October 2025's Reading Summary

Spooky how it's time for another reading summary, isn't it?  Yeah, I had to go there.  But it is the end of October, so here's what I read.  A bit more uneven than most months, but I did end with some good books.  And November is shaping up to be enjoyable as well.

I've updated the index.

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

 

Murder Comes Home by Rosalie Spielman (Hometown Mysteries #3) – 5

Tessa Treslow and her aunt have agreed to be featured on the TV show Picks with Ricks, hoping that the hosts will find some treasure in the old garage they need to clear out.  But one of the hosts has his eye on the car that Tessa has almost finished restoring.  That is until the car becomes a crime scene with the dead body of the show’s camera man inside.  Who killed him?  And why was the car involved?

While a TV crew being the subject of a murder isn’t new, the set up for this one still caught my attention.  The more I read, the more I got hooked, with a mystery from the past also drawing me in.  Everything made sense by the time we hit the climax.  Meanwhile, the characters get better with each book.  I’m loving the series regulars, and the suspects kept me guessing.  I’m finding each book in the series gets stronger, and I’m looking forward to reading the next soon.

 

Shady Hollow by Juneau Black (Shady Hollow #1) – 3

Welcome to the village of Shady Hollow, a place where woodland creatures live in peace and harmony. That is, until someone kills Otto, a toad. Vera Vixen, a fox and reporter for the local paper, is on the case. But can she figure out who committed the crime?

When I heard about this series, I had to give the book a chance since it sounded creative and fun. The book’s omniscient narration took a little for me to adjust to, but once I did, it worked okay. It did give the book a slower start than I would have liked, but the mystery was decent once it got going. And I liked the characters. While I found the idea of these characters living side by side and interacting fun, it does take some buying into this world, something I was ready to do. I did feel the authors could have done a more creative job of creating their world, or at least that’s what I was expecting. My biggest hang up was the idea of interspecies romance. I realize that’s a me thing, but it is enough that I won’t be returning to the series. Others love it, so if this intrigues you, by all means, give the series a chance.

 

O, Deadly Night by Vicki Delany (Year-Round Christmas Mysteries #8) – 3

It may be busy season, aka December, but Merry’s landlord at home is distracted by the new neighbors who have moved in. Mrs. D’Angelo hasn’t been able to meet them, and as the center of the town’s gossip mill, that doesn’t sit right. And, she keeps noticing weird things going on at the house. Merry’s too busy to give it too much attention. That is, until Mrs. D’Angelo disappears. Was she right about something strange going on across the street?

Being the Christmas lover I am, I’ve generally enjoy this series. And, once again, I did find the setting charming and the characters fun to spend time with. However, there were repetitive passages that should have been edited out or condensed. The pacing was off in general, not helped by Merry’s passive attitude toward the mystery, and Merry was pretty stupid at the end, even though she did figure things out. If the descriptions of food make your mouth water, you’ll be happy to find there are a couple of recipes at the end. Sadly, for me, this was a mixed bag. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

Lady Darling Inquires After a Killer by Colleen Gleason (Lady Darling Mysteries #1) – 3

While Lady Darling, a rich widow of a certain age, enjoys her life in the country, she agrees to spend the season in London to be chaperone for a friend’s daughter. But when their host turns up dead at the first dinner party they attend, Lady Darling decides to investigate. Can she find the killer?

Having enjoyed some other books this author has written, I was looking forward to this one. I felt the book was over written, which is often the case with the author, but it was a bit more than some of her others. The story took a little time to get going, but once it did, I enjoyed it and was along until we reached the logical end, although it did feel like there was a leap or two. Lady Darling is lots of fun and I did enjoy getting to know the rest of the cast. My biggest issue was something in Lady Darling’s backstory. I can understand the justification for it, but it still didn’t sit right with me. Plenty of people are enjoying this book, so if the time and place appeal, give it a chance and see what you think for yourself. 

 

Murder Walks the Plank by Carolyn Hart (Death on Demand #15) – 4

Annie Darling has been plotting a harbor cruise to raise funds for a local charity. But the mystery themed event turns real life mystery when someone falls overboard. While everyone thinks it was an accident, Annie is sure it was murder. But can she figure out what happened before another tragedy strikes?

I’ve been looking forward to this book since the title is so fun. I’m glad to say it lived up to my expectations. Yes, I’m tired of law enforcement not taking Annie seriously, but on the whole, I enjoyed seeing the characters again. The mystery is very well done with plenty of good suspects, twists, and red herrings. Yet things made sense at the end. Since we are now in the era when I was reading mysteries, I enjoy seeing some of those books pop up in the references to real mysteries this series is famous for. If you are a fan of this series, you’ll be glad you picked this one up. 

 

Murder in the Graveyard by Various Authors (Destination Murders Short Story Collection #5) – 5

Just in time for Halloween, we get this fun collection of murders set in and around graveyards.  In addition to the unexpected dead body or two, we also get involved in revenge, teenage parties, amnesia, family feuds, and an escaped convict.  Many of these stories are set around Halloween, although a few take place at other times of the year.  And yes, a couple lean into the spooky, but it always fits the story, so I didn’t mind.

Many of these authors featured their series stars.  I’ve read many of those novels, so it was fun to spend time with them.  For those who I haven’t met outside of these short story collections, I didn’t feel like I was missing anything with the stories we got here.  Each story was fun, taking me about half an hour to read.  With nine stories, we get plenty of content.  I was smiling through most of them, even laughing some.  And the stories kept me engaged from start to finish.

Whether you read this book now or open it in a different season of the year, you’ll enjoy these stories.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

 

Murder Most Scenic by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #0.5) – 5

This volume collects the six short stories that Liz Milliron wrote with her Laurel Highlands characters before the first novel came out.  This is where we first meet Trooper Jim Duncan and assistant district Attorney Sally Castle.  And this is where they first meet as well, so we get to watch as their relationship slowly develops.  Along the way, they find the killer of a politician’s wife, figure out who killed a baseball player, and solve the case of a brewery contestant murdered the day before the contest.  There’s also one story that focuses on Deputy Coroner Tom Bruns, a supporting player in the series.

I don’t read short stories often enough, so it was nice to do so with this collection.  A couple of them were a little obvious, but several of them fooled me with the final twist as well.  I was glad to finally get the backstory to Jim and Sally and watch the early stages of their relationship.  Do keep in mind these aren’t the cozies I often read.  Fans of the novels who want to see how the characters first met will be glad they picked up this book.  And if you haven’t met the characters yet, don’t wait.  Now’s the time to jump in.

