Audiobook Review: Moonlighting in Vermont by Kate George

by Carol8 Comments
Title: Moonlighting in Vermont (Bree MacGowan Mystery #1) Author: Kate George Read by: Sara Mackie Category: Mystery Audio published: January 21, 2013 (first published 2009) Rating: 2½ out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Audible | Amazon Rumor has it that nothing ever happens in small-town Vermont, but for Bella Bree MacGowan, there is no shortage of excitement. She becomes the prime suspect when she finds her boss dead in a pool of blood and can’t convince the officer in charge, hunky Lt. Miles Brooks, that she isn’t capable of murder. Lt. Brooks believes two things: The first is that everyone is capable of murder, and the second is that the simplest solution is usually correct. So when it appears that Bree MacGowan has both motive and opportunity, he’s confident he’s found his killer. Meg Maverick owns the local paper, and Bree’s been her paste-up tech and friend from the beginning. She has no doubt of Bree’s innocence, but she’s worried. If her husband Tom, the captain-in-chief at the local state...
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Review: That’s What Leprechauns Do by Eve Bunting

by Carol5 Comments
Title: That's What Leprechauns Do Author: Eve Bunting Illustrator: Emily Arnold McCully Category: Picture Book Published: February 16, 2009 by HMH Books for Young Readers Rating: 3 out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase:  Amazon | Book Depository The three leprechauns Ari, Boo, and Col have a job to do. They must race to where they’ve buried the pot of gold and dig it up before the rainbow comes. The clouds are already gathering, so there’ll be no time for mischief along the way. But Mrs. Ballybunion’s cow, Miss Maud Murphy’s hen, and Old Jamie soon find out that the three clever fellows can’t resist having a little fun on the road to Paddywhackers Bog. For, in addition to putting a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, mischief is what leprechauns do! I was looking for a book to stick in my bag this weekend, in case I get a chance to read with one of my favorite little girls, and since Monday is St. Patrick's Day,...
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Thursday’s Tale: The Leprecaun or Fairy Shoemaker

by Carol1 Comment
Today's tale is actually a poem written by William Allingham and included in Sixteen Poems by William Allingham, selected by William Bulter Yeats, published in 1905. The Leprecaun or Fairy Shoemaker Little Cowboy, what have you heard, Up on the lonely rath's green mound? Only the plaintive yellow bird Sighing in sultry fields around, Chary, chary, chary, chee-ee!-- Only the grasshopper and the bee?-- "Tip-tap, rip-rap, Tick-a-tack-too! Scarlet leather, sewn together, This will make a shoe. Left, right, pull it tight; Summer days are warm; Underground in winter, Laughing at the storm! Lay your ear close to the hill. Do you not catch the tiny clamour, Busy click of an elfin hammer, Voice of the Lepracaun singing shrill As he merrily plies his trade? He's a span And a quarter in height. Get him in sight, hold him tight, And you're a made Man! You watch your cattle the summer day, Sup on potatoes, sleep in the hay; How would you like to roll in your carriage. Look for a duchess's daughter in marriage? Seize the Shoemaker--then you may! "Big boots a-hunting, Sandals in the hall, White for a wedding-feast, Pink for a ball. This way,...
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Guest Post: Lauren Carr, author of Twelve to Murder

by Carol17 Comments
I'm happy to welcome Lauren Carr, author of Twelve to Murder, to my notebook today. She's got a couple of funny stories about being a mystery writer while having a teenage son. My Mother Isn’t a Psychopath. She’s a Mystery Writer By Lauren Carr A few months ago, my son, Tristan confessed that he had yet another embarrassing moment. Here’s something to keep in mind: He’s a teenager, which means every day is filled with embarrassing moments. He’s humiliated waking up in the morning. However, according to him, this moment was particularly distressing. My son had been selected to give tours to new incoming freshmen. Apparently, some parents were present. During the orientation, a mother came up to him and asked, “Is it true you’re Lauren Carr’s son? I love her mysteries! Give Gnarly a hug for me.” (Notice she didn’t want him to hug me.) He was horrified by the attention, of course. However, I couldn’t miss the little smile on his face when he told...
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Audiobook Review: The Chase by Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg

by Carol8 Comments
Title: The Chase Authors: Janet Evanovich and Lee Goldberg Read by: Scott Brick Category: Crime Caper Audio published: February 25, 2014 by Random House Audio Rating: 3½ out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Audible | Amazon | Book Depository Internationally renowned thief and con artist Nicolas Fox is famous for running elaborate and daring scams. His greatest con of all: convincing the FBI to team him up with the only person who has ever caught him, and the only woman to ever capture his attention, Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Together they’ll go undercover to swindle and catch the world’s most wanted—and untouchable—criminals. Their newest target is Carter Grove, a former White House chief of staff and the ruthless leader of a private security agency. Grove has stolen a rare Chinese artifact from the Smithsonian, a crime that will torpedo U.S. relations with China if it ever becomes public. Nick and Kate must work under the radar—and against the clock—to devise a plan to steal the piece back. Confronting...
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