"The Night Crew"

John Sandford's "The Night Crew" appears to be a stand alone book rather than one of a series like many of his books - at least at this point.  It's always possible that it could become a series and I'd vote for that.

Anna Batory leads the night crew -- a group of free lancers who go out late nights to look for news stories they can videotape and report on then sell to TV news outlets.  The regular crew besides Anna is Creek, who drives the truck, and Louis, who keeps tabs on what might be newsworthy out there for them to track down plus he serves as a navigator.  Between the three of them they manage to make about $90,000 each yearly.  Once in a while they have others who assist them and one of those is Jason (who the night our story starts is out with the crew because he has a lead on an animal rights activitists potential event).

While the crew are at the scene of the animal rights events, they hear about a teenage boy who is threatening to jump from a hotel and they race to the scene.  They get some spectacular film that they're easily able to sell but that night is the beginning of many troubles for this crew.  Murder, assault, and a serial killer began to track them.  The father of the teenage boy who jumped, Jake Harper, enters the scene because he believes his son's death was caused by the drugs his son was using at a party that night and that it's all somehow linked to the difficulties the night crew is currently experiencing.  So Anna and Jake begin to work with the police and on their own to try to find out who wants to hurt those around Anna and possibly be a threat to her also.  Jake is an attorney but he's also an ex-cop so his contacts within the police force and his skills learned on the job along with Anna's own sixth sense make for a good team.  As is usual with the Sandford stories I've read so far, this one is full of twists and turns and unexpected outcomes.  I've already got another Sandford book on my nightstand for my next read.  I love this author's work!  pazt

"Pie In The Sky" Series 6

Richard Griffiths stars as DI Henry Crabbe in this last series of "Pie in The Sky."  His boss, Freddy Fisher, has come up with a new Public Duties Squad and put Crabbe in charge along with a female (Morton) and a male (Guthrie).  The latter two give the impression that they're being punished for something by being relegated to this squad.  Crabbe is not so happy with his new duties either but carries them out none the less until the final episode when he's finally had it with Fisher and his using him and his team for his own purposes to get ahead.  In the final episode Crabbe is a real grouch and it turns out he's lost his sense of taste and smell -- very important for a chef running his own restaurant.  The queen is also expected to visit the Barstock office and preparations are underway to make sure everyone behaves properly.  As the queen is arriving, though, Fisher needs Crabbe to take the blame for something Fisher did so as not to spoil Fisher's chances of becoming the new chief constable when the current one retires.  That's the last straw for Crabbe so he hands in his notice and, miraculously, Crabbe regains his sense of smell and taste.  As he and Margaret, Morton, Guthrie and the Pie in the Sky staff are celebrating, Margaret chokes on her wine when Crabbe announces his resignation from the police force.  If you're a "Pie in the Sky" follower, you won't want to miss Series 6.  pazt

"Blood and Ashes"

Matt Hilton's "Blood and Ashes" features ex-soldier Joe Hunter and I got the impression while reading this book that it is not the first one in the series.  I hate that because I prefer to read them in order but I couldn't put it down so didn't bother to try to find the first in the series yet.  That will be my next goal -- see what order they're in and start reading!

This book is action packed but also full of blood and gore so be warned.  Hunter is called to aid an ex-comrade whose daughter has been murdered but when he arrives in town, his comrade, Don Griffiths, believes the whole family is in danger -- him, his 2 grandchildren, his son-in-law, and the daughter that still lives at home with him.  When Hunter encounters a couple of goons on his return walk to his car, he becomes convinced also.  That's when the action starts and it doesn't stop until the end!  pazt

"New Tricks" Season Three

The third season of "New Tricks" is available in 3 discs.  Maybe it's me but the three men working for Superintendent Sandra Pullman (played by Amanda Redman) in the Unsolved Crime Unit appear to be a little "crazier" than usual in these episodes.  It may have started with the hint that Pullman might be interviewing for a promotion and leaving the unit which immediately throws the guys into a tizzy.  Gerry Standing (played by Dennis Waterman) is having his usual female troubles but they're not all with ex-wives this time -- his daughter(s) are causing him some grief.  Brian Lane (played by Alun Armstrong) is causing his wife some grief when he decides he doesn't need his meds any more but can treat his mental health issues with natural remedies.  In the meantime, Jack Halford (played by James Bolam) is investigating a cold case that involves an old enemy who may or may not be the man who killed Jack's wife.  This season is full of mayhem but some fun, too.  pazt

"Play Dead"

To the best of my knowledge "Play Dead" is the first novel I've read by Harlan Coben.  It also happens to be the first novel he wrote and he has a one page "note" in the front of the paperback version I read hinting that this is not his best work and reminding us it was written when he was just beginning and suggesting we might not want to expect a lot out of him.  If that's the case, I can hardly wait to read his later novels because this one is good!

Laura Ayers, a beautiful former model and now a successful business owner, and David Baskin, a Celtics basketball star, have eloped to Australia and are on their honeymoon and their secret marriage is known only to a very few.  However, their happiness doesn't last long when David goes missing then is discovered to have drowned while Laura was at a business meeting. 

Laura is stricken with grief and looking for answers but any attempts to figure out what happened keep ending with stalls and, as she slowly uncovers more and more clues, she and those close to her are threatened and/or end up dead.  Nothing is as it seems and even when I think I have the plot figured out and know who the villain is, another twist pops up keeping me guessing.  I can hardly wait to read Coben's next novel!  pazt

"The Twylight Tower"

"The Twylight Tower" is Karen Harper's third book in the Elizabeth 1 mysteries.  These books contain historical information with literary license to create a mystery that Queen Elizabeth 1 and her band of close cohorts can solve.  "The Twylight Tower" finds Elizabeth vacationing at her summer place and ignoring a lot of her royal duties much to the dismay of her main adviser, Cecil.  Cecil finds the young Queen spending too much time with Robert Dudley who is serving his Queen at court while his wife, Amy Robsart Dudley, is secluded in a country home where she is suffering with a tumor that threatens to take her life.

Back at court and throughout the country rumors are flying that the Queen is going to marry Dudley despite the fact that he already has a wife.  This is good news to her enemies and those that want to take her throne from her.  When a series of suspicious deaths occur including that of Amy Dudley, Elizabeth is brought face to face with the dangers resulting from her neglect of her royal duties.  Will she be able to solve the mysteries and once again rule her country and keep her enemies at bay?  pazt

"Lord and Lady Spy" and "The Spy Who Kissed Me"

"Lord and Lady Spy" by Shana Galen and "The Spy Who Kissed Me" by Pauline Baird Jones are two spy novels I recently read back to back.  Both were entertaining but completely different.  "Lord and Lady Spy" is set in England at the end of the Napoleonic Wars  while "The Spy Who Kissed Me" is set in modern times.

Although I enjoyed "Lord and Lady Spy," I have to admit I skimmed over most of the bedroom scenes.  Lady Sophia Smythe married Lord Adrian Smythe as a cover that would allow her to spy for the Barbican organization.  She is known as "Saint" in the spy world while her husband (who is also working for the Barbican organization) is known as Agent Wolf.  The real trick is that neither knows the other one is working for Barbican and they're so intent on keeping their secrets that neither seems to notice the others frequent absences from home.  However, the Napoleonic Wars have come to an end and the Barbican organization needs less spies.  They're both been told their services are no longer needed but a murder needs to be solved and the Barbican organization allows their identities to be revealed to one another but then pits them against one another to solve the murder.  The prize -- the one remaining opening in the Barbican organization!  What will the secrets they've kept from one another as well as this competition do to their marriage?  Who wins the contest and where do they go from here?!  Future books in the series might have some of those answers.

"The Spy Who Kissed Me" has Isabel "Stan" Stanley moving into a garage apartment at her twin sister's home to help her sister through the aftermath of a rough divorce and also help her deal with their mother who has moved in with her sister!  Isabel's mom is also very interested in getting Isabel married and spends much of her time coming up with suitable men for her to date.  Isabel is a successful author of children's books and works from home.  She'd been working from home in New Orleans but caved in to her sister's pleas for help.  What she didn't expect was to have a spy literally drop through the roof of her sister's car one night when she was returning alone from a meeting.  Now her life will never be the same again as she becomes embroiled in a spy case unwillingly but the man himself might make it all worthwhile if she can just stay alive.  There is humor throughout that is slightly reminiscent of a Janet Evanovich novel so I'm hooked and ready to read more of Baird's books.  pazt

"The Risk Agent"

"The Risk Agent" is the first in a new series by Ridley Pearson starring John Knox and Grace Chu.  The second book in the series, "Choke Point," came out this year and the third book in the series has been sent to the publisher according to Pearson's web site at ridleypearson.com.

The first time I read Pearson's books was when I discovered his books starring Sheriff Walt Fleming (the Sun Valley series) which I thoroughly enjoyed and I just discovered I've missed the last one in that series,  "In Harm's Way," so it looks like I have some reading to catch up on.

Back to "The Risk Agent" - This is a big book - 428 pages - which I found a little daunting at first but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down.  John Knox has been hired by Rutherford Risk, an international security contractor, that specializes in the negotiation and recovery of kidnapped hostages -- mostly those who work for U.S. companies operating overseas -- to locate and recover two kidnapped victims in China.  Rutherford cannot operate in China and Knox, as the owner of a private importing business, often makes trips to China on business.  When an employee of Rutherford and friend of Knox approaches him, he knows all about the need Knox has to earn enough money to take care of his ailing brother.  Another tool to overcome any reluctance Knox might have to take on this job is to inform him that one of the victims is the man who will be his brother's guardian if anything should happen to Knox.  As an American, Knox' friend is likely to be killed by the kidnappers leaving behind a wife inTexas in the late stages of pregnancy.

