Books by by Alexander McCall Smith

Professor Dr. von Igelfeld
Portuguese irregular verbs
Von Igelfeld is the world's leading scholar on Portuguese irregular verbs, having written a majestic, nearly 1,200-page book on the subject. As one review says, "There is nothing more to be said on this subject. Nothing." But in other matters, von Igelfeld is not nearly so skilled. Whether haplessly playing tennis against an equally dreadful opponent, or committing his friends to swordfighting duels without their knowledge, von Igelfeld is somewhat naive in the ways of the world. Yet that does not stop him from having a go at life, and the results are always humorous.

Utterly delightful!

Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries
Sunday philosophy club
Isabel is fond of problems, and sometimes she becomes interested in problems that are, quite frankly, none of her business. This may be the case when Isabel sees a young man plunge to his death from the upper circle of a concert hall in Edinburgh. Despite the advice of her housekeeper, Grace, who has been raised in the values of traditional Edinburgh, and her niece, Cat, who, if you ask Isabel, is dating the wrong man, Isabel is determined to find the truth—if indeed there is one—behind the man's death. The resulting moral labyrinth might have stymied even Kant. And then there is the unsatisfactory turn of events of events in Cat's love life that must be attended to.

This series is very different that his other series but equally enjoyable.

Precious Ramotswe Mysteries
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Introduces new female detective named Precious Ramotswe of Gaborone, Botswana in Africa. She inherits money after her father died to start her own business. She is hired to track down a missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. But the case that tugs at her heart, and lands her in danger, is a missing eleven-year-old boy, who may have been snatched by witchdoctors. She and her little white van drive all over Africa helping people solve problems in their lives.

Tears of the giraffe
Precious Ramotswe tracks a wayward wife, uncovers an unscrupulous maid, and searches for an American man who disappeared into the plains many years ago. In the midst of resolving uncertainties, pondering her impending marriage to a good, kind man, Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni, and the promotion of her talented secretary (a graduate of the Botswana Secretarial College, with a mark of 97 per cent), she also finds her family suddenly and unexpectedly increased by two.

Morality for beautiful girls
Precious Ramotswe, founder and owner of the only detective agency for the concerns of both ladies and others, investigates the alleged poisoning of the brother of an important "Government Man," and the moral character of the four finalists of the Miss Beauty and Integrity Contest, the winner of which will almost certainly be a contestant for the title of Miss Botswana. Yet her business is having money problems, and when other difficulties arise at her fiance's Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, she discovers the reliable Mr J.L.B. Matekoni is more complicated then he seems.

Kalahari typing school for men
Now that The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (the only detective agency for ladies and others in Botswana) is established, its founder, Precious Ramotswe, can look upon her life with pride: she's reached her late thirties ("the finest age to be"), has a house, two children, a good fiancé -- Mr. J. L. B. Matekoni -- and many satisfied customers. But life is never without its problems. It turns out that her adopted son is responsible for the dead hoopoe bird in the garden; her assistant, Mma Makutsi, wants a husband and needs help with her idea to open the Kalahari Typing School for Men; yet Mma Ramotswe's sexist rival has no trouble opening his Satisfaction Guaranteed Detective Agency across town. Will Precious Ramotswe's delightfully cunning and profoundly moral methods save the day?

Full Cupboard of Life
Worrying about her upcoming marriage to J. L. B. Matekoni, Precious Ramotswe is confronted by the challenges of running her No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, a terrifying request from the matron of the Orphan Farm, and a case involving an investigation into the would-be suitors of a wealthy woman to determine if any are fortune hunters. As usual all ends well but it does not feel like a clicque. I just love re-reading these books and enjoyed this as much as the first one.

This is a lovely series and I cannot wait until a new one in the series will come out. It is such a satisfying read, I think because it more about moral ethical issues that affect all us in life rather than just mysteries. We really see the characters develope.

In the Company of Cheerful Ladies
We see the return of newly married Precious Ramotswe, with husband Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni, his apprentices, and assistant detective Grace Makutsi in tow. The group embarks on another set of clever and amusing Botswana adventures that kick off with an intruder in Mma Ramotswe's home and proceeds to a succession of other dilemmas: Mr. Matekoni's apprentice Charliekeeps company with a mysterious older woman and quits his position, Mma Ramotswe and her assistant encounters a good-hearted man with a dark past, and Mma Makutsi reluctantly begins dance lessons with a stuttering stranger.

Blue Shoes and Happiness
There is considerable excitement at The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. A cobra has been found in Precious Ramotswe's office. Then a nurse from a local clinic reveals that faulty blood-pressure readings are being recorded. And Botswana has a new advice columnist, Aunty Emang, whose advice is rather curt for Mma Ramotswe's taste. All this means a lot of work for our heroine and her assistant, Grace Makutsi. But there's trouble brewing in Mma Makutsi's own life. When Phuti Radiphuti misses their customary dinner date, she begins to wonder if he is having second thoughts about their engagement. And while Mma Makutsi may be able to buy that fashionably narrow (and uncomfortable) pair of blue shoes, it may not buy her the happiness that Mma Ramotswe promises her she'll find in the simpler things--in contentment with the world and enough tea to smooth over the occasional bumps in the road.

Good Husband of Zebra Drive
As with the previous novels there are several cases going on at one time. But now the cases are shared with others besides Makutsi. Dr. Cronje, who's half Xhosa and half Afrikaner, consults Smith's sleuth, the gentle and insightful Precious Ramotswe, because patients at his hospital who have occupied a particular bed have been dying mysteriously at the same time of day. Meanwhile, Mma Ramotswe's recently engaged assistant, Grace Makutsi, threatens to break their longstanding association. Mma Ramotswe must adjust their relationship in order to retain Mma Makutsi's services. J. L. B. Matekoni also tries his hand at the detective business, catering to a rude client who suspects her husband of infidelity. The case prompts Mr. Matekoni to wonder whether he's exciting enough for his cherished wife. Charlie, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni's older assistant branches out on his own when he buys a Mercedes from him with disastrous consequences.

Of course, no matter what dramas the day brings, Mma Ramotswe always has time to enjoy a cup of red bush tea and revel in the beauty of her native land.

Delightful as always and so nice to hear it read outloud as the reader is excellent. Plus now I have a better idea of how the names should be pronouced. One of my most favorite series

Holes by Louis Sachar Stanley Yelants IV is wrongly accused of a petty crime and sent to Camp Green Lake juvenial facility to work out his term. At this camp, that is neither green nor has a lake, he finds friendship, self-confidence, and dreams. A wonderful dreamlike quality as you feel like you are digging the holes with Stanley and the other kids. It is tied up very nice and neat but hey it's a children's book. Now I need to see the movie.

The Man Who Turned Into Himself by David Ambrose After losing his wife and son in an accident, Rick Hamilton finds himself inhabiting a parallel universe in which the tragedy has not happened. The trouble is that nobody believes his story when he tells them, not even his wife or his best friend, Harold. They want him to have treatment, to admit that he is mentally sick. Can Rick really trust them? What is really interesting is that the lines blur between whichever reality he thinks he lives in. At the end you wonder what is really real. A very thought provoking book.

Angels & Demons by Dan Brown Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned to a Swiss research facility to analyze a mysterious symbol -- seared into the chest of a murdered physicist -- he discovers evidence of the unimaginable: the resurgence of an ancient secret brotherhood known as the Illuminati. He along with the dead physicist's daughter Vittoria Vetra discover that the anti-mater that she created with her father has been stolen and placed somewhere in the Vatican. Meanwhile with the Pope's recent death the bishops have gone to the Vatican to vote on the new Pope, but the 4 favored Bishops have been kidnapped and their lives threatened while the clock is ticking. Will Robert find the anti-matter or will he be too late? A very exciting read, it only took me a few days most of which I finished half on the first day. Can't wait to read Da Vinci Code.

the curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon. 15 year old Christopher finds the body of his neighbor's dog, Wellingon, impaled on a pitchfork and is blamed for the killing. Christopher is a high-functioning autistic and relates better to animals than to people. He hates to be touched by any person and seems to not have an emotional connection to anyone including his family. He also doesn't trust strangers and hates people who lie as he feels that he always tells the truth.

He decides that he needs to find out who killed Wellington but ends up discovering a lot about himself and his parents. He has to decide if he can trust his parents after he discovers that his simple life is now very complicated. A very intense read as it is from his point of view which focuses on very minute details and mathematical equations. This is a British novel so some of the terminology is different. Highly recommended.

With a Vengeance by Eileen Dreyer features Maggie O'Brien -- A trauma nurse and paramedic who works one of the toughest EDs in the city. When people start dying who shouldn't be she starts to question the system. She quickly discovers that when she choices sides that she becomes an outsider and is on her own. When her own life becomes at risk who can she really trust. An interesting read, kind of dramatic but good. We mostly get things from her point of view but interspersed there are chapters of other's point of view that are anonymous which leads to the drama and suspence. I will probably read more by this author.

Chasing Shakespeare by Sarah Smith is a story about a self-professed "hick from Vermont," window installer/Shakespeare scholar Joe Roper who while cataloging an obscure collection discovers evidence that might refute the Bard's authorship of his hallowed canon. If Joe announces his find, it could make his career as a literary scholar-but it would also mean betraying his beloved mentor, Roland Goscimer, who's on the cusp of publishing part two of his long-awaited Shakespeare biography. Posy Gould, a flashy, aggressive Harvard student, who believes the Earl of Oxford is the author of the canon, jets with Joe to England to resolve the matter by sleuthing through libraries, graveyards, castles and stately homes-and, vicariously, through the glitter and duplicity of the Elizabethan stage and court. Smith, a Harvard Ph.D., knows academia can be as hazardous as cocktails with the Borgias and renders that world well, while making the Shakespeare authorship controversy as riveting as any film noir plot bursting with bodies.

Out of Sight by T.J. MacGregor deals with many moral issues. Human experimention is the major one and do we have the right to play god. Dr. George Nash has discovered how to make things and people invisible with the help of an indian named Luis. He manages to make a couple invisible but one (Logan) escapes while her husband Tyler is imprisoned. 3 years later Logan comes back to break Tyler out and destroy the project. A family camping accidently gets made invisitble as well and all hell breaks loose. A very fast moving and thought provoking book.

Slow River by Nicola Griffith Lore awoke in a dark alley, damaged and afraid. Who could she trust, not her family that wouldn't pay her ransome, until a stranger, Spanner takes her in and she starts living in the hidden dark side of society. Credible internet charity scams, kidnapping, fashionable designer drugs, sex, sadism, advanced digital porn, sabotage, information and identity theft are all a part of society and gives us a glimpse of what the future may hold. She discovers herself in both worlds and must decide where she will live. A very interesting read.

Nathan's Run by John Gilstrap is a sit on the edge of your seat thriller/murder mystery. 12 year old Nathan has been incarsurated for almost 10 months when he fatally stabs a prison guard and escapes. A the surface it looks like a run of the mill pyschopath teen but once you dig down things just don't seem right. How did he get a knife and what was he doing alone with the guard in an isolated part of the detention center. We see the story from several points of views, Nathan's, the cop on the case and as a third person. It isn't a long story but is packed with uncertainty as you wonder if anyone will listen to Nathan's side? I got kind of frustrated with this edge of your seat drama but I did enjoy listening to it on tape.

Discrete Charm of Charlie Monk by David Ambrose Charlie monk is the ultimate superhero. He has no fear. He has no conscience. And he has no memory of his past. Meanwhile Dr Susan Flemyng. a biologist specialising in brain diseases, has found a way to transplant artificial memories into the minds of her patients. But her discovery has already found its way into the wrong hands and it seems that Charlie is in fact some kind of bionic military guinea pig. As you read from both their points of views I found it hard to determine what was real and what wasn't. Ambrose is quite the storyteller and with a twist at the end you just don't know what to believe. I will defintely read more by this author. He is fabulous.

Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz - Fourteen-year-old Alex continues his work as a spy for the British MI6, investigating an exclusive school for boys in the French Als. Sixteen boys in a remote boarding school are suddenly all acting well-behaved and studious, but something's not right. Full of heart-pounding adventure, this sequel to "Stormbreaker" is a thrill ride and mystery all in one. It is like James Bond for teens. Lots of adventure and excitement. I listened to this on tape and will go back and read the first in the series.

Elizabeth Chase & Tom McGowan series by Martha C. Lawrence
I love this series. It is so well written and developed. Plus since I lived in San Diego when these books were written it's like a visit home.

Book 1 - Murder in Scorpio introduces Psychic P.I. Elizabeth Chase when Escondio police sergeant Tom McGowan asks to investigate what looks like a car accident involving an old friend, Janice Freeman. He has been seeing ghosts at other accidents and his gut is telling him that Janice was murdered even though it looks like a tragic case of a drunk driver hitting her car. But who would want to murder a friendly woman who was studying to become a lawyer. As Elizabeth tries to piece together the clues she becomes more and more attracted to Tom but can she trust her gut instincts and not get herself killed. Lots of spooky elements and I enjoy the supernatural aspects of this series. Plus it is set in the San Diego area.

Book 2 - Cold Heart of Capricorn - An increasingly violent rapist has been terrorizing San Diego, but the lack of physical evidence at the scenes gives the police very little to go on. Dubious but desperate as the rapist edges toward committing murder, the cops turn to Elizabeth for paranormal help. Her first step is to hypnotize the victims, hoping to unearth clues buried in their subconscious memories. Success seems imminent, but when her interpretations have devastating results, Elizabeth steps back from the case--only to find herself getting closer and closer to the deadly conclusion.

Book 3 - Aquarius Descending - Elizabeth Chase is hired to find a woman who's disappeared into a secretive New Age cult. Some members seem to have psychic abilities but it is hard to tell who is real and who is good at pretending. This was more difficult as some characters are killed in this pageturner.

Book 4 - Pisces Rising. Elizabeth Chase's lover has been killed in a showdown between cult leaders and the FBI, and she no longer trusts her own extrasensory gifts. But when an old friend asks for help in solving the murder and scalping of a casino owner at Mystic Mesa on the Temecu Indian reservation in the California desert, Elizabeth is persuaded to get involved. She soon finds herself drawn to a charismatic--and strangely familiar--Native American shaman whose strange gifts awaken and energize her own. Another gripping addition to excellently written series.

Book 5 - Ashes to Aries - Chase is called in on the case of a San Diego telecommunications mogul's missing four-year-old son. When a wildfire breaks out in the secluded community where the boy's family lives, Elizabeth finds that man, not nature, is responsible and tries to determine if the kidnapper and arsonist are the same person. This is the first book I have read by Martha Lawrence but will defintely read the rest. Very fast paced and you felt the flames during the fire scenes.

An Embarrassment of Corpses by Alan Beechey - When children's book author Oliver Swithin, reluctant creator of the notorious "Finsbury the Ferret," finds an old friend's body floating in a Trafalgar Square fountain, he can't convince the police to treat the death as a murder. But when more corpses turn up daily it seems that there is a serial killer about using astrology to find his victims. But is it as basic as it seems? Only Oliver'S uncle, Detective Superintendent Tim Mallard sees the true pattern.

An excellent mystery. Unfortunately the copy I read was misbound with the pages out of order so I was constantly having to see what page I was on. Luckily it was only the last quarter of the book. I really enjoyed the characters and the mystery as it had me stumped. I will defintely read more of this series.

Bk 2: Murdering Ministers brings back our favorite children's author Oliver Swithin, his uncle Mallard and his now girlfriend Detective Sergeant Effie Strongitharm now at Christmas time. Oliver is interviewing a childhood friend who is now a minister for local church. Effie tries to find a runaway teenager and winds up as an eyewitness to Murder in the Church. Is there a connection? And will finding it reveal who stuck strychnine in the sacraments? Hysterical to the end and again not obvious who dun it! I can't wait to read another in the fun series.

Beechey's website is fun to read to learn more about his books and characters.

Jemima J. by Jane Green - Jemima Jones is not happy with her life. She is overweight, lives with two room mates she despises, works a job she hates, Ben, the man she loves, only wants to be her friend and there seems to be no hope in sight. Then she discovers the Internet where you can be whoever you want to be and changes her name to JJ. After meeting Brad from LA online Jemima decides to become in reality the person she has been pretending to be online, thin athletic popular and a news presenter. After joining a local gym and practically starving herself she loses over 100 lbs. in a matter of months. She then flies out to Los Angeles to meet the new man of her dreams, who more than meets her expectations. But as is with most of life nothing as it appears. Will she ever find happiness? Find out by reading this funny book, very similar to Bridget Jones' Diary.

In the Shadow of the Moon by Karen White is a time travel / romance. Laura Trutt lives in the 20th Century but after losing her 2 year old daugther,Annie, on the mysterious Moon Mountain and her husband dying a year later she has little to live for. So after 5 years she decides to go back to Moon Mountain and finds herself in midts of the Civil War where it is brother against brother. She meets and falls in love with the handsome Stuart Elliott and finds her lost daughter who has little memory of her previous life or her mother. Will she take Annie back with her to the 20th Century and can she deal with the heartache she feels.

This is very similiar to Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon. But it was much shorter and it was an easy read. Though I got a little annoyed by how easy it was to find her daugther and her way back and forth between time periods. But an enjoyable read.

Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde This utterly delightful book is set in the U.K., in an alternate version of our universe-one in which time travel is possible and the boundaries between life and literature are porous. Thursday works for Special Ops in the Literary Detectives and battles an archvillain who's kidnapping characters from classic literature.

If you like the books by Connie Willis especially _To say nothing of the dog, or, How we found the bishop's bird stump at last_ then you will love this one.

Lost in a Good Book is the 2nd in the series. Det. Thursday Next is back for another round of time traveling and bookish sleuthing. She's made an enemy of the corrupt Goliath Corporation, which manufactures absolutely everything, by imprisoning one of its executives, Jack Schitt, in the pages of Poe's The Raven. In return, the corporation eradicates her new husband, Landen. Since no one really dies in this chronologically fluid universe, Landen could be restored-but Goliath won't do it until Thursday brings back Schitt. But rescuing Schitt is easier said than done-Poe's oeuvre is dangerous territory. Thursday enlists the help of Great Expectations' Miss Havisham, who works for the intra-literature police force, Jurisfiction, and the two leap into the pages of Kafka's The Trial, Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Thursday also finds time to authenticate Cardenio, a newly discovered Shakespeare tragedy, and save the world from being engulfed by an oozing pink sludge. Time flies-and leaps and zigzags-while reading this wickedly funny and clever fantasy. And of course it has ended with a cliff hanger ending when Next literally loses herself in a good book. Aaakkk!!!!

Well of Lost Plots I got this when I went to Montreal in Dec. 2003. I couldn't wait until it was released here in the U.S. Sometime in 2004. A very pregnant Tuesday Next once again does battle with philistine bibliophobes, taking a furlough from her duties as a SpecOps Literary Detective to vacation in the Well of Lost Plots, the 26 noisome sub-basements of the Great Library. Pursued by her memory-modifying nemesis Aornis Hades, Thursday joins Jurisfiction's Character Exchange Program, filling in for "Mary," sidekick to the world-weary detective hero of Caversham Heights, a hilariously awful police procedural. At the imminent launch of UltraWord, the vaunted "Last Word" in Story Operating Systems, Thursday's friend and mentor Miss Havisham is gruesomely killed, and Thursday gamely sets out to restore order to her underground world, where technophiles ruthlessly recycle unpublished books and sell plot devices and stock characters on the black market. Per ususal Tuesday creates havoc wherever she goes. Picks up where it left off in Bk 2. Now I can't wait until Bk 4.

Something Rotten is supposidly coming out in August 2004 both in the U.S. and the U.K. I can't wait! I hope she finally remembers Landen (eradicated in Bk. 2) and that she is married to him and gets him back.

Louisiana Bigshot by Julie Smith introduces african american Talba Wallis, budding PI, computer genius and by night the Baroness de Pontalba, a glamorous poet and performance artist. Talba was introduced in a Skip Langdon mystery 82 Desire. After totally her car, Talba gets a massage from friend Babalu who asks her to investigate her fiance who she fears is cheating on her. Talba gets the dirt on the boyfriend and four days later Babalu is dead of a heroin overdose. Is it suicide or murder? Babalu's boyfriend is convienced that it is murder so hires Talba to find out who would wand Babalu dead. Talba find out family secrets that go all the way up to the governor's elections.

Talba also unearth's some family secrets of her own. She finds out she has a younger sister and tracks her down to unsatisfactory conclusion. A lot happens in this mystery set in New Orleans. There is Talba's relationships with her family, her boss, Eddie Valentino and a host of other interesting characters. I enjoyed reading it but wouldn't put it on my list of favorites. I would read the next one just to see.

Learning to Fly by April Henry The chaotic scene of a huge, fiery chain-reaction car accident leaves Free Meeker in the possession of someone else’s bag and the hitchhiker she has just picked up dead. By the next morning, 19-year-old Free, daughter of aging hippies, has discovered that the bag contains nearly a million dollars - and that the hitchhiker’s body has been identified as hers. Fate seems to be handing her the chance to make her life over. But when the owner of the drug money realizes it didn’t burn up in the fire, things get complicated. And things only get worse when the hitchhiker’s stalking husband decides that Free must be some do-gooder hiding his wife. It is an interesting story plus it it told from several different points of view including Free's.

I really like April Henry's books - not just because we share the same first name. Her other titles are fun because she uses vanity license plate as the ending for each chapter. It is sometimes a challenge to figure out what each one stands for and how it pertains to the chapter.

Time Stops for No Mouse by Michael Hoeye which features Hermux Tantamoq, an average mouse who works in his watch shop. Nothing extraordinary every happens to him until one day when Linka Perflinger, daredevil aviatrix, drops off her watch to be repaired. Little did he know that his lfie would be changed forever. This book for children has adventure and a little romance. A lovely book. I will definitely read the sequel.

Sands of Time The adventures of Hermux Tantamoq, mouse and watchmaker, continue. When the museum in Pinchester announces a show of visionary portraits of cats, the mayor vows to shut it down. When a mysterious chipmunk claims to have a map to the royal library of an ancient kingdom of cats, he recruits Hermux to help him find it.

Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillo is an odd and engrossing fairy tale. Follows the story of a smaller-than-usual mouse with large ears, Despereaux, in love with music, stories and a princess named Pea. This tiny hero faints at loud noises but gathers the courage to fulfill his dreams. With character and plot far more complex than the traditional fairy tale, separate stories introduce Despereaux, condemned for talking to the princess; the evil rat, Roscuro, who loves light and soup; and Miggery Sow, a farm girl with royal aspirations. The lyrical language of this distinctive tale is as savory as the palace soup. All of which become entertwined into a lovely story. It has won the 2004 Newbery award. I read this in just a few hours and enjoyed every moment.

An Artistic Way to Go by Roderic Jeffries features Inspector Alvarez. British art dealer Oliver Cooper lives on Mallora with his beautiful young wife and adoring friends. When his car is discovered at the edge of the cliffs Alvarez is brought in for a missing persons case. alvarez discovers that there are many people who would want Oliver dead, from his wife that is having an affair to the neighbor's who never got along. When Oliver is found dead with his head bashed in a few days later who will be the one who killed him? This is a short mystery but packed full. I have never read any books by this author and will try to go back and find some of the early titles as this one is #19. You really get the local flavor of this island and the culture with a mystery to boot. Olé!

Aunt Dimity Mysteries by Nancy Atherton

Aunt Dimity's Death is the first in the series that introduces us to Lori Shepherd and the ghost of her Aunt Dimity. Suffering from her recent divorce, her mother's death, and an erratic income, Lori Shepherd receives notice from a prestigious Boston law firm she then discovers that Aunt Dimity (who had been the heroine of her childhood stories) had recently died that she must travel to England in order to meet the requirements of a will. While at the cottage she discovers the ghost of Aunt Dimity and helps her heal the grief that they both have over loss. Makes you want to curl up with a cup of tea with your cat.

Aunt Dimity and the Duke - #2 in the series features Emma Porter, fortyish computer nerd and gardener, who goes to England after being jilted by her longtime lover. At another garden she meets the Pym twins who send her an introduction to see the Penford gardens. As she arrives she is suddenly given the job of restoring the long neglected gardens and becomes entangled in a mystery involving the Duke of Penford. Aunt Dimity herself appears only in name-but no matter for the rest of the characters are delightful. A very entertaining read.

Aunt Dimity's Good Deed - #3 in the series featuring Lori Sheperd and her family and friends. In this installment Lori, feeling like her marriage is on the rocks, arranges a 2nd honeymood to go back to England and stay at Aunt Dimity's cottage. At the last minute Bill cancels but has his father, William, to go with Lori instead. Once they are settled William leaves a cryptic note and leaves for parts unknown. Luckily Aunt Dimity makes an appearance and helps Lori and her friend Emma's 12 year old daughter, Nell, (introduced in Book 2) figure out where he is headed. They discover many family members, secrets and murder. But the biggest mystery of all is will Bill realize what he is missing and come to the rescue. Another fun read in this series.

Aunt Dimity Digs In - #4 in the series. Lori and her husband Bill and new parents of 3 month old twin boys. Lori is running on empty when the Pym twins, Ruth & Louis, introduce them to Francesca Sciaparelli to be their nanny. When the local busybody Peggy Kitchen declares war upon the vicar because he gave the church schoolhouse to Adrian Culver who is doing an archaeological dig in the village Finch, Lori is put in the middle to bring peace to the village. But with both sides very passionate about their cause and scandals abound who will win the war? As usual Aunt Dimity has the answers but only Lori can bring peace to everyone.

Aunt Dimity's Christmas - #5 in the series. It is Lori's first Christmas for the twins and she decides she is going to do it right. She is having a grand Christmas party on Christmas eve and has organized all kinds of parties, decorations and gingerbread making. But when a deretict collasps in their drive way everything changes as she an attractive Roman Catholic priest try to discover the idenity of the tramp named Kit. Once again Aunt Dimity pays a crucial roll in this nostalgic non mystery. A fun read, and brings more awareness of family and hope. We see all the characters change for the better because of one man's plight to gain his dead father's forgiveness.

Book #6 Aunt Dimity Beats the Devil. Lori takes a break from her toddler twins to evaluate a rare book collection. She sets out for Wyrdhurst Hall, and encounters the newlywed owners and a charming, handsome stranger. She falls under Wyrdhurst's spell when she unearths a cache of World War I letters that tell of a doomed love and hidden treasure. It will take all of Dimity's supernatural skills to help Lori solve the puzzle. I listened to this on CD in the car and really enjoyed it. Unfortunately a few of the CD's were scratched so I missed some parts. This was the first one I read in the series but I will go back and read the others.

Aunt Dimity, Detective # 7 has it's first true murder in this cozy mystery series. The twins are now 2 years old and the entire family had spent three months in Boston with Bill's family. On their return they find that there has been a murder in Finch, their idyllic Cotswold village. Prunella Hooper "Pruneface" to most villagers was found dead of a blow to the head in her home, Crabtree Cottage. Given her malicious nature, the residents of Finch aren't surprised by her death; in fact are very closed mouth about it. Lori with the help of handsome Nicholas go door to door to discover who hated Prunella enough to kill her. Aunt Dimity mysteries are always a fun read but I'm getting a little tired of Lori's wondering eyes as there always seems to be a handsome stranger to tag along plus what about her kids? She always is willing to leave them with someone. The emphasis is always on the relationships rather than the mystery. But no matter, fun never the less.

Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday is the latest in this supernatural series. I just couldn't read this. It started with the usual drama but this time from the usually calm neighbor Emma pounding on the door saying that someone is going to kill her husband she just knows it. So I will return it back to the library and try to read in a few months. I think I have just read too many Aunt Dimity novels lately.

Aunt Dimity, Snowbound Lori Shepherd is overtaken by the blizzard of the century. Fortunately, she's soon safe and dry with two other stranded backpackers in Ladythorne Abbey, the fabulous home of the late Lucasta DeClerke. Or is she? In the abbey's cloisters and passages there still lingers the haunting presence of Lucasta, a mysterious madwoman -not to mention the danger posed by an unstable caretaker. It was better than the previous Dimity book, as I enjoy it when there is more of a supernatural aspect which there was this time. The mystery wasn't particularly difficult to figure out but it had an interesting twist.

Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin
Lori Shepherd, feeling a touch world-weary, decides to become a volunteer at the Radcliffe Infirmary, where she can spread a little good cheer in the community. There she meets Elizabeth Beacham, a kind, retired legal secretary with no family except a brother who has mysteriously disappeared.

Lori is saddened when Miss Beacham passes away suddenly after only a few visits. But when she receives an envelope containing a set of keys and a letter Miss Beacham wrote to her just a few days before her death, it becomes clear that there was much more to the gentle invalid than met the eye. Notices start arriving around the village of the large bequests made before her death. And Lori finds that Miss Beacham’s flat is filled with priceless antiques—an inheritance too precious to remain unclaimed. Armed with a few clues and Aunt Dimity’s help, Lori begins to unearth Miss Beacham’s secrets and, ultimately, the surprising truth about her next-of-kin.

This was one of the better stories as it gives Lori some humility which she really needed.

Mrs. Murphy Mystery postmistress Mary Minor (Harry) Hairsteen Series by Rita Mae Brown & Sneaky Pie Brown

Book 13: Cat's Eyewitness
After she decides to quit her job as the Crozet, Va., postmistress because her animal companions-cats Mrs. Murphy and Pewter and corgi Tee Tucker-are no longer permitted to accompany her to work, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen and best friend Susan Tucker retreat to a Blue Ridge Mountains monastery, where a statue of the Virgin Mary suddenly begins to bleed from the eyes. This curiosity, which attracts national media attention after a local reporter, Nordy Elliott, files a short piece on it, becomes more of a concern when Susan's beloved great-uncle, a monk, turns up dead at the foot of the statue. While Harry, her two cats and her dog investigate, Nordy becomes the next murder victim, in a symbolic manner linked to the supposed miracle.

This was a bit more preachy than previous of the series. We even see Boom-Boom falling in love with a woman! I think this book has focused much more on the emotions of the various characters and less on the mystery. Listened to on tape so perhaps that is why I noticed it more.

Book 12: Whisker of Evil
This mystery concerns the death of Barry Monteith, a local horse breeder. Even more mysterious is that fact that Barry, although viciously murdered, was also infected with rabies. Harry soon finds the class ring of Mary Pat Reines, a local horsebreeder who disappeared in 1967 with her prize stallion. Two more deaths soon follow, and the entire close-knit town is shaken, trying to discover the murderer and the source of Barry's rabies. A lot of personal growth happens to Harry as well. She finally opens up her heart to love again and decides to quit working at the postoffice when she is told she can't have her animals working with her. Overall a good read but I do get a little tired of the horse stuff. A must read in the series or you'll come in an go huh?!? when she isn't working at the postoffice.

Book 11: Tail of the tip-off
Set in the middle of UofA woman's basketball season and murder is personal! Construction company owner H.H. Donaldson falls dead in the parking lot of the Clam, the University of Virginia's giant sports complex. The police and Harry are barely into trying to find out who killed H.H.-and how-when a second mysterious death occurs at the arena. Will she find out who did it before she is the next victim. I honestly did not figure it out, much more complicated than most of these mysteries.

Book 10: Catch as Cat Can
When Roger O'Bannon dies during the spring festivities at Crozet, Virginia, it's up to Postmistress Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen's coterie of animals--her Welsh corgi, Tucker, her portly gray cat, Pewter, and, of course, feline sleuth extraordinaire Mrs. Murphy--to get to the bottom of the murder connection. I listened to this on tape. This is a very fun series. I have read all, but periodically go through and re-read every couple of years. It helps me remember who and why people are important to Harry.

9. Claws and Effect
8. Pawing Through the Past
7. Cat on the Scent
6. Murder on the Prowl
5. Murder, She Meowed
4. Pay Dirt
3. Murder at Monticello
2. Rest in Pieces
1. Wish You Were Here

President's Daughter by Mariah Stewart features Journalist Simon Keller and Dina McDermott. Simon unearths an unsettling story about former president Graham Hayward and a 30 year old murder. He finds that Hayward had a secret affair that ended with his mistress being killed by a hit and run driver. Through his discoveries he discovers successful businesswoman Dina McDermott who is the result of Hayward's affair. Shaken by a shattering truth, Dina is suddenly thrust into the crosshairs of a cold-blooded killer and on the run for her life.

An interesting story that I read it as the sequel is out and supposed to be good. We'll see. It was an alright story and not that hard or shocking to see who the real murderer is.

Mitford series by Jan Karon features the quiet life of Mitford through the eyes of it's pastor, Father Tim. I listened to each one on tape/CD in my car as I drive to and from work. It really helps pass the time. As I finish each book in the series I find that I'm missing it and can't wait until the next one comes out. I'm very thankful that I allowed myself to enjoy this lovely series.

Book 1 - At Home in Mitford Father Tim, the bachelor rector, enjoys his little quiet parish but wants something more. Enter a dog the size of a sofa who moves in and won't go away. Add an attractive neighbor who begins wearing a path through the hedge. Now, stir in a lovable but unloved boy, a mystifying jewel theft, and a secret that's sixty years old. Suddenly, Father Tim gets more than he bargained for. And readers get a rich comedy about ordinary people and their ordinary lives. OK, I resisted reading these books when it first came out. But finally felt it was time to start reading it. It is a lovely read perfect for rainy days in front of a fire with a cupa.

Book 2 - In A Light in the Window His attractive neighbor, Cynthia, is tugging at his heartstrings. A wealthy widow is pursuing him with hot casseroles. And his red-haired Cousin Meg has moved into the rectory, uninvited. I listened to this on tape and enjoyed it as much as the first. This is a good tape to take on a long car trip as it is 12 cassettes. We find out much more about our favorite priest and all the people in lovely town called Mitford.

Book 3 - These High, Green Hills Since I skipped Book 3 & 4 and read book 5 out of sequence book 5 is starting to make more sense to me now. After becoming trapped in a tunnel with his wife Cynthia he comes to terms with issues about retirement and his father. He has been married for about 3 months and Father Tim adjusting to married life, dealing with a new church computer, confronting issues of domestic violence and child abuse, providing courtship advice to the local newspaper editor, and facing the prospect of retirement. He discoveres that Dooley's mother is living in poor side of the creek, but doesn't come to grips with it until she is brought in as a burn victim the hospital. You feel his struggle with letting Dooley make his own choices about his life and sometimes you have to love someone enough to let them go. With the usual blend of humor, saddness and friendship one is again home in Mitford.

Book 4 - Out to Canaan Father Tim, the Episcopal rector, and his talented and vivacious wife, Cynthia, are pondering the murky uncertainties of retirement. They're also trying to locate the scattered siblings of Dooley Barlowe, the mountain boy they love as their own. A brash new mayoral candidate is calling for aggressive development, and a tough survivor must hunker down for the fight of her life. Worse, the Sweet Stuff Bakery may be closing, and a suspicious real estate agent is trying to turn the beloved house on the hill into a spa. Can change be coming to Mitford? The buzz on Main Street says yes. Change is certainly coming to the tenderest regions of several townspeople's lives.

Book 5 - In A New Song, Mitford's longtime Episcopal priest, Father Tim, retires. However, new challenges and adventures await when he agrees to serve as interim minister of a small church on Whitecap Island. He and his wife, Cynthia, soon find that Whitecap has its own unforgettable characters: a church organist with a mysterious past, a lovelorn bachelor placing personal ads, a mother battling paralyzing depression. They also find that Mitford is never far away when circumstances "back home" keep their phone ringing off the hook.

I listened to this on tape and enjoyed getting to know the people of Whitecap Island but we do get visits from our old familiar favorites from Mitford. I read this out of order thinking it was the 3rd book - hence was confused by some things that seemed to have changed so rapidly.

Book 6 - A Common Life which actually goes back to Father Tim & Cynthia's wedding. It is very short but nostalgic look at their marriage day as well as of several other main characters first loves.

Book 7 - In This Moutain Father Tim and Cynthia return to Mitford. Father Tim, disliking retirement, takes on a difficult ministry. At first he likes the challenge until an unexpected event propels him on a journey that shakes his faith, his marriage and the town of Mitford. We get a much more indepth look at Father Tim and his relationships with people in the community and with God.

Book 8 - Shepherds abiding
When Father Tim finds a battered nativity scene in an antique shop, he embarks on a renovation project that touches many. We also see the closing of the grill on Christmas eve. The usual cast of characters that make Mitford so unique. There is new love for Hope, manager of the Happy Endings bookstore, as she lets God take control of her life and her wildest dreams comes true. With typical fashion Father Tim is unable to keep a secret of what he is giving his wife for Christmas so everyone in town knows and lends a hand. With an almost Henry O' type ending we see Tim and Cynthia give each other the perfect gifts of Christmas.

This short novella includes two short stories: Esther's gift: Esther isn't so sure that she should spend so much time and money making her famous two-layer marmalade cake for holiday gifts, but then she remembers the meaning of Christmas. The Mitford snowmen: The citizens of Mitford have a spontaneous snowman-building contest.

