Tag Archives: Mystery

Uber and a Book

I had an important appointment, to be there by 9:10 AM.  I got into my lovely 2016 Cadillac, with 8K miles.(YES it’s true, I’ve gone ONLY  8 thousand miles in 6 years).  And when I started it. It shook, bells, ding dongs, lights, EVERYTHING went off.  And she died. 


So being brilliant I got an UBER, it was 4 mi away.  How great is that. Where I am it’s usually an hour. I’m glad I practice taking alternate transportation, before I had all these treatments. I made my appointment and the subsequent labs, following that. Then I got an UBER, because when you’re near medical facilities.  They’re more common.  He took me home. Very pleasant. I love trying new things. Actually I don’t like trying them. I like knowing how they work.

I got in around 3:30, hungry, tired and kicking off shoes. I couldn’t cook I was grabbing grapes. So I smartened up and ordered, from the local eatery. And there is nothing like the Chateau’s Shrimp Scampi .I could kiss the chef (well give him a tip)

It was here in 30 mins. OMG This is lip smacking good. AND I get to read my BRAND NEW..Christie/Beaton/Finder/Grisham/Ware Crush.

Being my own best champion YEAH ME!! I finished RADIATION THERAPY, for breast cancer. I picked up some fantastic new releases. I wanted to read this back in Dec when it was newly published. But my mind couldn’t focus well. And as the surgery and the unknown surrounded me. Books were something to glance and put away.

HER PERFECT LIFE, bye Hank Philippe Ryan. I’ve read a few by her. This is one of those books that you start reading wondering and THERE IT IS. The one paragraph that has you saying. Oh yeah now we got a story.

So my dears…I ATE the Shrimp…but I got A BOOK!!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Mary Ellen

Miss Marple, all in one.

 

 
I happen to love Miss Marple.  Along with a billion other Agatha Christie
enthusiasts.
 
The Christie newsletter came out the other day.  It announced that all of Miss Marple’s stories are
in one book. That’s 12 novels and 20 short stories. It’s a HUGE volume.
 
This is from the Christie Letter
 
 
The complete Miss Marple contains all Christie’s stories in chronological order: 43 murders, 68 crimes, 59 red herrings, 11 philandering lovers, 68 lies, 22 false accusations and 143 cups of tea.  There’s also a new map of St Mary Mead based on Christie’s descriptions, a preface by Mathew Prichard and an introduction by Kate Mosse, author of Labyrinth and lifelong Christie fan. The book is handsewn, bound in leather, blocked in gold on the front and spine, and has four silk markers to keep your place.  It will come in a suede-lined wooden box with its own Guinness certificate.  It is completely readable!
 
ISN’T IT A HOOT!!
Look at the size of it.
 
 

 

 

 
 
 
This is the  Agatha Christie Home Page.Agatha Christie: Home
 
And here is a way to listen to the old Christie radio mysteries
 

Suspense Saturday!!

I know I’m guilty of blog napping. I haven’t been here in a while.  I apologize. Life got in the Way.  Darn IT!
I have a few well known authors to read.  And then I remembered I still have a couple, of  paper backs by Maggie Sefton.  I already read Knit One Kill Two. Which was good, not great.
It’s the first in a series, of knitting mysteries.
 
Kelly Flynn living in Washington D.C. Must return to Colorado for her Aunt’s funeral. Where she is embraced by the loving ladies in the local yarn shop.  Through their friendship and local knowledge Kelly solves her Aunt’s murder.  Also the knitters at the “House of Lambspun” teach
Kelly how to knit, the love for yarn and the growing bond people in the fiber arts have.
 
We were hit with an amazingly warm day.  I had more than enough to do so I did what I do best. Nothing.  I sat out on the porch with my second Maggie Sefton mystery.  Needled to Death.
This was  very entertaining.  I think the characters were more developed and Maggie didn’t have to do so much convincing when it came to the ladies at House of Lambspun, and their joy, in knitting.   It starts with the murder. Kelly is bringing some tourists to visit an alpaca ranch, where she finds the rancher on the floor of her office murdered.  Needled to Death, has Kelly exploring  her newly inherited ranch (from poor Aunt Helen who was killed in the first book) and us learning,
about sheep.
 
 
  
It’s a good book,  I liked it and I’m not easily pleased.  I think you’d want to read Knit One Kill Two first though.  It’s not necessary as Sefton does  a good catch up job with Needled.
 
Because I enjoyed Needled so much I went right to A Deadly Yarn. I’m just starting.  Maggie likes to begin her capers  with a body and she did it again this time.  Right away we have the victim, Police say suicide, Kelly says murder.  She’s dealing with the same police department, and again the local yarn shop, House of Lambspun are helping her find the culprit.
 
I think this series would be fine for teens.  The only thing I could find objectionable is the word, damn is used and Kelly is constantly drinking coffee. (like me hehehe).  Now if that’s a problem you wouldn’t
give it to your teen. However it’s a nice series and if you have someone who enjoys knitting this could be a fun summer read.
 
There are more in the series, the fourth is A Killer Stitch. I’ll blog about that after I’ve read it. She’s also coming out with, “Dyer Consequences,”   I think it’s to be released in June. I’m not too sure.
I hope this helps.  if you’re looking for a fun afternoon murder, these will DO!
 
 

Suspense Saturday

 

 
I just found out that Sally Goldenbaum’s Patterns in the Sand, is to be released in May.
 
YIPPEE!!
 
It’s the second in her murder series of the Seaside Knitters.   
 
 
DeathByCashmereHome
 
The first was Death by Cashmere, I posted on this last October.
It was a good read. It brought in all the local color and numerous characters,
of a little fishing village on Cape Ann in Massachusetts.  If you’re not familiar
with Cape Ann, the movie The Perfect Storm was filmed in Gloucester, one
on the major fishing harbors in Massachusetts. Being someone from
eastern Massachusetts, and very familiar with Cape Ann.   I recommend
the book. Nice murder, good investigation, perfect for the beach or Mother’s Day.
DeathByCashmereHome
 

The Associate

I read a great book this week. I couldn’t put it
down.
 
 
The Associate
by
 John Grisham,
Publisher, Doubleday
 
 
It’s written in true Grisham style. It brought me back
to how exciting The Firm was.
 
From the first chapter you’re worried for the main
character, Kyle. And when you get to chapter five,
the rug is pulled out from under you.  HUH, I can’t
believe Grisham did that to me. Of course he did,
that’s why he’s a best seller.
 
Excellent, riveting, tense, a  page turner.
 
I wish I read it slower, It was so enjoyable.
 
Go get a copy for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

Death by Cashmere.

Another gift from my friend is:   Death by Cashmere, by Sally Goldenbaum.
It’s the first in a series of knitting mysteries. It takes place in Seaside Harbor
a fictional harbor town on Cape Ann in Massachusetts. It references Gloucester
and some other local towns on Cape Ann. I thinks Sally has done a good job
bringing in the local color.  I haven’t finished it, but I’m pretty deep into the story.
She does make me want to go out and get some fresh fish to throw on the grill!!
cashmere-008

Rainy Days!

 

 
 
I can’t believe last week at this time I was handing out candy,
under star lit skies.   The past few days it’s been rain, wind, rain.
 
Our trees have lost their leaves and they’re all in the wrong place!
This is our path on Halloween night,
leaves-1
 
 
And this is the path this morning!
leaves-02
 
I got to read a book I’ve been hanging onto. Hot Mahogany,
by Stuart Woods. It’s a Stone Barrington Novel.
leaves-3
If you’re not familiar with Stone, he’s something else. He’s
a successful attorney, with all the right connections, living
the bachelor life in New York City. And of course he has the
perfect vacation house on Long Island and gets the prettiest
and richest girl.
It’s a good story involving antiques, coin collecting, and an old
friend’s brother with amnesia and the mob. I do like how
Woods tells a tale and again he’s come through with a fun
read.
 
The past few days was the perfect setting to curl up with a
good book and this fits the bill.
 
And I did another hat..I’m in a rut!
leaves-4
77 stitches worked in rib pattern on size 7 round needles.
work 3 inches, increase one between the purl stitches.
Knit even, two rows.  Knit two, twirl the next two stitches,
knit two, twirl…continue to end of row. Continue working
two rows even and a twirl on the third row. When hat
measures 6 inches decrease one between each twirl, knit
a row even (working the twirl) then decrease
 every other stitch. knit even.
Continue decreasing every other stitch till there are 8
and pull yarn through remaining stitches.  It’s a quick
knit for a 5 year old.
I used the Misti Baby Alpac pictured a month ago.

Suspense Saturday

   
On a whim, in May,  I sent our 8 yr. old granddaughter some Trixie Belden books,
for the summer.  I had forgotten all about them till they visited us in July. 
 Sydney was carrying one of the books, in her little backpack. 
Her mother told me how she never heard of Trixie Belden. She wished she
had known when she was growing up.
 
When the books arrived Sydney put them in her “to read” stack
and there they sat. Then one night before bed Sydney picked,
up one of the books. She was given permission to read for a
 half hour and then at 8 lights OUT..
It was 11 O’clock and her Mom noticed a light,
 under the door, to her room. She went in and found
Sydney engrossed in her first Belden mystery, The Secret of the Mansion.
 
Unlike Nancy Drew, Trixe is younger, lives at home, has two brothers
 and both parents. Her adventures are in her hometown named Sleepyside.
She meets her good friend Honey Wheeler when she moves into
The Manor House that is next to Crab Apple Farm, where Trixie lives.
 
 
I was in the 4th grade when I checked out of the library my first
 Trixie Belden book. We girls had been reading Nancy Drew,
and now were swapping our Belden books. My friend Kathy was in the same
class as me but lived a distance, too far for a bike ride.
 But we often traded books. THEN one summer Kathy moved into
 a house a street away from me. They bought the McNulty’s house,
it was huge. old gabled house with tree house in the back.
 We spent our whole summer in that tree house, reading
Trixie Belden. And a Nancy Drew when we could find one we had yet read.
 We used to pretend Kathy’s house was The Manor House and wander into
 the hot dusty attic looking for clues. I was Nancy Drew and
she was Trixie Belden.
 
 
 
It’s a wonderful series for any young miss, in the 4th, 5th or 6th grade.
 My daughter in law explained that Sydney had a problem with Nancy Drew.
One of the books was too scary for her and she didn’t want to
continue reading. However the Belden books were totally different,
 and still held a mystery.

SUSPENSE SATURDAY

I happen to be a huge fan of Nancy Drew.  I like how she was a
spunky girl detective that, went out and, solved crimes.
She always had her “chums” Bess and George running,
 after her, helping with the cases. Most of her cases stemmed,
 from her Dad, Carson.
  He was a lawyer, with a stellar reputation.
 When Nancy had a need to prove her point,
 to the  police, she’d mention Dad’s name.
 
I like it when Hollywood does a new film on Nancy.
 Young gals are reintroduced to the Titian Haired Sleuth,
  who kept little ladies entertained in their growing years.
There was never a mystery that couldn’t be solved.
 A tunnel that couldn’t be exposed.A Staircase that wasn’t
discovered or and attic that didn’t hold a secret.
 
WWND……….What Would Nancy Do?