Making up a tasting menu for some savory and sweet food flavored mysteries

As much I am enjoying the culinary mystery titles that I'm reading right now, it never hurts to be on the look out for a new taste sensation that will having me turning pages hungrily.

To that end, I'm considering a trio of mouth watering mysteries that should whet my appetite for more to read. Due to a blurb for Vivien Chien's latest Noodle Shop Mysteries(Egg Drop Dead, which I'm saving for a readathon this spring!), I learned of a savory series known as Pizza Lovers Mysteries.

Written by Chris Cavender, the first book is entitled A Slice of Murder, where A Slice of Delight pizzeria owner Eleanor Swift finds herself being accused of delivering more than one of her massively topped pies to a customer.

It doesn't help that the local police chief, Kevin Hurley, is a former high school classmate of Eleanor's who still feels that she rejected him back then. Eleanor's business begins to decline as suspicions mount against her, especially since she did have a public argument with the deceased(who received a well deserved slap for his rude moves!). However, with the aid of her married sister Maddy, Eleanor is out to solve this case before the next lethal slice is literally on her.

This does sound like delicious reading and with the stories set in North Carolina, it'll be interesting to check out the food scene in that part of the country. When it comes to pizza, that is one dish that does travel well yet thankfully the same can't be said of murder:

 After pizza, one does tend to think about cheese and yes, there is a Cheese Shop Mystery series. Avery Aames starts things off with The Long Quiche Goodbye, where Charlotte Bessette is thrilled to be taking over the French style cheese shop that her grandparents first set up when they first settled into the town of Providence, Ohio.

With her cousin Matthew running a wine business along side her cheese mongering in the store, Charlotte is sure of success. Yet, when a dead man is actually found on the shop's doorstep and her grandmother is the prime suspect, Charlotte has no choice but to take her food focused skills and aim them in the direction of the real killer.

One of my favorite things about cozy mysteries,especially the food flavored ones, are the punny titles that do crop up and this series has some great snackables in that department. Titles like Lost and Fondue, Clobbered by Camembert, To Brie or not to Brie and my favorite so far; For Cheddar or Worse!

 Plus, while I am all about All American cheese, the French do have a nice flair when it comes to that dairy delight and this series could offer some edible education as well as entertainment there:

Of course, the key ingredient for making any pizza is dough but in this instance, I came across the next best thing, donuts. Jessica Beck's Donut Shop mysteries begin with Glazed Murder, as recently divorced Suzanne Hart decides to use her settlement money to open up Donut Hearts in her home town of April Springs in North Carolina.

Being free of her less than gainfully employed actor husband Max, Suzanne feels as if her life is truly about to start. Unfortunately, a dead body being dropped off at the door of her shop in the dead of night puts that dream on pause for the moment.

Speaking of punny titles, this series offers up a nice plateful with the likes of Sinister Sprinkles, Fatally Frosted, Powdered Peril and Illegally Iced. Now, you might be thinking "How did you go from pizza to cheese to donuts here?"  Well, as it turns out, Jessica Beck and Chris Cavender have something in common other than setting their books in small North Carolina towns.

Jessica Beck and Chris Cavender(along with a few others) are pen names for writer Tim Myers, who has several cozy mystery series in print. His other tales include lighthouse keeping and candle making but I think that his food related series(he also has a Classic Diner set of mysteries!) sound more like my style of cozy culinary reading.

Not to mention that donuts do have the reputation for pleasing police officers and that along with a cup of coffee sounds like the perfect pairing for some crime solving fun:

I'll be seeking these series out at either my nearest library or book seller soon, especially since the current headlines these days seem to be encouraging folks to stay inside and read for a little while longer this season. Hopefully, things will get better soon and we can all engage in some culinary mystery capers with lighter hearts and full fictional stomachs:

Put a Spring in your step with these March & April reads

Looks like those early spring weather predictions are coming true and as the outdoors becomes more enticing, just remember that your best walking companion is a book.

Not that you should block your vision while taking a leisurely hike or stroll through the park-books are great for those pitstop moments when you need to pause for a drink of water there. Better yet, if a nice shady tree happens to be on your path, a book is the very thing to have on hand for just such a spring time occasion!

So, I have a few recommendations for the upcoming March/April releases that should be suitable for some outside and/or inside reading this season:

EMOTIONAL JOURNEY INTO THE PAST:

The title of Louise Erdich's latest novel, The Night Watchman, refers to Thomas Wazhashak, whose job it is to guard the local jewel bearing plant that maintains the livelihood of the Native American residents of Turtle Mountain,North Dakota.

However, he has a higher duty as one of the tribal councilmen and in 1953, Thomas heads to Washington in order to testify to Congress regarding a new bill that would erase the current treaties his people have with the U.S. government. That potential new law could displace his entire community for generations to come.

Joining him on this trip is his niece Pixie, whose life is turbulent to say the least. Saving up as much money as she can to leave Turtle Mountain  and her alcoholic father for good, word of her older sister Vera's disappearance has Pixie putting her work and home life on hold to find her. While Vera proves hard to locate, Pixie does find the chance for a love of her own but can she pursue that quest along side the one for her sister?

Erdrich is well known for her mastery of heartfelt stories edged with realistic touches and this upcoming novel should strike several chords of literary brilliance in that regard(March).

SINISTER TALES OF KILLER SUSPENSE

Some murder mystery classics are given a gruesome spotlight in Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson, thanks to a blog post that bookstore co-owner Malcolm Kershaw lives to regrets.

During his early days at Old Devils Bookstore, he wrote up a list of mystery titles that had what he felt were the best fictional murders that could be gotten away with. Unfortunately, his now settled life is overturned by a visit from FBI agent Gwen Mulvey, who informs him that three of the murders that she's looking into have connections to his former reading recommendations list.

While Malcolm never intended for books such as Double Indemnity, The A.B.C. Murders and The Secret History to be used as blueprints for actual murders, things are more complicated for him as Malcolm has a connection to one of the inspired deaths that he's not willing to share with the authorities. Instead, he plans to do what he can on his own before another literary themed crime is committed.

This sounds like a lot of page turning fun, especially if you're a fan of old school murder mysteries, and should make for a great movie at some point as well(March): 

For something even more marvelously meta, Grady Hendrix has The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires all ready for your next group read.