Relutctantly Knox takes on the job and is paired with Grace Chu, a forensic accountant put in place to work for the American-owned construction company who has had one of its employees kidnapped along with the American.  For Grace it is also personal because the kidnapped employee is a relative of hers.

Both Knox and Chu have been highly trained in the past - Knox has received some military training (as a civilian) that gives him super survival skills and he also has a knowledge of Shanghai and its language.  Chu was trained in America but also served in the Chinese military so she, too, brings some special skills to the job.  Together they begin following threads that lead them to the kidnappers but also put them in danger from someone (possibly someone high up in the Chinese government) who wants to stop their investigation permanently.  This book is full of twists and turns -- surprises around almost every corner.  If you like adult suspense, don't miss this one!  pazt

"Highland Fling"

"Highland Fling" is the first book written by Nancy Mitford, oldest sister of Deborah Mitford (who later became the Duchess of Devonshire).  After reading Deborah's memoirs, "Wait For Me," I thought it might be fun to read her oldest sister's books.  To learn more about Nancy go to www.nancymitford.com.

The introduction to the Vintage Books version of "Highland Fling" is written by Julian Fellowes who created the popular "Downton Abbey" English TV series among other accomplishments.  He describes Nancy as a "beauty and a wit" and one of the darlings of the 20's.

I found the book to be entertaining but I suspect there were a lot of innuendos/humor I didn't get because I wasn't familiar with the players or the times.  I believe Nancy liked to base her characters on people she knew so the book might have had more interest for me if I knew some of the background.  Some of the character's antics were downright silly -- probably the idle wealthy with too much time on their hands.  However, I still found it lighthearted fun and really enjoyed the part where Sally (who has known for some time that she is pregnant with her first child) begins talking with her husband about probably she should either visit and/or let her mother know about the pregnancy before she hears about it from someone else and is peeved!  I will probably try to locate the next Nancy Mitford book that is available through Vintage Books even though I don't expect to find any memorable lines that bear repeating over and over as in Jane Austen's works.  pazt 

"Heat Lightning"

"Heat Lightning" is another riveting book by John Sandford in his Virgil Flowers series.  I seem to have detected a pattern in Sandford's books - we know from the beginning of the book who the villain is because we hear what he or she is thinking and planning but we don't yet know their names.  As Flowers works to uncover who is behind a crime, we learn more about who is doing it as we follow the sleuthing techniques of Flowers.  However, that is where the similarity seems to end.  So far I have found each book to be a unique story plot and they are always complex in their telling and in their unraveling. 

In "Heat Lightning" Virgil Flowers is brought in again by his boss (Lucas Davenport) to find out who is killing older men and dumping their bodies at war memorials with lemons stuffed in their mouths.  As Flowers investigates, he begins to look for the connection that these men have to one another.  Since they do/did know one another, why have they been selected to be murdered -- and in some cases tortured -- and can he stop the killings before more victims are discovered?  As he races against time to stop the killings and prevent more deaths, he also is trying to figure out a motive and who might be behind the scenes orchestrating everything.  Flowers may be young but he is brilliant -- no wonder Davenport depends on him for his toughest cases.  It's a very complex tale thus also a very satisfying read!  pazt

"Weeping On Wednesday"

Ann Purser's "Weeping On Wednesday" is her third book in the Lois Meade mystery series.  Lois is looking for new staff for her cleaning business, New Brooms, and against the advice of some of her friends and family, she takes on Enid Abraham.  Enid lives in Cathanger Mill, a creepy old mill no longer being used that is just outside the village of Long Farnden.  Enid's mother is a recluse keeping to her room leaving Enid to cook and clean for the family which also consists of her father and twin brother.  Although Lois doesn't like to listen to rumors, she has not heard good things about Enid's brother, Edward, and Enid's unwillingness to have anyone come to her home also concerns Lois.  However, Enid turns out to be a good worker and an asset to Lois' youngest son who wants to learn to play the piano since it turns out Enid can give him lessons.

All is moving along until Edward goes missing and Detective Inspector Hunter Cowgill once again turns to Lois for help.  However, Derek (Lois husband) has asked her not to do any more sleuthing so she ends up sneaking around to meet Cowgill and risks her marriage in the process.

When Edward takes Enid away against her will, Lois cannot help being involved because now Enid is an employee and has become family to her.  Will she be able to find her safely without putting her own family at risk again? 

This was another quick read -- started it one night and finished it the next afternoon.  It's light fare but fun!   pazt

"Rules of Prey"

After reading John Sandford's first Virgil Flowers book in that series and discovering there was another series featuring Virgil's boss, Lucas Davenport, I decided it was also time to look at that series since I really do like Sandford's writing.  In "Rules of Prey" (which is the first book in the Davenport series) Lucas is pitted against a serial killer who is as smart as he is.  Lucas, in addition to being a cop, also develops games (or is a gamer) and he is successful enough that he can live well above the average cop's salary.  When he comes up against a serial killer who is playing his own game, Davenport's boss thinks Lucas is the one to ferret out this killer.  They're both ruthless in their game playing and Lucas might be just the man to take this killer down.

In the midst of the hunt to find the serial killer Lucas is still admiring women and finding himself attracted to more than one.  That may soon change, though, when Lucas learns he's going to be a father.  How will that change his life?  I look forward to reading the next book in the series and discovering that!  pazt

"The Ultimate Gift"

"The Ultimate Gift" is based on a best-selling novel by Jim Stovall and stars Drew Fuller as Jason Stevens, a young man living on a trust fund enjoying life but without any direction.  When his grandfather (played by James Garner) dies, Jason receives a rather unusual inheritance - a series of "gifts" that start out as trials when he is sent to work on the ranch of his grandfather's close friend (played by Brian Dennehy).  Along the way he meets a terminally ill girl (played by Abigail Breslin) and her mother.  Jason has to lose everything to gain an understanding of true friendship, true family, and much much more.  As Jason matures through these "gifts," we see a totally different young man.

This is a heartwarming, inspirational movie that my spouse and I have already watched twice and we learn something knew with each viewing.  I heartily recommend it - pazt

"Earthly Delights"

"Earthly Delights" is the first book in the Corinna Chapman mystery series by Kerry Greenwood.  Greenwood is the creator of the Phryne Fisher mystery series which I have yet to read but I love the Australian TV series based on those books (watched the first season on DVD and am eagerly awaiting the second season to air then make it to DVD's).  That was enough to prompt me to check out more of her work.

Corinna left the accountant/banker field and her husband to start her own business, "Earthly Delights" in Melbourne, Australia.  Why?  Because she found she didn't like her high profile career or her husband and loved baking bread.  She lives in an eccentric 8 story building with 16 apartments, an assortment of businesses and an equally eccentric group of neighbors. 

In this first book in the series Corinna becomes involved accidentally with some drug addicts and that leads to an involvement with a gorgeous hunk of man (Daniel) who acts as security for the nightly bus that delivers food to street people -- most of them addicts.  While she's busy trying to figure out why he would fall for an overweight woman and whether his motives are true, he asks for her help in discovering who is killing some of the addicts.

In the meantime, someone is threatening the tenants in her building as well as herself and that brings Senior Constable Letty White to the building to investigate who could be behind the terrorism of the tenants.  By the end of the book, Corinna has taken on a recovering addict as an assistant in her bakery because he has a talent for making muffins "to die for."  She's also helped Daniel and Constable White solve their mysteries.  I enjoyed it enough that I've already sent for the second book in this series.  pazt

"The Tidal Poole"

Karen Harper's "The Tidal Poole" is the second book in her historical Elizabeth I mystery fiction series.  The book starts with 25 year old Bess Tudor returning from exile to be crowned Queen after the death of her half sister, Queen Mary.  When the sister of one of Elizabeth's dearest friends at court is brutally murdered, Elizabeth cannot refuse her friend's request to look into the murder.  That decision, however, leads her to an intricate plot against herself and puts many of her young sleuths lives at risk, too.  Elizabeth also begins to doubt many of those around her who she thought were trusted friends.  It's beginning to be difficult to know who to trust - or believe!  Taking things more closely into her own hands, though, might get her killed - what to do?  You'll have to read this one to find out...pazt  

"Dark of the Moon"

John Sandford's "Dark of the Moon" is the first book featuring Virgil Flowers in his own series.  Before now he's been in the "Prey" series books that evidently feature his boss, Lucas Davenport, at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.  I have yet to read that series but after reading a couple of Sandford books I'm ready to read any I can find. 

Flowers has been sent to the small town of Bluestem to assist the local sheriff, Jim Stryker, against whom he once played high school ball.  Flowers is a specialist in solving murders and murder is new to Bluestem so, after the murder of a prominent local older couple, Flowers is called in to assist the sheriff in the investigation -- or, in reality, to take charge.  On his way into Bluestem he spots a fire which turns out to be the scene of another homicide.  All of the victims were known to each other and were older so Flowers begins investigating the links between them to find a motive.  Although Flowers becomes well acquainted with a lot of the locals, he doesn't let that blind him to possible murder suspects no matter how likeable they seem to him. 

In the meantime, the thrice married and divorced Flowers starts a fling with the sheriff's sister while the sheriff has a new romance of his own.  However, romance has to take a back seat to murder as well as self-preservation when it appears Flowers may have become a target himself. 

