Middle Sister's November Reads

Happy autumn! it is finally fall here in the desert. The days are shortening, the temperature is dropping (okay, only at night, but it's in the 70s Fahrenheit during the day and it's perfect), and as the humidity dissipates after the summer rains, the mountains re-appear, sharp and jagged. This is perfect weather for two of my favorite activities: hiking and reading. This month I looked into a few new and recent mystery series' first novels.

Well Offed in Vermont by Amy Patricia Reade I was attracted by the cover: a beautiful autumnal scene, with yellow, orange, and red leaves swirling around a stone well, and an old, clapboard home in the back. Shades of where I'd like to retire. Perfect for the season. So I settled in with some hot cocoa. I was put off by typos in the first chapter, and was really put off buy the main characters shortly thereafter. Bella and Nick have left New York City to move to Vermont for Nick's new dream job with the Forest Service, and after years of apartment living, they have bought a beautiful old house. I liked the opening: Stella's misgivings about moving somewhere so different from where she's always lived are furthered when she finds out on the drive up that she did not get the new job she had applied for. Before they even start to unpack, they find a murdered man in their house. The plot twist that they cannot return to the scene of the crime and literally have just the clothes on their backs and nowhere to stay was a good one, and could have been played a bit more for laughs (or at least, I would have). But the basic premise--that they're going to solve this murder because they are bored and don't want to wait for the sheriff to do his job--annoyed me; I don't care if her father was a cop--investigative smarts are not genetic. Stella is our main protagonist, and the fish out of water trope is a good one; that's why it's so popular. But Stella isn't just a fish out of water--she's a fish who thinks she's superior to her new pond and barely hides it, if at all. We're not given any insight in her emotional state to see if this is just part of her reaction to all the stress; it comes across as just her personality. She and Nick practically insult their new neighbors during many of their conversations. They are both underdeveloped characters with some annoying character traits.  She thinks she's always right and smarter than anyone; he's yodeling and cavorting like a middle schooler when he thinks he's solved the murder, crowing about how he's "number one!" She's highly insulted that the sheriff suggested she get a hand knit sweater (has she seen any of the gorgeous hand knit sweaters on Ravelry?) yet her hobby of choice is cross stitch and every time she sits down in the hunting cabin, she starts stitching. I'd argue cross stitch is a lot more old-fashioned, unpopular, and non-trendy a hobby than knitting. The writing and situations are often quite juvenile; for example, in Chapter 13, when, during a conversation with suspect Jake Brunelle, Stella and Jake discuss whether Nick was flirting with Jake's wife Betsy and Stella agrees, setting her husband, who is right there, up to be punched by Jake. The dialogue is like a bad rom com movie, and actually, a lot of the interactions can be read as a the author trying to write a Hallmark mystery television rom com with a dash of mystery. This is the first in a new series, but I doubt I'll read any more. I probably would be able to overlook everything I just wrote, knowing that some authors often need a book or two to hit their stride. But in Chapter 17, Stella says "Don't mind my husband; he's being tested for Tourette's." What? How insulting! How did that get past an editor? I had a friend with Tourette's and this blatant rude and disrespectful comment really angered me. Because of that insult, I won't recommend this book. Those who like clean mysteries--no cussing, no sex, no gore--will enjoy it and may find the married couple repartee amusing. I didn't. Ms. Reade should read some Nick and Nora Charles or Mr. and Mrs. North mysteries if she wants to create a flirtatious, charming married couple and not the prom king and queen solving a murder. (Net Galley)

This Side of Murder by Anna Lee Huber The success of the Charles Todd mysteries (Caroline Todd died just a week ago; what a loss to the genre!) spurned a mini-genre explosion of World War I-themed mystery series. Their Ian Rutledge series is excellent, as is the Maisie Dobbs series. This new Verity Kent series begins, like those, after the war is over. The societal upheavals, the family dramas with shattered men returning from the front, and the end of the Edwardian gilded age are all part of the book. Verity is a young widow whose husband died during battle. She's invited to attend the engagement party of his best childhood friend on a remote island, and the reader knows immediately that we're in for a good country house murder. Verity is surprised and confused when all the attendees turn out to have been connected with a tragic desertion case her husband was involved with in France just before his death. As the weekend party continues, it becomes apparent that there are secrets swirling around the desertion case, and  after she discovers a murder victim, Verity has to figure out what happened in France as well as what is happening then and there. Of course, there's a terrible storm and they are out off from the mainland, the electricity goes out, and Verity needs to identify the murderer before she's the next victim. I enjoyed the novel a lot, although there was a lot f jargon that the author tried to use to set the stage in the early 1920s that even this devotee of historical mysteries and old movies didn't recognize. For example, Tom is described as a dark,but when I looked it up, the Internet told me that is an American English word and not British slang. I'm still not sure how I feel about the main plot twist, and it would be giving away too much to discuss how that affected my impression of the book. But, the book is well written, the characters were nicely fleshed out, and I felt that I understood Verity and her actions much more than Stella in the previous book, because Ms. Huber dove into her emotional and psychological reactions. I recommend the book to those who like historical mysteries or English mysteries. (Net Galley)

Death of a Nurse by M.C. Beaton This is the 31st entry in the Hamish MacBeth series. While some books have been better than others, overall, Ms. Beaton maintained quality across the entire series. Death of a Nurse is one of the last Hamish MacBeth mysteries she wrote, and it's a pretty strong entry. Hamish, who always falls for a pretty face, this time is smitten by a private nurse working for the curmudgeonly Mr. Harrison. Of course, he's disappointed in love, again, when Gloria stands him up, and Hamish is moping and dour until her body is found. Hamish and Charlie find themselves working with Inspector Fiona Herring. Tough, no-nonsense Inspector Herring is an able match for Detective Chief Inspector Blair, and some of the most delightful passages in the book are the classes between these two. Of course, things get complicated pretty quickly, and only Hamish can connect the dots and solve the mystery in his own inimitable, quirky way. This is a great entry in the series, quite possibly because Priscilla, the object of Hamish's desire, is hardly in it, although she and her latest fiancé make several appearances. Ms. Beaton died in 2019, but luckily there are still quite a few Hamish stories I've not read. I never tire of visiting Hamish, and Lochdubh and all its eccentric villagers. Hamish is an acquired taste, but I recommend him to those that like a little silliness or comedy with their mysteries.

The Whole Art of Detection by Lyndsay Faye Sherlock Holmes has spawned a whole subgenre of books starring the detective, some good (Laurie R. King), others not so good. I'd put Lyndsay Faye's book in the good column. The Whole Art of Detection is a compilation of short stories featuring Sherlock and John Watson at various points in their careers, including some that take place very early in Holmes' consulting detective business. Overall, I'd say Ms. Faye did a great job capturing Watson, the adult Sherlock, and the time and place (London, late Victorian period), although her young Sherlock seems a little off to me. But trying to imagine a young Sherlock is a pretty daunting task, and she's created a reasonable possibility. The short stories are worthy of Conan Doyle himself. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes Sherlock Holmes as well as historical mysteries fans. 

The Riddle of the Labyrinth by Margalit Fox I am a big fan of Ms, Fox's writing and her choice of nonfiction topics, and The Riddle of the Labyrinth doesn't disappoint those of us who love her eclectic choices. It focuses on the decipherment of Linear B, one of the oldest written languages in the world. Linear B, associated with the ruins on Crete, bewildered archaeologists, linguists, and historians for decades after the first inscriptions were excavated. Ms. Fox focuses her book not he's tory of the three people who were instrumental in the story of Linear B: Arthur Evans, the archaeologist who discovered the first Linear B inscriptions; Michael Ventris, who eventually completed the decipherment of Linear B; and most importantly for history and the reader, Alice Kober, a little known classicist in Brooklyn whose breakthroughs in decipherment, made after decades of study, laid the foundation for Ventris' success. Ms. Kober's part in the process and history had been overlooked or forgotten. Ms. Fox restores her and her contributions to the scholarly world. An excellent read.

Middle Sister's October Reads

 It's time to start holiday reading! Continuing from last month, I read a holiday book and a book that would make a great gift for the dog lover in your life. 

Christmas Candy Corpse by Rosemarie Ross The popularity of reality shows has resulted in several mystery series that revolve around reality TV shows, some more successfully than others. This was a new series to me, although this is the third in the Courtney Archer series. Courtney is a chef and cooking show hostess whose network has tapped her and her co-host to record a holiday-themed cooking contest. This is a great boost for her show and career as well as for the contestants, but from the start, things go off the rails. One of the judges, Shannon, keeps disappearing from the set, and one of the contestants is refusing to wear the aprons supplied by the show because they are part of a line of products developed by Shannon. Tempers flare and everyone is on edge with a condensed shooting schedule. But things take a serious turn when the assistant director is murdered, and Courtney finds herself trying to film two shows while figuring out whodunnit before they strike again. The book is well written overall, although there are some glaring grammatical mistakes and weird word choices and typos, and the pace is fast. But this is apparently the third murder in just a few months involving the same crew and show at the same resort, and I cannot believe that the network would not have cancelled this program as fast as possible. Ms. Ross really needs to move the show and introduce characters not related to it as suspects because the resort as the setting for yet another murder involving the exact same group of people is mentioned several times, which underscores that this is either lazy writing or unimaginative writing. Why not send them on location? Why not have Courtney stumble on a murder while on a publicity tour for her show? Why not have Courtney involved with publishing a book of the show's recipes, and someone is killed who is unrelated to the show--a bookstore owner, a restauranteur in another city, an editor, or a network executive is murdered  when she's visiting HQ? How about a murder while she's on vacation? There was also a major story line that irritated me--Shannion's multiple disappearances throughout the day. Several times Courtney sees Shannon in a place she shouldn't be, many times Courtney talks to her coworkers or herself about how Shannon is not acting like herself, yet it takes the entire book for her to just ask her what the heck is going on? Shannon is supposed to be her good friend, yet Courtney treats her like a stranger and avoids trying to help her. Very irritating. Fans of cooking shows and baking contests will enjoy the book, but I won't read another unless the book jacket assures me it doesn't take place at the resort and on set. Recommended. (Net Galley) 