Bored Charleston housewife Patricia Campbell decides to liven things up by getting her gal pals to form a true crime themed book club which goes over well enough with them. It's not long before Patricia finds herself rounding up her bookish buddies to solve a series of real life murders in their midst.

The main suspect here is James Harris, new to town and quite the charming fellow. However, his aversion to sunlight and some mysterious disappearances give Patricia pause as to just how nice of a neighbor he really is. Can Patrica and friends find out if James is a serial killing vampire or just a serial killer who thinks he's a vampire before raising some serious stakes here?

Hendrix is a devotee of nostalgic horror as his prior novels(My Best Friend's Exorcism, We Sold Our Souls) has shown in abundance. With this fresh take on fanged fiends, we might have a great excuse to binge watch True Blood again (April):

SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE STAGE:

In Actress, author Anne Enright introduces us to Katherine O'Dell, a renowned Irish  star of film and theater whose life story we learned from her daughter Norah.

To begin with, Katherine wasn't Irish-she was a London girl that started her theatrical career early in life and her rise in fortune was one paved with heartbreak and moments of despair. The pressure to stay to on top of her game combined with continuing poor choices in men lead Katherine towards a tragedy worse than any she ever had to perform in.

As Norah learns about the life and times of her famous mother, she examines her own emotional journey and one great mystery; the identity of her father. Enright's haunting tale of life and art from a mother/daughter viewpoint promises to be engagingly challenging to experience(March).

Debut writer Aaron Jackson showcases The Astonishing Life of August March, which chronicles the story of a man literally born to the theater but not exactly a part of it.

Young August was raised by a kind hearted laundress when his actress mother left the newborn backstage after giving birth to him during intermission. Over the years, he learned all of Shakespeare's plays due to listening to so many performances but being raised in secret became a problem upon the death of his foster mother and the destruction of the playhouse where August grew up.

His quick study skills lead him to a life of crime, only to be rescued from that by the actor Reginald Percyfoot, who enrolls him in school. August's flair for the theater provides him with more interest than a formal education yet will his talents take him down the proper road or one that leads to his doom?

This book sounds like Monty Python teaming up with Charles Dickens and that ought to be a show worth checking out. Hopefully, Jackson will bring us future flights of fancy here(April): 

As the warmer days approach, our love of reading can go hand in hand with enjoying the fresh bloom of the season. Just be sure to pack your reading material properly as well as lightly-it can be done!:

Following up a Second Act of Series-ous Reading by Dying For Chocolate

The first of my Second Acts for this year's Series-ous Reading challenge went so well that I felt an immediate follow-up was necessary. Plus, the title of Diane Mott Davidson's book 2 in her Goldy Bear series, Dying for Chocolate, was perfect for Valentine's Day this month.

Goldy is a divorced mother who is practically raising her preteen son Arch on her own, which is a good thing considering that her vicious ex-husband has a name whose initials rightly earn him the nickname of The Jerk.

In order to make a living in Aspen,Colorado, she's become a caterer and is starting to get a good reputation for her culinary skills. Unfortunately, way too many obstacles are piling up in her path.

 For one, The Jerk has been lurking around Goldy's neighborhood so much that she's had to put in an expensive alarm system and to pay for that, she's taken a live-in private chef position with General Bo Farquhar and his wife Adele(whose sister Marla is another ex-wife of The Jerk). While Goldy is able to still run her business,not to mention get Arch into a good private school nearby, she is being threatened with a lawsuit from a rival catering company with a name similar to hers.

On top of all that, negative reviews are appearing in the local newspaper about her culinary commissions, written by a critic known only as Pierre. Goldy is being given a chance to respond but it's frustrating not knowing who this person is, especially when they keep getting the menu items wrong:

One of the few bright spots in Goldy's life is a new romance with Phillip Miller, local psychologist who happened to have a member of the Farquhar household(sponsored student Julian) as a patient.

Their relationship has been going on for a short time yet it's shocking for Goldy to witness Phillip driving dangerously on the road which leads to his death.

With no signs of intoxication, auto malfunction or bad weather to account for his on-road behavior, she becomes convinced that his accident was no accident at all. Her semi-regular beau, police detective Tom Schultz ,agrees but wants her to be careful about looking into the matter.

Meanwhile, Goldy still has work to do and that includes an "aphrodisiac" dinner party for neighbors Weezie and Brian Harrington. It's hard enough to be professional under the circumstances but at times, it feels as if it weren't for bad luck, Goldy would have no luck at all!

Things are bad enough with a pair of last minute guests who happen to be vegetarians and having to talk the hostess out of being made to wear a sexy French maid outfit during dinner service but Goldy also has to fend off the sleazy advances of host Brian, whose roving eye falls on a rather younger woman at the table instead of his own clearly annoyed wife. Yes, the dinner party winds up being badly reviewed in more ways than one indeed:

As it turns out, Weezie and Phillip were working on a local land project together, which many in town considered to be a pretense for an affair.

While a hidden romance between those two was not the case, Goldy discovers a good amount of secrets and lies that include her own employers on the list of suspects. Can she find the killer before the next flavor on her menu is fatally delicious?

Diane Mott Davidson has the distinction of being one of the big culinary crime queens in this particular mystery genre. While many have followed in her literary footsteps, I feel that her set of 17 mysteries(the last one was published in 2013, with no current plans for future books) is more in line with someone like Cleo Coyle than Joanne Fluke.

While DMD did begin the mixing in of recipes within her mystery novels much like Fluke, her leading lady Goldy has a more gritty back story, unlike Fluke's Hannah Swensen, that is more in line with Coyle's Clare Cosi, with troublesome ex-husbands(although The Jerk is far worse than Matt Allegro), raising a child on their own and dealing with money problems.

 Both series also share a wry sense of humor at times that borders on cynical yet their female leads are determined not to let any bad situation get the best of them.  Mind you, I haven't read all of the books in either series(this is actually the second Goldy Bear book for me) but it's not hard for me to imagine Goldy and Clare swapping recipes and detective stories over a cup of coffee together.

I do intend to read more of DMD's books in this series, as Goldy is an engaging heroine and it would be nice to see her finally end up with a good life(Tom is a good soul mate, the Luke to her Lorelai in my opinion).

