Oregonreader in 2022

This has been a rough year for me which is why I am so late in starting my thread. I've missed all of you. Among many other things, I've had knee replacement surgery and caring for my son's family as they had breakthrough Covid. Fortunately, I was spared. But I have continued reading so I have lots of entries for my thread. Here's to a better rest of the year!

I've read a lot of mysteries so far this year, bingeing on a few of my current favorites.
I'm a big fan of Viveca Sten. These are all part of the Sandhamn murder series.

1. The Heat of the Moment
2. Tonight You're Dead
3. In Harm's Way
4. In the Shadow of Power
5. In the Name of Truth
6. Buried in Secret

Leaving Sweden for Paris, I read some of Cara Black. Her Aimee Leduc series was recommended by someone on LT but unfortunately I can't remember who should get the credit.

7. Murder Below Montparnasse
8. Murder in the Marais
9. Murder in Belleville
10. Murder in the Sentier

Many years ago, my husband and I lived in Paris for a few months. It was fun recognizing the places mentioned in the stories.

Welcome back! Here’s to a better 2022 going forward!

Thanks, Jim. I'm optomistic! I'm happy to be back. I usually like to say something about the books I read but there is too much catching up to do.

11. Buried in the Country by Carola Dunn
12. Heirs of the Body by Carola Dunn
13. Still Life by Sarah Winman
14. A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz
15. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
16. The Midnight Hour by Elly Griffiths
17. Troubled Blood by Robert Galbraith

More reading and more catching up to do!

YAY!!!!! I'm delighted that you're back, Jan!!!!!
I certainly wish you and your family a much, much easier time for the rest of the year!

Welcome back, Jan. Star has been dropped and I'm looking forward to keeping up with you this year.

Hi Peggy and Reba, it is so nice to see you here. I have missed you both.

Here's some more reading I've done.

18. The Secret of High Eldersham by Miles Burton British Library Crime Classic
19. Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
20. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
21. Who Slays the Wicked by C. S. Harris
22. Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance
23. The Eleventh Man by Ivan Doig
24. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick
25. All Men Glad and Wise by Laura C. Stevenson
26. The Hospice Singer by Larry Duberstein
27. The Guest List by Lucy Foley

My gosh, I just realized this is my anniversary month. I've been here 14 years so I have some book buying to do!

>10 Oregonreader: Can't wait to see what you choose!

Here's what I got, Reba. I got fourteen books and didn't get the fifteenth. I figure I can use that one as an excuse to buy at some future date!

Emily, Alone
The Alchemist
The Wild Inside
A Crowded Grave
Bruno, Chief of Police
The Dark Vineyard
The Brothers Karamazov
Happily After All
Five Tuesdays in Winter
Find Me Alafair Burke Touchstone came up wrong
Love and Saffron
The Murder Rule Dervla McTiernan
Endurance, Shakleton's Incredible Voyage
Last Call at the Hotel Imperial

I'm having trouble with Touchstones tonight.
These should keep me happily busy for awhile. There's something so comforting about having a big stack of books I'm looking forward to reading!

Great line up, Jan! Congratulations! I've recently read Emily, Alone and Love and Saffron and liked them both a lot. Read Endurance a few years ago (amazing story). Hubby and I also enjoy the Bruno series. I get them on Audio and we listen when we're on road trips. I agree about the comfort of having a big stack of great books waiting. I'm in that condition at the moment too thanks to my Thinkaversary haul. Only problem is deciding which one comes next!!

Welcome back, Jan. I recognize your name from earlier days. I enjoyed Viveca Sten's Sandhamn Murder Series too, for the most part although my enthusiasm petered out after Book 9, In Bad Company. I'm impressed with your Thingaversary haul.

Reba, we obviously have similar taste in books! I'm reading the first Bruno book next. I've seen mentions of this series on a number of threads which makes me convinced I'll like them. I hope you're being spared this incessant rain. I know we need it but it can get so depressing!