I started this book last evening and finished it this afternoon.  I resisted the temptation to peak ahead to find out who the murderer was and am glad I did.  The book is complex and kept me interested to the end.  Sandford is a great mystery writer!  pazt

"Pie In The Sky" Series 4

My spouse and I finished watching "Pie In The Sky" Series 4 DVD's starring Richard Griffiths last week.  The first episode actually had some murders to solve (murders have been rare or practically nonexistent in this series).  Series 4 consists of 6 episodes on 2 discs and this series continues to be a favorite of ours.  The last episode almost ties it up in a tidy bow and could have been the end of the series - leaving it to our imaginations a bit.  However, there is a Series 5 and I am looking forward to watching it!  pazt 

"Passport to Crime-the Finest Mystery Stories from International Crime Writers"

Janet Hutchings edited "Passport to Crime - the Finest Mystery Stories from International Crime Writers."  These stories first appeared in the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine and were selected from some of the most popular writers of crime fiction in Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Japan and translated to English.  Some of these authors have had a novel or two translated for publication in the United States and I liked all of these authors well enough that I'm going to make a list of those works and try to find them so I can read their full length stories.  If you like mysteries and want some short stories to read before falling asleep, this might be just the perfect book for you.  It was for me!  pazt

"Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for a Murder"

I picked up "Dandy Gilver and an Unsuitable Day for a Murder" by Catriona McPherson at my library on a whim.  I'd gone in to pick up some books I'd requested and right behind the hold shelf is a shelf containing large print books and this one was prominently displayed and was a murder mystery so I found myself checking it out, too.

I found it slow going to read and I'm not sure if that's because this is not the first book in the series and I was "lost" in terms of who the usual main characters are and how the relationships sort themselves out or if it really is a book I have difficulty getting into it.  I did finish it and will try what appears to be the first book in the series next to see if that one is an easier read for me.  Rarely do I have difficulty getting into a mystery, though, so I'm not hopeful.

Dandy Gilver was compared on the back cover to Harriet Vane, one of Dorothy Sayers' characters, but I didn't quite see the resemblance myself other than the fact that they're both English.  In this mystery, Dandy is hired to find young Mirrin Aitken granddaughter of the founders of the Aitkens' Emporium.  Mirrin has gone missing after her family has disapproved of her romance with Dugald Hepburn, grandson of the rival department store founders.  The families fear that they have eloped but when what appears to be a simple missing person case turns into a multiple murder mystery, Dandy and her assistant have their hands full ferreting out the truth.  pazt

"Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries"

"Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries" can evidently be viewed on Public Television but is a fairly new series and I'm not sure where I heard about it.  It is based on novels by Kerry Greenwood and stars Essie Davis as the Honorable Phryne Fisher.  It's set in 1920s Melbourne and the series begins with episodes that show us how Phryne became a lady detective.

She is a very glamorous thoroughly modern woman who also appears to be quite wealthy.  Starting in the beginning episode (13 total on 4 discs) Phryne begins to gather people around her who will become part of her investigative team in one way or another.  I love her character and I also really like having characters that move with her from episode to episode as everyone's story and characters are developed.  I would have to say she's probably my new favorite mystery show developed for PBS.  I wanted to see if there are more episodes coming and learned that Series 2 was due to finish filming in August of this year.  I haven't been able to locate this DVD series on Netflix or Amazon Prime  so I think it will be a while before I can move on to Series 2 but I'm hoping to check this video out again to watch with female family members who also like mysteries!  I think I'll also look for the books that they're based on.

Be patient if you can't get hold of a copy of this series right away, it's worth watiting for!  pazt 

"Wait for Me!"

Deborah Mitford, youngest sister of the famous Mitford sisters, and later the Duchess of Devonshire, has written her memoirs, "Wait for Me!"  This was a book my book club chose to read earlier this year and there was a lot of criticism of it.  I didn't get it finished before the book club met but was excited to complete it because we had returned from a visit to see our oldest daughter who lives in  England earlier this year and one of the places we visited was Chatsworth. 

Our interest in Chatsworth lied mostly in the fact that one of our favorite versions of "Pride and Prejudice" had been partially filmed there.  However, in touring the home, we found some interesting facts about the previous occupants which led to my interest in reading these memoirs.

Deborah Mitford married Andrew Cavendish, the second son of the Duke of Devonshire.  His older brother, Billy, married Kathleen Kennedy and, as a result, Deborah and Andrew met and developed life long friendships with the Kennedy family but in particular John and Bobby.  They were invited to (and attended) John Kennedy's inauguration as well as his funeral services.  I found it particularly interesting that they were probably the ones who introduced Jack to Harold Macmillan (known as "Uncle Harold" to Deborah and Andrew) and Kennedy relied heavily on advice from Macmillan in tense situations like the Cuban Crisis.  It made me wish that some of our younger politicians today would be wise enough to rely on advice from older, more experienced statesmen!

Billy was killed during the war and not long afterwards Kathleen died in a plane crash which meant that Andrew was unexpectedly thrust into the position to be the one to inherit the title of the Duke of Devonshire when his father died.  It would appear that it was not a bad thing for Chatsworth and the other family holdings.  Death taxes were enormous but Andrew and Deborah found a way to save much as well as preserve a view of the old ways of life for future generations to enjoy vicariously.

Deborah's sisters were all flamboyantly interesting and each one unique in her own way.  I'd say Deborah was the most "stable" of the bunch and she had many interesting friendships.  Although the book makes it sound like she's "name-dropping" all the time, this appears to have been her life and what an interesting one it has been.  The 93 year old widow's older brother, Tom, and five older sisters (Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, and Jessica) are all deceased.  She herself has retired from her heavy involvement in the every day running of the Chatsworth estate leaving that to her son and his wife these days.  She also has two daughters.

Although I didn't find this the type of book I couldn't put down (so it took me a while to finish it), I did find it very, very interesting.  If you're interested in history from someone who lived it, this is a great read.  Deborah met and had tea with Hitler before the war because he was friends with her sister, Unity.  One of Andrew's uncles was married to Fred Astaire's sister (who had been his dancing partner before her marriage). She had dinner with the Duke and Duchess of Windsor on more than one occasion due to friendships with mutual friends and, although she couldn't see what the Duke saw in his wife, she said it was clear he loved her -- guess that was a love worth giving up a kingdom for!  These are just a few of the interesting people she knew and she was a world traveler, too.  She's packed a lot of living into her 93 years!  pazt

"Pie In The Sky" - Series 3

"Pie In The Sky" is one of my spouse and my favorite British Detective Series as you can probably tell from my previous blogs about Series 1 and 2.  We just completed watching Series 3  again starring Richard Griffiths (He played Harry Potter's uncle in the Harry Potter movies) who died earlier this year.  He's a great actor and will be missed!

Griffiths is Henry Crabbe who is a police detective on his way to retirement but his boss won't let him go.  He'd rather be full-time (vs. part-time) in the cafe, "Pie In The Sky," that he owns with his wife Margaret.
Margaret earns her living as an accountant and keeps the restaurant's books but her taste in food leaves something wanting.  In this series there are a couple of episodes where Henry and Margaret appear to be on rocky footing due to their differences about how to run the restaurant.  As always, Henry's need to be available for police work gets in the way of the cooking he'd rather be doing. 

I think one of the reasons my spouse and I like this series so well is because there are so few murders.  The mysteries Henry is called on to solve are of a different nature and his creativity in getting to the bottom of them is probably why his boss won't let him retire!  We can't wait for Series 4 to arrive - pazt.

"Night Road"

"Night Road" is a novel by Kristin Hannah and it has been a while since I've read one of her books.  I found this one on the library's "best picks" shelf and am glad I checked it out.  Hannah is a great writer who brings characters to life and I become totally engrossed in the world she creates.  Hannah has written a number of bestselling novels and you can visit her web site at www.kristinhannah.com.

"Night Road" is mostly the story of the Farraday family - Dr. Miles Farraday is a surgeon and his wife, Jude, is a stay at home mother to their twins - Mia and Zach.  Jude is the ultimate hovering "helicopter" mom who has a successful life planned for her children complete with where they'll attend college.  Although the twins are very close, Zach is the outgoing one while Mia is shy and lets her brother steal the limelight.  Jude is the perfect mom doing all the things she thinks perfect moms do -- chaperoning, baking, making a home that is welcoming to all their friends, the "hostess with the mostest!" 

The other side of Jude is the daughter who lost a father she loved dearly and, when her father died, she also lost her mother emotionally.  Her mother is a successful businesswoman and their regular meetings are controlled and stilted.

Into this perfect family comes a newcomer to town, Lexi Baill, who had a mother who was the opposite of Jude.  Her mother was in and out of trouble and prison and into drugs and alcohol so Lexi spent most of her life in and out of foster homes until it was discovered she had an aunt in the Pacific NW who was willing to take her in.  On her first day at her new school, Lexi does what she always does -- tries to not be noticed.  However, she does notice another girl eating lunch on her own outside and strikes up a conversation with this loner - Mia.  They become fast friends and Jude is so happy for the friendship Lexi has given Mia that she welcomes her into their family, too.  Lexi is loved and cared for by her aunt who doesn't have a lot of money and she is also loved and cared for by Jude and her family.  There are some differences -- Lexi has a job after school because her dream is to go to college and she needs to save money for tuition while Mia and Zach will have their education paid for by their parents.

As they mature, Zach and Lexi fall in love and at first it threatens the friendship Lexi has with Mia -- something she doesn't want to put at risk.  However, they're able to get past that and all three are enjoying their senior year and round of parties but everything changes one night and the Farradays and Lexi will never be the same again.

Their lives are filled with grief, fear, pain and it seems almost impossible that their love for one another will survive.  Hannah writes with such realism that it's hard not to have empathy for what this family is going through.  Will they be able to survive?  You'll have to read the story to discover that and I highly recommend that you do...pazt

"Little Shop of Homicide"

"Little Shop of Homicide" is the first book in Denise Swanson's new mystery series.  She is the author of the Scumble River Mysteries and has now added Devereaux Dime Store Mysteries.  The heroine of the new series is Devereaux Sinclair who has quit her high powered city job to purchase the old-fashioned five-and-dime in her small Missouri hometown.  She's ready for a change but she also wants to be near her Grandmother whose health seems to be failing.

