Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review

Last Wool and Testament by Peggy Ehrhart This has been one series I always returned to fondly, largely because it's set in a New Jersey town like the one I grew up in. The main character, Pamela Peterson, is almost too perfect, although I find her hands-off relationship with her own daughter a little weird. She never asks Penny about her date, or her plans; their relationship seems quite unaffectionate and distant. Pamerla's house sounds lovely, and she has an envious job. Her best friend and next door neighbor, Bettina Fraser, is overall a relatable character, and her husband Wilfred is a delight. I wish we saw more of him in the stories, and a little less of the overbearing Bettina we have in this story. If my best friend was as pushy about my dating life as Bettina is with Pamela, I'd tell her to back off.

But the author has a few peccadilloes that are usually annoying but bearable. This time, however, those peccadillos are downright irritating. Before I go into details, a summary. I absolutely loved how the book began, with the murder already having taken place, an unusual plot device that worked well. How many times can our amateur detective find a body? And as amateurs, it gets difficult trying to find new ways to get them involved so they can solve the mystery. However, I found the involvement of Pamela and Bettina In this mystery just too contrived this time. It felt forced and didn't ring true. Coco's instant reliance on Bettina and Pamela as her best confidants just felt weird. The coincidence of Ingrid's planner being right there for Pamela to see was also a bit contrived and it's never addressed in the ending. A simple sentence that Ingrid must have taken the planner out when talking to Nestor would have sufficed, but as it read, it was just odd that a 1985 planner was the only planner in Ingrid's house. And honestly, would anyone really tell strangers that they could just take whatever they wanted from her dead mother's house? They didn't even know her mother. 

The murderer and the reason why the murder took place were easy to figure out early on in the book, but I usually enjoy visiting Arborville, so I continued reading. And that's when the author's reliance on repetition really started bothering me. In past books, she has overused phrases like "wedding china cup" or "Pamela's serviceable compact car" far too many times throughout the story. This time, the same sentence and situation that are used over and over and over is Pamela looking through the lace curtain on the oval window of her front door to see Bettina's crimson hair. That same situation with almost the exact same wording must appear about half a dozen times in the book. Why not try "Pamela opened the door to see Bettina waiting impatiently" or "Pamela lightly ran downstairs to answer the door. Bettina sailed into the house carrying a pastry box high like a prize," or something, anything, else. 

But the reason I have to pan the book is because the author spent 6.5 pages describing exactly how Pamela made her dessert for the Knit and Nibble night she hosted at her house. Six and a half pages! This is not a cookbook, it's supposed to be a murder mystery. Literally every step was described in excruciating and needless detail. I could not believe that this scene went on as long as it did. Where was the editor? I recommended this series to someone last month as a comfort read, and if they pick up this latest book to read, they will probably never ask me for a book recommendation again. 

There were other things that irritated: Roland has become distinctly unlikeable, and you'd never get me over for knit night no matter how scrumptious the desert Wilfred made if he's coming. And for the first time, other family members are mentioned offhandedly, and with just one sentence. Pamela reads an email from her mother; we didn't even know she had a mother who was still living, and then a sister is mentioned. With Penny moving to grad school near where Pamela grew up out of state, the author is clearly setting up the next book to take place there, with secondary characters to replace Bettina, Wilfred, and the knitters. But it was a surprise to see those characters mentioned in just one sentence each, with no previous mentions in earlier books. Pamela has always been a lone person, and for me, that's been a little bit of her appeal. 

I'll read the next book in the series, I'm sure, but the publisher really needs to get an editor involved. And Roland needs to lighten up. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's July Reads

July begins my first month of unemployment. So while I desperately try to find a new job, I am trying to tackle some housekeeping. In order to remain sane, I'm reading, but mostly comfort reads to help me de-stress. 

