Book Review: Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass by Heather Day Gilbert (Exotic Pet-Sitter Mysteries #1)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Belinda in a good mystery

Cons: A couple of niggles, but nothing big

The Bottom Line:

Body in garden

Overcomes a shaky start

A good beginning

How did the Body Slither into Belinda’s Garden?

In the first half of the year, I’ve been very focused on continuing series I’ve already started.  But I finally decided to break into some new to me series.  I have collected multiple books by Heather Day Gilbert, so I figured it was time to start one of them, specifically, Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass, the first in the Exotic Pet-Sitter Mysteries.

As we meet Belinda, she’s just moved from New York City to Greenwich, Connecticut, where she is renting the carriage house behind the Carrington estate.  And she is currently pet-sitting the python of one of her clients.  But she’s barely settled in when she finds a young woman dead in the flower bed outside her cottage.  The victim was a friend of the handsome Stone Carrington the Fifth.  With the body being so close to her new home, Belinda starts to investigate.  Will she figure out what happened?

As I was starting the book, I wasn’t sure if I was going to enjoy it.  Belinda found the dead body quickly enough, but the first couple of conversations with suspects seemed rather short and shallow to me.  However, as the book got going, I soon began to be pulled further into the story, and those conversations became more substantive.  The ending was a little weaker than I tend to like, but it did keep me turning pages and answer all my questions.

I did enjoy meeting Belinda.  I am curious to see who the regulars are going to be based on how this one ended.  I don’t think the series will go in the direction I initially expected, which would be a fun surprise.  Since there are only three books, it hopefully won’t take me long to find out.  Either way, the characters we met here were fun and developed enough to make me care about the outcome.

And yes, the snake does play a part in the story.  I wouldn’t say I have a phobia of snakes, but if you do, you might want to keep that in mind.

I enjoyed this book enough to be planning to revisit the series soon.  Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass has a bit of a different hook, but it is one that worked for me.

TV Show Review: Wings - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: A promising first six episodes

Cons: Characters are still pretty broad here

The Bottom Line:

A short first season

Just the basic set up here

But still solid laughs

“Offering That Man a Job at My Airline Would Be the Stupidest Thing I Could Do.” “So Why Are You Going to Do It?” “I Have No Idea.”

Somewhere along the way, I caught reruns of the sitcom Wings.  I enjoyed the ones I saw, but I never followed the show regularly.  A few years ago, I decided to get the complete series DVD set, and then it sat on my shelf for a while.  I finally pulled it out and enjoyed season 1.

Season 1 of the show was a late replacement in spring of 1990.  It must have done well since it would go on for seven more full seasons before flying off the air.  It came from the creative team of David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee who had worked on Cheers and would also create a little show called Fraiser. 

The show is set around a small commuter airport on the island of Nantucket off the coast of Massachusetts.  In the first episode we meet brothers Joe and Brian Hackett (Tim Daly and Steven Weber), who are both pilots.  They’ve been estranged ever since Brian ran off and married Joe’s girlfriend.  Newly single, Brian winds up taking a job for Joe’s small airline, Sandpiper Airline.  The other employee is Fay (Rebecca Schull), who works the counter for the airline.  Of course, the brothers have competition in the form of Roy (David Schramm) who owns a larger airline, Aeromass.  There’s also the mechanic, the slow-witted Lowell (Thomas Haden Church).  And then there’s Helen Chapel (Crystal Bernard).  She was a childhood friend of Joe and Brian, and both brothers seem to be interested in turning that friendship into something more even though Helen wants to remain friends.  She is currently running the lunch counter in the tiny airport.

Season 1 consisted of six episodes.  In this day and age, that’s the norm, especially on streaming, but back then, that was extremely low.  Of course, it helps that it premiered on April 19, 1990, so there wasn’t long before the season ended.  (Again, when the networks had true TV seasons.)  In a lot of ways, these episodes are just setting up the characters.  The first episode reunites the brothers and sets up them working together.  We learn that Helen is trying to get a career playing cello to take off.  And, honestly, those three characters are the main focus of the episodes, especially when Brian’s ex-wife (and Joe’s ex) returns to their lives in a two-parter.

