Little Pixie

The Gourmet Detective - Peter King ( The books have been turned into a series of Hallmark TV movies, relocating the character from London to San Francisco. ) Published in 1994, but it feels like a much older book ; there`s a fair amount of sexism ( a couple of times, characters are decribed as ` would be more attractive if they lost weight and wore make-up`, and one female is described as having ` flashing eyes and heaving breasts ` in a particularly sniggerworthy description ) . I also had trouble with the last 15% or so of the book and had problems following what was happening ( but I could`ve just been tired ) . Having said that, I enjoyed the book despite the failings ; the Gourmet Detective is an amusingly pompous character who gets drawn into a real murder ( he usually spends his time tracking down rare foods ) , and I`ll give a book further along in the series a try.

Unhappy Hooligan - Stuart Palmer ( 1956 ) Howie Rook - retired journalist and bane of the Police Dept. - is hired as a private investigator to investigate the mysterious death of a wealthy lawyer, found in a locked room and wearing clown make-up. Howie is hired by both the lawyer's ex-wife and by the daughter, both of whom accuse the other....Howie goes undercover at the circus as a clown, in an amusing mystery with stand-out characters.

Oh dear. I don`t remember The Looking Glass War at all, and I thought I was 2/3 of the way through, reading them in order.

Ooh, Good question. I`ve edited it down to a Top 5 : Coming Clean - Kimberly Rae Miller . A memoir about growing up with a Father who was a compulsive hoarder. Funny and sad, it gave me a better understanding of hoarding. I`ve read the author`s second book ( Beautiful Bodies ) and would read anything else she comes out with. A Witch in Time - Amanda M Lee. The books/novellas all blur into one for me, so I`m picking a recent one which I loved. Aunt Tillie suffers a head injury and Bay and Landon are pulled into her mind. It`s very funny, with some poignant stuff too. Also, ` I could do it professionally` is my quote of the year so far. The Yellow Violet - Frances Crane. A 1940`s mystery set in San Francisco. Jean and Pat Abbott are trying to get married but a case keeps getting in the way. Sing the Four Quarters - Tanya Huff. Fantasy where magic affects the elements. The Bards are trained to sing to affect Earth, Fire, Wind and Water, with one Bard, Annice, able to affect all four elements. Annice - sister to the King - gets involved in a conspiracy and has to save her Country with everyone else thinking she`s a traitor. Splendid. The Disappearance of Mavis Woodstock - Rosalind Burgess & Patricia Obermeier Neuman . Very funny cosy mystery. 50-something friends Val and Kit investigate when a High School acquaintance goes missing. What books would you pick ?

Well done on all those reads.

Death in Door County - Rosalind Burgess & Patricia Obermeier Neumann Book 3 in the Val & Kit mystery series. Val leaves Chicago for a retirement village in Door County , to celebrate Mother' s Day at her Mother's house, along with best friend Kit and daughter Emily. While there, one of Val' s Mother's firends dies in what seems like an accident, leaving Val and Kit to leap into investigation mode. Another funny and suspenseful mystery.

Jeeves Omnibus Vol 2 Right Ho, Jeeves/ Joy in the Morning/ Carry On Jeeves Currently 99p.

Latest book haul ( purchases made before I decided not to buy any more books for a few weeks. )

Yes, I`d recommend them too, most strongly !

Welcome back, Anna ! May you have lots of lovely reads this year.

It's scary just reading that, Muggle. is there enough help on the ground ?

The Murder of Susan Reed - Rosalind Burgess & Patricia Obermeier Neumann The second in the Val and Kit mystery series. Kit suspects her husband of having an affair, probably with Susan Reed from his accountancy firm. Cue Val and Kit driving around in disguise one night, tailing the husband in a borrowed car. The next morning, the headline in the paper references the murder of Susan Reed, leaving Kit and husband Larry as possible suspects. And we're off on another LOL murder investigation.

Oh ! Just seen that Andrew Sean Greer has won the Pulitzer ! For Less, which I don`t have ( yet ). I loved his earlier book, The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells.

Oof, that sounds so nasty. I hope things are much better at your next appointment.

Val and Kit book 5 - free.

Yikes.

Hope you`re on the mend properly now.

Plus, I don`t count ebooks as `real` books, for TBR purposes.

Yay. I`m hoping that the rest of the series is as good as Book 1, but then you can`t quibble with free.

Book 84 The Disappearance of Mavis Woodstock - Rosalind Burgess & Patricia Obermeier Neumann The first of the Val and Kit mystery series and a cracking read. Recently divorced fifty-something Val works as an estate agent for her old friend Tom ( think : Will they/ won't they ) and one day receives a phone call from Mavis Woodstock, who was in the same year at school. Mavis wants to sell her house desperately, but suddenly disappears, leaving Val and best friend Kit to play detective. There's a decent mystery and some great lines, but the best thing is the Val and Kit double act.

Muggle, I'm up to date now with the Wicked Witches books, and wanted to let you know - the second Wicked Witches fantasy book, A Witch in Time, is excellent - and that Book 12 in the Wicked Witches mystery series - A Breath of Witchy Air -comes out in May.

I'm intrigued by the Mary Beard book . I watched Bettany Hughes' docu on Venus/ Aphrodite a few months ago, which has some similarities to Women and Power, I think. Great reviews, as always.

I'm banning myself from new book purchases till June, but I'm very tempted by those last three books ( still, one's a freebie... ) . I especially like the sound of the Jane Lotter book ( what a pity about the author's death ) .

Hurray ! To both comments. The Mystic Notch cosies are really sweet.