Simple Designs for Meditative Knitting by Barbara Breen There have been several mindfulness knitting books published over the years; it seems anew one is published every four years or so. Simple Designs for Meditative Knitting is the latest such book, and like the other, it's well designed to help novice knitters and experienced knitters alike. For many knitters, the online world is full of people who shout proudly that they read and knit at the same time, or knit movie theaters, or at concerts--the list is endless. This might be off-putting to a novice knitter who has to pay attention to their needles so they don't get lost. Ms. Breen reminds them, and experienced crafters, that the meditative qualities such mindfulness produces are worthy goals in and of themselves. She presents several basic patterns for contemplative knitting. Nicely produced, with a variety of projects. (Net Galley)

Midwinter Murders by Agatha Christie There is no greater comfort read than Agatha Christie for me. I have loved mysteries since I was a child. I remember borrowing from my aunt's collection of Agatha Christies at her summer bungalow when I was just ten or eleven. And since mid-July temperatures are now well into the 110s F here in the desert, I read mysteries set in the winter. This short story collection features Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Parker Pyne. It's the perfect summer or winter read for a mystery lover.  

O Deadly Night (A Year-Round Christmas Mystery) by Vicky Delaney Vicki Delaney is one of my favorite  contemporary cosy mystery authors. Her main characters are relatable and real, people you'd want to be friends with in real life. They have jobs they have to do--they can't just go off detecting. They had quirky relatives or friends. I worried that this Christmas-themed series would be too cutesy for me and for it to last, but I'm delighted to say that after reading three of them, Ms. Delaney is doing a great job of keeping an unusual premise going realistically. In this soon-to be-published book, Merry is juggling getting her shop's holiday float ready for the Rudolph town parade and gearing up for the December retail extravaganza when she makes the majority of her sales, so when her landlady, the quirky Mrs. D'Angelo, starts pestering her about mysterious goings on at the house across the street, Merry is too overwhelmed to pay much attention. Until Mrs. D'Angelo disappears. I loved this premise--Merry reacts as any one of us would to the situation, with a little guilt and determination. We find out a little bit more about how Merry's father, the Mayor, helped revitalize a dying town by turning it into a Christmas destination that celebrates all year. Because we see more of Mrs. D'Angelo in this entry, we see less of Allen, Marry's boyfriend, but he and the other regular secondary characters appear, add drama (the store scene brought to mind retail incidents from my own past as a store clerk; yes, they do happen!), add spice, and generally make this an enjoyable series. O Deadly Night will be published in October 2025, and will be a great diversion for mystery lovers who need a little escape from the holiday craziness. (Net Galley)

One Final Turn (An Electra McDonnell Mystery) by Ashley Weaver It's become quite fashionable for series to end nowadays, rather than just go on and on and on, with authors tiring of their main characters, slipping in their attention to details and probably becoming uninterested in the stories and people they created but have been living with for year. This is the gift Electra McDonnell World War II mystery, but it was the first I read in the series. Electra's cousin Toby, working with the resistance, has disappeared in Europe, and she and Ramsey go to Portugal to see if they can find his trail on one of the escape routes from Nazi-controlled territory. This final entry has to finish two competing story lines: whether Toby is alive, and if he is, can he be rescued, and the relationship between Ramsey and Electra, apparently over at the end of the previous book, still has embers threatening to reignite. I will admit this was not a favorite of mine. There was a lot more romance than I care for in my mysteries (a personal preference, of course), but more importantly, our spies are probably the worst spies ever. They talk about plans in lobbies full of people, they draw attention to themselves when setting out on midnight reconnaissance missions by walking through the lobby--it all reads as very amateurish. If you've been reading the series all along, this book provides a satisfactory end to Electra's story. If you haven't been reading this series, I can't recommend you start based on this book. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's June Reads

The last day of my employment was at the end of June, which meant that as work wound down, I had more reading time but no reading energy. 

Curse of the Arctic Star by Carolyn Keene This audio Nancy Drew YA book was just the speed I needed this month. Nancy, George and Bess have evolved since I read them as a ten-year-old, and while characters and settings have been updated, the threeesome remain best friends who are drawn into mysteries.  

Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers I've read this book before, but I had just listened to a podcast about Dorothy L. Sayers that discussed parts of her life I had been unaware of before, so I decided that listening to the story as I did some odd jobs was a perfect summer read (or in this case, listen). I found myself a bit more sympathetic to Harriet Vane than I was in the past when I read the book, although listening as opposed to reading, I thought her inner turmoil dragged on a bit too much. The book was originally published in 1935, and it still stands up pretty well, even 90 years later. Familiarity with the Oxbridge system and academia is a must, however, as that is central to the story, the characters and their interactions with each other, and the crimes. 