Book 9 - Light from heaven
Father Tim and his wife Cynthia are housesitting on Meadowgate Farm, where the couple are staying for a year. Between Dooley's brother Sammy showing up, dust storms and the chimney collasping and finding someone to help clean up the mess plus keeping track of the animals, it is becoming difficult to stop and count their blessings. We meet the numerous and multitalented Flower Girls; there's a poacher on the farm. Plus we see Father Tim confront Dooley's father who is trying to get one of his sons, Sammy, back.

Then, high atop a nearby mountain, a tremendous challenge presents itself. An old, abandoned church, Holy Trinity, is in need of immediate revival--if Father Tim is up to the task. Preparing to become a vicar to a rural church closed for nearly 40 years, Father Tim considers the challenges ahead. We are introduced to a wide range of vivid characters. There's loquacious five-year-old Sissie; Jubal Adderholt and his squirrel-tail decorated home; Clarence, a gifted (and deaf) woodworker; and his mother Agnes, an Episcopal deacon. Still, Mitford is not far away, and Father Tim takes us on regular trips there.

Father Tim also struggles with the question of when to tell Dooley about his inheritance from Miss Sadie, looks for some money Louella has just remembered that Miss Sadie hid in a car, and engages in e-mail correspondence with former secretary Emma about her forthcoming trip to England. Two deaths occur in Mitford (Uncle Billy's death inspires the townspeople to take on an engaging new habit), as well as a wedding. Plus finally the missing brother comes home on a Christmas eve reunion that will bring you to tears.

Thankfully they go to Mitford often so we don't loose all our favorite characters plus there are so many new ones we get to meet. The ending was a bit rushed as she ties up loose ends to end this lovely series. I almost wish she could have been made it into two books as I felt it jump so much at the end. Oh, well all good things must come to an end.

Joe Gray msyteries by Shirley Rousseau Murphy

Cat on the Edge features Joe Gray, a cat, who discovers that he can understand, speak and read human language and feel such human emotions as guilt and sympathy, but when he witnesses Beckwith's murder, he begins to wish that he was just a regular cat. This very fun mystery series is more of an fantasy as Joe Gray finds he can understand human speak and even speak it himself. He discovers another cat who is like him as well as a human who can turn herself into a cat and back to human again. But I will definitely read more of this series.

Thale's Folly by Dorothy Gilman is a delightful book about Andrew Folly who goes to check out the property his father inherited. There he discovers that 4 people are very happily living there - perment guests of his Aunt. A truely delightful book.

Flesh Tones by M.J. Rose
Did Genny Haviland poison Slade Gabriel to save her adored father's art gallery or did she help the acclaimed artist kill himself before Alzheimer's disease destroyed his mind and talent? Although billed as a courtroom drama, there's not a great deal of suspense here, but that may not matter to readers who prefer their mysteries with a romantic subplot. In this engrossing, erotic novel, the affair that begins when 17-year-old Genny meets and falls in love with the married, much older Gabriel, and then spans two decades is more than a subplot--it's the whole thing. While the outcome of Genny's murder trial is hardly in doubt, it's a good frame for a nicely told story of love, art, and obsession.

Scarlet Feather by Maeve Binchy features two friends, Cathy Scarlet and Tom Feather who have started their own catering business. It follows their lives and those that they touch along the way. Everything written by Binchy is always lovely to read and this is no exception.

Sex and the City: Kiss and Tell by Amy Sohn gives an overview of the show's premise, photos of seasons past, biographies of and interviews with cast members and the show's producers, episode summaries and more. This is really fun to page through as I enjoy the show so much.

Bill Smith & Lyndia Chin Mysteries by S.J. Rozan

1. China Trade is set in New York's Chinatown Lydia is hired to find precious stolen porcelain. She follows a trail of clues from highbrow art dealers into a world of Chinese gangs. Suddenly, this case has become as complex as her community itself--and as deadly as a killer on the loose... Very fast paced and even though this is the first book you feel like the characters feel the history between the characters. I look forward to reading more by this author.

2. Concourse is from Bill's point of view and you get a lot of insight into his personality and his relationship with Lydia. A very complex world of real estate and community involvement in the Bronx. When a security guard is found beaten to death with a gunshot in his foot Bill is brought in by an old friend, Bobby Moran, who is the uncle of the murdered man and the head of the security company hired to guard the area. This form of killing if uniform of a gang killing bringing focus upon the local gang, the Cobras. When another security guard is killed will Bill discover if it is a simple as a gang killing or is something more sinister going on.

3. Mandarin Plaid is from Lydia's point of view. Her brother Andrew asks her to deliver the ransom for a set of stolen sketches that comprise the inaugural collection of fashion designer, Genna Jing. When Lydia is shot at in the park, her partner Bill is arrested and the money was stolen out from under her, Lydia starts digging to find out if everyone involved is really who they seem. Another well written addition to this excellent series. We find out more about Lydia's brother Andrew is hasn't come out to anyone in the family but her. Plus we see Bill & Lyndia's relationship grow and develope.

4. No Colder Place is back to Bill's point of view. Bill Smith is going undercover again as a favor to an old friend who wants him to investigate thievery on the 40-story Manhattan site of Crowell Construction's latest project. His bricklaying is a little rusty, but passable as he checks out the foreman who's under suspicion. A crane operator has disappeared--along with some heavy machinery. But when a well-orchestrated riot causes the foreman's “accidental” death, Smith plunges into a morass of bribery, blackmail and blood looking for answers.

By Blood Possessed by Elena Santangelo. Out of the blue, Pat Montella learns that an elderly Virginia woman, Magnolia Shelby, wants to leave her some land in her will. But a condition of the bequest is that Pat go to Virginia and spend some time with Miss Maggie. It turns out the land is the site of a Civil War battle, and Pat soon learns that she has a strange, eerie connection to events that happened 150 years ago, for she begins to hear sounds no one else hears, see things no one else sees. In many ways, this is a traditional mystery--someone seems to want to keep Pat from inheriting the land, and Pat has to figure out who--but it has a certain otherworldly quality that will appeal to readers of supernatural thrillers, for it offers an intriguing premise: If Pat's experiences aren't just a trick of her mind, can she use her unusual gift to solve a century-and-a-half-old mystery?

Jane Austen in Boca by Paula Marantz Cohen - follows the lives of senior citizens in Jewish "retirement club" in Boca Raton, Florida. Primarily follows 3 ladies who made an unlikely trio. It follows their loves, losses and friendship. It is a great read by the pool. I miss the characters already.

Passage by Connie Willis features Dr. Joanna Lander is a cognitive psychologist at Mercy Hospital. The focus of her research is the near-death experience (NDE). She interviews people who have coded and were resuscitated to try to to identify the common elements and to see if she can find out what causes the NDE and the purpose it serves in the dying brain. She meets up with Dr. Richard Wright, who is also studying NDEs, using a drug that simulates the near-death experience. When their volunteer list dwindles and the project is in danger of losing its funding, Joanna goes under the drug herself and embarks on a series of strange journeys as she tries to piece together the clues her experiences provide.

I love Connie Willis' books, I have not read one I did not like. It is hard to put her books down once you start reading it.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn is a story in corespondece from various characters. Ella Minnow Pea is a girl living happily on the fictional island of Nollop off the coast of South Carolina. Nollop was named after Nevin Nollop, author of the immortal pangram,* “The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.” Now Ella finds herself acting to save her friends, family, and fellow citizens from the encroaching totalitarianism of the island’s Council, which has banned the use of certain letters of the alphabet as they fall from a memorial statue of Nevin Nollop. As the letters progressively drop from the statue they also disappear from the novel. The result is both a hilarious and moving story of one girl’s fight for freedom of expression, as well as a linguistic tour de force sure to delight word lovers everywhere.

Murder @Maggody.com by Joan Hess - I listened to this on cd in the car. I didn't like the reader but enjoyed the story. I always get a kick out of the latest Maggody book. I had read this one when it first came out a few years back but enjoyed it again. A fun series.

Muletrain to Maggody
Maggody, Arkansas is to (population 755, at least until Dahlia Buchanon brings her latest pregnancy to term), host a reenactment of the Skirmish at Cotter's Ridge, complete with mules, cannon, and corpses. The reenactors all have their own agendas. Jeb Stewart soaks his boots so they'll raise authentic blisters; Andrew Pulaski dreams of cutting a fine figure on horseback; Wendell Streek pores over the diary of Henry Largesse, whose unit camped at Boone Creek, where it was overwhelmed by Yankee artillery power. But it's Largesse's description of the Confederate gold, hidden somewhere on Cotter's Ridge, that piques the interest of virtually every one of the 755. Dahlia swipes her granny from the old folks' home to guide her through the ridge's caves. Ruby Bee Hanks and Estelle Oppers enlist the aid of backwoods delinquent Hammett Buchanon. Lottie Estes, Elsie McMay, and Eula Lemoy break into Headquarters House in Farberville looking for clues. When Lottie, along with Petrol Buchanon and Brother Verber, turns up missing, the heat's on Ruby Bee's pride and joy, Chief of Police Arly Hanks , to banish her old flame, filmmaker Jack Wallace, to the backlot so she can investigate.

