The Science of Murder by Carla Valentine

The Science of Murder by Carla Valentine

by CarolNo Comments
I am a huge Agatha Christie and read a ton of mysteries, so I couldn't pass up The Science of Murder. The author, Carla Valentine, is a forensic pathology technician and the curator of Barts Pathology Museum in London. She also clearly loves Agatha Christie's work. The book is a fascinating look at the forensics behind Christie’s mysteries and examples from real crimes of the past. The Science of Murder moves through eight chapters that focus on various areas of forensic study like fingerprints, trace evidence, ballistics, handwriting, impressions, blood splatter, and toxicology. While discussing the technical side of gathering and studying these types of evidence, we also get details from Christie's books and her real life. The author talks about some of Christie's most famous plots, without giving too much away. We also learn about Christie's wartime occupations, memberships in murder mystery writer clubs, and work on her second husband’s archeological digs. We also get details about modern forensics and...
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Winter Wishes by Elle Adams

Winter Wishes by Elle Adams

by Carol4 Comments
Carol and Mercy are owners of the Holiday Haven Inn. They have a weekend celebration planned which includes carolers, a festive food menu, a theatre production, and the use of a wishing box. The wishing box disappears soon after it is delivered and things immediately start falling apart. Carol and Mercy need to find the wishing box before the whole celebration is ruined. This is a fun series. I love Holiday Haven and all of the residents. It's also fun that the stories are written by different authors and feature different characters, but all take place in the same town - and have a touch of magic. This one was not my favorite. Carol jumps to conclusions too quickly and is kind of mean about her family, who seem eccentric but harmless. Also, I didn't quite get the magic. Mercy has magic and so does Carol's mother who is a witch, but neither seems to really do anything with it....
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