September 2025's Reading Summary

Welcome to the last day of September.  Time to check in with my reading summary for the month.  I didn't get a chance to update the index this month.

All ratings are on a scale of 1 (bad) to 5 (great).  The links will take you to my full review.

 

Whiskey Business by Adrian Andover (Mixology Lounge Mysteries #1) – 5

Reece Parker has opened Subplot, a literary themed cocktail lounge, in his hometown. He’s trying to build his clientele, so he’s thrilled when a whiskey club wants to use the space for their monthly meetings. But the first night goes wrong when one new member seems to want to go out of his way to irritate everyone. After the meeting, Reece finds that member dead in the alley behind his lounge. Fearing the hit this might do to his business, he starts investigating. Can he find the killer?

I met the author this spring, so I’ve been looking forward to this book since then. And I really enjoyed it. It captures the cozy vibes well with the setting and the characters. I’d be interested in visiting, between murders, of course. I could really feel the love the characters have for each other. The mystery starts well, and doesn’t waiver on the way to the logical climax. I might have a niggle or two with it, but I’m being nitpicky here. Reece has recently come out to himself, and I appreciated how that subplot was handled as well. If you are looking for a new cozy series, you won’t go wrong picking this one up. Me? I’m waiting for the sequel. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

A Murder Most Fowl by Carmela Dutra (Food Truck Mysteries #1) – 3

Twins Beth and Seth Lloyd have inherited a food truck from their aunt, and Beth decides to increase their exposure by entering a reality competition. However, after the first day of filming, a fellow competitor, one that Beth has a history with, is found dead in his food truck. In order to clear her name, Beth starts poking around. Can she find the truth?

I was looking forward to this debut since it sounded fun. And the book started out well, with me laughing and the set up moving along well. But as the book kept going, I found events took the place of actual investigation. Many of the suspects were thin, and the main characters started to wear on me with their antics. The book wasn’t all bad, but it needed a little more time to become more polished. Hopefully, a second book will be better. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

The Tell-Tale Homicide by Daphne Silver (Rare Books Cozy Mysteries #2) – 2

Juniper Blume has moved to Rose Mallow to work from the Calverton Family and their personal library. However, on her second day, she finds a dead man inside clutching a rare early edition of Edgar Allan Poe – one that was missing from the library. Can Juniper figure out what is going on?

I enjoyed the first, but this one was a real let down. The book needed a serious edit. Most obnoxious to me with the multiple blatant timeline issues. They, along with some other things, left me wondering if the suspicious behavior I was observing was poor editing or something I was supposed to pick up on. The pacing was uneven, and a storyline involving the future of the town was wrapped up too easily. There was an element of the climax that was never explained. And some politics of the day pop up, making me roll my eyes. I did still enjoy my time with the returning characters. Well, most of them. (And don’t get me started on how that character behaved.) I see others have really enjoyed this book, so maybe it’s me, but I can’t recommend it. 

 

Watching the Detectives by Julie Mulhern (Country Club Murders #5) – 4

When this book opens, it’s been four days. Only four days since Ellison Russell was chased by a killer clown. Ellison has decided it is time to redecorate her husband’s study, and she’s brought in Khaki White, one of her potential boyfriend’s ex-wives. But Khaki is the go-to decorator among the country club set, so Ellison is getting a quote. That is until her housekeeper calls with car trouble, and Ellison runs out to get her. The two women return to find Mrs. White dead in the study, shot by a revolver. Can Ellison navigate the latest dead body in her life?

It has been too long since I read the previous book, but I was quickly back in Ellison’s world. I enjoyed seeing what was going on with the characters, and I’m hopeful the love triangle has been put to rest. Her mother wasn’t quite as overbearing in this book, which was appreciated. The 70’s are brought to life with plenty of great details, and some of the politics of the day. Fortunately, the content the series has had that keeps it just outside of cozy for me was toned down in this book. The mystery gets a little sidetracked, and the ending is weaker than I like, but it still kept me going. Ellison’s dry wit narration is a delight and keeps me smiling if not laughing. Hopefully, it won’t be so long before I revisit the characters. 

 

Claws Out by Cate Conte (Cat Cafe Mysteries #9) – 4

Maddie James and her family and friends are taking their cat cafe on the road thanks for a giant food truck donation. They are heading off island to Provincetown to a literary festival that focuses on cats in fiction. But Maddie keeps hearing things that show not all is well behind the scenes. On the second morning, one of the headlining authors is found murdered. Who killed her?

I love how the author came up with such a creative way to take the cat cafe on the road. The murder took a bit of time to happen, but there was enough set up I didn’t find my interest waning. Maddie seemed to abandon her responsibilities a bit more than normal to investigate, but we got some good twists along the way to a logical if rushed climax. I was bothered by a couple needless misandrist comments that were irrelevant to the story. There were also a couple of glitches that I couldn’t tell if were poor editing or unclear writing. I appreciated how many series regulars we got, although one subplot with them wasn’t developed as well as it felt like it should have been. While there were lots of small things that annoyed, overall, I did enjoy this entry in the series. 

 

Death on the Causeway by Caleb Wygal (Myrtle Beach Mysteries #4) – 3

Clark Thomas is stuck in Memorial Day weekend traffic when he sees a woman obviously upset on the side of the road. When he goes to help her, he finds her fiancé abandoned her a few hours earlier. As the two set out to find him, will they figure out why he took off? And how does the dead body they find along the way complicate things?

While the premise intrigued me, I found the pacing way off. Early on it was repetitive. And I figured out what was going on early. Still, I do like Clark and the rest of the gang, although I wasn’t happy with how his love life developed here. The setting makes me want to go visit in real life. And we get a new clue on the death of Clark’s wife. Those looking for a light read will enjoy this series, but don’t start here. 

 

Essentials of Death by Kim Davis (Aromatherapy Apothecary Mysteries #2) – 4

Carissa Carmichael is frustrated to learn that the booth next to hers at a community event is being staffed by Lacie, her nemesis since the two were growing up in the town of Oak Creek Valley. True to form, Lacie makes the day miserable for everyone. But that night, Carissa stumbles on Lacie’s dead body. With the evidence pointing to herself, Carissa can’t help but jump in again. Can she find the killer?

