The first cold night or two, the wind blowing through the trees, perfect for snuggling under the down blanket with a hot water bottle and a mystery to chill your bones.
Hot to Trot by M.C. Beaton and Rod Green The talented M.C. Beaton died just about a year ago, and this Agatha Raisin, presumably the last, was outlined by her with the assistance of Rod Green, who wrote it. Mr. Green does a good job of channeling Ms. Beaton's Agatha and her obsession with her looks and the men in her life. Agatha, as her fans know, is abrasive, short tempered, and spiteful, and Ive always enjoyed that about her because there were other things that were admirable--when she's knocked down, she gets back and tries again. She is persistent, smart, and willing to put herself in danger to solve the case. Agatha's life does change over the course of the series, with a second marriage (and a second divorce), a new career, and the slow embrace of people as friends she can trust and count on. This, like all Agatha Raisin mysteries, is a fast read. This one takes place in the competitive horse showing world, and the reader gets to learn a little about it along with Agatha as she investigates who killed her former boyfriend's new wife. I did figure out the whodunnit very early, but I enjoyed watching Agatha figure it out and wreak revenge on the bad folks. Well done, Ms. Beaton--you had a long and very prolific career, and Hamish MacBeth and Agatha Raisin and their worlds will always be a fun place to visit. R.I.P. Recommended. Net Galley
A Catered Book Club Murder by Isis Crawford Sisters Bernie and Libby own a cafe, above which they live with their widowed father, retired policeman Sean. Although there are ten or so novels in the series, this was the first I read, and sadly, it is likely to be the only one I read. I wanted to like Bernie and Libby--they squabble like real sisters, they love their dad, they enjoy their work as caterers and cafe owners. But alas, they are very stupid, and it's an irritating kind of stupid. How irritating? I left myself 66 notes about things the sisters say or do in the course of investigating who killed artist Margo. Some passages read as if there were edits that had removed earlier sections with pertinent information that the reader therefore doesn't get; they jump to conclusions without any evidence that of course turns out to be correct; and apparently the only way the author can figure out to keep Bernie and Libby's investigation proceeding is to have them break into someone's house or business. Which they do--three times. Which their policeman father does not yell at them about. They traipse all over crime scenes and handle things, all without getting in trouble when their fingerprints should have been left behind. Some of the dialogue is very juvenile, e.g. "Maybe Lydia really has a reason for setting up the meeting at Le Cafe," Bernie countered... "Other than she's nuts?" Libby replied (Location 2307). It was after reading this passage that it occurred to me what the author was trying to do: create two slightly hip sisters who are nerdy enough to be non-threatening to older readers, who wear vintage clothes and are daddy's girls yet are hip enough not to be shocked by casual drug use so as to appeal to younger readers. I think she was trying to create, basically, grown-up Dana Girls or Nancy Drew for those of us who wanted to grow up to be Louise or Jean or Nancy. Except they are not Louise or Jean or Nancy. The author tries to catapult the murder into the high stakes world of art forgeries and big money swindles and forged passports and it doesn't work. Not Recommended. Net Galley
Home Is Where You Make It by Geneva Vanderzeil Amply illustrated and nicely laid out primer on some basic design principals for decorating your home on budget. I really like her perspective on re-using and re-purposing items (although she's not the first to espouse this), and he love of thrift store finds. So many even so-called budget remodels and re-designs cost well into the five figures, and that is just beyond so many of us. However, I have to say, the book didn't address some basic issues that stump my house decor: I do not not a mud room nor an area I can easily designate a mud room; my house if 70 years old and has two tiny closets in the bedroom and that's it for storage; I live in a very dusty part of the country (my mom lived back east and there was never dust in her house and she was as lazy and disinterested a housekeeper as I am!); and I live with pets, who are more important to me than anything else. Finding pet-friendly fabrics and designs is not as easy as you think. I like some of the ideas and think a lot of first timer renters, first time homeowners, and downsizers will find fun, easy, and doable projects in this book, Recommended. Net Galley
In Praise of Walking by Shane O'Mara I took up running a few years ago for a variety of reasons, but my first love is and will always be walking. Walking and hiking are essential to my well being and happiness. Mr. O'Mara is a neuroscientist who begins the book by describing why and how we walk-- the evolution of bipedalism, the mechanics of walking, the musculoskeletal and neurological requirements to hold us upright and tell us/allow us to move. He also discusses the role walking plays in creativity for many people, offering just a few instances of notable scientists and writers whose ambles allowed them to work through problems. In the final chapters, he writes about walkable cities and their benefits to society. This is an excellent and readable treatise on something we do every day, without thinking about, but which is critical to our health, mental and emotional well being. Recommended. Net Galley