Even though it’s hard to fully judge a show in only six episodes, you can see why this would become a show that lasted.  There are plenty of great laughs.  While the main trio is beginning to develop, they are still fairly flat here.  And the other three characters, while promising, definitely show room for growth.  Most shows having growing pains in their first few episodes, so none of this is surprising.  Still, it is easy to see why the show was back in the fall.  It may not be a classic thought about frequently today, but it has solid laughs, especially for the first few episodes of a show.

And the actors are already stepping into the characters they would play for the next several years.  I’m sure I’ll see their performances and comedic chemistry improve, but they are off to a great start here.

In my DVD set, season 1’s six episodes share space with the first couple of episodes of season 2 (which I didn’t watch yet).  We don’t get any extras.  The stereo sound is good, but the picture leaves much to be desired.  I get it, the show is older and was filmed, so things are going to lose something as they age.  But this is pretty consistently poor quality, especially on the wider shots.  But the show is still enjoyable.

I’m hoping my push to watch more of the TV on DVD sets I’ve bought will mean I can get back to Wings soon.  Season 1 may be short, but it teases more great laughs to come.

Book Review: All Aboard for Murder by Ellen Byron (Golden Motel Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great characters and mystery with plenty of fall atmosphere

Cons: No cons got on board

The Bottom Line:

An autumn murder

Showcasing California

Another fun book

Dee is Tracking Another Killer

Ellen Byron has long been a favorite author, but the setting and characters for her Golden Motel Mysteries couldn’t have been better tailored for me if she tried.  So, I was anxious to dive into All Aboard for Murder, the third in the series.

Ellen used to write sitcoms in Hollywood, a past she gave to her main character here, Dee Stern.  But Dee has given all that up and bought and restored a motel in California’s Sierra Nevada’s gold country right on the boarder of Majestic National Park (a thinly disguised Yosemite).  Between my love of sitcoms in particular and TV in general and being a California native, you can see why this series appeals to me so much.

Every October, the community of Goldsgone, which is near Dee’s motel, celebrates the birthday of Angus Sprockles, the man who made sure they got designated a historic landmark.  Of course, they are also celebrating Halloween.  Among the events is a Halloween themed fundraiser for the historic society on the railroad that Angus’s only living heir runs.  But the event ends with Moses Sprockles dead.  It originally looks like an accident, but there are things that don’t add up.  Dee’s father had become friends with Moses, and he asks Dee to poke around even though this murder doesn’t appear to have anything to do with her motel.  Can Dee find the killer?

Anyone familiar with Ellen Byron’s books will know there is plenty else going on.  The subplots are woven in and out of the main mystery expertly.  The result was that I was never bored, and the mystery was never sidelined.  Some of the storylines impact each other, which adds to the fun.

Speaking of adding to the fun, we also have some former child actors joining the plot of this book – again, Dee’s background coming into play.  I really liked that aspect of the story.

Anyway, everything comes to a logical climax that I didn’t expect, and I appreciated how Dee was able to figure a couple of things out.  This is a case where only she could have solved things, which I always appreciate.

As always with an Ellen Byron book, there are a lot of characters, and there’s a helpful list of characters at the beginning of the book.  Some of the characters feature more prominently than others, of course, but I enjoyed whatever time the characters got on the page.  I also appreciate how one relationship developed.  Dee is an entertaining main character, and the suspects did a good job of keeping me confused.

There’s also some great humor in this book, with parts that made me laugh and smile.  Yes, some of that comes from skewering Hollywood as well as some funny interactions and a few funny moments.

At the end of the book, you’ve got a tip for making a road trip memorable and a bonus recipe.

I mentioned the location earlier.  While I haven’t spent as much time in that part of California as I should, I still really enjoy getting to visit it fictionally via this series.

And yes, the story does play into the Halloween season more than I’ve teased so far as well.  Whether you read it now or wait for October, it will give you fall vibes.

