Middle Sister's November Reads

Hooray, I have a new job! But to deal with the stress of learning a completely new job, I stuck to comfort reads this month.

Five Golden Wings by Donna Andrews This is the 2025 Christmas murder mystery by Donna Andrews, who's given Meg Langslow quite a few holiday murders to solve. And I love them all! We've never been given a family tree of Meg's mother, we just know that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of Hollingsworths roaming the Virginia countryside, and they often descend en masse on Meg and Michael's house for holidays. This time, they are celebrating not only Christmas but two weddings. Two Hollingsworth cousins, competing with each other since childhood, have both decided to throw extravagant holiday weddings. Meg has kept herself out of the wedding shenanigans, by and large, but her mother is getting battered from all sides by the incessant infighting. Then the wedding photographer both brides had hired is murdered, and not only is there panic over the weddings, there's panic over who in their midst is a murderer? I enjoyed having some of the usually nameless cousins named and part of the story. Caerphilly is always a hoot to visit, and this book doesn't disappoint. 

Fellowship of Fear by Aaron Elkins I enjoyed this series when I worked in the bookstore and it was first published, so when I discovered that my library is getting digital vueriosns of some of these older books, I thought I'd begin at the beginning of this series. This is the first in the Gideon Oliver series. Gideon is an anthropology professor and forensics specialist whose ability to read the bones of recent and long-dead humans often comes in handy. In this first book, Gideon is undertaking a lecture circuit at US military bases in several European countries. He's been mourning the death of his wife, and this is the first work-related project that sparked his interest. On his first night in Germany, two men in black invade his hotel room and nearly kill him. The next day, Gideon finds out that the two previous lecturers both died mysteriously. Who would want to kill professors, and why? This story is more spy novel than later books in the series which are straight forward murder mysteries. There's some misogyny and dated male/female interactions which I didn't enjoy at all. But we are introduced to a secondary character who will reappear in later books. Not sure I'd recommend it except for fans of the series who  want to have read them all, like me.

The Sherlock Society by James Pronto Alex and Zoe Sherlock are trying to figure out a non-boring summer job they can do when they hit upon the idea of being detectives. Their first forays flop, but the two are soon joined by their grandfather and their friends Lina and Yadi. After Mom puts her foot down and tells them that they are not to try to solve any real life mysteries at all or they will be in serious trouble, the the pre-teens decide to solve a historical mystery and find the long-lost treasure of Al Capone.  After all, everyone involved in the story is dead, so it's not really like they are breaking their promise to Mom. But instead of long-lost treasure, they stumble upon a real-life case of corporate and environmental corruption that could cost them their lives. I found this YA story to be excellent--well written, with engaging characters, relatable relationships between the children and the adults and the between the adults themselves. 

Peril at End House by Agatha Christie Poirot and Hastings meet a charming young woman named Nick Buckley, who tells them of a few brushes with death that have happened recently. But she does not take any of them seriously. She lives in the ramshackle family homestead that is falling down around her ears, has no family fortune, and there's no reason anyone would want to kill her. But when one attempt to kill Nick occurs right in front of Poirot and Hastings, they urge her to take the situation seriously, and Poirot decides to protect her himself while finding out who is trying to kill her, and why. Nick lives in the ramshackle old End House, and several friends are visiting her, and it's clear to Poirot that one of those friends is out to kill her, but which? More strange accidents happen, and Nick is nearly poisoned by chocolates allegedly sent by Poirot, and then someone does die. Poirot takes these events personally and becomes personally involved in this incident, which is a bit unusual. The seance and contorted ending are a little far-fetched, but I enjoyed the book nonetheless. It is, after all, Dame Agatha, and even at her worst (and this is not her worst), she's far superior to most mystery writers.

Taken at the Flood by Agatha Christie Rosaleen Underhay inherited everything when her husband of just a few weeks, Gordon Cloade, was killed in the London bombings. His family, who had never expected the determined bachelor to marry and who relied on him for money, are devastated that their financial lifeline has been cut off. Gordon always told them not to worry about money, that he would take care of them, and now he's gone. What will they do? Although Rosaleen is soft-hearted and willing to give her new family some financial support, her brother, David, is adamant that she not support them. Poirot, at his club during another air raid, listens to a story about a man named Robert Underhay who disappeared but whose body was never found. Could Robert still be alive? If he was, that would invalidate Rosaleen's marriage and make her inheritance null and void. A mysterious man names Enoch Arden suddenly appears and attempts to blackmail David, claiming to know where Robert is. But then, Mr. Arden is found dead, and things get complicated.

Fer de Lance by Rex Stout. In my continuing effort to read some series in order, I re-read the first Nero Wolfe. Nero is approached by Maria, who asks him to discover what happened to her brother Carlo. Carlo mysterious disappeared after suddenly coming into some money. How is his disappearance connected to the death of a college president? And who sent Nero Wolfe the deadly fer-de-lance snake? The characters are slightly different than in the later novels and Stout works his way through establishing their characters and quirks, but the bare bones of the recurring characters are there, even if unpolished and dated (some racism). Despite these few quibbles, I enjoyed the book.

Middle Sister's October Reads

Still unemployed, still reading. But undertaking my usual holiday-themed reads. Why not? The stores have had Christmas decorations for over a month by October.

Christmas Card Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Peggy Ehrhart Another holiday-themed trio of short stories from Kensington Books, which regularly publishes these for different holidays. I enjoy the format, especially during the busy time of the year. In Christmas Card Murder by Leslie Meier, Lucy Stone and her husband Bill find a Christmas card with a threatening message inside their bedroom wall during renovations. In searching to find out the story behind it, Lucy confronts the long-term ramifications of lying, decades later, a moral we all to remember. The subplot related to the murder of a young Tinker's Cove girl decades before is heartbreaking. With the story of Philip Radcliffe, Ms. Meier shows how her cosy, small-town series can deftly address nuanced situations. In Death of a Christmas Carol by Lee Hollis, audacious flirt Carol Waterman sends unappreciated Christmas cards and is later found dead, which is not what anyone was expecting under the mistletoe. To be honest, I found this story the most forgettable of the three. Death of a Christmas Card Crafter by Peggy Ehrhart features Pamela Paterson and her daughter Penny, who are heartbroken when Penny's high school art teacher is found murdered at the holiday craft fair. Karla's handmade holiday cards provide clues that Pamela and the Knit and Nibble Club use to find her killer. 

