curious. Especially after the 'wrong' person is awarded a scholarship, there is an unexpected wedding, and then Florence is found dead! What will Bernie and the Ladies discover? It looks to be the third in the series.

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 A spin here, on the 'old folks' mysteries: Old Detectives Home, book 1 in the Omnipodge Trilogy by Mike Belfeler. There should be lots of familiar characters here! Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Dash Hammett, Dot Sayers and more! Some are residents in an assisted care facility for aging sleuths, others are staff of that facility! A body is discovered on the beach, that of a most unpopular person. He has been shot, beaten, bludgeoned, tossed off a cliff, strangled, poisoned ... just about any method you can think of. There is an abundance of clues leading to everyone in the facility. There is a raven, too, who has just one thing to say. (Not quite what you're thinking). A Detective Moriarty is sent to solve the crime. An amusing and clever read for sure!

Deadly Overtures is the third in the Music Lover's Mystery series by Sarah Fox. There are four finalists in a composing competition hosted by the Point Grey Philharmonic. Each piece will be performed and a winner will be chosen. Let's just say all the finalists don't get along, but still, it's a shock when one of them ends up dead. Once again Midori (a violinist) decides to investigate. Other secrets surface as the investigation goes on, and threats are made to her to get her to stop. (She won't). ;-) I will say I was puzzled by the cover ... the copy I had featured a saxophone, an instrument rarely used in an orchestra, and never featured in the story. Curious!

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Here is an absolutely delightful new find! The Cat Who Caught a Killer, by LT Shearer. And, it's the first in a series! Conrad is a most unusual detective. I won't say more because I've promised no spoilers and part of the fun is getting to know him. :-) Lulu's mother-in-law dies suddenly, from something that isn't fatal in and of itself, so, did she have a little help? And who is the new wife of her brother-in-law? Not a bad debut novel, I stayed up until midnight to finish it. Canadian Reader likes the audio version. :-)

Royally Whacked, a Duchess of Snodsbury Mystery, by P.C. James & Kathryn Mykel showed up in a box of books sent from Wandering Reader. It is the second in the series, and it might help to start with the first, things were a bit confusing at the start. Still, it was a nice little cozy with some good characters. There is the Duchess, of course, and a wonderful butler (who has all kinds of skills), three young women and a dog. It is London, 1959, at a week long celebration of summer. Join in as they 'help' the local police solve the murder. Don't miss the author biographies at the end.

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Here we are, back with Lady Hardcastle and her maid in The Beast of Littleton Woods, by T E Kinsey. Another delightful romp (well, except for the bodies) (it starts with a sheep), this time with what looks like to be a wild beast doing the killing. Then there's the curious incident of the messed up mail at the local post office ... someone is sneaking in and re-sorting the mail so letters are going to the wrong addresses. And there are sightings of other strange critters, too. This is book twelve of the Lady Hardcastle Mystery series. Just a fun read! ;-)

"And now for something completely different" is a quote from Monty Python, usually voiced by John Cleese ... and while that was for a comedy and this book is not that at all, it fits. ;-) Polostan, by Neal Stephenson is Volume One of Bomb Light. It is unlike what I usually read for sure and came as a recommendation from the person who rings up and bags my groceries when I do my weekly market. Dawn/Aurora was raised in Russia, er, The Soviet Union, and Montana. It is during the 1930's, so think Fascists, rising Nazism, spies, the Depression, intrigue ... she is fluent in both Russian and English ... she admires Bonnie and Clyde ... there is polo ... machine guns are smuggled in violin cases ... The author is known for his careful attention to history, and his story telling, so it's worth a try!

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I love it when something pops up when I'm looking for something else! That's what happened with Crossing the Line: a Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever, by Kareem Rosser. The game is polo, played in inner city Philadelphia (from a place known as "The Bottom"), the idea of a white woman who believed that horses were a way to keep kids engaged and off the streets. She was right, at least some times. She started the Work to Ride Program (still exists today). All kids were welcome, but you had to stay in school and do chores to earn the right to ride. For the author's family (written when he was just twenty-seven!) it was both ... older siblings started in the program but drifted off to earn money selling drugs, ending up in jail and so on, but for Kareem, it was just what he needed. This is a powerful read, much tragedy and death, given the location, but also hope and pride. And consider, too, these are Black youth playing a rich man's game. The teams they played were from elite schools, with parents who also played the sport, had access to expensive ponies and facilities (the Work to Ride team often practiced in a cow pasture). At one point he evaluates what makes his team weak and strong (pgs 236 - 240). I reread these pages three times, it's an amazing bit of writing, and thinking. What a find!

Many of you probably saw this coming, I'm sure! Peter Taylor also wrote/compiled Weird War Two: Intriguing Items and Surprising Stuff from the Second World War. Winston Churchill may be responsible for the 'onesie'! He designed an all-in-one siren suit that could be put on quickly in an air raid. There were several versions including denim and velvet. Citizens were encouraged to grow their own veggies so no space went unused ... check out the garden planted in the dry moat of the tower of London! Gas masks game in a variety of styles. There was a flying jeep (it was not successful). Love the posters and warnings and so on for keeping mum, tell no one anything!! Again, a most interesting read.

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Date with Mystery is one of those reads that will keep you up late at night, just like the previous titles in the Dales Detective Series by Julia Chapman. It starts out as an easy case: track down a death certificate for someone who died over twenty years ago, but is now part of a Will ... one that was recently changed, too. Everything should have been left to the son, the only living member of the family, so why did she change it just before she died? Samson is about to learn that all is not as it seems and so asks Delilah for help. This is good for her as she is about to lose her beloved dog to her ex-husband and new wife. Can they be stopped? It's his name on the papers, after all. You will uncover long buried secrets and the reasons behind them. Will stop here, but 'something' will make you chuckle. :-)

It's the day of the annual fair. Store owners are out displaying and selling wares, from books to pastries, it should all be fun. Until (of course) a body is found. In the local church. Someone is arrested, but Gemma and Mavis don't think he did it and set out to find out who did. As in all small towns, this will uncover secrets from the past which many would just as soon stay buried. A Murder at the Church is book two in The Bookshop Mysteries, by S.A. Reeves.

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A Body Under the Bridge is the sixth of the West Wales Murder Mysteries by P.F. Ford. Alan Edwards is worried about his friend, or rather, chess buddy. They play a game every Monday morning, have for some time, and this Monday, he's no where to be found. Because of his age Detective Norman does go to check it out and finds the house empty, except for a dog desperate to go out, and an living space almost entirely devoid of any furniture. Neighbors report seeing lights, and the dog being walked, but not for a few days. Then a body is found, some distance away, under a bridge. Gareth does not drive, does not own a bike, if it's even him, how did he get so far away? Lots of good plot twists here. Stayed up late reading this one.

Looks like Whiskers, Wreaths & Murder, the third in the Dickens & Christie Mystery series by Kathy Manos Penn will be a 'Christmas in July' read as I wasn't about to wait for December! Leta is looking forward to her first Christmas in the Cotswolds, but the mood is soured when the new (American) earl announces horrible plans to develop the family estate he recently inherited. Even his wife thinks it's extreme. So, when he is found dead in a ditch after a car accident (or was it) there are certainly lots of suspects! It will be up to Leta and her talking pets to figure things out. Just a fun series.

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