 

Haunted House Ghost by James J. Cudney (Braxton Campus Mysteries #5) – 2

It’s been a few months since we last checked in on Kellan Ayrwick, single father and new professor at Braxton University, where his family has been involved for decades. In that time, he’s been overseeing the contractor working on his new house, and it’s almost ready for move in. That is, until someone comes along and sabotages it, leaving behind a threatening message. Who could be doing it? Does it have anything to do with the former inhabitants? How does the old skeleton uncovered on campus tie in?

Knowing that the story driving so much of the first half of this series was mostly completed, I was curious to see where things would go. Sadly, this was disappointing. The book tried to take on too much. Even though the pacing was good and the book is long for a cozy, we still got data dumps and exposition with summarized dialogue in the final quarter. It also kept me from really connecting with the characters. Given the October setting, the book does have fun with the seasonal vibes. But I am going to need a break before I move on to the next book, if I decide to. 

 

Contesting the Wool by Diane Vallere (Material Witness Mysteries #6) – 5

Poly Monroe is surprised to find herself invited to the reading of Reginald Villamere’s will. She only knew the name from the Villamere Theater, the historic movie theater in town. It turns out her inheritance is fabric - specifically the fabrics the theater had purchased for a renovation decades ago. When Poly goes to look at her inheritance the next day, she finds Villamere’s lawyer in the room, dead. Who wanted to kill this particular lawyer?

This series was my introduction to Diane Vallere’s books, so it’s always nice to revisit the characters. They are as sharp as always, and I enjoyed seeing the next chapter in their lives. The mystery was great with several surprises along the way. I had no clue where things were going, but everything made perfect sense when it was all stitched together. There’s a nice, humorous tone and fun Easter Eggs for fans of Diane’s Costume Shop Mysteries. If you are looking for a strong mystery with entertaining characters and a light tone, this is the book for you. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

 

The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse by P.J. Fitzsimmons (Anty Boisjoly Mysteries #4) – 4

When Anty’s favorite steward, Carnaby, doesn’t return to London from his vacation, Anty sets out to find out what is happening.  He is surprised to learn that Carnaby’s family owns a castle.  But it comes with a curse that has just carried off the patriarch’s new wife.  Or was it murder?  Anty is determined to find out and clear Carnaby of suspicion.

This book doesn’t play too much into spooky, but it does have some elements that made it fun to read during October.  The mystery is strong with several elements that kept me guessing until the end.  As always, I appreciated how the mystery was laid out.  The suspects could have been a little stronger, but I did still care about the outcome.  The writing took me a chapter to get used to, but once I did, I was easily caught up in the story and laughing at the very dry British humor. No matter what time of the year you read this book, you’ll be glad you picked it up.

 

The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #6) – 4

It all starts with a confrontation in the parking lot of a laundromat. By the time it is over, one of the men is dead, and the other flees further into the reservation injured. While Chee is tasked with helping find the injured man, he isn’t the lead on the case. The FBI is handling it since they say it ties into a case back in Los Angeles. But then a teenager goes missing, and Chee follows a lead to L.A. hoping to find her. Can he figure out what is happening?

This is another complex mystery. I figured a couple of things out, but I was still mostly in the dark when we reached the satisfying climax. We also got to know Chee a bit better, especially thanks to a sub-plot that ties back to the fourth book. The book came out in the 1980’s, and it’s amazing to realize just how much things have changed since then. I did find a missed the reservation when the action moved to Los Angeles, but it wasn’t too bad. My biggest complaint is an issue that would get into spoiler territory, but even that is minor overall. This is an entertaining final solo entry for Jim Chee. 

 

The Tightrope Walker by Dorothy Gilman – 5

The story revolves around Amelia Jones, a woman in her early 20’s just trying to launch herself into adulthood after a difficult childhood. When she buys an antique shop, she is finding joy in all the things she finds there including an old instrument. But when the instrument stops playing one day, Amelia investigates to find a note inside. The letter was written by someone named Hannah who says someone is about to kill her. Amelia begins her quest to follow the trail of the instrument’s owners to see if she can figure out what happened to Hannah. What will she find?

The title comes from a metaphor the book tries to make, and it feels a bit of a stretch. But that’s a minor issue. The story is part murder mystery and part coming of age story. I might have found the beginning slow in other books, but that duality kept me engaged. The second half fixes any potential pacing issues from the first half, and I was caught up in the story. I was satisfied with the climax and loved seeing how Amelia grew of the course of the book. If you’ve missed this stand alone, I recommend you fix that today. 

Book Review: The Tightrope Walker by Dorothy Gilman

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Interesting mix of mystery and coming of age story

Cons: A couple of minor pacing issues

The Bottom Line:

Note about murder

What happened to the author?

Strong main character

Note From the Past

The lure of new authors and new books keeps distracting me from some of the older books on my shelves. But I finally made the time to continue with my quest to read Dorothy Gilman’s non-Mrs. Pollifax books. Once, I picked it up, it wasn’t long before I got caught up in The Tightrope Walker.

No, the main character isn’t in a circus. Instead, the title is a metaphor about balancing safety with growing as a person in life. I’m not completely sure it works as intended, or maybe that’s just because it feels a bit heavy handed when it comes to the forefront of the book. 

The story revolves around Amelia Jones, a woman in her early 20’s just trying to launch herself into adulthood after a difficult childhood. When she buys an antique shop, she is finding joy in all the things she finds there including an old instrument. But when the instrument stops playing one day, Amelia investigates to find a note inside. The letter was written by someone named Hannah who says someone is about to kill her. Amelia begins her quest to follow the trail of the instrument’s owners to see if she can figure out what happened to Hannah. What will she find?

The book gives us background on Amelia and sets up the story well. In other books, I might complain about the backstory slowing down the beginning, but here it is entertaining. It also helped that I went into this book with no real knowledge of where the story was going. That makes it easier to get caught up in what is on the page. 

As soon as Amelia found the note, I was intrigued. This is the closest Dorothy Gilman has come to writing a traditional murder mystery that I’ve read so far. We get just enough of a trail for Amelia to follow and a wide opened mystery that kept me engaged even with some pacing issues in the first half. I couldn’t wait to see how things would turn out. And the ending made perfect sense. 

As I said earlier, I’m not sure the metaphor the title tries to set up completely plays out, but I did love watching Amelia grow. This is as much a coming-of-age story as it is a murder mystery, and that growth is wonderful. There are some supporting players I also enjoyed getting to know, but Amelia is the star. This dual focus is also one reason why the opening works - it builds up the coming-of-age part before the mystery kicks into high gear in the second half. 