Adventure Dogs by Fern West Dog lovers will enjoy this book that celebrates a variety of activities that Fido and their human can enjoy together. Full disclosure: I work part time as a dog trainer and am heavily involved with Pet Partners, the oldest therapy dog registry in the world, and used to volunteer with a breed rescue. So I love dogs. And I love doing things with my dogs. I'd love to receive this book as a gift. It's lavishly illustrated, with the author's own dog starring in some of the adventures. The book is broken down into categories of activities, with guest essays accompanying many of them. Places to visit and stay, activities to try, advice for beginners and those already expert at a sport will all find some fun new things to try with their canine companion. And if all the reader wants to do with their dog is snuggle on the couch while looking at the photos, that's covered here, too! This would be a great holiday gift for the dog lover in your life. Highly recommended. (Net Galley)

Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews Meg's husband Michael, the drama professor, is staging the Scottish play, and their family home is overrun with actors and drama and history department professors, while a group off medieval re-enactors has camped in the woods. Someone is disgruntled and has been playing nasty jokes on people, nasty jokes that are increasing in ugliness. And then someone is murdered, and the underlying tensions crisscrossing the actors, the re-enactors, and the academics explodes. The cast of characters is much larger than usual in a Meg Langslow mystery, but Ms. Andrews keeps the list of possible suspects small enough in number to be tracked but disparate enough to have these different groups under suspicion. There is always a lot of humor in the series. and this one is no different. I'm sorry that Meg's parents, who are two of my favorites characters, make barely an appearance, but we do get to spend more time than usual with Rose Noire and meet another nephew, Kevin, who takes on the role of tech geek that Meg's brother usually fills. I'd love to be part of Meg's huge and lovable and eccentric family, and that is high praise indeed. Highly recommended (Net Galley)

The Secret Staircase by Sheila Connolly Ms. Connolly writes five series, and this is book three in the Victorian Village series. The premise is intriguing, but the execution leaves much to be desired. Kate Hamilton has left her job and returned to her hometown because her childhood friend has convinced her to help resurrect the dying town. Asheboro had only one real industry, and when that folded, a long, slow economic decline began. But because no other industry was present, the Victorian houses that were built during the town's heyday are still intact, if in need of remodeling. Kate's idea is to start with a remodel of the home of the town magnate who'd become a recluse in his home for years, and create a living history village that would attract tourists. After finally finding a contractor who shares her vision of remodeling the mansion, the murder of a sub-contractor and the discovery of a skeleton hidden behind a wall threaten to derail the project before it has even begun. Full disclosure--I've worked in an industry that includes historic preservation, and Kate getting a huge grant to finance this, without any background in historic preservation or conservation, is, frankly, not realistic, but I try to suspend my disbelief when reading mysteries. But even someone without any background in preservation would recognize instantly that the timeline Kate sets is utterly fantastical, and she is a terrible project manager. There are a thousand things to do, the reader is told, yet she spends hours reading a diary because she feels an intense connection with and fascination about the late owner. And that is part of the rub of why I didn't enjoy this book as much as I would have liked: Kate is in love with the idea of the project and the romance of the project, but she (and the author) have no idea of how such a project would be actually unfold, and so therefore neither does the reader become invested in this project. Perhaps the author has too many series that she's responsible for, and the quality may be suffering from her scattered attention. But I doubt I'll return to Asheboro to see what happens with this project. The title reminded me of Nancy Drew books, which I loved as a girl, but I can only recommend it with the caveat that it's not dreadful, it's just not great. Recommended (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's September Reads

As you can see, with a lengthy mid-month review and this one, I read a lot this September. It was a good month.

At the Reunion Buffet by Alexander McCall Smith In this short story, Isabel Dalhousie helps organize her school reunion, and in the process, uncovers a present-day mystery while helping resolve several past problems amongst her former schoolmates. Despite its brevity, one gets a good introduction to Isabel and Jamie, and the delightful twists and turns off any book written by McCall Smith.

The Secret of White Stone Gate by Julia Nobel I've had such go od luck reading YA books lately that I'm seeking out more to enjoy. The first in this series was not available from my library, so I started with this one, number 2 in the Black Hollow Lane series. I think it might have been better had I read the first, because there are a lot of illusions to this mysterious group which recruits tweens and teenagers from a boarding school for nefarious purposes. I never got a good handle on what this group is or its purpose, and maybe the first doesn't make that explicit either but I found it confusing. American Emmy attends a British boarding school while her author mother is on tour promoting her latest book. Emmy's father, whom she thought was dead, made contact with her in the first book, and in this second book, Emmy is coming to terms with the realization that he's alive but in danger. And the nefarious league is determined to track him down by threatening Emmy and everyone she loves. The medallions, such a crucial part of the mystery, were apparently an important part of the first book, but their background is murky in this second book and I was very confused over their actual purpose and history. Definitely a series that needs to be read in order, this isn't quite as good as some of the other middle grade and YA books I've read recently, but my impression might have been different had I been able to start with book one.

Murder in a Teacup by Vicki Delaney This is the second in the Tea by the Sea mystery series. I enjoyed the first book last year and was happy to see another book with chef Lily Roberts, her grandmother Rose, and their friends on Cape Cod. This time, Rose's old friend Sandra and her granddaughter Heather come the cape, having arranged a mini family reunion at Rose's B&B. Heather invited her estranged brother-in-law and his wife, trying to make amends after the two fell out after Heather's husband's death. There is a lot of sniping and ill will between the family group. but then someone is murdered in Lily's tearoom, and Lily, Rose and their friend Bernie swing in to action to find the killer before they strike again. I like this series because Lily doesn't investigate the murder because she thinks the police are incompetent; rather, she thinks that she can get information people may hide from the police and then she turns that information over to Detective Redmond. The location in Cape Cod is a strong reason why I like the book, as I have a longstanding yearning to visit the cape, but there really isn't much description of the setting; I wish Ms. Delaney would include more. The cast of characters that surround Lily are likable and realistic, and I'm especially impressed with her friendship with Bernie. Lily recognizes when her friend is being annoying and calls her out on it, for example, when Bernie is underfoot in her tiny kitchen, but offers unstinting support of Bernie's dream to be a writer. The love interests for both women are likable; heck, I'd date either one of them. And the twist at the end caught me off guard, so well done, Ms, Delaney, I can't wait for the third book in the series. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review

 Hello, Gentle Readers! In order to avoid having another really long post, like August's, I'm going to post a couple of mid-month reviews.

Murder at Mallowan Hall by Colleen Cambridge Excellent story featuring Agatha Christie as a secondary character. Our amateur detective is Phyllida Bright, friend of Mrs. Christie's who works as the housekeeper at Mallowan hall which the Grande Dame shares with her second husband Max Mallowan. An avid reader of her friend/employer's books, who, we're led to believe, even makes suggestions that Mrs. Christie utilizes, Phyllida decides to use her little gray cells when an unexpected guest to weekend house party is killed in the library. Then a second murder occurs, and the fear mounts. Phyllida is a good choice for a detective in a country house setting--she straddles upstairs and downstairs, so can be privy to conversations and encounters with the guests in multiple ways. We're used to middle-aged, brusque or silent housekeepers, and Phyllida, with her bright red hair and flowered dresses that sound almost couture, is anything but a staid, gray, disapproving, uniformed servant. The hint of a possible future romance with Bradford is appealing. The writing is good, the pace and setting are perfect, parodying the weekend country house murder mysteries Agatha Christie was known for. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it lovers of mysteries, cosy mysteries, and Agatha Christie. (Net Galley)

The Egyptian Cross Murder by Ellery Queen I vaguely remembering watching Ellery Queen on television as a child, but I don't think I'd ever read any books until I became an adult. My library recently acquired this audiobook, and I thought this would be a perfect accompaniment to the never ending summer weeding. I was shocked to learn the book was published in 1932, because the opening salvo is the grim and unsettling discovery of a beheaded, crucified murder victim. Enter Ellery Queen, assisted this time not by his father, Inspector Richard Queen, but by his former professor, a neighbor of another victim. Then a third body is found... Despite the gruesome nature of the murders, the book is not gory or sensational. For those who like books where modern technology is not the crutch that helps the mystery be solved, the re-release of older titles like this is a boon. Recommended (audiobook)

The Two Isabellas of King John by Kristen McQuinn Ms. McQuinn tackles a tough job: writing a biography about two medieval women about whom so little is written, one is nearly invisible. King John of England, brother of Richard the Lionheart, he of Magna Carta fame and fictional Robot Hood infamy, was married to two women: Isabella of Gloucester and Isabelle of Angouleme.  It is hard to tackle even well-known historical figures who lived 900 years ago, but to try to research two nearly invisible people is an enormous task, and sadly, Ms. McQuinn stumbles at it. There are only a few facts known about Isabella: she was an only child who brought a substantial wealth to Henry II, John's father, when she was his ward after her father died; she and John were engaged for more than 10 years and only married after Richard became king and insisted; John annulled their marriage just before he became king; Isabelle was actually sent to live with her for a short period; she was childless and she died. That's it--those are the facts we know about her. There is more information on Isabelle in the historical record, and even a handful of letters she wrote herself. She was anointed John's queen and bore his heir to the throne, Henry III. Unlike Isabella, Isabelle was mentioned in several contemporary chronicles, although these historical chroniclers appear to have disliked her a great deal and do not record her in a flattering manner. It's a herculean task to try to and write biographies for women about whom so little is known. Ms. McQuinn attempts to get around that by talking about how medieval noblewomen in general were educated, their general expectations from life, general information about what other medieval queens knew and did, especially their mother-in-law, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and interpreting what their childhoods, education, and expectations likely were. But because of the dearth of material, Ms. McQuinn begins repeating the same facts after just a couple of chapters, albeit attempting to use them to talk about different topics. We read about Isabella's childlessness and the possible reasons for it in several different chapters (her life, her marriage, life with John, medieval fertility), and sometimes the sentences are virtually identical. There is  much repetition of ideas, actions, and arguments, and no original scholarship by Ms. McQuinn. She makes statements such as "by disposition a proud woman," but then does not offer real substantive proof of that characterization. In Chapter 6, Ms. McQuinn loses the impartiality that biographers and historians must maintain to lend any credence to their work with statements such as "it is sad she had no friends," an interpretation without any merit. There is barely a mention of these woman and none about their courtiers; how can we possibly infer she had no friends? The final chapter is an interesting idea: Ms. McQuinn looks at how works of fiction have recreated the two Isabelles because she argues that these fictional representations can shed light on the historical character. No, Ms. McQuinn, they don't. Fictional characterizations are just that, fiction, and in these two instances, there is not even enough material to say that these were somewhat rooted in historical fact. I might have accepted this as first draft of a lower level college report, but I would have returned it to my student marked up with a lot of red comments and things that needed to be fixed or addressed. There is not really enough material here for a book. Heavy editing might have saved and improved parts of it, but this cannot be considered a scholarly contribution to medieval studies or women's studies. But I do now know that dozen or fewer facts about these two queens, which is all that history knows about them. This book does nothing to bring them to life. (Net Galley)

Unearthing the Secret Garden by Marta McDowell If you loved The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett as a  child, as I did, you and I belong to select group of adults who yearn for their own secret garden, lush, filled with beautiful blooms, secret and private, and surrounded by a high wall to allow us to escape from the everyday, humdrum world. If you loved that book, you will love this book, too. Ms. McDowell has opened an eminently readable history of Ms. Burnett's own life, and her life as a gardener, by focusing on three gardens that Ms. Burnett planted and nurtured at three of her homes: one in England, one in New York, and one in Bermuda. Each garden was different, and each garden was special. Each garden is described in lovely terms and when possible, accompanied by many photographs. I loved seeing the real secret garden, where Burnett wrote, and reading her own essay about her very special robin. I loved the biography of Burnett as seen through her gardens and flower choices, and the final chapter by her great-granddaughter was a joy. Lavishly illustrated with photos from the various houses showing the gardens (oh, how I with there was color photography in the early twentieth century!) and those bits that still remain at her house in England, one can truly understand why The Secret Garden was the amazing book it was and remains--Burnett's love of flowers and gardening, and her innate understanding of the life cycles of flowers, plants, trees, nature itself, weave through her books and through Ms. McDowell's appreciation. The book is subtitled "The Plants and Places That Inspired Frances Hodgson Burnett," and anyone reading this book will be equally inspired. This is a great gift for a garden lover or someone who read The Secret Garden over and over as a child, and who longs to escape back to it, if only for a little while. What a wonderful book, and truly one of my favorites this year. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's August Reads

 It was a wet and rainy August... really. We had over 12 inches of rain at my house in late July and early August, and more than 15 inches elsewhere in town. So of course when it's hot and humid and rainy here, I want to visit other places in my reading travels that are not hot and humid.

Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon Guido Brunetti has quickly become one of my fictional crushes, right up there with Roderick Alleyn and Homer Kelly. The series is extremely well written and provides a wonderful, intimate view of life in Venice, Italy. However, it's the complicated twists and turns of the mystery that Ms. Leon always manages to adroitly weave together that make the series a favorite. In this novel, Guido is confronted by two seemingly unrelated issues: the deaths of two American service personnel and the robbery of several valuable paintings. Just as I was wondering how Ms. Leon could pull off solving the mysteries, she did, and I was astonished yet again by her prowess. Highly recommended (Audiobook)

Mrs. Smith's Spy School for Girls by Beth McMullen Absolutely delightful YA novel! We meet Abigail as she's about to be sent to a boarding school against her wishes, but once there, she makes several strong friendships. But one night, prowling around the headmistress' apartment, Abigail learns that the school is a cover for an elite spy school for children, because, as the founder said, no one pays attention to children, so they can hear and see lots of things they shouldn't. The book is very well written, with likable and well-defined characters, rollicking adventures, and a fast pace. I listened to the audiobook, and it was very well read. I already have the second book on hold at my library. Highly recommended (Audiobook)

The Big Four by Agatha Christie I'm pretty sure I've read every Agatha Christie novel. My aunt loved them and I used to borrow them from her when we spent the summers with her. However, it's been 40 years since I read some of them, and I've been enjoying re-reading her work. This is one I didn't remember at all. The Big Four is Ms. Christie dabbling in a spy thriller, and I have to confess I didn't like this one as much as her other Poirot books. Poirot tackles an international crime syndicate with global reach. The book's setting moves around as Poirot tracks down the big four, the criminal masterminds who run the organization. The book is very episodic in nature, with each section involving Poirot traveling somewhere, identifying one of the master criminals, both trying to trap the other, and a slow weaving together of their organization and Poirot's plan to defeat it. It's not a typical Christie and it may be my least favorite, but it is interesting for Christie fans to see the Grand Dame attempt to write a spy thriller. This might have been more successful with an original main character, rather than thrusting Poirot out of his country manor setting into a global conspiracy. (Audiobook)

Murder in an English Glade by Jessica Ellicott Although this series was new to me, it's the fifth in the Beryl and Edwina series. Beryl Helliwell, an American adventuress, and Edwina Davenport, a proper English gentlewoman, were schoolgirl chums who meet again after WWI and start their own private  enquiry agency. In the proper English society in which the books take place, Edwina's understanding of the social mores is helped by Beryl's forthrightness in solving crimes. In this entry, Constance Maitland hires the two to pretend to undertake an investigation to placate her cousin, Cressida, who is convinced that Constance's brother's wife is having an affair. But then the alleged adulterer is killed, and Beryl and Edwina have to go undercover while undercover to help Constable Gibbs. It's a peasant read, perfect for the summer. I admit that I had a hard time accepting the author's choice of a female constable, even though she explains away the impossibility of a woman holding that position with a blithe comment that there were simply not enough men to fill the constabulary because of the war. It was hard to accept that early 1920s English millionaires and the upper crust would recognize and cooperate Constable Gibbs as a legitimate police officer, and that one incongruity tainted my enjoyment of the book. But it's an easy read, the story is well written, and there were no huge gaffes on the author's part. Recommended. (Net Galley)

Deck the Donuts by Ginger Bolten Am I the only person who hates it when people spell doughnut donut? It was a hot, very rainy month here in the desert, so naturally I wanted to read a book that takes place at Christmas in a small and very snowy Wisconsin town. This is another new series to me, the Deputy Donut series. Deputy Donuts is a doughnut shop in Fallingbrook, WI, owned by a retired police chief and his widowed daughter-in-law, Emily, our amateur detective. Fallingbrook is quite the idyllic town, where everyone is good friends who care for and watch out for each other. And it's even more Hallmarkian at Christmas, with every shop and home decorated, nearly the entire town participating in caroling and the ice festival, and it's all almost too much so for this reader to happily suspend her disbelief. But I decided not to resist the saccharine and just enjoy a small town that I'd like to live in with people I wouldn't mind being friends with. Emily and Brent, her late husband's partner, are the first to respond to a bus accident during a raging blizzard in which the driver is severely injured. Townspeople immediately open their homes to house the tourists from the bus, and they all pitch in to provide activities to amuse the unhappy stranded families, led by Emily and her team. They make doughnuts to bring to the people, they throw a doughnut-decorating party, they make doughnuts and cookies for the fire department's Christmas party--they eat a lot of doughnuts in this town. A lot. And apparently all are handmade as the book mentions them cutting the doughnuts by hand. Frankly, boutique designer doughnuts or not, I'd want an industrial doughnut machine.  Fallingbrook must be largely inhabited by retired police and firefighters, as they own the doughnut shop, the cleaning service, and seem to be everywhere. I get it; if you work in that field, you know a lot of people in that field, but they all work and hang out and marry each other--it's quite incestuous. The story is okay, although not very clever, and the hamhanded attempts to make some people mysterious and possible murderers is clumsy. Therefore, the final reveal of the murderer was a bit of a surprise as they flew under the radar of this reader. Enough of a surprise that I will overlook the unsuccessful and blatant shoving of certain characters into our fictional faces as red herrings and look for the other titles in the series. Fallingbrook may be too good to be true, even for fiction, but it's perfect for a Hallmark movie, which may be the author's ultimate goal. (Net Galley)

Scones and Bones (Tea Shop Mystery #12 ) and Devonshire Scream (Tea Shop Mystery #17) by Laura Childs (Tea Shop Mystery #12) I used to really like the tea shop mysteries. I love tea, almost obsessively, and tea shops, and mysteries, and plunk a beautiful tea shop in a beautiful city like Charleston with its history, and I'm sold. But I stopped reading the series years ago after reading Scones and Bones. After all these years, I hadn't remember which book had ticked me off. I'm on the road a lot right now, and have been going through audiobooks at a steady clip. When I saw this title, I thought I'd give the series a chance again. And I remember why I started to dislike the series so much. In Scones and Bones, Theodosia Browning's character took a turn for the worse. I think we were supposed to sympathize with her instant attraction to her friend's boyfriend Max, despite dating restauranteur Parker for several books. After all, most of us have experienced sudden chemical bursts when we meet a stranger. But Theo instantly forgot about Parker, and when they finally talk, she isn't honest with him (despite literally consoling herself by saying that she's always honest). I think we're also supposed to sympathize with her maternal desperation when Haley, her pastry chef, is kidnapped. But that desperation is no excuse fo Theo's utter disregard for her, Haley's and everyone's safety when she ignores Detective Tidwell's instructions as the police surround the house they think Haley is in to rescue her herself. But I thought maybe this was an aberration, maybe Ms. Childs was exploring new characteristics for Theo that maybe didn't pan out, so I then skipped several books to listen to Devonshire Scream. Only to find that the irritating dismissal of the professional police has now been extended by Theo to the FBI. Theo is an annoying buttinsky--she tells the police what to do, she tells the FBI what to do, she tells the Coast Guard what to do. There were a lot of annoying incidents in this book that just do not ring true: Theo's insistence that Brooke's niece's death is murder, not felonious murder as we listeners know it is (after all these crimes, she doesn't know what this is?) and that Brooke would immediately start planning the funeral within hours of the death rather than her niece's parents was very odd. Theo assumes a lot in this book: she assumes she's the only eyewitness to suspect a woman was involved in the explosion, she assumes this was an inside job, she (and Drayton) assume that they can just substitute a tea for Delaine that they she should drink rather than the one ordered (OK, this may be stretching it, but change my order at a restaurant and see what happens), that of course she can just waltz onto a yacht during a private party--the list goes on and on. I have to confess I heartily enjoyed the last chapter, when the whole scenario Theo had constructed fell down around her and she was proven to be completely wrong in her blundering investigation. And Ms. Childs, Earl Grey is a therapy dog, NOT a service dog (pet peeve of this dog trainer, therapy dog handler, and therapy dog evaluator for an international therapy dog organization), and the breed is called the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, not the King Charles Cavalier spaniel.  She clearly looked the breed up enough to be able to describe it accurately, so perhaps she could have cut and pasted the name correctly, too. I'll probably give in and read more of the series, but I predict I won't enjoy them if Theo continues on this path. (Audiobook)

Big Book of Baby Knits by Marie Claire Editions Very nice knitting book with a lovely selection of baby knits perfect for the new grandmother or aunt. Coordinating sets of tops and little sweaters, sometimes with a matching blanket or pants, are presented in order of increasingly complicated knitting techniques, from plain stockinette through to cables. The photography is lovely, and the layout very engaging and crisp. There are no little babies in my life, which I was ruing very much after reading this pattern book. Patterns are presented with written directions, occasional charts, and every pattern has a sketch to show how the pieces fit together. Charming book for avid knitters or for someone expecting a new little one. (Net Galley)

Pawmistry by Megan Lynne Knott Absolutely delightful and charming book for cat lovers, especially cat lovers with a bent for astrology. I read Ms. Knott's book as a very subtle parody of astrology and palmistry, but it's done so sincerely your horoscope-loving, cat-loving recipient might not realize that. Ms. Knott's illustrations are enchanting--I'd love a tea mug or tee shirt or tote with her images on it. Short and sweet, each page brought smiles and memories of some of my own cats, and some pages inspired loud guffaws. I know one cat-loving friend who will be getting this book for Christmas. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's July Reads

It was a hot and stormy month... Last year's summer rainy season was a bust, but we have had record or near-record rain this year. Those rainy nights are perfect reading weather! Surprising and unexpected mini-themes: midlife weddings and home invasions.

Strangers on a Skein by Anne Canadeo The Black Sheep & Co. yarn shop and its owner, Maggie, have solved several mysteries over the life of the series that tangentially relate to knitting and yarn. In this latest entry in the series, Maggie's employee Phoebe has struck out on her own, serendipitously landing a stall at the Plum Harbor Farmer's Market after the death of the stall's previous renter. Phoebe is excited to start her own business selling finished knit items and yarn kits, hoping this new venture will take her mind off of her recent break up with her boyfriend, Harry. Then she discovers that her stall is right across from Harry's aunt's stall, and the uncomfortable situation is made worse when vandalism and a suspicious death stalk the market. Like all the books in the series, the yarn shop and knitting are just the hook to attract readers and don't contribute to the story. These books never read as if the author herself has experience with knitting.  Minor goofs, like 'casted off' for beginning a project (it's casting on) and vague wording (like "Maggie helped her finish the sock") signal very clearly that Ms. Canadeo isn't a knitter. So diehard knitting fanatics who want to read descriptions of yarn and more meaningful connections between the knitter and her project should pass on this series. This entry is a little better than previous stories in that none of the Black Sheep regulars are suspected of murder, although one of them is involved with a major suspect. The story was fairly fast paced, and Plum Harbor seems like a nice enough little town. A couple of chapters before the end, I began to suspect who the murderer was, but it still came as a surprise that Ms. Canadeo went in that direction. I want to like Maggie more than I do: she's middle aged and has started all over again, found romance, lives in a lovely little town, doesn't have to really work for a living, is surrounded by a group of close friends--but I just don't care that much for her. She's kind of bland. She doesn't like tacos! I'm not sure I can like a character who doesn't like tacos. Her groups of friends have more interesting and distinct personalities. It's a pleasant enough read, and when I stumble across one, like this, I will read it, but this is not a series I'd seek out or eagerly wait for.  Net Galley

On Deadly Tides by Elizabeth J. Duncan The Penny Brannigan series is another that I've enjoyed in the past enough that this new title in the series caught my eye. I've enjoyed the locale, Wales, very much, and had hoped we'd read more about it in this story, which takes place in Anglesey. Penny and a friend are taking an artist's retreat with a retired and famous actor. Penny meets both a handsome, intriguing wildlife photographer and a very nice young journalist from New Zealand in the hotel bar, but is horrified when she finds the journalist dead the next morning. Penny embarks on a whirlwind romance with the photographer, and befriends the journalist's mother after she travels from New Zealand to accompany her daughter's body home. The location outside Penny's small village sets this story apart from others but in some ways was underutilized: we're not really shown the sites of Angelsey, and there do seem to be one or two coincidences too many. And the discovery of the final clue was a little too pat and too unbelievable. But the series is still pleasant, despite the annoying villagers who think Penny's marriage is their wedding (who would let them dictate to her where and how the wedding takes place?), and on that level, it's a perfect beach read. Net Galley

Murder by the Bookend by Laura Gail Black This is the second in the series, and I have not read the first, but I often feel that is actually a benefit--the reader can often tell how good the author is by how deftly they write in enough details to fill in the characters' relationships and history without making it read like a sales sheet blurb for the previous story. Jenna Quinn's uncle owned an antiquarian bookstore which she inherited after his murder (the subject of the first book). In this second book, she's re-opened the bookstore under a new name and is eager for a new life in a new town. Things get complicated when someone is murdered with a bookend from her store the night of her grand opening. Jenna is a suspect again, and this time, her new boyfriend Keith, a police officer, cannot help her because he's not allowed to work on her case. Detective Sutter is assigned to the case, and he still holds a grudge after Jenna solved her uncle's murder. Jenna and her new friends decide they have to solve the murder before he completely messes it up and allows the real murderer to escape. The story was ok, although I wasn't as enamored of this small town as I have been of other fictional small towns that served as the settings for stories read this month. The romance is very much a dominant plot line, and of course Keith is too good to be true, so much so that I found the romance was getting in the way of the mystery. I didn't feel I had to play catch up to understand the characters and their relationships to each other. The murderer's motive was a little cliched and they are easy to identify, but again, this is the kind of easy beach read that doesn't make demands on the reader. However, I doubt I'll read another in this series as it just didn't pique my interest that much. Net Galley

The Amazing Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman This is the second inthe delightful Mrs. Pollifax series. Mrs. Pollifax has settled back into ther quiet life in New Brunswick, New Jersey, after her unexpected yet thrilling first adventure for the CIA. SHe's happy to be called into action once again, for a simple courier job: getting apassport and money to defecting spy in Turkey. Of course, nothing is every simple when Mrs. Pollifax and the CIA are involved. The usual formula for the series was followed: a seemingly straightforward job is highjacked by unexpected complications, Mrs. Pollifax finds a ragtag group of innocent bystanders who prove remarkably adept at international spying, and ultimately she has to rely on her own wits to save her life and that of her companions. Despite being formulaic, the series is so well written, and the characters so genuine and real, that even the dated storylines can be overlooked (for example, in this book, the Cold War spy is defecting from Russia). I read these about 25 or more years ago, and decided to re-read the series. I'm enjoying it just as much as I did the first time around. (audiobook)

A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell Excellent biography of Virginia Hall, an American WWII spy who was instrumental in helping the French resistance but whose contributions were unknown outside a small circle of intelligence specialists. This is one of the best books I've read in 2021. I listened to the audiobook, read by Juliet Stevenson who did a great job, but I do wonder if I missed some photos that might have improved my appreciation of the woman and France during the war. Hall served as a wireless operator, rescued 12 agents who'd been arrested and imprisoned, completed a harrowing escape on foot across snow-covered mountains, and armed and organized hundred of French resistance fighters. Klaus Barbie was obsessed with identifying and arresting this mysterious agent, but ms. Hall outwitted him and the Germans at every turn. I'm so surprised this book and Virginia's life have not been made into a movie, as it has everything: drama, tragedy, war, romance. Parts of the book are not easy to read, notably the descriptions of the horrific tortures the Nazis inflicted on their enemies, but perhaps it's important that we read and remember as those who witnessed the horrors die and leave only their memoirs to remind us. (audiobook)

A Treacherous Curse by Deanna Raybourn The third in the Victoria Speedwell series, this was the first I had read. Victoria is the illegitimate daughter of the heir to the British throne who has led a life of unimaginable adventure and excitement, often in exotic locations. But in this adventure, Victoria and her mysterious partner, Stoker, are asked to find an amateur archaeologist who has disappeared in England after returning from a successful Egyptian excavation season. Is it a mummy's curse, or something more wordly? The adventure is made more perilous as the missing man is married to Stoker's former wife, and Stoker is himself the number one suspect in the man's disappearance and possible murder. No, Victoria and Stoker do not act like real Victorian-era people would have, even the well-known real Victorian explorer, and generally that lack of historical accuracy annoys me. But if you can suspend your expectations and beliefs, this can be a fun romp to read, and it, too, would make a rollicking movie. 

Murder Has a Motive by Francis Duncan Mordecai Tremaine is off to visit his friends in Dalmering and walks right into a murder mystery. Who would want to kill Lydia Dare, a popular and friendly young woman who doesn't seem to have an enemy in the world? Unless it's the man who has been not-so-secretly in love with her for years who is incensed to learn she has fallen in love and decided to marry after a whirlwind romance. But then another body is found, and a third, and the evil simmering under the surface threatens even Mordecai's life. I know some dislike Mordecai Tremaine for not being a heroic kind of amateur detective, quick off the mark and smart and handsome, but that's actually why I really like him. He's smart but human and can be fallible. 

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review

We've had some rainy nights the past few weeks as the much-needed summer rains arrive. It's been so wonderful to sit and read while listening to the sounds of the drumming rain on my new roof (installed last September, and perfect timing that was). Perfect for summer genre reading.

Wreathing Havoc by Julia Henry (to be published September 2021) Goosebush, MA, and the Garden Squad are devastated by the unexpected death of their friend, Leon Tompkin. Everyone knew that Leon was ill, but still, his death was a surprise. Then they learn that his death was suspicious, and Lily Jayne and her gardening friends swing into action to find out exactly what happened. I really like the secondary characters in this series, as I've mentioned before, but Lily herself is just too perfect: her house is always perfectly maintained, her garden is always perfectly maintained, her self is always perfectly maintained. It makes her an unsympathetic character to this reader, although others may not be irritated by all that perfection. However, in this entry in the series, the secondary characters assume slightly more prominence, to its enrichment. Roddy remains my favorite character, and I hope we learn more about him. He's clearly being set up as a romantic interest for Lily, which, to be honest, I'm not sure I want to read. But I do appreciate that Lily is presented as fashionable and attractive in her 60s, although some of her attitudes and behaviors seem far older than those espoused by the 60-year-olds I know (and as of this writing, I'm 56). The murder of Leon is linked to events that happened decades ago at his beloved local theater. This book rather obviously but with some deftness weaves the two storylines. However, the murderer was obvious from the beginning, and that always disappoints me a little. I'm actively trying to not figure out whodunnit because I want to be surprised. The series is pleasant, and it's always nice to read about late autumn and early winter when the temperatures are 108*F and rising outside. Goosebush is growing on me, and I'm willing to suffer Lily's insufferable certainties to visit every now and then. NetGalley

Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan-Erskine This was the best fiction book I have read in 2021, to date. Funny, well-written, satiric, with a superb cast of eccentric and selfish characters and the perfect blending of country house mystery with the reader's own recent experiences in a world gone half mad--it's a delicious parody of Downton Abbey and pandemic lockdowns. The aristocratic Scottish family, the Ogilvie-Stirlings, has descended on the ancestral home (for 600 years, no less) for the one time a year they all visit. Reason: for a local ball, where they can dance, gossip, and relish their importance and relevance, and ignore each other. The three generations don't really like each other and barely speak unless absolutely necessary. So when a very contagious sickness sweeps through the village and through the Abbey's servants, and Lord Inverkillen dies under somewhat mysterious circumstances, the family is suddenly faced with horrors big and small: trapped in their absurdly enormous home, trying to figure out how to cover the enormous death duties and continue their pampered lifestyles, while facing the collateral damage of their servants dropping like flies, with rations of food and--gasp--toilet paper and the indignities of giving up breakfast trays and having to make their own beds.  Family scuffles and family secrets are punctuated by a marauding band of unsupervised children intent on wreaking havoc while a skeleton crew of cook, housekeeper, and chauffeur do their best to keep the family from killing each other. The parody of Downton Abbey was hilarious. The threat of a pandemic sweeping through the family, village, and all of Britain causing disruptions to food delivery services and everything else, so familiar after the past year, was handled so brilliantly that instead of causing traumatic flashbacks, those sections brought on laugh out loud guffaws. What a completely brilliant book. Highly recommended! Net Galley

Loon Lessons by James D. Paruk   Mr. Paruk's lifelong fascination with loons doesn't seem odd or unusual when you read this fascinating treatise on loon life, distilled from his career studying these birds. As the world's worst birder (I'm never looking at the right part of the bird to identify it), I am fascinated by these beauties, and loons, which live far away and seem mysterious to a desert-dweller like me. Imagine, a life lived solely on water or in the air! There is a lot of detail and scientific facts and data abound int he book, but the presentation is clear and easy to read, not at all offputting to a general reader with little background in biology or ornithology. If their redolent call has ever captivated you, or if you are a diehard birder, you will enjoy Loon Lessons. Recommended. Net Galley

Middle Sister's June Reads

Ah yes, the heat continues, record heat throughout the western US. No better way to escape the heat than to escape in a book.

Good Dog by Kate Leaver Truly heartwarming book about the invaluable jobs our dogs can do for us humans. Full disclosure: my dogs and I have been Pet Partner (formerly Delta Society) volunteers since 2003, and I am a team evaluator, too. So I know the good that therapy dogs can do firsthand. I also help my friend occasionally; she is the best service dog trainer out there. But this enchanting book will help spread the word about what our dogs can do for those whose need may not be visible: autistic children (don't even get me started on how the ability for autistic children to bring their assistance dogs with them to school has been curtailed), veterans or anyone with PTSD, those living with depression. Ms. Leaver writes very eloquently, so movingly, about what her own depression feels like, and how her dog pulls her through the times when she simply cannot. Wonderful book, highly recommended for dog lovers, anyone who cares for someone with PTSD or depression, and legislators who think that autistic children don't need their dogs. (Net Galley)

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot Everyone knows I love animals. I loved the original television show, and I loved the recent remake. The bookstore I worked in always sold out of this series as soon as they arrived. I've been wanting to read it for decades. Then, suddenly, there it was--the audiobook, read by the actor Christopher Timothy (yes, actor of James himself). A delightful listen, punctuated with some lovely music. A terrific summer read (or listen) that I highly recommend. 

Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan Another Mordecai Tremayne mystery republished to this reader's great delight. A snowy Christmas, a motley assortment of people staying at an English country house--perfect, perfect, perfect. I enjoyed this book as much as the first Mordecai Tremayne I read, and I'm seeking out the others in series. Mordecai is an excellent detective, but not without sympathy for the people confronted by sudden, murderous death. His adorable quirks (a middle-aged man who reads romantic magazines and falls into mad crushes with most of the women he meets, regardless of age or appearance) make me like him even more. He is quickly ascending my list of fictional crushes, where Homer Kelly and Roderick Alleyn and a few others reign. The two books I've read have not had any of the cringiness that 80-year-old books can often have regarding language or attitudes. The Mordecai Tremayne series is my current secret pleasure, and I highly recommend the series to mystery lovers.

A Deadly Edition by Victoria Gilbert Although I had mixed feelings about the first book I read in this Blue Ridge Library mystery series, it was pleasant enough that I read this one. Amy and Richard are preparing for their upcoming nuptials and happiness abounds, until someone is killed at their wedding shower. Amy's brother Scott has come home for the wedding, but his mysterious job is somehow intertwined with Kurt Kendrick, whose own background holds many secrets and possible crimes only thinly masked by his outwardly convivial appearance. The mystery centers around a rare illustrated volume with a murky provenance that people are willing to kill for. As in the last novel, some of Amy's habits were very annoying to me, but I greatly appreciate that Scott's homosexuality and Jessica's asexuality are not utilized for shock or preaching; its just part of them (although I cannot imagine telling a complete stranger at our first meeting anything about my sexual orientation or habits or lack thereof, as Jessica does). I was puzzled by reference to some photographs; I read this galley on my Kindle, so I searched on both 'photographs' and 'Honor' and couldn't find anything pertinent to this plot device. A pleasant enough read, certainly not brain taxing, so a good vacation book, with a sappy ending at the wedding. Net Galley

Middle Sister's Mid-month Review

 Hello, Gentle Readers. It's the deepest, hottest part of the summer in the desert, which means I try to find books that help me escape the record temperatures and drought. 

Murder in the Cookbook Nook by Ellery Adams I thought the name was a little precious, but the premise seemed promising, although it's a common theme in the genre right now: murder on a reality show. This is the second or third of the these Murder on a Reality Show Set I've read the past year or so. I hate reality TV shoes, so murder on the set? Yup, I can enjoy that. In this book, a popular cooking reality show hosted by a social media superstar comes to film at Storyton Hall. Storyton Hall is the most idyllic and yet unrealistic resort you've ever heard of. The series is called the Book Retreat mystery series, and Storyton Hall is a resort for book lovers. Every room has been named after an author; there are books everywhere, and cosy nooks and crannies for book lovers to relax and indulge their literary tastes while indulging in typical resort amenities such as a spa, a word class restaurant, and different outdoor activities. Since the idea of a vacation spent reading one book after the other while someone else cooks and cleans for me sounds heavenly, I was all on board for this. But despite sounding like my idea of a perfect vacation, the book was just a little too precious. The characters, the setting, the history of Storyton Hall--it's all so perfect. Everyone is beautiful and kind, they all love each other like a family, they are all dedicated to preserving Storyton Hall and its mysterious past and the apparent millions of dollars in antiques and goodness knows what other hidden glories. The hall has a full crime lab (who the heck would fill in a health document to go stay at resort?) where they can do in-house blood analysis.  I'm not kidding you. They do full background checks and complete guest profiles on everyone who stays there. I have nothing to hide, but how invasive is that? I sure hope Miraval, where I had a mini spa vacation, didn't operate like this behind the scenes. (This could be tied to the hall's history, but I never got a good sense of what that was as the description was very cryptic and short and left with more questions than were answered; this series doesn't seem to be friendly to readers who don't start at book 1). By the way, tampering at the murder scene to get a blood sample to analyze should have incensed the sheriff and gotten Jane and her crew in trouble. But, ahh, it's Perfectland where they can do what they want, have apparently millions of dollars to maintain the hotel and the lab, and pr relentlessly into people's background; so unrealistic. I mean, part of the appeal of mysteries is that the amateur detective has to use their wits to figure it out, when they have large gaping holes in the information they have access to. There were some poorly explained or unexplainable incidents: how did Sinclair know that Jane had an urgent message on her cell phone in Chapter 11? A trained tracking dog will not get confused by multiple scents; that's the whole point of using a tracking dog (also in Chapter 11).  I started mentally pleading for someone to lose their patience (like the sheriff for their meddling), or be rude, at least less perfect. Even Jane's 11-year-old twin sons are perfect--they clean up, they help out, they immediately agree to go quietly read (instead of play?), they listen to all the adults around them. Has the author ever met 11-year-old boys? I liked the book, despite the saccharine perfectness of it all, because it's (dare I say it?) perfect for summer reading--non-taxing, nonviolent, always sunny. But I am not sure I'd read any other entires inthe series because there's no grounding in reality. The reader is supposed to be able to be the main character, through whose eyes we experience the story. Jane is too perfect, her life too perfect, the ability to get what she wants done instantly because she has a full staff and a full crime lab and a perfect boyfriend and perfect children and---I couldn't identify with her at all. I simultaneously liked it and disliked it. Part of the dissatisfaction with it stems from the advanced reader's copy I read from Net Galley (it was published in April)-- there almost 100 typos and missing words (I read it on my Kindle, so yes, I know exactly how many notes I kept for publisher on all of these). I sure hope they were all corrected before the book went to press. A summertime escape that sadly, ultimately, didn't satisfy me. 

Middle Sister's May Reads

Somehow, May get past me, but I found time to read some great books from different genres--mystery, autobiography, nature, children's fiction. Because all books are good! It was a very good month to read.

A Life on Our Planet by David Attenborough I have had a huge crush on David Attenborough for decades, so I really wanted to read his autobiography. Then, when I saw it listed on my library's audiobook list, and it was read by the author---! Well, that settled it. I loved the way the chapters were set up--each begins with information on the date and therefore how many of his years had passed, and the amount of wild space left. How depressing to realize how quickly the amount of wild land has diminished, within just one person's lifespan. The changes that have happened to various locales that Mr. Attenborough has visited and documented in his amazing career had me nearly in tears for the whole first third of the book. While he is cautiously hopeful in the last chapters, when he reports on measures we must take right now to stop the trend to wholesale destruction of our lovely blue home, I am less so. Please read this book. PLEASE. We all should, and we all should immediately set to work to reverse some of the horrible damage we have done to our planet and the living creatures with whom we share it.  Amazing read, highly recommended, one of the best books I've ever read.

Death of a Ghost by M. C. Beaton Hamish Macbeth is on the trail of a ghost in this 2017 entry in the popular series. Except that instead of a ghost, he finds a dead body--naturally--and has to solve it in his usual low key style while not attracting undue attention to himself. I wasn't disappointed in the mystery, but my heart was breaking over Sonsie, who needs to be reunited with Hamish. And while I was happy to see Elspeth back in the picture as Hamish's romantic liaison, I was not happy with the turn Inspector Blair's character has taken. Bumbling, jealous of and therefore harboring a slight hatred for Hamish is one thing; become a murderous villain is another. I didn't enjoy this trip to Scotland nearly as much as the other Hamish mysteries.

Greenglass House  by Kate Milford The first in a YA series about remote hotel that caters to smuggler, Greenglass House is exactly the kind of book I loved as a tween (and as middle-aged person, too). The book is written from the perspective of Milo, who is just starting to experience a longing to find out who his biological parents were. I loved Milo's parents, and I loved how supportive and understanding of him they were. All kids feel like outsiders, like they are different, and Milo's emotions will be recognized by everyone. It's Christmas at the inn, normally a very slow time, and when several people show up, one right after the other, during a snowstorm, it becomes clear to Milo that they weren't just seeking shelter, but something else. Milo and his friend Meddy are determined to find whatever it is they all seek, first. I loved this book, and yes, the surprise ending took me by surprise, too. It's well written, with well developed characters, a great premise, and a superb atmosphere. I want to visit Greenglass House. Highly recommended for tweens and all lovers of good books, no matter their age

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review

 I've had a lot of chances to read this month--hooray! Here's a bonus mid-month review on two new titles.

The Hummingbird Handbook by John Shewey Living as I do in the hummingbird capital of the US, and being an avid albeit lousy birder as I am, and owning half a bookshelf of bird identification books as I do, naturally I wanted to read this new book about hummingbirds. I am very glad I did. It's a great addition to any birder's shelf, and a great introduction to birding--and this particular little bird--for novices. The photographs are great: large and clear and plentiful. There are some pocket bird books that are useful, but the illustrations are not, and that's why most birders carry huge backpacks--because we're carrying our books as well as using our phone apps to id on the wing, The prose is a plus as well. Shewey's enthusiasm for hummers is apparent and his style engaging. I love that he included how he built several of his own gardens to attract hummingbirds as examples, with photos. His descriptions contrasting different species, and instructions on where to look in order to distinguish between similar species, were perfect, being as I am one of those birders who is never looking at the right part of the bird to find the distinguishing mark. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to birders and naturalists. Net Galley

Public Trust by Tess Shepherd Generally I am not a fan of romance novels, and I usually avoid romance novels gussied up with some mystery or a murder to appeal to multi-genre readers like the plague. But I liked the cover of this book, and I've been consciously trying to read other genres during this plague, er, pandemic to give myself something new to think about. And I am pleased to say that while this is not my favorite cup of tea, it defied my bad expectations. Oh, I still hate romance books, but the mystery was grittier than I expected and centered on a serial murderer. I wasn't expecting that; I thought we'd have a cosy with sex. We still got the sex (and if you like soft porn, there's plenty for you in this book; if you like squeaky clean books, pass this one by), but the serial killer aspect belied the cute cosy cover. I liked how the author set up the storyline, including the introduction of the murderer's point of view half way through to help the reader solve the whodunnit along with Jacob and Lola. This first in the series is going to follow the framework of another, older series (which I can't remember now, of course) where each book involves a different person out of a group--either as amateur detective or victim. This solves two issues mystery readers often encounter: it allows the reader to stay with a person or group of characters they like, but doesn't run into the Cabot Cove/Jessica Fletcher/unbelievable stretching problem that author's eventually have to face of trying to figure out ways to get the main character involved in yet another murder. Next up: Jacob's sister gets her change at romance and mystery. Fast, fast read ( took me three hours), perfect beach read. Net Galley

Middle Sister's April Books

The theme that emerged this month was vacation. After 13 months of pandemic lockdown and restrictions and the thought of another year with the rollercoaster of the COVID-19 risk level ahead of me (and having just spent a lot of money on my home renovation), I decided to spend most of April reading books that took place somewhere else, maybe someplace I'd like to visit. My father always insisted "we were Scottish, not English!" (there must be a great family story there somewhere), and a spate of recently published novels that take place in Scotland started off my vicarious vacation mystery month. 

Double or Muffin by Victoria Hamilton This is book 7 in the Merry Muffin series, featuring muffin baker Merry Wynter, but it's the first in the series that I've read. I didn't feel lost at all, despite it being clear that there were backstories to each of the characters and these backstories were alluded to in dialogue or descriptions, but overall I think the author did a good job in making this series one you can start anywhere. Merry inherited a large castle in upstate New York, and has turned it into a boutique hotel with out buildings and rooms in the castle that can be rented for short stays or for special events. In this entry to the series, she is also deep into plans to create a performing arts center on the grounds. It's not clear from this book if Merry inherited a lot of money with the castle, but I am assuming she did. The series and the character have fans online, but I confess to finding Merry quite annoying on a certain level. By Chapter 5, we had already read about her Birkin tote bag, a not-so-subtle play on the Birken tote bag that costs tens of thousands of dollars (or more!) and which probably none of the readers of this series could afford (this reader, convinced by the name dropping that it was real, had to look  it up and was not impressed). So I began the book having a hard time relating to the main character.  She's great a muffin making, and the castle has a huge professional kitchen that is presumably fully stocked, and she feeds the crew frozen lasagna the first night (understandable, they dropped on her doorstep) and then spaghetti on night number 2? After multiple trips to Costco are mentioned? I'd want a fancier meal than that if I was paying to rent the entire castle. And while amateur detectives have to be nosy, her inserting herself into an argument over what a contestant should wear was spurious at best and unwarranted at worst (she's catering and housing, not production). The arrival of a reality TV production centered on contestants vying for an opera career is topical (although this reader has only seen one episode of a reality TV show ever, I know they are hugely popular), with just that edge of distinction (classy opera) to stand out. Merry's business partner, Pish, has agreed to do the production company a favor and convinces Merry to rent the castle to them for a week's worth of filming. Naturally, nothing is as easy or uncomplicated as it would appear, and secrets, tangled relationships, and murder ensue. There is one plot device that was used three times at pivotal moments that I found very irritating: Merry will be in the middle of a conversation with someone and about to reveal her suspicions or information she's learned, and the dialogue ends. We the reader are not privy to the rest of the conversation. The information is revealed later and is crucial to solving the mystery. This plot device is quite annoying, as it removes the reader from being part of the story and identifying with Merry. And what is up with the names of people: Pish, Brontay, Merry's former married name of Paradiso, Sparrow? Just a bit too twee. The mystery itself is pretty good, the opera show cast and contestants were mostly interesting, the setting in upstate New York sounded divine, yet the irritations add up to a C+/B- for me. It remains to be seen if I will read others in the series.

A Scone of Contention by Lucy Burdette  Hayley and her newish husband Nathan travel to Scotland for what they are calling their honeymoon, but since they are joining his sister and her husband and bringing family friend Miss Gloria and Nathan's mother with them, it's really less a romantic trip and more of a family reunion. The story starts with trip preparations getting sidetracked by another family friend, Ray, arrested for brandishing and shooting a gun in public. This insertion of this side story was very confusing to me; why did the author do it? The story would have moved happily along without it; it's an unnecessary and, to the reader, unwelcome intrusion and distraction. It also means that we get musings on whether policeman Nathan will bring his gun with him to Scotland (only if he gets a Visitor Firearm Permit from Scotland and only if he can get it through the TSA screening process here in the US). Nathan's sister Vera is working on a book with some college friends, and relations between them have become strained with the passage of time and the stress of the book project. Vera takes the group off on tour of some of Scotland's sacred places that will be included in the book, but even before they leave, someone falls ill to poison, and accidents and murders stalk the tourists. I have to say, this book, too, employed a plot device that's crucial to getting our nosy amateur detective further along the investigative process but which is such an unbelievable stretch that it annoys the reader. In this case, Hayley, a food critic, tracks down the bereaved family of the murder victim within days of his demise and invites herself, a complete stranger who witnessed his death, into their house to ask them questions. The author has the heartbroken family not only talk to her, but welcome her and confide in her. What? I've lost people I've loved so very dearly, and if a complete stranger had tried to push her way into my grief with these kinds of questions and under the silly pretext of getting my award-winning scone recipe (hey, has Ms. Burdette been watching Father Brown on PBS?), I'd have had less than kind words and shown her the door. Hayley confessed to feeling "a little sick about pushing my way into their grief." She should have felt a lot sick, since she follows that statement with a thoughtless description of seeing the woman's son dead on the ground, and my already razor-thin interest in her as a character morphed into disgust. And yet she has the nerve to feel "slightly" ambushed herself when her mother-in-law tries to find out what she was doing all afternoon; imagine how that mother felt, Hayley. Pot, meet kettle, thine own self. I'm not a fan of paranormal stories, and while the repeated episodes Miss Gloria has in various historic locales might appeal to fans of Outlander, they didn't appeal to me. The abduction of Vera as a teenager swirls around the edges of this story, coloring her relationships with most people. I found it hard to believe that there was little post-traumatic therapy for Vera and her family, that she herself is still not in therapy, which was just another element that didn't seem to make this story more realistic. The author avoided directly stating whether she had been raped or not, although the implication is there. That makes the lack of psychological help and therapy even more distracting. The author seems to have wanted to write a cosy, and has blended several subgenres--cooking (Hayley is a food critic), paranormal, with a dash of psychological thriller with Vera's subplot--all of which is just too much. There's too much going on, and the reader's attention is pulled in too many directions for this to be a satisfying read. Living on a houseboat in Key West would normally pique my interest, but I won't revisit this series and give this entry a C (mostly for the discussion of Scottish food and some settings).

Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall This is book 2 in a new Scottish Shires series set in the fictional town of Nairn, where Paislee Shaw owns a small boutique yarn and sweater shop (organized by color--shudder. I know that's a thing, but this knitter would never shop there.). Hall is trying to set up a location similar to Sea Harbor in the Seaside Knitters mystery series--a small town with a quaint and boutique row of stores, a group of knitting regulars--but her twist gives Paislee a young son whose father she refuses to identify, a grandfather that has just re-entered her life, and more realistic financial concerns. But she doesn't make Paislee a realistic shop owner; for example, the hours seem to be pretty limited, the village is tiny and doesn't appear to have a tourist attraction nearby that will bring customers in, and there's no mention of Cashmere Crush having an Internet presence. Cashmere yarn is expensive. Where did money to build up the inventory come from? Perhaps that's discussed in the first book, but having worked in small shops, nothing rang true for me re: the shop or its maintenance. Despite those financial concerns which are the whole reason she is drawn into the mystery, Paislee (also a little too twee a name for me) seems to spend little time in her shop and a lot of time dashing around. She has just a few days before being evicted and she hasn't looked for a new location yet and she only starts to get customer information then? Most specialty shops I patronize have a book where you can enter your email or address for sales flyers, etc. Paislee is chaperone on a field trip with her son's class when she witnesses a man fall though a hedge, seemingly injured. She doesn't run to help, which struck me as very odd, and when others arrive and find him dead, Paislee, who had escorted a young girl to the bathroom, decides the appropriate action is to keep the door closed and not let the girl out. The scene drags on and on, with the girl wanting to leave and Paislee lying that the door is jammed shut. Why not get the girl out and shield her view of the man on the ground, and escort her back to the group? There was no blood on the victim, as we're told several times, so she could have lied to the little girl that he was feeling sick and the other gentlemen would help him. But the author uses this scene, where Paislee keeps the child essentially locked alone in the bathroom while holding onto the door to prevent her from getting out, as a device to pile on more stress in Paislee's life when the girl's parents threaten to sue her. It's a great plot device to get Paislee to the scene of the crime, but is was grossly mishandled by the author in details and outcome and length. Paislee is also one of those amateur detectives who thinks the police should tell her what's going on with their investigation, just because, and who also thinks they don't know how to do their job. "He didn't owe her, but it wouldn't hurt him to be polite." No, but it would jeopardize his investigation and potentially the court case that will result. Paislee's sense of entitlement in this regard pops up a few times and is quite ridiculous. She will go to dinner at the estate because there should be a gun cabinet and she can find out who had access to it, because the DCI wouldn't think to ask that. But he's not the only character of whom she thinks poorly. She knows better than her son's school headmaster, too, and knows the grounds and the teachers better than he (I mean, she is a school chaperone after all, and she does have a kid in the school, after all, and his being headmaster for several years and working with these teachers for 10 hours a day for years means he probably knows little about them, right?) and that she needs to tell him to make sure the kids will be all right when they return to school. Does she really think that hunters know nothing about the ammunition they use to shoot?  There's also much made about "her mother's heart" being affected by various things: a child's illness or feeling compassion when she hears someone crying. This barren spinster would feel the same; these are human reactions that sympathetic humans would feel regardless of whether they have offspring. And like Hayley in the previous book reviewed above, Paislee has no issues gossiping about other people but is shocked to realize people talk about her and her actions. She is shocked when Lady Leery mentions that she could not have raised a child as a single parent but didn't even consider she had shocked Lady Leery just moments before by prying into Lady Leery's son Shaun's need for a kidney transplant (which we the reader know at this point in the story is a family secret and not common knowledge). There are a lot of little things that irritated, but I'll only mention two: "Though average looking, Dan had a wizard's touch in the kitchen." What? What does that even mean? Only good looking people can be chefs? Ugly people don't know how to cook? His looks have anything to do with his talent and personality and value? And why is it impolite for Brady to tell his mother that his grandfather is in the bathroom? She asked Brady where Grandpa was and he told her. What's impolite about that? He didn't use any expletives or naughty words. The author threw in a lot of Gaelic words she clearly looked up on the Internet to add to the ambiance of the story, but her clean as a whistle, no sex or cursing story includes calling someone a wanker. I don't think she knows what this word means. The mystery and murder aren't that compelling, and the red herrings that are tossed in are done so very poorly and do not confuse the mystery as they're supposed to. I have to give this one a D, as there is little in the setting, plot, or characters to merit even an average score. The idea behind the series might be okay, but the author should have worked much more closely with an editor. 

Aunt Dimity and the Summer King by Nancy Atherton I know I've always written that I don't like paranormal mysteries, but I guess that's not really true. There is a slightly paranormal element to the Aunt Dimity series (Lori inherited a lovely English cottage from her mother's late best friend, and is able to communicate with Aunt Dimity's spirit through a magical notebook), and I used to really like the series. The conversations with Aunt Dimity are a very minor plot line; most of the stories revolve around Lori, her family and friends, and their charming English village.Aunt Dimity's presence is usually limited to just providing some maternal advice to Lori.  I fell behind somewhere around book 8 or so, and there are 25 now in the series, so when this title popped up in my library's audiobook catalog, I thought a vacation in a lovely, sleepy, tiny, English village fit this month's theme perfectly. Time has not stood still for Lori: her twin boys are school age, and she and Bill have just welcomed an unexpected but joyful new bundle, a little baby girl. While walking her infant daughter around the village, Lori becomes perturbed (obsessed) by two cottages that for some reason have been for sale for months and which no one wants to buy. Lori becomes obsessed--in a not good way--with the idea that someone, namely, the realtor, is keeping interested people from placing bids on the cottages for her own nefarious purposes. Everyone Lori asks about for information on the realtor sings her praises as a nice, caring, kind person. Lori, however, is convinced she is not. And that's the plot line that irritated me. Everyone Lori knows and trusts assured her that Marigold, the realtor, was not duplicitous and would never do any of the bad things Lori imagines Marigold might be doing, but she ignores all of them. I'm not making light of real postpartum depression, but all I could think about while listening to this was postpartum craziness on Lori's part. The Summer King and his family, on the other hand, I loved. They were charming and funny and eccentric, and I found myself falling in love with him, just as Lori did. My ire at Lori's behavior kept increasing. Why is she so obsessed with whether these cottages are sold? Why does she spend so much time angrily arguing against any reasons these made-up people might have for not living in a tiny village? Why does she not see that living in a tiny village is not everyone's idea of heaven? Why does she get so angry about this and take it so personally? Why does she castigate "the Handmaidens" for being so nosy without recognizing she is as much a busybody as they are? She even lies to Marigold so she can illegally break into her filing cabinet to go snooping! I think I may have drifted from the series because it was starting to creak around the edges, and Lori's personality in this book argue against reading more. But I'd love to see more of the Summer King and his family, and may have to track down the more recent entries in the series to see if they hav become series regulars; I sincerely hope so. They indicate clearly that Ms. Atherton has not lost her touch. A solid A-.

The Sicilian Method by Andrea Camilleri I've read a couple of Inspector Montalbano mysteries and enjoyed them and the view of modern Italian lives they offer, so I decided that my vacation tour needed to extend beyond Scotland and England to Italy. The story starts with the unexpected discovery of a dead body by Montalbano's coworker, Mimi. Unfortunately, Mimi found the body after jumping off his lover's balcony and breaking into the apartment below her's to escape her husband, which leads to the dilemma of how to investigate a murder that can't be reported? The story is, as always, well written; the plot intriguingly complex and convoluted yet solved elegantly and simply. My only gripe was the relationship between Montalbano and Antonia at the expense of Livia, although it was handled well, because I like Livia. My only gripe with the author was that at the very end of the story, he calls Antonia a girl, after scrupulously calling her a woman throughout the story. Ah well, nothing can be perfect, eh? A solid A.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson My parents raised me to not care what other people thought or said. That if I steered my life according to my own moral compass (although these are not the words they used), it would be a good life. They taught me what was true and just, to not value artifice, to seek to do good, to be good, to live good. To not covet or be jealous, to work hard, to treat others as I would like to be treated in turn. But apparently other parents don't teach that, and other kids don't learn it if they do. Mark Manson's parents were not like my parents, and as a result of his upbringing and the tragic death of a friend of his when they were young, Mark's life went slightly off the rails. This book is his story of how he learned to not care what other people think, and how to care about himself. While I don't need to learn these lessons for myself, his perspective did make me consider how some people I know perceive things, and that's very valuable to my understanding them for who they are. It's a quick read, and for those who never learned how to not give a you know what, worthwhile. I give it B.

I also read One for the Hooks by Betty Hechtman, but gave that a mid-month review, so just scroll down if you're interested.

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review

One for the Hooks by Betty Hechtman

Many years ago I read the first couple of books in a then-new crafty mystery series by Betty Hechtman. Members in a crafting forum I was a moderator at were very excited because this series was centered around crocheters; most of the fiber craft mystery series featured knitters. I wasn't too impressed by the series, so after two or three books, I gave up. But I recently came across the latest in the series and thought I'd give it another try. Sometimes an author needs two or three stories to hit their stride, and I thought that might be the case here. 

I was wrong. The character and the story were even worse than I remembered. I hate to pan a book, much less an entire series, but I really can't do otherwise here. Ms. Hechtman is now writing 3 or 4 different series, and their output always suffers when authors start writing this much. That may be the problem here. Or, it may just be that this series is bad. I'm not going to try her other series to determine which is true.

The main character, Molly Pink, works in a bookstore as assistant manager and event coordinator. In addition to book groups, she's organized a group of crocheters who meet regularly in the bookstore. In the first book, she became romantically involved with the police officer investigating the murder. At some point, they broke up and she started seeing a lawyer. In this book, Molly has to face her attraction to both men. Barry the police officer has moved on and is dating again, and Mason, her new boyfriend, has asked her to quit her job to work with him, and told her that he wants to marry her. She is attracted to both men and strings both of them along. She is jealous of and snide toward's Barry's new romantic interest to his face. She makes derisive comments about Carol using a home meal delivery service because she (Molly) doesn't need pre-packaged ingredients to make a meal. What gourmet meal is Molly preparing while she's mocking Carol? Scrambled eggs.  Haute cuisine. She lies to Mason about her feelings for Barry repeatedly. 

Molly's behavior to Barry is juvenile and offensive. She constantly accuses him of being constipated emotionally (as if a police officer can let his emotions be visible to all). She agrees to help him investigate what looks like an accident but may have been intentional. Barry tells her that he will contact her as she is assisting unofficially, and she becomes petulant when he doesn't call and angry when she calls him and he doesn't want/can't to talk to her. Hmm, Molly, maybe he's at the police station and will get in trouble if it becomes known he's working with you? She answers every question he asks about the case with a question, refusing to answer until he practically begs for it, then diverts the conversation into accusations about his emotional self-control, and then finds his impatience with this childish behavior objectionable. Rise and repeat, and repeat, and repeat. By the third identical conversation with Barry, this was tedious. 

Her personal behavior is also objectionable. She steals keys and breaks into two houses, she withholds information, she repeatedly tells the reader that Barry and the police can't do their jobs so she has to solve the crime for them. She acts as if they are Keystone Kops bumbling about, and doesn't consider that her behavior not only impedes their investigation, but could cost them a conviction in a court of law if they try to rely on her fraudulently obtained information.  She prides herself on being a better investigator than professionals yet gets physically locked in an easement because she doesn't think to check the lock. Yet later, when she needs to get out of that same water easement area, she finds a different gate/door that is the only one that doesn't lock like all the others, and guess what? It just happens to be the gate to the murderer's house.

Other unbelievable coincidences abound, like jogging a computer awake with her elbow and being able to access all the files because it's not password protected (really?). She can answer a cell phone without seeing the name on the screen (how is that possible when you have to touch the screen to answer the call?). A book group regular just happens to be a neighbor of the woman where the murder occurs. The final coincidence, which ties the murderer into a separate subplot, was one too many and made me want to scream. There are inconsistencies in the story. After hundreds of pages around a key plot element--a neighborhood is angry that a resident wants to start letting her house be used as a vacation rental a la VRBO, after the resolution to the murder suddenly the entire neighborhood signs up with that homeowner to star in a reality television show about short term rentals. So the idea of a short term rental house next door was horrible until they could make money off the situation? This flies completely in the face of the personalities of neighborhood characters, all of whom had been suspects and therefore were recurring characters throughout the novel.  

The plot has been completely ripped from recent headlines with no attempt made to disguise it. The book is an amalgamation of lazy writing techniques, unbelievable coincidences, and unlikeable characters, and makes for an annoying reading. I actively disliked Molly by the end of the story. She is irritating, annoying, juvenile, self-centered, arrogant.

So I won't be giving this series another try. I suggest you avoid it, too.

Middle Sister's Two-for-One! February and March Reads

 BOGO. Two-for-One. 

I apologize, gentle readers, for missing a month of posting about the books I'd read. A bathroom remodel and floor improvement project was supposed to start the first week of February, so I spent the last week of January boxing everything up. Then, because of a glitch, the start date was delayed two weeks to mid-February. Then, instead of two weeks, the project took just over four weeks. I have a beautiful new bathroom and beautiful new flooring throughout my house that I love, but it meant chaos in my house for almost 6 weeks; actually, six weeks plus, as I still haven't unpacked everything that was boxed up. Half of most of what I own is still on my patio. But I love the new look my house has, so it was worth it.

That means I didn't read as much as I would have liked and didn't get to post what I did read. However, any reading is good reading, yes? Thanks to the remodel, I won't be able to take a vacation anywhere this year (or next), so I decided to travel through my books for the next few months.

The Truth About Baked Beans by Meg Muckenhoupt  I grew up just outside of New England, and have been fascinated by that region and its place in American history since a little girl. I was intrigued by the premise of this book--an investigation of the history and cultural impact of 'New England food.' The author begins by dispelling notions about food we typically think of as representing New England. She summarizes historical demographic data to identify which ethnic groups resided in New England at different points in time, and what their cuisine was. This archaeologist found a few glosses that are slightly misleading (she is correct in that honeybees are not native to the New World, but bumblebees are, and no, they don't produce enough nectar to make honey, so she is right, they didn't contribute any sweet element to native foods; her understanding of the trinity in Christianity is incorrect: "rejecting the trinity for a single God" is wrong; the divine mystery is that these are three representations of a single god, but many theologians and philosophers have also had trouble with that concept), but her wry sense of humor makes up for them ("The fishes' thoughts on the matter are not recorded."). She also doesn't hew to her own criteria for identifying typical cuisine of the area, which includes that they are eaten every day, not only on holidays, by deciding that the best food that fits all her criteria is Marshmallow Fluff. I can assure her that New Englanders do  not eat Marshmallow Fluff every day and it's eaten by people here in Tucson, which is pretty far from New England. If you're interested in regional or national history and happen to be a foodie, too, you'll find the book interesting and well written, with a sly sense of humor that suddenly appears when you least expect it. 

A Tourist's Guide to Murder by V.M. Burns I generally like the premise of the series--widow buys bookstore to fulfill the dream she and her late husband had, and she decides to try her hand at writing a mystery novel. The secondary characters are generally likable and distinct enough that they won't confuse someone stepping in the series in mid-run. Watching Sam rebuild her life resonates with many readers. But I have to confess I'm getting tired of one plot device the author relies on (too heavily in my opinion)--that the book Sam is writing helps her subconsciously solve the mystery. This time, that connection was just too direct and too coincidental and it showed how relying on that trope is causing the series to fray at the edges. I like Sam and Nana Jo and the other ladies a lot--they're spunky and plain spoken. I like Sam's boyfriend Frank, who is sweet and supportive. And I like the premise of this particular story--the ladies all go on a mystery readers' tour of England, and naturally stumble into a mystery. But I was irked, repeatedly. One thing that irked me a lot--Sam uses her cell phone to call home all the time, but we're not told if Sam has a recent and therefore unlocked phone, or if she enabled international calling (roaming) before she left, and if she uses Wi-Fi for those calls (otherwise, hello horrendous cellular roaming charges)? Yes, a pesky detail, but as someone who has traveled abroad a lot, and had to make calls back to the states and figure out how to do that (back when there were no cell phones at all, you know, when dinosaurs roamed the earth), that jumped out at me. Also, has the author watched Downtown Abbey? I didn't, but I didn't need to in order to know that Lady Elizabeth's cook could not whip up a dinner party with only a couple of hours notice. Nor do I think people of the era of Sam's book (England 1939) spoke the way she has them speaking: "Well, I never" or the butler saying "I'll see to it" to his employer. It would just be "yes, ma'am."Also, I've been through customs many, many times. There is no way you could sneak a dog through customs into England. England has very strict animal policies because they do not have rabies. And one more tiny thing (I know, I know, I'm picking on little things, but little things add up and I've not mentioned several other little things in this review that I could that irked me)--English people and people raised in England use the generic word wool for all yarn, regardless of the fiber. My mother, who lived in England for 4 years, did this her whole life. The mystery itself isn't bad, but having the exact same murder weapon used in Sam's book and this story is too much. Also, some chapters were only a page or two long before we jumped into Sam's book, and it seems like they were presented after almost every chapter of the murder mystery we're reading. That frequency is too much. Sam is not as good a writer as Ms. Burns, and I' far more interested in what Sam and the ladies are up to than Lady Clara and Lady Elizabeth and all those other people. More Sam, less fake fiction, and I may like the series better. 

Auntie Poldi and the Lost Madonna by Mario Giordano If this one title is any indication, the Auntie Poldi series are a rollicking, funny, laugh out loud, very welcome addition to the mystery shelf. Auntie Poldi is a 60-year-old Bavarian woman living in Italy. She drinks (a lot), she loves (a lot), she hates to fly (a lot), and she finds herself in seemingly inescapable scrapes from which she extricates herself and those she loves with panache and moxie. The book starts with an exorcism, proceeds through sitar music, smoothies, menacing twin hoodlums, a lovesick nephew, and Poldi swearing off booze and sex while she tries to solve a mystery for the pope. Yes, the pope is a character in this book and I think the real pope wold enjoy this fictional version of himself. There is a hint of paranormal in the books, and really, that was the one thing I didn't really care for, but Giordano did make Death a funny cast member whose relationship with Poldi is grudgingly respectful, on both sides. I won't even bother trying to summarize this book, but if you are looking for a funny, well-written book for your staycation (or if you're brave enough to take a real vacation somewhere while a pandemic engulfs the world), Auntie Poldi and her nephew are great companions to take with you.

Winter Pasture: One Woman's Journey with China's Kazakh Herders by Li Juan The author lives in northwestern China, and she decides to accompany acquaintances of her family to their winter pasture, where they will spend months living in a small tent while they pasture their cattle, camel, and horses on the steppe. This semi-sedentary lifestyle typified Kazakh herder culture for centuries, if not longer, but has been changed by modern technology and governmental interference. Li Juan's prose, as translated, is often transcendent, and the reader will feel as if they are with Cuma and his family in the freezing cold, lonely pasture. Li Juan learned many lessons about herself, self reliance, her preconceptions and others, about time and patience and just about everything that anyone who steps completely out of their world to immerse themselves in a completely strange place and time will learn. The reader gets to travel with her to this place seen by so few, and experience those same lessons, in this lovely and fascinating memoir.