Mother's Day's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday post, where I will be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It was another quiet week.  Work, reading, and a little bit of TV watching.  I finished up my rewatch of season 7 of Once Upon a Time, something I've been going to do for about 4 years now.  My thoughts on the season haven't really changed since it first aired - some great moments and compelling but lots of stuff that they just didn't have enough time to fully develop.

Anyway, our temps stayed in the 60's early in the week, but we are in the 80's now with temps in the 90's predicted for Sunday and Monday.  Then, of course, we start to drop again, but fortunately not quite as far as the 60's.  It's May, after all.  Time for some warm weather.

And today is my friend's game day, so let's get to it, shall we?

Pun-Official Holiday of the Week:

May 13 – Take a leap and be hoppy for Frog Jumping Day.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: My Dream is Yours

Tuesday - Book Review: Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place by Linda Reilly

Wednesday - Ornament Review: Sandal the Sandman #4

Thursday - Book Review: Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips

Friday - Friday Post featuring Murder Most Trivial

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: The Flash

Tuesday - Book Review: Murder, She Wrote - Murder Most Trivial by Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early

Wednesday - Movie Review: Avatar - The Way of Water

Thursday - Book Review: Murder on the Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood

Friday - Friday Post

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got three books to talk about this week.

Up first is my preorder of One Final Turn, the fifth and final Electra McDonnell book from Ashley Weaver.  Yes, the books been out for a year, but I preordered the trade paperback, which came out this week.  I'm very much looking forward to seeing how things are wrapped up.  I'm planning to read it soon, with a review hopefully coming the beginning of June.

I've had my eye on Murder to My Ears by Rebecca McKinnon for a while now.  When the ebook popped up as free, I snagged it.  Looks like it's back to regular price of $3.99 now.

Finally, we have another free ebook that has gone back to regular price ($2.99 in this case).  Murder in the Cranberry Bog is the second in a series from Mike Cassidy featuring a reporter who is traveling the country.  I already have the first, but I haven't read it yet.  But free is a good price to grab book two in case I enjoy the first one.

What I'm Currently Reading:

Friday night, I finished up Harm Not the Earth by Liz Milliron.  Yes, I was just talking about getting this book a couple of weeks ago.  It's book four in her Laurel Highlands series, and I enjoyed it.  Got to get the review written.

Which means I've just started My Nightmare is Yours, the new Madison Night Mystery from Diane Vallere.  Since it doesn't come out for a couple of weeks, I'm reading an ARC.  I'd hoped to get a bit further into it before I left for game day, but that isn't looking good.  Either way, I'm only about 10% into the book, but I'm enjoying it so far.

Have a great week!

May 9th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Quiz with Balls – I always worry with a category like Books because, I feel like I should know what they will ask, but then they don’t tend to have books I know anything about.  So, this time, I was happy when I knew the answer to the question.  Other than that, the football rivalry theme didn’t mean much to me. 

Survivor – I was looking at the number of people and number of episodes left and thinking they had to do another double elimination (if not more).  So I think the only surprise was splitting in two.  Still not completely sure how I feel about that, but I’m more okay with it than I used to be.  Emily leaving on the same day was hard, but I really admire her spirit.  I was a little surprised that they voted the second go around and that Cirie got two votes again.  And Ozzy.  He was pretty bitter, but it is hard to see him go with the idol in his pocket again.  The person who gave him that idol is out, though, right?  So does it boomerang to anyone?  Or is it just dead?

May 8th's Friday Post

It's Friday again, which means it is time for another Friday Post.  I'll be linking up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

My teasers for the first three will be coming from Murder Most Trivial, the new Murder, She Wrote novel from Barbara Early.

Obviously, this book is going to have a very specific fan base, but considering this is the 63rd book in the series of novels tied into the TV show, I'd say it is a large fan base.

Anyway, here's how the book begins:

Seth Hazlitt opened the door of Riley’s for me, and I’ll admit I hesitated to look around the room. The promise of a “genuine” Irish pub experience here in Cabot Cove, Maine, was one I found intriguing yet, I feared, was doomed to disappoint (not for lack of advertising).

Okay, so that first sentence might not be suspenseful, but it does a good job of setting up the first scene.

Meanwhile, at 56% into the ARC, we find this quote:

“Are we going to play the game?” Maureen asked.
“What game?” Mort said.

The book is coming out on Tuesday, but I was able to read an ARC, so I'll be reviewing it on Tuesday.

Let's switch over to this week's Book Blogger Hop.  The question of the week is:

If you designed a cover for a beloved book, how would it look, and how would it reflect the story? 

I'm am so not a visual arts person.  You should see what I cam up with when I had to do something liek that in school.  But I can appreciate a well done cover.  I'm not sure how I would improve on those.  So I think I will leave it to the visual artists and just enjoy their work.

(Yes, I know I am just dodging the question.)

Have a great weekend!

Book Review: Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Charlie and his family, good mystery

Cons: Charlie seems a bit reckless

The Bottom Line:

Changes in his life

And dangerous mystery

This debut is good

Low on Sleep. High on Crime

I’ve enjoyed several of the winners of the Minotaur Books/Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel over the years, so when I saw that Stakeouts and Strollers, the recently published debut from Rob Phillips, won the contest back in 2024, I had to give it a try. 

The book introduces us to Charlie Shaw, a first-time father who is also a newly licensed private investigator. Between the career change and a six-month-old who isn’t sleeping through the night, he’s struggling. 

While he’s out on surveillance, he meets a teenager who is looking for her father. Charlie can’t help but feel for her, and he decides to take on the case even though she can’t pay him. However, he quickly figures out that he’s brought a lot of danger on his family. Is his client’s father still alive? Can he figure out what is happening before the danger hits too close to home?

I was expecting a bit of a comedic PI novel when I picked this book up. While there are some humorous parts, especially Charlie’s banter with his wife, the book is fairly serious in tone overall. That includes some rough language and a bit more violence than I was expecting as well. Keep all that in mind when you go to pick up this book. 

The mystery itself kept me entertained the entire way through. There is a lot going on, but I never had trouble keeping up with the events and Charlie’s theories. The ending was suspenseful and logical. I was quite happy when I set it down. 

I really liked Charlie, and especially his relationship with his family. We really got to know him as the book progressed and could sympathize with what he was experiencing as a new father. His wife and daughter were also good characters. In fact, as the book progressed, I felt like everyone came to life on the page. 

I did feel like Charlie took a few unnecessary risks over the course of the book, especially for a new father. But that’s a minor critique. 

The book is set in and around San Francisco, not too far from where I grew up. There’s one place that doesn’t seem possible geographically, but I’m sure most people won’t be bothered by it. 

This book feels like it might be a standalone. If we do get a sequel, I will definitely be revisiting Charlie and family. Those looking for an enjoyable debut will be glad they picked up Stakeouts and Strollers. 

Ornament Review: Sandal the Sandman #4 - Eating a Sandwich - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Sandal is still cute

Cons: How is this Christmassy?

The Bottom Line:

Enjoying picnic

Doesn’t tie to holiday

Ornament is cute

Picnic at the Beach

I was planning on passing on the fourth Sandal the Sandman ornament from Hallmark until I saw the series was ending with the fifth this year. So, I went ahead and snagged the fourth at a discount so I can have the entire series. 

For this entry, Sandal is enjoying a sandwich. He’s split it with his seagull friend. He’s about to take a bite, and from the look on his face, and he’s very happy about it. The Seagull? He doesn’t look quite as convinced. 

Here’s my issue with this ornament - how is it Christmas? What I’ve enjoyed about the series is the beach twist on Christmas traditions. This feels more like a picnic that could happen any time of the year. Now, I did like the ornament that featured Sandal paddleboarding, but that was an extra ornament, not an official part of the series. 

I do like that Sandal is wearing a beach hat and has a beach towel as a scarf. Those touches are fun. 

Since Sandal and his friend are on the beach, this has a nice flat base, so you can set it out to be displayed year-round. And the series marker is on the bottom of the ornament. 

When you go to hang the ornament, you’ll find that it tips slightly forward, but this isn’t anything that can’t be hidden by a few branches. 

The ornament itself is cute, But I wish this entry in the Sandal the Sandman series had a better holiday activity. 

Warm up with the rest of the Sandal the Sandman ornaments.

Book Review: Between a Roquefort and Hard Place by Linda Reilly (Grilled Cheese Mysteries #7)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Carly in an entertaining mystery

Cons: The supporting characters could be a bit sharper

The Bottom Line:

Renovation death

Carly must clear her husband

Delicious and fun

Shocking Murder at a Mansion

I wasn’t sure if we would get more Grilled Cheese Mysteries. The last book would have been a great ending to the series. So I was happy when I saw Linda Reilly was back with Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place. 

The series features newlywed Carly Hale Mitchell who runs a grilled cheese diner in her hometown in Vermont. Business is booming, but she can’t help getting involved in the various murders happening in the area. 

As this book opens, it’s been ten months since her wedding, and Carly and Ari are happily settling into married life. At her restaurant, she and her employees are working on a grilled cheese competition. But Carly drops everything when she is invited to Peppermint Mansion, the biggest and most mysterious house in the area, to cook a grilled cheese for the elderly owner. The mansion is undergoing renovations, and Ari is handling the electrical. But while Carly is there, the general contractor dies. The police quickly determine it wasn’t an accident and start looking at Ari as their prime suspect. Can Carly clear her husband?

The book does a good job of setting up the plot and getting to the murder quickly. We have several good suspects and the plot kept me guessing and engaged until we reached the logical ending. 

Over the course of the series, we’ve met quite a few supporting characters. While they all have had a book to shine, they didn’t stand out from each other here. This is mostly true of Carly’s employees. It can be a problem in  a long running series when we get so many characters we want to see again, but they wind up having very little page time as a result. The suspects, on the other hand, were good, as were the other new characters we met. And Carly and her husband are fantastic. 

As always, there are some grilled cheese recipes at the end of the book. We get three more, and they sound delicious. 

Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place is another delicious mystery. Grab a grilled cheese and enjoy. 

Pick up the rest of the Grilled Cheese Mysteries. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

Movie Review: My Dream is Yours

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Great singing, entertaining while watching

Cons: Pacing over emphasizes job, making romance seem forced

The Bottom Line:

A singer’s big break

Light, fun film with great singing

Story needs focus

“He Was the Man I Used to Work for a Long, Long Time Ago.  Day Before Yesterday.”

Diane Vallere has a new book in her Madison Night series coming later this month.  As always, in order to prepare, I watched the similarly titled Doris Day movie.  In this case, that lead me to My Dream is Yours, her second movie from 1949.

This movie opens in Hollywood, where we meet agent Doug Blake (Jack Carson).  His star client (his only client) is singing sensation Gary Mitchell (Lee Bowman), who is set to renew his contract for the radio show he is on.  But Gary doesn’t want to do it.  He’s negotiated his own contract with a different show, in fact.

So Doug sets off for New York City to find a replacement for Gary.  And he does when he stumbles on Martha Gibson (Doris Day).  But can he land her a job back in Los Angeles?

Given that two of the three lead characters are singers, there is lots of singing, mostly from Doris Day.  And most of the songs are in the context of their jobs.  With one exception, I enjoyed the songs.  Doris has a fantastic voice, and I loved listening to it.  Hal Derwin, who was the singing voice of Gary, was just as great.  So, which song didn’t I enjoy?  Sadly, it was the title track.  Which, naturally, means we heard it the most.

Oh, and there’s that dream sequence.  I don’t see how anyone thought it was good to put into the film.  It was more something out of a cheesy sitcom.

As is often the case with Doris Day movies, I was entertained while watching, but I didn’t feel like it was that good.  We get lots of time spent on Doug trying to find a job for Martha.  I liked the fact that it didn’t come easy, but it also felt a little drawn out.  Yeah, I know.  I’m hard to please.

There is also supposed to be a love triangle.  I say supposed to be because they only hint at this storyline before the last 20 minutes or so of the movie, when we suddenly focus on that.  Honestly, if they had given that a little more time while not spending as much time on the repetition of Martha not getting a job, I think it would have been better.  As it is, the romance feels forced when we start focusing on it.

I suspect most of that is just because of the age of the film.  We look for something different in the storytelling now vs. what they did back then.  I’m sure the focus on the pacing the story would be better if it were made today.

Overall, this does represent something we don’t see from the major studios any more – a light romantic movie.  I wish we would see more of that.

None of this criticism is directed at the actors.  They are all great at bringing the story to life for us.  Those involved in the dream sequences even commit fully to it. 

For me, My Dream is Yours is another mixed bag.  It’s entertaining enough when you sit down to watch it, but it isn’t worth going out of your way for.

Looking for the DVD?  Looks like it is part of this Doris Day collection.

May 3rd's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post, where I will be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

This week started off magically.  That's right, I was back at Disneyland.  I had one day left to use on the 3 Day ticket I bought when my friends were here a couple of months ago.  I went by myself this time and had fun.  Was pretty productive, too.  I got half of a book read and two reviews written on my phone while I was standing in lines.  I almost got everything in I wanted to do, but just ran out of time.  Considering I was in both parks, I was happy with that.

Other than that, this week has been pretty quiet and ordinary.  Pretty much just work.  I have done just about nothing so far today (Saturday).  It's been nice for a change.

Weather was in the low 60's last Sunday.  It warmed up to the 80's Saturday.  But it will be back to the 60's on Sunday.  I'm ready for it to pick a temperature and stick with it for a while.

Joke of the Week:

Someone ripped the 5th month out of my new calendar.

I’m dismayed

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - TV Show Review: Night Court Reboot - Season 3

Tuesday - Book Review: In the Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

Wednesday - Book Review: Death on Cozumel Island by Cindy Qualye

Thursday - April Reading Summary

Friday - Friday Post featuring Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: My Dream is Yours

Tuesday - Book Review: Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place by Linda Reilly

Wednesday - Ornament Review: Sandal the Sandman #4

Thursday - Book Review: Stakeouts and Strollers by Rob Phillips

Friday - Friday Post

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Last weekend, Barnes and Nobel offered double stamps, so of course, I had to order three more books.

Up first is An Excellent Things in a Woman by Allison Montclair.  It's book seven in the Sparks and Bainbridge series.  I have all of them but this one, including book eight.  So, naturally, I filled in the gap.  I'm a few books behind but planning to read another in the series soon.

I also got Vanished!, the second in James Ponti's Framed! series.  I generally enjoy his books, and I enjoyed the first in this series when I read it last year.

Finally, I got a short story anthology.  Hollywood Kills was created and published last year to raise funds to help the victims of the LA wild fires from last year.  Definitely a cause I want to support.  And it has some authors in it I enjoy.  My track record with actually reading short story collections is dismal, but we'll see if I get to this one.

What I'm Currently Reading:

Friday, I finished Murder on the Marlow Belle, the fourth Marlow Murder Club book by Robert Thorogood.  I found the ending a little disappointing, but overall, I enjoyed it.  But more on that at a later date, after I get my review written.

Which means today, I should have been working on Reckoning at the Riviera Royale by P.J. Fitzsimmons.  But remember how I was talking about having a lazy day?  That includes not even getting any reading done.  But I'm sure I will make up for that tomorrow and be fully invested in the book come Monday.

That's it for me.  Have a great week!

May 2nd's Weekly TV Thoughts

Shows are already ending.  I realize we are getting to the end of the traditional TV season, but I'm used to shows going to May.  But I only have three shows this week, and one of them is a season finale.  This post will be a bit quiet for a bit, I think.  Maybe I can make some progress on new TV on DVD sets to watch and review as a result.  We'll see.

Quiz with Balls – I thought the Sharps were out early, but they held on and came back quite nicely.  A fun episode overall.  Not sure I would have done nearly as well as either team did with some of those categories.

RJ Decker – I don’t know that I’d really picked up on there being an ongoing story about his arrest until the last episode.  But it led into a great season finale tonight.  It was nice seeing all the characters working together.  And I’m glad RJ turned himself in and it all blew over.  I’m very curious what the cliffhanger will mean going forward.  Not sorry about it, but curious where it will lead.  If we get a season two, that is.

Survivor – With the extra time left in the episode, the flip wasn’t that suspenseful.  It was an interesting twist, I guess.  I don’t know, I feel like it was under whelming.  It will be interesting to see if Devins still has a big target on his back.  And, honestly, I sure thought Steph was driving things.  She may not have had the original ideal, but she was pushing for it for sure.  Or maybe that was just how it was edited.

May 1st's Friday Post

Happy May Day!  Let's celebrate with a Friday Post, where I will link up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

This week, my teasers from the first three will be coming from Between a Roquefort and a Hard Place by Linda Reilly.

This is book seven in her Grilled Cheese Mysteries.  It came out a couple of weeks ago, but with the short turn around (this publisher always announces stuff last minute), I wasn't able to work the ARC into my reading schedule before now.

Here's how the book begins:

Carly Hale Mitchell’s gaze flitted all around the elegantly appointed parlor. She could easily imagine she’d been dropped into an episode of Downton Abbey.

So, the question on my mind was where is our main character?  Of course, we find out exactly where Carly was within the next few sentences.

Meanwhile, at 56% into the eARC, we find this:

Emotion clogging her throat, she hurried out and closed the door.

Just what has upset her?  I'll leave it for you to find out.

I've finished this one, and I enjoyed it.  I'll be reviewing it on Tuesday, so I hope you'll come back then to read my full review.

Meanwhile, let's take a look at this week's Book Blogger Hop.  The question is:

Is there a book you've been meaning to read forever but haven’t gotten to yet?

So many books!  I did read one of them back in January, The Big Boat to Bye-Bye by Ellis Weiner.  I'm sure if I spent much time looking at my shelves (or my Kindle collection), I'd find many that fit the bill.  But one that sprang immediately to mind is Baby Crimes by Randall Hicks.  I read the first in the series and bought the trade paperback of this book when it came out almost 20 years ago.  But I still haven't read it.  I really should fix that, should I?

Have a great weekend!