This book originally came out in 1979, so some things are a little outdated.  As long as you remember that, you’ll be fine with what is now a historical piece. 

Also of interest, this book talks quite a bit about a book called The Maze in the Heart of the Castle. Turns out that Dorothy Gilman would publish a book with that title several years later. And yes, it does sound like it has the same plot as the book talked about here. I hadn’t paid attention to her books aimed at youth, but now I’m anxious to track down a copy of this book and read it.

I’m sad I put off reading The Tightrope Walker for so long, but I’m glad I finally read it. If you’ve missed out on this gem, fix that today. 

Book Review: The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman (Leaphorn and Chee #6)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Another interesting mystery with Chee

Cons: Missed the usual setting when in L.A.; a couple of niggles with the climax

The Bottom Line:

Tracking for Bureau

Chee follows trail to L.A.

Complex mystery

A Hunt That Takes Chee to Los Angeles

I was happy to return to the Navajo Reservation with The Ghostway, the sixth in Tony Hillerman’s long running series. We are once again focused on police officer Jim Chee, and it’s another intriguing book. 

It all starts with a confrontation in the parking lot of a laundromat. By the time it is over, one of the men is dead, and the other flees further into the reservation injured. While Chee is tasked with helping find the injured man, he isn’t the lead on the case. The FBI is handling it since they say it ties into a case back in Los Angeles. But then a teenager goes missing, and Chee follows a lead to L.A. hoping to find her. Can he figure out what is happening?

As I said, this book is intriguing with plenty of elements that don’t seem connected. Yet, I had faith it would all come together, and it did brilliantly. I figured a couple of things out early, but I still didn’t know what they meant for the big picture until Chee pieced it all together at the end. I do have a couple of quibbles with how things played out, but they aren’t a big deal. 

Normally, I enjoy it when I’m reading a book set in Los Angeles since I’m familiar with it. This time, it was a bit of a disappointment. I missed being on the reservation for those chapters. Fortunately, the majority of the book still takes place there. 

I was intrigued to see a subplot popped up here involving Cher’s love life. I was certain we wouldn’t hear about the character again since she wasn’t in the previous book. I appreciated that it allowed us to see a bit more of Chee outside of his police exploits. 

This book originally came out in the 1980’s, and it shows. While we do see a bit more of Chee’s personal life, it is very much kept in the background. We are still mostly focused on the case. Meanwhile, I always laugh when Chee has to find a phone or is cut off from everyone on the reservation. How easy it is to forget what those times were like. 

Once again, I listened to this on audio. George Guidall continues his excellent narration here. 

The next book in the series is the first time that Chee works with the series’ other protagonist, Joe Leaphorn. I’m looking forward to that. But if you haven’t yet read Jim Chee’s last solo putting, pick up The Ghostway today. 

Here are the rest of the Leaphorn and Chee Mysteries. 

Book Review: The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse by P.J. Fitzsimmons (Anty Boisjoly Mysteries #4)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Laughs with Anty and a puzzling case

Cons: The characters could have been a little stronger

The Bottom Line:

A Carnaby curse?

Or a Carnaby killer?

Laugh as you find out

Is Anty’s Favorite Steward a Killer?

When I was looking at books to read for October, I got to wondering if The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse might be an appropriate book for the season.  It may not be what we think of as a typical read for October, but with a curse and a graveyard playing into the plot, it did feel appropriate for the season.

This is book four in a series that combines the dry wit of P.G. Wodehouse with the locked room mysteries of the Golden Age of Mysteries.  Appropriately enough, they are set in the late 1920’s.  The main character is Anty Boisjoly, a single young man who is of the upper class, so he has nothing to do but go to his club in London and solve the occasional puzzling murder.

And it’s his club that gets Anty involved in his latest case.  His favorite steward, Carnaby, has been on vacation, but when he doesn’t return when expected, Anty inquires after him.  It seems he got a strange telegram from his family before leaving.  Concerned, Anty heads out to see what is going on.

When he arrives, Anty learns that Carnaby is actually a member of a family that owns a castle even if they aren’t exactly wealthy.  But the castle comes with a curse that kills the women of the family.  And it’s just struck again, literally carrying off the young bride of the family patriarch.  Her death was witnessed by multiple people.

However, Inspector Wittersham doesn’t believe the supernatural explanation.  Instead, he thinks a murder happened, and he thinks that Carnaby is the only one without an alibi.  Can Anty figure out what really happened and who is responsible?  Or is the curse real?

Even though this is book four in the series, there is no need to read in order.  There are a couple of references to past cases, but nothing that comes close to spoiling anything.  And there are very few recurring characters, so anything you need to know is explained here.

I always find the writing style in this series takes a little adjusting on my part.  It harkens back a little to an older writing style, so it takes me the first chapter to adjust.  But once I do, I am fully invested.

Naturally, I know this story would turn out to be murder, but I was wondering just how it would turn out to have happened and who was responsible.  Anty leads us on a fun chase through the various clues and red herrings until we reach the logical outcome.  I was impressed with how a few of those were slipped in, and I was satisfied when I put the book down.

The characters are good, but they could be a little stronger.  Occasionally, I had a hard time remembering exactly which member of the family this was when they first appeared on page.  I little more personality would have helped with that.  Still, I did find them developed enough to make me care about the outcome.

And yes, I laughed, chuckled, and grinned my way through this book.  Expect plenty of word play and classic dry British humor.  It’s a joy to read.

The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse is perfect for anyone who is looking for a mystery filled with laughs.  Whether you read it in October or any other time of the year, you’ll enjoy it.

Enjoy the rest of the Anty Boisjoly Mysteries.

Movie Review: Sick

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Creative and timely slasher

Cons: A couple of things that aren’t right for the setting

The Bottom Line:

Pandemic slasher

With creative sequences

Genre fans will like

“This Isn’t a Vacation; It’s a Quarantine.”  “A Quarantine in Style.”

Being the Scream fan I am, I was immediately interested when I heard about Sick, a slasher from writer Kevin Williamson that takes place during the early days of the pandemic.  Since it was a Peacock exclusive movie (at least originally), I couldn’t watch it until I got a good deal on the streamer, but I’m glad I finally got to watch it since I enjoyed it.

It’s April 2020, and the stay-at-home orders have just been in effect for a couple of weeks.  College student Parker Mason (Gideon Adlon) has decided on the best place to quarantine, her family’s lakeside cabin.  There are no neighbors, and the family hardly ever uses it.  She goes with her best friend, Miri Woodlow (Beth Million).