It's a shame that DMD hasn't had a new book out in quite some time but who knows, she may surprise us all in that department. If not, she's certainly made a tasty mark on the genre that will encourage a fresh batch of culinary crime fighters to bake up some savory stories:

Speaking of Hannah Swensen, the next selection for my Series-ous Reading is  Carrot Cake Murder, which places Hannah at a friend's family reunion. While her contribution of the title cake to the festivities is appreciated, finding one of the relatives dead next to a sweet slice is a bit much for all concerned.

Don't worry, I have more Second Act reads to come but it's good to take a mini break every now and then during a project. Not to mention that I'm still trying to catch up to my mom with these books-she's ready for the latest one, Coconut Layer Cake Murder(which arrives next week!) while I am stuck at the far end of the dessert table, so to speak.

Oh well, it's not a bad place to be at, really. Granted, I'm not into carrot cake as a sweet treat but it does sound like the right delight to start the spring season off with:

Enjoying some TV worthy period dramas in print

 This time of year is a period drama fan's dream as most of the big TV series in that genre arrive to relieve us from the mid winter blues and prepare for spring.

With PBS Masterpiece airing Sanditon at the moment with plans to have World On Fire this April along with Starz premiering season five of Outlander this upcoming weekend, the historical fiction feast is plentiful indeed.

However, you don't have to wait for Sunday nights for such dramatic delights. There are some wonderful new reads on the literary horizon to tune into as well such as Above The Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen.

Our leading lady is Bella Waverly, whose aristocratic father's spendthrift ways have brought the family down to near poverty levels, forcing her to be the sole provider of income as a scullery maid. She does,however, find happiness in learning to cook and when an unexpected opportunity comes for a position in the kitchens of Queen Victoria, Bella takes more chances than one to claim it.

Slowly but surely, Bella makes a name for herself (even though she has to use another person's name and cut what ties she has left with her own family) among the male dominated staff, gaining a bit of praise from Her Royal Highness to boot.

The promise of becoming a pastry chef and the possibility for romance is within her sights but when joining a royal trip to France ,Bella's entire future is threatened by a regal guest fatally succumbing to a mushroom dish that she played a small part in preparing. Can Bella find the killer and clear her name, only to have more of her true secrets revealed?

I've been reading this book, via a Netgalley arc, lately and it's an engaging page turner that puts me fondly in mind of the PBS series Victoria, particularly that story line with Her Majesty's maid falling in love with the talented and ambitious chef. If you like Rhys Bowen's Her Royal Spyness series(and yes, I do!), this stand alone novel is a wonderful addition to her literary world:

Speaking of series, I was finally able to watch the Downton Abbey movie over the weekend and yes, it was a welcome homecoming there.

That put me in mind of author Jessica Fellowes( who is the niece of DA creator Julian) whose Mitford Murder Mysteries were a great library find for me last year. Most recently, a third entry in that series has been released that I hope to catch up to at some point soon.

The Mitford Scandal is set in London of 1928 and while Louisa Cannon no longer works for the Mitford family, she finds it hard to quit their orbit. As a server at an upper class function, she not only runs into heiress Diana Mitford being swept off her feet by a very potential suitor, the tragic death of a maid occurs and Louisa fears that she has seen an important incident regarding that seemingly accidental demise.

Before her own potential police detective suitor Guy Sullivan can take charge of the case, Louisa is offered a job as Diana's personal maid and takes it, bringing herself closer to Guy and deeper into danger. These books are such fun, especially since they feel like alternate world versions of period mysteries like Miss Fisher's Murder series, only with Phryne's sweetly determined companon Dot and her police officer beau Hugh being the main crime solvers:

If you would rather double down on the drama instead of mystery, then I have quite the bookish triple play for you.

Over the past few years, a trio of historical fiction writers, known as Team W, have teamed up to create collaborative novels that showcase their considerable story telling skills quite nicely.

 The latest offering from authors Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White is All The Ways We Said Goodbye, set in Paris at the famed Ritz hotel where three different heroines touch base at different points in time.

 We start with Aurelie as she and her American mother witness the beginnings of WWI during their stay while a WWII Resistance member named Daisy persists in visiting her grandmother at the Ritz while shielding her from the dangers of her war work. By the early part of the 1960s, Babs journeys to Paris in hopes of finding out the true identity of a Resistance member called La Fleur, whose name she has seen on a hidden love letter and wishes to discover more about her.

I am very familiar with Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig(need to check out Karen White!) but have yet to tackle this set of Team W titles so far. With such good word on their prior works as The Forgotten Room and The Glass Ocean, this is a situation that I need to remedy before the year is out. These ladies are proof positive that team work makes the dream work indeed:

Well, I don't know if any of these books will become TV and/or film adaptations in the not too distant future but they certainly are prime material for just such treatment ,if you ask me. For now, we can take pleasure in turning these compelling pages and relaxing with the current crop of TV period drama delights.

 Outlander alone should be extra exciting and who knows, we may get a Lord Grey spin-off series some time soon! Period dramas are hearty fare that can only be improved by expanding the historical horizons and hopefully, more of us will do just that. After all, our favorite leading ladies want more than what the world is placing before them as "proper" and we the fans should follow their lead, so to speak:

Wrapping up my Winter's Respite reading and other bookish concerns

My first readathon of the year, Winter's Respite(hosted by Michelle Miller from Seasons of Reading) ,ended last Friday and it was a great way to kick start my reading there.

Since I already reviewed one of the books on that TBR separately,due to it being part of a blog tour, this wrap-up post begins with The Wedding Party by Jasmine Guillory.

This novel is part of a set of sorts that began with The Wedding Date and followed by The Proposal but it can work as a stand alone read although you might want to check out the other titles afterwards. The romantic leads here are Maddie and Theo, who find each other repulsive and only tolerate the other's presence in public due to having a mutual friend, Alexa, in common.

Maddie has been Alexa's gal pal for years and Theo works with her at the mayor's office, which throws both of them together when Alexa announces her engagement and insists that Maddie and Theo help with the wedding plans.