Shot Through the Book by Eva Gates The Lighthouse Library series is another that I enjoy. Lucy MacNeil's life changes dramatically over the course of the series, and while one cold jump right in, this is one that I thin benefits from starting at the beginning. This time, the Lighthouse Library staff are very excited at an upcoming young adult book festival that will be highlighted with an appearance by bestselling author Todd Harrison, whose YA series is wildly popular. Todd and his wife Heather have recently relocated to the Outer Banks and Todd appears to be delighted to participate in local events, no matter how small, and his participation has enhanced the reputation of the festival. Todd unexpectedly;y shows up at Lucy's house, and while she's inside getting them some lemonade, is killed on her porch. While Lucy tries to discover who would kill Todd, she's fighting against everyone's suspicions that she must be involved given where Todd was murdered. There was an interesting subplot involving Todd's obsessed fan club that is woven into the story quite well. Despite the number of folks now that have died near the Bodie Island Lighthouse, it's a location and community that I think would be a fun place to visit if it were real, and Ms. Gates does a very good job making it seem real. (Net Galley) 

Middle Sister's May Reads

Personal chaos (the loss of my job) made concentrating in May and June difficult. Comfort reads for distraction were my answer to the extreme stress characterizing my life right now.

Knitmare on Beech Street by Peggy Ehrhart While I wouldn't want to be part of the Knit and Nibble group--too many rules--, I wouldn't mind at all living in Arborville, NJ, and being friends with Pamela and her neighbors. Pamela's daughter has graduated college, but is off to South America on a volunteer service trip, so she's spending a few weeks at Pamela's before she leaves for almost a year abroad. Pamela, Bettina and the Arborville welcome wagon group go the Voorhees House to welcome Tassie, the new owner of the Victorian mansion, only to find Tassie dead. Bettina is excited to be present at the start of the investigation, hoping to beat her rival newspaper to the solution. She and Pamela talk to several of the neighbors and discover that there are reports of a ghost in the old mansion. While ghosts don't kill (or do they?), a young man obsessed with vintage Arborville and angry at renovations that Pamela's new possible boyfriend Pete is undertaking at the Voorhees might be even more eccentric, and possibly dangerous, than he appears. This series is a quiet homecoming for me, and while it might not be everyone's cup of tea, I enjoy escaping to visit Arborville and its residents. I particularly enjoyed the author using the name Voorhees, which is a Dutch name that dates back to when New Jersey was part of New Amsterdam, and the name has a lot of real local history associated with it.

Murder Takes the Stage by Colleen Campbridge Phyllida Bright and her employer, Agatha Christie, are in London for this entry in this post-war series. Agatha is talking to producers of a play she's written, and Phyllida and a skeleton crew of Mallowan Hall's staff accompany her and Max to London. Unfortunately, the Mallowans' cook has remained at home, so Phyllida has to deal with a newly-hired chef who bears a striking resemblance to Hercule Poirot but is much more temperamental than Agatha's fictional sleuth. An actor is killed at the theater, and Agatha asks Phyllida to come to the scene even before the police are called. Then another actor is killed, at another theater, and Phyllida has to race against time to prevent another serial murder. I enjoyed this book, and I am enjoying the evolution of Phyllis relationship with Bradford, the chauffeur. This is a well-written series, and while there is an overarching theme (Phyllida's background and relationship with Agatha that dates to World War II is revealed to be slightly mysterious over the books), they can be read in any order.

A Trace of Poison by Colleen Campbridge The local organizers of a Murder Fete held in the village of Listleigh, a;; members of a writing group, are ecstatic that Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, and other members of the Detection Club are willing to attend to help the group raise money for a local orphanage. But the writing group's member are not as supportive of each other as it would appear, and when one of them is murdered, jealousies erupt as suspicion falls on each of them. Wait, was the victim accidentally murdered? Was the poisoned cocktail meant for someone else? And will the killer succeed the second time around? Phyllida, on hand to manage the cocktail party interrupted by murder, steps in find out who was intended victim and who is still in danger as well as to unmask the murderer.

Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie Another in my list of comfort reading, this is one of my favorite Agatha Christies because it is not only a great read, it takes place on an archaeological dig. There's not much I can write about a classic like Murder in Mesopotamia--interesting characters, pretty atmospheric (Christie didn't go in for detailed setting descriptions), and a ripping good murder to solve. 

