Skip the Spring Cleaning, Do Some Spring Reading

Hi there, guys and dolls! Yours truly loves the idea of having a freshly cleaned house, with the fresh scent of spring in the air, inside and out. But honestly, I’d rather read a good book than get the work done. If you share my passions of both good reads and procrastination, here are some suggestions to help you enjoy your days. In the meantime, I think I’ll just hire a houseboy/bartender to take care of things. The screening process is so rigorous, sigh.

Oh, and please forgive if the spacing is kooky on this post. After numerous unhappy hours we could not get WordPress to play nice 😦 !

CATERED TO DEATH by Marlo Hollinger – Catering can apparently be hazardous to your life, and then you are going to need to call in the professionals. Was it the lunch you ate, or the company you keep? Dee Dee Pearson has chosen catering as her new profession, but it’s not going as well as she would have liked when the school principle is found murdered! The business that she started to bring in an extra income soon turns into something else altogether.
The little town she lives in may have swanky soirees but it seems to be a deadly business, full of people who loathe one another and Eden Academy is no paradise. Will Dee Dee collect her pay check, will the killer be caught before it’s too late, and what will Dee Dee do next as her Midlife Crisis continues? Be sure to read this suspenseful and catered affair by Marlo Hollinger. You’ll want some canapes and bubbly for your reading pleasure.

THE FEUD AT GLENCOE by Owen Magruder – Let me introduce you to a swell detective duo: private investigator John Braemhor and his wife Mary, the Nick and Nora of the modern day sleuthing world! The pair have a keen eye for details, and are very capable of finding the clues that will solve the case. The Braemhors run a B&B in the Scottish Highlands and yet are ready at a moment’s notice to travel the distance it takes to solve the mysteries that come their way. They always say two heads are better than one and in the case of John and Mary it is proven to be true. They can talk through the case with reasoning and logic and undercover work can be conducted with a wink and a smile.
What great tales author Owen Magruder has spun with his adept understanding of the true British cozy. John and Mary could certainly match wits with Paul Temple and his wife Louise or Holmes and Watson. There is such a wonderful thread running through all of these tales that kept yours truly reading through the night, with a spot of whiskey and a blanket on hand. So if ever find yourself in Scotland, in a spot of trouble or a mystery to solve you may want to contact John and Mary to investigate the matter. Hold on, that’s right they’re only to be found in the pages of a book. Guess I got caught up in THE FEUD AT GLENCOE!

DEAD STOCK by Tim Hall – Yours truly has found a man who is more of a disaster than she is! Bert Shambles is a modern man with many problems, including having to report to a probation officer, falling in love with a mafia leader’s daughter, and is into vintage clothing, which makes him stylish in a sloppy sort of way. A man of murder, mystery and mayhem in Long Island until he serves out his probation. Although Burt does have some great hangouts, that I would think would work for me. The laundry mat that serves as bar too. Now I know where I’ll be adding an extra spin cycle if I ever find myself on Long Island. Not that it’s very likely! Although there does appear to be a social set that is full of secrets including members of the mafia.Three years is a long time when you are stuck in a small town, working at a thrift shop and trying to keep out of trouble that seems to keep finding you.
On a routine pick up for the store, Bert learns that the widow of a recently deceased pro golfer is offering a reward for the return of her dead husband’s favorite putter—and an even bigger reward for proof that her husband was murdered. The forces of good and evil close in around Bert and he is in a race to clear his name and discover the truth so he doesn’t wind up in prison or worse. I think it is true to say that this young man will have you laughing and cheering for him. So pour yourself a cold one, take a load off your feet and put a load in the washer. Now you are ready to read about Bert, his kooky friends, neighbors, and love-ones. Bravo to author Tim Hall for creating such a swell mystery with an interesting sleuth at the center of all the action!

TIE D IED by

Tim Hall – The lovable Bert Shambles is back and he’s in deep trouble, in more ways than one! He finds himself mixed up in music, murder, and mayhem and then his girlfriend returns and is not impressed with his antics that involve two other women. This is one of those stories that had yours truly snorting (yes, I know, not very lady-like behavior) with laughter! Tim Hall is a writer with a wicked sense of humor. Bert gets involved investigating the suspicious death of a popular rock singer who is electrocuted during a performance at a local festival. A beautiful hippie named Scarlet had asked him to help sort out her late father’s music collection, which then leads to his being caught up in what may turn out to be a deadly deal. Will this poor guy ever get a break or is he destined to trip over the cords of trouble all his life?
There’s a cast of unforgettable and colorful characters that you won’t want to miss reading about. Tim Hall is a brilliant and funny writer whose books are destined to be among the classics of humorous mysteries. Bert Shambles is a man with a plan and I certainly can’t wait to find out what those plans are. A long, tall, cool drink will be required for this one and there’s nothing like it to slake your thirst.

MANNERS AND MURDER by Helen Grochmal -The old girls may have it after

all! When Carolina Pennsbury retired librarian and observant lady sets out to make things right in her senior’s home, she’s not alone, her dining room companions aim to help her. Daily life in a retirement home may not be as boring as this young gal thought. Anyone for movie night or shuffle board?

There are dark deeds and a murderer on the loose, no one’s safe and the police are not helping the situation and neither are the staff who seem to have it in for some of the residents. Along come Carolina, Rita, Annie, Dot, Lillian, and the newest addition to their table Margie. What to do about Margie is a going concern for Carolina and how to make things work out for the eccentric new lady who is twenty years younger than most of the residents, but taken in by the retirement home as they were more than happy to take her money. Is Margie a disturbed lunatic, a murderer or just a lady whose life has hit the skids? Carolina takes on the role of amateur sleuth, protector and supporter of Margie to solve the crime and get their lives back in order. The only question is can she do it before anyone else falls victim? Will good manners save the day? Be sure to mix up a brew of your choice and curl up with the first book in Helen Grochmal’s series to see if Carolina and her friends save the day.

Toodles,

Barbara Jean