Carol's Notebook

Title: The Song Dog (Kramer and Zondi #8) Author: James McClure Reader: Steven Crossley Category: Mystery- Police Procedural Audio published: April 23, 2013 by AudioGo (First published 1993) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Add: Goodreads Purchase: Amazon | IndieBound | Book Depository The year is 1962. Young Lieutenant Tromp Kramer of the Trekkersburg Murder and Robbery Squad has been ordered up to Jafini, a small, dusty town in northern Zululand, to investigate the "hero's death" of the town's chief detective, Maaties Kritzinger––another Afrikaner maverick, and one with many secrets. Kramer finds himself increasingly identifying with the victim as the investigation proceeds. And then his path crosses that of Bantu Detective Sergeant Mickey Zondi, who is trying to locate a multiple killer whose summary execution will quiet the spirits of his ancestors. Despite the racial differences, the two men sense a kinship...one that might prove dangerous in rural South Africa in the year of Nelson Mandela's imprisonment. The Song Dog by James McClure is as much about the South Africa in the early...

Just added How the Light Gets In by Louise Penny to my wishlist today. Well, I actually knew I was going to put it on my list months and months ago when I finished the last one in the series, but I technically added it to my Goodreads shelf today. Christmas is approaching, and in Québec it’s a time of dazzling snowfalls, bright lights, and gatherings with friends in front of blazing hearths. But shadows are falling on the usually festive season for Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. Most of his best agents have left the Homicide Department, his old friend and lieutenant Jean-Guy Beauvoir hasn’t spoken to him in months, and hostile forces are lining up against him. When Gamache receives a message from Myrna Landers that a longtime friend has failed to arrive for Christmas in the village of Three Pines, he welcomes the chance to get away from the city. Mystified by Myrna's reluctance to reveal her friend's name, Gamache soon discovers the missing woman...

Vacations to exotic islands, murderous train rides, thrilling cross-country chases - just some of the ways I've traveled by reading. Here's my top ten books featuring travel in no particular order. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie - As a mystery lover, I have to include this classic mystery aboard the train. Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert - I loved reading about Gilbert's travels through Italy, India and Bali and her journey to self-discovery. Have Gun, Will Play by Camilla LaGuire - Fun  western mystery where a pair of  young married gunslingers, one of my favorite literary couples by the way, are hired to escort a child and her toys to a safe haven. The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny - I fell in love with Haida Gwaii when Inspector Gamache took a short trip there as part of his investigation. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams - A hilarious journey through the galaxy. The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - A cross-country quest to...

Have I mentioned how much I love summer? I've been enjoying the warm temperatures we've had this past week. We finally got our garden planted too, just a couple of weeks behind schedule. And here's the list of books I've received in the last month or so. Blessed Are Those Who Thirst by Anne Holt- from Blackstone Audiobooks (review) Frank Sinatra in a Blender by Matthew McBride- from Blackstone Audiobooks (review) Foreseen by Terri-Lynne Smiles- purchased Spoon by Robert Greer- won at the Ohioana Book Festival The Song Dog by James McClure- from AudioGo Invitation to Die by Helen Smith- from the author The Ophelia Cut by John Lescroart- from Atria Game by Anders de la Motte- from Atria Siege by Simon Kernick- from Atria North Sea Requiem by A. D. Scott- from Atria Dragons At The Party by Jon Cleary- from AudioGo "Shoggoth's Old Peculiar" by Neil Gaiman- was a freebie at Audible.com Mailbox Monday was started by Marcia of To Be Continued and is hosted by Meredith of...