Middle Sister's November Reads

Honey Drop Dead by Laura Childs Yes, I read another book in a series I love to hate. Again, I love the premise and enjoyed the first few books in the series. Theodosia's tea shop in historic Charleston is a dream tea room to visit fictionally, in a great setting with tremendous atmosphere and great story potential. But Theodosia has evolved from being someone I'd have liked to be friends with, or at the very least someone whose tearoom I would have patronized, to someone I am almost actively hoping gets hurt. This story begins, as so many of the books in the series do, with Theodosia hosting a tea party of some sort, this time, an art show event for her friend, Holly. The party is interrupted by someone in a HAZMAT suit who sprays a toxic smoke around, sickening many of the guests and leaving thick, impenetrable clouds of smoke. When the smoke lifts, a local politician is dead. I love/hate recounting some of the more ridiculous escapades Theodosia engages in to show how ridiculous the series has become. This book starts the unbelievable Theo escapades right away: Theodosia, while everyone else is hacking and crying from the smoke, is able to run at top speed to chase the HAMZAT-wearing miscreant. When she finally catches up with him, she throws a vase which she snatched up from a table and ran through the woods holding at the person. They shoot the vase and aim at her, but Theodosia manages to grab a shard of glass and threaten the murderer. It was ridiculous. Later in the book, Theodosia thinks it's perfectly OK to steal the boat of an acquaintance of hers to go traipsing out to a suspect's cay to, what, confront him? We're not sure what her plan really was, but, as is typical in the TheodosiaUniverse, she suffers no repercussions when the friend's boat is rammed and severely damaged and nearly sunk. Without knowing at all what the police are doing, she's convinced they are not following leads and will not be able to solve the murder, so she has no choice but solve it herself. Pete Reilly, her boyfriend, again specifically asks her not investigate and she agrees. The ending to the book was rather abrupt, with Theodosia endangering the life of Drayton because she can't believe she was wrong in figuring out who the murderer was. I continue to really hate that she repeatedly lies to Reilly. He seems like a nice guy, but how does he not call her out on this? She's been lying to him through several books now, and I don't know anyone who would accept being repeatedly lied to. I know, I know, why do I keep reading this series? I keep hoping they'll get better, that the author will use a little talent to figure out a way to get Theodosia involved that doesn't involve her typical arrogance and lies, but she doesn't. Isn't that the definition of insanity? (Audiobook)

Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew (A California bookshop Mystery) I should have liked a book set in a bookstore, even if the location was Southern California. Scarlett has just broken up with her boyfriend, who had been her partner in opening a bookstore located right by a popular beach and tourist hotspot. Scarlett finds a dead body on the beach, and then discovers that she has inherited a large sum of money from a relative she never knew. Both situations throw her life into chaos. I really couldn't get into this new series. I didn't find Scarlett that interesting, and I found her relationships and interactions to be rather juvenile and superficial. The mystery and the murder were neither suspenseful nor difficult to solve. I'll give any future books in this series a hard pass. (Net Galley)

Birding to Change the World by Trish O'Kane Great nonfiction book that is so much more than a bird book. It's a fascinating read about her journey from losing everything to Hurricane Katrina and moving to Madison, Wisconsin, to go to graduate school after years of working as a social justice reporter in various countries. She stumbles into what she sees is a social justice issue when the small park across the street from her house in a working class neighborhood is slated to have the grassy areas and small wetlands paved and resurfaced for parking lots, soccer fields, etc. It's a great book about the intersection of the upheaval of her life with her discovery of the joys of birding and studying ornithology. As an urban birder myself, I loved the program she began bringing middle schoolers to the park and introducing them to the birds, the animals, and to standing up for themselves and their neighborhood. Great book, well written, and covering more than just birds, but how the birds around us can reveal so much about our society and how local policies can impact nature and our communities. (NetGalley; to be published in 2024)

Irish Milkshake Murder by Carlene O'Connor, Peggy Ehrhart, and Liz Ireland I am enjoying this series of short story novellas that center on a shared theme, previously a Christmas scarf, and this time, an Irish milkshake. Each auther gets to define what the Irish milkshake is made up of and how it figures into the murder mystery.  Peggy Ehrhart and her character Pamela are fast becoming favorites, and so her story was my favorite. Carlene O'Connor's story was the most rollicking of the three, with murder at an isolated hen party in Ireland, with boozy milkshakes and Irish dancers. I had recently read a full length novel by Liz Ireland that I enjoyed a lot, so I was delighted to meet Mrs. Claus and other residents of Santaland in this short story. The elves are fascinated by yet another holiday that April has told them about, St. Patrick's Day. I enjoyed  the premise of seeing what trouble the elves and Santa and everyone else gets into after the Christmas holiday is over. Fun book to be published late in December, and three great authors. I can't wait for the next themed mystery. (NetGalley)

Death of a Maid by M. C. Beaton (Hamish Macbeth Number 22) Hamish Macbeth has been gifted the services of a cleaning lady, Mrs. Gillespie, and while he's not thrilled, he leaves her to do what she can at the police station. When he returns, he finds evidence that she may have been snooping. Hamish goes to confront her and finds, instead, her lifeless body. Who would have wanted to kill the cleaning lady? The book is another charming visit to Lochdubh, where the quirky residents and humorous situations don't completely cover the ugly underbelly of human interactions that can be found anywhere. (Audiobook)

Highland Christmas by M. C. Beaton (Hamish Macbeth Number 16) Hamish's family is in Florida for the holiday, so Hamish is in Lochduch, working. But the problems aren't the most exciting: a missing cat and stolen holiday lights. But nothing is ever as simple as it seems in Lochdubh, and soon Hamish finds that there's more going on than he thought. But it's Lochdubh, so we know that somehow, Hamish will make sure that all is well just in time for Christmas. (Audiobook)

Murder by Invitation Only by Colleen Cambridge (A Phyllida Bright Mystery) The very competent Phyllida Bright, housekeeper to Agatha Christie, returns in this murder mystery. Agatha and Max are invited to a murder by their new neighbors, but as they are in London, Agatha asks Phyllida to attend the murder party in her stead. The invited guests are horrified when the murder tableau is real. Phyllida, as a witness,  jumps into the investigation, and it was amusing to read her reactions when other party attendees expect her to find the murderer based on her reputation. I chuckled when Agatha used this incident as inspiration for one of her own murder mysteries. And I enjoyed the staff's consternation over the newfangled vacuum cleaner--a small side story that helps to set the story in its time and place. I enjoy this series a lot. (Audiobook)

The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie Well, after reading a book with Agatha Christie as a character, I had to read a book by the master herself. I don't think I've reread The Mystery of the Blue Train since I first read it when I was about 12, when I borrowed my aunt's copy at her bungalow one summer. This is a slightly more convoluted story, with a longer set up and character introduction before Hercule Poirot makes his appearance to solve the crime, than many of Ms. Christie's more famous books. But it's still a very good read, even after almost 100 years (it was first published in 1928).  

Buried in a Good book by Tamara Berry (By The Book  Mysteries 1) I've very much enjoyed books 2 and 3 in this series, so I tracked down book 1 at my library so I could meet Tess and Gertrude and learn more of their backstory. Tess is recently divorced, and her ex is ignoring their daughter, so to try and give them both some breathing space, and to try and give Gertrude something else to think about other than her father's lack of attention, Tess decides they should spend the summer at her grandfather's cabin. But they are greeted by a funny yet kind of gross explosion of fish and human body parts, which has to be one of the most memorable ways to start a book I've ever read. Kudos to Ms. Berry for her choice of murderer, a bold move. But despite that, I think I like books 2 and 3 better, which is a great indication that the author and her series are developing full steam ahead. I can't wait for book 4.  

Middle Sister's June Reads

 I read the most delightful book this month, the third of three really good books that I enjoyed (see my Mid-month Review in the previous post). June was a good book month.

Cold Clay by Juneau Black The second entry in a series of three books (to date). Shady Hollow is a small, quiet town inhabited by animals (yes, animals). Reminiscent of Susan Wittig Albert's Cottage Tales series, 8 equally delightful (and I was so sad when Ms. Albert stopped writing the series), this charming book has memorable characters and a lovely setting (and a map--you know how I love a book with a map!). Vera Vixen, fox reporter, is our amateur detective, and she is ably assisted by her best friend Lenore Lee, the raven who owns Nevermore Books, and her boyfriend, Deputy Orville Braun, bear. I loved this book. It was so charming and sweet, the animal characters kind and realistic and relatable. Shady Hollow and its inhabitants were enchanting and I immediately looked for the other two books in the series. The mystery is well plotted, the characters are fully fleshed out, and while there was one aspect of the whodunit conclusion that was a little bit of a stretch to believe, it was still a great read. It did not escape my notice that Vera appears to be a vegetarian, and every meal she has at Joe's Mug read deliciously. I am eager to return to Shady Hollow, especially during these tumultuous and scary times. A sweet, innocent murder mystery that is appropriate for both advanced child readers and adults--perfect. 

Steeped in Evil by Laura Childs I know I vowed to stop reading this series, but I thought one from  earlier in the series might still be good, without all the annoying inconsistencies that beset the more recent Tea Shop Mysteries. And I enjoyed the first half of the book. Theodosia was not annoying and arrogant in her sleuthing, the professionals were not ridiculed as incompetent, and I had high hopes. And then it started, first with a few little things: Theodosia never tells Maggie that Andrew is looking to buy a house, just that she knows someone who could use a realtor, yet Maggie jumps to the assumption he's a buyer. OK, that's perhaps not an unreasonable assumption; he's either buying or selling. And then world class tea sommelier Drayton doesn't know what a Banbury tart is? And he says "Seriously?!" like a tween girl? Drayton is a little fussy but very gentlemanly, an American version of the stereotypical Englishman, and his exclamations and vocabulary would not include 'Seriously?!" And speaking of the food, how does Haley manage to do all the cooking, cleaning, and planning for not only the tea room but also the catering events? Miss Dimple is there to help serve when needed, but honestly, there's no way Haley could do all that work, especially if the Indigo Tea Shop is open 6 days a week (I think they're closed one day a week, but even if closed for two, it's just not realistic that she has no help). I've suspected for years that Ms. Childs employed a ghost writer, and the fact that Theo's boyfriend Max actually says the sentence "We're going to pretend we're not snuggle bunnies?" proves it. Then it was there, in full force: Theo muses that maybe the sheriff would figure the mystery out. "Or maybe pigs would sprout wings and fly." At this point, Theo has exchanged about 12 words with the sheriff, so how she has the temerity to think she judge his progress in his investigation is beyond annoying. She gets very annoyed when the manager of Smiley's won't let her interrogate one of his employees when that man is supposed to be working, and the entire exchanges when she trying to wheedle her way into the restaurant were embarrassing at best and insufferable at worst. They witness the car accident, but don't call 911, and Drayton was so upset he couldn't dial those 3 numbers? That is not the competent man we know. But the most egregious violations were this: private hospital rooms do not share a bathroom, so the entire scene where Theo escapes discovery by sneaking out the shared bathroom was ridiculous. Clearly the ghost writer backed themselves into a corner and created this plot device to fix a major shortcoming in the story. But that episode was  surpassed by her behavior at the silent auction, when, instead of voicing her suspicions about the bottle of wine to either law enforcement or the auction organizers, she grabs it and opens it to prove her point. Stop insulting your readers! Cell phones have the numbers and/or names of incoming calls showing nice and bright and big right there on the screen, so Theo would never have been surprised by who was calling her; she'd have known the instant she looked at the phone. This is beyond insufferable and beyond excuses. Stop dialing it in, Ms. Childs. Either slow down your mass production of multiple series or perhaps just stop writing. 

Murder on the Moor by Julianna Deering Drew and Madeline Farthering are asked by his former schoolmate, Beaky, to look into some mysterious happenings in the moor that surrounds his estate.  His wife Sabrina has been spooked by noises when walking her dog and feels certain someone has been watching her. Drew and Madeline immediately drive up to the estate to look into things, while their friend Nick impersonates a rough traveling man so that he can investigate things from the village's perspective without suspicion. Set in the 1920s, this is reasonably accurate portrayal of that time between the wars when society and economies were in turmoil, and the landed aristocracy was having to face the new realities of the early twentieth century. I liked the book, although Drew and Madeline were a little too cutesy for me. The secondary characters were interesting and useful and not merely there to fill in the pages; they each advanced the story in important ways. All in all, an nice, quick read.

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 March Reads

March madness usually refers to the college basketball playoffs, but the COVID-19 outbreak has been ongoing for three weeks as I write this. Working from home has cut into my audiobook commuting time, and I'm trying to read some of the teetering piles of magazines all over my house. But I did get some reading done.

In the Hurricane's Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick Somehow it seems appropriate to me to continue reading about the Revolutionary War, the social, political, and economic milieux, the sacrifices made by Americans (of course, they were colonists then) for a greater good they believed it, a greater good that nearly slipped away. The book focuses on Yorktown, and all the events that lead up to this decisive battle. Mr. Philbrick focuses on naval battles, although land battles are detailed, especially those near Yorktown. The author doesn't shy away from the fact that many of the Founding Fathers owned slaves, and some reviewers have opined he spent too much time on this, and presented too unflattering a picture of George Washington, slave owner. But sometimes it is necessary to be reminded that even those who do great good, who make huge sacrifices, are not perfect and may, in fact, have sides to them that are unpleasant to others and to history. Excellent book, well written, well researched, dynamic descriptions of battles, and a very well read audiobook; recommended.

Plum Tea Crazy by Laura Childs Well, Charleston is set to go the way of Cabot Cove--a much higher homicide rate than any very big city, and if you meet Theodosia anywhere, run, run far away. Doesn't matter, I still enjoy this series because I love tea, and am fond of the characters. First, what I didn't like about this entry in the tea shop mystery series: as soon as she encounters the murder victim, Thoe moves the body so she can get a better look at what may have caused the death. What? Have all these murders and talking to Tidwell taught her nothing? It's not like there was any chance the victim was still alive. Nope, it was prurient curiosity. Then, the police just let the witnesses stand there while they removed the body from where it was, and it wouldn't have been pretty. What? Then, in Chapter 6, Theo goes blabbering information that the police hadn't released yet--probably because they were holding that info back. Nice way to ruin the investigation, Theo. And then Theo just ignores the crime scene tape and enters a restricted area, instantly contaminating it. "No matter; Theodosia just ducked underneath." What?? Then new neighbor Alexis shares exactly how much money she made at the grand opening of her shop with Theo. Really? Because a 10-minute conversation instantly makes one privy to that kind of personal info. And telling your new policeman boyfriend Riley that his not sharing police information with you is "just plain silly?" Theo, I'm not liking your attitude at all. You're too good for her, Riley. There were some other annoying scenes and dialogues (cultural appropriation; has the author ever been to a cat show?), but I'm going to stop with BAM BAM BAM! There were at least 3 capitalized banging scenes in the book, and they were to quote Theo, just plain silly. I know, it sounds like I hate the series. I'm picking on it because I don't think these things would have happened in earlier books. Childs is writing so many series now, and publishing them so quickly, that quality and established character traits are falling by the wayside. Charleston and the Indigo Tea Shop are still fun places to visit, but just like visiting family, things start to get on your nerves after a while. Recommended, but this is a weak entry in the series because of these faults.

Dachshund Through the Snow by David Rosenfelt A mystery with dogs (one a golden retriever) in Paterson, NJ? I had to read it. I love dogs, I have golden retrievers, my grandfather worked in Paterson 90 years ago, I've been to many of the places the author mentions, like Little Falls. This is the first book by Rosenfelt I've read and unfortunately, I won't read another. The first person snark and attitude of the main character just became so repetitive and annoying, and remember, I'm from Jersey. I grew up there. I know Jersey. If this is how he presents us to the outside world, no wonder people make fun of us. I found, after dozens of chapters, a sudden and very short switch in point of view to be very disconcerting. And the blatant 'I'm reading David Rosenfelt, he's a great author' line--didn't come across to me as funny, but self-promoting and today's post's favorite word, annoying. But I'd love to find a fruit stand that has sweet cantaloupes so heavy they set the front seat belt sensor off--that's some melon! Recommended only to his fans and folks who feel they have to read any book about New Jersey

Middle Sister's June Reads

Well, I may have had a slow May, but I read a lot during June. An interesting mix of mystery, non-fiction, and craft books.

Scones and Bones by Laura Childs I'd fallen way behind in this series, and decided to celebrate early June, the best time of year to sit on the patio in early mornings and drink tea, by catching up (which I did, although I still have the current hardcover to read). I used to enjoy the series, and this, and the subsequent titles, seemed completely wrong to me. Theodosia, who was always a little bit old-fashioned with her etiquette and manner of speech, is now all about exclamation points! And phrases, not complete sentences! Very informal! I am quite able to suspend belief to enjoy a good cosy murder mystery, but Theodosia had just bought herself a new little house at the end of the previous book, and here, she goes to her new neighbor's house, knocks, and when no one answers, just goes in. Who does that?There were also some incidents that really stretched my willingness to believe (e.g., how do we know that the murderer dropped the orange members pass and not just one of the hundreds of other guests at the event?). The character Drayton, who was most definitely an old-fashioned, somewhat fussy man (I always picture the actor Clifton Webb in my head when I read a passage with him) has also mutated into a completely different person. Here, he's obsessed with Hayley's romantic life, when previously I cannot even remember them discussing anything personal with each other. I kept a lot of other notes, but I think I'll end here, and resume reviewing the series with...

Agony of the Leaves by Laura Childs I give Ms. Childs props for starting off the book with a murder most authors would be afraid to have happen--she killed off the nice ex-boyfriend. Gutsy move. And she made Theodosia feel guilty about having dumped Parker at the end of the previous book to go out with Max, her new love interest. Again, I'm finding inconsistencies and bad editing. For example, on page 200, well after the bee incident which Theo immediately recognized as deliberate, she starts wondering again why the bees attacked Aunt Libby. She knows why, she just realized that a few pages ago. This whole passage makes Theo look very stupid rather than building suspense, and makes me realize the series needs a new or better editor. Which cemented in my mind my conclusion...

Sweet Tea Revenge by Laura Childs ... that Laura Childs is having difficulty keeping her characters straight between her three active series. I found this one quite amusing because everyone, except Max, just accepts the reality show television producers' assertions that ghosts are real, that ghost hunting is real science, and even calls their investigation of paranormal activity "legitimate." I may like Max after all. But I have to let Miss Childs know that the Theodosia of the first half of the series did not "skip into the kitchen" or anywhere else (p. 79). She's a Southern lady; she doesn't skip like a schoolgirl. We've gone from no man flirting with Theo to every man instantly falling for her. I can assure Ms. Childs that any ATF agent who told a person of interest he was interrogating that she is "an attractive woman" would face disciplinary measures for unprofessional behavior. And how can Burt Tidwell be wearing an "oversized too tight suit" (p. 119). It's either too big or too small, it can't be both. Editor, please! The Clue of the Thread (see me channel Nancy Drew) has to be one of the lamest clues I've ever read. We are repeatedly hit over the head with how shabby the inn is, how poorly it was maintained, and a thread found in an out-of-the-way window, which could have been there for years, must, of course, have come from the suit of the murderer? Miss Childs, slow down; you're trying to pump out too many books, and you're getting characters confused, and sacrificing a well-crafted story to just get a book on the shelves. I was discussing this series with another reader who also mentioned her book group used to read these, but got so disgusted, they've stopped, so the dedicated fans who will read every entry in the series are being lost by the slipshod nature of the writing and the editing.

Death Comes Silently by Carolyn Hart Recent entry in the Death on Demand series. I'm getting a little tired of the Frank Hardy-esque Max, his life of leisure, and that stupid Maserati. Everyone else in the series has developed a little over the years, but even after his close call of a few books ago, he remains the same. And Laurel, who usually doesn't irritate me, did so very much despite not ever appearing in it, just leaving her sun flowers and their little sayings everywhere. Thank goodness for Henny, who has character, a backbone, and isn't afraid of life. I hope to age a lot like Henny. Annie has become a little stale and goody-goody, but since I love the references to the different mystery books that pepper the books and turn me on to new authors, I'll keep plodding through even the less-than-stellar entries, like this one.

Otherhood by Melanie Notkin Being a single, childless woman of a certain age, I was interested to read a book that said it would help re-define the place of this population in today's world. The author spent over 200 pages complaining, almost non-stop, that she never got married, never had a baby, where is her soul mate, how can she live with unfulfilled expectations, people have no idea of the pain of 'circumstantially infertile," and such unrelenting self pity that I would have thrown the book away (luckily, it was a library book, so I didn't waste good money on this). Yup, I expected to get married and have kids, and nope, it didn't happen, so I've made my own life. Regrets can take over your life and make you very miserable, and Ms. Notkin still seems to wallow in misery despite a successful career and glamorous NYC life. It was only on p. 228 that finally, finally, one of her friends points out that having a wonderful life is possible no matter what has or hasn't happened to you. Although I guess I'm one of the ones she'd accuse of having given up, but cynical me says if she can't find a nice guy in NYC, with her constant dating and going out to chic bars and restaurants, what chance have I got in a small city in the middle of nowhere? The name-dropping (of reality tv people and others I've never heard of; how culturally backward am I?) became really annoying after a while, but then I thought, well, if these are the people you're hanging out with, no wonder you're not finding your Mr. Right. Instead of buying this book, single women, buy yourself a new outfit, a massage, or a really good meal, and toast your own happiness that you have made for yourself. Relying on happiness to come from someone else, as Ms. Notkin has spent her life waiting for, hoping for, and expecting, never works. The cautionary tale Ms. Notkin thinks she wrote about is not the message this reader got.

Vintage Designs by Kim Hargreaves Cute vintage knit sweater patterns, but some are better suited to wispy, skinny models than curvy women. But Ms. hargreaves makes anyone think they can knit a fabulous sweater, never fear, and the the sweaters are gorgeous to look at.

Literary Knits by Nikol Lohr Range of patterns named after literary characters that inspired the designs. Even when Ms. Lohr admits she recollected the book or the character wrong, it's a delightful collection for the knitter who loves old and modern classics. And it inspired me to start a Meme stole, inspired by the Gabriel Garcia Marquez character in One Hundred Years of Solitude.