Middle Sister's April Read,

April was a hodge podge of varying genres, in which I also sampled some long-running series I had never read before. Let's get to it. 

Cozy Coastal Knits by Rosann Fleischauer I love knitting and crocheting and I love any coast. Ms. Fleischauer presents a collection of mitts,  headbands and hats, bandanas, shawls, and ponchos named after bodies of water, a clever idea on its own. I was, however, disappointed by the book. There is one men's sweater, one sleeveless women's tank, and one skirt, but six ponchos. Six ponchos out of a book of twenty-one patterns is too many. I reviewed the Net Galley ARC (advanced readers' copy), and there is one major error: the Atlantic and Pacific ponchos appear to be the exact same pattern; same description, same special stitch, same instructions. I'm not sure if there was meant to be a difference between these and an editing and layout mistake was made. Overall, the book is laid out nicely, with lots of tropical photos for the location shots, and contains written patterns but no charts with simple schematics. But the duplicate pattern, whether an accident or intentional, means this book has to receive a poor review. (Net Galley)

National Monuments of the USA by Cameron Walker, Illustrated by Chris Turnham Adorable mid-century inspired artwork by Chris Turnham makes this children's travel guide to select national monuments a delight. The book is divided geographically, and presents some of our most popular, most famous, and most recent national monuments in an engaging manner that is sure to interest both adults and the children for which the book was written. Colors are slightly muted but very pleasing, with postcard-sized sidebar illustrations of fun facts about the flora, fauna, and history of the monuments. The book starts off with the Statue of Liberty, but then goes to Stonewall, one of our newest national monuments. The explanation of why Stonewall was deemed important enough to become a national monument is low key and child-appropriate; it simply says in 1969 certain people were discriminated against and in 1969 at Stonewall, people started an uprising. Ultra conservatives may find the use of LGBTQ+ and the inclusion of Stonewall reason to ban the book, but I think it's a fantastic choice and well handled by the author and the illustrator. Rousing applause for the diversity and inclusivity in this book. Adults and children of all colors are represented, and there is a very subtle illustration of a gay couple (one black, one white) on the Stonewall page. The civil rights movement and monuments in Birmingham are featured, but so are archaeological monuments like Pipestone, Montezuma Castle and Bandalier, and amazing natural landscapes like Rainbow Bridge and Muir Woods. We learn about historic houses, insects and bears and fish, even dinosaurs, and famous and some not-quite-as-famous but just as important people who helped make American history. An absolute gem of a book. (Net Galley)

The Most Beautiful Places in the World: UNESCO Natural Heritage Sites by Christopher Woods This beautiful coffee table book takes readers around the world to visit some of the most spectacular landscapes and vistas that have escaped development. The book is divided into large continental sections. Each heritage site has text that describes the location, the date it became a world heritage site, and iconic flora or fauna that inhabit it. Beautiful two-page spreads are accompanied by a page of photos that concentrate on close-up shots of plants and animals. This is a terrific book for an avid traveler, national park geek, or nature photographer. I've only been to one of these heritage sites, and as much as I'd like to visit many of them, that seems unlikely. But this book allowed me to discover the unknown beauty of places like Croatia and Iran as well as more famous locales such as Ngorongoro. The book also serves to remind us why preserving nature and these heritage sites is so crucial to maintain biodiversity and the health of our home planet. (Net Galley)

Death by Arts and Crafts by Alexis Morgan Although the series is new to me, this is the sixth in the Abby McCree series. Abby lives in a small town, Snowberry Creek, WA, where she inherited her aunt's home. In this entry, Abby, newly elected to the city council, is acting as liaison between the council and several artists who will be participating in Snowberry Creek's first art festival. The weekend before the festival, Abby and her friends attend an art fair so that Abby can meet the artists and be sure that there are no special requirements that have been overlooked in the planning phase. Not so surprisingly, a murder happens at the fair, and Abby finds herself reluctantly drawn into the investigations. I liked that Abby genuinely seemed to not want to get involved after her previous encounters with murder investigations. I also like that whenever she thought of something that had occurred to her and she wondered off the police knew, she immediately reminded herself that of course they had thought of that. I quibble a bit with her remembering things that she didn't tell Ben or Gage, the police investigator and local sheriff, both of who are her friends, but the author had to to have her withhold that information to make the story process, even if it didn't accord with Abby's desire to remain outside the investigation and help her friends out. What I didn't like was her 'romance' with Tripp. We are reminded several times that he won't tell Abby what he is studying in college; why not? How can you contemplate a serious relationship with someone who withholds such a trivial fact from you? I understand he has PTSD after his 20 years as special ops in the military; I even get why he'd not tell her what he saw in combat. But what his major is? I also heartily dislike his patronizing attitude; at one point he says he warned another potential suitor off and that he's "protecting what's mine." Ugh. I like Ben much more as a romantic suitor; he worries about Abby but doesn't patronize her, and respects her intelligence and integrity. Not sure I want to read any more of these if Tripp is going to remain an important secondary character (hey, wouldn't it be a twist to let then break up permanently?). There are only 3 suspects and it was very easy to figure out which was the likely murderer. While tension does build as threats to Abby and her friends escalate, and the whole story really does take place over the course of just a couple of weeks, the middle section dragged for me. Overall, the writing was good and I would have liked to have more on the setting, another one of those idyllic little towns where everyone knows each other and happily adopts the newcomer into their lives. NB: the editing in this ARC was bad  int he second half (multiple times main characters' names were mistaken). (Net Galley)

Death by Spiced Chai by Alex Erickson A bookstore cafe mystery series. Sounds great. I love bookstores, and while I don't drink coffee, spiced chai is a tea and we all know how I love my tea. This is the tenth in this series, although this series was new to me. Bookstore and cafe owner Krissy Hancock is at first annoyed by what seem to be pranks, but then becomes very concerned when it becomes evident that someone is targeting her. And the clues indicate that she's been targeted because of her past involvement in murder investigations (so earlier books are referenced, and without having read them, I was a little puzzled). Krissy make some questionable choices as she investigates (no, don't go talk to your main suspect and tip them off!), and the author makes some questionable choices as backstory (I still don't understand the paragraph about chipped mugs at location 1275 on a Kindle). Another irritant to this reader: Krissy is dating Paul the policeman, and seems irritated that he won't tell her about his boss' investigation in the murders in which she is a main suspect. Hello, Krissy, he could lose his job over that! Paul's character is clearly tormented by these two things pulling on him, but Krissy's lack of understanding and concern for his career annoyed me. As did her assumptions that the police were not doing their jobs simply because she remained a suspect and no one was telling her who they were investigating besides herself. A few inconsistencies in plotting (e.g., one person comments that nobody walks around her neighborhood but then suddenly remembers that actually there was somebody passing by her home at least a dozen times over two days and that didn't cause any suspicions--really?) and what I felt was a thin reason for the murder meant that I didn't particularly enjoy this book. I doubt that I will seek out further in the series. (Net Galley)

Love, Nature, Magic by Maria Rodale OK, I've subscribed to Prevention magazine for decades, and was mildly curious about a book written bye the granddaughter of the man who started the business, so I chose to read this book strictly because of the author. Ms. Rodale brings the reader with her on a series of shamanic journeys during the pandemic that revealed and cemented her relationship with nature. I felt some of the shamanic journeys were a bit too woo-woo for me, although I certainly respect animal and plant intelligence and heartily agree with many of the author's conclusions about what humans are doing to our home planet. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's March Reads

Midwestern murder! The people may seem nice, but murder lurks under all that wholesomeness...

Death Checked Out (A Larkspur Library Mystery) by Leah Dobrinska A small town librarian solving cime? Sounds straight up my alley. Greta Plank is the new librarian in Larkspur, Wisconsin, and like the doctor in last month's Scottish mystery, she is haunted by something in her past that the author takes three-quarters of the book to reveal. Honestly, but the time Greta's secret came out, I didn't care, and when I learned what it was, I cared even less. Mountains out of molehills, indeed. I'm assuming this is the first in a new series, so here's your synopsis: Greta's hermit-like neighbor is found dead, and while it looks like an accident, Greta is not convinced it was. When she finally manages to convince Larkspur's new detective that he was murdered, she finds herself as the number one suspect. Greta and her two library colleagues set out to uncover the murderer. I did like Greta's happy and healthy relationship with her parents, whom I'd have liked to see more of (they are more interesting that her, to be honest). No blood or gore or cursing or sex, for those who like their mysteries squeaky clean. (Net Galley)

Bake Offed (Five Ingredient Mystery) by Maya Corrigan I'd not read any books in this series, but I was tickled by the idea that a young woman and her grandfather were the amateur detectives. I started reading this on a flight to Washington DC. and was delighted to find that the book was set in Maryland. Val is helping her friend host a mystery convention, with one of the highlights a baking contest, and Grandad is one of the participants. Someone slips a warning message in his conference tote bag, and then one of the participants is found dead by Val. It's not a difficult mystery to figure out, but the characters were pleasant enough to spend some time with, and I do like the idea of a multi-generational amateur detective team. I won't go out of my way to track down any more in there series, but if one comes my way, I'll probably read it. Another squeaky clean mystery. (Net Galley).

On Spine of Death (By the Book Mysteries 2) by Tamara Berry After all this midwestern mayhem, I ended the month in one of my favorite states, Washington, and the fictional town of Winthrop, where mystery writer Tess Harrow and her daughter Gertrude have settled  down permanently after Tess' divorce.  Tess is remodeling her grandfather's hardware store when a body is found, and then a second body, and soon Tess realizes that the murders are eerily familiar. Funny and delightful, with engaging secondary characters, a realistically healthy yet imperfect mother-daughter relationship, and a small town full of very quirky inhabitants make for a very fun read. Yes, I figured out the whodunnit pretty early on, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book. I want to read the first in the series now, and hope I don't have to wait too long for Tess and Gertrude's next adventure. (Net Galley)

Out to Canaan by Jan Karon I needed an audiobook for some car time, and I remembered how popular these were in the 1980s when I worked in a wonderful independent bookstore. Father Tim and all the secondary characters and the setting have held up fairly well, although readers will think it takes places further in the past than it does given the lack of technology. Gentle stories about ordinary things, which I generally like, but I couldn't get into the series when it was first published and this one still left me cold. I think everyone is just a little too bland for my liking. 

Middle Sister's February Reads

 I spent much of February, fictionally speaking, in the British isles.

An American in Scotland (A Scottish Isle Mystery) by Lucy Connelly I love a mystery set in Scotland or England, and a mystery set in a small town in Scotland sounded perfect. Except it wasn't. Dr. Emilia McRoy has moved to Scotland to be the local doctor, and no sooner does she land there than she is embroiled in a murder mystery. First off, the name Sea Isle sounds more California or Florida than Scotland. The author very slowly spins out how Emilia got this jobs and even more slowly draws out what tragedy in her own life caused her to want to move halfway across the world. Coincidences run strong in this novel, so if you find a multiplicity of these an indicator of lazy writing, you will be slightly irritated by how many move this story forward. The state of the art facility Emilia finds herself in is unbelievable, and when we find out the whys and hows and who behind her job, the unbelievability of the story skyrockets. And I'm always irritated when the protagonist's sole reason for investigating the murder is that they are a new person in town and therefore they assume everyone else thinks they're the murderer. Oh, and also when they withhold evidence from the police or here, the constable. Who asks her stupid questions like "Wouldn't the rain have washed away ay evidence?" Did he not go to constable school? It should be obvious by now that I did not find the premise of the story believable, and without that, frankly, you've lost me as a reader. (Net Galley)

Book Clubbed to Death (Mystery Bookshop 8) by V. M. Burns Sam is celebrating, not without trepidation, the publication of her first Wickfield Lodge mystery. A bad storm knocks out electricity to a large part of North Harbor, Michigan, and the public library is damaged. Sam offers to help out by hosting a local mystery book club in her mystery bookstore, and she's excited to discover that the Mystery Mavens include a published author and well-known reviewer. Then the reviewer is found dead in her bookstore, and Sam finds herself the number one suspect in a real life murder mystery. One that could have deadly consequences if she can't uncover the real murderer before she's arrested. I like Sam and her mom and the secondary characters, but the trope of having her subconscious figure out the clues and the mystery while she's writing her book is wearing mighty thin. We've read chapters of her mystery within the books, and frankly, they kind of stink, so the accolades upon publishing are hard to swallow. I'd suggest limiting this plot device to once or twice in the course of a Mystery Bookshop story, as its prevalence in just about every other chapter is tedious and every time Sam is tired and can't sleep, which seems to be every night; she needs to see a sleep doctor. (Net Galley)

The Hanging in the Hotel (Fethering Village Mysteries 5) by Simon Brett I really like the village of Fethering and I'd love to be friends with Jude, although I'd probably avoid her neighbor and friend Carole as much as possible. In this entry in the series, Jude's old friend Suzy asks her to help out temporarily at a private event being held in Suzy's Hopwicke Country House Hotel. When one of the attendees at the Pillars of Sussex dinner is found dead the next morning, everyone assumes it was suicide. Except Jude. Meanwhile, Carole's son introduces her to his new fiancee, and Carole uses their engagement as an excuse to do some sleuthing at the hotel. Well written and genial, Mr. Brett's mysteries harken back to the Golden Age of Christie with the deeper psychological and social aspects modern readers prefer. I recommend the Fethering series to all lovers of cosy mysteries; these are some of the best. 

Isabel Puddles Abroad (A Mitten State Mystery) by M. V. Byrne This book started out in Michigan, but most of it took place in London and Mousehole, Cornwall. I mention that because in March, I spent most of my fictional time in the Midwest, so this was a great bridge to tend the month on. Isabel Puddles is generally a likable middle-aged widow who finds herself, a la Jessica Fletcher, involved in mysteries wherever she goes. In this entry in the series, Isabel takes her first vacation and her first trip outside Michigan to England, to visit Teddy Mansfield, the famous mystery writer Isabel had met when he was in Michigan. Teddy is busy writing, and his housekeeper Tuppence is busy perfecting her scone recipe for a baking competition that the Duchess of Cornwall is going to attend. Tuppence's delicious scones are ruined before the competition, and when a murder occurs, she's just one of the many suspects. Isabel solves the mystery, of course, surrounded by a nicely-fleshed out cast of suspects and enough red herrings that it took me about three-quarters of the book to figure out whodunnit. A very pleasant book perfect for summer vacation. (Net Galley)

New Year, New Kindle! Middle Sister's Mid-month Review

 It's here! After a four-week wait, my Kindle Oasis has arrived. Unlike my Voyages, which were immediately comfortable and seemed like part of my arm, I am still getting used to the Oasis, it's one thicker side, it's square shape, but it's a relief to be able to get back to my galleys. As much s I love my Mac Book Pro and my iPhone, I don't like reading on them unless I have to (hence last month's diversion to library books instead). But now, back to where we left off in early December, when my Voyage ended its journey.

Comet Madness: How the 1920 Return of Halley's Comet (Almost) Destroyed Civilization by Richard J. Goodrich. This is not just a book about the most famous comet ever, although it is. This is not just a book that traces the development of scientific investigations into Halley's Comet, although it does. This is, at its base, a book about how media plays into, exacerbates, or just plain fabricates stories that play on the frail human psyche, and that play on them for a profit. Because if you think fake news and lies being presented as facts that "everyone knows" is a recent phenomenon, you're wrong (although richly displayed the last 6 years on our political stage). When Halley's Comet made its return trip into our part of the galaxy in 1910, the media twisted what scientists said about the event to sell more newspapers, and in the process, destroyed lives around the world. Mr. Goodrich traces how the return of the comet moved from an event of interest only to astronomers to a front-page story with headlines that screamed about the imminent destruction of the planet. He details how even respectable newspapers published stories lifting what the astronomers were saying out of context, or, in some cases, attributing complete lies to them. This may seem like an uninteresting historical anecdote, but these screaming lies caused panic around the globe. Mr. Goodrich quotes extensively what the scientists were saying versus what the newspapers reported, and documents instances where people, convinced that the end of the world was coming in May 1910, sold everything they owned to enjoy their last few days in luxury. But worse then that, he provides details on people who were driven so distraught at the published news articles that the world was ending that they killed themselves rather than face being poisoned by gases from the comet or immolated when it crashed into the earth. The destruction of a scientist's name and career by these newspaper lies is less horrific in comparison, but no less sad. So this is not just a book about Halley's Comet, but the restoration of the reputation of Camille Flammarion, the serious and famous French astronomer whose words were twisted and shredded in the name of profit. Mr. Goodrich makes no analogy to the times we live in, but astute readers will not fail to see the many similarities between how the newspapers lied in 1910 and how media outlets in the 2020s have been blatantly doing the same. This is an excellent read all round, for science and astronomy buffs particularly, but sociologists, anthropologists, and indeed anyone interested in media and its influence on culture will find it fascinating. (Net Galley)