Middle Sister's September Read

Why the backlog? Well, like hundreds of thousands, if not millions of USAians, I lost my job this year. And while reading was a welcome escape, I was working hard to find a job and working hard at odd jobs to support myself. So bear with me, Gentle Reader, as I get caught up on yet another draft that was waiting to published.

The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews Magpie was last year's Christmas book published by a favorite author of mine. And since it was hot and dry, reading of another snowy holiday murder in Caerphilly hit a large number of comfort notes for me. This time, Meg and Caerphilly Helping Hands are helping a hoarder with cleaning and decluttering his dilapidated house. Harvey is a nice man, albeit a little shy, but his behavior is not like that of any hoarder any of us have been on TV. The hoarders exploited on distressing TV series are resentful of the attention, fight folks trying to come into their house, and are seriously emotionally upset when their things are disturbed, much less hauled away. Whereas Harvey just lets the well-intentioned ladies of Helping Hands box up all his stuff within minutes of meeting Meg and Caroline--unrealistic, even for a series in which I usually suspend disbelief at how kind and generous everyone in Caerphilly is (which I why I'd like to live there, but I digress). And as much as I love this series, there were, honestly, some parts that rang off: the hoarder not acting like a hoarder, the idea that the hotel would foster a few dogs that guests could check out to run with or visit with--who's going to administer that program? What about liability, for both parties, the hotel and the animal rescue? When dogs are released and transferred from one shelter to another, the process involves lots of paperwork. And you can't just stick them somewhere not approved for animal housing like a human hotel, where paying guests could be allergic or frightened of dogs. I did like how Harvey's murder was resolved, but Magpie was a weak entry in the series. I still want to live in Caerphilly, though. No. 28 in the series

Mockingbird Court by Juneau Black I loved Beatrix Potter's books when I child, and I loved the Cottage Tales series by Susan Witting Albert, and you've read in the past how I love the Shady Hollow mystery series by Juneau Black. They are warm, grown-up versions of an animal world where the animals are vegetarians, live in towns and hold jobs, and generally live in harmony except for the occasional murder. In Mockingbird Court, we not only are treated to another delightful and cosy murder, we are treated to learning more about our heroine, Vera Vixen. Vera's past has always been mysterious. We knew she came from the city, but we knew nothing of why she left, nothing about her family. We learn Vera's story, a very human one, when someone from her past is murdered, and Vera is the main suspect. Will she be able to prove her innocence, and will her relationship with Orville survive this murder investigation? If I were an animal, I'd want to live in Shady Hollow, eat at Joe's, and shop at Lenore's bookstore. Highly recommended. (Net Galley)

Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green This was one of two selections for the Governnerd's Book Club Sharon McMahon organizes, and what a fantastic read it was! One of my favorite books of 2025. This book is so well researched but written so thoughtfully and engagingly, with enough science to satisfy this scientist but not too much science to drive non-scientists away. It's an extremely compelling history not only of the disease, but our society's reaction to it medically, socially, politically, and economically. Once you read it, you will agree that yes, everything is tuberculosis. Highly recommended

Crouching Buzzrd, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews Back to the beginning of the series, as my library has started filling in missing titles. Meg and Michael are searching for a new place to live in, one that will be large enough for the two of them, but Caerphilly has a sever drought of affordable and decent houses or apartments. The search for a home is stressful enough, but Meg's been roped in to serving as business manager and switchboard operator for Mutant Wizards, her bother's computer game company. Mutant Wizards has grown very quickly, and Rob, in typical Rob fashion, doesn't want to, maybe doesn't even recognize, the managerial issues that have been building up and which Meg gets to address. First issue: the one-winged buzzed that lives in the office lobby. Second issue: Michael's mother's dog, Spike, who likes no humans and to whom has mother is allergic, so Spike is now living with Meg and Michael and terrorizing everyone at Mutant Wizards.  Third issue: the company's popular computer game has inspired crazy fans and possibly industrial spies to try to steal their way in every day, and it's up to Meg to chase them out. The company is staffed by brilliant and kooky computer geniuses, who as a lark have laid out a track for the mail cart to follow automatically. Then on one sweep through the office, the mail cart is carrying an extra package--a dead colleague. Highly recommended. No. 4 in the series

Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews Given my library's non-sequential catalog of Meg Langslow titles, I had to jump forward several titles from Buzzard to Cockatiels. Newlyweds Meg and Michael are still renovating their new house when Meg's old friend Karen stops by. She's in desperate need a babysitter for her son, Timmy, for a couple of hours, and begs Meg to help her out. Meg, of course, does agree, but when four, then five, and then six and more hours go by and Karen hasn't returned for her son, Meg is worried that Karen has been in an accident. But it's worse--Karen seems to have disappeared completely. Poor Timmy has no food, no clothes, and his favorite toy needs repair, and Meg is suddenly afraid for Karen's life and afraid of her own reactions to the sudden, temporary childcare roll. Rob is acting very mysteriously, and Meg's dad and grumpy zoologist Montgomery Blake are involved in some animal welfare project Meg worries will land them in jail. Meg's worries heighten when it becomes clear that some dangerous men are after Timmy, and will stop at nothing to get him. Highly recommended. No. 9 in the series

Owls Well That Ends Well by Donna Andrews Sure, I could order these sequentially, but I write about the books in the order that I read them, so, Gentle Reader, join me in another jump through fictional time. Meg and Michael are excited at their new home, a rambling Victorian mansion owned by the late Edwina Sprockett. They haven't moved inlet, however, since of the reasons they got such a good deal on the house was because they were going to have to clean it out. And Edwina was nothing if not a collector. Their solution: a giant yard sale, and they're delighted by the local interest, but not delighted by the would-be treasure hunters showing up at 5 am to try and sneak in to find the best items before everyone else. Too bad everyone had the same idea. Among the treasure hunters are Edwina's distant relatives, who have decided that maybe they wrong in agreeing to sell the house and all its contents as is, and now are trying to prove that Meg and Michael hoodwinked them out of large inheritance. Endangered barn owls living in the ramshackle outbuildings add to the general confusion. When Meg spots someone sneaking into one of the off-limits outbuildings, she hurries over to herd them back to the yard sale, and finds one of the antique dealers, dead. Would someone really kill someone over Edwina's junk? Highly recommended. No. 6 in the series

We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews And let's step back one more time, Gentle Reader! Meg and Michael are attending a fan convention for Porfiria, Queen of the Jungle, a cult TV show that Michael has a minor role in. But now that he has a stable position int he Drama and Theatre department at Caerphilly College, Michael would like to leave Porfiria behind. But not everyone wants him to leave the show, especially the star and executive producer, and when she's found murdered, Michael is just one of a number of cast and crew under suspicion. The series rarely leaves Caerphilly, so it's always a treat when Ms. Andrews finds a way to get Meg and Michael away. And the loony, besotted, sometimes weird fans are a funny substitute for Meg's eccentric family. Highly recommended. No. 5 in the series

Why Didn't They Ask Evans by Agatha Christie Bobby Jones is the vicar's son, and he's at loose ends and avoiding making a decision about what to do with his life. What better thing to do than play golf? Until he hits his ball over the edge of the cliff, and running to see if it's visible, he finds instead a dying man. Bobby is perplexed by his last words: "Why didn't they ask Evans?" but a search of the pockets reveals just a photograph of a beautiful young woman. Bobby and his childhood friend, Frankie, aka Lady Frances Derwent, daughter of the local lord, are intrigued when the deceased is finally identified as Alex Pritchard and his sister claims to be the woman in the photo, despite the lack of any similarities between the young beauty in the photo and the middle-aged sister. Then the photos is published, and it's a different photo than the one Bobby had seen and replaced in the dead man's pocket. And that's when Bobby and Frankie realize that something sinister is going on. Highly recommended.

Agatha Christie: an Elusive Woman by Lucy Worsley Lucy Worsley has written a new biography of Agatha Christie and filmed a television biography show on the BBC. Ms. Worsley spends a little bit more time tracking down clues to Ms. Christie's mental state during and after her famous disappearance, looking through old phone books to identify psychologists the author may have consulted that were located near her London apartment. Ms. Worsley found a brief interview I'd never seen referenced before in which Dame Agatha herself talks about her mental state during and after the breakup of her marriage. While that's the only new information in the book, there is more on her marriage to the archaeologist Max Mallowan than most biographies report. I knew it was a happy marriage, but the excerpts from their letters made my heart glow that a such a broken heart was able to be healed by love again. Recommended.

Murder Takes A Vacation by Laura Lippman When I first read the description of the story, I thought, well, this sounds like fun. Muriel Blossom, middle-aged widow and former employee at a private investigative form, wins  a lottery and decides to take a Paris river cruise. This middle-aged reader would love to win something like that. Too bad the book was so dreadful I had to stop reading it. She's a former private investigator who worked with Ms. Lipman's other series character, Tess Monaghan, and yet makes the most naive and stupid decisions ever: she accepts a gummy from a stranger in the airport to help her sleep not he flight to Paris--hunh? He doesn't wake her up when their flight arrives so she misses her connection--hunh? She then lets him make reservations at a hotel for them? Lets him convince her not to follow her carefully planned itinerary? Hunh? Then she makes out with him and lets him stay in her room while she sleeps? What?? Then she gets to Paris, meets a young man she lets paw through her clothes and claim to be her son when. body is found--and that's just the first 2 chapters! I chucked it. Completely unbelievable. Completely stupid behavior. I hated every character by the end of two chapters--that is not a good sign. I was delighted to learn later that someone in my online mystery book club had disliked it as much as me. Avoid at all costs.

Middle Sister's August Reads

My goodness, I had several drafts of monthly posts waiting to go, but never finished and hit the publish button. So let's go back to last summer and get caught up on my reading.

August was hot but dry, the second month of a very dry summer. So I kept trying to escape by reading books set in winter.

Between a Flock and Hard Place by Donna Andrews Gentle Reader, you know that I love the Meg Langslow series. I love her extended family, I love the small town she lives in where everyone knows everyone else, and no matter how eccentric they are, are kind and tolerant of each other. Number 35 in this long-running series, Yorktown residents Mr. and Mrs. Smetkamps are having a major renovation of their house completed by a television reality show, Marvelous Mansions. A temporary halt is necessary when a huge number of feral turkeys descend on the property. If you've ever met a randy turkey looking for love, like I have, you know to respect the turkey flock. Most of Caerphilly turns out to help capture the turkeys and take them to Meg's grandfather's rehab facility and zoo. But in the midst of the midnight turkey capture escapade, Meg finds a dead body, and she and her family and friends are on the case. Full of the usual quirky characters and hijinks that typify a Meg Langslow book, but the solution is, as  always, grounded in a real and sobering situation. The series is silly enough to make you laugh, but well written and with a murder and clues that will keep you engaged in trying to solve the puzzle before Meg. I never do. The real mystery for is me is how and where did Rose Noir learn to cook such huge meals so quickly? Highly recommended. No. 35 in the series