Really, cabin hardly describes this place.  It’s a nice, multiple bedroom place, and the two should be able to stay safe until the pandemic dies down.

Or so they think.

They’ve been there only a few hours when they realize they aren’t alone and they are in danger.  Suddenly, being alone in the middle of nowhere doesn’t seem like such a good idea.  Can they survive long enough to find help

As I said earlier, this is a slasher.  It’s an R rated movie filled with violence and foul language.  If that kind of thing isn’t for you, then don’t let anything else I say make you curious.

However, if you enjoy the genre, you’ll enjoy this timely take on it.  I keep saying I’m not ready for much set during the pandemic, but then I find things like this that change my mind.  I might not want a steady diet of it, but this did capture the feeling of those early days fairly well.

Of course, that was also the downfall.  If this is set in April, there are a few things that weren’t quite right.  It’s not that long ago, we can remember.  In fact, a big one comes into play in the climax.

As with Scream, which Kevin Williamson also wrote, the movie features a human villain with a motive.  I appreciate how it was set up over the course of the film.  When we find out what is going on, all those pieces make sense.  I did feel like the killer overreacted in their motive, but if they didn’t, we would not have had this movie, so I’ll let it slide.

Like many of the classics of the genre, we get a few hints of foreboding, but not much happens until the second half.  Once it does, hold on.  It’s basically one long chase from that point forward with some fantastic suspense scenes.  Even if you know what is coming, you still appreciate how they build up to it.  Or at least I did.  Given the setting, there isn’t a huge body count, but that hardly matters with the suspense and twists we get.

There are a few funny lines and scenes, but most of them were in the trailer.  Don’t let that stop you because this really is a fantastic slasher.

If you are a fan of slashers, you’ll appreciate the timeliness of Sick.  It may not be a classic of the genre, but it will be a hidden gem.

October 26th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to another week and another Sunday/Monday Post.  As usual, I will be linking up to:

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

Our weather was fairly consistent this week.  It was in the low 80's, which is my ideal temperature, so I am not complaining at all.  That is except for Wednesday, when temps dropped to the low 70's.  Just that one day.  Weird.

It was a quiet week at work.  Lots of people were on vacation, so our three office days were dead.  I had a project I wanted to get to, and I still didn't get to it.  Oh well.  It would have been a nice to do, not a must do.

I've been having trouble focusing on much of anything this week.  Hopefully, a restful weekend will help me fight that when next week starts.

Joke of the Week:

What did the ghost used to get wrinkles out of its sheet?
Boo-tox.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Superman - The Movie

Tuesday - Book Review: Haunted House Ghost by James J. Cudney

Wednesday - TV Show Review: The Librarians - The Next Chapter - Season 1

Thursday - Book Review: Contesting the Wool by Diane Vallere

Friday - Movie Review: Jingle Bell Run

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Sick

Tuesday - Book Review: The Case of the Carnaby Castle Curse by PJ Fitzsimmons

Wednesday - Book Review: The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman

Thursday - Book Review: The Tightrope Walker by Dorothy Gilman

Friday - Monthly Reading Summary

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Turned out I wound up with three books to talk about this week.

The first is the pre-order that was still in the mail last weekend.  Fallen Star is the sixth Eve Ronin book from Lee Goldberg.  These are police procedurals set here in LA County.  I've been reading Lee's books for many years, and I usually enjoy them.  I'm hoping to get to this one in November.

Next up is A Whale of a Murder by Valerie Taylor.  This cozy mystery caught my eye a while ago, and the ebook was free.  I can't pass that up.  Looks like it is still free as of my typing this Friday night, so check it out if you think you might be interested.

My last book for the week is No Stone Left Unturned, the fourth Detective Honeywell Mystery from Annette Dashofy.  It comes out the middle of December, so this is an ARC.  I'll be reading it in December.

What I'm Currently Reading:

Earlier this week, I read and enjoyed Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron.  This is book four in her Vintage Cookbook Mysteries set in New Orleans.  This book comes out next week, which is why I am reading it now instead of waiting until closer to Christmas.  I enjoyed it, which isn't a surprise since I usually enjoy Ellen's books.  I've got to write my review yet, but I've got a little over a week to do that.

Which means I am currently reading another ARC.  This time, it's The Devil Comes Calling, the third Detective Honeywell Mystery by Annette Dashofy.  No, you aren't seeing double.  The publisher decided to release books three and four close about six weeks apart, so book three comes out the first week of November, with book four coming out the middle of December.  Normally, I don't like to read books by one author that close together, but in this case I've got no choice.  I'm about half way into the book as I type this, and I'm enjoying it.  As always with Annette's books, the further I get into the book, the harder it is to put down.

That's it for me.  Have a great week!

October 25th's Weekly TV Thoughts

I thought we were going to get Weakest Link, but it wasn't on.  So either my station preempted it or it wasn't on Fox at all.  And I still haven't decided about Tracker.  I have the season premier, but I haven't watched it yet.  Probably delete it this coming week.

With all that said, here's what I did watch this week.

TV We Love – Again, I’m not sure I learned that much new about The Brady Bunch, but it was still fun to hear about it and relive the show.  I really need to watch my DVDs of the show, don’t I?  Anyway, this show is making me smile, so I’m glad I’m watching it.

Only Murders in the Building – Did we ever figure out whose finger that was?  I don’t remember at this point.  Yes, some good laughs, but rather melancholy over all.  As it should be with everyone moving out.  I’m still wondering how they are going to undo all of that next week.  I mean, you know they are going to.

Dancing with the Stars – I voted for the first time for years. I voted for Scott (among others).  And he went home.  I’m sorry, Scott.  Actually, watching the dances (which happen after the voting window closes for me), I can see why he left.  It wasn’t the best dance of the night.  I like him, but it had only another week or two in him, most likely.  And, since Pentatonix are hitting the road in a couple of weeks, there’s a part of him that will be relieved soon even though he’s disappointed tonight.  As to the night, I’m reminded how few songs I really know from Wicked.  I need to watch it again to really cement what I think of the show for myself.  I was happy to see Danielle do so well.  I hope that keeps up.  And, as much as I do like Andy, it really is time for him to go.  We can’t lose better dancers in order to keep him.

Shifting Gears – I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of the raccoon storyline, but it turned out to be rather sweet.  The dating storyline took some nice turns.  I wonder how long they are going to keep Riley and Gabriel apart.  I almost feel like it will be by the end of this season, but some shows drag it out for years, so we will see which they do.