Middle Sister's December Reads

December was a busy month, but I had two weeks of vacation and was looking forward to reading, and reading a lot. And I did. And it was wonderful! I hunkered down and spent good quality hygge time in my want-to-be-home, Sea Harbor, MA. But tragedy struck December 8--my beloved Kindle Voyage died! Amazon made the wrongheaded decision 4 years ago to cease production of the Voyage, even though many of us Kindle diehards thought it was the best Kindle ever made. I tried to live without a Kindle but broke down within  a week and ordered an Oasis, which will be delivered soon. I hate reading on my phone, so most of the books read this month were audiobooks or library books. A Net Galley ARC was interrupted by the tragedy, but I will resume reading Comet Madness as soon as Fred the Fourth arrives.

A Dark and Snowy Night by Sally Goldenbaum Years ago this series was published by one of the mass market publishers, and I fell in love with it when I discovered it early on. After several books, the publisher decided not to pursue the series, but luckily for us, Kensington Publishing picked up the author and the series continues. Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, is a small coastal town, but it's home to a large number of great businesses I'd patronize if they were real. Chief among them is the Seaside Knitting Studio, owned by Izzy Chambers Perry. The series began years ago with Izzy opening up her yarn shop and over the books, she knits deep relationships with three women in town. They are all very different, in age, in lifestyle, in experience, but they bond over their shared love of knitting and their lives become interwoven. Over the series, their lives change, but the friendships and love stay strong. I would love to be best friends with Izzy, Nell, Birdie, and Cass, and have Thursday night knit-ins and Friday night dinners with them. The mystery is almost secondary for me. I love escaping to this cosy, beautiful town full of caring and conscientious people and set in a gorgeous, sea side locale. But, a mystery series this is, so someone does get murdered, and each investigation is spearheaded by a different woman. I had just read two of the Seaside Knitters mysteries in November, and I didn't want the happy glow of living in Sea Harbor to dissipate, so I immediately jumped into my third consecutive book, which is also the most recent. This time around, the mayor's holiday party is marred by a murder, and the victim is discovered by Nell, Izzy's aunt (and personally my favorite of the four women). With Christmas and the holidays looming, the women decide to solve the murder so the town can enjoy the festive season without worrying that a murderer lurks in their midst. I love this series, and passed this book on to a friend to read on her vacation, and she is now a convert and fan, too. What better way to celebrate the season than with this wonderful trip to my favorite place.

Black Orchids by Rex Stout This audiobook has two stories, Black Orchids and Cordially Invited to Meet Death. As all fans know, Nero Wolfe never leaves his townhouse, but the one thing that might get him to leave his home is a rare orchid, and this is not just a special rare orchid, it's a black orchid. When Archie Goodwin discovers a dead body at a flower show, Nero is drawn into a complex mystery that centers on an exceedingly rare little bloom. The black orchid reappears in the second story, in which a society matron receiving poison pen letters tries to get Nero Wolfe to find out who is sending the letters to her. Wolfe turns down the job, and then regrets it. This audiobook is literally just the old cassettes now in a digital format, complete with "end of cassette 1, please turn the cassette over." But the wonderful Michael Prichard and his gravelly voive are perfect for Nero Wolfe, so less than perfect presentation aside, I love these audiobooks.

The Capture of Cerberus and The Incident of the Dog's Ball by Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot read by David Suchet. There is nothing more to be said. Perfection.

Knot on Your Life by Betty Hechtman years ago, I gave up on Hechtman's other series because, as detailed in other reviews on this blog, the stories are simplistic, the writing often juvenile, and the mysteries unsatisfying. But, sometimes it's hard for a reader to know if some of the fault lies with the publisher, who demands a certain kind of mystery for a certain audience, and constrains the author with requirements and limitations. So when I found that Hechtman had another series out there, I thought I'd give it a try. Casey Feldstein has created a career arranging yarn retreats in Vista Del Mar, but the resort idyll is not without its evils. In this, book number 7, her nemesis, the resort manager, has started arranging retreats, trying to poach on Casey's success, but his attempts leave his first clients, a Silicon Valley tech company, unsatisfied, and they reach out to Casey to save their retreat. But it's not a restful retreat when someone dies, and Casey decides to solve the murder herself. Gentle Reader, I had so many issues with this book, it's hard to list them, but here are some, and they are my last straw pet peeves: why does Casey think she is a better detective than the police, because she worked as an assistant to a detective long ago? Why on earth does her boyfriend, the cop, tell her things that could get him fired if his boss knew he was telling her these things? Why does she let him do this? And why the heck is a 30-something woman afraid to date a man in the open? Does she really think the locals will gossip nonstop about them? Casey, you're neither that important nor that interesting. The juvenile romantic relationships Hechtman always has make the bad mysteries absolutely unreadable for me. It's insulting to Ms. Christie and Mr. Stout to read something like this right after reading their classic and well-written mysteries.

AlterKnit Stitch Dictionary: 200 Modern Knitting Motifs by Andrea Rangel Fantastic stitch dictionary of modern and unusual motifs for the adventurous knitter who wants to move beyond diamonds  and chevrons into dinosaurs, robots, and 3-D inspired motifs, among others. This is a great addition to any knitter's library. Nicely illustrated, but only charts.

And there you have it. The 69 books I read in 2022. On to 2023 and adventures with my new Oasis.

Middle Sister's Mid-Month Review

From Shetland with Love at Christmas by Erin Green Continuing my Christmas-themed books, I finally read this one that has been in my TBR list for a while. The book is told from several characters' points of view. There's Verity, the middle-aged mother who takes a gap year to try and start a yarn store business on Shetland, far from her home and her sons and her bossy twin sister. There's Nessie, the groovy blacksmith whose hair color changes to match her moods. There's Isla, the talented young chef who is managing and baking at a cafe. They all have stables in which to create and sell their crafts at Lerwick Manor, whose owners are trying to create an artisan haven. There is also a cast of secondary characters who play important roles in each woman's emotional, artistic, and romantic journey. This book is a pleasingly cosy novel in which all troubles are wrapped up neatly and just in time for a snowy Shetland holiday. (NetGalley)

Middle Sister's November Reads

This month, my reading followed two themes: continuing my immersion into favorite fictional towns where I'd love to live by reading multiple books in the same series, back to back (something I rarely do), and holiday-themed mysteries. Tinsel and murderous mayhem--a perfect combination.

Christmas Scarf Murder by Carlene O'Connor, Maddie Day, and Peggy Ehrhart This book presents three mystery short stories that each involve a Christmas-themed scarf. I've not anything by Carlene Connor, but her story, Christmas Scarf Murder, features Siobhan O'Sullivan, Garda, and her new husband, Detective Sergeant Macdara. They investigate what appears to be an accidental death involving a scarf and a tractor (yes, that's what I wrote) while they try to celebrate their first Christmas as a married couple. I thought this was the weakest of the three stories. In Scarfed Down by Maddie Day, Robbie Jordan, owner of the Pans 'N Pancakes diner, investigates the sudden death of one of the local knitters who was poisoned by the yarn with which she was knitting Eyes, that's what I wrote). Robbie appealed to this reader more than Siobhan, although the murder in this short story was just as unusual as that in the first short story. By the end of Scarfed Down, I was a little disappointed in the book and not holding out much hope that the third short story wouldn't also involve an almost preposterous murder scenario. Imagine my surprise when the third story turned out to be Death by Christmas Scarf by Peggy Ehrhart. I've enjoyed the Pamela Paterson books I've read, and this short story is a lovely visit with our friends of her knitting group in Arborville. A scarf knitted for the library auction is found at a murder scene, and Pamela and her friends swing into action to solve the whodunnit. (NetGalley)

The Railway Detective's Christmas Case by Edward Marston Set in 1864 England, the Railway Detective undertakes to solve another mystery associated with one of England's railroads. The series features Scotland Yard Inspector Robert Colbeck and Sergeant Victor Leeming, this time not so ably assisted by their superior, Superintendent Edward Tallis. Tallis is determined to take as long as they need to solve the murder of Cyril Hubbleday, but Colbeck is equally determined to solve the murder and be hime by Christmas. I liked the main characters and the setting, and the pace and mystery were well plotted. I will be looking for more of the Railway Detective series. (Net Galley)

A Trip with Trouble by Diane Kelly This is the second in the Mountain Lodge series featuring Misty Murphy, who has relocated to the Blue Ridge Mountains to run the Mountaintop Lodge. A women's motorcycle group, the Dangerous Curves, have rented the entire lodge for a retreat. There is some friction between some of the riders, and the group leader is avoiding phone calls, so Misty is already dealing with some unpleasantness when one of the bikers is killed. Things escalate as someone starts stalking the lodge. I enjoyed the mystery, and liked Misty well enough. I wish her love interest wasn't named Rocky but he's written exactly like the kind of man I'd be interested in. The setting is described in enough detail to satisfy this reader, who loves to vacation through the books I read. The secondary characters are interesting and fleshed out sufficiently to add to the story. I enjoyed the book very much and will seek out more in this series. (Net Galley)

Palm for Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman In the fourth Mrs. Pollifax mystery (a series I am happily re-reading, or, in this instance, listening to as an audiobook), Mr. Carstairs sends Mrs. Pollifax to an exclusive resort in Switzerland. It was supposed to be an easy job, but as always happens, Mrs. Pollifax stumbles upon a far more dangerous and complicated situation than Carstairs and Bishop ever imagined. The original mission involved stolen plutonium, but a mysterious woman being held captive, a charming little boy, and a debonair jewel thief become intertwined with Mrs. Pollifax, and none of their lives will ever be the same again. Again, the series is now 30-plus years old, so the technology is dated, but the books are still as delightful as ever. This book was read by the marvelous Barbara Rosenblat, one of my favorite audiobook readers. 

The other fictional town I would love to live in is Sea Harbor, where Sally Goldenbaum has set her Seaside Knitters Society series. The series was originally published by a major mass market publisher, but after it was dropped, the series was picked up be Kensington, thank goodness. The earlier books can probably be found at a used bookstore, so that character backstories can be explored more deeply. I read two of the most recent in the series in November, and have the latest on tap for December. A Murderous Tangle (number 3 in the Kensington series) takes place in late winter, just before the holiday season, and the knitters are excited to participate in a hygge celebration at Izzy's yarn shop. Birdie's granddaughter and her classmates have been inspired by their new teacher, Tess, to spearhead and implement conservation measures to save the ocean. Tess is observed arguing with Bobby, owner of the new and trendy pub overlooking the ocean, and then Bobby is found dead. As winter sets in on Sea Harbor, and the weather gets colder and damper, the heat and pressure to find the murderer rises. In A Crime of a Different Stripe (number 4 in the series), Izzy's good friend Cass is expecting her baby imminently but is determined to attend the photography event that Nell and the Artist's Colony have mounted. Izzy's husband Sam is quietly reluctant to see his former teacher, a famous photographer, showcased, but agrees to chauffeur the man to the reception. When he is found dead the next day, the knitters try to uncover who would have wanted to kill a man who had never visited Sea Harbor before. Which means the motive is buried very deeply in someone's past. I love Sea Harbor and the women of the Knitters Society and wish I lived there so I could hang out with them, knit before the fireplace, attend Friday night dinners at Nell and Ben's, and take long walks along the shore with my dog. Perhaps someday I can find my own Sea Harbor...