Where are you, Bronte?

 By Tomie DePaola (1934-2020)

This is Not About Us

 By Allegra Goodman. 2026. A literary tale of a large Jewish family in New England told in short stories.

The Case of the Curious Curate

 An Agatha Raisin mystery by M. C. Beaton. 2001. The village of Carsely has acquired a new curate to help Mr. Bloxby with his parish. Beautiful and friendly with the ladies, Tristan Delong has a checkered  past. Agatha Raisin joins forces with neighbor, John Armitage to inquire around town to find out who killed the curate in the vicrage to help clear the vicar's name. Agatha has put herself in danger as she solves the mystery too late. 

Dear Jacob: a mother's journey of hope

 By Patty Wetterling with Joy Baker. 2023. Twenty seven years, that is how long Jacob's  family held out hope for his safe return. Jacob Wetterling was eleven when he was abducted in his neighborhood while riding his bike with his brother and friend. A man stopped them in the dark, telling the others to run away as fast as they could or they would be shot. When they looked back Jacob and the man were gone. Twenty seven years later DNA matched a man to another young boy 's abduction and sexual assault resulted in the arrest of Danny Heinrich on child pornography charges. In a plea margin with officials Heinrich led them to the burial site of Jacob and later shared the details of how he murdered Jacob at gunpoint the night of his abduction.

    Patty Wetterling details the hope she and her family clung to for twenty seven years. She worked tirelessly to fight for missing and exploited children. She worked to get the registry of sexual offenders passed on the national level. A break in Jacob's case came when a blogger researching the Paynesville, Minnesota sexual abductions connected one survivor's story with Jacob. This is also the story of Patty's family, her husband, Jerry, their three  younger children and their growing family. Their friends and neighbors rallied around them in their search for Jacob, including details of how local law enforcement, the FBI and the National Guard all searched close to St. Joseph , Minnesota and surrounding areas. In the beginning officials kept in close contact with the family, but as the years went on Patty and her family felt they were being kept in the dark about the investigation. Ups and downs over the years kept testing Patty's faith, but she hung onto hope and tried to honor Jacob's life as only a mother can do. A Good read.

Shakespeare's Counselor

 A Lily Bard mystery by Charlaine Harris, book 5. 2001. The  beginning of the story relates how Lily Bard is dealing with her trauma from her rape. At the suggestion of her husband, Jack Leeds, she decides to attend a group counseling session for survivors. The survivors bond and grow over the weeks, but trust is shattered when a new attendee is murdered in the office of the counselor on a night when the survivors arrive for a meeting. Also present is the unsettling fears of the counselor when it is discovered that she is being stalked. Different reactions are noted by Lily as she tries to resolve the mystery.

Shakespear's Trollop

 A Lily Bard mystery by Charlaine Harris book 4, 2000. Shakespeare, Arkansas, is a small town that Lily Bard decided to move to four years ago. She is a cleaning lady, a karate expert and a body builder. Her love life is steaming up, but her clients are dwindling. The latest, Deedra Dean, is found dead, naked, in her parked car in the woods by famed  walker Lily Bard. Walking gives Lily Bard time to clear her head of ruminations in the night and had been known to call 911 when she finds unsettling things. This happens a second time when she is out walking  one night, sees a suspicious figure, and as she creeps closer to the house she finds it full of smoke. In this instance she pulls the occupant out the window to safety. He,too, is one of her clients. So much for a woman whose only goal is to remain anonymous. Lily Bard is a good amateur detective in this less-than cozy mystery

Shakespear's Champion

 A Lily Bard mystery book 3 by Charlaine Harris. 1997. Shakespeare, Arkansas is a small Southern town with a lot of secrets. Lily Bard is a cleaning woman who moved here from Memphis to escape her past. As she goes to the gym one morning she finds the door unlocked and dark. She and friend Bobo turn on the lights and they discover a young man on a bench with the heavy barbell across his neck. Is this murder or just a foolish young man working out alone in the gym? The more Lily learns about her town and the racially motivated murders she puts her life in danger. This is definitely not a cozy mystery as the bodies pile up in unexpected ways with gruesome details.