The Challenge – Theo lives another day.  At some point, your luck runs out.  And that was a hard challenge at the end.  Anyway, I wonder if he’ll be able to keep dodging bullets like he is.  As to the hay in the first challenge, I still have allergies to it, so that would have been uncomfortable for me.

Survivor – I feel for Jason.  He tried, but there was nothing he could do.  It might help if he hadn’t wound up with the cursed teammate who is going to make every tribal until she is voted out.  That’s hard.  You expect to at least have one night off during the first part of the season.

The Amazing Race – I’m really surprised that neither team with the express pass was hit with the Double U-Turn.  Seems like a good time to get one of those out of the game, if not both.  Of course, one of those teams was near the head of the pack.  And I can understand the team in first not wanting to get a bigger target on their backs.  The cart race looked fun, but only if you finished quickly.  I can understand the frustration of the team that got eliminated.  And I would have been horrid at building it.

Movie Review: Jingle Bell Run

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Leads in a fun, different Christmas movie

Cons: Too ambitious for the movie’s run time

The Bottom Line:

Race around US

Of course, it is Christmas themed

Yes, it’s weak but fun

“Promise You Won’t Be Mad When I Tell You What I Did?”  “No!”

When I’d been looking at Christmas movies last year, Jingle Bell Run caught my eye.  As a fan of The Amazing Race, a movie centered around a holiday themed race around the country sounded like fun.  While the movie was predictable, it was still enjoyable.

Avery (Ashley Williams) is a bookworm and teacher whose family has all made other plans for the holiday.  However, they’ve decided to sign her up for The Great Holiday Dash so she doesn’t spend the holiday alone.  However, she didn’t think the idea of a holiday by herself was all that bad.

Meanwhile, Wes (Andrew W. Walker) has retired from hockey.  He’s struggling to find his place in the world, especially as he finds his star is fading quickly.

The two meet before the race starts and don’t get off on the right foot.  But things get more complicated this year when the race decides to pair up the contestants.  You guessed it, Avery and Wes are teamed up.  Can they find a way to work together win the prize?

If you’ve watched a romantic comedy at all, you know exactly where this is going to go.  Even the complication that comes near the beginning of act 3 is predictable.  I will say, I like how that complication was handled overall.  It showed maturity from the characters plus the writers didn’t try to milk it for more than they should have.

Having said that, I feel like a few things get introduced and then dropped.  But I get it, we are supposed to get to know some of the other teams and watch them solve clues and do tasks and have travel snags.  There was a lot to cram into a movie that’s just under 90 minutes.

So this is maybe a movie to turn off the logic and expectations a bit more than some of the others.  If you can’t do that, you’ll find plenty of flaws.  But if you just go with the flow of the movie, you’ll find a fun movie with some romance.

I’d say the romance is the one thing that is handled well.  The action slow down enough for us to witness Avery and Wes getting to know each other.  Okay, so it’s still incredibly fast, but I bought it.

With everything going on, only the leads get a chance for much in the way of real acting challenges.  They both do good jobs.  The rest of the cast is fine with what they are given, but it isn’t much.

This is really probably a 3.5 movie if you are being generous, but I’m rounding up.  I know, I know.  But I had fun while I was watching it, and I appreciate them attempting something this ambitious.

The real problem is, this movie was too ambitious for a Hallmark movie, especially with the run time they have.  I feel like an extra 30 minutes would have given them enough run time to really develop this properly.

So yes, I do recommend Jingle Bell Run as long as you go into it with the proper expectations.  But if you can do that, you’ll find yourself enjoy this race to the finish.

This movie is part of this two movie set.

Book Review: Contesting the Wool by Diane Vallere (Material Witness Mysteries #6)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery featuring characters we love

Cons: No cons to contest

The Bottom Line:

Surprising bequest

And murder of a lawyer

Combine for fun book

This Book Is an Uncontested Winner

I’m so glad that Diane Vallere has gone back to her Material Witness Mysteries. These were my introduction to her writing, and it’s nice to get to see what Poly and the rest are up to. As a result, I was looking forward to Contesting the Wool, the sixth in the series. And I wasn’t disappointed. 

This series features Poly Monroe, who has taken over the fabric store she inherited from her great uncle and aunt is a small town on the fringes of Lon Angeles. She’s found herself involved in several mysteries since then, but she’s also building a network of friends in her new community. 

As this book opens, Poly is surprised to find herself invited to the reading of Reginald Villamere’s will. She only knew the name from the Villamere Theater, the historic movie theater in town. It turns out her inheritance is fabric - specifically the fabrics the theater had purchased for a renovation decades ago. When Poly goes to look at her inheritance the next day, she finds Villamere’s lawyer in the room, dead. Who wanted to kill this particular lawyer?

As I’ve already implied, I love the characters, and it is a joy to slip back into their world. Their relationships are strong, and I like seeing what happens to them next. I can say the same for the suspects, who did a good job of keeping me guessing. 

The mystery was excellent. There was so much going on that I always had a hard time putting the book down. It was just a question of how all the information that Poly was gathering made sense. But, by the end, all the pieces were stitched together perfectly. I was a little in awe at how it all came together in the end, in fact. 

All of this is wrapped in a fun first person narration that injects a bit of humor into things. I couldn’t help but grin or laugh as I was reading. 

Fans of Diane’s costume shop series will enjoy a couple of Easter Eggs in this book. (And I wouldn’t complain if Diane resurrected that series as well.)

Contesting the Wool is another great book from Diane Vallere. If you enjoy a strong mystery with good characters and a light ton, you’ll be glad you picked it up. 

Be sure to check out the rest of the Material Witness Mysteries. 

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book. 

TV Show Review: The Librarians - The Next Chapter - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Enjoyable weekly show

Cons: Not quite to the level of can’t miss show

The Bottom Line:

New franchise spin off

Diverting when you’re watching

Still has room to grow

“What Are You?  SIS?  CIA?”  “More Dewey Decimal.”

I was cautiously optimistic when I heard that we were getting a new series in The Librarians franchise. I’ve enjoyed them over the years, although the original series had gone on a little too long when it ended (or at least that’s my memory of things). So I sat down to see what I would think of The Librarians: The Next Chapter. I mostly enjoyed it. 

If you aren’t familiar with the franchise, it started out as some made for TV movies starring Noah Wyle back in the 2000’s followed by a TV series about 10 years ago. Whichever version you watch, the story follows someone who works for The Library, but no, we aren’t talking about a place devoted to books. In this case, the Library is a collecting place for all those magical, mystical items that you thought weren’t real.  Turns out, they are, and the Library keeps the rest of the world safe from what could be dangerous items. 

This new series kicks off almost two hundred years ago with the Librarians of that time, Vikram Chamberlain (Callum McGowan), who is trying to keep his nemesis from getting his hands on one of those magical items. His solution is a time field, but instead of being there for a few minutes, they wind up trapped in it for centuries, only being freed in our time. 

Vikram finds himself stranded in our time, longing for his true love. But his duty is to The Library, which has opened up an annex in Europe. (But an English-speaking Europe, of course.) His path soon crosses with Connor Green and Lysa Pascal (Bluey Robinson and Olivia Morris) who have no idea about the world they are about to join. Well, Connor thinks there is magic, but he just can’t prove it. Lysa is a scientist and mathematician who doesn’t believe in anything beyond scientist. Rounding out the new main four is Charlie Cornwall (Jessica Green), the guardian the Library sends to protect the Librarian while they are on missions. 

The group is given six months to round up as many of the items that Vikram’s appearance has unleashed on the world. After which time, Vikram will not leave the Library again and the rest will return to their normal lives. Among the magic they encounter are magical dancing shoes, a train on a time loop, and a trip to King Arthur’s time.  Will they form a team to successfully fulfill their mission? Or will they fracture before their mission is up?

The original movies have a low budget Indiana Jones feel to them and are fun. The first series lost a bit of that feel but made up for it with a great cast of characters with great chemistry that we loved to watch. 

This show? Honestly, I struggled a bit to connect with the characters. They felt a bit safe with predictable arcs in the episodes and in the season overall. And we were missing the humor the original characters brought to the franchise. 

I’m not looking at the actors as being the issue here. It’s the writing that doesn’t recapture the magic of the original cast. Or maybe I’m just wishing to spend more time with those characters. Either way, the cast was fine. 

The stories are fun. They didn’t seem to capture the full mayhem that the magic could unleash every week, but they kept me engaged and wondering how our heroes would win. They did a good job of setting up the climaxes, too, instead of having a new object just appear as a dues ex machina. That happens a couple times, but it’s not the norm.

While most of the episodes are self-contained, there are some threads that carry over and a bigger story that takes up the last couple of episodes. 

The effects were mostly good as well. Yes, we could tell a time or two that the budget wasn’t as large as it could have been, but that’s a minor complaint. 

We got twelve episodes for the first season. And a second season was ordered pretty early on. I’ll be tuning in. 

I know I hit you with lots of franchise history at the beginning of the review. Honestly, the show gives you what you need of the premise, so you don’t need to do all that homework unless you want to. Yes, we do have Christian Kane guest star as his character Jacob Stone in the season premier and finale, and there are some quick references to other characters, but they are more Easter eggs for fans like me than a detriment to those new to the franchise enjoying it. 

While season one of The Librarians: The Next Chapter may not have been appointment television for me, I still found myself enjoying it when I tuned it. If you are looking for a light fantasy show, you’ll want to check it out. 

Book Review: Haunted House Ghost by James J. Cudney (Braxton Campus Mysteries #5)

Stars: 2 out of 5

Pros: Good seasonal atmosphere and pacing

Cons: Too much story leads to too much exposition at the end

The Bottom Line:

Is new house haunted?

Story takes on way too much

Making result weak

The Need for a Good Edit Haunts This Book

I am heading into the second half of the Braxton Campus Mysteries with Haunted House Ghost. While the series has had its ups and downs, I was holding out hope for this one, especially given the season. Sadly, it needed a good edit or two. 

When this book opens, it’s been a few months since we last checked in on Kellan Ayrwick, single father and new professor at Braxton University, where his family has been involved for decades. In that time, he’s been overseeing the contractor working on his new house, and it’s almost ready for move in. That is, until someone comes along and sabotages it, leaving behind a threatening message. Who could be doing it? Does it have anything to do with the former inhabitants? How does the old skeleton uncovered on campus tie in?

At the heart of this book is a good story. However, the author tries to include too much plot. Even though this book is longer than the cozies I typically read, there was still too much going on. Mind you, I was never bored, so the pacing was fine. And I did follow what had happened when I reached the climax. But there was just too much to short out. 

This is driven home when we reach the final quarter. We get long passages of exposition as the characters finally start explaining to each other what actually happened. Long passages. 

It does not help that these passages aren’t actually dialogue. Instead, we get a sentence or two, then a summary of the character’s story, then another line of dialogue, etc. This summarizing of dialogue that is actually critical of the story is something I’ve notified recently, and it’s something I find annoying. It pushes me right out of the story. 

Mind you, there were some issues where the book had awkward transitions or a poorly written line early on that threw me as well.

All of this kept me from truly feeling like I was spending time with characters. I just couldn’t connect with them, so they never felt fully alive. 

This book does capture the October season well, and that added to the setting. 

The series has had an on going storyline that was a strong subplot in the first four books. It is referenced a little here, but since the previous book brought much of that to a head, there aren’t major advancements. However, some spoilers are present for those earlier books. 

At this point, I am wondering if I want to finish the series even though I have the rest of the books. At a minimum, I will give them a rest before I pick up the next. Only pick up Haunted House Ghost if you are already familiar with the series. 

Here are the rest of the Braxton Campus Mysteries. 

Movie Review: Superman - The Movie (1978)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: The main cast bring to life characters we quickly care about

Cons: Too much set up before story gets going

The Bottom Line:

Good performances

Can’t overcome poor pacing

Still, it has some charm

“Would You Like a Glass of Wine.”  “No Thanks.  I Never Drink When I Fly.”

For years, I’ve been meaning to go back and watch the Christopher Reeve’s Superman movies.  I think I’ve seen the rest of the live action takes on the character up to 2025 (and I’ll watch the new movie at some point).  So I finally went back to where it began – 1978’s Superman: The Movie.  It’s got a very slow start, but I did enjoy the second half.

If you know nothing about the character, this movie is a good introduction.  If you know much about the character, you’ll find the first 45 minutes or so rather boring.  Heck, the entire first scene of the movie doesn’t come into play here, but my understanding is it is critical to the sequel.  I’m sorry, but it really should have been saved for that film.  Anyway, we see Superman’s parents send him to Earth, the Kents find him, and a couple of scenes of him as a teen before he heads to his Fortress of Solitude to become the Superman we know.

Then, the movie finally gets going.  That’s when we meet the rest of the core characters we know and love.  Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) takes a job as a reporter at the Daily Planet in Metropolis.  There, he meets Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), star reporter who he immediately gets a crush on.  But just as he’s settling into his new life, Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman) sets a plan into motion that only Superman could stop.  Will he be able to?

Clearly, I didn’t like the first 45 minutes.  Yes, there are some cool moments for those of us who know the characters from the comics (or just the lore in general), but it does nothing to advance the story.  Some of the character set up is interesting, but a little goes a long way.

Once the heart of the story starts, things do pick up.  I enjoyed seeing how the characters interacted.  While the banter might be mild by today’s standards, I still enjoyed it.  I did find Lois especially harsh to Clark, but that’s a minor complaint.

And I have to praise the actors.  They do a great job of making these characters come to life, and their warmth with each other helped pull us in.  I can see why so many people praise Christopher Reeve.  He makes Clark Kent and Superman distinct.  There’s one scene in particular where we get to see it, and it makes his performance shine.

But even so, the story is seriously lacking.  If Lex didn’t introduce himself to Superman in the vilest way possible, Superman never would have known he existed.  Maybe it’s the story telling of the time, but I expect more interaction between the hero and villain before the end.  Or at least a hero who is trying to stop something evil.  Here, it feels a bit like an accident.

The end?  Epic.  I’d seen parts of this movie (if not all of it) years ago when I was a kid, but I didn’t remember much.  A few of those moments from the climax were still in my brain, and I enjoyed seeing the context.

The movie is almost 50 years old, so I’m sure you won’t be surprised when I tell you the effects are dated.  Yes, some of them hold up, but quite often, they don’t.  But that’s okay.  Just relax and let yourself enjoy them.  Frankly, there’s something charming about them even if we are used to more state-of-the-art effects today.

I will be interested in seeing how these movies progress.  While many people do enjoy Superman: The Movie, I found that it showed its age a little too much in the storytelling to truly pull me in.

October 19th'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?

We got some serious rain on Tuesday.  Over two inches, at least in my part of Los Angeles County.  And it was cold.  Almost felt like winter.  We don't typically get rain in October, although it can happen.  We can always use rain, so it's nice to have.  Hopefully, more is coming over the winter.

Fortunately, the weather is warming up again some.  Why do I say that?  Because Saturday, I had my only mud run of the year.  What's a mud run?  It's a run where there are obstacles, some of which are mud pits you have to run through or crawl through.  When I first started doing them in 2010, there were lots, and I'd do several each year.  I always knew they were a fad, and they were starting to die out before Covid really killed them.  But there is one over is San Bernardino County still , and it worked with my schedule this year.

I'd done it once before about 10 years ago.  I'd forgotten just how bad the hills are.  Steep with little to make sure you aren't going to slide by down.  And the bottom of the mud pits was soft and silty, which meant my shoes REALLY filled up.  But I survived!

I had lunch with a friend who lives in the area afterwards.  It's always fun to get to spend some time with her face to face.

Joke of the Week:

What happened when the math teacher gave out extra homework? The addition caused division to multiply!

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Signed, Sealed, Delivered - A Tale of Three Letters

Tuesday - Book Review: Murder Walks the Plank by Carolyn Hart

Wednesday - Book Review: Murder in the Graveyard by Various Authors

Thursday - Book Review: Murder Most Scenic by Liz Milliron

Friday - TV Show Review: Only Murders in the Building - Season 4

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Superman - The Movie

Tuesday - Book Review: Haunted House Ghost by James J. Cudney

Wednesday - TV Show Review: The Librarians - The Next Chapter - Season 1

Thursday - Book Review: Contesting the Wool by Diane Vallere

Friday - Movie Review: Jingle Bell Run

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Just one book to tell you about this week since my second pre-order hasn't arrived yet.  That means it is seed for next week.

The book I got was a pre-order - Five Golden Wings by Donna Andrews.  It's this year's Christmas entry in the Meg Langslow series.  As is tradition, I will be saving it for December.  We'll see how close to Christmas I actually wind up reading it.  It's book 38 in the series, and yes, I've read them all to date.

What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm in the middle of two books at the moment.  I know, something I rarely do.

On the physical book front, I'm working on The Tightrope Walker by Dorothy Gilman.  As big a fan as I am of the author's Mrs. Pollifax books (I stole Carstairs from that series and have read them multiple times), I just started reading her stand alones a few years ago, and I'm very slowly making my way through them.  I don't know why I hesitated so long because I'm enjoying them, and this is no exception.

With the driving I had to do for the mud run, I am also working on an audio book.  Yes, that's the reason I got The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman, which I talked about last week.  As expected, I'm enjoying this one, too.

Hope you have a good week!

October 18th's Weekly TV Thoughts

TV We Love – We will see what I think of these episodes as they go along, especially when we get to the shows I’m not as familiar with.  At a minimum, I had to watch the episode on I Love Lucy, one of my favorite shows of all time.  Don’t think I really learned anything new from it, but I certainly did enjoy reliving the history of the show.  So amazing to think of all the things that show set in motion for the new world of TV that still impacted how things are done today.

The Weakest Link – I didn’t see too much alliancing between the stars of the various series.  Still, I get why the vote at the final four went the way it did.  Sorry to see the 7^th Heaven cast get voted out first.  I get why it happened, but still.  Nice to see someone from 90210 win in the end since that was the other show I watched at least some of.

Only Murders in the Building – If half the people have already moved out, what are they going to do for a next season?  (Frankly, I’m wondering that anyway.  Not seeing any obvious victims.)  I’m seriously wondering how they are going to save the day.  And what does the new doorman know about the murder?  So many great questions.

Dancing with the Stars – What a joy that night always is.  I was moved multiple times as I was watching, and some of those song choices were fantastic.  I’m glad no one went home, especially since it was hard to judge with the guests dancing various times and lengths during the routines. 

Shifting Gears – That was fun.  And a nice way to set up new storylines going forward.  Classic sitcom in many ways, and that’s a good thing.  I mean, it is a sitcom.  Some good laughs, and I liked the call backs at the end.

The Challenge – Quite the turns on the main challenge this week.  Overall, the challenge didn’t seem that great to me.  And I hadn’t heard about the movie that were promoting with it, either.  The pillow fight looked like fun to me.  Crazy how one sided it was.  And I’m sorry to see Dee go for two reasons.  I was rooting for her, and I really want Olivia to feel some direct pain.

Survivor – You knew something was coming, be it a swap or just farming those two to other tribes.  I would have really liked to see an even swap just to see how it would have played out.  Matt was caught in a no-win situation.  He did what he had to do.  I don’t think he could have played it any other way.  But the odds were not in his favor.

The Amazing Race – I get it.  I truly do.  It would be so crushing to be eliminated, especially if you felt like you could have/should have done better.  I am not going to judge the display of emotion.  Some of the comments, maybe, but even though I’m willing to look past since she wasn’t lashing out at her partner.  Overall, it was nice to see this become a real race with teams that struggled who were formerly in the lead.  It will be interesting to see if alliances reform or if it’s individual from here on out.  And I probably would have opted for the overnight train, too.  An hour can be a lot, but I’d gamble that being fully rested would help me in the long run.  Beside, with more switches, you have more opportunity for missed connections.  Also, I did the bottle dance in Fiddler on the Roof.  Keeping a bottle on like that is no joke.  That’s a hard task.  (I had a lot to say on this leg.)

TV Show Review: Only Murders in the Building - Season 4

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Solid mystery and laughs

Cons: None from me

The Bottom Line:

A stunt woman down

Is one of trio target?

Solid plot and laughs

“If You’re Going to Tell Us Not to Investigate, You’re Wasting Your Time.” “After Three Seasons, I Get That.”

Thanks to the magic of short seasons, I was able to binge season 4 of Only Murders in the Building in about a week. While this season had a more serious tone at times, it was another fun, delightful season overall. 

When we join our hero’s this season, only moments have passed since the season 3 cliffhanger. That means that, yes, we are investigating the death of Sazz (recurring guest star Jane Lynch), Charles’s long-time stunt double and friend. This hits home since it is someone Oliver and Mable (Martin Short and Selena Gomez) liked. For Charles (Steve Martin), it is devastating since he treasured their relationship. Plus, he thinks he might have been the target since she was killed in his apartment. The trio quickly realize the killer used a sniper rifle from an apartment across the courtyard. Does one of those residents hate Charles that much?

Meanwhile, Hollywood has come calling, and the trio are being courted to give their blessing on a movie version of their exploits. Will that help or distract from the case?

Even though Sazz has only been in the show for a handful of episodes, her death hit me hard. Harder than any of the deaths we’ve investigated so far. Couple that with Charles’s reaction to the death of his friend and you can see why this season has more of a somber tone early on. It’s the right thing, and I respect that choice. I also felt they balanced out Charles’s concern for his own safety with his mourning of Sazz’s passing perfectly. He never came across as shallow or selfish, which it would be easy to do.

With the movie crew in town, we get some meta comedy. Some of it worked for me, but other parts didn’t. Normally, I’m a fan of meta jokes; maybe this was just too inside Hollywood for me. 

And yes, we do still have plenty of banter to enjoy. It might not be the wittiest season of the show, but there are still some great lines. 

I felt like the mystery this season was the strongest we’ve gotten to date. Yes, there are still red herrings and detours, but when we reached the climax, I was impressed with how things were set up. 

And what a list of famous guest stars we have this season. With the Hollywood storyline, we had more than most seasons, which is saying something. We got Jane Lynch (appearing more after death than she did before), Zach Galifianakis, Eugene Levy, Eva Longoria, Scott Bakula, and Molly Shannon in the first episode alone.  Yes, Meryl Streep pops up again.  I’ll leave the other surprises for you to discover yourself.

Also, I was glad to see that Mable’s living situation is a key part of this season. I had to point that out since I complained about how it felt dropped when I reviewed season 3. 

Once again, I do want to point out the show is rated TV-MA. As long as you take that rating seriously when you sit down to watch, you will be fine. 

Also, because of spoilers, it’s best to watch this show from the beginning since previous seasons are spoiled this season.

A detour here is you will. I’m one of the people often bemoaning the shorter TV seasons we get today. But I do feel that Only Murders is a bit different. It’s telling one story over the course of the season. 10 episodes feels right. It helps that we get a new season every year, at least so far. I do think there is a place for shorter, more focused seasons and shows like this one and the longer seasons we used to always get on networks. I hope we can soon find a way to have both options. 

Obvious, I completely enjoyed season 4 of Only Murders in the Building. If you haven’t watched this season yet, you are in for a treat. I’m glad I’m caught up so I can finish out season 5 live. 

Book Review: Murder Most Scenic by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #0.5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Meeting Jim and Sally in six good mysteries

Cons: A couple of these short stories are a little straight forward

The Bottom Line:

Series begins here

With these six good short stories

You’ll want to read more

Meet Jim and Sally in These Short Stories

When I read the first Lauren Highlands novel earlier this year, I quickly discovered that it wasn’t where we really meet the characters.  They’d been introduced in a series of short stories.  Murder Most Scenic collects them all into one place, so I picked it up to really see how it all begins.

We get six short stories here.  The first one introduces us to Jim Duncan, a State Trooper in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.  Here’s, he’s investigating the mysterious death of a woman in a rental cabin.  And it’s how he meets assistant public defender Sally Castle, who is assigned to defend his prime suspect.  Despite the fact that the two might be on different sides, they are both driven by a desire for justice, and they wind up both getting involved in solving the case.

Over the course of the next five stories, they get involved when a politician’s wife is murder, when a baseball player is killed, when the president of the local 4J club is killed in a barn, and when a brewery contest’s frontrunner is killed.

There is one of these stories that is not like the others.  That one features Deputy Coroner Tom Bruns, who gets pulled into a case when it becomes personal for him.  Jim is a supporting player, and Sally has a cameo.  So, it still features the characters and lets us get to know one of the series’ supporting players better.

Honestly, since I’d just read the one book with the characters, I didn’t remember much about the characters other than Jim and Sally.  It will be interesting to see how some of the supporting players I’ve met here pop up in the series.

And, of course, there’s Jim and Sally.  They are slowly admitting, at least to themselves, that they are attracted to each other.  I enjoyed their flirting in these stories.

The mysteries themselves are good.  Short stories don’t always deliver the twists that a full novel does, so a couple of these were straight forward.  Others kept me guessing until the end, which is always the sign of a good short story to me.

Do keep in mind that these are police procedurals and not cozies.  Some of the content is beyond what you’d find in a cozy.  But as long as you know to expect that, you’ll be fine.

Now that I’ve gone back and properly met the characters, I’m looking forward to spending more time with them in the novels.  If you haven’t read these stories yet, you’ll be glad you picked up Murder Most Scenic today.

Enjoy the rest of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries.