Mysteries and My Musings

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Review - Mistletoe and Mayhem

We are jumping into the holiday spirit with another seasonal themed mystery. Take the time during all your shopping, baking and visiting to kick back and read a good holiday mystery. Today we visit Edwardian England, hang on.

Author: Kate Kingsbury

Copyright: November 2010 (Berkley Books) 304 pgs

Series: 6th Special Holiday Edition of The Pennyfoot Hotel Mystery

Sensuality: N/A

Mystery Sub-genre: Historical Cozy

Main Character: Cecily Baxter, Manager of Pennyfoot Country Club

Setting: Edwardian England, during the holidays

Obtained Through: publisher for honest review

Another year and everyone at the Pennyfoot is holding their breath that the holiday curse has been broken and the season will be free of any untimely deaths. In London the Mayfair Murderer is attacking young women, but surely everyone is safe in small Badger's End.

Charlie, one of the footmen is killed when a gargoyle falls from the roof and strikes him dead. Clearly an accident. Then the maid, Ellie goes missing. Something is strange about the secretive and mysterious guest Mr. J. Mortimer in room #9. Then the missing maid's shoe is found in the coal shed. Cecily goes about asking questions and sleuthing while her husband seems preoccupied.

This holiday themed historical mystery is a nice light read. It won't disturb your holiday cheer as it manages to maintain plenty of seasonal trappings among the sleuthing. Nothing gruesome even though murders rack up.

The Pennyfoot's employees figure into the story as their lives are intertwined with the two who died. They're brought to life with all their concerns and desires. The employees also wrap up some romantic themes that continue from the prior books. I liked the various employee's viewpoints intermingled with Cecily, it brought the reader in for a fulller experience at the Pennyfoot - a sort of 380 view.

Cecily is a kind, imaginative, bright and observant sleuth whom I easily liked. The plot was interesting and kept me guessing nicely. The mysterious guest in room #9 was a great touch.

It delivers a surprise or two along the way and Cecily has a harrowing confrontation with the killer. There is a cliffhanger ending that has me anxiously waiting for the next book to find out what happens.

A solid cozy sure to delight with a good mystery and plenty of holiday cheer.

PUMPKIN PIE PUDDING (Slow Cooker)

1 can solid-pack pumpkin (15 oz.)

1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)

½ cup biscuit/baking mix

2 eggs, beaten

¾ cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

2-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Whipped cream or cool whip, optional

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Coat slow cooker with nonstick spray and pour mixture in.

Cover and cook for 6 to 7 hours until a knife comes out clean from center of pudding. (6 to 8 servings) My oblong slow cooker cooks much faster than 6 to 7 hours because the pudding is spread out over a larger surface than the round cooker. (Any recipe with eggs needs to be started on high for approximately one hour and then turned down.)

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Monday, December 13, 2010

Library of Congress

I haven't been there, but I caught a program (Modern Marvels - The Real National Treasure on History Channel) about it and was really fascinated. It has to be the most beautiful library in the world....and if you love books like I do - this was pretty cool.

The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and serves as the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with millions of books, recordings, photographs, maps and manuscripts in its collections.

The Library's mission is to make its resources available and useful to the Congress and the American people and to sustain and preserve a universal collection of knowledge and creativity for future generations.

There are several sections or departments of the LOC - even the copyright registration office - but the Library Services department's mission is to develop qualitatively the Library's universal collections, which document the history and further the creativity of the American people and which record and contribute to the advancement of civilization and knowledge throughout the world, and to acquire, organize, provide access to, maintain, secure, and preserve these collections.

Preserving knowledge and creativity for our future generations! Document the history, advancement of civilization and knowledge throughout the world and preserve the collection. What a tall order to fill.

I think the part of the story that captured my attention the most was how the initial collection was housed in the Capitol building in D.C. until the British in 1812 set that on fire. Thomas Jefferson came to the rescue and donated his personal library (50 years of book collecting) of 6487 books! I found that astonishing. The Jefferson books have a special display area to this day.

At the time Jefferson was often viewed as primarily a farmer yet his library included books in foreign languages and volumes of philosophy, science, literature, and other topics not normally viewed as part of a legislative library. He wrote, "I do not know that it contains any branch of science which Congress would wish to exclude from their collection; there is, in fact, no subject to which a Member of Congress may not have occasion to refer."

"The Jeffersonian concept of universality, the belief that all subjects are important to the library of the American legislature, is the philosophy and rationale behind the comprehensive collecting policies of today's Library of Congress." LOC website.

The LOC seems pretty successful in their mission, the collection of more than 130 million items includes more than 29 million cataloged books and other print materials in 460 languages; more than 58 million manuscripts; the largest rare book collection in North America; and the world's largest collection of legal materials, films, maps, sheet music, and sound recordings.

The Library of Congress occupies three buildings on Capitol Hill, The Jefferson building, John Adams and James Madison buildings. The photos featured here are of the Jefferson building. There are two additional building that are not on Capitol Hill, one of which is preserving film and sound recordings.

Researchers can go to the LOC and view books and documents in the reading room. The photo shows what an elaborate area the reading room is. The books are brought to your desk by an attendant, treated as national treasures. I like that idea. Their book delivery system is efficient and reminded me of a streamlined baggage handling system for fragile items! Here is an establishment that views books and knowledge as a treasure.

The LOC has been busy scanning many of their treasures and making them available online as well. They are keeping up with the modern world in their mission.

I can see that the next time I am in D.C. I will just have to go to the Library of Congress and soak up the atmosphere in the reading room!! If you have a chance to watch this episode on the History Channel I think you might be surprised as well.

We are approaching the end of this year and I would truly appreciate your vote if you haven't already. If each follower voted for me I would win!!

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Review - Holiday Yarn

Last week we were in Massachusetts for apple harvest season, now we head to the shore for a small coastal Mass town during the cold holiday season. Back in July I reviewed the previous book, Moon Spinners, as well as interviewed Sally and I am just delighted to have another book so soon. Bundle up, it is a humid wind that blows the snow in Sea Harbor.

Author: Sally Goldenbaum

Copyright: November 2010 (NAL Books) 270 pgs

Series: 4th Seaside Knitters Mystery

Sensuality: N/A

Mystery Sub-genre: Cozy

Main Character: Nell Endicott, her niece Izzy Chamber, friends Birdie Favazza and Cassandra Halloran

Setting: Modern day Sea Harbor, Massachusetts during the holidays

Obtained Through: publisher for honest review

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the holidays the Seaside Knitters are helping Mary Pisano with turning her inheritance (grandfather's rambling mansion, Ravenswood-by-the-Sea), into a Bed & Breakfast. The family is meeting at Ravenswood and Mary has to face her difficult cousins as they discuss the family businesses - including her plans. One cousin has always been a problem, Pamela, who runs the family's successful fashion magazine. Pamela is vocal in her opposition to the family estate being turned into a B&B.

Nell and Birdie stumble upon Pamela's body in the snow outside Ravenswood in what appears to be a suicide. But it is determined a homicide by the police. The Painter at Ravenswood, who was known to be cavorting with Pamela trying to get a modeling job at the magazine, starts spending a lot of money until he meets a fatal accident.

A subplot of elderly neighbor who is passionate about keeping Ravenswood from becoming a B&B has the knitters puzzled and provides an added little puzzle which has a surprising answer. Nell and the Seaside Knitters suspect the painter's death was no accident and the same hand that took Pamela's life was involved. The four friends get serious about tracking down who had a motive to kill twice between shopping and their knit-a-square charity project.

The instant I started reading the book I felt at home again. I realized that I enjoy Ms. Goldenbaum's writing style. It fits me like a favorite sweater or a comfy sweat shirt. IMHO she excels at putting the reader in the moment of the story completely, melding setting of a small coastal town and the character Nell effortlessly. I just know if there were a Nell Endicott I would love to be her friend.

The rest of the Seaside Knitters are well defined and enjoyable, they add to Nell and make the experience flavorful. In this installment of the series I felt that I got to know Nell's husband Ben a bit better and their relationship is so positive and supportive - I enjoy his character almost as much as Nell anymore.

The plot was solid and clues deftly sprinkled about. I just barely figured out the murderer before Nell - and even the killer is finely portrayed and plausible. The climax flowed from the rest of the book to a natural conclusion and the wrap up was pleasantly satisfying. If you enjoy a mystery that is equally about an interesting group of friends, a great setting, a murder to work out and well written to boot, then I highly recommend this series.

One final note on A Holiday Yarn that I felt was a great touch and I want to spotlight. There is a charity knitting project featured in the book that really exists. The KasCare project where you can knit (or crochet) a square for AIDS children of South Africa. Many of these children are orphaned and each square is put with others to create blankets for these children. This started as a family project by the McDonald family of Australia. If you knit or crochet (or know somebody who does, pass this along) this might be an great holiday inspirational activity. Since it is a square at a time it is a small commitment and can be a group project and great for getting the family involved.   For more information go here: http://www.knit-a-square.com/

And now for a special treat to warm you up this holiday season.

Hot Buttered Rum Mix

Ingredients

*       1 lb unsalted butter, softened
*       1 (16 ounce) package confectioners' sugar, sifted
*       1/2 lb light brown sugar, packed
*       1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
*       1 Tbls nutmeg
*       1 Tbls cinnamon
*       1 Tbls cloves

Directions

1.      In a large bowl cream the butter and the sugars and spices together until smooth. Add the softened ice cream and mix until a creamy consistency is obtained. Transfer this to a freezer container with a tight fitting lid. Place in the freezer for up to 1 month.
2.      To Serve: Place a heaping 2 tablespoons of the frozen mix in a highball glass or coffee mug. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum - or to taste. Pour over the mix 6 ounces of boiling water and stir until the mixture is melted. Sprinkle top with cinnamon or nutmeg and serve forth!

Helpful Suggestion: Freeze the mix into ice cube trays. Spray the trays well with unflavored cooking spray (don't use butter flavored) and spoon in the mix. When they are frozen solid, drop the "cubes" into a heavy duty zipper top bag and store in the freezer. Eliminates the mess of scoops and drips, and adjust the number of cubes in your drink based on the size of your trays. Dishwasher your trays in very hot water to remove the spray, or put them in the sink and poor boiling water over them.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: I will be traveling for the holidays. I am trying to line up some guest blogs in advance. There may only be one post during the week of Christmas and New Years and the Blog Carnival will be the second Monday in January to allow me time to get back into the swing of things. I will try to share some photos when I get back from Paris - not Texas either!!

We are approaching the end of this year and I would truly appreciate your vote if you haven't already. If each follower voted for me I would win!!

Monday, December 6, 2010

Mystery & Crime Fiction Blog Carnival for December 2010

It is time for another highly anticipated Blog Carnival. In the midst of hectic holiday shopping, the blog carnival gives ideas for crime fiction to give to those on your list. Below is the line-up. Click on the title or author's name to go to that link.

Police Procedural Book Review

Reactions to Reading gives us The Blood Detective by Dan Waddell

Rhapsody in Books gives us a legal mystery The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly

Private Investigator Book Review

San Francisco Book Reviews gives us Bone Appetit by Carolyn Haines

Tiny Little Reading Room gives us Big Red Tequila by Rick Riordan

Rundpinne gives us The Paris Enigma by Pablo De Santis

Amateur Sleuth book Review

Reviews by Christy gives us No Such Thing As A Secret by Shelly Fredman

Rhapsody in Books gives us Mistress of the Art of Death by by Ariana Franklin

Reactions to Reading gives us The Serpent and The Scorpion by Clare Langley-Hawthorne

Reactions to Reading gives us A Colder Kind of Death by Gail Bowen

Cozy Mystery Book Review

Lesa's Book Critique gives us Holiday Grind by Cleo Coyle

Kittling: Books gives us Night Kill by Ann Littlewood

Thriller/Suspense Fiction Book Review

The Incurable Disease of Writing reviewed The God Hater by Bill Myers

Find Your Next Good Read reviewed The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

Author Interview

About Bed & Breakfasts provides an interview with author Jean Hager

Suite 101 provides an interview with author Sandra Brown

Writing Tips and Advice

Writer Sense gives us Omitting Needless Words

Plot Whisperer gives us the 3rd Annual International Plot Writing Month

Writer Sense gives us Creating Characters: Motive

Plot Whisperer gives us 5 Reasons Writers Get Stuck with Tips How to Unstuck

#####Let's make next month's Carnival even better. For more information on the specifics of the Carnival and how to submit your posts go here. #######
Submit your blog entry for next month's Carnival here: (http://blogcarnival.com/bc/submit_8796.html)
Spread the word far and wide!!!
Post a widget on your blog for this carnival here (http://blogcarnival.com/bc/widget_2_demo_8796.html)

We are approaching the end of this year and I would truly appreciate your vote if you haven't already. If each follower voted for me I would win!!

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Review - A Killer Crop

Today we have a harvest themed mystery amid bushels of apples and Massachusetts fall colors. Grab a cup of hot coffee/tea and curl up for this peek at a soon-to-be-released novel.

Author: Sheila Connolly

Copyright: December 2010 (Berkley Books) 300 pgs

Series: 4th An Orchard Mystery

Sensuality: N/A

Mystery Sub-genre: cozy

Main Character: Meg Corey, former Boston banker now apple orchard owner

Setting: Modern day Granford Massachusetts

Obtained Through: publisher for honest review

Meg is in the middle of her first harvest and busier than a one-armed-paper-hanger when her mother drops by for a visit. But Elizabeth Corey seems to be hiding something from her daughter. Then the police are asking about an old friend of Elizabeth's that they find dead under mysterious circumstances that she had really been in town to see while her husband was on an extended ocean fishing trip. The dead man was a married professor specializing in Emily Dickinson that Meg's parents had been good friends with in their college days. Why was Meg's mom seeing this man seemingly on the sly and who would kill a boring college professor?

The small town of Granford Mass is a good setting and the orchard and apple growing a perfect background for this series. The town and atmosphere are cozy gold. The added ingredient of Emily Dickinson and her life in the neighboring town lent a scholarly and historical feel to the story.

The reader sees Meg going through an internal struggle with her relationship with her mother and even wrestle with officially revealing her boyfriend to her mother. Unlike many sleuth and mother conflicts, this one shows both mother and daughter growing which I appreciated. Elizabeth Corey is so well done that grew fond of her and look forward to her in upcoming books.

I do have a complaint. The tension between Meg needing to constantly help with the harvest and yet trying to force time here and there to help her mother was strained by the Orchard Manager. Meg is the owner of the orchard and she is constantly taking harsh orders from Bree, the twenty-something manager who works for her. Bree would say things like "You're late." At no point did Meg correct her attitude. Not only is Meg paying Bree, but she is getting a room in Meg's house and yet this over-the-top bossiness is a recurring theme. I found this unrealistic and irritating, really irritating.

The mystery itself was interesting, if not riveting. A man who appears to have no reason at all to be murdered dies under suspcious circumstances and Elizabeth Corey is implicated. The resolution was a let down for me. No climatic confrontation with a killer but rather a calm explanation of what really happened. Anti-climatic. Overall, It is a solid cozy read with a community you will feel comfy with.

Pumpkin Pancakes

Ingredients

Mix in one bowl:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt

Mix in another bowl:
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Combine, stir well and make pumpkin pancakes!

We are approaching the end of this year and I would truly appreciate your vote if you haven't already. If each follower voted for me I would win!!