Shakespear's Landlord

 A Lily Bard mystery, book 1 by Charlaine Harris. Recorded Books narrated by Julia Gibson, accessed by Libby. This book is an introduction to Lily Bard, house cleaner living in Shakespear, Arkansas. Lily keeps to herself, attends Karate classes and practices weightlifting to strengthen her body against perceived dangers. A rape victim, she has kept this hidden for four years as she begins her life anew in the small town of Shakespear. Her life changes one night when she witnessed a man using her refuge cart to move a garbage bag into the park across the street from her house. When she feels safe enough to go outside she investigates. Under the bushes she discovers a body inside two garbage bags. Removing the bags and disposing of them, she calls the police officer who lives in the apartment building across the street to tell him there is a body in the park. She thinks she knows her neighbors, but danger follows her in this small town as she investigates as an amateur detective. 

Go Gentle

 By Maria Semple. 2026 A bright novel about philisophy, New York City, Paris and love. Fast - paced literary fiction that is a lot of fun.

Shakespear's Christmas

 Lily Bard mystery book 3 by Charlaine Harris.. 1998. Narrated by Julia Gibson.

Deadly Company

 Mitchell and Markby Village series by Ann Granger. 2022. 

The Vicious Vet

 An Agatha Raisin mystery by M C Beaton. Narrated by Diana Bishop. Accessed through Libby. Book 2 of the series.

It is an enjoyable visit to the Cotswolds. Agatha Raisin and James Lacey join forces to solve a murder that the police have deemed an accident. The local vet has died due to a syringe of horse tranquilizer being plunged in his neck. The village is full of possible suspects due to his loathsome behavior. A fun adventure for Agatha and James as they tramp over the Cotswolds and dine in various pubs. It is a very delightful read.

The Perils of Morning Coffee

 An Isabel Dalhousie short story by Alexander McCall Smith. A quick read but it is a thoughtful observation of a few people's lives. Roz McLeod accused Isabel of having an affair with her husband. Having met George McLeod only once for coffee, Isabel feels she must protect her reputation and relieve this poor woman's worries. 

The Good Girl's Guide to Murder

 By Holly Jackson. 2019 accessed on Libby, audio book format. The main narrator is Bailey Carr, supported by a full cast of characters. Sixteen year old Pippa decides to investigate the murder of Andi Bell in her hometown. Four years ago Andi Bell went missing. Her boyfriend confessed to her murder in a text and committed suicide. Pippa had been a young girl at the time but she remembers Sal Singh as a kind young man. She recruits his brother, Ravi, to clear his brother's name. Part-amateur detective /part-thriller, Good Girl's Guide to Murder is a riveting good read. A BBC/Netflix release of a 6-part series of the book is also available to stream at this time. Holly Jackson is a British YA author who sets her story in Conneticut, but the BBC films the story in Great Britain.

The Wedding People ****

 By Alison Espach. 2024. This has been on my to-be-read list for quite a while. It didn't disappoint! college professor Phoebe Stone watches her life implode when her husband leaves her for another woman. She is having trouble picking up the pieces of her life. She heads to Newport, Rhode Island to stay at The Cornwall Inn, an old Victorian hotel by the sea. She was surprised to find all the guests to be part of a five-day wedding event. Quickly becoming a confidant of The Bride, Phoebe feels her life shift. A comedy of errors incur and the reader is swept up into everyone's life. A combination chicklit and literary fiction I found myself immersed in this novel. Part wise and part ridiculous, The Wedding People is a winner.

Winner of the Goodreads Choice award in 2024 for fiction.

The Impossible Fortune ****

 The Thursday Murder Club Mystery series, book 5 by Richard Osman. 2025. Accessed on Libby, narrated by Fiona Shaw. A delicious novel. Very engrossing. All characters are well developed and most had endearing qualities. Joyce was charming as usual. Her daughter, Joanna, has a more human side to her in this story: the story of her wedding to Paul. It turns out that Paul's friends have an interesting storyline that involves the Thursday Murder Club. Ron's son and daughter test the devotion of their father. Altogether an interesting story with a mystery to solve.

A Time of Renewal

 Daily Reflections for the Lenten Season. By Mother Mary Francis. P.C.C. 2015. "Mother Mary Francis, abbess of a Poor Clare Monastery for over forty years, left an enduring legacy in her writings...In this work she presents beautiful meditations on the liturgical season of Lent." Daily reading of the scripture for Lent and the reflections were a blessing to me during Lent.

Making the Best of What's Left ***

 When We're Too Old to get the Chairs Reupholstered by Judith Viorst. 2025. Advice for the Final Fifth by best-selling author of the series, The Decades of a Woman's Life. A delicate balance of humorous antidotes and soulful observations of loneliness discovered in her acquaintances. A delight to read and to appreciate our mutual experiences even if we're not lucky enough to end up in a luxurious retirement center like the one that Viorst inhabits. 

The Main Corpse ***

 Goldy Schulz mystery, no. 6 by Diane Mott Davidson. 1996.

A Big Little Life ***

 A Memoir of a joyful dog named Trixie by Dean Koontz. 2009

Dean Koontz and his wife Gerda were the caretakers of a golden retriever who had been trained to be a service dog for a wheelchair bound young woman. Early in her career Trixie suffered an injury to her leg that required surgery. Unable to support a wheelchair bound individual, Trixie had to be retired. Longtime supporters of Canine Companions for Independence, Dean and Gerda Koontz apply for a retired dog. First time dog owners, the Koontz soon realized they were now blessed to be the owners of a special dog. Trixie won their hearts by her unique skills and loving personality, Koontz even going as far to say she possessed Angel qualities. 

The Correspondent ****

 By Virginia Evans. 2025 Read this for book group. We were to read a book recommendation. A friend wrote in her Christmas card that this was her favorite book for 2025. Apparently she is not alone in that thinking. It was a good choice for me. I'm 74 and vision impaired due to macular degeneration. I bought the large print edition. My mother and I kept up a long season of writing back and forth. It only stoped when I moved about 40 miles from her here In Ohio. Sometimes I think we only present the better parts of ourselves when we write letters. I certainly love getting letters still, but the cell phones make it easier to call and to text. 

The Correspondent  is the story of one woman's life told through letters. She is 73 and about to make some changes in her life that increase her ability to become more aware of others. She writes to many people, ie. her daughter, her brother, past colleagues, authors of books she has read, etc. I think it helps the reader to contemplate their own life, if only to think, I should write more letters. How many times have I wanted to write to an author to say, I love how you expressed the life of your characters.

Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death ****

 By M C Beaton. (1992)Audio by Penelope Keith. Agatha's First Case. (2015) A comforting listen to a book that I've read before. M C Beaton has just the right amount of description that leads you to believe you are in the Cotswolds. It helps that I've watched Ashley Jensen in the Acorn Series for TV many times. Penelope Keith does an exceptional job as well. One of my favorite series. 

The Body

 A novella published 1982 with three other stories in "Different Seasons" by Stephen King. Accessed on Libby. A coming-of-age story with a dramatic flair, not a horror story. It was made into a movie, "Stand by Me" by Castle Rock Entertainment. 

The Saboteur: a Novel ****

 By Andrew Gross. Published 2017. A winter thriller on events from 1942-1945 in occupied Norway, with some training in England and Scotland. As early as 1939 the Germans were doing atomic research. The English were being kept up to date by the Danish underground. This work of historical fiction tells the story of brave Norwegians who carried out the plan to sabotage the German's production of heavy water, an instrument needed in the experiments of atomic research.

2026