March Mystery Madness: Shore Excursion by Marie Moore

March Mystery Madness: Shore Excursion by Marie Moore

by Carol12 Comments
I've never been on a cruise, but it's certainly on my "one day" list, although hopefully it will be less adventurous than Sidney Marsh's in Shore Excursion by Marie Moore. Sidney works for a travel agent and its her job this time around to escort the High Steppers, a group of mostly senior citizens, on a cruise through Scandinavia to Russia. Sidney's expecting a routine trip. She knows most of the High Steppers and although some are definitely eccentric, she does enjoy them. But when one of the little old ladies is killed and the murder is more or less covered up, Sidney realizes a couple of things. Her High Steppers are in danger. There's a killer on the boat and she seems to be the only one who wants to find the truth. I enjoyed this quick read. Sidney's a good character, persistent,intelligent for the most part, and she truly enjoys her job. I also like that the need for her...
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Flash Fiction: She Arrives Tomorrow

by Carol2 Comments
"She Arrives Tomorrow" The soft tap startled them both. Michael frowned, briefly, before cinching his robe around his waist and rising from the long, low sofa to answer the door. "Your mother wishes to speak to you, my prince." His valet bowed and headed down the corridor, his soft-soled shoes soundless on the thick carpet. "Damn," Michael muttered under his breath, closing the door. "I have to go see what she wants," he muttered to the young man still lying on the couch, his cobalt satin robe hanging open, barely draped across his lap. Michael ran his hand along the man's bare leg as he passed by on the way into the bedroom of his suite. "The old crow," he added, to low to be heard. After dressing, Michael stalked down the familiar halls to the Queen's chambers. He was let in by one of her maids, who the politely disappeared into one of the back rooms, leaving him alone with his mother. "Michael,"...
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Short Reviews: Prairie Storms by Darcy Pattison and River Beds by Gail Langer Kowoski

by Carol2 Comments
Today is NEA's Read Across America Day and in celebration Sylvan Dell Publishing is allowing folks to read all 70 of their ebooks on-line for free today. They have a great collection of nature-based books for kids. Amber would have loved these when she was younger. I read two of the books today. The first was Prairie Storms by Darcy Pattison. It looks at storms that can occur in all the months of the year and how a specific species of animal deals with the weather. For example, A June thunderstorm causes deer to flee to the trees, and in November a bald eagle rides out a snowstorm on a branch. The illustrations are beautiful detailed drawings of the birds, mammals, even a lizard. I think my favorite is the bisons in a winter blizzard. The herd stands, unshaken, unmovable, undaunted. The bison stand prairie-strong and defiant." I love the language she uses to. It's a pleasure to read and to...
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Thursday’s Tale: Hans the Hedgehog

by Carol7 Comments
I've been reading fairy tales regularly for over two years now, but I'm still surprised by just how odd some of them are, like "Hans the Hedgehog" by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. The story starts off in a usual fairy tale way, with a man who desperately wants a child, so much so that he calls out one day, "I will have a child, even if it be a hedgehog." Of course, the next spring his wife has a son, but the upper part of him is a hedgehog, while the lower part is that of a boy. His parents name him Hans the Hedgehog, but they are horrible to him and make him stay behind the stove on a pile of straw. The father is thankful, when after he gives Hans a set of bagpipes he requested, that Hans states he will ride away on the cock and never come back. Hans however, just retreats to the woods, taking pigs and...
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Review: Henry Wood Detective Agency by Brian Meeks

by Carol7 Comments
I've actually been putting off reviewing Henry Wood Detective Agency by Brian Meeks. It's a blast of a book, and I want you to read it if you like mysteries that are a little quirky, but I don't want to spoil it for you. In a nutshell,  Henry Wood is a private detective in 1955. A woman who needs his help wanders into his office, but she isn’t the only one who needs to hire him. There's another woman who needs his services to, but the two situations are definitely related. Henry's in New York, loves the Brooklyn Dodgers, enjoys woodworking, and is in over his head with his new case. So you've got the rather typical gumshoe and a couple of gorgeous dames. It really does feel like a classic detective novel, up to a point. Henry has to deal with the mob and a crooked politician. The case is one that only he can solve, with clues coming to him...
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