In her new life (and in addition to running the five-and-dime) Devereaux creates gift baskets for special occasions and one of her recent creations was a gift basket put together for a murder victim.  Devereaux finds herself in the crosshairs of a big city cop out to prove she did it and not really open to looking at any evidence to the contrary.

Devereaux calls on her two longtime friends, Poppy and Boone, to help her clear her name and find the real killer.  There's also a new guy in town, Jake DelVecchio, who happens to be a U. S. Marshal.  Will he distract her from clearing her name because she finds him very attractive -- or will he be more of a help than a hindrance.  This is a fun new series and a quick read -- perfect for my summertime reading.  pazt 

"The Black Box"

"The Black Box" is the most recent, I believe, of a series of novels written by Michael Connelly featuring L. A. Detective Harry Bosch.  As far as I can remember, this is the first Bosch novel I've read but it definitely won't be the last.  I've already requested the first book in the series so I can start reading them in order.

In this latest book, Bosch is part of the Open-Unsolved Unit and the 20 year anniversary of the L. A. Riots is approaching.  At the time of the riots, the police were totally unprepared for what was to happen as well as slow to respond.  There were many unsolved deaths and Bosch was part of the Homicide Squad that responded to reports of these deaths and secured crime scenes.  However, due to the riots and the number of calls, the investigations were minimal to say the least.  One case particularly haunts Bosch -- that of a young woman, Anneke Jespersen, a journalist found by a California National Guard unit in a dark alley.  The fact that she'd been shot execution-style didn't seem to fit with the series of other killings during the riots.

With the riot anniversary approaching there is pressure to solve some of these unsolved crimes to put a better "face" on the L. A. police force.  Bosch gladly takes on the investigation into Jespersen's death.  Since she was Danish, there is a language barrier between him and her remaining family and the newspaper she worked for in Denmark but Bosch is persistant and the computer age offers him many new tools that were unavailable twenty years ago.  He's dogged in his pursuit of the truth but where it takes him and what he discovers reveals more crimes that have been covered up during the past twenty plus years and puts his life in danger as he comes up against some prominent and dangerous masterminds.  A great read!  pazt

"The Bean Trees"

A friend suggested many years ago that I might like reading Barbara Kingsolver but I just never seemed to get around to it until my book club chose "The Bean Trees" as our September read.  It was an easy read -- finished it in one day -- and I love Kingsolver's way with words and her ability to describe in such a way that you can see, hear, smell, and taste her scenes.  "The Bean Trees" was her first novel published in 1988 and a tenth anniversary edition was published in 1998.

The story follows a young woman, "Missy" Taylor Greer, from her high school days and early working days in Kentucky where she lived with her mother to a road trip that leads her to Tucson, AZ, and a new life. 
Taylor is a strong young woman with a supportive mother and she is one of the few young women in her high school who manages to finish school without getting pregnant and married.  When she decides it is time to take her life on the road, she purchases a run down car and starts her journey.  It's a journey that brings a child along the way and a host of new friends.  It's not an easy life but it's a life she chooses and she builds a family in Tucson with the people she meets and loves.

In addition to weaving a moving story, Kingsolver takes on issues of the time in which she was writing which still ring true today.  She talks about immigration issues and particularly sanctuary houses for individuals who might be killed if they're deported to their home country.  She talks about child abuse, neglect, poverty and much, much more but throughout the book there is a spirit of resiliance that shines through.  I look forward to reading another one of her books.  pazt

"The Ugly Truth"

"The Ugly Truth" stars Katherine Heigl as Abby, a morning show producer who has high expectations when it comes to choosing a male life partner.  Gerard Butler stars as Mike, an obnoxious TV star who is the antithesis of the kind of man Abby is looking for.  However, when he's brought in to boost the station's ratings, Abby and Mike are thrown together at work and sparks fly -- not always in a bad way.

This is a fun, romantic comedy but leaves something to be desired in my opinion.  I liked Katherine Heigl playing Stephanie Plum in Janet Evanovich's "One For The Money" and wish she'd do another Stephanie Plum film!  pazt

"Slave To Sensation"

Nalini Singh's "Slave To Sensation" is her first book in the paranormal romance Psy-Changeling Series.
Although there were parts I skimmed, overall I found the book and its premise interesting enough that I've already requested the next book in the series from my local library.

Sascha Duncan is a highly placed member of a ruling Psy family and, at her mother's request, she is working with a "Changeling" to conduct a business deal.  The Psy are carefully schooled from birth to not feel any emotion and anyone who doesn't conform to the mold is sent for "rehabilitation" which really involves turning them into a vegetable.  Sascha is able to use her mind to conduct defenses to protect her from others knowing what is going on in her mind, her apartment, her heart but emotion is beginning to creep into her life and she knows the fact that she is "defective" can not be hidden much longer.  Her biggest fear is being sent for treatment and losing herself.

The Changelings on the other hand exude emotion -- They are part animal/part human.  Lucas Hunter is head of a pack that Sascha has been sent to conduct business with.  As their work throws them together, Sascha has a difficult time with the passion she begins to feel (in her dreams) for Lucas.  Lucas, who has been taught to hate the Psy and is currently using this business deal as a way to hunt for a Psy serial killer who is murdering Changeling women, finds himself attracted to Sascha in a way that disturbs him deeply.

Sascha and Lucas have been given different priorities by their own societies as to what is to come out of this business deal.  Bascially, they are trying to extract information from each other in subtle ways.  Will Sascha be able to hide the "defects" (emotions) she is currently feeling and will Lucas be able to curb his attraction to Sascha - a woman who is not supposed to feel anything?  You'll have to read for yourself their discoveries as they form a coalition to hunt for a Psy serial killer.  Both their lives will never be the same again!  pazt

"Ellery Queen Presents Great Mystery Novellas"

Janet Hutchings edits "Ellery Queen Presents Great Mystery Novellas" with stories from five mystery novelists.  A couple of the stories were a little too strange for me but Robert Barnard's "The Lost Boy" caught me totally unawares with the ending as well as Ed Gorman's "Out There in The Darkness" and that's what I like in a mystery -- the challenge of figuring it out and sometimes being surprised when I haven't!  This was the perfect book for nighttime reading before bed!    Other authors included Ruth Rendell , Joyce Carol Oates, and Clark Howard.  pazt

"Suspect"

"Suspect" by Robert Crais features LAPD cop, Scott James.  I've been reading Crais' "Elvis Cole" series in order but couldn't find "Indigo Slam" at the library so purchased it on line and decided I'd read "Suspect" while waiting for it to arrive - good decision!

Crais has woven another great mystery involving LAPD cop, Scott James, who is recovering after being caught in the crossfire of a shootout that killed his female partner.  James has lots of physical as well as emotional scars with much healing still to be done.  The job he had planned to move into the day after the shooting is no longer an option for him so he's gotten himself accepted into the K-9 platoon and is just waiting to be assigned his police dog.  He's still working with a psychiatrist trying to remember more details from the night of the shooting despite the fact that he's not been allowed to be part of the ongoing investigation.  However, that is soon to change.....

In the meantime, Maggie, a USMC canine, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan is still healing from wounds she suffered when her handler was killed.  The couple who adopted her have recently given her to the LAPD K-9 platoon but the head of the platoon is unsure she's fit for duty.  He has his doubts about James, too, but when James refuses the dog he's offered and asks for Maggie instead, he's given a chance to work with her for a few weeks.

That decision turns out to be a turning point for James and for Maggie and they bond while both are healing from their wounds.  They have much to overcome but working as a team they begin to play an important role in figuring out what happened the night James' partner was killed and who was behind it.

I found the details about Maggie and how such a canine bonds with their handlerer and was fascinated by all the details of how she smells out scents and detects.  The book is worth reading just for those details but it's also a complex mystery that was deeply satisfying to read.  Crais has maintained his status as one of my favorite authors!  pazt

"Mad River"

"Mad River" is John Sandford's latest Virgil Flowers novel and the first of the Virgil Flowers series I've read.  In fact, I can't remember if I've read any John Sandford mystery novels or not but, if I have, it has been too long ago.  I found this one of the "Best Picks" display at my local library and it was one of several mysteries I read while on a 4 day mini-summer-vacation.  It just makes me want to read the whole Virgil Flowers series as well as the other series that Sandford has written.  You can learn more about Sandford at johnsandford.org or like him on facebook.com/JohnSandfordOfficial.

James Sharp and his girlfriend, Becky Welsh, along with a casual friend, Tom McCall set out to rob a wealthy family for a necklace Becky saw the mother wearing when Becky was working another one of her dead-end jobs.  The trio have not been successful in life and James and Becky believe the money they'll get from the necklace will get them to Hollywood where Becky might have a chance to make it big and get them all out of their "dead-end" lives.

However, the robbery ends in a murder and the trio now have a crime spree going through rural Minnesota which means Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Investigator Virgil Flowers is called in just after his return from a relaxing vacation.  The investigation has lots of twists and turns and everywhere the trio goes more dead bodies appear so there is an urgency to this investigation but also down time as crime scene data is analyzed and clues sifted through as Flowers and his team try to discover what these teenagers have in mind next.

Virgil does find time to visit his mom and dad since the investigation is near where his dad is pastor of a church.  He also manages to reconnect with an old flame from high school and now that they're both divorced there appears to be a mutual attraction.

Sandford writes a great mystery while developing all the characters.  I highly recommend this book and I'm already searching out more of his work.  I read this one in a day and that was with lots of breaks to spend time with my vacationing family.  pazt

"Huckleberry Finished"

"Huckleberry Finished" is another Delilah Dickinson Literary Tour Mystery by Livia J. Washburn.  I read this in a hardback edition I picked up at the library just after finishing a book on Kindle.  It was hard to get used to the fact that I couldn't turn the pages by tapping them!

Delilah is off on a tour on her own without her daughter and son-in-law who she's left in charge of the office in Atlanta.  Delilah has booked her first group of tourists on a steamboat trip on the Mississippi from Saint Louis to Hannibal -- home of Mark Twain.  Due to the popularity of the tour and the possibility she'll be booking future tours Delilah wants to personally check it out.

The steamboat offers gambling which appears to be a popular way for some of the passengers to spend their time but when one of Delilah's tourists makes an accusation of a rigged roulette wheel, he becomes unpopular with the captain and the head of security and Delilah gets involved in making sure he gets off the ship in Hannibel to find his own way home.

The passengers are also entertained by "Mark Twain" on the trip with appearances and performances and plenty of Mark Twain quotes.  When Delilah meets the man behind the costume, romance appears to be in the air.  However, all thoughts of romance are dampened when a passenger is found murdered and the Hannibal police take over the investigation and delay the steamboat's departure back to Saint Louis.  As if one murder weren't enough, it appears there are two that need solving and Delilah is in the thick of it and exposing herself to danger again.  Washburn's mysteries are entertaining -- presenting mysteries in a fun way.  A great, light summer read!  pazt

"The Cuckoo's Calling"

"The Cuckoo's Calling" is the work of author, J. K. Rowling, of Harry Potter fame.  She wrote the mystery using the pseudonym, Robert Galbraith, hoping to remain undiscovered as she began writing in a different genre.  By the time I asked Amazon to download it to my Kindle, she'd been "outed" accidentally so I knew when I was reading it who the true author was.  However, it didn't distract me from the story which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Private Detective Cormoran Strike hasn't been having a good day after dumping his almost fiancee and showing up at his office with a bruised and scratched face in the aftermath of the break up -- and no place to live!  The only bright spot in his day seems to be Robin, the new temp that the agency has sent to work for him.  She's bright, has initiative and even ushers in a new client -- something he doesn't seem to have too many of.

His client is a lawyer whose adopted sister (a well known super model) died recently in a fall from her balcony.  The police as well as the paparazzi all think she committed suicide -- in fact there are no indications to the contrary.  However, her brother doesn't agree and wants Cormoran to conduct his own investigation and is willing to pay very well for it.   Although he is reluctant to take the case, Cormoran can't really refuse since he needs the money.

The investigation takes him into the world of the rich and famous and some of his own illegitimate parentage helps open doors for him.  Robin proves to be an able assistant but will they be able to uncover anything to point to murder rather than suicide? 

I hear Rowling (or Galbraith) has a second Cormoran Strike book coming up and I can hardly wait!  pazt

Death Times Four or Journeys in Grief

This has been a difficult year for my spouse and I as one by one people we care about have decided it is time to transition.  There is a life events chart that I saw when I was a psychology major undergraduate and some of the events are happy events and some are not but they all have the same impact -- If you have several of these events in a year or a short period of time, you are at higher risk to develop illness yourself so it's important to take care of oneself physcially and mentally in this case.

On February 28, 2013, my father died less than a month after turning 92 and after being on hospice care for a week or two.  Mentally my father has been absent for over 15 years and was probably mentally deteriorating years before that.  He'd gone to the doctor with complaints about his memory not being as good as it once was and his doctor attributed it to normal aging.  I had mourned the loss of the man I knew as my father for many years because he was no longer present mentally so I thought his death would have less of an impact on me but I was surprised to find it still very difficult.  His service was truly a celebration of his life with my sister sharing memories as well as my younger daughter sharing memories her older sister had written (and asked her to share for her since she couldn't make the long journey from Europe to be present with the rest of the family).  The time with extended family that I hadn't seen in years was a true family reunion  - just as if my father had orchestrated it.

In March a cousin of my deceased father-in-law died at age 95.  She had been like a second mother to my husband and his brother and we were sorry we couldn't make the journey to be at her service.  We had just returned from a visit to the area for my father's funeral and to visit my mother-in-law who was recuperating from a bout of pneumonia and were in the midst of preparing for a 3 week visit to see our daughter and family who live in England.  This woman was the first of my spouse's many relatives that he took me to meet after we were married and she was always a joy to be around.

When we returned from England, we learned that my mother-in-law, who had asked to be put on Hospice care when we visited her in early March, seemed to have rallied.  At age 97 life was holding few pleasures for her since she'd lost the ability to see well enough to read or correspond -- two of her favorite activities.  My brother-in-law visited her twice a day and read her mail to her.  My spouse had been busy since our return with work but literally received a wake-up call one morning at 6:30 a.m. when my mother-in-law had his brother call so she could ask if we were okay since she wasn't receiving his usual weekly letters!  Needless to say his correspondence improved after that.

In May my mother's only brother and a favorite uncle of mine died at age 95 and, again, we were unable to return for his service.  Like my mother-in-law, he had lost his eyesight to the point that he couldn't see well enough to read -- one of his favorite activities -- and he was physically very frail.  He didn't want to leave his home and I had seen at my father's funeral how exhausted my aunt was from caring for him.  I am glad that I'd had the opportunity to visit with him briefly at my father's graveside service.

When we learned July 1st that my mother-in-law might not last the week, I think my husband hoped that she might rally again.  However, the timing was good on our part because he'd taken some time off work after having minor outpatient surgery the week before and my part-time job was very slow due to the long holiday weekend so I was able to arrange coverage so that we could make plans to leave on July 3rd.  I also wanted to check on my 91 year old mother who had fallen the week before -- no broken bones but severe bruising.

We flew to Kansas City arriving about 3:30 pm on Wednesday, July 3rd.  It's an 8 hour plus drive to where my mother-in-law lived so we drove till about 9:30 pm and stopped for the night.  When we called my brother-in-law the next morning before setting out on the road again, we learned my mother-in-law had died about 11 pm the night before.  My husband's sister and niece were on their way from Texas and would probably arrive about the same time as we did.

Since it was a holiday weekend and we all had other family commitments, too, the decision was made on the afternoon of the 4th that the service would be soon.  Visitation at the funeral home with family and friends was 6-8 pm the following night and the service was at 10 am on the morning of the 6th followed by a luncheon served by my mother-in-law's Sunday School class that she'd taught years before.  My sister-in-law and niece set out immediately after that for home and a relative who'd made the trip the day before to be there from Tulsa also left.  My brother-in-law was in the process of moving from the family home (which had been sold) to Texas and we'd all collected items we wanted that hadn't already been removed from the home.  Was it too quick?  I think for my husband it might have been because emotionally his grieving started in earnest on the 7th and is continuing still.  Although she was 97, it was still hard for all of us to see her go.

A further complication was that July 4th is the anniversary of the service for my sister-in-law's youngest daughter (our niece) who was murdered eight years ago and the person responsible has not yet been found.  I'm sure it was particularly hard for my sister-in-law to be dealing with funeral arrangements for her stepmother  (with whom she's had a close relationship) on that day.  My husband's extended family is also very large and having the service that quickly meant that only those who lived close were able to attend and even some of those were away for the long July 4th weekend.

As we continued our journey towards home, we had another stop to make -- about a ten hour drive to see my mother but interrupting it with an overnight stay and visit with friends.  My mother hasn't been sleeping well since my father died and was still in pain from her fall where she landed on her right knee very hard.  She has a lot of bruising as well as the pain but when that knee turned red and warm to the touch, she (and we) decided it was time to have it looked at again.  She has an inflammation in that knee and has been put on a course of antibiotics for a week.  Otherwise, she's in good health physcially and mentally.  She lives on her own but in a setting where she has lunch prepared for her daily and she eats with the same friends each day.  She also has access to assistance when she is willing to ask for it!  If she had her wish, I'm sure it would be for me to live near by.  However, my spouse and I love our life and, if we can't be near all of our grandchildren, at least here we're close to four of them and one of our daughters.  It's also where we decided we wanted to call home over 30 years ago. 

What have I learned from all this? 

1)  When you have this much loss in a short time, it is important to take care of yourself physcially as well as emotionally.  My spouse and I are trying to eat as healthily as possible as well as spend time in conversation with one another at least once a day if not oftener to offer emotional support.  Our insurance pays for a Y membership and I accessed that at the end of June and gathered the equipment I need to go work out and the next step (for my physical and emotional health) is to get there!  They offer some classes I am very interested in.

2)  Although our lives may not always allow us the time we'd like to spend with others, I believe it's important to take advantage of every opportunity you can to be with them and try to be fully present when you are with those you love - whether they're family or friends.  We live halfway across the country from most of our parents and siblings so we made the choice to make a yearly visit to see them because we knew our remaining time with them was limited and we've only missed one year that I can remember.  It hasn't always been easy financially or emotionally but we've made it happen and I'm not sorry that we did.  There were other vacations we would have liked to have taken and more trips to visit our children who don't live near by but I have not regretted the choice we made as we have transitioned from having parents to being the oldest generation ourselves.

We also have friends near and far who are important to us and we were lucky enough to connect with two couples on this most recent trip.  They're the kind of friendships where we can sit down and talk as if it hasn't been years since we last saw one another and these connections fill our lives with joy.

My spouse has a group of 3 guys of varying ages that he has coffee with once a week.  I have women friends that I connect with regularly for lunch.  It allows us our space and our friendships and brings renewed life to our relationship as we share with one another our days events.

3)  Take time for your spouse if you're lucky enough to still have one.  My spouse and I plan regular getaways because he works from home so we have to physcially leave in order to get him away from work.  We connect for lunch out around our busy work days and stop to check in with each other regularly when we're both at home.  We really enjoy doing things together as well as having our separate spaces and I cherish that.  We've gotten in the habit of watching a DVD together most evenings -- short episodes during the week and movie length on weekends.  We cuddle close and enjoy snacks and each other.

4)  Spend time with your children and grandchildren.  It's hard to do with those that live at a distance but we all make an effort to try to see one another at least yearly as well as correspond via e-mail, snail mail, texts, voice calls, or facebook.  What a marvelous world it is that we can stay in touch across vast differences.  (By the way it was my mom in her late eighties at the time who introduced me to Facebook!)

We have 2 adult grandchildren that live near us and we make an effort to take them to lunch or dinner together or separately at least every month or two.  The two younger grandchildren have activities that we enjoy participating in or watching as well as taking care of them when their parents want a week away or just a date night.  My daughter and I frequently have lunch together and/or spend a whole day together when the grandchildren have other activities.  We love our time together and even let my spouse/her dad join us on occasion!

I'm sure I'll think of more ideas to add as time goes on because I'm looking for ways to connect with others and stay connected with those I love so I'll have fewer regrets when they're no longer physcially present.

pazt

"Age Old Friends"

"Age Old Friends" is an HBO movie adapted by Bob Larbey from his Broadway play, "A Month of Sundays."  It stars Hume Cronyn as John Cooper -- a crochety, physically frail but mentally sharp retirement home resident -- and Vincent Gardenia as Michael Aylott - another resident who is easygoing and in excellent health but his mind is beginning to fail him.  Cooper and Aylott have developed a friendship as fellow residents in what appears to me to be a somewhat posh retirement home where residents have private rooms or suites furnished with their personal belongings.  Cooper is a widower and misses his wife but his daughter, son-in-law, and grandson come to visit him every Sunday making a "long" trip that seems to end in shorter visits each week.  His grandson is the light of his life.

Aylott comes by Cooper's room daily to try to entice him out for a walk in the neighborhood with him -- to the candy store -- but Cooper had a fall in front of other residents and is afraid to risk falling again and humiliating himself in front of others.  He gets around with a cane but his legs don't always respond the way he commands them to.

Thrown into this mix is a young nurse that Cooper makes passes at every time she comes to his room which is often since she brings his meals.  They have a good rapport and he is sad when he learns she has recently become engaged and will be moving away once she marries.  There's also the cleaning woman who is just as crochety as Cooper and gives back as good as she gets.  She claims she cleans his room (even though it's not on her schedule) to spare her fellow employee from having to deal with him.

Life in the retirement home has been going along in a nice routine but there are always those residents who die in the night or begin to lose their mental sharpness and are referred to by Cooper and Aylott as the Zombies.  When Cooper begins to see some mental decline in Aylott and Aylott starts getting lost going to the candy store on his own, they each look to the other for reassurance but also for honesty.  Is Cooper losing his friend Aylott with whom he enjoys chess games and whiskey in Aylott's daily visits to his room?

When Cooper's daughter invites him to move in with her family, his favorite nurse is leaving to get married, and Aylott seems to be moving more toward Zombie land, Cooper has some choices to make.  This is a touching story of friendship told with honesty and humor.  pazt

"Rosemary & Thyme" - Season 2

Well, "Rosemary & Thyme" has come to an end.  We watched Season 3 a few months ago because we were unable to find Season 2 and we were sad to learn that it was the last of the episodes of this British mystery series starring Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris.  Since then we found a copy of Season 2 -- a 3 disk series.  I personally think that the last two seasons are superb so, if you are a fan of this gardener detective duo, don't miss them!  The last two seasons feature even more glorious gardens -- some in Europe.  We did notice that the murderer in these last two seasons often turned out to be "murderesses."  Has it always been this way in every episode?  Maybe we'll have to watch them all over again to find out! 

I also like that there are more details about Rosemary and Laura's personal lives and families, too -- really fleshed them out for me.  pazt

"The Ultimate Gift"

I spotted "The Ultimate Gift" at the library in the DVD section and thought it looked like a good movie.  What I didn't expect was what an impact it would have on me -- and, hopefully, on anyone who views it.  It's based on a novel of the same name by Jim Stovall. 

Jason Stevens (played by Drew Fuller) is a young man who lives high and well on his trust fund and likes to party.  When his wealthy grandfather, Red (played by James Garner) dies, Jason receives an inheritance of a very unexpected nature.  Red loves his grandson and feels he has failed him.  He doesn't want him to turn out like the shallow and greedy children Red raised.  Jason's father (Red's son) died when Jason was young and he blames Red (just as Red blamed himself) for taking him away from him.  In an effort to help Jason grow into the productive and decent person he sees in him, Red sets out 12 tasks (or "gifts" as Red likes to call them) for Jason to complete in a video he has pre-recorded.  His attorney is responsible for judging whether Jason accomplishes Red's tasks successfully. 

Along the way Jason sees his family in a new way and meets some individuals who have not enjoyed the life of privilege he has had.  One of those new friends is portrayed by Abigail Breslin -- an amazing young actress who never disappoints in any performance I've seen her in and this one is no exception!  Jason learns a lot about himself as well as the fact that money doesn't always buy everything and life -- no matter how privileged -- can't shield one from disappointment or heartbreak.  pazt

"Up In The Air"

I missed seeing George Clooney in "Up In The Air" when it was in the theaters but finally checked out a copy from our library.  Clooney plays Ryan Bingham, a man who travels so much for business that he spends little time in his small apartment -- so little time that it reminds me of a hotel room.  He's got his life organized to death -- how to travel and how to keep everything to a minimum -- including relationships.  He even conducts workshops on minimizing.  He also doesn't think anything is missing until he meets two women.  One is a fellow traveler and they begin to find places to connect when they're both on the road.  The other is a young woman who has come to work for his company to streamline things.  However, he doesn't think her streamlining will work and takes her on the road with him to show her why.

I can't decide if Ryan is content with his life or just really, really shallow and happy with casual relationships.  Ryan has traveled so much that he's obsessed with becoming a million mile flyer and getting his name on an airplane.  His female co-worker says if she had a million miles she'd look at the departure board and decide where she wanted to go.

What happens?  He discovers there is something missing in his life and he does want a relationship.  His female co-worker decides her decision to follow a man to Omaha (who then dumps her) versus going with the job she really wanted in San Francisco was a mistake.

Will he get his million miles and that relationship he wants and, if so, how will his life change?  Will his female co-worker change her life and go for what she really wants?  Will his female travel companion become his lifetime companion?  This movie had my spouse and I discussing it for days afterwards!  pazt

"Murder of A Small-Town Honey"

I found a new mystery author and series this weekend when I read "Murder of a Small-Town Honey" by Denise Swanson.  Denise has been a school psychologist for more than twenty years so it shouldn't come as a surprise that her heroine, Skye Denison, is also a school psychologist.  This book is the first in a new series, "A Scumble River Mystery," named for the fictional small town in Illinois where Skye was raised.

When Skye graduated from high school and delivered her high school valedictorian address twelve years ago, she made it pretty clear she never wanted to return to Scumble River -- well, maybe to visit family.  However, when her engagement is broken and her job in Louisiana develops some problems (never specifically addressed so we don't know what happened except it would be difficult for her to get a new job), she turns to an old family friend, "Uncle Charlie," who is on the Scumble River school board and voila! - Skye has a new job as school psychologist for the elementary, middle, and high schools.  Unfortunately for her there hasn't been a steady social worker or school psychologist so she has a lot of catching up to do and student files to review and much more.

You'd think that would be enough to keep Skye busy but, when she is helping out at the Chokeberry Days Festival, her problems really begin.  This year there are two factions -- one that wants to continue the annual local festival and one that does not.  The latter seems set on sabotaging this year's festival as it is beset by many catastrophes but, when Skye finds the body of a woman that has been hired to provide children's entertainment, would someone really stoop to murder to stop next year's festival?!

As if that weren't enough, Skye's brother, Vince, the local hairdresser, is suspected of the murder because his scissors were the murder weapon.  Skye's mom is one of the local police dispatchers and is convinced the police aren't looking at any other possible suspects so she begs Skye to help clear her brother by using her psychology skills to find the guilty party.

In the meantime, Vince convinces Skye to double date with he and his girlfriend, Abby.  Skye's date is to be Mike Young, who was a drug dealer when he was young, but reformed in prison earning him an early out.  He came home to Scumble River to open his own church.  The double date doesn't go well when Skye uses it to begin questioning Mike about his possible involvement with the murdered woman.

However, there is another man in Scumble River who has attracted Skye's attention -- Simon Reid, the local mortician who inherited the business when his uncle died.  After a few dates -- but reluctantly -- Simon becomes Skye's sleuthing partner.  As they begin to uncover clues, something happens that Skye's mom didn't count on -- Skye becomes a target of the murderer.  Will Simon be able to protect her and will she survive this sleuthing hobby?

This was a very well written book and I am ready for the next one in the series, "Murder of a Sweet Old Lady."  pazt

"Rosemary & Thyme" - Series 3

I've been unable to locate the second season of the BBC British mystery series, "Rosemary & Thyme, " but was able to find the third and final series at our local library.  It contains 3 disks with 8 episodes and my spouse and I both particularly enjoyed all of these episodes -- We're sad to see the series go.  My spouse has often commented that the Midsommer Murder series usually has 3 murders in each episode and he noted that "Rosemary & Thyme" seem to have a couple of murders each episode but despite that, they are lighthearted and entertaining.  There was at least one that was not set in Britain and the gardens and landscapes in all of these episodes are very beautiful -- worth watching even if you're not a mystery fan.  Some of the locations include Kew Gardens, Regent's Park, the Andalusian village of Mijas, and a Surrey vineyard. 

The friendship between Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme has blossomed as the series has developed.  The business was started by Rosemary, a former university plant biologist, but it sometimes seemed in these episodes that it was Laura who was in charge.  She has brought her investigative skills as a former police officer to their duo but Rosemary has never been shabby with her own detection skills which is why I think they're so dynamic together.  If you enjoy lighthearted mysteries that also develop the characters and their personal lives in a little more depth, check out this series.  pazt

"The Husband List"

"The Husband List" is written by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly.  Since Evanovich is the author of the Stephanie Plum novels which are a favorite of both me and my spouse, I decided to give "The Husband List" a try.  Although it is a light romance set in 1894, it is not up to par with the Plum novels which often have me shaking the bed with laughter when I read at bedtime.  None of that happened with this book cowritten by Evanovich and Kelly.  Maybe the romance reading I'm looking for is more along the line of Stephanie Plum and her dilemma of choosing between Ranger and Joe Morelli!  Although I was disappointed  in "The Husband List," there are too many books and too little time for me to read those that don't entertain me so I just must move on!  pazt

"Becoming Clementine"

"Becoming Clementine" by Jennifer Niven is the third book in the Velva Jean series but the first one I've read.  I kept seeing this book on the "Best Picks" shelf at my library and also on my daughter's table.  I enjoyed it and am trying to decide whether to read the first 2 books in the series or not although I did request "Velva Jean Learns to Drive" from the library this evening.  In "Becoming Clementine" the author does allude to the earlier books and there was enough information about them that makes me wonder if I need to return to Velva Jean's origins. "Velva Jean Learns to Drive" was chosen as an Indie Reader's Group "Top Ten" pick.  Niven has also written three nonfiction books and "The Ice Master" was named one of the top 10 nonfiction books of the year by "Entertainment Weekly."  It is available at my library but I couldn't find "Ada Blackjack" which was a Book Sense "Top Ten" pick and has been optioned for the movies.  Both of her nonfiction books have been published in numerous other languages.  She also wrote "The Aqua-Net Diaries" which is a memoir about her high school experience and it was optioned by Warner Brother as a TV series.  Learn more about Niven at www.jenniferniven.com or check out her FB site.

Niven has taken real events and created a novel that is based on them and Velva Jean Hart is her heroine.  In "Becoming Clementine" Hart, a WASP, volunteers to copilot delivery of a B-17 flying fortress to Britain.  Unknown to those who sent her on this mission, Hart's intent is to stay in England and find a way to get to France to search for her brother who is missing in action.  She volunteers to copilot a plane carrying special agents to a drop spot over Normandy but doesn't count on the plane being shot down and the adventures that follow.  Only she and five agents survive -- thanks to her skill as a pilot.  However, they are running for their lives.  Eventually, Hart makes it to Paris where she adopts an identity created for her -- that of Clementine Roux,  the widow of a French pilot who stayed on in France after his death.  Under this guise she assists the Resistance and takes on a secret mission herself that lands her in a Nazi prison where she is to help rescue a very important woman operative known as the "Swan."  Along the way she also falls in love but will she and her love survive this war and will she be able to hold up under torture and questioning,  find the "Swan" and escape, and still locate her brother? 

This story was partly inspired by Niven's own father, Jack F. McJunkin Jr. who was an Army Intelligence Officer on Okinawa and in Vietnam.  She also located some women spies in her family tree -- spies in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.  Niven also has an interest in the WASP, OSS, and SOE and wove these into her story so the book is really one of historical fiction.   pazt 

Matt Helm on DVD

My spouse decided we needed to take a trip down memory lane and he did good!  He picked up a 2 disc DVD from our library with Dean Martin starring as Matt Helm.  They seem to give "Murderer's Row" top billing but "The Silencers" really came before it in the series.  Helm is "ICE's" greatest secret agent but he has retired and started a photography business where he photographs beautiful women for calendars and other assignments.  When "ICE" calls him back into action to team up with a former female partner (whose current male partner was murdered putting her in danger also), he's reluctant to return to work as he's just been offered a photo shoot in Mexico.  However, MacDonald, the head of "ICE," reminds him he can never really retire from this government job and, when his former co-agent shows up at his door, he finds himself unable to refuse her advances.  They're off to stop the evil Big O organization headed by Tung-Tze (Victor Buono) "Operation Fallout."  Along the way they face danger and add a reluctant but gogeous klutz to their team (Stella Stevens).  Will they be able to prevent World War III?  Watch and find out....

The second DVD in the series, "Murderers' Row," has Helm called back into action when the inventor of a death ray that can destroy entire cities is kidnapped.  Julian Wall (Karl Malden) wants to destroy Washington, D.C., so he can take over the world but Helm with the help of the inventor's go-go dancing daughter (Ann-Margaret) are out to find her father and stop Wall.

Both movies are fun, light-hearted suspense in the vein of a 007 spoof -- fun to watch and Dean Martin (as well as all the beautiful women that surround him) is great to look at and even gets to sing a little-a definite bonus in my opinion.  Frank Sinatra gets a bit role in each movie, too -- also a fun touch.  Enjoy...pazt

Vacation

Well, if you regularly follow my post, you may wonder where I've been since I usually post something a few times a week.  Shortly after my last post, my spouse and I took off for a 3 week trip to England to visit our oldest daughter and her family who live in the greater London area.  It's the first time that we've visited when it was so cold that we had to purchase some long underwear as well as borrow fleece jackets from our daughter to put under our winter coats.  Since it was almost Easter, we really thought we'd see some warmer weather but there was a wind from Siberia and snow on the ground in places and it didn't warm up until a few days before our departure for home.  Our daughter took very good care of us -- putting us to bed every night with a hot water bottle for our feet -- the ultimate luxury! 

We returned home to our jobs and a busy routine but decided we needed another vacation and took off for the Washington coast to spend a few days in a cabin in one of our favorite beach locations -- Kalaloch.  Since the cabins have no phones (and our cell phones don't work there) and no TV, we really relaxed and read and ate.  Our English daughter is a vegan and her delicious meals inspired me to move towards veganism myself so I cooked our meals at the cabin and enjoyed having the time (if not my usual kitchen equipment) to prepare some meals. 

We've decided we need to be more intentional about vacationing and enjoying time together so we already have another long weekend getaway planned soon and are planning a couple of trips for next year -- always good to having something to look forward to!  pazt

"To Be Sung Underwater"

Do you have a love from your youth -- your teen years -- that you'd like to revisit?  Tom McNeal's novel, "To Be Sung Underwater," tells the story of Judith Whitman from the point of view of her present life and marriage.  However, into this life with a "perfect job" and  seemingly perfect marriage but a not so perfect daughter (but then she is a teenager so that might explain a lot!) creeps slowly a seed of discontent surrounding a bedroom set her husband and daughter want to dispose of.  It is a bedroom set from Judith's teenage years when her parents had divorced and she made the choice to leave her mother and go live with her father in Nebraska.

As Judith finds a place to stow this bedroom set where she can also visit it, she begins to revisit her past -- the memories of her parent's divorce, her decision to move in with her father as well as her memories of her time with him, and her first romance with Willy Blunt with the pale blue eyes and the easy smile and sense of humor.  They were planning to marry but Judith's decision to go to California to college changed all that and they drifted apart and she married someone else.  Revisiting memories and the past has its drawbacks -- Judith begins to suffer from headaches and her family and work also suffer as she decides to find Willy and other friends from her past.

Judith does get her chance to revisit the past in a way and that visit comes with some surprises.  Did she make the right choice to leave it behind in the first place and will she decide to do so again?  Does she have regrets?  How does revisiting the past change her present and her future?  This is a very thought provoking book and that will keep me pondering for some time. 

The author has another book, "Goodnight Nebraska," that I plan to look for next.  That book won the James A. Michener Memorial Prize as well as the California Book Award.  McNeal has roots in Nebraska and currently lives near San Diego with his wife and sons.  Check out his web site at www.mcnealbooks.com.     pazt

"No Mercy"

"No Mercy" is Lori Armstrong's first mystery in the Mercy Gunderson series.  She's also the author of the Julie Collins mystery series.  After reading the first book in both these series, I'm hooked and have the second book in each series downloaded on my Kindle for an upcoming long flight. 