While Maddie and Theo are happy to join in, even willing to put up with one another for Alexa's sake, they wind up having a one night stand that changes the nature of their adversarial relationship. Surprised at their sexual chemistry, they continue to hook up privately with the deadline being Alexa's wedding for these trysts to end.

Yet, a couple of unexpected incidents pop up that make each of them wonder if this is more than just a fling but neither one wants to be the first to bring up the question of real love. Guillory has a great way with creating romantic tension that doesn't skimp on sexy moments and allows for solid as well as engaging character building along the way. Granted, I read the earlier books(along with the one that comes after TWP, Royal Holiday, that highlights Maddie's mom) so clicking into this realistic romance vibe was easy for me.

However, I would recommend this to a newcomer and yes, it's a great Valentine's Day read. This novel also brought back great memories of the TV sitcom Living Single, where snarky Maxine Shaw and snide Kyle Barker found themselves in a similar situation that ended up rather well there:

Next on my Winter's Respite list was Kim Michele Richardson's The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek, a fictional story with some real world connections.

The title lady is Cussy Mary Carter, who lives in the Kentucky mountains with her father during the hard times of the Great Depression era. She and her family are considered outsiders, despite having deep roots in the community, due to a genetic condition that gives them blue skin.

Nevertheless, Cussy finds purpose in life upon becoming a Pack Horse librarian, a government initiative meant to spread literacy in rural areas. She also makes friends among her patrons on her book delivery route and even gets some respect from those who appreciate Cussy's kind gestures in bringing more than books at times-when she can, food, medicine and messages to be mailed are part of her Pack Horse service.

However, Cussy is put upon by deliberately ignorant folks, such as a local preacher obsessed with "healing" people born different and a library matron determined to keep the more intelligent Cussy in what she deems "her place" . Even the local doctor who insists on testing Cussy for a possible cure to her condition is condescendingly callous to her needs at best.

Despite all of that, she persists in finding what good she can in the life given to her and discovers that being loved for her own self is not impossible. This book is a true page turner and although Cussy has some rather sad moments in her life, you can't help but follow her every step of the way.

Included in the bonus materials at the end of the book, information about the Pack Horse Library and photos of the actual women who did brave the rough terrain in order to spread the love of reading to remote areas provide inspiration to modern day readers:

So, I completed three out of the four books that I intended to read(made progress with the last one, The Chocolate Maker's Wife by Karen Brooks, that I have made part of my regular reading), plus a couple of library books to boot.

I consider this another successful readathon and much thanks to Michelle for setting up such much valued reading time. The next SOR event is Spring Into Horror and I'm making plans for that as we speak.

Meanwhile, thanks to finishing some of my library loans, I was able to make a quick trip to return and borrow a pair of light hearted reads. The one that I am currently in the middle of is The Accidental Beauty Queen by Teri Wilson, a romcom delight indeed.

Children's librarian Charlotte Gorman has no real interest in her identical twin sister Ginny's beauty pageant lifestyle but decides to be supportive and share her vacation time with her sis on a major competition in Florida. Charlotte plans to spend a good amount of time at Harry Potter World when she's not cheering her sister on but her bookish activities are forced aside when Ginny has a allergic reaction that swells up her face.

The Miss American Treasure pageant is all important to Ginny as it was the crown jewel in their deceased mother's beauty queen career. The thought of not being able to compete is so upsetting to her that Charlotte, against her better judgement, winds up taking her sister's place. This is only meant to be a temporary fix yet Ginny's facial problem is taking it's own sweet time to heal.

Much to her surprise, Charlotte does better than either she or Ginny thought she would, plus some of the other contestants are very nice and supportive of one another. A major hitch to this switcharoo is that Charlotte finds herself falling for one of the judges, a man with a love of literature who could be the Darcy to her Elizabeth Bennet. However, knowing the truth about her would be damaging to not just this budding romance but to Ginny's beauty queen dreams as well.

This is such a charming read that really relieves my spirits during these troubling times and after I turn the last page, I might take the time to watch Miss Congeniality, a cinematic treat that suits this sisterly story perfectly(and yes, the movie is mentioned in the book!):

To round things out, I decided to check out a book that I've heard a lot about, Maria Semple's Where'd You Go, Bernadette.

Granted, it helped that my local library is going to screen the movie adaptation this spring and the big display they had set up for that event made it hard to miss but I am curious to see what all of the fuss was about.

The plot takes place in Seattle, where celebrated architect Bernadette Fox lives in near isolation with her husband Elgie Branch and their daughter Bee. Internet access makes it easy for her to keep most of the world at bay but over time, Bernadette starts to feel creatively closed in.

With a family vacation on the horizon that she doesn't want to go on, Bernadette takes off for parts unknown, causing Bee to use the Internet to search for her missing mom. If I like the book, I may see the movie before the library showing. From what I know of this story, it's got a good amount of snark and satire with a touch of heart so this might be a tasty comedy meal to savor until spring arrives:

 While I do hate to end this on a sad note, I would be remiss to not send my condolences to the loved ones of suspense author Mary Higgins Clark.

She passed away on January 31 at the age of 92, leaving a legacy of over 50 mystery novels since her first one in 1975, Where Are The Children? Over the decades, she worked with co-authors on several books including her daughter Carol Higgins Clark, who has a mystery series of her own.

This departure is a bit personal for me, with Mary Higgins Clark  not only being one of my mother's favorite writers, but I was fortunate enough to meet her both as a customer and later as a bookseller. In fact, I first met her at the bookstore where I eventually wound up working at.

My younger sister and I were making a casual visit to the store that day and discovered that MHC was finishing up a book signing. Having no idea that she was going to be there(plus, didn't have enough money on me for the hardcover she was promoting), I grabbed a paperback anthology from the mystery section that had her name on it and asked her if she would sign it for my mother's birthday.

She was more than happy to do so and kind enough to chat with my sister for a bit, making a good impression on her indeed. During my time working at that bookstore, my mom did get a chance to meet MHC and Carol Higgins Clark as well, with that group photo that I took of the three of them holding a special place of honor in our home.