Laura, thanks so much for stopping by. I recognize your name too. I've had a very slow start this year but I'm picking up steam. I know what you mean about your enthusiasm for a series petering out. It happens so often with a long series. I'm always looking for new ones.

>15 Oregonreader: We may even be getting slightly more rain than you, at least if the totals I see on the weather report are accurate. I don't mind though. It gives me an excuse not to work in the yard AND I can wear cozy clothes and read by the fire :)

Look forward to seeing how you like Bruno. I've never read a physical one ("reading with my eyes") but have always had them on audio which we find very well done. Enjoy!!

Reba, I started Bruno this morning and had a hard time putting it down. His character is so unlike what I imagined. I'm looking forward to some more good reading. Stay dry and warm!

28. Tuesdays in Winter by Lily King I read about this book on several threads and it sounded like something I would like. I did, indeed. A series of short stories, each are very different but all are concerned with relationships. King does a great job of getting the reader to know the characters in a short period of time. Loved it!

29. Find Me by Alafair Burke I've enjoyed all Burke's novels and looked forward to this one. She is great at developing intricate plots and complicated characters. This one is no exception. This one involves friendship, lost memories, and mystery. My only reservation is that I'm not sure what to think about the ending.

Now I'm hurrying to get my chores done so I can read more Bruno!

>17 Oregonreader: Thanks Jan. I hope you're enjoying this beautiful day :) I worked in the yard for a couple of hours and then ran errands. It was lovely to be outside.

>17 Oregonreader: I am starting King's Writers & Lovers tonight. I hope I enjoy it as much as you did Five Tuesdays in Winter, which I am adding to the BlackHole.

Stasia, that looks to be a good one. I'm adding it to my wish list. I think King is an amazing writer.

Reba, I was feeling guilty about not doing yard work on a sunny day and was planning to do some today. Well, I've been spared that by wind and rain. How can the weather change so much in one day?? But I did finish Bruno yesterday.

30. Bruno, Chief of Police by Martin Walker The first in the Bruno series, I started with this one and will be reading many more. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Bruno, the plot, and how much of French history was involved. Wonderful writing.

I've started reading Endurance for a complete change of pace!

Glad you enjoyed Bruno, Jan. I never fell/felt guilty for not doing yard work when it's raining. It's one of the perks of living in the NW, right?

>21 Oregonreader: Endurance is a good one. I hope you enjoy it!

Reba, you're right about that. And then during the summer, I get to complain that it is too hot!

Stasia, I love the beginning of the book and the description of the sounds of the ship breaking up. Wonderful storytelling.

Hi Jan! Sorry that 2022 has been challenging, but great to have you back in the group.

>24 Oregonreader: It is an all-around terrific story, Jan. The fact that it is true just adds to it, IMHO.

Have a wonderful week!

Rhonda, thank you so much for stopping by. It's always good to hear from you. I'm dealing with my 92 year old sister who has to be moved from residential living into a memory care unit and she is fighting it. Dementia is such a sad thing to see in someone you have known and loved your entire life.

Stasia, It is amazing. It's hard to imagine how they survived.

30. Endurance by Alfred Lansing This turned out to be a page turner for me. Lansing writes with such fascinating detail of the sights and sounds of the great slabs of ice in the Antarctic as they crush against each other and Shackleton's ship. It's hard to imagine the survival of these men facing cold, hunger, and exhaustion. I suspect that being hardened sailors helped some of them. I recommend this one.

>28 Oregonreader: Glad to see you enjoyed it, Jan!

Have you read The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard? If not, I recommend that one too.

That sounds like a good one, Stasia. I'm adding it to my wish list.

>30 Oregonreader: I love those kinds of books! I hope you enjoy it when you get to it, Jan.

>12 Oregonreader: Some good books there, Jan.