Mercy Gunderson, the heroine in "No Mercy," grew up on a ranch in South Dakota but she left a long time ago to serve in the military in a special unit with orders to kill specialized targets.  She's good at her job but an injury sends her home to recuperate shortly after her father's death.  Old family tragedies rear their ugly heads and interfere with present day living and family secrets Mercy was unaware of come to light.  Investors are trying to buy the family ranch and the pressure is on to sell from one side and not to sell from another.  As if that weren't enough to complicate her life, murders occurring on the ranch bring everything in Mercy's life to a head and she finds herself dealing with Sheriff Dawson -- the man who took over her father's job and exudes a sexual attraction that Mercy must not give into if she doesn't want to complicate her life further.  In the meantime, she has some murders to solve despite the objections of the Sheriff and her friends and family.  Attempting to solve them will put Mercy in harm's way but, given her military background, she's used to that.  pazt

Doc Martin Series 5

I really am a fan of Doc Martin but my spouse not so much although he will watch it with me reluctantly.  Even though Doc doesn't particlarly "play nice with others," I enjoy the humor of the show and the real life struggles of the characters.  Season 5 is a 2 disc DVD I found at the library and they don't yet have Season 6 available -- maybe it's the current 2013 season?  Anyway, we're caught up to date as much as we can be with Doc and Louisa and their baby son as well as all the other "characters" in Portwen.  This season  Louisa's mother turns out to be a huge disappointment as a baby sitter and the Large men have financial difficulties.  The cast has an addition - Eileen Atkins - who plays Doc's psychiatrist aunt who has inherited his deceased aunt's farm.  Needless to say, life is never dull in Portwen with loan sharks lurking about, unexpected medical emergencies, an unhinged pharmacist, and a cat lady trying to raise money to feed her rescue cats.  I have my feelers out there for season 6!  pazt

"Sunset Express"

"Sunset Express" by Robert Crais is another Elvis Cole novel.  Cole and Lucy Chenier, a lawyer he met while working on a case in Louisiana, have continued their long distance romance but now she's coming to Los Angeles on business and bringing her son along.  The plan -- to stay with Cole during the visit but the plans are slightly complicated by the fact that Cole has taken on a high profile case.  Jonathan Green, a hotshot -- and good -- lawyer has asked Cole to do some investigating in a murder case.  Green is convinced his client is not guilty of murdering his wife and needs Cole's help to prove it.  Green is also convinced a female cop, Angela Rossi, planted the evidence that is supposed to convict his client and asks Cole to start the investigation there.  However, Cole's partner, Joe Pike, has a history with Rossi and he doesn't believe she's guilty of anything other than being a really good cop. 

So who really are the good guys and the bad guys?  The investigation and Cole's new romance are full of twists and turns that make excellent reading!

My personal quest to find the next book in the Elvis Cole series, "Indigo Slam," had its own twists and turns.  The two local libraries only have it available in audio form -- no hardback, paperback, or kindle versions.  Amazon.com did have paperback copies -- new and used -- so the order was made and a copy is on its way to my home.  pazt

"Sizzling Sixteen"

I've been reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum novels in order - or so I thought -- but when I saw the cover of "Sizzling Sixteen," I decided I'd missed reading this one.  As I read it, it did seem a little familiar so I suspect I did read it before then forgot I had so it was pretty much like reading it anew.  As always, Plum's sleuthing troubles tend to be fun for the reader.  My husband thinks they're a little predictable but I notice he hasn't stopped checking them out of the library.  Her latest, "Notorious Nineteen," is waiting  for me on the new Kindle Paperwhite I received for Christmas. 

Back to "Sizzling Sixteen," though....Stephanie has inherited a "lucky" bottle from her Uncle Pip but she doesn't know what is in it nor what type of luck it brings -- good or bad????  She appears to be having a lot of bad luck at the moment because her bounty hunter boss  (who is also her cousin Vinnie) has racked up a huge gambling debt to a mobster and Vinnie's been kidnapped and is being held for ransom. If she finds him, she has to find a safe place to hide him while she comes up with a way to raise the $786,000 he owes -- or Vinnie is likely to end up dead and Stephanie will be out of a job when Vincent Plum Bail Bonds has to shut its doors - or is leaving the career of bounty hunter behind good luck?

She does have some good luck since being a bounty hunter means she has some skill in finding people as well as the joint skills of  Vinnie's office manager, Connie, and Stephanie's sometimes sidekick, Lula, to help her track Vinnie down.  Between the three of them and with a little help from their friends they also might come up with a way to raise the money to pay the ransom.  Stephanie also has the hottest Trenton cop, Joe Morelli, (as well as his being her on-again, off-again boyfriend) and security agent, Ranger (who she lusts after but also fears getting romantically involved with), to watch her back -- and her back defintely needs watching because Stephanie can get into more trouble than anyone I know.

Will she save Vinnie, pay the ransom, and keep her job?  It's worth the read to find out...pazt

"The Pleasures of Men"

The novel, "The Pleasures of Men" by the English author, Kate Williams, was given some high praise.  "Good Housekeeping" (UK) says, "A charged, fast-paced ride through the dark underbelly of Victorian London in the footsteps of a serial killer."  Williams has written several books and she teaches creative writing at London University.

A few years ago I heard Nancy Pearl, a Seattle librarian, speak at our Friends of the Library meeting and I've never forgotten one piece of wisdom she imparted.  She said take your age and subtract it from 100 and that's how many pages you need to read before you decide you don't want to finish a book.  Give yourself permission to not finish in other words!  I think I got a little further than that but then skimmed the rest of this book just to see how it ended but I just couldn't read it word for word, detail for detail.  If you decide to read it, I'd love your feedback....pazt

"Love In A Nutshell"

Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly teamed up to write "Love In A Nutshell."  Since I like almost anything Evanovich authors, I had to check it out.  It's a combination mystery/romance with Kate Appleton as the heroine.  Kate is reeling from a husband who left her as well as being fired as a magazine editor.  Her only asset is the "Nutshell" - her parents' summer house in Keene's Harbor, Michigan.  She wants to turn it into a B & B but it needs lots of renovation and that requires money she doesn't have so she resorts to accepting the only job she can find -- trying to uncover a saboteur at a local brewery owned by Matt Culhane.  Matt wants Kate to go undercover in his brewery to try to figure out who is trying to undermine him.  That requires her to work at different jobs and learn the brewery business from the ground up and she doesn't even like beer!  The more Kate is thrown into situations with Matt at work and at community events the more attracted she is to him but the last thing she needs right now is romance.  Things come to a head when someone tries to  kill Kate -- is she getting too close to uncovering who is behind the sabotage?  To protect her Matt moves her into his guest room which complicates both their lives and, knowing her parents wouldn't understand, their upcoming visit requires a move back to Nutshell -- still in stages of renovation.  This is a light, fast-paced, fun read!  pazt

"Love From Ashes"

"Love From Ashes" by Yvonne Lehman appears to be book 3 in the Aloha Brides series.  Although it was an easy read and contains some historical references, it didn't entertain me enough that I'll be looking for any of the other books in the series.  As I discussed it with my husband, we did talk about some of the issues it raised -- like the lack of males after World War II and the creative ways women left with children chose to support themselves and one another.  It, of course, deals a lot with loss -- parents who lost sons (since women weren't usually found in combat zones in that era), those who came back damaged physically or emotionally from the war, those who lost siblings in the war, those who lost or never knew a parent, and/or those who lost husbands, fiances, boyfriends because of the war.  Those only touch on "military" losses but civilians were also killed or psychologically damaged in that war as well as all the holocaust victims.  Internment of the Japanese brought its own losses and long lasting prejudices because of the attack on Pearl Harbor.   The author dedicates the book to authors of articles in "Chicken Soup from the Soul of Hawai'i" from whom she gained personal insights. 

Amelia Thurstan, the daughter of a Hawaiian minister and his wife, meets and falls in love with Joe during World War II but then he is killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor.  When Joe's brother shows up after the war to meet this woman his brother wrote home so glowingly about, Amelia does her best to keep him from learning her secret.  pazt

"Lethal"

When I read "Lethal" by Sandra Brown, I not only read an outstanding book but I also found a new author to follow and, fortunately, it appears she's a very prolific writer! 

"Lethal" starts with Honor Gillette, a policeman's widow, and her young daughter, Emily, preparing for a birthday party but those plans as well as their life are interrupted by a stranger (Lee Coburn) lying in their yard.  He's a fugitive wanted for murder and he thinks Honor is hiding something left by her late husband and he appears willing to do almost anything to get it.  Honor goes from living in fear while the stranger is in her home to going on the run with him when she discovers the life she's lived and the people she's trusted may actually be endangering her and her daughter.  She has to find out the truth about her late husband, Eddie, hoping to clear his name after hearing what she believes are lies from this stranger.  It leads them on a trail to discover a merciless crime boss,"The Bookkeeper," and uncover a web of murder, corruption, and deceit.  The only questions are who can they turn to for help?  Who can they trust?

This novel starts out fast-paced and doesn't slow down until the heart-stopping ending.  I look forward to more of Brown's work!  pazt 

"The Kingdom of Gods"

"The Kingdom of Gods" by N. K. Jemisin is her third book in The Inheritance Trilogy series and my favorite by far.  It took me some time to really get into the first two fantasy books but there must have been something that intrigued me because I kept reading even though it was difficult to keep all the characters straight.  However, I think it paid off in "Kingdom of Gods" because I felt like I knew who the author was talking about -- knew and finally "got" the characters and I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this third book and am glad I persevered through the first two.  If you enjoy fantasy, check this out.  I've already put in a request for "The Killing Moon" which is Book One of Jemisin's Dreamblood series.   pazt

Rizzoli & Isles Season Two

Wow!  The second season of Rizzoli & Isles was fantastic -- I kinda wish I didn't have so much going on in my life so that I could start Season 3.  As often seems to be the case with a TV series, the last show of the season is a cliffhanger -- not as much as the end of the first season but still a cliffhanger!

Season Two consists of 3 DVD disks and, if, like my spouse, you're not a fan of Jane's arch enemy criminal, Hoyt, you might want to skip the last episode on the second disk, "Remember Me."  I had to watch it to see what happened and I think (but I could be wrong) that we've seen the last of Hoyt!

This season sees Jane's younger brother, Tommy, out of jail and he becomes quite a likeable character as well as a worthy chess opponent for Dr. Isles.  Jane's parents are divorcing so her mom is living in Maura's guest house and Tommy joins her there when he is released from prison -- until he can find a place of his own.  Maura's family also is more visible this season as well as the current love interests for Maura and Jane..

Jane's other brother is working on becoming a detective so there's more interaction at work between the two of them.  Their mom has taken a job in the precinct coffee shop truly making the precinct a family affair -- sometimes maybe too much of a good thing.  We also get a glimpse into Jane's partner's personal lives -- giving us a more well rounded picture of all the players.  All in all this was an excellent season to watch!  pazt