When our store did book signings for both mother and daughter(they really had a nice sense of teamwork at these events), both ladies were a pleasure to work with. I wasn't the only one on staff who thought well of them and their fans appreciated their charm as well. It is a shame that she is no longer with us but her books will be around to remind readers of her savvy writing skills and good nature for a long time to come:

Starting off my Second Acts of Series-ous Reading with Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet

For this new year of Series-ous Reading, I decided to add an extra challenge to this literary look at books in a series by giving a special spotlight to those rather overlooked entries known as Book Two.

So, my first SR read for 2020 was the first of my Second Acts as I'm calling them with M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet.

Granted, this book was adapted into season one of the British TV series so I had a bit of a heads-up here. Yet, there are always differences from script to screen(this story is episode five of the show), plus I did enjoy reading The Quiche of Death so much that this was a welcome pleasure indeed.


For this outing, Agatha is feeling quite bored after her previous detective adventure, not to mention looking for love with handsome neighbor James Lacey. Since James appears to be more interested in either working on his book of military history or keeping company with another local lady, Agatha sets her sights on the new veterinarian, Paul Bladen.

Many of the ladies in the small town of Carsely are eager to take their pets in to see this potential new bachelor and despite the supposedly good doctor's lack of interest in household animals(especially cats), Bladen has quite a few admirers.

 However, he only seems to have an eye for mature women with plenty of money such as Agatha, who he takes out on a less than exciting date at a bad restaurant. Before she gets too involved with him, Bladen is found dead at Lord Pendlebury's estate while administering a shot to one of his Lordship's prize horses.

The whole incident appears to be a work related accident but Agatha is suspicious and manages to recruit James into investigating the matter with her. Turns out that James is having a bit of writer's block and in need of some distraction, not to mention that he has the social connections to make checking out the scene of the crime that much easier:

As James and Agatha persist in their inquiry, evidence of murder crops up ,causing the police to caution the two of them(mainly Agatha) about getting too close to the case.

However, when a former client of Paul Bladen's, whose cat was unjustly put down, invites Agatha over to talk about what she knows and is discovered dead, there is no turning back for her at all here.

This second outing has more of the lively wit that the first book sets up shop with and stays for the most part in the Cotwolds(with a small exception for a brief subplot about a former friendly rival trying to con Agatha out of her money) which allows for Agatha and James to develop more of a relationship. Despite their initial reluctance in romance-he doesn't like being pursued and she would like him to take the lead-Agatha and James do click together quite nicely.

While Agatha doesn't need to be partnered with anyone, she does seem to like having an assistant on hand ,probably a holdover from her PR firm days. Also, a partner does come in handy in detective tales as back-up for when the lead sleuth is trapped by the bad guys.

 Seeing Agatha and James strike up a few sparks is a nice touch and while it may not be as sassy sexy as Phryne Fisher's love interests are, surely Agatha is equally capable of getting her man in more ways than one:

The only regret I have here is in learning of M.C. Beaton's passing just before the new year. Her actual name was Marion Chesney, who also wrote Regency romances under various pen names and along with Agatha Raisin, her other popular detective series was Hamish Macbeth, who had his books turned into a television show as well.

She had a lengthy writing career, starting in the late 1970s with her Ann Fairfax and Jennie Tremaine novels and by the mid-1980s, creating the Hamish Macbeth series(which grew to 34 books in total, not counting a short story collection and Christmas themed tale) and in the early 1990s, bringing us Agatha Raisin, whose final novel, Hot to Trot, is due out later this year.

From all accounts, Marion Chesney was a warmhearted soul with some of the snarky humor that her leading lady Agatha possessed. It is a shame that such a charming, talented writer is no longer with us yet I am glad to have made her fictional acquaintance and to see more of her characters come to life on the small screen to boot:

Well, this Second Act will be followed by another as February's Series-ous Reading selection is Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson. No, the plot is not centered around Valentine's Day but a candy themed mystery is hard to resist.

I did read the first title in Mott Davidson's series, Catering to Nobody, featuring divorced caterer Goldy Bear who had to take up crime solving in order to get her business back on track. It was an engaging romp and this second helping has Goldy dealing with two potential love interests while fending off her awful ex-husband and finding herself at the center of a murder investigation once again.

Goldy has a sly sense of humor, despite the various trouble tossed her way, which makes me want to see more of her appetizing adventures. Plus, the recipes included are tasty breaks from the action and yes, a sweet treat is on the menu that is hopefully not fatally delicious:

Spending time in Jane Austen TV land at Sanditon

When it comes to adaptations of a favorite author's work, no one is more excited than a Jane Austen fan can be.

Upon hearing about the ITV miniseries of Sanditon, an unfinished novel by Austen just before her death, and that the screenplay would be written by Andrew Davies(best known for his Colin Firth wet shirt take on Pride & Prejudice), most of us North American Austenites stopped short of dancing in the street for joy.

Now, our bookish bliss is complete as the Sanditon series is currently airing on PBS Masterpiece and not only is there a Making of Sanditon tie-in book, which I highly recommend, we have also been blessed with a novelization of the screenplay from author Kate Riordan.

The story,set in the title location, is anchored by Charlotte Heywood, who is visiting the seaside town as a guest of Tom and Mary Parker.

Tom is bound and determined to turn Sanditon into a thriving spa destination that would rival the likes of Bath and Brighton and put quite a bit of his family's finances at enormous risk to achieve this goal.

While he gets some help from his brother Sidney(whose business is in overseas trade) and mostly emotional support from his sweet natured yet overly concerned with his health brother Arthur and like minded sister Diana, Tom mainly relies on the good will of local diva Lady Denham and her considerable purse strings to fund his efforts.

Lady Denham does not mind assisting, provided that everything is according to her wishes. Charlotte makes her acquaintance along with Her Ladyship's flock of eager to please relations, hoping to earn their aunt's favor when it comes to inheriting her fortune.

 While Charlotte finds Lady Denham's companion, niece Clara Brereton, to be somewhat agreeable, she is not sure what to think of her nephew Lord Edward and his stepsister Esther, whose relationship seems rather too close for comfort there. Not to mention that Edward's interest in Charlotte is not too subtle in it's seductive intent:

Another newcomer to town finds herself connected to Charlotte as well. Miss Georgiana Lambe, a very wealthy heiress from Antiqua, is under the guardianship of Sidney Parker, who feels honor bound to keep her safe from London influences.

Miss Lambe, however, is less than thrilled with England to begin with and being taken off to a remote seaside town doesn't make her any more content with her new situation.

 Being placed with a fussy lady chaperone(plus her two other ditzy charges) and made to attend tedious social events such as Lady Denham's pineapple luncheon that allows the locals to stare at her while eligible yet clueless men seek to court her for her vast fortune of a hundred thousand pounds, Georgiana refuses to be accommodating to anyone's demands on her time and attitude and I for one am firmly on her side in such matters:

Charlotte and Georgiana do become good friends, both of them eager to share resentments as Sidney has been rude and overbearing at times to each of them.

Over the course of time, Charlotte finds herself changing her opinion of him, due to several encounters that show a kinder side to Sidney's usual appearance of disdain. In return, he starts to see Charlotte as more than a country girl with too many opinions.

Despite those signs of budding romance, Charlotte and Sidney do not agree at all about what would make Miss Lambe truly happy and that leads to a series of unfortunate circumstances that threaten the one person they do share a sincere interest in.

There are other story lines here, such as Tom's troubles in building up Sanditon, another young man who finds Charlotte attractive but she only sees him as a friend and a chilling war of wills between Esther and Clara. However, it's more fun to explore them on the page as Kate Riordan keeps a lively pace in relying the screenplay's plot points while adding some engaging insights into the characters themselves.

I know that some folks are surprised at some of the goings-on in this version of Sanditon but bear in mind that this was an unfinished work and in truth, this expansion of the story is pretty much in line with the literature of Jane Austen's time.

One of her early works, Lady Susan, was greatly influenced by the popular literature of the Regency/Georgian period, which had plenty of tales involving upper class folks getting into all kinds of mischief. No doubt readers in those days would raise an eyebrow at some of this Sanditon's incidents such as an unexpected glimpse of sea bathing men and a rather forbidden romance but would also pass the book along to eager family and friends for their mutual pleasure.

Novels such as Belinda by Maria Edgeworth, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson and Henry Fielding's Tom Jones(which we know was a favorite of Jane's) were filled with the shocking doings and occasional bawdy humor that was part and parcel for that day and age as well as part of Austen's regular reading. So, in that respect, this rendition of Sanditon is far from out of place with Jane Austen's life and times:

So, if you're watching the miniseries or not just yet, Kate Riordan's novelization of Sanditon is a delightful addition to the adaptation fun. My thanks to Laurel Ann Nattress of Austenprose for including me on this blog tour for this book and I hope that many of you in Austenland enjoy both versions with great delight.

In fact, I do encourage any and all period drama lovers to watch as well as read the book, since there is a slim yet not entirely impossible chance that Sanditon might get a second season if enough fan love is expressed to the powers that be. At the moment, there are no plans for another season but let us hope for the better in this regard:

A rather mixed goodie bag of Oscar nominations handed out this award season

Earlier this week, the nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards were announced and there were more reasons to sigh than cheer this time out.

Before I get into all of that, let's start off on the one big positive note here which is the multiple noms for the film Parasite, co-written and directed by Boon Joon Ho. It's up for six nominations, including Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture as well as Best International Feature(the new name for the Foreign Film category).

This is a first for South Korean cinema, to have such major spots among the Oscar contenders and the film has won several awards at other venues, particularly the Golden Globes and the Palm d'Or from the Cannes film festival. Odds are that Parasite will be a big winner on Oscar night and about the only movie that everyone feels good about it doing so well here.

Both the critical reviews and word of mouth have been great for this social horror story where a poor family schemes their way into the household of a wealthier one, only to face unintended dire consequences from an unexpected source for their status elevation. I remember the first time I saw the trailer for Parasite and right away, you could tell that this was a slow burn of a suspense tale that would haunt you for the better:

The only negative about Parasite's nominations is that none of the actors were included in the Best lead or supporting categories. This omission carried out to many of the other Oscar sections-no women up for Best Director such as Greta Gerwig for Little Women(which is up for several other categories, including Best Picture), Lulu Wang for The Farewell and Kasi Lemmons for Harriet.

Only two POC actors were nominated for the acting categories and while Cynthia Erivo and Antonio Banderas deserved the recognition, so did Awkwafina for her work in The Farewell which won her a Golden Globe.

Also, no appreciation for Eddie Murphy in Dolemite is my Name, which is a funny,engaging film about cult movie hero Rudy Ray Moore and one would argue a fitting companion piece to Tim Burton's Ed Wood as cinematic tribute to the offbeat stars of the silver screen.

The biggest disappointment to me(and quite a few others out there) is that Joker earned the most nominations, eleven, including Jouquin Phoenix in the title role. While I don't dispute the acting talents of Phoenix, this film just repulses me and yes, I have not seen it despite being a big fan of DC Comics and Batman lore in particular.

The whole premise of this film is way off as an origin story for this character and I will tell you why; the Joker was created as a major nemesis to Batman, similar to Lex Luthor and Superman, and while they are polar opposites, they are meant to balance each other off. Granted, there is no set backstory for the Joker(one of his aliases is Jack Napier) but some traits are core components-he's deviously smart and skilled enough to create his own chemical weapons, is gleefully sociopathic and driven by impulse and ego. Basically, a formidable menace in his own right.

According to this movie, the Joker is a sad sack of a guy named Arthur Fleck whose mental health issues and emotional abuse from his mother lead to him taking revenge against a rather Martin Scorsese inspired Gotham City. I'm sorry but dressing up a second rate Travis Bickle in clown make-up and having him attack a King of Comedy(Why, Robert De Niro, why?) is a sadly cynical take on this iconic villain that says nothing original at all.

Instead, it seems to play on cheap stereotypes about those with mental health situations and loaded with pretentious preening about how "we live in a society" where white guys feel free to whine about being picked on for bad behavior. I don't know if I will ever watch this movie but it tells you something when the SNL parody of it sounds like a better version altogether:

What disappoints me even more than that is the overlooking of Rocketman, which received only one nomination for Best Original Song. I suppose that the Academy voters thought that honoring Bohemian Rhapsody last time was good enough but they are so wrong!

Bohemian Rhapsody was at best a standard biopic elevated by Rami Malek's performance but Rocketman is a creative autobiographical musical that feels like a Broadway show on the level of Hamilton in terms of quality. Elton John told the story of his life in an emotionally honest way, using his vast catalogue of songs as touchstones for various points in his journey without glossing over any of the messy moments there.

Taron Egerton(who won a Golden Globe for his performance,hello!) was wonderful and egregiously snubbed in the Best Actor category, not to mention Bryce Dallas Howard as Sheila,Elton's viciously passive-aggressive mother and Jamie Bell as longtime friend and collaborator Bernie Taupin for the Best Supporting sections.

Also, how could you not nominate an Elton John musical for Best Costume, Best Production Design or either of the Sound categories? I have seen Rocketman three times(once in theaters, twice on home video) with family members and all of us were moved deeply by the themes of dealing with the pains of the past and moving onward. Based on audience response and mostly positive critical reviews, we are not alone in that good feeling.

While I am glad that at least ("I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" will be performed on Oscar night, it's a crying shame that the Academy is ignoring such an artistic cinematic gem like this:

Speaking of Best Song, I did listen to all of the other nominees, as is my usual, and for the most part,  found myself less than impressed.

While "Into the Unknown" from Frozen 2(surprisingly not up for Best Animated Film) is nice enough, in the words of a certain Buffy character, it's more of a book number than a breakaway pop hit.

Toy Story 4's "I Can't Let You Throw Yourself Away" is a throwaway number that barely lasts two minutes. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that composer Randy Newman spent less than half of the song's running time to write it.

"I'm Standing With You" from Breakthough is your standard inspirational piece and while Chrissy Metz has a good voice, this tune is far from being memorable. What is a real contender with the Rocketman song here is "Stand Up" from Harriet, sung by Best Actress nominee Cynthia Erivo.

She is a Broadway singer, having won a Tony, Emmy and a Grammy for her role in the musical version of The Color Purple and she may become the youngest EGOT winner on Oscar night. Ervio's vocals are amazing and having the lead character perform the theme song to her life story is elegantly touching, to say the least:

Just a few other thoughts before I wrap this up:

Did Scarlett Johanssen really need to be a double nominee? Sure, her work in JoJo Rabbit and Marriage Story was well praised but did she really have to take up spots in both of the actress categories?  I suspect not,folks. Hell, Lupita N'yongo could have taken both categories for her duel role in Us (which was out and out ignored by the Academy!) and that would have been a bold creative use of that nomination there!

As much as I appreciate Martin Scorsese, The Irishman sounds like four hours of his greatest hits and hey, Marty-instead of complaining about superhero movies taking up too much attention, how about taking a creative chance yourself? You've done it before, with The Age of Innocence , The Last Temptation of Christ, Kundun...instead of grousing about what others are doing, make your own work relevant to old and new audiences again.

I am happy that Renee Zellweger is up for Best Actress in Judy and that the Make-up/Hair Styling category has five nominees(most of the time, it's lucky to get three).

Other wise, the Best Picture nominees are not that exciting-Ford vs. Ferrari, 1917,Marriage Story, Joker,I don't even want to put them on my Netflix queue, let alone watch them at all. I would love to see Little Women and maybe check out Once Upon A Time in Hollywood and Jojo Rabbit but beyond that, a hard pass.

Will I watch the Oscars? Sure, because it's my Super Bowl and even if your team isn't playing, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the show. I do find it amusing that Best Supporting Actress nominee Margo Robbie will have her Harley Quinn on at the theaters with Birds of Prey a few days before the Oscars-when it comes to clown criminals, her royal riot girl act is one worth watching indeed:

My first Library Haul(and LibraryThing prize!) of 2020

Getting settled into a new year of reading can be daunting at first but it does help to take up a regular routine or two to start your bookish engines there.

Having been away from my local library during the holidays, it was wonderful to make my first visit of 2020 this past weekend with at least one book to return(which lead to another loan, that I'll get to momentarily).

What made this trip special was the joy of discovering a new book on the shelf that I've been wanting to check out ever since I first heard about it. The Vanished Bride by Bella Ellis has the literary sisters Bronte find themselves  becoming a trio of sleuths as news of a strange death and disappearance at a nearby estate peaks their considerable interest.

With the assistance of their brother Bramwell, Emily, Anne and Charlotte look into what happened at Chester Grange, where the second wife of Robert Chester is missing with only a blood stained bed to suggest a gruesome departure. From hearing the eyewitness account of Matilda French, the current governess of the household and old school friend of sisters Emily and Charlotte, the sisters feel that they have no choice but to use their considerable skills of observation to find out the truth.

This leads them on a search that entails conducting interviews in disguise, finding clues in unlikely places and discovering hidden rooms within the manor house itself. Can the Bronte sisters solve this mysterious situation before another dire event takes place?

This book is intended to be the first in a mystery series and I certainly like this premise. Granted, out of the three Brontes, I'm more of a Charlotte person yet it ought to be entertaining and enlightening to see all of them in crime fighting action here:

During my last library visit, I decided to try a novel by Fiona Davis entitled The Address and it was such an engrossing read that upon my return, I went in search of another one of her works of historical fiction.

Luckily for me, The Chelsea Girls was readily available and quickly added to my pile of  new must reads. The story takes place in New York during the mid-1950s as two ladies of the theater reunite at the title hotel.

Hazel and Maxine became friends during WWII as USO performers on tour to entertain the troops. Now, five years later, they hope to combine Hazel's talent for play-writing and directing with the star power that Maxine has been generating on the Broadway stage to mark their mutual paths to fame and glory.

Unfortunately, their dreams are threatened by official demands to testify about "Un-American activities" as the McCarthy blacklist era begins. Can Hazel and Maxine stay true to their bonds of friendships as well as their professional goals, despite the pressure building from all sides?

This sounds intensely intriguing and I won't be surprised to see a few modern day parallels in this tale of attempted repression of artistic women:

To round out my library loan picks, I went with another debut mystery novel that is starting off a fresh new series and from the looks of it, this is one that I'm definitely going to like.

Marty Wingate's The Bodies in the Library is set in Bath, England as new  curator of The First Edition Society, Hayley Burke, discovers that the world of books is not as safe as one would think.