I wholeheartedly apologise, Jan, I don't know how I have missed your thread until now! Welcome back. xx

RL has overwhelmed me again! My computer has died and I’m doing everything on an Mini Ipad where nothing is saved.
My elderly sister is not doing well and I’m supporting her daughter long distance. My son in law is still wearing a boot from breaking his leg and his father has just been diagnosed with cancer. We are all reeling.
I have been reading and at some point I’ll enter those and get around to visiting.
I miss everyone.

>33 Oregonreader: So sorry to hear about all of the things you're dealing with right now!! Take care and scoop up some of the mojo being sent your way.

Oh, Jan, so sorry about all those stressors. (((hugs)))

Thanks, Reba and Rhonda. Your support is so appreciated.

I have a quiet afternoon so I thought I’d catch up a little.

31. Emily, Alone by Stewart O’Nan. I picked this up because I’m a O’Nan fan and didn’t realize it was a sequel to Wish You Were Here. This was a happy surprise. Really enjoyed it.

32. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

33. Our Riches by Kaouther Adimi

34. The Dark Vineyard
35. The Crowded Grave by Martin Walker

>33 Oregonreader: I'm sorry to read this, Jan. That's a lot to deal with. Thinking of you.

>36 Oregonreader: Have you read Henry, Himself Jan? It's related to those two and also a fun read.

Laura, thanks so much for stopping by and thank you for support. At some point, I know things will ease and I’ll be back visiting.

Reba, I haven’t read Henry, Alone yet but it’s on my list. I love the detail in O’Nan’s writing. Do you think summer will ever arrive?When it does, I expect to be complaining of the heat!

>39 Oregonreader: Please, please no heat like last summer!! We have A/C so I shouldn't complain but I didn't like feeling like I couldn't leave the house and knowing the garden was out there roasting. I wouldn't mind some nice sunny 70's again though :)

Reba, me too! I get fooled by seeing blue skies and then finding the temp is in the low 60’s.

I have come down with Covid. I’m on the mend now, today is my last day of isolation. My doctor prescribed Paxlovid since I fit the parameters. I had about two days of respiratory symptoms then extreme fatigue.

>41 Oregonreader: Oh NO! Sorry to hear it got you but glad you got Paxlovid and that it wasn't too bad. Hope you recover your energy soon.

Thanks, Reba, I’m already on the mend. My daughter and I are going on a Mississippi River cruise later this month and I’m praying she doesn’t get it before then.

36. The Devil’s Cave by Martin Walker. Another Bruno mystery. I’m really enjoying this series.

38. The Wild Inside by Christine Carbo. Ted Systead is an agent of the Dept of the Interior working at Glacier National Park. Trying to solve a murder involving a killer and a Grizzly is complicated by Sistead’s history. His father was killed by a Grizzly and a big part of the novel is how he overcomes his personal demons. Very interesting

We often listen to Bruno when on road trips and both Hubby and I enjoy them. I think we're heard them all by now though so hope he writes some more soon :)

Here's adding good thoughts to keep your daughter healthy and hoping you have a great time.

I am in good company at least with my own COVID, Jan.
My thoughts are with you that your recovery is a full and speedy one. xx

Paul, I hope your recovery is swift as well.

39. Love & Saffron by Kim Fay Set in the early 1960’s, this starts as a pleasant novel, letters between two new friends focused on cooking and trying new, ethnic foods. One lives in Los Angeles and the other on a small island near Seattle. What develops over time is a hard look at what women faced then regarding racial bigotry against Mexicans, unwanted pregnancies, and family pressure. Being old enough to remember that time in California, it all rings true. Very worth reading.

40. The Resistance Man by Martin Walker. This is my favorite so far of the Bruno series.

Hi Jan, sorry about the COVID, but glad you are feeling better. Love & Saffron sounds good...

>33 Oregonreader: I am so sorry to hear about everything life is throwing at you right now, Jan!

>36 Oregonreader: I loved Emily, Alone when I read it and really need to get to the other 2 books in the series. Thanks for the reminder. I also loved Small Things Like These.

>41 Oregonreader: Sorry to hear about the COVID. I do hope you are recovering well!

>44 Oregonreader: The Wild Inside sounds like one I would enjoy. I will have to see if my local library has a copy.

>47 Oregonreader: Glad to see another fan of Love & Saffron.

Feel better soon!

Stasia, one of the things I got from Love & Saffron was a recipe for a chilled soup called Guacamole Soup. Delicious!

Hopefully, my bad times are coming to a close. Next week, my daughter and I are going on a Mississippi River cruise. We both can use a rest! We plan to do a lot of sightseeing and reading. And eating!

I’m back from my Mississippi cruise. We travelled from New Orleans to Baton Rouge and back again. Not a long trip by car but the river serpentines so much that we took 4 days with many stops. Most fun was a swamp cruise near Baton Rouge. We went up a bayou in a large open boat and saw about 2 dozen alligators, a rare experience for someone from Oregon!

More reading:

41. A Deception at Thorncrest
42. A Dangerous Engagement
43. A Most Novel Revenge all by Ashley Weaver
44. Harbour Street by Ann Cleeves
45. The Murder Rule by Dervla McTiernan

>51 Oregonreader: Welcome home, Jan. Sounds like a great trip.

>51 Oregonreader: The trip sounds wonderful! I hope you and your daughter both had a great time!

Dear Jan, I'm so glad that you and your daughter had a marvelous trip - a wonderful start to a less anxious time for you and your family, I hope!
I don't get around much these days, but it occurred to me that I hadn't spoken to you in months. I'm sorry about that!
Thanks to Stasia, I have a copy of *Love&Saff* waiting on my READ NOW table. Your comments and hers make me eager to get to it.
Take care! I'm sorry you got the virus but glad the Paxlovid took care of you. Stay well!

<52 Reba, thanks for stopping by. I’ve missed travel during the last couple of years. Louisiana is the polar opposite of the northwest!

>53 alcottacre: Stasia, fortunately my daughter and I travel well together.

> Peggy, I’m glad you have Love and Saffron ready to go. The book reflects a woman’s life in the 50’s. I’ll be interested in your opinion.

Some more books.

46. Fatal Pursuit

47. The Templar’s Last Secret
Two more Bruno mysteries. Still strong.

48. After You by Jojo Moyes Moyes writes of loss and grief in one of the truest ways I’ve read. A beautiful book about relationships.

49. Murder in the Bastille by Cara Black

50. A Few Right Thinking Men by Sulari Gentill
The first in the Rowland Sinclair series. I found this book a little weak but I’m reading the second book and it is much better.

Looks like you've been reading up a storm!

Hi, Jan. I have to agree about the first Gentill. I haven't gotten to the second book, but I have known that I would because my friend Elaine praises them so highly. Her latest, and not in the series although the Rowland Sinclair Foundation is mentioned, pretty much blew me away....The Woman in the Library.

Your trip was down in my home territory! Glad you had a great time!

>57 RebaRelishesReading: Reba, I ordered a number of Bruno, Chief of Police and Gentill’s Rowland Sinclair mysteries from the library and they all arrived at once! So I will be binge reading these for awhile! Not an unpleasant task.

>58 LizzieD: Peggy, your friend is right. The second Rowland Sinclair is much better than the first. I have high hopes for the series. The one book I ordered from the library which hasn’t arrived is *The Woman in the Library*.

>59 drneutron: Jim, I do love that Southern friendliness and hospitality!

51. A Decline in Prophets I love the way Gentill weaves real events and people into her plots.

52. The Coldest Case I’ve read enough of the Bruno books to start feeling quite at home in his French village.

>60 Oregonreader: Binge reading Bruno sounds fun. We like to listen to him in the car on road trips but we're all caught up so it'll be back to Ladies' #1 Detective Agency next time (which we also love). Good luck with getting through your stack :)

>56 Oregonreader: After You sounds very good and - bonus! - my local library actually has a copy of that one.