A Smoking Bun by Ellie Alexander I was interested in this series, which takes place in fictional Ashland, Oregon, a part of the US I love. Jules Capshaw owns the town's bakery, and while she and her team are busy making holiday pastries for everyone, her husband Ramiro's family is visiting from Spain. One local festivity no one ever misses is a contest where teams create a dummy that is strapped to skies and sent down the local resort's ski jump. Except this year, local guide Fitz is found dead near the ski jump. I wanted to like the book, but there were just too many characters who aren't really introduced with any backstory. There is an assumption that the reader has followed entire series. Well, this was my first book in the Bakeshop Series and I was confused about many characters and their relationships for too much of the book. Jules' character is heavy into introspection, too much I thought, but I did wonder if that is that typical for this character? As for the denouement, the murderer and the reason for Fitz's murder came almost out of nowhere-- there was just one throwaway line that tangentially applied to the reason he was murdered. That left me feeling like it wasn't a legitimate reason for the murder. And honestly, there was too much saccharine perfection--work is perfect, relationships are perfect, Jules is physically perfect--it's too much. I like my character to have faults and crazy hair and zits and wear old clothes and have grumpy mornings--like me, so I can sympathize and feel like I am they when I am reading. I never felt like Jules. One more thing-- the serving of impossible meat substitute to an entire party of New Year's celebrants without them knowing what they were eating--unforgivable! What if someone was allergic to the contents on the meat substitute? These are supposed to be culinary professionals. I know a woman who has had breast cancer who won't go anywhere near tofu because of its estrogenic compounds and her genetically-caused cancer, which is in remission. She'd be furious if she was unknowingly served a tofu meal without her knowledge. Anyway, I was disappointed enough in the book that I don't think I'll be looking for any others in the series. (Net Galley)

Rockin' Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews Fair warning, Gentle Reader--life is so stressed right now that I have decided to go on splurge of reading Meg Langlsow mysteries. There are dozens, and since the first was published over two decades ago, I think, I don't remember any of the earlier ones. I thought I'd re-read in order, but my library didn't have all of them, so I'll be jumping around. And since it's hot, that means it's time for another Christmas mystery! Chickadee was Ms. Andrews' 2024 publication. This year, Christmas is even more special because Meg's sister-in-law, Delaney, is just days away from giving birth. And while the extensive clan is in town, instead of staying with Meg and Michael, the relatives are at Meg's parents' farm, so the big rambling Victorian house is unusually quiet. But things are still busy: Meg's grandmother has helped organize a legal conference focused on helping the wrongly convicted (or the presumed wrongly convicted) be proven innocent. There's one obnoxious conference attendee who manages to rile up a lot of people, so it's no surprise when he's murdered. As usual, Meg has a lot on her plate, but the whole extended clan and friends help solve the murder, and yes, a babe is born. Highly recommended. No. 36 in the series

Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers I've started listening to the Shedunnit podcast, and under discussion was the classic Murder Must Advertise, so naturally I re-read it. Wells actually, I listened to it, as my library is getting a lot of new or re-released audiobooks. There's nothing new I can say about the book except that if you've never read Sayers, this is a pretty good one to start with. It clearly shows that the 1920s/1930s were not staid and boring, as a modern reader might think. Highly recommended.

A Patchwork of Clues by Sally Goldenbaum Regular Gentle Readers know how much I love Ms. Goldenbaums' Seaside Knitters series. I've been aware of her other series for a while, and finally gave the first in the Queen Bees Quit Shop series a read. It follows her standard approach: 4 women of varying ages and backgrounds brought together by their love of a craft, herein quilting. Portia Paltrow is  a regular quilter at Selma Parker's fabric and quilt shop in the small college town Crestwood, Kansas. Her life is placid and on an even keel, although she still mourns her late husband, but she has no desire to move from the people and places they both loved. So she is shocked when she stumbles upon the murdered body of Owen Hill, professor and antiques store owner, on the back step of the quilt shop. The police assume the location is not accidental and that Selma, who had regularly opposed Owen at the small business association meetings, is their main suspect. Portia and the regular quilters put their heads together to save their friend while stitching an anniversary quilt for Selma's shop. I didn't find this as engaging as the Seaside Knitters (full disclosure, my mom quilted, so it's not an unfamiliar craft to me although not one I do).  I'll probably read the other two books in the series, but not with the relish I read the knitters' books.

And because I Have extra time on my hands and am on a no-yarn-buying goal for the year, I took out two books from my library: Rustic Modern Knits by Yumiko Alexander and The Best of Jane Austen Knits by Amy Clarke Moore. Rustic Modern Knits had a lot of shawls and several mitts and hats. Lovely photos, no obvious pattern mistakes although none interested me enough to start, so don't berate me if mistakes are found. Best of Jane Austen Knits has many lovely designs sure to please the heart of any Austen fan (myself included), with shawls, sweater, even a manly vest. Although different styles, both were lovely eye candy. 

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Read

 It's that time of year, when my favorite series publishes a new book. I was very fortunate to be able to read a galley of Sally Goldenbaum's latest Seaside Knitters Society Gull and Bones. For those unfamiliar with the series, it revolves around four friends--one octogenarian, one sixty-ish and her niece in her 30s, plus another 30-something young woman. Which woman spearheads the 'investigation' into a mysterious death changed in each book in the early entries in the series, but in the last few, it's been a concerted effort of 4 minds to solve the crime, often with Nell being the one to weave all the tidbits each has found into a resolution.

It's clear Ms. Goldenbaum is, understandably, still processing the death of her own husband last year, while she was writing the previous book. In both, the murder victim is someone we the reader like, and in one instance, someone who has been a familiar face in previous books. That saddens me in a way, but is understandable, of course, especially given her own loss. Creating 5 or 6 new characters and a backstory for each and why someone would want to murder them may just be too much right now. Exploring characters she knows so intimately after a dozen years might be easier, and challenging in its own way. But the murder of an old friend is a little harder to read. There are a few new characters, but most are ones we've met in previous books. Annie is the one new character that is a central focus, although her past and her motivations are not fully revealed despite a lot of discussion about her by our knitters. This book also features a lot less knitting than usual, missing the cosiness that time spent in the studio and fleeting discussion of different yarn types and weights brought to other books.