In addition to not having read any of the classic mystery titles in the collection that she's in charge of, Hayley also has to deal with a cranky co-worker and a local fan fiction writers' group that she has allowed to use the FES quarters who keep fighting among themselves about the proper way to add vampires or zombies to the works of Agatha Christie.

When the group leader is found dead one morning in the FES library, Hayley finds inspiration from Agatha Christie's The Body in the Library to find the killer before things get more out of hand. While she may not be a Miss Marple, Hayley may turn out to be a true detective in the making. I'm already reading this book and it's quite the Christie inspired cup of tea indeed:

When I arrived home, laden with books, there was a nice surprise in my mailbox from LibraryThing. LT does a monthly giveaway of upcoming titles and I won a copy of Little Wonders by Kate Rorick, best known for the Diary of Lizzie Bennet webseries tie-in novels.

When determined super mom Quinn Barrett unleashes her anger at her pre-school age son for not wanting to wear the homemade Halloween costume she created for him in public, she never expected that meltdown to become a viral sensation.

Newcomer Daisy Stone took the video but only meant to share it with her best friend back in California as a private joke. Instead, that slip of Quinn's perfect persona mask has taken on an internet life of it's own, making the once envied suburban diva the talk of the town.

While Daisy's unconventional ways make her reluctant to admit her part in this slow moving mess, she can't help but to reach out to Quinn, who's struggling to regain what sense of self she has left. This take on modern motherhood seems to be mixed with humor and heartbreak yet with a strong dose of unlikely friendship that should make for a solid good read. The book is due out in March and I think it'll be one to watch out for there.

Well, I do have quite a bit of reading on my hands, with the Winter's Respite readathon(reading two books at once for that one!), plus my Series-ous Reading and preparing for a review of Sanditon next week. No rest for the page turning wicked there!

Considering the cold weather on the way and the current news headlines, I think that a good book or two or more is the right choice for my entertainment needs(especially after the disappointing Oscar nominations, which I'll discuss later on) at this time.

For the moment, my first of many library hauls this year is off to a good start and the biggest decision on that score is long book or short book? At least that's a fun choice to make!:

Ringing in a New Year of Series-ous Reading

Welcome back, friends, for another year of Series-ous Reading where I talk about various books from established series and before we begin with the new, I must wrap up last year's list with the last book I read for that purpose.

Mr. Churchill's Secretary is the first title in author Susan Elia MacNeal's Maggie Hope novels which are set in England during WWII. Maggie was born there but grew up in America, due to both of her parents being killed in a car crash when she was a baby.

She was raised by her aunt in Boston and encouraged in her studies yet when word came of her grandmother's passing and her house in London in need of selling for any sort of inheritance, Maggie went over overseas to do just that. However, the escalation of the impending war with Germany made her hard for her to find a buyer so Maggie decided to take in a few roommates and see how she could help the war effort.

Despite her incredible math skills, the only solid position she could get in the government(thanks to some help from her good friend David) was as a replacement secretary to Winston Churchill. Seems that the former occupant of that position met with a rather deadly end.

Regardless of her disappointment, Maggie takes on the job and finds that while Churchill is a rough talker, he's also incredibly clever and even has a bit of a sense of humor about him, making those long hours of work at 10 Downing Street far more bearable there:

As the bombing raids in London begin, Maggie and her friends, such as Paige, her favorite roommate and best friend from college back in the US and Chuck, who is engaged to a solider headed for the front lines, do their best to keep their spirits up.

However, when a raid strikes down one of their own, Maggie becomes more determined to be of real use.

She spots a potential secret code in a newspaper ad for women's fashion(the skirt has a strangely sequential design of dots and dashes) and tries to bring this espionage in open sight to the attention of others in the department yet is politely but firmly shut down.

 Nonetheless, she is intent on finding the truth and as it turns out, there is a hidden secret regarding her family's past that leads her down an unexpected path of spies and secret plots that threaten the nation. I don't want to say more than that as this book is an entertainingly engaging adventure with characters that are well rounded and suspenseful plot points that keep those pages a-turning.

What I liked the most about this story was Maggie, a smart, capable woman who stayed on point despite being underestimated by the men around her and who was a good friend even to those who betrayed her trust. In truth, this reminded me of the short lived TV show Agent Carter, which really should've stayed on the air for longer than it did. Fortunately, Maggie Hope seems to have more staying power in print:

So, yes, my last Series-ous Reading of 2019 was a wonderful treat and for this new bookish bout in 2020, the next entry in the Maggie Hope series, Princess Elizabeth's Spy, is part of the literary line-up.

In fact, that book is part of a special category called Second Acts, which will highlight those crucial follow-ups to the debut novel in a book series. The first one may set up shop but the second steadies the balance for more to come.

Along with Princess Elizabeth's Spy, the second book selections include Dying For Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson and A Medal for Murder by Frances Brody, plus another book that I'll get to in a moment.

 Speaking of Frances Brody, I plan to read more of her Kate Shackleton series such as Death of an Avid Reader, A Woman Unknown and Murder in the Afternoon. Having read a later book in her series set in post WWI England about a lady photographer who becomes a detective last year, I thought it would be right to catch up on her other mystery entries as well. Also, I have more of Joanne Fluke's Hannah Swenson stories to read as my mom has gone far ahead of me on that score!

For now, my first Series-ous Reading selection of 2020 is the second book in the Agatha Raisin mysteries from the late great author M.C. Beaton, Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet.

Sadly, Ms. Beaton(aka Marion Chesney) passed away on New Year's Eve at the age of 83. Before the Agatha Raisin books, she was well known for her Hamish Macbeth detective series,which also became a popular TV series in the UK much like the Raisin books are right now.

She also wrote a number of historical romances and mysteries under various pen names such as Charlotte Ward, Ann Fairfax and Jennie Tremaine. In total, she had over 160 books published during her lifetime and many of her colleagues describe her as a witty, warm hearted yet no nonsense lady who they felt honored to know. As a very new reader , I send my condolences to her loved ones and wish them some peace of mind during such a sorrowful time.

I hope to do justice to my write-up on the second Agatha Raisin novel, which I've already started, and perhaps I might try some of the Hamish Macbeth books,too. For now, Agatha's continuing adventures as  the city savvy country sleuth are a great way to get this new year of Series-ous Reading started: