For a well-researched and easy to read history of the women in the NYPD, look no further than The Girls Who Fought Crime: the Untold True Story of the Country's First Female Investigator and Crime-Fighting Squads, by Maj. Gen. Mari K. Eder. While mostly a biography of Mae Foley (and what a dynamic woman she was), it's also about many of the other women who patrolled the streets, worked undercover, arrested the bad guys, and, of course, did a lot of the paperwork the men wouldn't do.

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M.K. Dean is a new author for me, but An Embarrassment of Itches, her first Cozy Pet Lovers Mystery will not be the last book of hers I read, that's for sure! Ginny has moved back to her small home town to help her mom when her dad gets sick. She buys a small place intending to turn it into a small animal clinic but the zoning falls through and she ends up being a vet who makes house calls. Her mom worries about this. Mom is a card carrying member of the NRA and thinks her daughter should be armed. As a compromise, Ginny names her new pup Remington. Her work is interesting (think about having to give a snake medicine) and she is making new friends ... but then one is found at the bottom of the swimming pool. Turns out she was not only very wealthy, but left everything to Ginny. Why? And what is going on with the new development that is supposed to be happening? An excellent beginning to what looks to be a fun series.

There were two books in the Miss Fortune Mystery series by Jana Deleon that I had not read. With good reason, I thought: the library had them only in e-book form, and, really I could skip one book here and there, right? When there was more than one missing title I opted to buy my own copies (which are shared with several other readers who still prefer printed books). Worked for a while, but recently I cracked and got those missing two books. Hurricane Force has Fortune bracing to face her first hurricane. As the town of Sinful is preparing for that, a missing, presumed dead, citizen shows up in the local eatery. His wife, Celia, is not amused (also not well liked, and is the mayor (we'll learn more about in other books)). During the high winds of the hurricane the streets are flooded with 100 dollar bills, that are counterfeit. Celia's hubby is found dead ... in her kitchen ... Fortune's boss calls to warn her that the man she is hiding from is headed for the US ... there are connections here (of course). This is a wild romp, even for this series!

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Back when I had horses, listened to NPR on more regular basis, and had a subscription to Western Horseman, I was a fan of Baxter Black, large animal vet and cowboy poet (!) so it was fun to return to his musings in Horseshoes, Cowsocks, & Duckfeet. Some are funny, some are reflective, some offer advice on life ... just a nice blending of his works. You will laugh, and nod in recognition of some of the common things we all share as we go to work, pursue favorite hobbies ... age ... !

I loved Disney as a child, still do, actually, so when I spotted one of the special issue magazines from History titled Walt Disney: Real Stories Behind the Legend I knew it was a must read. It was good! Lots of nice articles about how he came up with his ideas forstories, for animation, adding color and so on. He was nostalgic about the past, but always looking forward to the future (to paraphrase him). Wonderful pictures! Reading it made me both happy and sad. :-)

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I am thoroughly enjoying the Julia Bird Mysteries by Katie Gayle, and this (the third), A Village Fete Murder was no exception. Everyone is looking forward to the annual village celebration at Berrywick house ... complete with tea tents, cake stalls, flower competitions (where the competition is fierce), and a hedge maze. This is where Julia (and her dog, Jake) are when she comes across a body. It is someone who is not all that popular, as well as a strong competitor in the baking competition. Not willing to leave it to the police, Julia sets out to solve it (and then another murder) before the festival ends.

Edinburgh,1911. Maud McIntyre has set up her own detective agency (using just her first initial on the sign since women did not have their own businesses, I mean, really!) Her one time maid is her partner (but can play the part of the proper maid when needed) and together they set off to find who has been stealing expensive jewelry from fashionable houses (remember the big parties they used to give ...) Of course, there ends up being a murder, which they also investigate. Can they prove that as women they are up for the job? Not a bad book, but I do wish some of the Scottish-isms were better explained, I could not figure them all out just using context. The Scottish Ladies' Detective Agency is by Lydia Travers.

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Murder at Westminster is the Kitty Worthington Mystery #2, by Magda Alexander. It is 1923, and Kitty's 'debut' season ... something she did not want to do as it is intended to encourage proposals for marriage ... something she also does not want! Fortunately there is a distraction ... the murder of a nobleman, and her sister's boyfriend has been arrested for that death. She gathers her group around her again (including the ever gassy basset hound Sir Winston) and they search for the real killer. Each has a special and unique talent that makes them useful in tracking him down ... another grand romp from this author.

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In The White Lady, Jacqueline Winspear, author of the Masie Dobbs books, has created another strong, likeable character in Elinor White. She is a veteran of two world wars and has, well, unusual skills, some of which she'd like to leave behind in the modern times of 1947. She likes her quiet life, and tries to keep to herself, but does become involved in the lives of a young couple in the small village where she lives. There is an 'interesting' history there, as you will learn, but can she, should she, protect them? Plan on staying up late with this one!

Since 'K' is due out this autumn I decided to go ahead and read The Jordan File, one of the Aunt Bessie Cold Case Mystery books by Diana Xarissa. :-) As expected, it was a good read ... familiar characters, descriptions of good food and nice walks along the beach, and two good mysteries to hold your attention.

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I wonder how many mystery books or short stories have a body found in a library! Authors (yes, remember, there are two here) Katie Gayle did that in their second book in their Julia Bird Mystery series: Murder in the Library. Wanting to be a part of her new town, Julia joins the library just in time to attend a talk and book signing by a well known local author ... and then (of course) said author is found dead in the stacks. His most recent story is about a small town, with (some say) thinly veiled characters that are actual people (not always nice descriptions). He's always been good with his historical facts ... but is the research all his? Are there motives here for murder? And then, there's the missing manuscript ... this is a fun series, I'll be reading the third book soon.

I will admit that I have a fondness for books with a musical twist, having played in various groups over the years, so Dead Ringer, first in her Music Lover's Mystery, by Sarah Fox looked most interesting. I will have to say, it was a 'so so' read for me. There was no mention that the author is a musician, but there were no glaring music type errors. As you might expect, the main character sets off to investigate on her own but to me, there should have been more, um, overlap with the police. There's a dog, too, one that failed at becoming a service dog, but is becoming a good companion dog, but maybe (again,to me) could have used some training. :-) So, if you are looking for something to read between books by favorite authors, or have just finished an intense, non-fiction book, then this could be a good choice.

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