I’m sorry for not being a presence here lately but my life has been chaotic. Maybe it’s to be expected as one ages but I currently have five family/friends who have recently died or are facing death. In addition, my little Cairn terrier, Bobbie, died. He was my constant companion and I miss him.

Here is the reading I’ve been doing.

53. Miles Off Course by Sulari Gentill

54. The Shooting at Rock Chateau by Martin Walker

55. Black Diamond Walker

56. Two Steps Forward by Graeme Simpsion

>64 Oregonreader:{{{{{jan}}}}} I am so sorry! Youve had such a rough year. wishing you peace, comfort and hugs

So very sorry to hear about all of your losses, Jan!! That's a huge amount to deal with at once. My heart goes out for you.

Adding my condolences. Sorry to read about so many losses, Jan.

>64 Oregonreader: I am so sorry to hear about all of the chaos in your life lately, Jan! I am sorry to hear about Bobbie's death too. Pets are such parts of the family.

Cindy, Reba, Laura, Stasia, thank you so much for your sympathy. It’s definitely a hard time in my life. I expect to be an occasional visitor here for the foreseeable future. Thanks for checking in.

>69 Oregonreader: We welcome your visits as you choose or are able to make them, Jan.

So sorry about all the losses! Losing friends and family is a hard part about aging. And its so hard to lose a pet----I know when our little Chica died, I kept looking for her for the first few months.n.

Stasia and Rhonda, I’m always happy to hear from you. Thanks for stopping by.

I just got back from San Jose where I was visiting my sister who is 92 years old, has Alzheimer’s and is bedridden. But it was lovely staying with my niece and her husband.

I have done some reading.

57. The Brothers Karamazov I decided to reread this after someone, I think it was Stasia, mentioned it. I got about halfway through and decided life was too short to spend my reading time with books I’d lost interest in so I DNF!

58. In the Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
This is a mystery set in Northern Ireland. McKinty is a good writer but this was just too violent and gritty for me to really enjoy.

59. Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier

60. Speak to the Winds by Ruth Moore
I got this as an ERC. This is a re-release, first published in 1956. Set on a small island off the coast of Maine, in 1855 two men discover the granite there and started mining. The story moves forward several generations of the two families that the men brought with them. I really enjoyed this.

61. Honor by Thrity Umrigar This is a powerful book, hard to read in some places but worth reading. An Indian American journalist returns to India, having left for America as a young girl, twenty years before. She is assigned to cover a horrendous murder in rural village. The author explores hate and love, privilege and powerlessness, and the meaning of a sense of home and belonging.

Having troubles with Touchstones.

Jan, I'm glad to see you back, and I hear you and identify with the losses that increase as we age. I'm glad that you had time with some of your family and are back here. I'm sorry for the other losses. We cherish what we have!

As to books ----- I LOVED *Woman/Library* and hope that you did too. I'm happy that you're interested in the spy series that I've jumped into enthusiastically. By all means read the first one first; it's Slow Horses. I'll just warn you that Herron doesn't mind killing off characters that I've liked, but we aren't made to wade through gore.
Hmmm. I have a T. Umrigar, The Space Between Us, but I haven't read it.

Some very interesting reading there, Jan. I've read The Space Between Us and The Secrets Between Us but I think I may have to read some more of hers.

Peggy, I’ve had a delay getting a copy of *The Woman in the Library*. My library has so many holds on their copies that I probably wouldn’t get mine until next spring. So I’ve ordered a copy from Powells. My anticipation is building.

I’m definitely going to read others of Umrigar’s, Reba.

Right now I’m slowly reading A Distant Mirror. The parallels between the 14th century and current times is very striking.

I just returned from a trip to the San Francisco area with my two granddaughters, Emma and Grace. We went to Chinatown, rode cable cars, rode BART under the bay to Oakland, and visited family. It was so nice to spend time with the girls.