China Bayles Herbal Mysteries by Susan Wittig Albert features herbalist China Bayles, who abandoned her career as a hot-shot Houston criminal attorney to buy an herb shop in a small town located half-way between Austin and San Antonio, Texas. Each of her mysteries has a signature herb that is connected to a major theme, and each is liberally sprinkled with information on growing and using herbs. Main characters are her friend Ruby, her lover ex-cop Mike McQuaid, as well as other friends and families.

1. Thyme of Death
China's first adventure. A friend dies--murder or suicide?

2. Witches' Bane
China and Ruby discover that the supernatural isn't funny.

3. Hangman's Root
Animal rights, academic politics, and murder--a potent mix.

4. Rosemary Remembered
Who remembers the victims of crime?

5. Rueful Death
Grace, forgiveness, and the mystery of community.

6. Love Lies Bleeding
China learns a tough lesson in love.

7. Chile Death
Hot stuff, folks! (Funny, too)

8. Lavender Lies
Mystery, murder, and a wet 'n' wild wedding

9. Mistletoe Man
What's Christmas without mistletoe? What's life without Ruby? Join China as she faces both of these difficult questions. When the mistletoe man is mysteriously run down by an hit and run driver immediate his neighbors are under suspicion as there has been a running feud with them for most of the year. But will the crazy aunt take the fall for the murder or will the real murderer please stand up? This one was a puzzlier but enjoyment to the end.

10. Bloodroot
We find out more about her relationship with her mother and her past. Leatha, China's mother, calls from Jordan's Crossing to ask for China's help in dealing with her Aunt Tullie's illness. Upon arrival in Jordan's Crossing Leatha informs China that Aunt Tullie has Huntington's Disease and struck Wiley, the manager of the plantation while in a rage about a long forgotten paper saying his great grandfather owns the property. When Wiley is discovered two days later drowned in the local pond they must all deal with the consequences of their aunt's actions. China must deal with this devastating news as she comes to understand how this affect her life as well as her mother's. When she goes to bed she dreams a childhood dream of following her Aunt and seeing her dig up an unmarked grave. When she awakes she finds Pearl's diary, Aunt Tullie's mother, and the pj's that China wore as a child stained with Bloodroot. Was it really a dream or are there really skeletons in the family graveyard that no one knows about. There are many mysteries to discover but thanks to the ghosts that speak from the past China learns the truth about herself and her past.

11. Indigo Dying
China has recently become part-owner of a combination herb shop and tea house called Thyme for Tea in tiny Indigo, Tex. But her new life-and the lifestyle of the bohemian entrepreneurs and elderly Indigo natives in the community-is put in jeopardy when Casey Ford, a reviled but powerful Indigo resident, concocts a plan to sell the coal-mining rights to a national conglomerate, a scheme that would allow him to evict most of the store owners in town once the deal is done. Ford is murdered days before he signs the agreement. Bayles and her husband, another former attorney named Mike McQuaid, find themselves stymied in their investigation of the murder by a town full of suspects who close ranks as they celebrate Ford's sudden death.

12. An Unthymely Death
Several short stories featuring our favorite characters. These were originally published in a magazine and feature many facts and recipes featuring herbs. Not as good as the full length novels but fun to read never the less.

13. Dilly of a Death

14. Deadman's Bones

15. Bleeding hearts
Coach Tim Duffy's Pecan Springs high school football team has won the state championships two years in a row -- and in Texas, that makes him a demigod. But when China's stepson's principal asks her to conduct a sensitive investigation concerning accusations of sexual misconduct lodged against Duffy, she becomes embroiled in a dark drama that, if exposed, could destroy families and ruin lives. Statutory rape and cold-blooded murder are just the beginning of this mystery…

China struggles to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding the murder of a beloved high school football coach and the alleged suicide of a woman who was once one of his students. A handmade quilt, sewn by a woman who went through cancer treatments, is missing from the quilt show that Ruby is in charge of. In typical New Age style Ruby decides to ask the Ouija Board to help guide her to the guilty party. Plus to complicate matters China's mother asks her to get some papers that were found after her husband's secretary's death. What China finds will rock her to the bone.

Interesting enough China's husband is out of town for most of the book. We get to see more of China interacting with other women and friends.

Hippie in the Wall by Tony Fennelly features Margo Fortier who is platonically married to a gay man from a prominent wealthy family. The first installment introduces us to Margo's past as an ex-stripper turned columnist in New Oreleans. A dead body is found in back of a closet of the strip joint she used to work in 20 years ago. She is brought in by a local cop who used to be a regular in the strip club. Only she remembers everyone who was working there and what each person is doing now. But who would kill a harmless hippie? and why? As the suspects start showing up dead and Margo herself is threatened she needs to discover who killed the hippie in the wall.

Best of Friends by Joanna Trollope is set in England it features two families. Gina and Laurence had been the best of friends ever since they were teenagers. They had never been in love - just friends. Gina had eventually married the exquisitely tasteful Fergus, and Laurence had married down-to-earth Hilary. Gina and Fergus lived in stylish perfection at High Place. Laurence and Hilary had spent their married lives turning Laurence's legacy, The Bee House, into both home and hotel. Then, with elegant disdain, Fergus Bedford announced he was leaving Gina and their teenage daughter. As Gina's misery ricocheted through the two homes, she turned for emotional support to Laurence, her dearest friend. And as Laurence gave comfort, so his own marriage and the stability of his children edged towards destruction.

While an interesting book it is a depressing one. I felt really sad for everyone. One interesting thing I found was that Trollope was a very objective author, I never felt that it was any one character who was worst or more to blame than any other. I don't think I could read too many of her books if each one is this sad. I did listen to it on tape which may have made it more sad to me.

Bonita Faye by Margaret Moseley is a wonderful book of a poor girl who's husband is blown away and she is left a young widow. As the story unfolds you discover there is much more to this simple Oklahoma country girl as she finds herself in France, but comes home to Oklahoma to find her roots.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch features Astrid is the only child of a single mother, Ingrid, a brilliant, obsessed poet who wields her luminous beauty to intimidate and manipulate men. Astrid worships her mother and cherishes their private world full of ritual and mystery-but their idyll is shattered when Astrid's mother falls apart over a lover. Deranged by rejection, Ingrid murders the man, and is sentenced to life in prison. This is an unforgettable story of Astrid's journey through a series of foster homes and her efforts to find a place for herself in impossible circumstances. Each home is its own universe, with a new set of laws and lessons to be learned. I also saw the movie before I read the book. I enjoyed both for different reasons. I was pleased to see that the movie followed the book pretty accurately except for the ending. But that's Hollywood baby!

Body of a Girl by Leah Stewart. Features journalist Olivia Dale as she finds and reports on the murder of a young woman who could have easily been her. Set in the Memphis summer heat you can practically feel the heat rising off the pavement. Olivia becomes obsessed with finding out why Allison Avery was killed. Was it somebody she knew, a stranger or because of drugs. Olivia becomes Allison to find out and becomes a part of the underground drug scene of Memphis. This is a difficult read but I could not put it down.

Folly by Laurie R. King features Rae Newborn. Rae has been in and out of mental institutions most of her adult life. After her 2nd husband and young daughter are killed in a car crash that leaves her physically as well as emotionally scarred 50 year old Rae decides to move to a deserted island to restore her great-uncles home build in the 1920's that the natives dubbed Folly. She discovers more about her mysterious great-uncle as well as her own strengths. An excellent read but as with anything that has mental illness hard to read sometimes. I did listen to this on CD and it was an excellent choice - as the reader Frank Muller did a great job.

Darker Place by Laurie R. King features Anne Waverly professor of religious studies who also moonlights as an undercover agent for the FBI infiltrating cults. Anne Waverly becomes Ana Wakefield and goes to investigate a new cult called Change. She finds that her past won't let her go as she becomes attached to a brother and sister who have been taken into the Change. This is truly one of those books which creates a powerful sense of "something wicked this way comes." In fact, there is so much tension, you may even feel a bit let down by the climax. (I wanted another chapter or at least an epilogue.) It is not an easy read on vacation book but causes thought and reflection.

Caveman's Valentine by George Dawes Green features Romulus Ledbetter (Rom). Who at one time was a loving spouse and father until he went insane. Rom now lives in a cave in Upper Manhattan's Inwood Park. He grocery shops in garbage cans and alleys. Rom is so gone he believes in an evil presence, Cornelius Gould Stuyvesant, who is responsible for destroying mankind with the evil Y and Z rays. When he discovers a dead body of young man outside of his cave he knows that Stuyvesant has something to do with it. He must keep it together to find out who killed this man and why. This is a difficult book to read as Rom goes back and forth between reality and his reality. But a very satisifing read.

This book has been made into a movie in 2001 which stared Samuel L. Jackson.

Big Read Tequila by Rick Riordan is set in San Antonio, TX. Tres Navarre left San Antonia for San Francisco years ago when he witnessed his father's murder in their front yard. After receiving letters from his childhood sweetheart he decides to come back and find out who killed his father. What he finds is that no one is as they seem and he may die trying to find his father's killer. I love reading books from Texas as I used to live in Houston and this has all the flavor of the great state of Texas. Each character was so gritty that they weren't likable but I had to find out what happened in the end. I would read more by this author.

Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger focuses on one relationship, that of Henry and Clare, as both it, and Henry, flow through time. When Clare first meets Henry she is six years old and he has traveled back thirty years to meet her. Set in Chicago, the story goes beyond the typical love ballad to become a story about living in the moment and enjoying people as they come and go through life.

A very intense read and one knows it can't end really happily but the relationships are so fascinating to read about.

Dreaming of the Bones by Deborah Crombie features Scotland yard Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and Sergeant Gemma James. Kincaid is asked by his ex-wife in Cambridge to help her prove that a talented poet did not commit suicide, but was murdered. They discover startling news that leads them into an engrossing history of poetry and scandal, found secrets and lost innocence. I have not read any of the books in this series but I will defintely start reading more from this author. I listened to this on CD and enjoyed it the reader.

Bubbles Unbound by Sarah Strohmeyer features hairstylist/journalist Bubbles Yablonsky. Bubbles is a divorced single mother of Jane, an 17 year old going on 30, teenager. She knows there is more to life than doing hair in Lehigh, Pennsylvania. She goes back to school, enters journalism classes and gets a job at a local newspaper for on-the-job training. When Bubbles stumbles upon a crime scene on the way home from an assignment, she's suddenly up to her roots in a nasty murder investigation. Plus can she resist Stiletto who keeps leaving her hanging. Very reminiscent of Evanovich's Stephanie Plum mysteries. Fun, light and entertaining.

In the sequel Bubbles in Trouble, Bubbles goes undercover to track down her friend Janice who left her fiance at the alter to go back to Amish country. No more make-up and high heals for Bubbles as she dones her plain dresses and braids her hair and she discovers that not all as it appears in Whoopee, PA. Of course there is the sexual tension between her and Stiletto, and will he finally pop the question. Read and find out.

Bubbles ablaze
Bubbles a broad

Bubbles Betrothed

Bubbles Yablonsky has hung up her curling iron for good, the ex-hairdresser and takes her new career seriously. The Lehigh News-Times reporter is willing to risk a contempt-of-court charge rather than surrender the notes from her interview with accused murderer Julia "Crazy Popeye" Simon. Popeye's poisoning in her jail cell makes the police think maybe she didn't kill high school principal Rudolph Schmidt, even though podiatrist Cerise May found the bag lady in her waiting room with her hands down the administrator's throat. And they think Bubbles's notebook may help them find out who did kill Schmidt, and whether the killing is connected to May's ex-boyfriend, Polish mafioso Karol Smolak.

Of course, keeping her mother Lulu out of trouble and helping daughter Jane fill out her application to Princeton take up most of Bubbles's spare time, so it isn't until the judge fines her $1,000 per minute until her notes resurface that she decides she'd better find out who killed Schmidt. But Bubbles doesn't reckon with the biggest distraction of all: AP photographer Steve Stiletto, who plunks a diamond on her finger and asks her to pretend to be his fiancée so he doesn't get sent to London.

Typical crazy murder and mayhem follow Bubbles where ever she goes. The whole fake engagement was kind of annoying and really didn't add much to the story. Bubbles is always fun but I miss her salon days.

Coraline is a delightfully spooky children's book by Neil Gaiman. Coraline is bored, she and her family just moved flat that is part of a converted house. Her parents are too busy working to pay attention to her and the others who live in the house are old. So she goes exploring. Looking for excitement, Coraline ventures through a mysterious door into a world that is similar, yet disturbingly different from her own, where she must challenge a gruesome entity (who calls itself her other mother) in order to save herself, her parents, and the souls of three others. Go to the linked website, it gives you a taste of what the book is about. I really liked this book!

Neil Gaiman's site (http://www.neilgaiman.com) seems to be down so I've linked his name to the publisher.

O Jerusalem : a Mary Russell novel by Laurie R. King. Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes have fled to Palestine on a mission for Mycroft Holmes. Disguised as itinerant Muslims and paired with two Arab spies, Russell and Holmes travel through the Holy Land trying to figure out exactly why Mycroft has sent them. A pair of seemingly unrelated murders sets them on the track of a brilliant and power-hungry killer. Only Holmes and Russell (along with some unexpected allies) can stop their adversary from destroying Jerusalem--if they can get to him in time.

I listened to this on CD and kept wanting to drive so I would know what happens. This is the 5th in the series but in time it takes place after Beekeeper's Apprentice. I have enjoyed all the Mary Russell novels especially this one as you get a real impression on how Russell and Holme's relationship developed.

Don't Cry for Me, Hot Pastrami by Sharon Kahn is the third mystery this funny series follows Ruby and the gang from Eternal, Texas, as they take to the Caribbean for a Temple-sponsored cruise to die for. The humor is very Jewish plus we deal with Ruby (a widow) as she begins to have romantic feelings for the prime suspect. A fast-paced mystery, a cast of quirky characters, humor and wit made me laughplus I really enjoyed getting to know this character. I might even try to read the others in the series.

Milicent Le Sueur by Margaret Moseley a mystery about a schizophrenic baglady who is the only witness to a murder. This book was enjoyable but kind of confusing as everything was from the point of view of Milicent who has lots of black holes in her memory. She would find things like a diamond earing in the trash and a baby in a dumpster. She has a compulsive way about her like she has to clean bathrooms and count noises. Plus has this strange friendship with the chief of police who is very protective of her as he lets her do what she wants. A very odd character but likeable at the same time. "WHATCHA LOOKING AT?!

Savannah Blues by Mary Kay Andrews is romantic mystery set in Savannah. Weezie is an antiques "picker" who combs Savannah's steamy back alleys and garage sales for treasures, when she's not dealing with her loopy relatives or her hunky ex-boyfriend. She is convinced that her troubles will be over if she makes a big killing at the upcoming estate sale at a noble plantation house. But when she finds the body of her ex-husband's fiance and is the prime suspect she has to find out who the real murderer.

Shade's Children by Garth Nix - In the brutal world of Shade's Children, your 14th birthday is your last. Malevolent Overlords rule the earth, directing hideous, humanoid creatures to harvest the brains and muscles of teens for use in engineering foul beasts to fight senseless wars. Young Gold-Eye escapes this horrific fate, fleeing the dormitories before his Sad Birthday. He is rescued from certain doom by other refugees who live in an abandoned submarine and work for Shade, a strange, computer-generated adult. Shade provides food and shelter in exchange for information that the children gather on dangerous forays into Overlord territory. But what does Shade really want? He is a sworn enemy of the Overlords, but his use of the children to gain knowledge and power seems uncaring and ruthless. Finally, Gold-Eye and his new friends set out to destroy the Overlords--with or without the enigmatic, dangerous Shade.

The Horse You Came in On by Martha Grimes features her detective Richard Jury. The murder is in America, but the call goes out to Scotland Yard superintendent Richard Jury. Accompanied by his aristocratic friend Melrose Plant and by Sargeant Wiggins, Jury arrives in Baltimore, Maryland, home of zealous Orioles fans, mouth-watering crabs, and Edgar Allen Poe. In his efforts to solve the case, Jury rubs elbows with a delicious and suspicious cast of characters, embarking on a trail that leads to a unique tavern called "The Horse You Came In On"... I have never read any of her previous books and while this was rather complicated and convoluted I really enjoyed the different characters and how their lives intertwined.

Rosewood's Ashes by Aileen Schumacher is the forth book featuring Tory Travers and David Alvarez. I have not read the previous three titles. Tory has to confront her past when she learns that her father, who she hasn't seen in years, is in a coma from an automobile accident. So she and her partner David Alvarez fly to her hometown of Gainesville, FL. This book alternates between present day and events that happened 1923 when a white mob attacked a black town of Rosewood, Florida. A series of murders seem to tie the present day to this event 70 years before. The clues are in the past but will they discover it before Tory becomes another victim.

Star King and the sequel Star Prince by Susan Grant. These are futuristic romance science fiction novels.

In Star King Time and space pause, bringing two people from vastly different worlds together for only moments. Air Force Lieutenant Jasmine Boswell believes she's been shot down over the Saudi Arabian Desert. Prince Romlijhian B'Kah has just witnessed his brother's plane exploding when a vision of what he believes to be an angel saves his life. For a moment, soul mates meet and recognize the profound implications, only to be wrenched away. Later each believes that their meeting was only a hallucination. Nine years later, an alien nation contacts earth to establish trade relations. A glimpse of one of the aliens on television brings instant recognition to Jas. She immediately arranges a six-month absence and smuggles onto the airbase where Rom's star craft is about to launch. Jas is divorced, her life missing something, and she longs to seek answers in the stars. Rom has been disowned from the royal family and is making his living as minor smuggler. As their worlds collide, Jas and Rom struggle with their painful pasts, their growing love and an encroaching evil that threatens to destroy the galaxy.

In Star Prince, Princess Tee'ah Dar was sick of enduring life in isolation as Vash Nadah tradition demanded. In a desperate bid for freedom, Tee'ah stole a starspeeder to begin a new life doing what she loved most, flying! Ian Hamilton, an Earth dweller who was the heir to the Trade Federation and crown prince of the Vash empire, was deep undercover. He posed as Ian Stone, a trader of black market items. He was determined to bring the human people of Earth, the Vash people of Sienna, and all the people in the Federation together in peace! However, freak accidents and bad luck kept getting in the way. When his pilot died, Ian's crew was stranded on an awful world called Donavan's Blunder. Ian's critical mission would have failed right there, had a spunky pilot, Tee, not happened to appear. But neither Ian nor Tee told the other who they really were.

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem features Lionel Essrog. A walk on the wild side of Brooklyn's criminal underclass with a hero known as "The Human Freakshow," a would-be detective also answering to the name of Lionel Essrog. Essrog is a victim of Tourette's Syndrome; hapless and veering out of control, he fights himself and his disease. He is part of L&L detective agency with the other Minna Men - pulled out of St. Vincent's Home for Boys by Frank Minna. When Frank is killed Lionel is compeled to find out who did it. He finds Zen Budda's, mafia men and giants. We see this all from his perspective. An interesting book, I listened to it on CD and it was tough as his Tourette's is part of the dialog. There really isn't a conclusion but rather a realization of betrayal and can you really trust anyone?

Miracle Strip by Nancy Bartholomew is about exotic dancer Sierra Lavotini who lives in Panama City. She never intended to become an amateur sleuth, but when her co-worker Denise Curtis is in trouble, she has to help. Someone kidnapped Denise’s dog Arlo and is holding him for $100,000 ransom. After closing down the Tiffany Club where they both work, Sierra and Denise head to Denise’s room to plot a strategy. What they find is a dead body. Denise insists she has never seen the man before, but Sierra and the police have their doubts. What follows is a hysterical frolic around Panama City, reminiscent of Janet Evanovich. I will read the rest of the books the author has to offer.

Just finished the sequel Drag Strip in which Sierra is to appear at the Dead Lakes Motor Speedway with a new dancer named Ruby. When she almost witnesses Ruby's death, she is knocked unconscious to find Panama City homicide Detective John Nailor over the body only to leave her to take the fall. Is he involved? Did he murder Ruby and why did she see him kissing another woman? Find out by reading this latest installment of Sierra Lavotini. Plus we get to meet more of her interesting family and friends.

Finished the 3rd in the series, Film Strip in which Sierra is shot in the behind while another dancer is killed. What follows is that Sierra pretends to be connected to a crime boss from New Jersey, more killings and finally getting to know John Nailor in that personal way. Hurray! A fun read and I am hoping that a 4th will arrive in the near future.

Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris is the 2nd book featuring Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic barmaid in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Sookie gets loaned out by the local vampires to another vampire group in Dallas. She and Bill are sent to discover what has happened to a nest brother of the head vampire. What she discovers are an evil church who wants to masacure the vampires, a vampire who meets the sun, more shapeshifters and a maenad who lives in the forest. I enjoyed this latest installment but far too many loose ends were neatly tied up by the end of the story. I think Harris is trying to become more like Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton as there is a lot more gore and sex in this one. I wish I could have learned more about the Maenad who seemed to thrive on pride and drunkeness. But a quick overall good read.

Desperate Measures by Kate Wilhelm - Wilhelm's sixth Barbara Holloway legal thriller. Holloway's latest client is a brilliant young man named Alex Feldman, who has been left hideously deformed by a birth defect. He is accused of killing his next-door neighbor, Gus Marchand, a tyrannical religious zealot who saw Alex's deformity as the mark of the devil. Did he do it? Holloway goes all out to prove he did not, even going up against her father.

Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is this amazing book about a 14 year old girl, Susie, who is murdered by a serial killer. She observes everything that happens to her family, friends, strangers and the killer from heaven as she tries to make sense of what happened to her and how it effected others. Not an easy book to read but worth it. Kind of like a ghost story but better.

Cold Day in Paradise by Steve Hamilton. This is the first in a series featuring Alex McKnight, ex-Detroit cop in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, answers a cry for help from wealthy Edwin Fulton--only to find the man--a compulsive gambler who had gone to meet with a bookmaker--in his motel room with his throat cut. But as he investigates he finds that the murders are not as simple as it first appears. It made for an interesting read, will read more of this series.

Posted to Death by Dean James features Simon Kirby-Jones, an american, gay, vampire living in England. He discovers that he is not the only vampire living in the small town but thanks to modern medicine they can walk around in the sunlight, not need to drink blood and blend in with society. The characters are quirky and lots of flirations develop as it seems that most of the men in Snupperton Mumsley are gay. A light cozy read made for a good read. I got a little tired of the flirtations but it helped the character move along with his day.

Corpse de Ballet by Ellen Pall features Juliet Bodine, a successful writer of Regency novels and ex-professor of English literature at Barnard, puts aside her own deadlines to give literary advice to her longtime friend, Ruth Renswick, choreographer for the Jansch Ballet Company of New York, who is creating a new ballet based on Charles Dickens's Great Expectations. When the principal dancer dies during a rehersal, Juliet is convienced that it is murder. Unfortunately the police do not agree, so Juliet tries to ignore her gutt instinct but when another dancer almost dies during another rehersal can she convience the police that foul play is afoot? An entertaining read, I enjoyed the descriptions of the various ballet dancers and of the dance itself. I did get annoyed with Juliet and her odd and rather flat relationships with Ruth and her assistant and most of all the conflict between love internet Would read more by this author.

Oracle by Katherine Greyle is a futuristic fantasy novel with a slight romantic twist. Jane Deerfield is a computer tech at a university and is sucked into what she thinks if the past but finds that she is now two centuries in the future after a cataclysmic nuclear event obliterates most of the planet. Now she is in a time where magic is real and animals, trees and streams house old souls. Only she knows what the key is to open the room of knowledge but will she unlock it only to see history repeat itself. I found it an interesting fantasy as she meets all the characters who were spirits who merged with the water, trees, and animals. Where magic is the norm but even that is fading. Will she destroy or be the savoir of this fragile world?

MYSTERY WEB SITES

Mystery Readers International is site for mystery fans of all types. Has a search engine for mystery bookstores, reading groups and lots of reviews and recommended titles.

Mysterious Strands is an excellent source for mystery fans. I can find almost anything I want regarding mystery authors, reference sources, other web links, and more.

Local Bookstores



Coffee, Tea and Mystery is an independent bookstore in Southern California.



Book Baron is a used bookstore in Orange County and Long Beach.



Mysterious Galaxy is an awesome bookstore in San Diego that features mysteries, science fiction, fantasy and horror genres. All the books are new but they have a lot of author signings and are able to get books from different sources.

Uncle Boris in the Yukon by Daniel Pinkwater is by one of my favorite children's authors. He is so entertaining and funny. This book is a delightful collection about a boy and his dogs. I just couldn't stop laughing.

Olivia Kidney by Ellen Potter - Olivia Kidney's building superintendent father has just moved them to yet another new apartment building in New York City. One day, 12-year-old Olivia loses her key, and in her efforts to gain entrance to the building she meets a number of the strange residents. During the course of the day, Olivia meets a ghost who is a friendly boy her own age, a woman whose floors are made entirely of glass so that she can spy unnoticed on neighbors below, two intense and unpleasant girls, a sinister ex-pirate and an elderly siren to whom he is in servitude who live in an apartment resembling a tropical rainforest. Olivia is invited into their homes, and they tell her their stories. Olivia reveals the fact that she is lonely and unhappy since her brother died of cancer and her mother left the family. A visiting psychic named Madame Brenda tells Olivia that if she listens carefully enough, she will hear her brother speaking to her.

We are introduced to so many characters that I can see sequels being produced to find out what happens to everyone. We only see the outcome of one. It is an excellent if sad read but so interesting to view Olivia's world.

Reptile Room by Lemony Snicket - book 2 of a Series of Unfortunate Events. Read by Tim Curry. What a delightful book on tape. Curry was fabulous reading the various characters. You need to approach this with a sense of humor and not take it seriously and you'll be fine. I laughed quite a bit.

Caught Dead in Philadelphia by Gillian Roberts, featuring Philadelphia school teacher, Amanda Pepper. When the body of a colleague is found dead in Amanda's living room, she has to clear herself of suspicion—and make sure she isn't the next victim as well. This made for enjoyable read. It is first in the series and I will look for others. Kind of like the East coast version of Maggody.

Hot Enough to Kill by Paula Boyd features Jolene Jackson, born in Texas but lives in Colorado. Jolene's back in her hometown of Kickapoo, Texas, bailing her 72-year-old mother out of jail and trying to stay one step ahead of a killer. Reminds me of Maggody in a lot of ways with more romance. A good fast paced read.

Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. With all the new previews of the movie I decided that I should read the book and then go see the movie. I enjoyed every page of it. When Siddalee Walker gives a less than flattering view of her mother in the New York Times article her mother disowns her and Siddalee goes into a depression. She cancels her engagement and retreats to a friend's cabin outside of Seattle. The Ya-Ya's (childhood friends of her mother) convience Vivi ( Siddalee's mother) to send a scrapbook about the Ya-Ya's. This brings more questions than answers are we go back and forth in time reliving these memories. Reminiscent of Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg, this will keep you reading until the end.

On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah. As her 18 year old daughter flies to England for the summer Anne Colwater is told by her husband that he has been having a long term affair, no longer loves her and wants a divorce. Anne retreats to her childhood home in Mystic, Washington, where she encounters her old friend Nick, a widower with an emotionally scarred young daughter. She cuts her hair, falls in love with Nick and finds out she is pregnant by her soon to be ex-husband. Her husband wants her back so she tries but really only loves Nick. So she leaves her husband and goes back to Nick to start a new life. Very similiar to Maeve Binchy's, Tara Road, but I really never felt any connect for any of the characters as everyone felt flat.

Agnes Parker ... Girl in Progress by Kathleen O'Dell - is very similiar to the Alice series by Naylor. Agnes is a 6th grader trying to copy with life's changes and new glasses and a class bully. It was ok, but I just couldn't finish it.