Middle Sister's April Reads

 I continued comfort reading in April, as I learned that my unit was being closed and I was losing my job in 60 days. I didn't have the headspace for much reading, unfortunately.

The Murder at the Links by Agatha Christie I had started reading this through my library's Hoopla account several years ago, but I am not fond of reading on my laptop, so when a audiophile became available, I jumped on it. This is the second Hercule Poirot novel, and the first in which he's summoned by someone who thinks they are in danger but who unfortunately dies before Poirot arrives. Nevertheless, Poirot feels obligated to uncover who killed Paul Renauld. A complicated story with secret identities, it is not one of my favorite Christies, but as I have a long-term goal of re-reading them in order and I could not remember ever having read this one before, I was glad to find it in a more accessible format for me. 

Booked for Murder by P. J. Nelson Madeline inherited The Old Juniper Bookshop from her late aunt. Madeline's feelings of obligation and the many happy memories of childhood visits with her aunt, as well as acting career that seems to be in holding pattern, send her back, although she's not sure she will keep the bookstore. Someone sets a fire within hours of her arrival, and then the murder of a new friend anger Madeline, who determines to identify the killer no matter the cost to her personal safety. I enjoyed the book, Madeline's reunion with people she knew as children years ago, and the probable love interest.  The writing was engaging, and the secondary characters were well developed; I can't wait to read more about Madeline's aunt's best friend. This was a debut novel for a new series, and as I am a sucker for a bookstore or library mystery, I will be retuning to the Old Juniper Bookstop again.

Murder by the Hook by Betty Hechtman I haven't read one of the Crochet Mystery stories in years, and I will admit that it's because I'm not crazy about Molly Pink, the protagonist. I just don't seem to be able to gel with her as a reader. But I wanted to give the series another try, and the latest was made available to me via Net Galley. The bookstore where Molly's crochet group meets is closed for renovations, so Molly and the Tarzana Hookers decamp to Pixie, a nearby resort town, for a relaxing weekend. Mason, Molly's former beau, asks her to accompany him to a pre-wedding reception his client is giving in, of all places, Pixie--what a coincidence. Someone keeps pilfering small items whenever Jerry R and his wife, Lisa, host one of their gala parties, and Mason thinks that Molly can help him identify the kleptomaniac. But then someone is killed, and Molly finds that finding a thief takes a back seat to finding a killer. Still not my favorite series, still not sure I actually like Molly, and liking the main character is a basic requirement to keep my attention. The series isn't gory or terrible, it's just kind of dull to me. But this is book 16, I think, so clearly a lot of people enjoy the Tarzana Hookers and their shenanigans in the LA area. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's March Reads

March included two trips, one business, one pleasure, so I had a fair amount of airplane time to read.

A Lethal Walk in Lakeland by Nicholas George This is the second book in the series that revolves around retired policeman Rick 'Chase' Chasen and rambles in the English countryside. It's nearly a year after the first book, and Chase and Mike, the Devonshire coroner he met in the first book, have been talking regularly and their romance is heating up. So Chase decides to go spend time with Mike and together explore the Lake District. Unfortunately, Mike is prevented from starting the walk by an urgent work-related incident, and Chase reluctantly decides to continue the walk alone. Well, not completely alone, as his friend Billie is also along for the walk, as are several members of a family that have come to find closure on the walk. Then suddenly, one family member is dead, the rest are suspicious of each other, and Chase has to untangle threads from a terrible tragedy in their childhood as well as solve the modern day murder. I like this series; Chase is a pleasant main character, and I'm happy to see him ready for romance with Mike after the death of his husband. I just wish Chase didn't wallow in his feelings quite as much as he does, but that's a personal opinion. I look forward to the next book in the series, where hopefully Mike will be more a central character helping Chase solve whatever mystery they encounter on their next ramble. (Net Galley)

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey This is one of my favorite mysteries of all time, and my copy somehow was lost. Macmillan published a reprint I bought over 20 years ago that had a duplicate section of about 30 pages, but the actual 30 pages of text were missing. I've been searching for a clean copy ever since. I was in Denver for a conference and wandered into used bookstore and there it was, a clean copy! I read the entire book, cover to cover, in my flight home. Tey's masterpiece is notable for two things: Inspector Allen Grant is not able to do any physical investigation as he's bedridden with a bad broken leg, and this is one of the earlier books to utilize this plot device that I know of. And it almost single-handedly revived the interest in the murder of the princes in the Tower, providing a cogent argument against their uncle Richard III as the murderer that has been cited by many Ricardians as their jumping off point for delving deeper into this medieval mystery. The book stands the test of time, remaining as riveting more than 70 years after it was published as any modern mystery. An excellent mystery I recommend to anyone. 

Murder in the Mews by Agatha Christie While I've read all of Christie's novels, I haven't read all of her short stories. I listened to this audio recording of four Hercule Poirot stories, originally published in 1937, and was not disappointed. Was Barbara Allen's death a suicide? Will secret war plans be stolen for the Nazis? Who killed Sir Gervase, who summoned Poirot but who was killed before the detective arrived? And who killed the beautiful Valentine Chantry: her jealous husband, her lover, or someone else? It was absolutely wonderful getting to listen to what were new-to-me Christies.

Middle Sister's February Reads

February was a short month, but I started reading some St. Patrick's Day-themed mysteries that were then newly published.

Irish Soda Bread Murder by Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland I've come to enjoy all three of these authors, who have collaborated on other holiday-themed anthologies. Carlene O'Connor, who is listed first, writes a series set in Ireland, revolving around a large family and the oldest sister, matriarch now that their parents have died. But int his short story, our protagonist is Tara Meehan, who is helping her Uncle Johnny. Several of Uncle Johnny's friends are participating in a psychic fair, but no one forsees a murder. The only clue: the Irish soda bread the victim is holding in their hands. Peggy Ehrhart takes us to the familiar setting of Arborvitae, NJ, and a community center St. Paddy's Day party. Part of the festivities is an Irish soda bread competition, but the judge drops dead after sampling one of the entries. Liz Ireland's series is set in Santaland, but this time Liz Claus is back hime in Oregon because her bed and breakfast inn was flooded, and her caretaker is nowhere to be found. Along for the ride are three elves who've been anxious to see the world ever since Liz married Nick, and their adventures as undocumented aliens threaten to reveal the existence of Santa Claus and Santaland before Liz can find out who killed a smuggler and thief at her inn. While all were enjoyable ways to celebrate one of my favorite holidays, the premise of an Irish soda brea competition was a bit of a stretch--there really aren't very many ways that you can make a traditional Irish soda bread, so that premise was farfetched. But I love holiday-themed mysteries, and I always enjoy this group of authors' short stories. (Net Galley)

Murder in an Irish Garden by Carlene O'Connor  Siobhan, matriarch of the rollicking Irish family mentioned above, is trying to study for her sergeant's exam, but she and her husband Macdara seem to be fighting about everything these days. And neither of our stubborn Irish Garda are going to give an inch. The local gardening group is delighted, and somewhat bewildered, that they were chosen to host a gardening competition, but the local gardeners go all out to create what they hope will be a winning entry. They are all angry when one competitor hires an internationally-known garden landscape designer to help with his garden, which they all think is cheating. But were they angry enough to kill her? I thought this was one of the weaker entries in the series, perhaps because Siobhan's big family takes more a back seat. Eion is opening his new restaurant, The Sullivan Six, and while there are changes like this to the family across the arc of the series, it's easy to jump in with any book. It was easy to identify the killer and the surprise story ending early in the book, but it's still a pleasant read. (Net Galley)

Death of an Irish Druid by Catie Murphy This is book 6 in a series I'd never tried. I was unimpressed and admit I didn't finish the book, a rarity for me as it was an advanced reader's copy and I diligently try to finish those before I formulate my opinion. Megan Malone, American ex-pat, drives a limo in Dublin, and apparently in the previous novel, her girlfriend Jelena broke up with her over her sleuthing adventures. So Megan was happy to drive her old friend Raf and his beloved Sarah around Ireland to give herself some breathing space after the break up. Unfortunately, she finds the body of a local landowner at their first stop, and while the local police think the death was an accident, Megan is not convinced. I wasn't convinced but the premise of the book. Calling Megan the murder driver was neither cutesy (the references to her hashtag were already annoying and I was still in Chapter 1) nor appropriate--I like my amateur detectives to be unwilling to get caught up in a murder, not revel in them and seek them out as a way to deal with heartbreak (which in itself seems wrong). This is one of the few ARCs I bailed out on. (Net Galley)