62. The Nothing Girl by Jodi Taylor. I loved this book. Jenny Dove is an orphan and sent to live with an Uncle, Aunt, and cousins. She has a stutter and the family gaslights her into thinking she is mentally damaged. The story is about how she challenges this and grows into a new life. There is a sequel, The Something Girl, and I plan to read that one.

Still having trouble with Touchstones.

63. The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
I was blown away by this mystery. Imagine an author writing a mystery about an author writing a mystery. In lesser hands this could have been a mess. But Gentill creates plot turns and layers of revelations with complex characters. This is truly a page-turner.

This is threatening to become a dangerous thread, Jan :) I'm trying to resist putting all three on my Wish List because I just decided to try to read all of the National Book Award winners and that's a big undertaking and I don't really need distractions from a long wish list...still....

hellooo

hellooo!

>82 cindydavid4: how is it going?

and nice to meet you

so tell us about yourself, what are you reading?

>72 Oregonreader: Sorry you did not enjoy The Brothers Karamazov, Jan. Smart decision to stop reading a book that was not working for you though!

>77 Oregonreader: I just finished A Distant Mirror recently too, Jan, and I agree - the parallels between then and now are remarkable.

>79 Oregonreader: I enjoyed that one too!

Have a fantastic Friday, Jan!

Another long absence from here. Life is moving too fast for me!

82 Cindy, thank you so much for stopping by. I have been so remiss in visiting others threads but I hope to stop by yours soon.
>86 alcottacre: Stasia, our reading tastes seem to be aligned right now.

Thanks to you all for bringing some brightness to the day!

I don’t know how the previous entry got so scrambled.
It left out Reba’s message entirely. Happy reading, Reba!

Some more reading I’ve been doing.

64. Ready, Set, Go by Diane Josefowicz
This is an ERC. Set in Providence in the 1960’s, three college students try to figure out who they are and who they want to be. They struggle with the draft, the Vietnam war, and political unrest. One thing I was impressed with was that students are average young people, not highly politicized or activists. This was a good choice on the author’s part. There were some slow parts but overall well written.

65. The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family by Joshua Cohen I was drawn to this book since it made the New York Times 100 Notable Books 2021 list. It also promised humor which I enjoy. But, sadly for me, I think I needed to be Jewish to really appreciate the humor.The author makes a notable attempt to explain the language and customs but it didn’t work for me.

>89 Oregonreader: Never liked the Netanyahus for lots of reasons, but reading this quote rather clinches it for me

"his is the line of transmission. In other words, God’s words were written down in the Torah, which you call the Bible, or the Scriptures, or the Old Testament, which precedes what you call the New Testament in the books you put in the bedside drawers of your inns. The Torah is interpreted in the Mishna. The Mishna is commented upon in the Gemara. The Mishna and the Gemara together make the Talmud. Are you with me? Do you understand what I’m telling you, which my father told me, which his father told him? There is an unbroken line of descent, when the word of God enters history"

"But, sadly for me, I think I needed to be Jewish to really appreciate the humor.The author makes a notable attempt to explain the language and customs but it didn’t work for me." I totally get that.

66. A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman
Tuchman is one of my favorite historians and this didn’t disappoint. She looks at the 14th century and all its chaos. She looks at the matters that affected everyone, politics, marriage, religion, wars. The parallels between that century and our own is striking.

67. The Mirror and the Light by Hilary Mantel
When Mantel’s death was announced, I realized that I had never read the third book in her trilogy about Henry VIII and Thomas Cromwell. This book gives insights into the relationship between the two men. It was well worth reading. My only complaint was that too much time was spent looking back at Cromwell’s childhood.

Hi Jan! Hope the smoke isn't too back down your way. I'm really looking forward to fall (my favorite season), especially after this rough transition.

Reba, we’ve exchanged smoky air for cold, brrr! I’m trying to stay indoors as much as possible.

68. A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder by
Dianne Freeman

69. A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder by
Dianne Freeman

I’ve found a new series to binge on. Set in 1899, Frances, the Countess of Harleigh, finds herself in the middle of a murder. Her cousin is charged and she works to find the killer and clear her cousin. This book is well written with good plotting and dialogue. And a lovely slow developing romance.

Hi Jan -- I'm loving the sunny, cold weather! Glad you've found a way to cope and a good series to binge on while you're staying in :)

Reba, thanks so much for stopping by. It’s always good to hear from you. I agree with enjoying the sunshine.
I’m sorry I haven’t been able to visit you and others but my life right now is very busy. I’m spending much of my time with a dear friend whose husband is recovering from esophageal cancer and is experiencing drug caused dementia. I’m there most days giving her support.
Here are a couple of books I’ve finished.

70. The Catbird Seat by Rebecca Hollingsworth
This was a ER copy. This book is part memoir, part fiction, and part history of South Carolina. The author is white and recounts her history as a privileged person who unquestioningly accepts the culture there. The protests over the removal of Confederate flags was the catalyst for change for her. She presents this in a straight forward way with no apologies.

71. Nobody’s Sweetheart Now by Maggie Robinson. A forgettable mystery.

>95 Oregonreader: Oh my, Jan! What a difficult situation for your friend and how wonderful she has you to support her. Best to you all.

Thank you as always for books, thank you for this group and thanks for you. Have a lovely day, Jan.

Reba, thanks for stopping by. I hope you had a wonderful holiday.
Paul, it’s always a treat to have you visit.

72. A Fiancée’s Guide to First Wives and Murder by Dianne Freeman

73. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osman
Another mystery for the Thursday Murder Club.

74. A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder by Dianne Freeman.

75. Man in a Cage by Patrick Nevins

I did it! I never aim for a larger number but feel
a sense of accomplishment when I do.

Congrats!

>98 Oregonreader: Hooray! The magic 75 :)

>98 Oregonreader: Congratulations on reaching 75, Jan!

Jim, Reba, and Anita, thank you so much for visiting.
It’s nice to have something to celebrate!

76. Man in a Cage by Patrick Nevins
This was an ERC. Set in 1892, this novel is based on the American naturalist Richard Garner’s research in West Africa. His idea, that chimpanzees communicate with each other verbally, was too ahead of his time to get much support. His attitude of arrogance and impatience caused many problems for him. The irony was that as his communicating with chimps grew, his communicating with humans deteriorated.

77. To Kill a Troubador by Martin Walker. Another Bruno, Chief of Police, mystery.

78. A Bride’s Guide to Marriage and Murder by Dianne Freeman The last of this series.

>103 Oregonreader: Hi Jan! Thanks for mentioning that there's a new Bruno. I ran right over to Audible and bought it. We're driving to San Diego in January and the Bruno series and Ladies' #1 Detective Agency are our favorite books to listen to as we go..

Hope all is well with you!

Reba, thank you so much for being a regular visitor even when I’m here so seldom. I hope you enjoy Bruno on your trip to San Diego and I’m glad this terrible weather will be over by then.

Here’s some more reading. I realized I counted Man in a Cage twice so I’m correcting that.

78. Murder at the Castle by MB Shaw I loved this one. Great characters and plot.

79. The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean
This novel is based on the volunteers who moved the Hermitage artwork into hiding before the anticipated Nazi attack on the city.

80. The Bullet That Missed by Richard Osmun
Another Thursday Mystery Club adventure.

And thank you for checking in with me today :)

We're having a lovely, quiet day at home what with the cold, the frost and my Covid! So far we haven't seen any of the strong wind gusts that were forecast though -- more like not a leaf even thinking about moving. Hope it all warms up and goes away tomorrow as promised though.

Happy Holidays, Jan! I really liked The Madonnas of Leningrad

Malaysia's branch of the 75er's wishes you and yours a happy holiday season, Jan.