In Gull and Bones, the entire town of Sea Harbor is getting ready for a giant celebration for the 100th birthday of Angus MacPherron, the town's "old man of the sea." But the celebrations haven't even started when a murder occurs. I'll admit that this time, I knew who had done it, and why, early in the story, and I also knew what the final reveal would be, also very early. Spoiler alert--dollars to doughnuts, I also know what the boy baby will be named when he arrives. Despite that, and the slightly depressed tone of the novel, I enjoyed Gull and Bones and spending time with Nell, Izzy, Cass, and Birdie, and their families and friends, as I always do. I wish Ms. Goldenbaum continued strength as she journeys forth. There was no preview of the next book, which I'm a little worried about. Is it an indication that we will no longer visit Sea Harbor in future books? 

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

Middle Sister's July Reads

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

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

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

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

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

Middle Sister's June Reads

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

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

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

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

Middle Sister's May Reads

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

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

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

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

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

Middle Sister's April Reads

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

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

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

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

Middle Sister's March Reads

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

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

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

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

Middle Sister's February Reads

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

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

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

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

Middle Sister's November Reads

 

Apologies for the (very) late November posting; work has been crazy. Reading was been my salvation. This draft was written in November 2024 but not published until April 2025, because sometimes life happens and things get upside down.

Murder at the Rusty Anchor by Maddie Day The is the first in the Cozy Capers series that I have read. The Cozy Capers are a book group on Cape Cod who get drawn into mysteries. The group spilts up different parts of the investigation, with each member taking on a different suspect or the victim for their Internet sleuthing, and they report on the results to each other via text. It's a cute catch that works well, allowing a diverse cast of characters to interact a lot without the heroine, Mac, having to dash all over town. Mac is on her way to work at the bike shops she owns when the door to the Rusty Anchor bar bangs open and Yvonne runs out, screaming that she's just found a body. The cast is large, as I mentioned, and includes Mac's husband, his off-page sister (who is having a crisis that is creating turmoil in the family), the 5 or 6 members of the book group (and their spouses and children), two police, Mac's parents, her brother and his girlfriend and their child, her grandmother, and now we got to the suspects. It's a lot to keep track of, but Ms. Day does a reasonably good job of not confusing the reader but keeping each distinct. The mystery is not puzzling, and the whodunit was easy to figure out. A few inconsistencies and typos were easy overlook, but I cannot forgive the most egregious: Mac makes herself a cup of tea at the end of one chapter, and at the beginning of the next chapter, sits down on the couch and takes a sip of her whiskey. But it's a pleasant visit to Cape Cod, and the group of characters, while a bit treacly, are nice enough to spend a couple of evenings with. Cozy readers who like big arcs straddling the series will enjoy this on (I'm not a fan myself, but I know I'm in the minority here).  Net Galley

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review: November 2024

Gentle Reader, you know my favorite mystery series is the Seaside Knitters Society series by Sally Goldenbaum. I love the little seaside village in Massachusetts, with its yarn studio, tea room, bookstore, and arts colony. The village large enough to have several successful restaurants such as Gracies, Sweet Petunia, and the deli, but small enough where everyone largely knows everyone else. Where friends have standing Friday night dinners and Thursday evening knit potlucks. I want all of that in real life. So every year I eagerly await the new mystery in Sea Harbor so I can visit with Nell, Izzy, Birdie, and Cass.

This year's book is The Herringbone Harbor Mystery. It's early summer in Sea Harbor, but everyone is starting to think about the fall mayoral election. Mayor Beatrice has run unopposed for several years, and some locals think it might be time for a change in leadership. Everyone is looking forward to the summer tourist season and a possibly exciting mayoral race if Nick Cabot can be convinced to run opposite Beatrice. But those summer plans are derailed when murder and a fire devastate the town.

Victims in previous books were known to our little band of knitting detectives, but in this book, Ms. Goldenbaum spends so much more time on the grief and shattering disbelief that affects the main characters. There are many discussions and passages where internal ruminations on grief occur. While some might find this off-putting, I found it very comforting, because one week into the book a friend of mine, a friend of 31 years, was found dead in his house. I was plunged into a similar unexpected grief. Reading about Nell's and Birdie's feelings and grief was actually very helpful to me. It wasn't until I read the acknowledgments at the end of the book that I learned that Ms. Goldenbaum lost her husband of many years while she was writing this book. It's very clear that she was processing her own grief in her story. My deepest sympathies to Ms. Goldenbaum and her family. I hope writing the book helped her through her grief as reading it did mine.

As for the plotlines in The Herringbone Harbor Mystery, I did suspect the murderer quite early on, but the denouement was deftly handled and still afforded me a surprise or two. The subplot surrounding Gracie's lobster shack provided a necessary redirection from the main murder plot. Gracie is a nice addition to the group, and I hope we continue to see more of her in future stories. I enjoyed meeting more of the extensive Palazola clan, all of whom seem to have the magic touch to create restaurants I'd love to eat in.

While the series builds on former stories, it's easy to start with any of the novels. The four main characters are so well drawn that the differences in personalities are noticeable, but the reasons why these 4 women are such deep friends is evident. You will easily succumb to their charms and want to live in Sea Harbor, too. 

Middle Sister's October Reads

It was an unbelievably warm October, with cooler nights finally establishing themselves by Halloween,  

Murder in an Italian Cafe by Michael Falco This was the first in the Bria Bartolucci series that I have read, but Mr. Falco does a good job on catching new readers up on who our protagonist is and her past experience with investigating a mystery. Bria and her son live in Positano, Italy, where she runs a bed and breakfast. The details of the town and the setting were lovely and atmospheric and immerse the reader in a small tourist town on the Amalfi Coast. The cast of secondary characters is quite large: Bria's parents, her mother-in-law, the policeman she is very attracted to, the general manager of her inn whom she is also attracted to, her friends, a nun at her son's school--and I haven't even introduced the suspects and the victim yet. Bria's friend who own a cafe is delighted to host the filming of a cooking show, hopeful that the free publicity will help hers and the other local businesses. But no one expects good publicity when the chef dies live on air. There are a lot of characters with separate storylines, and many don't have an obvious connection to the victim. The way author weaves them in at times seemed a little farfetched and coincidental. This was, in my opinion, a passable read. It didn't leave me on tenterhooks wondering who the killer was (I found that fairly easy to guess), and everyone's physical beauty and the money the main characters seem to have was a little off-putting for this reader. Others may find escaping into that world relaxing and the perfect fantasy. I'm giving this a grade of C+/B-. (Net Galley)

Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham  Another read for the Summer of Mystery knit along hosted by Kate Davies Designs. This book was incredibly atmospheric. If you love swirling, thick fogs and dense local accents, you'll love this one. The book group was tracking how Albert Campion changes over the series, and this post-war book has an Albert that is more world-weary and jaded than pre-war Albert, a perfect metaphor for many people and societies in real life. The premise of the book is in some ways similar to earlier Allinghams, with a treasure that is being sought by several different people, but it diverges in the depiction of a criminal that is descried by Canon Avril as truly evil. His actions were very awful and I, Gentle Reader, am easily scared so I found him very frightening indeed. I've always enjoyed Campion and Allingham novels, and reading this with folks in England who can describe some of the dated references has made them even more enjoyable. Readers of historical mysteries and English mysteries will enjoy this novel. A+

Middle Sister's September Reads

Mother Nature has been toying with us. We had one wonderful week in September when the high temperatures hovered around 90 and the overnight lows were inthe upper 60s. It was glorious! Two days later, it was 107 degree F. Normally I am on her side and understand why she's might be trying to rid herself of the parasite called humans that are destroying her, but on the other hand, I am done with endless hot summer.

Which means that naturally I started reading holiday mysteries this month. Of course I want to dream about cold weather, Christmas trees, coats and gloves, even snow slush.

Death at a Scottish Christmas by Lucy Connelly I read the first book in this series, missed the second, and am now reading the third. One big improvement--there is less gushing over all the fabulous, state of the art equipment and luxury that Emilia found in her new job as the doctor in residence on Sea Isle, Scotland. The series can be described as Cabot Cove meets CSI: tiny village where everyone knows each other and is perfect seemingly is the venue for murder after murder. This time, a holiday concert by a popular band with two locals who made good is rocked to its core when the lead singer/songwriter is found dead. Meanwhile, holiday festivities of all cultures are celebrated, a mini-UN of cultural good cheer I would not have expected in a tiny Scottish village, even a fictional one. There's even.a holiday blizzard! This story has less emphasis on romance and the attraction between Emilia and the fabulously wealthy but benevolent underwriter of pretty much everything in the village, Constable Ewan. I didn't find the mystery difficult to solve at all until the one crucial piece on information about one suspects past was revealed, and then it was clear who had done it. But the secondary character of Angie and Abigail and friends is strong, and I like them more than I like Emilia. Overall, this is a pleasant enough holiday mystery with a lovely cover. (Net Galley)

Twinkle, Twinkle Au Revoir by Heather Weidner A holiday book from earlier this year that I missed in my Net Galley ARCs. Twinkle Twinkle takes place in the very improbably named Mermaid Bay, Virginia, a small town where absolutely every business and street is named after mermaids, a setting device that I found a bit irritating. Our amateur detective is Jade Hicks, owner of holiday-themed (all things Christmas) shoppe she inherited from her aunt. The setting was really not that evocative of coastal Virginia, a location I know a little about, and I was a little disappointed in that, but the average reader may not care. The action takes place literally next door to Jade's shop and in her friend's B&B, so there is a reason for her to get involved. But as so often happens, even though her boyfriend is the sheriff and he asks her not investigate as it's dangerous, she agrees and then ignores him and he forgives it. I've mentioned before that I would read up with someone who repeatedly lied to me, but I know, that wouldn't further the plot. I do applaud the author for having Jade actually work in her shop, fulfilling online orders and restocking inventory. The murderer and the reason were very obvious, so don't expect any surprising reveal at the end. The most annoying point for me was that her friend the B&B owner called Jade over to help her with the movie people at least 4 times, if not 5, and Jade leaves her own business to go help. While that's kindly but is also done out of curiosity, at the fourth request I would probably have said "you have to handle this yourself because it's your business." Honestly, in at least half of those encounters, there was no real need for Jane to help; it was a just an easy and lazy way to get her to learn some information, It's a pleasant enough read but I doubt I'll read another. I didn't find the main characters interesting, the setting inviting, or the mystery that mysterious. (Net Galley)

Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp This graphic novel is being released this week, and it's a fun, slightly Halloween month read for older tweens. Beatrice and her sister Magnolia are as different as they could possibly be, with Beatrice the reader's point of view. The sisters live in a big house along with a family of clever spiders, but Magnolia hates the spiders. Beatrice takes some magic yarn from Bog Myrtle and her wonderful forest without asking permission, which later leads to a confrontation of sorts between the two. Great book about sustainability and resource protection and sisterly relationships. But this is not a cozy sisterly relationship, this is a contentious relationship with one sister taking advantage of the other and what could be called emotional abuse, which is why I think older tweens are the youngest readers I'd recommend read it, so that discussions of how we treat people as well as Mother Nature could be had. The graphic style is not one that I prefer, but the sharp edges and sympathetic spider faces almost made me get over my dislike of creepy crawlies. (NetGalley)

Middle Sister's Mid-month Read

Death by Chocolate Raspberry Scone by Sarah Graves Just published latest entry in the Death by Chocolate Mystery Series, but I am going to admit straight away that this one left me a bit cold. Generally I like that Jake is clumsy and can't jump across a creek or tumbles down a ridge while skulking her way to investigate something. But in this buck, it's taken to extremes; I swear she's falling or getting dumped in the ocean every other chapter (or at least, that's how often it felt). And she never sleeps; she's going days on 3 hours of sleep and beers and other alcoholic drinks in place of food and a power nap. At one point, I wondered if Jake was becoming an alcoholic and that would be a future subplot. To keep the story in line with the series, Jake and Ellie are given a new chocolate challenge by a client (the chocolate raspberry scones) but despite repeated reminders that oh, yes, we have to make 4 dozen scones in 24 hours and we don't even have a recipe, the investigation takes priority in a way we haven't encountered before. Until the last few chapters, when solving the murder becomes very personal for a very good reason, this shrugging off a professional responsibility isn't necessary and even makes no sense to two characters that have always been portrayed as very professional. I'd describe this story as a grim adventure, with pirates and gold coins and a local witch, but it's all menacing in a way earlier stories haven't been. One word: Sharks. Two words: shark attacks. Three words: repeated shark attacks. I actually found the shark attacks to be very unrealistic. Jake is able to enunciate clear sentences to Ellie when a shark is just centimeters from her face and about to chomp down? There's an also a lot of nautical terms, the meaning of which this desert dweller had no clue. The murders were too easy to solve: two of the three murders and key plot elements were so easy to guess this time that I knew exactly what was going on, the motivations, etc. by the fourth chapter. I know I read a lot of mysteries, but I never try to solve it and I happily suspend disbelief when reading, so if I can figure it out without even trying, that's not a good sign. I still like the series and will read the next, but I feel this one is pretty weak. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's August Reads

The very hot and very rainy summer continued through August/ It is sometimes hard to read through the heat, believe it or not. I found myself having to reread a paragraph because I couldn't remember what I'd just read because my brain was melting. Please come early, autumn.

Fracture-Proof Your Bones by John Neustadt, M.D. This book was recommended by a doctor. It presents  medicine's recent (published 2022) level of knowledge and treatment of osteoporosis in a very readable but thoroughly researched book. I have had a DEXA scan and my bones are very healthy right now, but my mother suffered for decades from osteoporosis and was in considerable pain from it, so I am determined to not let that happen to me. Highly recommended to anyone in their 40s and 50s who is looking to improve their chances at a pain-free old age. 

Murder in Merino by Sally Goldenbaum (Seaside Knitters Book 8) I decided that the blasted heat and my not having any time off in August meant that I needed to take a virtual vacation to my favorite place, Sea Harbor, MA, and spend some time with the ladies of the Seaside Knitting Studio. I had been reading these in order, but somehow managed to get out of order with this title, It didn't matter. Izzy is selling her old cottage and a vacation visitor is very interested in purchasing it. Everyone is surprised by her persistence, and even more puzzled when she insists upon the sale even after a murdered restauranteur is found in the backyard. Everyone is affected by the murder as the victim was a friend, and it seem impossible to them that anyone would want to harm someone the entire town loved. Meanwhile, Cass is undergoing a major personal challenge, and Izzy, Birdie and Nell are heartbroken and want to help her \work through her unhappiness, but independent Cass tries to keep them at arms' bay. Of course, there are Thursday knitting nights and Friday Night Dinners at Nell and Ben's, and some knitting. Wonderful cozy series that I adore. And there's a new one being published in November--hooray!!

The Year of the the Puppy by Alexandra Horowitz I got a new puppy on August 5! So naturally I started reading this book before I brought him home, so I could anticipate this first year from a different perspective. He's the fourth puppy I've raised in this house, and it's only been 4 years since the last puppy arrived, but the science of canine cognition and important discoveries in canine nutrition, development, etc. are constantly happening. In this book, Dr. Horowitz contrasts the weekly development of two litters, one destined to be family pets and one destined to be trained search dogs, for the first 3 months. Then she moves to monthly considerations of puppy and family development studying the puppy she and her family adopted from that litter. As always, very well written and full of information and the personal reflections that make her books and her occasional columns in the New York Times so interesting.

Middle Sister's July Reads

 July was hot and rainy, and I didn't get to read as much as I had hoped. But here is what I did manage to finish this month,

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder This was recommended to me 6 months ago, and it took this long for my book reserve at the library to arrive because so many are wanting to read it. And I understand why. This is a fantastic, clear, and concise presentation of 20 things we should have learned from our history, but haven't. Things that have been happening again the past 8 or so years. I recognized the tyranny as soon as it surfaced 8 years ago, although I didn't have quite the word for it, because with my background in history and cultural processes, and my personal history as the daughter of a WWII vet and a woman arrested at the age of 8 in Poland in 1940, I saw with horror the same things being said and done as had been said and done in 1920s and 1930s Germany. But for those younger than me, or those without a family history like mine, or anyone with a faint niggling feeling that something is not right, this is a great distillation of what is happening around us put into it's historic context. As the song goes, "if you paid attention, you'd be worried, too." The book made me think long and hard about the people I know who have reacted differently to our current situation, and whether they would have been revolutionaries or loyalists, in the resistance or a collaborator. And that reflection has been uncomfortable. But I cannot recommend this book enough. It's a quick but dense read, and makes its argument cogently and with sparing prose. Highly, highly recommended.

Death of a Ghost by Margery Allingham I am not reading all the Allinghams that my online group is reading this summer. My lirary doesn't have all of them, some are sold out, and some are just too expensive to buy. But this one was 99 cents, so I skipped a couple of our group reads for this one. The murder mystery is personal, unlike the raison d'être for the murder in the first book we read last month. And because the reason is personal, it's a darker exploration of the human psyche and not a rollicking adventure story. I enjoyed the book and the characters although Donna Beatrice was so annoying I'd have kicked her out on her ear decades before if I were Belle. But I found the ultimate punishment that the murderer underwent to be les than satisfying, perhaps because I find it unbelievable. But it was a great read, and I love seeing Campion changed, matured, angered, and facing the reality that evil can win. Recommended.

Summer's End by Juneau Black I love this series. It's like Nancy Drew meets Beatrix Potter with a slight twist of Dashiell Hammett. Lenore Lee has managed to convince Vera Vixen to volunteer as a chaperone on a school visit to the archaeological site, Summer's End. It's an important archaeoastronomy site, with an amazing solar event that happens once a year. The archaeologists working at the site will give the students a personal behind the scenes tour, so Vera decides that the opportunity to see the site with these guides is too good to pass up. I really enjoyed the action moving out of Shady Hollow although I did miss Orville. The school group is horrified when they discover a corpse on the site, and Vera springs into action when she realizes that the police's main suspect is Lenore's sister. But without Orville, her access to the site and information is restricted, and she finds that she has to nose around in some unconventional ways to discover the murderer. While I did think the culprit was easy to identify early on, that did not detract from my enjoyment at all. I'm a retired archaeologist, and I have to say the authors did a terrific job at creating a culture history and archaeological site, and the description of the site, the lab, the artifacts, etc. was terrific and spot-on correct. It is so well depicted that I wonder if someone has a background in anthropology or archaeology. Highly recommended to those who enjoy whimsy with their mystery,

Middle Sister's June Reads

It's hot, hot, and hotter in the desert in June, so diving into a good book is the best way to escape.

Sweet Danger by Margery Allingham Knitwear designer Kate Davies is hosting a Summer of Mystery, with a collection of patterns based on some of Ms. Allingham's mysteries ad a read along of a dozen of her novels. I've never made a pattern designed by KDD, but I have read several Albert Campion mysteries, so I decided to participate just for the reading alone. The first book was Sweet Danger, a rollicking treasure hunt murder mystery that introduces Amanda Fitton and her family to Albert, Lugg, and the friends that tag along with Albert as he attempts to solve an ancient mystery and prevent an international incident. The various threads seem a tangled mess at first, but Ms. Allingham skillfully weaves them all together into a neat and tidy package. This may not be the easiest book of hers to start with, but it's one of the most fun.

The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman The second Tuesday Murder Club book is as good as the first, full of seemingly unconnected people and events that ultimately come together in a very satisfying story. This book focuses on Elizabeth, and we find out much more about her secretive past as a Cold War spy. Joyce's diary entries still begin many chapters, providing the background the reader needs to people and incidents. I wish we'd been able to read her persuasive argument to get Ibrahim to overcome his fears and leave his apartment again, but the author doesn't let us be privy to that. Again, I was surprised by the ending, although I had an inkling of the direction we were headed as every theory on whodunit I had conjectured turned out to be wrong. This might not be an easy series for everyone, with its short chapters that jump from character to character and to different points of view, but it's a good series that's very well written. And I hear it's going to be made into a movie. I can't wait. Who will be Bogdan?

Kill or Bee Killed by Jennie Marts I thought I'd enjoy this mystery that takes place at a honey festival in Colorado, one of my favorite places.  But I didn't really enjoy it all that much. At first I thought it was going to be one of those mystery-in-name-only books that is really a romance, because the first few chapters were all about Bailey stumbling and bumbling and being embarrassed, rescued, and aroused at the same time by Sawyer, who is, of course, the sheriff. I think Bailey does the exact same pratfall that lands her in Sawyer's arms at least 4 times. It was funny the first time, but not the second and definitely not the third. The author has surrounded her main character with a quirky family and friends. I think I liked her grandmother and aunts more than Bailey. The town name--Humble Hills; dreadful. The murder takes place backstage at a cooking competition, because those are all the rage now. The hook is that all of the dishes must use honey as an ingredient. The cast is cliched--there's the smarmy emcee, the best friend who's competing, the good 'ole boy, the uptight snob who slowly unravels under the heat of the competition, the production crew members who are hiding secrets. I hate to be a snob, and I am as much a fan of salami and cheese on a cracker as the next person, but it is not a "gorgeous charcuterie board" when you're serving Ritz crackers. If Sawyer "scrubbed" his hand through his hair once, he did it 5 times. Scrubbed is not the right verb here. And after coming up with some ridiculous phrases for the characters to use so they don't curse (e.g., jagoff instead of jerk), the author has a main character call someone a "douche canoe" and a "douche wad." That ain't gentlewomanly in my book at all; I find that way more offensive that a four-letter word. But Ms. Marts needed to introduce a wild side to someone, somehow to move her story along,  so she has Bailey and Evie break into a motorhome to look for clues. Evie later makes a crude allusion to sex, and so does 12-year-old Daisy, so those expecting a squeaky clean book will be surprised. I sure was--that was totally out of character for Evie and if that was my 12-year-old, I'd be terrified.  I was floored when Daisy knowingly repeated some racy dialogue she overheard. There are more instances of out-of-character or just weird behavior (Evie reaches over and starts helping herself to the funnel cake eaten by someone she's met maybe two or three times, professionally, and has only known for two days; how rude) that almost made me think a second author was writing these scenes. The book has one good thing going for it--a golden retriever. There, I thought of two nice things to say: I like the dog and I like the great aunts. Otherwise, I disliked this book a lot. It read like an unedited draft (there were many typos in the Kindle ARC) written by an immature teenager trying to act grown up and cosmopolitan and failing miserably. It's hard to write this, but avoid this book. (NetGalley)

Driven to Murder by Debbie Young  After the disappointing previous ARC I had read, I thought "Let's read one that takes place in rural England, in a bookshop--that's my cup of tea." However, as the old knight says in the Indiana Jones movie, I chose poorly. Sophie is working at her boyfriend Hector's bookshop (craftily called Hector's House; yes. that's sarcasm) in a small village in the Cotswolds. The village is in an uproar because the company that runs the only bus service has suspended operations because it's too expensive and they are losing money. The villagers are up in arms, until Janice is murdered on the bus, and then their fury turns to fear. Sophie decides to solve the mystery herself in her spare time as she learns how to drive. For someone so scared of driving (which is hammered home in chapter after chapter and lots of internal dialogue), Sophie blossoms in one paragraph from scaredy cat extreme to a seasoned driver. So confident is she that, on her second driving trip, she spends her time reflecting on the murder than on the road; completely  out of character after a lot of time has been spent on her fear of and aversion to driving. There are other very unrealistic passages, but sadly, I found the resolution of the murder mystery to be the most unrealistic of all. The pat solution to the bus crisis was so unbelievable that it was lucky that scene came at the end of the book; any earlier and I'd have stopped reading then and there in protest at the assault on our common sense. It's hard to write this, but for the second book this month, I can only say avoid this book. The story and plot are fairly ridiculous and the resolution is at best terrible; most of the characters are not likable, and the author contrives silly behavior on Sophie's part and an unrealistic ending that carried my disappointment right through the very end. The one nice thing I can say--the location is the Costwolds. (NetGalley)