Christmas is coming, a time of family, friendship, gathering .... and death? Well, yes, but mostly because this a mystery. ;-) Death at the Swan Tavern is the sixth Veronica Vale Investigates mystery by Kitty Kildare. When one of the guests, someone invited to join the festivities at the last moment (so as not to be alone over the holiday) is found dead everyone is hoping it was an accident. It wasn't, and as his past is uncovered there are more and more suspects. Can the reason be discovered before Christmas? I love the sub themes of dog rescue and Ruby, who can drive any sort of vehicle (there's a tractor on the cover for a reason). Set in the 1920's.

Next is another Redmond and Haze Mystery by Irina Shapiro: Murder at Ardith Hall. Also set at Christmas and also the sixth in the series. (And yes I did read them back to back and no, did not do this on purpose)! The death happens at a sèance, one where folks have gathered in the hopes of contacting a loved one who has died. One of them is the wife of Daniel Redmond. It is not hard to determine that this person was murdered, but also determined that someone had been trying to kill him for some time now. (I know this is fuzzy, but I promised no spoilers, and the method here was very interesting)! Set just after the American Civil War, in England.

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Company and projects have kept me from reading as much as I usually do so there was just one book ready for me to post ... and most of the time I like to do two ... so ... what to do? Then I remembered that some time back now, Seattle Reader asked me if I'd ever consider doing posts on books that folks like to read over and over again. I said yes, did a bit of checking with friends on that, and then ... nothing happened. Now it will! And, take a look at the image today! That's from a set of bookends! Wouldn't those be fun?!

Since it was an idea from Seattle Reader, I will start there. "Books I tend to re-read are often the first book of a series (even if the series ultimately was disappointing) such as Out of the Silent Planet, by C.S. Lewis. On the other hand, David Eddings five book series The Belgariad has been read more times than could be easily counted! And of course, DRAGONS! Dragonsong, by Anne McCaffrey!" (me, too!) (This is the first in the Harper Hall Trilogy and ties in nicely with The Dragonriders of Pern books).

And, from a friend who died much too young, Moby Dick, by Herman Melville! This was a book I could barely get through once, although to be fair, I was also reading it for a class with one of the worst profs I ever had, might that have colored it? Any way, it was an annual read for this person ... loving the story, the writing, the descriptions and more, I was told.

I've also been told twice recently, that in these troublesome times, it's nice to go back to an old favorite or two.

The important thing here is, new or old, actual book or ereader (or audio book), just read! :-)

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We had company this past weekend: two humans, two dogs! It was glorious fun AND I got a recommendation for a new author and series! :-) Nic Saint writes a series about cats who help solve crimes: The Mysteries of Max. Book one is Purrfect Murder. The cats and their human (a local reporter) can talk to each other, it's something the women in her family have been able to do for generations. And, since cats can wander pretty much any where, they can do a lot of eavesdropping! The body of a famous author has been found, in a most unusual spot. Impeding progress though are two newcomers to this small town: an arrogant cat and his equally arrogant human (a detective, who does NOT like interference with his investigations). A nice light story, good for these troubled times. And, if you like them there are more than 100 books in the series!

And, then it was back to the next Liturgical Mystery by Mark Schweizer, the Countertenor Wore Garlic. It's coming up on Halloween and the town is getting ready to celebrate, big time. There are standoffs between vampires and zombies, a visiting (hellfire and damnation) priest, and a 'congregational enlivener' ... something I've never head of before ... the body is found at in the hay bale maze, the identify hidden due to a pumpkin on the head of the corpse. Expect puns. Don't miss the 'reviews' of the book at the beginning. Enjoy! (I laughed out loud).

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Here I am, back with those two favorite authors again!

The Organist Wore Pumps is the eighth title in the Liturgical Mystery series by Mark Schweizer. There has been an accident (swerving to miss a family of skunks) and Hayden is in a cast so cannot play the organ for the church services. His replacement is someone he knows from his past, and doesn't really like all that much. It's Christmas, or nearly so, and there are all kinds of activities going on leading up to that special day (and beyond). Disrupting this schedule is an obnoxious deacon (his sermons are MUCH too long) who ends up dead. From a bullet from Hayden's gun. ??? How did this happen? Hayden is trying to write a children's book, too ... that should give you a chuckle (remembering how bad is hard core detective stories are ...) ;-)

The body may never have been discovered if the grave digger (fussy about his work) had not checked out the grave he'd dug for the afternoon funeral and noticed things were 'off' about it. Sure enough, at the bottom was a body. It is someone new to the area but everyone liked him, found him to be a good, kind man. Is there something from his past that finally caught up with him? Clues are hard to find. Murder in the Grave, by Irina Shapiro is the fifth Redmond and Haze Mystery book.

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Riding Reader has an unusual way (to me) of selecting books. There's a stop at a local county branch of the library and then a quick dash in where five or so books are plucked either from a 'to be shelved' cart, or the new book shelf. It's a system that has worked well ... always a diversity in the subjects, and always at least one worth reading! Recently there was The Traveling Archivist: Eastern Oregon. It's the first in the Della Waters Archival Mystery series by Mary B. Hansen. The state of Oregon is initiating a new program, one designed to help small towns collect, preserve and protect various city records. A professional archivist is sent out for a period of several weeks, with supplies and, of course, the know how to do just this. It should be fairly easy but there is one rather obnoxious 'pillar of the community' who tries to thwart her at every step (His family founded this town after all, it is up to him to protect the history properly). The reason for this becomes more clear once Della finds some records, woefully misfiled (but with reason, as it turns out) of the trial documents for the massacre of thirty-four Chinese gold miners more than one hundred years in the past. Based on a true event. Not a bad debut!

The work done by the Six Triple Eight Battalion in World War II is most fascinating. The US Army did not know what to do with women, let alone Black women. They were finally all put in the same battalion and assigned a job where failure was a given. Except that it wasn't. There were millions (actually more) of pieces of mail waiting to be delivered. Others had tried and failed to clear it out. They were given six months ... they had it cleared in two! The non-fiction books I found were either picture books, or had such dismal reviews that I opted for a novel about them. Women of the Post, by Joshunda Sanders was a good read, but I would have liked more about how they did what they did! Still it was an excellent, if unsettling, read of what it was like to be Negro (in the language of the time period) and how they were treated. Powerful, too, these were strong, smart women.

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Today I'll be posting just one book, but it's an amazing book! I did look for a companion to go with it, and did find something, but despite a good bibliography and so on, the book itself, sadly, was just, well dull!

The Perfect Tuba: Forging Fulfillment from the Bass Horn, Band, and Hard Work, by Sam Quinones was not! Seems the author, who writes mostly about drugs and crime wanted to do an 'optimistic' book. He went back to a file he started some years ago on the tuba and decided that would be his next project. Yes, the tuba! The tuba is a relatively new instrument, dating from the late 1800's or so. Something was needed, with more power than a stringed instrument to anchor the orchestra. Many were, and are, produced, but two remain supreme, both owned by the Chicago Symphony at the time of the writing of this book: the York tubas made almost a century ago now. They have never been equaled in sound ... it's been tried, they've been studied ... (it was a fun chapter) ... and, the author actually got the chance to (try and) play one! It took a lot of air, but he finally made a sound, which, he said, sounded so much like a growling stomach that he felt the need to apologize. It was as if he had burped in a cathedral. (p. 24) An odd side note here, the instrument that takes the second most amount of air is the flute, mainly because most of that is wasted by blowing across the mouthpiece.

The author, who works mostly from interviews, sets out to meet up with tuba players across the country. In one of the poorest areas of Texas a director has set up a program to make music available to everyone. To that end he hires teachers who play a brass instrument, and will teach marching band. They will stay with a student from 6th grade through high school. They arrive early and stay late so there is always an open room for practicing (which they insist on). At concerts the girls wear a black dress, the boys black pants, white shirt and a tie (the director provides them if necessary). These bands do well, and start beating out fancier, more elite schools in competitions. Some of the students go off to college with scholarships ... I am not dong it justice here, this is an amazing program! I found myself nodding frequently while reading this, and thinking how much my dad would have approved.

Two observations here: I come from a musical background, my father was a band director, and had marching bands. I marched in band through college, and then played in various bands and orchestras for some time afterward. I played a brass instrument (so did my Dad, actually). I felt great kinship with many of the events in this book. Because of that, I asked a friend of mine, who is in a book club, if they would consider reading it. None of them have musical backgrounds so they said 'no'. I looked up the reviews, which were glowing ... even from those without a musical background but, they had read the earlier books by this author and loved his writing style (it is good) ... so ... there it is, maybe this will help you decide whether or not to read this book. :-)

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I am in a rut, aren't I?! Here's another of the Liturgical Mystery books by Mark Schweizer: The Diva Wore Diamonds. In spite of all the good in his life (and there is a lot of that), Hayden Konig has dreams of being a mystery writer in the style of Raymond Chandler, and is in the process of writing that novel along with his other jobs of police chief and choir director. The results are not good! When they were rebuilding the church (you'll learn why in an earlier book) they come across a time capsule buried in 1900. Among other things, it includes diamonds. Diamonds that were found on local property ... but where exactly? There is a squatter trying to claim land, folks trying to sabotage Bible School, and the world premiere of a previously unknown work by Henry Purcell. Oh,and a body (of course)! Madness and mayhem as usual for this author. :-)

Needing to get out of my rut I found and tried a new author and series for me: Dead in the Morning, the first in the Oxford Don Mysteries by Margaret Yorke. There is a large family, in a big house, being controlled by a rather nasty matriarch, who is confined to a wheel chair. Tension abounds (but folks pretend it doesn't). There is a housekeeper who keeps things together, and can cook as well! One of the sons has remarried (his first wife died), to an American! She seems to be well received, until she meets the housekeeper. THAT was a very strange interaction. How could they possibly know each other? Lot of secrets bubble to the surface here. Then the housekeeper ends up dead, but was she the intended target? The Oxford Don is a rather interesting character. Not a bad start.

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It was supposed to be a quiet vacation at the beach, and to look for office space for Veronica's new business venture. It turned out, of course, to be anything but that. Death at the Harbour Arms is the fifth in the Veronica Vale Investigates mysteries by Kitty Kildare. The body of a young woman is found floating off a pier late one night. She was a young, pushy, determined (and talented) journalist. She was known to dig deep for a story ... so who did she annoy? The doctor with a terminally ill wife? The owner/manager of several pubs (and entertainment for men)? One of the ladies who worked for him? Someone else? This series has good, strong female characters, doing jobs meant for men in a time when women should be home having babies. A good read!

Yes, you are right, you are seeing many of the Liturgical Mystery books by Mark Schweizer in recent posts ... seems I just can't keep away from them! The Mezzo Wore Mink is another fun, funny read. This time, as the title hints, it's about mink ... or rather minque (an interesting hybrid of two fur bearing animals). Hopes are high for a lucrative fur business, but things go awry when they escape. Dozens of them! And then there's the Christian nudist camp opening down the road a ways. And to avoid competition with other Christmas celebrations, the first ever production of The Living Gobbler. Kept me up late reading and chuckling. Don't miss the 'advance praise' page in this series, it's worth a read!

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Books by two favorite authors today!

The Bass Wore Scales, is another of the Liturgical Mystery books by Mark Schweizer (#5). In addition to the expected puns, and 'bad' writing there is the additional challenge of determining if, when reading the word bass it is the fish or the musician! There is a 'talking' gorilla (knows sign language) visiting this summer. The interim priest has determined he has been 'saved' and therefore needs to be baptized and sneaks him away to do just that. Sadly, said priest is then found dead. Did Kokomo kill him?

The Romani are camped in a nearby field. They are not well liked by the citizens of Birch Hill so when the body of a young woman is found in one of their caravans, the towns folk want them all arrested. Redmond and Haze have their work cut out for them for sure. Follow along as they figure out this convoluted case (I can't say much, I promised no spoilers)! When a second young woman goes missing the case gets even more complicated. A warning here, this is not a cozy and there is something that happens that is most unpleasant, I'm not even sure it had to happen exactly as the author wrote it, but it's there, so brace yourself! Murder in the Caravan is the fourth of the Redmond and Hazy Mystery series by Irina Shapiro. Well written, great characters, I'll be reading the next one soon!

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I'm finding it hard not to ignore everything but the dog when reading this series by Irina Shapiro. Murder at the Mill is the third in her Redmond and Haze Mystery series. This time the body was found (with no clothes) strapped to a water wheel. Is there a reason for the location and lack of clothing? (It does suggest anger against the victim). The clues are few and it takes a while to figure all this out, but Captain Redmond and Inspector Haze are determined to do so. Secrets in their own lives emerge as well. An excellent read!

A gift from Riding Reader, Metropolitan Mysteries: a Casebook of London's Detectives, edited by Martin Edwards proved to be another good entry by this editor and publisher of British Crime Classics. Some of the authors included will be familiar, others not so much, or even not at all as some the stories were published in the early 1900's. There is a good introduction at the start explaining some of the words, phrases, and attitudes that might not be as well known, or acceptable today. I'll admit to skimming a couple of the selections, but over all just a nice period read.

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All is not well at the Carraway Dog Park ... much of it has been blocked off to build something no one asked for and no one wanted ... but it was progressing until Rosie (a basset hound) dug up the body of the councilman responsible for said project. And so their investigation begins ... Lorraine (a former PI), Cecil (retired funeral director) and Dixie (stroke survivor). Their dogs Gus (a pug), Winston (Yorkshire terrier) and Rosie help. The police have stalled out on this, seems there really isn't anyone who didn't want Wade dead. The Old Dogs' Club, by Madison Boyd was a good read with some fun characters. :-)

The cold case the crew is working on this time might be one of the hardest yet ... none of those interviewed when the murder actually happened had much to say. They have been re-interviewed as time passes but still, little more has been revealed. Will our cold case folks come up different questions to ask? The Richards File is book 18 in the Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mystery series by Diana Xarissa. It's always nice getting back to the familiar characters created by this author.

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The subtitle of this book was what caught my eye with this book by Mo Rocca: Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs. What a great read it proved to be! Mr. Rocca is a wonderful story teller. And, he included animals and characters from movies as well as real people! There is the oldest chicken ever (she was a pet, a pampered pet), Yoda, and, one of my favorites, Snowman, a horse who almost ended up as dog food and turned out to be one of the best jumping horses of all time. Some of those included you should recognize, others not so much, but all have an interesting story.

Here is the last of the Vinyl Cafe books that I have yet to read: Vinyl Cafe Diaries, by Stuart McLean. It was an interesting blend of fiction and non-fiction in that it includes several of the stories from the radio show as well as a chapter on how it got started, and essays from many of the folks he used to create his characters. As always, it was fun to see what is in the printed version of a show compared to what was on the air. I'm sorry there are no more.

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Murder at the Abbey, by Irina Shapiro, is the second in the Redmond and Haze Mystery series. This is rapidly becoming a favorite with me. Set just after the American Civil War, Captain Redmond comes with a troubled past. He expects to be in London just long enough to clear his grandfather's estate, but find he likes it here, and working with Constable Haze. This time, it's the body of a young woman, found near the ruins of a haunted abbey. She is there to paint. By all accounts, she is well liked, her husband loves her, who would want her dead? There will be secrets to uncover, of course, some of which folks want to stay hidden. Since he is American, he does not 'act properly' for a gentleman, often shocking the people he meets, and his staff (!). He will dress himself, thank you! A great blend of serious mystery and, um, cultural conflict. :-)

A new author and series here: Ms Mia and Murder at the Grand Island Hotel, by Jennifer Branch. Ms Mia is a widow. She and her late husband set up several luxury hotel destinations and she now visits each to be sure they are running well. She is good at fixing problems, and loves to visit and chat with both guests and staff. When she arrives at the Grand Island Hotel she notices several things but before she figures it all out there is a murder, then a second. It was easy to solve the 'why' of the first one, but not so much the second. Tracking down the 'who' would be harder. A great start for this traditional cozy. I especially like that Ms Mia never did anything stupid (it happens in other books). ;-)

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Fair warning here, there are puns, many puns in The Soprano Wore Falsettos, the fourth in the Liturgical Mystery series by Mark Schweizer. They will make you groan (as they should). Hayden's life is good. He has a job (well, several, actually) he loves, a woman he loves, a town he loves, there's just one thing missing. He wants to write the a tough, hard-boiled detective story in the style of Raymond Chandler. He's trying, but his efforts are, um, less than good. Writing will have to take a back seat to his police work when another body is found in the choir loft. To complicate matters, the church has come in to a LOT of money and there are debates, some heated, as to how it should be used. Another great entry in this hysterical series. :-)

It starts out as such a nice day, the day Hannah is getting married. The vicar, however, is late, so a substitute is found for the ceremony which, fortunately, is finished before the body is found. Of, you guessed it, the vicar. He is young and new to the job, what could anyone have against him? Then secrets start to surface, some you would not expect for a vicar. Is one shocking enough to cause his death? Murder at the Wedding is the fifth Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery by Anita Davison.

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Tall Reader heard about this book on NPR: Dog Show (poems) by Billy Collins. Loved it enough to purchase a copy for each of us. I read it slowly, one poem a day to make it last. ;-) Enjoyed the poems, some more than others, of course, and didn't understand one of them even reading it more than once. I loved the watercolors by Pamela Sztybel, too.

Riding Reader tucked a copy of The Great Sherlock Holmes Puzzle Book in my stocking this Christmas. It is a collection of enigmas designed to puzzle the greatest detective of them all (says so, right on the cover!). I am about two thirds of the way through as I make this entry and I've figured out three of the 50 plus I've tried! I read just one or two a day, often with my second cup of tea (which doesn't seem to help). Thank goodness the solutions are at the back. :-)

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There has been a death outside a pub in this, the fourth book in the Veronica Vale Investigates series by Kitty Kildare. Death at the Dripping Tap has Veronica pretty much working on her own since her usual partner (use the term loosely, he is not always a willing partner) ;-) is injured, she has to ... interact ... with someone else. Someone who believes (as do most men at this time) that women are only good as wives and mothers. It's an uphill battle. When the landlord, Stanley Pickleton, is accused of the crime (remember, she owns the pub), she is determined to prove him innocent. Great descriptions of the era here, good dialogue, all in all a worthy read. ;-)

It has been 'interesting' touring around the U.S. in their RV and Gemma and Jo are hoping this stop, in Maine, will be different. Alas, that's not to be when their three-legged Chihuahua, Pepsi, alerts them to a body on the beach below the hike they were on. Jo heads back down the trail to where she can get a signal and call for help, Gemma heads down to the beach. The young woman is still alive, barely, and dies with the last words of "Tell Wanda. Birds." Come along as they get involved in a small town mystery, secrets, friends (good and not so good) as they figure out just what 'birds' means. One Left Behind, by Patri Lawson, is the third in the Gemma and Jo Mysteries series.

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Here is the first of the Redmond and Haze Mystery series by Irina Shapiro: Murder in the Crypt. I started well into the series due to a box of books Wandering Reader sent. It was good enough where I wanted to start at the beginning! A body has been found stuffed into a partially open tomb of a medieval knight. Who, and why there? This is the first murder case for Detective Haze (in a small town there's usually not much murder after all). There is someone new in town, so suspicion falls on him, yes? This is Jason Redmond, a surgeon. Not only did he not kill anyone, he is more than happy to help Daniel . It was fun getting to know these characters from when they first met.

I have to wonder just where Mark Schweizer gets some of his ideas, there's always some sort of fun twist. :-) It will come as no surprise that it has to do with tap dancing in this, the third Liturgical Mystery: the Tenor Wore Tapshoes. There is a character who is, well, easy to recognize, because he always wears tap shoes and often is tap dancing, even when sitting. Something ... slimy ... is going on. A new comer is much too eager to take on, mmm, certain responsibilities at the church. Is there a secret history somewhere? "Real life" mimics the hard boiled detective story our main character is writing here (still just as bad as in earlier books) as he tries to track down a killer, and prepare for All Saints Day.

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Murder at the British Museum is the Kitty Worthington Mystery #12, by Magda Alexander. Kitty is now happily married and her detective agency is thriving. It's at the height of the "King Tut" craze and there will be a series of lectures on that taking place soon given by hubby Richard, who is home from his excavations in Egypt. When he is worried that some of the artifacts have been stolen, and confronts the museum director, he is fired ... and then that director is found dead. And mummified. Prime suspect, of course, is Richard. The search for the real killer is an exciting read ... lots of interesting secrets, strange cults and more.

Miss Merrill and her Aunt, Violet, are at it again, in Murder in Covent Garden, by Anita Davison. Even with all the closures due to the war, this is still an exciting area of London, and is where Violet and Hannah have their book store. There have been many robberies of late, however, and then the local jeweler is found dead. Hannah has concern for the investigation when the policeman that shows up is the very person she saw arguing with the jeweler the day before. Naturally, she has to check things out for herself (with Aunt Violets help). This is the third in the Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery series.

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Even though I don't cook this was a most interesting read: How Would You Like Your Mammoth? 12,000 Years of Culinary History in 50 Bite-Size Essays by Uta Seeburg. Learn why spices fell out of favor, when sauce first became popular, and why there was a huge battle over borscht! You'll read about proper afternoon tea and the history of fish and chips. Had a good chuckle over the chapter about various religions and fasting (there used to be a lot more days for that) (especially Catholics) and how one could get around the forbidden foods (many established by priests). Cook or non-cook, you should enjoy this book.

Did you ever wonder about yodeling? Want to learn more? (Am I hearing a resounding "NO!" ??) Well, I did, and I found a book all about it! Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo: the Secret History of Yodeling Around the World, by Bart Plantenga. I had no idea it is a global thing, just about every country has a version of yodeling. Used for singing, for messages, for celebrations, all kinds of things. Author includes information on finding recordings of all the styles (which dates it a bit) and lists performers (some you might know), and how it has evolved ... there is even a rap version! A bit dry in spots, but overall a most interesting read.

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I loved the description on the back for Barks and Clues: a Canine Cozy Mystery (book 1) by Sharon Michaels: a fun, clean mystery with twists and turns. :-) Three generations of one family working together. Dog detectives sniffing out clues. A small town with hidden secrets. All the elements for a great story, yes? Yes! It starts with a series of break-ins around the neighborhood and Maya (retired detective) doesn't think they are random. The dogs take them to an old shack with someone inside ... an inventor ... ? Really? Inventing what? And why in the old shack? (He's sure the 'bad guys' are looking for him, and the plans for his invention). A delightful, traditional cozy.

Here is the second of the Liturgical Mystery books from Mark Schweizer: the Baritone Wore Chiffon. You remember the main character here is trying to write a book in the style of Raymond Chandler, yes? Well, that continues, just as bad as before and parallels the 'real' mystery happening in Haydens life. It's heading in to Lent now, and again, there is an interim priest, although why this time is one of the mysteries. His wife wants to create "An edible Last Supper" with folks dressed like the famous painting and serving a buffet dinner. There are clowns, and snakes, oh, and a 'Fung Shui' Altar design that should keep you laughing. This time (no surprise) it's a baritone that is the victim, but there will be a surprise to come. Such a fun series!

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I got this book because there are German Shepherds involved and that's a favorite breed of mine! It's probably more of a teen or tween book than I expected from the blurb, but it was an excellent (if short) read! Sniffed Out is the first of the Search and Rescue Cozy Mysteries by Patti Benning. Evelyn has two dogs: one is a seasoned search dog for "live" finds, the other is in training as a cadaver dog. As green as he is at this, he's learned his lessons well and discovers a dead body! This won't take you long, and it's worth it.

Here is the third Veronica Vale Investigates book by Kitty Kildare: Death at the Craven Arms. Veronica is at the family owned pub to keep an eye on the most recent 'event' ... a paranormal investigator and author holding a ghost hunt! She does not believe in ghosts, but many do and the author is very popular. There are a few who are not happy, though, and not because they don't believe in ghosts, but because they don't want their ancestor exploited in any way. The plot thickens, as the saying goes, when the investigator is found dead at the foot of the stairs to the cellar. Will the ghosts help with the investigation?

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I like this series, Music Shop Mysteries because of the connection to music. :-) Snake in the Brass, by Jennifer Lamont Leo is the third book. Set in Idaho, in 1920 ... a new age in music is developing ... jazz! A group, the Midnight Serpents, has arrived in town to give a concert of this daring new music and not everyone approves. The concert seems to have gone well, until a body shows up. It looks like an accident, but we know that can't be true. Sassy cat Moxie helps with the investigation.

This book, Three Bags Full, a Sheep Detective Book, by Leonie Swann, first came out in 2005. It's now back, in a 'deluxe' edition, and about to be released as a major motion picture. I read it on the recommendation of Canadian Reader. Turns out, sheep make pretty good detectives! Their shepherd, the one who reads to them, is dead. The flock is determined to find out just who did this horrible thing and this is how they do so! There is a great description of each sheep at the start, strengths and weaknesses and so on, that made for a great reference as I read. Sheep, of course, pick up on different things than mere humans, a scent, for example. I liked it, they act very sheep like, there's very little human like behavior here. Most enjoyable.

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The second Veronica Vale Investigates book by Kitty Kildare, is Death at the Drunken Duck. Set in London in 1920, Veronica writes obituaries for the local paper. She'd like to do more, but even this job ... well, let's just say, some (mostly men) take exception to a woman doing a man's job, especially now that the war is over. Still, when her best friend's brother is accused of murder, she (and her loyal dog Benji) step in to help prove his innocence. The author includes historic notes at the end, I start there. :-)

Do you know much about pigeon racing? I didn't, but I learned more in Murder Flies the Coop, the second Beryl and Edwina Mystery by Jessica Elliott. These two make a great team: one Brit and a 'proper' woman (mostly, she has her moments ...) and one a saucy American staying in England because of Prohibition at home. They are old school chums happily getting reacquainted. Each brings different talents and skills to their investigations. In this case, money, and jewels are missing along with one member of the local pigeon racing club. His body is found in his pigeon coop. Follow along as they put all the clues together. A fun series!

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I started a new author/series this past week and ended up just not liking it, especially how the main characters treated each other. I gave up and decided to go for something I knew I'd like and that was the 29th in the Miss Fortune Mystery series by Jana Deleon, Coeds and Cattails. It did not disappoint! All the familiar folks are back and doing things we expect from them, including what the author calls 'Gertie moments'! :-) A college coed has been murdered, one that was not well liked as she ratted people out, often meaning they were expelled or fired from the university. And, yet, she was invited to a party of one of the most popular people on campus. Why? Now, someone has been arrested for the murder, the daughter of Detective Casey, friends with the Swamp Team 3, who promise to look into things when the local campus police seem happy that they've solved the crime. They haven't, you know that, yes? ;-) Just a great series!

Murder in Highgate was in the box sent up by Wandering Reader. When the Ashford family opens up the family tomb they find a surprise ... a body hanging inside. Who is it? And why in their family tomb? Once they identify the body all sorts of secrets emerge. This is book nine in the Redmond and Hazy Mystery series by Irina Shapiro. Nicely done, I did not feel 'lost' starting this far into the series.

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 The Golden Spoon is the debut novel of Jessa Maxwell. It involves a baking show, a very popular baking show, it's been on the air for many years. Recently however, in fact, with this season of the 'bake off' the producers decided it needed some spicing up and brought in a co-host. He also has a baking show, but one that is much edgier. Six contestants have been selected from the hundreds that have applied. Each day there is a new challenge, each day someone will be eliminated. All have a different reason for wanting to be on the show. They all have a history, of course. Things start to happen: one contestant finds salt in a sugar container, there is gasoline in another's syrup. It started out well, but now tempers flare and then everything falls apart when a body is found. Nicely done.

Ivy Galloway and her rescue dog (a border collier) are the proud owners of a hobby farm she plans on turning into a B&B. The rescue of Keats was rough (original owner was abusive) and Ivy is happy to return to the small town of Clover Grove. At least until the body of the local (and unpopular) dog catcher Lloyd Boyce is found dead in the rye field. This could impact her plans, for sure. And, it looks like Boyce might not be the only target, could she be next? She needs to solve this mystery, and quickly! Dogcatcher in the Rye is the first in the Bought the Farm Mystery by Ellen Riggs.

Reading Hermit With Dog

It's a literary fair in Tidehaven Cove, what could possibly go wrong? Things were going well until one author shows up, his book has NOT been published and he is sure it is due to a government conspiracy, and that everyone needs to pay more attention to that. He blames all the other authors who are there (and some store owners), sure that they are pandering to the government and helping to cover up conspiracy, fraud, and oh, so much more. When he is found dead there is, well, relief, but it does need to be investigated and that's what Ginny does. He antagonized everyone though, so it won't be easy. Bound by Secrets is the second in the Pages & Paws Mystery series by Poppy Bridgeman.

I love cheese, so picking up this book was an easy decision: Cheddar Luck Next Time, by Beth Cato. Bird Nichols makes cheese boards for all kinds of occasions, big to small. There are descriptions of how she does this, the flavors she combines and so on which left me a bit bewildered since I don't do much of anything in the kitchen, but for those of you who do, this will be a treat! She is also autistic so you learn about that, too, (read the acknowledgments), that was very well done. She's hoping her move to a small town will mean a peaceful life, but when she finds a body that all changes. As the newest person in town, and the one finding the body, she is the main suspect. She is going to have to prove she didn't do it ... a good start to (I hope) a series.

Reading Hermit With Dog