It’s been a while since I read book one, but I didn’t have any trouble slipping back into Carissa’s world. I enjoyed the bonds the characters have, and the subplots that helped us get to know them better were great. The mystery itself started out a bit unevenly, with events driving things more than Carissa did. But as she began to take more of an active role, I got hooked, not wanting to put the book down. The ending was satisfying. And we get an essential oil recipe and an intriguing sounding cookie recipe. Here’s hoping we get to visit again soon. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine by Liz Ireland (Mrs. Claus #6) – 5

It’s a few days before Valentine’s Day, and April Claus is getting ready for her best friend’s wedding.  Claire, a friend from Oregon, is marrying Jake Frost.  But as the bridal party is at a dress fitting, someone leaves them a note with a threatening Valentine in it.  April isn’t quite sure how seriously to take it.  That is, until someone dies the next day at the next dress fitting.  Can April figure out who the killer is?  Or will the mayhem destroy Claire and Jake’s special day?

This series is a favorite of mine, and this book is no exception.  There is so much going on here that I was never bored, even though I figured things out a little early.  It was great to spend time with the returning characters, and the new characters fit right into this world.  And what a world it is.  There is a fantasy element to it, but the mystery is still center stage.  The author has done such a great job of world building.  It is very sweet and clever and each new detail makes me think “How else would things be?”  And yes, I am still laughing and chuckling as I read with a grin on my face the entire way.  Don’t miss this series.  If you are already a fan, you’ll love this entry.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Hurricane Heist by James Ponti (Sherlock Society #2) – 4

This book finds the Sherlock Society about to head back to school after a fantastic summer. But their return to school gets delayed by a few days when a hurricane hits the city. In the aftermath, a body is found at a nearby hotel. When it is identified as a man who disappeared in another hurricane 60 years before, Alex and Zoe’s grandpa is intrigued. He knew the man back then, and he never bought the story from the time that the man was involved in a jewelry heist. Can the Sherlock Society figure out what happened all those years ago?

After an exciting opening chapter from the climax, this book flashes back, a technique I don’t like. In this case, it was worse since the book took longer than it should have to set up the main mystery. Once it did, I was hooked on the story. The ending was a bit rushed, but that was a minor complaint. I loved the characters and the character moments felt like they grew out of what we learned about them in the first book. Plus, we met some new characters I hope pop up again. Despite the slow start, I enjoyed this book overall.

Book Review: Hurricane Heist by James Ponti (Sherlock Society #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Interesting mystery with great characters

Cons: Set up takes way too long

The Bottom Line:

Body unburied

Along with story from past

Slow start but still good

Hurricane Uncovers a Heist from History

While I do know that hurricanes hit Florida, I sometimes wonder if citizens of that state feel about their portrayal in fiction like I do about earthquakes here in California. Yes, they happen. But do they happen as often as they pop up in fiction? Either way, they form the basis of Hurricane Heist, the second Sherlock Society mystery from James Ponti for Middle Grade readers.

The Sherlock Society are a group of middle schoolers. Alex is our narrator, and his sister Zoe is a reluctant member. The other two kids are their friends Yadi and Lina. Rounding out the group is Alex and Zoe’s grandfather, a former reporter for the Miami Herald.

This book finds the friends about to head back to school after a fantastic summer. But their return to school gets delayed by a few days when a hurricane hits the city. In the aftermath, a body is found at a nearby hotel. When it is identified as a man who disappeared in another hurricane 60 years before, Grandpa is intrigued. He knew the man back then, and he never bought the story from the time that the man was involved in a jewelry heist. Can the Sherlock Society figure out what happened all those years ago?

As with the first, this book starts out with an exciting scene from the climax, and then flashes back. Aside from how much I hate that storytelling device to begin with, I found it even more annoying here since we flashed back to Grandfather as a boy, setting up what happened sixty years ago. Honestly, with the tangents we took along the way, we were a third of the way into this book before the mystery really kicked off.

Once it did, it was fantastic. I was intrigued by what happened all those years ago and how the Society was going to uncover it. The ending felt a bit rushed to me, but my questions were answered.

I liked the characters when we met them in the first book, and that held true here. Some of the character growth from the first book didn’t quite stick, but in a realistic way. I actually appreciated how that was dealt with. And I loved some of the new characters. I hope we see them again in future books.

Kids might struggle a bit with the first third of Hurricane Heist, but if they can get beyond the extended set up, they’ll be hooked and enjoy this second visit with the Sherlock Society.

September 28th's Sunday/Monday Post

It's that time of the week again.  As usual, I will be linking up to:

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

You'll notice I haven't had much exciting to talk about the last few weeks.  That's changing this week.

Let's start with the frustrating.  My Threads account was deactivated for me.  Meta did nothing with my Facebook or Instagram profiles (fortunately).  I tried appealing, and it was declined.  No idea what I did since I'd been on it about an hour an a half before they took it down, and all seemed fine.  And I can't seem to figure out how to get ahold of someone to talk to about it.  Worse yet, they didn't really tell me what was going on/why they took it down, so I have no clue what I'd done.

Kind of reminds me of when my Google+ account was frozen.  At least with them, I was able to get them to tell me it was because I was a "spammer."  My crime?  Sharing my latest review there once a day.  Since I wasn't interacting enough with others, I was a spammer.

Anyway, everything I've tried with Threads has been a dead end.  I guess I'm locked out of there permanently.  Probably better for me overall, but it's so frustrating.

Now, for the fun news.

Tuesday, I finally made it to a sitcom taping!  It's something I've wanted to do for years, and I tried once before, but I didn't make it in day of.  I went to a taping of Happy's Place, which is Reba's new sitcom, and so much fun.  Since the show hasn't come back for season two yet (coming in November!), I haven't watched it for a while, and I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy it.

They had pre-shot about half the episode, which I think I'm grateful for.  The scenes they did shoot in front of us they shot two or three times each, and an entire episode would have taken so much longer.  I was about ready to be done when we were let go.

But it was so much fun.  I laughed a lot, and the general energy was great.

I was surprised to run into someone I know before the taping started.  Turned out, his girlfriend, who works on the show, had written that episode.  She did a good job, too.  Complete coincidence, but a fun one.

Yes, I'd consider doing it again, but probably for a different show.  I'd want to do it for a show I enjoy, however, since sitting that long watching something that wasn't that great would be boring.

My guess is this episode I saw won't air until sometime in January, but we'll see.

Joke of the Week:

Why did the cat cross the road? Because the chicken had a laser pointer!

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - The Vows We Have Made

Tuesday - Book Review: Essentials of Death by Kim Davis

Wednesday - TV Show Review: Only Murders in the Building - Season 3

Thursday - Book Review: Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine by Liz Ireland

Friday - Movie Review: The Christmas Charade

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Book Review: Hurricane Heist by James Ponti

Tuesday - September Reading Summary

Wednesday - Book Review: Murder Comes Home by Rosalie Spielman

Thursday - Book Review: Shady Hollow by Juneau Black

Friday - TV Show Review: Marlow Murder Club - Season 2

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I have three books to tell you about this week.

Up first, my pre-order of Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer by Colleen Gleason.  It's the first in a new series set in England in the 1890's.  I've generally enjoyed the books that she writes under the name Colleen Cambridge, so I'm looking forward to giving this a try.

It's been a while since my last audio book, so it was time to fix that.  I grabbed Murder Walks the Plank by Carolyn Hart from the library.  It's book fifteen in her Death on Demand series.  Kind of hard to believe I'm so far into it.

Finally, I spotted a Kindle sale for My Father Always Finds Corpses, the first in a new series from Lee Hollis.  I have so many first in series from them, it's time I actually read one, don't you think?  Not that I think I will get to this one soon.  Anyway, it is still on sale as of Saturday, so if you are interested, you can also snag it.

What I'm Currently Reading:

I almost could combine these two sections this week.  I was so very close.

You see, I just finished O, Deadly Night, the eighth in Vicki Delany's Year-Round Christmas series.  It was okay.  I always enjoy the Christmas setting, but there were some things that bugged me with this one.  But I'll get into that more when I write my review.

Meanwhile, I am already listening to Murder Walks the Plank.  So far, I'm enjoying it and curious to see how it is going to all play out.

And I'm about to start Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer.

As you can see, lots of crossover this week between the two sections.

That's it for me.  Hope you have a good week!

September 27th's Weekly TV Thoughts

The Marlow Murder Club – I was looking forward to the episodes set in the sailing club, but so far, I’m not finding this mystery as compelling as the others.  I guess I wasn’t paying close enough attention to get the connections between all the characters.  But I’m sure I’ll figure it out next week.  I’m curious exactly how Judith’s set up will go.

Celebrity Weakest Link – I guess I watch the wrong shows because I only recognized two of the TV Moms on the stage.  So happy about the money raised for the veteran’s charity.  I felt like I probably would have done about as well as those women with those questions.

Dancing with the Stars – Either the dances were that much better or the judges were less grumpy than last week.  Did Carrie Ann help with that?  I really expected Andy to go home tonight, so I’m surprised he stayed.  But the two couples who went home weren’t a super surprise.  Corey was my other choice, honestly.  We’ll see if Andy goes next week or if he’s got enough of a fan base to stick around a while longer.

The Challenge – That was a lot of drama for five minutes that actually mattered.  I’m guessing they couldn’t prove everyone who did or didn’t cheat, which is why they just cancelled the results of the challenge.  I’d be angry as well at those who cheated.  And all the back and forth.  If I hadn’t started on time and been watching close to live, I would have fast forwarded a lot.  It will be interesting to see how these pairings turn out.  Especially with both members going if they lose in the sand.

Survivor – There are quite a few I am rooting for.  At least for now.  We will see what I think in a few weeks, but for now, I really like the majority of this cast.  Teams seem to be voting out the weak links early on these days, which I applaud.  I get that alliances form and you worry about the strong for later on, but you need to make it to later on.  Also, did I miss it, or did they tell us who the other sub was.  I’d read that two people were caught talking before the game started, which is why we have two subs, but they didn’t reference that in this episode either.

The Amazing Race – I might know one or two of these people from other shows, but I’ve never watched Big Brother, so I don’t know the majority of them.  I thought the newly weds were gone early on, but they made it.  And the one woman losing it that much in leg one?  Yeah, I’m already tired of her.

Movie Review: The Christmas Charade

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun Christmas movie with some mystery elements

Cons: Several things are a bit rushed

The Bottom Line:

A blind date mix up

Sets off this Christmas caper

Turns out to be fun

“One Hour?  With a Criminal?  I’m a Librarian!”

At this point, I’m a little unclear why I selected The Christmas Charade to watch.  It was probably the premise that caught my attention, although there is a small chance it might have been the stars.  No matter which reason it was, I’m glad it did because I really enjoyed it.

The movie introduces us to Whitney (Rachel Skarsten), an elementary school librarian.  And yes, she is just as risk averse as that sounds.  She gets her thrills from watching movies.  In fact, she has to think long and hard before she agrees to go on a blind date.

Yet, the blind date goes wrong in a way she never could have predicted.  She mistakes Josh (Corey Sevier) for her date when in reality, he’s an FBI agent attempting to start an undercover operation.  He’s been trying to track a thief for months, and he thinks the next target is going to be a priceless necklace, the Heart of Christmas, which only gets displayed on Christmas Eve.

With Whitney inadvertently inserted into the operation, Josh has no option but to move forward with her as his undercover partner.  She is turning out to be surprisingly adept at it.  But can they keep the charade up and save the necklace?

When I sat down to watch the film, I realized that I’d seen both of the leads in the Hallmark Mystery movie Jazz Ramsey in 2024.  Obviously, Hallmark thought they had great chemistry since it cast them as the leads here.  I’ve got to agree.  Even though I thought the romance was a bit abrupt story wise, I still bought into it thanks to their great chemistry.

As unrealistic as the set up is (no, the FBI wouldn’t really let a civilian get this involved), if you are willing to buy into the premise, you’ll have a fun time going along for the ride.  I feel like a couple of things were a bit rushed, but that’s minor.  Overall, I had fun with the premise.  I appreciated that they set up Whitney with some skills that made her useful to the case.  There were a couple of nice twists and complications along the way.

Because there is a case for the leads to work on, this movie has a minimum of the typical Christmas trappings.  Yes, we get a few, but not as many as we might in a typical Hallmark movie.  So if you are looking for something different, this would be a good one to watch.  Yet, the Christmas elements they put in turn out to be plenty of fun.

As I hinted at earlier, I found the leads to be great, which is a good thing since they carry quite a bit of this movie.  Overall, the cast was good.  There were a couple of issues with the writing, but most of that was related to twists that didn’t have enough of a set up.

If you enjoy Hallmark Christmas movies, you’ll find plenty to enjoy here.  The Christmas Charade is a fun example of the movies they produce each year.

This movie is included in this three movie DVD set.

Book Review: Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine by Liz Ireland (Mrs. Claus Mysteries #6)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun mystery, great characters, charming and delightful

Cons: I’m not vicious enough to list cons

The Bottom Line:

Valentine wedding

Murder rears its vicious head

Book is pure delight

Who Penned a Real Poisonous Valentine?

It’s no secret how much I love the Mrs. Claus Mysteries from Liz Ireland.  I’ve raved about them since book one came out.  So, naturally, I was looking forward to reading Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine, the latest in the series.  As always, it was a delight.

If you haven’t yet found this series, yes, it does feature the real Mrs. Claus as the main character.  April Claus met Nick when he visited her bed and breakfast in Oregon, and the two fell in love.  Even now, several years later, April is trying to get used to her new life at the North Pole with elves and snowmen and talking reindeer.

This book opens a few days before Valentine’s Day, and April is getting ready for her best friend’s wedding.  Claire, a friend from Oregon, is marrying Jake Frost.  But as the bridal party is at a dress fitting, someone leaves them a note with a threatening Valentine in it.  April isn’t quite sure how seriously to take it.  That is, until someone dies the next day at the next dress fitting.  Can April figure out who the killer is?  Or will the mayhem destroy Claire and Jake’s special day?

That’s just one of many storylines that are juggled in this book, as always.  And, as always, the book does it expertly.  I never felt like the pace lagged at all, and I was hooked from start to finish.  I did key in on things a little early, but I didn’t mind since I was having such a fun time.  And yes, that means when we reach the climax, everything does make sense.

Over the course of the series, we’ve gotten to know quite a large group of characters, and we get updates on many of them here.  The suspects blend into the cast of characters well, and I found them entertaining.

I always love it when an author is able to take a storyline that’s been a subplot and bring it to the forefront of the series.  We’ve been following Claire and Jake’s romance for multiple books and novellas at this point.  I was so pleased that this book was leading up to their wedding.  So yes, I will recommend that you read the earlier books in the series.  But we get enough background that you could jump in here.

But why would you want to when this series is so much fun.  Obviously, there is a fantasy element to it, although it doesn’t overwhelm the mystery.  And the author has done such a great job of world building.  The elf’s names are perfect.  Then there are the businesses.  And the reindeer.  I even love the fact that snowmen don’t move quickly.  It’s just all these little details that make me smile and feel right as I’m reading.  I can’t imagine the North Pole being any other way.

And yes, there’s the humor as well.  April is still new enough that her observations can be funny.  Other times, the elves react is a way that makes me laugh.  Truly, this series is a delight.

If you like to read around a holiday if possible, the question would become, do you read this book at Christmas or Valentine’s.  Honestly, either would be just fine.  It gives off enough vibes for either holiday.  Personally, I couldn’t wait that long for either.  It’s hard to wait when I know I’ve got a new book in the series ready for me.

So yes, give Mrs. Claus a try.  If you are already a fan, you know what fun is waiting for you in Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine.  And you won’t be disappointed.

Get more merry vibes from the rest of the Mrs. Claus series.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

TV Show Review: Only Murders in the Building - Season 3

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Laughs and a good mystery.  Other elements work better than I expected

Cons: Wanders a bit in the middle of the season

The Bottom Line:

Actor killed on stage

A bit slow in the middle

Season is still fun

“At Least You Had the Decently to Keep the Body Out of the Building This Time.”

This year, my cable company has slowly been adding streaming services to their customers.  I’ve been hoping they’d add Hulu since it seemed to have the most I wanted to watched.  And they finally did, so I jumped right into the third season of Only Murders in the Building since I’d seen the first two already on ABC.  As expected, I enjoyed it.

Season three kicks off exactly where we left the characters at the end of season two.  It’s been a year since Oliver, Charles, and Mable (Martin Short, Steve Martin, and Selena Gomez) solved the second murder in their building.  In that time, Oliver has staged his Broadway comeback as a director, putting on a murder mystery called Death Rattle.  He’s cast Charles in a small part.  Opening night, Mable is there to support her two friends.

The star of the play is Ben Glenroy (Paul Rudd), a movie actor making his Broadway debut.  However, Ben has the ego that sometimes comes with being a huge movie star, and he’s been rubbing the cast the wrong way.  Still, no one expects him to drop dead on stage within minutes of stepping onto it for the first time.

Mable was a huge fan of Ben’s work on a TV show before he became a famous movie actor, so she is immediately invested in figuring out what is going on.  Oliver, meanwhile, is more invested in salvaging his play, even deciding to turn it into a musical, Death Rattle Dazzle.  And Charles is distracted by his relationship with makeup artist Joy (Andrea Martin).  Can Mable figure things out on her own?  Or will the others help her out?

This season also introduces Meryl Streep in a recurring role as Loretta, an aspiring actress that Oliver casts in his play.  She’s a suspect and a love interest for Oliver.  Getting to watch her performance and interaction with the characters was a joy.  I remember hearing when she was cast and thinking it might be an odd choice.  But she fit in perfectly.

Speaking of being perfect, we also have to talk about the play.  I really, really want to see it in both the straight play and the musical versions.  Yes, we get quite a bit of it during the season finale, but I want to watch it unedited and without the distractions of a climax going on around it.  I’m curious about what really was going on with the plot.  And the songs are much better than they have any business being.  I want to hear them in their entirety.  The two we heard uninterrupted over the course of the season were great.  It just captured my mystery lover’s attention, and I think there it is something I have to see for myself.

In case you are wondering, yes, this story does wind up fitting into the Only Murders in the BUILDING premise.  And that’s all I will say about it.  The twist was great and I enjoyed watching that play out.

Overall, I will say the season stalled a little in the middle for me.  Or maybe it was me watching the season over the course of a week instead of a month like I did with the first two seasons.  It helped make the stall in the middle more obvious.  The middle gets clogged down with Oliver and Charles’s relationships.  Poor Mable gets a potentially interesting storyline about having to move out of the building, but that gets buried as the season goes along, with just a few references.

I accidentally got spoiled on this season when I was just a couple of episodes in.  That made it a bit more interesting, actually, watching how the season unfolded.  I’d already noticed that they tend to focus on one suspect early on and then focus on different ones in different episodes.  So I found it interesting watching the process play out.  I did pick up on a couple of small moments I might have missed overwise.  But it didn’t dampen my enjoyment at all for the season as a mystery.

I get what the writers were going for having the guys being so distracted this season.  But I missed having the trio working together on the mystery.  Those relationships are the heart of the show.  Plus, the guys’ love lives tend to make me cringe, and that was the case again here.  But when the trio came together again to solve the case, I was smiling.

And this isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the season.  I did.  I’m just nitpicking some things that didn’t quite work for me.

What was still here in full force was the comedy.  There were so many lines that made me laugh or smile, and so many enjoyable moments.  The writers also worked a lot of in jokes and references to the cast’s previous work into the season, which I always love.

I already talked about Meryl Streep earlier, but the entire cast was great.  The show walks that fine line between comedy and mystery, and the cast balances it perfectly.  This includes the stars and the supporting players.  It’s hard to find any fault with anyone on screen.

When I’d watched the first two seasons on ABC, they had bleeped out the worst of the swearing.  Since I watched this on Hulu, they didn’t do that.  Honestly, I found the bleeping kind of fun, and I missed it.  Anyway, know that the TV-MA rating is there for this and other reasons before you sit down and watch it.

While this might not be as strong a season of Only Murders in the Building, season 3 still was entertaining.  If you enjoy mysteries and haven’t started watching it yet, I recommend you do so today.

Book Review: Essentials of Death by Kim Davis (Aromatherapy Apothecary Mysteries #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Characters, and a story that gets stronger the further you go

Cons: Carissa a bit passive easily on

The Bottom Line:

Nemesis murdered

Carissa again suspect

Great to revisit

Death of a Nemesis

Thanks to publisher issues, it’s been a few years since I read the first book in Kim Davis’s Aromatherapy Apothecary Mysteries. But with a new publisher, Essentials of Death has come out, and I’m glad. 

The series centers around Carissa Carmichael, who has moved back home to Oak Creek Valley in Southern California (which might bear a resemblance to Ojai) where she has opened Aromatherapy Apothecary, an essential oils store, to cater to locals and the abundant tourists that come to the small town. 

As this book opens, Carissa has a booth at the welcome event for a local playwright festival. Many of the local businesses are participating, but she is disappointed to find that her neighboring book is being run by Lacie, her childhood nemesis. The two have never gotten along, but it’s only been worse since Carissa has been back in town. True to form, Lacie makes the day unpleasant for everyone who encounters her. 

Later that night, Carissa finds Lacie’s dead body with some strange clues that seem to point to her as the killer. Since her father is the chief of police, he brings in some county detectives to avoid the taint of partiality on the case, but one of those detectives seems to have it out for Clarissa. Will she have to get involved to avoid being railroaded for murder?

If I remember right, I was a bit surprised that Lacie wasn’t the victim in the first book. So it wasn’t too surprising when Carissa found her in this book. I did find Carissa was a bit passive early in the book, but there was still plenty happening. The further I got into the book, the more I got caught up in the story to the point that I didn’t want to put it down. And the ending was satisfying and suspenseful. 

I loved getting reacquainted with the characters. I didn’t feel it was too long before I was right at home with them, and I didn’t struggle to keep them straight. They are a warm and welcoming group, and I loved getting to spend time with them. A couple of subplots allowed us to really get to know the series regulars, and the suspects were strong as well. 

This book has a couple of recipes at the end, one for an intriguing cookie and one for an essential oil. 

I’m glad this series found a new home, and I’m looking forward to book three. If you want a warm, cozy series, you’ll be glad you picked up Essentials of Death. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

I'm reviewing this book as part of a blog tour.  Please stop by the tour's home page to see the rest of the stops.  

And please visit the tour wide give away below.

Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - The Vows We Have Made

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: More time with the POstables for another wedding

Cons: Pales in comparison to the last movie, the letter is a subplot

The Bottom Line:

A second wedding

Satisfying for the fans

Franchise still so good

“I Need a YooHoo.”  “I Refilled the Refrigerator This Morning.”

It looked for quite a while that Hallmark was done with their Signed, Sealed, Delivered franchisee.  If that had been true, it would have had a good run – a pilot movie, a TV season, and then eleven movies.  But three years after that eleventh movie, Hallmark surprised everyone by releasing a twelfth movie – The Vows We Have Made.

It’s interesting that we had two movies with weddings back-to-back in the franchise.  But fans who have been following along weren’t at all surprised.  And we would have been upset if we hadn’t gotten to see both weddings.

All along, we’ve followed the four members of the Denver Post Office’s Dead Letter Office.  Dubbed the POstables, we’ve watched them build solid friendships and pair up romantically.  As this movie opens, newlyweds Rita and Norman (Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe and Geoff Gustafson) are looking at buying a house (with Ramon (Zak Santiago) as the realtor because what doesn’t this guy do).

But we are only days away from the wedding of Shane and Oliver (Kristin Booth and Eric Mabius).  Everything seems to be in order.  That is, until Shane’s mother, Sharon (Sherry Miller) shows up a day early.  Sharon is…interesting, and her unexpected arrival throws Shane into a tizzy.  Meanwhile, Eric is having his own issues coming to the forefront making him seem to be withdrawing from Shane.

And yes, they do have a new case to be solving.  In the midst of some mail stuck together after a syrup accident, they find a letter from a child in a hospital.  Can they figure out who he is?  And who might the letter be intended for?

There is a lot going on here.  Enough that the case of the week becomes more of a subplot.  But I’m not complaining because, let’s face it, we are all here for the wedding.  There is much less drama with the wedding itself than last time, which I was happy for.  The drama is all happening leading up to it, but I really truly appreciated how it was handled.  It came from what we know about the characters, which means longtime fans will appreciate the character growth.  It’s nice to see how this series has kept the continuity across so many years.

Speaking of which, the movie does fix a potential continuity issue with Oliver and his mother, one I must admit I missed originally because of how long it was between when I watched some of the earlier movies before the binge I went on this year.

On the other hand, this movie seemed to forget that Norman and Rita were planning to build a large family by adopting.  Then again, their storyline allowed us to meet Charly, a new character to the franchise.  She is played by Rhiannon Fish.  I was happy to see her pop up here since I’ve been enjoying her in other Hallmark and Great American Family movies.  Her storyline is a little ridiculous at times, but I’m being a bit nitpicky.

I will say, coming off of To the Altar, the previous movie, this one wasn’t quite as good.  If I had waited three years for it, I probably would have appreciated it more.  But since I waiting about six days, this one just didn’t feel as emotionally satisfying on a fan level like the previous movie did.

Now, this isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the movie.  Yes, I teared up several times along the way, and the wedding was fabulous.  I loved the vows that Shane and Oliver had written.

And the actors, including the new ones I mentioned, were fabulous.

Fans will enjoy The Vows We Have Made.  It really makes me happy to find visiting these characters still so satisfying.

This movie is part of the Signed, Sealed, Delivered Collection Movies 9-12.

September 21st's Sunday/Monday Post

Happy weekend.  Time again for a Sunday/Monday Post, where I link up to:

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

We got a little rain this week.  Apparently, the remains of a storm in the Pacific made it up my way, and we got about .6 inches of rain on Thursday.  I know that isn't much, but for us in September, that's unusual.  They were predicting thunder and lightning with it, but if we got that, I never heard it.  It was still humid (again for us) on Friday when I went for my run.

Other than that, a fairly quiet week here.  I hit my work deadlines, although I wasn't as far ahead as I normally like to be.  But it's behind me, which is a good thing since I need to get my normal second half of the month stuff done next week since another month end close will be here before we know it.  The joys of life as an accountant.

Joke of the Week:

What did the fish say when he ran into the wall?

Dam!

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Ornament Review - Ollie U. Halfpipe

Tuesday - Book Review: Claws Out by Cate Conte

Wednesday - Movie Review: Mystery Island - House Rules

Thursday - Book Review: Death on the Causeway by Caleb Wygal

Friday - Movie Review: A Carol for Two

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - The Vows We Have Made

Tuesday - Book Review: Essentials of Death by Kim Davis

Wednesday - TV Show Review: Only Murders in the Building - Season 3

Thursday - Book Review: Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine by Liz Ireland

Friday - Movie Review: The Christmas Charade

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Just two books to tell you about again this week.

Up first is a Kindle deal on a book I'd been eyeing for a while.  Big Scream in a Small Town is the first in a PI series from William Ade even though it is published under the name Nic Knuckles.  Nic Knuckles also happens to be the main character's name.  Yeah, I'm intrigued, so I couldn't pass it up when it went on sale for 34 cents.  The publisher is hit or miss for me, so hopefully this is a hit.

The second is an ARC of Contesting the Wool by Diane Vallere.  I always enjoy her books, so I'm looking forward to this one.  This is in her Material Witness Mysteries.  The book comes out in a little over a month, so I'll be getting to it soon.

What I'm Currently Reading:

As I type this, I'm almost done with Murder Comes Home by Rosalie Spielman, and I'll be finishing it before the evening is over.  It's book three in her Hometown Mysteries featuring a woman who has retired from the army and returned to her small town in Idaho.  The plots involves a TV show crew who has come to town, and I'm very anxious to finally learn what all is going on.

Up next for me will be Shady Hollow by Juneau Black.  Yes, it's a mystery, but the cast of characters are animals who live in a forest.  I've heard lots of good things about the series, and I've had this book for almost two years.  Think it's time I got it read.

Hope you have a great week!

September 20th's Weekly TV Thoughts

The fall TV season is slowly rolling out.  Two new shows for me this week, but more coming back over the next couple of weeks.  I don't think I'm going to try to start any new shows this year.  And I'll just have a couple of sitcoms and reality shows, at least on the networks.  Says something about the state of TV these days, doesn't it?

Marlow Murder Club – As expected, I wasn’t happy with how this story ended.  Not because it wasn’t well plotted.  I just didn’t want any of the suspects to be the killer.  And they changed up Beck’s secret, but that was still a fun scene when it was revealed.

Celebrity Weakest Link – Since I never watched Glee, I didn’t really know most of the cast.  But still, knowing Jane’s connection it was fun.  There were some I definitely didn’t know, but quite a few they missed that I did.  I feel like there were more of those than usual, but I’m probably just deluding myself.

Dancing with the Stars – The judges seemed to be especially tough tonight.  Yes, I get that the stars need room to grow, but there were more 5’s than usual, and I thought the dances were better than that.  I think I see one of next week’s to go, but we’ll see who the other one is.

The Challenge – Talk about an event designed for CT.  Yeah, it was fairly obvious early on he was coming back.  I do feel sorry for him since he really was trying during that challenge.  But I can see how others wouldn’t trust him.  I’m guessing after the next elimination we get the permanent partners for a while.  It will be interesting to see how that falls out.

Movie Review: A Carol for Two

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: Great renditions of Christmas carols from talented performers

Cons: The plot is more cringe than fun

The Bottom Line:

Small town to Broadway

Script lets performances down

You can skip this one

“Maybe You’ll Get Yourself a Hometown Christmas Miracle.  I’ve Never Seen One, but I’ve Heard Stories.”

When I was looking at Hallmark’s Christmas movie offerings, A Carol for Two caught my attention, not because of the stars, but because of the fact that singing was going to figure prominently in the plot.  I thought it sounded fun for that reason.  Unfortunately, the actual plot disappointed.

Violette (Ginna Claire Mason) has landed her dream, a part in a Broadway touring production.  So, just before Christmas, she leaves behind her small town in Idaho to head to New York City to start rehearsals.  However, when she arrives, she learns the production has been canceled.  No idea where to turn, she approaches her aunt’s best friend, Hazel (Charlotte d'Amboise), who owns a restaurant.  It’s filled with Broadway hopefuls, and she regularly gives her staff chances to shine.

It's there that Violette meets Alex (Jordan Litz), a fellow waiter who is upset by the preferential treatment that Violette is getting.  But she’s caught the eye of Alex’s cousin, Brad (Gino Anania), who enlists Alex’s help in winning Violette over.  What could possibly go wrong?

Yes, I did have to laugh at this twist on the Hallmark formula.  While Violette isn’t leaving anyone behind her, the small town girl going to the big city to find true love was fun for something different.

And, as expected, the singing was wonderful.  The cast is filled with some Broadway stars.  Okay, I didn’t recognize most of their names, but they definitely brought their talent to the production.

Sadly, they aren’t supported by a solid script.  First, there’s the fact that the writing is just poor overall.  Some of the dialogue is cringe inducing.  The cast makes the most of it, but I feel for them.  And some of the characters are introduced so haphazardly, it’s hard to follow who they are all until well into the film.

Then there’s Brad.  Obviously, we have a Cyrano de Bergerac love triangle going on here.  I thought that could be fun, but it wasn’t, and it was because of Brad.  He’s obnoxious.  Honestly, how Violette didn’t see through him in two seconds stretches credibility.  He’s supposed to be funny, but he just isn’t.  I’m not blaming the actor.  Again, it’s the writing.  I spent much more time cringing.  It even gets in the way of me enjoying the true romance between Alex and Violette.

Finally, I have to ask, is a Broadway musical about Christmas really something people are going to put on?  Yes, I know, the entire thing is really fantasy, but that kicked me out of the movie.

In the end, I think this is a movie to skip.  Yes, if you want to hear great renditions of Christmas carols, you’ll find something to like.  But, overall, I don’t think A Carol for Two is worth it.

This movie is part of this Christmas movie DVD collection.

Book Review: Death on the Causeway by Caleb Wygal (Myrtle Beach Mysteries #4)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Clark and the setting

Cons: Pacing to the mystery is off

The Bottom Line:

Helping a stranger

Uneven story pacing

But setting still shines

Chance Encounter Embroils Clark in Another Murder

I always enjoy reading cozies that take place in resort or summer settings, so I keep returning to the Myrtle Beach Mysteries. It also helps that I’m intrigued by the overarching story involving the death of Clark’s wife. Unfortunately, the pacing betrayed Death on the Causeway, the fourth in the series. 

Our main character is Clark Thomas, who has found himself caught up in some murders over the last year and a half or so. By day, he owns a bookstore on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach, a dream he’d shared with his late wife. He also has ghost written books and his first novel under his own name has just come out. 

When this book opens, he’s returning from a book signing to promote that novel, but he’s stuck in Memorial Day Weekend traffic. That’s why he notices a young woman in obvious distress on the side of the road. When he stops to see if he can help, he discovers her name is Shelly, and she’s been traveling the country with her fiancé, Brian. But Brian has just abandoned her. 

The two set out to retrace Brian and Shelly’s steps in the last couple of days, hoping to determine what is going on with Brian. Can they catch up with him? Why did he take off? And what does that dead body they find along the way mean?

While I was originally intrigued by the premise of this book, I found the first half rather repetitive. We have the same thing several times, and I was more than ready for something different to happen. 

When it did, I was intrigued again for a while, but I spotted a key part of the plot early on, leaving me waiting for Clark to catch up. Yes, I did find the ending answered my questions. 

I do still like Clark and the other characters we’ve gotten to know along the way. Having said that, I wasn’t happy with one of the twists in Clark’s love life. 

And I find the setting fun, including the bookstore Clark owns. Reading these books really make me want to visit Myrtle Beach. 

I mentioned earlier that we have an ongoing mystery of what happened to Clark’s wife. As usual, we got a new twist at the end of this book. I’m happy to know this storyline has been resolved. I just need to get to the book where Clark figures it out. 

If you are looking for a light read set in a resort community, these books will fit the bill. Even so, pick up Death on the Causeway once you are already familiar with the series. 

Here are the rest of the Myrtle Beach Mysteries. 

Movie Review: Mystery Island - House Rules

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong and entertaining mystery

Cons: Romantic subplot felt a little forced

The Bottom Line:

Expanding business

Did new team bring a killer?

Best of the franchise

“We Never Know How Many Days We Have.” “Especially on This Island.”

As I’ve been saying, I didn’t see how Mystery Island could become a franchise, and I’ve honestly struggled with all of them.  So I wasn’t exactly excited when I sat down to watch House Rules, the latest in the Hallmark mystery movie series.  Fortunately, it turned out to be quite entertaining.

 Before we got further, a word of warning.  This movie spoils the introduction of these characters.  So, if you haven’t seen the original Mystery Island, don’t just sit down to watch this one.  But that first movie was from 2023, so my guess is if you are interested in it, you’ve seen it by now.

Mystery Island is expanding.  They’ve been partnered with Mystery Mountain, a company that does the same thing but in the mountains of Colorado.  So that the new team can gain experience, they are coming to Mystery Island and putting on a mystery for the Island crew to make sure the mysteries they are writing are good.

All of this is happening as Dr. Emilia Priestly (Elizabeth Henstridge) is finally moving over full time from England.  She’s hoping to see where things go with her partner in writing, Jason Trent (Charlie Weber), although she’s still hesitant about fully committing to a relationship with him, much to the disappointment of their boss, Jane Alcott (Kezia Burrows).

But, as these things tend to do, a real murder takes place on the first evening the Mountain team is on the Island.  Worse yet, they get cut off from the mainland.  Can Emilia and Jason figure out what is happening?  Or will more murders happen?

I had to laugh at a line early on that gave us a number of the successful mystery weekends that the crew has hosted that were real murder free.  I mean, they’ve got to be getting some kind of reputation, right?

This movie does have the usual issues that plague this series.  We meet all the suspects and potential victims at the same time, and it is hard to keep their relationships straight.  I’m not sure if it helped or hurt that the movie tries to match them up with their counterpart on Mystery Island.  Honestly, I can only keep the three leads straight here.

Also, the movie didn’t really pull off the romantic subplot for me.  Those scenes felt forced in the writing.

I’m not blaming the actors for this.  The cast was uniformly good at bringing their characters and the dialogue to life.

The mystery itself was really well done.  I’ll admit, there are parts that only work in a fictional setting, but I am willing to go along with it.  I was impressed when we reached the end about how it had been pulled off and how the main characters figured it out.

House Rules is the best Mystery Island movie to date.  If we get more of them in the future, I’m hopeful that this will be a sign of better things to come for the franchise.

Book Review: Claws Out by Cate Conte (Cat Cafe Mysteries #9)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Creative way off the island for lots of characters and a solid mystery

Cons: Several small things added up

The Bottom Line:

A cat and lit fest

Is fun off island setting

With a strong story

Taking the Cafe on the Road for a Cat Lit Fest

I’ve often said that books that take a series outside the usual setting walk a fine line. Claws Out did that wonderfully for me, and I appreciated the creativity in the set up as well. 

This is book nine in the Cat Cafe series, which is usually set on the fictional Daybreak Island. But in this book, Maddie James and her family and a couple volunteers are taking the show on the road, literally. They’ve been given an extra-large food truck they are turning into a mobile cat cafe and heading to Provincetown, Massachusetts. They are heading over to a literature festival that features authors who write books that prominently feature cats. The weekend is benefitting a charity that helps cat shelters. Seems like a good fit, right?

When Maddie and the rest arrive, Maddie finds herself in the right place at the right time to hear bits and pieces of things that lead her to believe there is drama around one of the headlining authors. But she never imagines that the author will be found stabbed to death on the second morning of the festival. Will she figure out what is going on?

This book took its time getting to the actual murder. However, in this case I didn’t mind because the book was doing a good job of setting up the suspects and motives so that once the victim is found, we are off to the races. There are some nice surprises and red herrings on the way to a logical climax, although I did feel like Maddie was abandoning her responsibilities to investigate. I know it’s a feature of cozies, so I’m not sure why it bothered me more here than usual. I did feel the ending was rushed, leading to lots of exposition to explain everything.

I must praise series author Cate Conte for figuring out a way to take the characters on the road without completely leaving the cat cafe part of the series behind. I loved that creativity! I also had to smile at the talk of these cat books. The focus is on some romance authors, but we did get a couple mentions of a cozy mystery author who was also attending. 

On the other hand, I was really bothered by a couple of very misandrist comments that were in the book, both in Maddie’s first-person narration. They didn’t add to the book, but instead took away from it, at least for this male fan of the series. Especially since taking those lines out of the book wouldn’t have impacted the story at all. 

There were also a few things that I couldn’t quite tell if were poor editing or some rushed writing.  Either way, it threw me out of the book.

In addition to the creativity in bringing the characters off the island, I also appreciated that so many of the characters made the trip. Of course, one subplot involving two of them seemed to get forgotten for much of the book. Still, it was great to spend so much time with them in a fresh setting. And the suspects came alive for the page time they got. 

There were enough small issues with Claws Out to keep it from getting my full recommendation, but I did enjoy the book overall. If you want a mystery filled with cute cats, you’ll be glad you picked it up. 

Check out the rest of the Cat Cafe Mysteries.

Ornament Review: Ollie U. Halfpipe - Snowtop Lodge #21 - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Cute snowman snowboarder

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

Ollie snowboarding

Cute addition to series

U will enjoy it

Snowboarding Joins the Snowtop Lodge Family

I was surprised when I saw this year’s addition to the Snowtop Lodge series. I was sure we’d already gotten a snow boarder before. But I went back and looked, and Ollie U. Halfpipe is the first time this popular winter sport has shown up in the series. And he’s a great addition. 

Ollie is a snowboarder. And if you couldn’t guess that from his name, you’d quickly figure it out from the snowboard he’s holding in his right hand. He’s got ski goggles on his forehead, and he’s wearing a red cap and red and green sweater. 

Like all the ornaments in this series, the bottom part of the snowman is painted with a scene that ties into the theme. Yep, in this case, we get to see some snow people out snowboarding. 

What’s fun is that this scene is also on the front of the snowboard itself. I found that a great touch. 

And speaking of great touches, can we go back to the name? I’m not much of a snowboarder, but even I know how perfectly Ollie U. Halfpipe fits the theme. 

As always, the ornament has a flat bottom, as is befitting a snowman. This series is made of porcelain, so if you set it out, you’ll want to make sure it isn’t going to be bumped and broken. Unlike some ornaments in the series, the vest and cap are also porcelain, which was a little disappointing to me.

When you go to hang the ornament, you’ll want a nice, sturdy branch to hang it from. But the good news is that Ollie has just a bit of a forward tilt. That’s not unusual for the series and you usually don’t notice by the time it is surrounded by tree branches. 

And yes, the series marker is painted on the bottom of the ornament. Hard to believe we are at 21, isn’t it?

Snowboarders will absolutely love Ollie U. Halfpipe. Honestly, he will be hard to resist for just about everyone since he’s a cute snowman ornament. 

Check out the rest of the Snowtop Lodge series. 

September 14th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to the weekend!  Time for another Sunday/Monday Post.  I'll be linking up to:

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

Work has been busy but good this week.  I'm where I need to be to easily hit my deadlines next week, which makes me very happy.  I should be in good shape for the rest of the month.

The weather has cooled off here, and I'm not happy about it.  Remember, I'm a summer person.  I'm not ready for autumn, and I technically have over a week before it comes.  Fortunately, I know that I've got a chance to get some hot weather again before we really move on.  It can be hot into October.  It is supposed to warm up again in a few days, but it will cool off again by next weekend.

I recorded some movies back at the beginning of the summer, but I got the last of them watched this week, so as of Friday, I had nothing on my DVR again!  Yes, only a few months this time, but it's nice.

With autumn comes football, and with football comes fantasy football.  Yes, I'm in a league with some friends, and I've been doing it over a decade now.  One year I won, which was crazy.  Still not sure how I pulled that off.  Anyway, for week one, I had the second highest score in the league.  Of course, the person I was playing had the highest score in the league by just a few points.  Sigh.  Not the sign of a good season to come.

But Saturday is game day.  Hopefully, I'll have some fun there.  (I'm typing this on Friday night.)

Joke of the Week:

What’s the best way to make your trousers last?

Make your shirt first.

(Yeah, sorry.  I know that one's especially bad.)

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - To the Altar

Tuesday - Book Review: The Tell-Tale Homicide by Daphne Silver

Wednesday - TV Show Review: Wild Cards - Season 2

Thursday - Book Review: Watching the Detectives by Julie Mulhern

Friday - Movie Review: Christmas Under the Northern Lights

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Ornament Review - Ollie U. Halfpipe

Tuesday - Book Review: Claws Out by Cate Conte

Wednesday - Movie Review: Mystery Island - House Rules

Thursday - Book Review: Death on the Causeway by Caleb Wygal

Friday - Movie Review: A Carol for Two

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I actually held back on two books last week thinking it might be a slow week.  Or, should I say hoping it would be a slow week.  And I'm glad I did because these two preorders are the only two new books I have to tell you about.

Up first is Player Elimination, the first Wren Winters Mystery from Shelly Jones.  The series has a gaming theme since Wren owns a game shop.  With how much I've been getting into gaming, this appeals to me, for obvious reasons.

The other new book is Hurricane Heist, the second Sherlock Society middle grade book from James Ponti.  I generally enjoy his books, so I'm looking forward to it.

What I'm Currently Reading:

As I'm typing this, I actually am between books.  Again!  Two weeks in a row.

I just finished up Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine, the sixth Mrs. Claus Mystery from Liz Ireland.  I know I gush about this series every year, but I just love it so much.  The series has a slight fantasy element to it since this is the real Mrs. Claus, and the way the author has constructed the North Pole world is so magical.  I loved it so much!  The book won't actually be out until the end of the month, but I plan to review it in a week and a half.

Which brings me to what I will read next.  Hurricane Heist by James Ponti.  Yep, I'm going right into reading a book I just got.  It will be fun to revisit the characters, and I'm hoping to see their relationships grow.  Given his City Spies series, I'm sure it will happen.

That's it for me.  Have a good week!