This book was in a box sent up by Wandering Reader: The Treble Wore Trouble, a Liturgical Mystery, by Mark Schweizer and what a find it was! It is actually the 11th in his series. It is a comic mystery! I don't think I've read one that has been specifically classified as such. What a hoot it was! Author and main character have a lot in common: music background/education, teacher, choir director, organist, composer ... main character is also the chief of police in a very small town in North Carolina (there are three police officers, counting him). He also fancies himself an author in the style of Raymond Chandler and interspersed throughout the book are chapters of that book. (They are NOT good)!! There is a new minister who wants to modernize things for the coming Lent season and asks Chief Hayden to write the Kyrie to the tune of ... well, no, you'll have to read that for yourself! Loved this book! It helps to have read Chandler, or similar authors of the hard boiled detective story and I think, to be (ahem) of a certain age due to some of the references. Be sure you look up the author, his bio is delightful and will make you laugh, as will his book. I have ordered the first one!

Here, finally, is The Cat Who Cracked a Cold Case, by L T Shearer. There doesn't seem to be a series title, but the cat is Conrad and his human is Lulu and this is the third book. They are visiting a friend in Manchester when they read a report of murders across the area, murders that are similar to cold cases from Lulu's past. The title is a hint, here, and this is a most enjoyable read about one very smart cat. :-)

Happy New Year!

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 The Curious World of Seahorses: the Life and Lore of a Marine Marvel, by Till Hein proved to be an interesting read. Sometimes so interesting I couldn't put it down, other times more like a text book! It's all here ... science, genetics, habitat, all the varieties in shape, size, color ... as well as folk lore and mythology. More pictures would have been nice, I kept my tablet handy to look those up. All in all, not a bad read.

The Address Book: What Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power, by Deirdre Mask came as a recommendation from Kiwi. I found it a bit dull in parts (Kiwi didn't) ;-) but overall an interesting read. No one had an address at first, it wasn't needed, but as towns grew into cities, and a postal service was created they became necessary. And, of course, necessary for things like bills and taxes! Learn how streets are named, and how that changes, and how the very wealthy can actually buy an address to make them look even more important. (Which can backfire when emergency responders can't find it because in reality, it doesn't exist).

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This was a gift from Canadian Reader last year. It took me several months to read as I read other things at the same time because 'Twas the Night Before Christmas: the Art and History of the Classic Christmas Poem, written and compiled by Pamela McColl was a rich, detailed, and dense read. There's the history behind how it was written, influences for the names of the reindeer, various publishing dates, dozens of illustrators, and how the artwork has changed over the years. It was published to celebrate the poem's bicentennial in 2023.Two things I especially enjoyed: the parody of the poem about the day AFTER, which came out in 1858. There have been others, but it is considered the first. And, a version 'edited by Santa Claus' for children of the 21st century where Santa has given up smoking. The lines with him puffing on his pipe have been removed, everything else is the same. Worth a look if only for the pictures. ;-)

And, a fiction read, Murder at Midwinter Manor, one of the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery books by Anita Davison. It's 1916 and Hannah and her Aunt Violet have come to Midwinter Manor for a break from war torn London. (Along with Bartleby the cat, of course). Lots of relatives have gathered, expecting a good time, but then they are snowed in, a body is found (in a locked room), and a precious gem is missing. The local police cannot reach them, communication is iffy, so they are on their own for this. All the classic elements are here for a well done, engaging wintertime read. :-)

Happy holidays!

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This is a lovely collection of seasonal stories: O. Henry for the Holidays: Seven Classic Thanksgiving and Christmas Stories. I thought I'd read most of O. Henry, but a couple here were new to me! :-) There is also a nice section at the back that explains a little bit about each story, when it was written, first published and so on. It includes some of the once common phrases and slang used in the stories that might be unfamiliar to readers now. I quite enjoyed getting back to this favorite author and the twists he liked to put in his writing.

Gemma has been invited to the reading of a Will. Of someone she never knew. Why? The 'explanation' is that there is a family mystery, one that the deceased promised his wife (also deceased) he'd never reveal. He's heard of Gemma and her success in solving mysteries and he wants her to figure this one out. He figures this way he honors the wishes of his wife, but will also reveal a long unsolved murder. He leaves Gemma with an old set of encyclopedias and a letter written in code. The Bookshop Mysteries: a Legacy of Lies will keep you reading far into the night! It is book three in this series by S.A. Reeves.

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I jumped into the Veronica Vale Investigates series, by Kitty Kildare with book ten. I'll admit, it was because it was a winter/Christmas mystery. Death at the Thistle Inn turned out to be an excellent read and it wasn't hard to start the series this far in. I promptly went back and found the first book (which is also excellent). Folks have gathered at this remote Scottish castle for a wedding. When the hostess (actually the wedding planner) is found dead, in a locked room, the celebration becomes a hunt for the killer. Turns out, there are lots of secrets amongst those invited and so lots of suspects. Humans aren't the only ones with secrets, the castle has a few, too. You'll love Angus, always in his kilt (and with cute knees)(!).

Knowing the first book to the above series would be arriving soon, I opted for a short read, which was The Quinn File, book 17 in the Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mystery series by Diana Xarissa. This time the cold case unit is meeting in London rather than on the Isle of Man, which allows for some wonderful descriptions of walks around the city, and restaurants with remarkable food. It involves an exclusive (very exclusive) club and someone who wanted to join. He was killed before the vote for his admission was even taken. Why? Since it happened at a dinner at the club there are just a few suspects, but they all had good alibis and so the case went cold. Can the cold case crew see what the first investigators missed?

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Short stories are often fun, and a good collection may be found in Christmas Crimes At The Mysterious Bookshop, edited by Otto Penzler. Mr. Penzler owns a books shop: The Mysterious Bookshop. It is in New York. Seems it is huge and offers new, used, rare and out-of-print books. Thirty some years ago he started a tradition of asking an authors to write a short story which was published in booklet form and used as a gift to some of his regular customers. There were just three requirements for the stories: they were set at Christmas time, had a mystery, and at least some of the action took place in The Mysterious Bookshop. This is a collection of some of those stories. They are sad, and grim, happy, heart warming, funny ... a wonderful way to start a chilly December morning with a cup of tea. You may always wonder why that bottle of brandy seems to taste a little ... different ... :-)

It took a while for this to come out, but it was worth the wait. The Judas Monk Murders, the fourth in the Homefront Sleuths Mystery series by father/daughter team of Anna Elliott and Charles Veley. A soldier is found dead in the ruins of an old abbey. The military say it was an accident, but our Homefront Sleuths feel otherwise. Adding to the mystery is the story of a monk, a monk who was a traitor (hence the name, Judas Monk). Is there a connection, and if so, what? Don't miss the historical notes at the end.

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I thought I'd see if I could include a winter or holiday mystery with the fiction postings this month. Today it is a book by Martin Edwards: Miss Winter in the Library with a Knife. Several people have been invited to a 'retreat' in a remote area of England. There are almost as many 'staff' as guests. What do they all have in common? There is some connection to the literary world: an author, a publisher, an agent, a critic. They have been invited to solve a puzzle, the prize is a lot of money. You, as the reader, are also given the necessary clues to solve the mystery. It's Christmas, they are snowed in, there is no contact with the outside world and no chance of leaving. Then bodies start to pile up. Just who is everyone, and why are they there? Rather traditional, in the old style (see the Cluefinder chapter at the end), a nice read.

Things are coming to a head in book 7 of the Dales Detective series by Julia Chapman, Death with Betrayal. Samson is working on several cases in his detective business, refusing to be stopped by a death threat. Delilah, on the other hand, is trying to figure out how to protect him. One of the problems for her is, who can she trust? This leads to a great story! Lots of twists and turns, ideas good and bad, and the coming together of a wonderful community. (I wondered if the author used a flow chart or spread sheet to keep everyone straight)! I managed to figure out one wee bit. :-)

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It starts with just a missing person, a much loved missing person, one who served with great purpose during WWII. Vera Bodine might be elderly, and a shut-in, but her mind was as sharp as ever, and perhaps that's the reason she is missing. She knows things, all kinds of things, about a local law firm, about a recent murder, and about Nazi spies. As always, Pentecost and Parker are on the trail, but events from their pasts will sidetrack them, making this adventure: Murder Crossed Her Mind, by Stephen Spotswood, hard to put down. It is the fourth Pentecost and Parker Mystery.

A body has been found. On Halloween. In the forest. The number 37 is tattooed on the sole of one foot. Detective Norman has a new boss (we can only hope it's temporary), who is convinced it's the local 'pagans' who held a ritual in the forest that night. He is SURE the case is solved and closed. It's not, and his interference is not helping. The Body in the Forest is the seventh in the West Wales Murder Mystery series by P.F. Ford.

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I picked up The Candy Cane Caper because I wanted a holiday/Christmas read. It is part of the series A Cozy Culinary Mystery by Josi S. Kilpack, but the synopsis said it works as a stand alone, too, so not knowing a lot about the characters is okay. :-) It includes recipes. It was a very nice read, a real 'cozy' ... no body, no death ... the mystery that needs solving is the theft of some old, extremely valuable tree ornaments. And Sadie intends to do just that. They were on the tree of her good friend, the elderly and mostly blind, Mary. There is great sentimental value here, too. Mary is in an assisted care facility so there's no shortage of staff and friends to question. In addition, for the first time since she got married, all of both families are coming for Christmas. She will be busy!

Several important ages this year: the Muppets (and therefor Kermit) are 70, the Sound of Music is 60, and Julie Andrews is 90. I found special issues of magazines for two.

From Time it was The Muppets, a wonderful issue full of Muppet history, lore, fun facts and so on. You'll learn how they got their start, what stars they met and worked with (!) ... remember, when you see them with someone, there's a lot going on behind the set! :-) You'll meet those behind the characters, behind the scenes, who wrote those wonderful songs (my favorite is Rainbow Connection) and more. Full of wonderful pictures. Side-note: Kermit was the commencement speaker at the University of Maryland this year, Jim Henson's Alma mater.

And from Life it is The Sound of Music: 60 Years Later, the Hills Are Still Alive. Because it's from Life there are lots of wonderful pictures, of course, but I would have liked a bit more about the movie and stage version. There's a lot on Julie Andrews, which was fine, and interesting, (and it is her 90th b'day, after all) but I knew more about the movie than was given here! Still, it was an enjoyable read.

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