My library trip :Blog

On Tuesday, November 29th stopped in at the library to return library books. 
I happily discovered that there were a plethora of titles to choose from and here is the book I brought home to read.
1. The NIGHT AWAKENS (A MYSTERY WRITERS OF AMERICA ANTHOLOGY) EDITED AND WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY MARK HIGGINS CLARK. Paperback ISBN: 0-671-51918-6, 302 pages.
2. THIRTEEN GUESTS by J. JEFFERSON FARJEON (Historical Mystery Series) Price 12.95 A British Crime Classic. ISBN: 9 781464 204890 Poisoned Pen Press 286 pages.
3. Pushing Up Daisies by M.C. Beaton (An Agatha Raisin Mystery) Village Mystery Series. Hardcover Library Edition. ISBN: 978-1-250-05744-0 Price 25.99
4. ROCK - A-BYE BONES by CAROLYN HAINES (A SARAH BOOTH DELANEY) COZY SERIES MYSTERY. Large Print ISBN: 978-1-68324-178-2 Price 35.95
5. THE RACKETEER by JOHN GRISHAM (LEGAL THRILLER) HARDCOVER LEGAL THRILLER ISBN: 978-0-385-53514-4 Price 28.95
6. THE MISTLETOE MURDER by P. D. JAMES (HISTORICAL MYSTERY ANTOLOGy) With a forward by Val McDermid (LARGE Print) RANDOM HOUSE ISBN: 978-1-5247-0892-4
I am thrilled with these picks of books to read in December. My kindle is also loaded with some good short stories and mysteries.

Are there some books you think we should read this month?

Pam

Blog:Happy 4th Of July

Happy red, white and blue day.
It is still raining here but will clear off as the day goes on and at least I could walk Pepper around the block without her freaking out as this will never be her favorite holiday.
It is not my favorite holiday either.
I want to thank everyone for the "Happy Birthday Wishes" I received on July 2nd.

Okay topic change:
I am reading "The Tuesday Club Murders" by Agatha Christie and I love it.
Terri will be posting about her vacation in a few days. In case you didn't already know her and her mother are having a great time.

I am cross stitching on a few things. One is Parisian Cats which is great and I want to have it finished my January. I am also still stitching on "Scarecrows" then there is a surprise I am stitching for someone in my cross stitch group. I also ma working on "The Spell Store" which is so much fun to stitch I don't want to stop.

Coloring well for my birthday Terri sent me a "Day Of The Dead" coloring book that has skulls and skeletons. I have completed one picture in it. She also sent me a "Steam Punk" coloring book and I have almost completed the first picture in that one.

I made myself a Jello/Dream cake for my birthday. It's main flavor is lime.

Last night I made chili cheese tots for supper.

Binge watching Marcella, Columbo, Miss Fisher Mysteries, Murder She Wrote, Death In Paradise, Jesse Stone Mysteries, Flower Shop Mysteries, Murder She Baked Mysteries, Garage Sale Mysteries, The Librarian Mysteries (I want to own this series) just love them.
I also watch Poirot Mysteries and rewatched two Agatha Christie Movies "Evil Under The Sun and Murder On The Orient Express."

Other than this I have been dealing with rain, storms, a stressed dog, when I can I have been tending to flowers indoors and outdoors, visiting with the neighbors, dealing with bugs, mice and laundry.

I kept thinking that I wanted to declutter and pick up the pace on the housework which basically all I did was run in circles.

Oh well I will try for the little at a time method.

I hope you have great picnics, hiking, meals whether it be fish fry, fried chicken, hamburgers and hot dogs, steaks or just chocolate.

Okay you know the drill by now. which is if you want a book reviewed, an interview or you want to post your own blog of choice then by all means contact me or Terri so we can set something up for you.
If it wasn't for you we wouldn't have this blog.

Enjoy your holiday and I am off to read more in the "Tuesday Club Murders" oh and if you haven't read any new author or new series I want to leave you with a few you might like to read.
Elaine Viets has a new series and book out so be sure to look her up, Laura Levine has a new book out, Lynn Cahoon has a new book out, Victoria Hamilton has a new book out, Lorraine Barrett has a new book out, Jenn McKinlay, Janet Bolin, Mary Hart, Victoria Abbott (I think this one will be out in October)? Jennie Bentley, Cheryl Hollon, Murder She Wrote, Leanne Sweeney, Stephen King, Eva Gates and I will stop here but I could go on and on and please members feel free to brung to my attention any authors i did not list and no list would be complete without mentioning Jeff Cohen's Series. They are great series and he is quite a remarkable author.
Lee Perry is another one I must add she likes skeletons as much as me especially one special one. Ellery Adams is another one that has my heart as I love all of her series.
Okay I must move along today but feel free to bring more to my attnetion.

May your day sparkle with love and good books.
Pamela

Blog: My summer wishlist by Pamela James

I have most of my summer wishlist jotted down. This means I will have to get it from the library or buy them because almost all of them are new books this year.
I will pick an author to reread their books this summer.
Below is my list of wishes to read.

The Black Cat Knocks On Wood by Kay Finch.
Law and Author by Erika Chase.
Tea Cups And Carnage by Lynn Cahoon.
The Skeleton Haunts A House by Leigh Perry
A Premonition of Murder by Mary Kennedy.
A Shattering Crime by Jennifer McAndrews.
The Calamity Cafe by Gayle Leeson.
Now for October I already know that I want the Hammett Hex by Victoria Abbott.
I still have July and August to go before I know the rest of my summer reading but this is a start on the books I do know I want to read.
Probably my summer reread will be Nancy Atherton or maybe Agatha Christie. 
I also will add that I will read whatever Rhys Bowen will have out this year that I haven't read. The same for some other authors such as Sherry Harris, Monica Ferris, Ellery Adams ( I love the book retreat series), Melissa Bourbon (her magical dressmaking mystery series is to die for), Janet Bolin has a great Threadville Mystery Series, Ellen Byron Series, Cindy Blackburn, Elaine Viets and Lorraine Barrett and Bartlett Series. Laura Levine's newest one.
There are more series to list but I will do it as each month releases a new one of my favorite authors.
The good news about listing my books on here is when I need to find which ones I want at the bookstore or at the library I can print this out and take it with me.
Hugs,
Pamela

Review: Plantation Shudders by Ellen Byron

I want preface this mystery series review with a few words. If you have ever stayed in a bed and Breakfast in the south, or visited Louisiana, lived in Louisiana then you know that colorful characters are as common as sweet tea. That hospitality is right up there with gumbo and you probably in one form or another have met characters like the ones in Plantation Shudders (A Cajun County Mystery), in other words you will enjoy every word and every character in this wonderful series.

The Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast was once just a plantation but it cost a lot of money for upkeep of any southern mansion. Hence why it is now a bed and breakfast with charm, sweet tea and wonderful rooms.

Maggie Crozat returns home to help her family with the bed and breakfast. This week will be a busy one as the food festival is one of many events that are happening of course this means everyone is booked to the hilt.

The guest checking in are Georgia frat boys to which Maggie named them  one two and three, the Cajun Cuties a fan club of sorts who usually stayed at another bed and breakfast but that mansion had flooded so the Crozarts were happy to help,  plus a stranger to die for who was from Texas his name is Kyle, if this isn't colorful character enough then a family arrives complete with children in tow and the couple are celebrating their fifth anniversary.
An elderly honeymoon couple is supposed to arrive and eventually do arrive late.

The elderly couple has everyone's attention because the husband is a tad more than grouchy but the wife has a smile on her face. I mean this smile is kinda scary, a little grotesque and much like a train wreck you want to look away but cannot not look at this face.

The first thing that happens the elderly honeymooners Bud and Beverly Clabber arrive late he complaints and the room access and stated they were supposed to be on the first floor. Maggie corrects Bud as they had not booked the first floor.
The rose room is beautiful but Bud went into the bathroom came out and had Maggie follow him into the bathroom. He told her the toilet paper roll was put on all wrong and this would not do that it should unrolled from the top not the bottom. There are some days nothing but the middle finger comes in handy. But Maggie never gives the middle finger that would not show a proper upbringing, or good manners, instead she just fixes the toilet paper role while keeping her middle finger out of sight.
Anyway this is just one example of colorful characters. 

Maggie's own family has gran whose accent becomes even more thick when she doesn't like someone and has to be nice and sweet as sliced pie to them. Her father Tug is a wonderful delightful man who is a hard worker and loves his life more than the south. Her mother will not be found idle, sprinkle in here and there a few cousins and you have a rich and wonderful family history, one of their history is that when you shudder it means something and not always in a good way.
Long story short this is a book full of mystery, just like it's southern setting it has something for everyone.  Murder is also on the menu and so is secrets.
Everyone has a secret or two the trick is to figure what secrets are worth killing for and of course finding in order to find this out Maggie must get her hands dirty.
In other words she has to clean to find the dirty secrets, she also has a little help along the way from a new Deputy who is the Sheriff's cousin.

I have never laughed, loved and wanted to solve a crime more than I did in this mystery.
I think Plantation Shudders should be in every creative writing class as a study of character, humor, plot and setting. I can see this series one day becoming a made for television movie or a Hallmark Movies and Mystery Series.
It might just become a classic series.

With every turn of the page the you will lose track of time and be transported to a southern bed and breakfast you won't soon forget...