All told, All Aboard for Murder is another winner for Ellen Byron.  This is one mysterious trip you’ll enjoy.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

I'm reviewing this book as part of a blog tour.

Come visit the other stops here.

And be sure to enter the tour wide giveaway below.

July 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
It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

The biggest news of excitement around here was that I spend Friday with my brother and his family at an amusement park.  Had lots of fun on the rides, but unfortunately, I lost my dark glasses on the last ride.  They aren't prescription glasses and I hadn't spent much money on them.  But the style I like to wear is hard to find these days, so that will be the hardest part of replacing them.

But other than that, it was a successful day.  We hit all the rides we wanted to and had plenty of fun along the way.

I also played ultimate Frisbee this morning for the first time in a long time.  Like at least a year.  I had lots of fun.  And I only had two missed connections all day, which is great for me.  I'd argue one wasn't my fault, and my brother and I are sharing blame on the second one.

Joke of the Week:

My grandmother reached 100 yesterday!  That's the last time I get in the car with her when she's late for bingo.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - TV Show Review: The Golden Girls - Season 1

Tuesday - Book Review: Strong Medicine by Steve Hockensmith

Wednesday - Ornament Review: Christmas Is...A Warm Hug

Thursday - Book Review: Lie Down with Dogs by Liz Milliron

Friday - Friday Post featuring All Aboard for Murder

Saturday - TV Show Review: Survivor - Season 50

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Book Review: All Aboard for Murder by Ellen Byron

Tuesday - TV Show Review: Wings - Season 1

Wednesday - Book Review: Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass by Heather Day Gilbert

Thursday - Ornament Review: The Perfect Gift

Friday - Book Review: The Glass Thief by Gigi Pandian

Saturday - TV Show Review: R.J. Decker - Season 1

Book Haul:

Would you believe I only have two books to talk about this week?  I don't either.

The first is Murder at Crossways by Alyssa Maxwell.  This is book seven in the Gilded Newport Mysteries, which just happens to be the next in the series I need to read.  I'm not sure when I will get to it, but I'm hoping it will be soon.

The other book is the next in Tony Hillerman's Leaphorn and Chee series, Talking God.  I was a little surprised to see I am up to book nine when I looked it up just now.  Anyone I got this one from the library.  I know I'll be listening to it soon.

What I'm Currently Reading:

As I type this, I'm working on A Taste for Murder by Matt Baker.  I'd debated long and hard before I requested an ARC of this book, and I'm kind of regretting that I did.  It's a long book, and the writing style is using one of my pet peeves.  I'm only about a quarter into it, so hopefully, I'll find myself fully invested in it before I reach the end.  I do find it compelling when I sit down to read it, so there is that.  We'll see what I think of it when I am done.

Have a great week!

TV Show Review: Survivor 50 - In the Hands of the Fans

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun seeing favorites playing again

Cons: Cut back on the twists and celebrities

The Bottom Line:

Milestone season

Lots of returning players

But too many twists

In the Hands of the Fans?  Maybe, Sort of…

I was all in during the buildup to season 50 of Survivor.  After all, I’ve missed one episode of the show since it premiered 26 years ago (stupid VCR malfunction).  But, I’ve got to say, while I enjoyed it, this wasn’t the celebration of the series that I was hoping for. 

The season featured all returning players from many of the 49 previous seasons.  The show started out with 24 constants, which is the largest cast they had featured yet.  And here’s the first time I am going to contradict myself.  I felt like they could have had more players from older seasons.  Yes, they did have someone from season one, but they had too many from the new era, in my opinion, including two from season 49.  At the same time I’m saying they needed more of a certain type of player, they had too many players to starts with.  24 players and 26 days means they have to cut people constantly.  Several episodes featured twists that involved multiple people being voted out on the same night and in smaller groups.  That’s not my choice at all.

Speaking of choices, during the airing of season 48, fans were given the chance to vote on multiple things, including the color of buffs, design of the immunity necklace, supplies, twists, etc.  All the twists went the way we’ve been seeing in the new era.  I get it, we need some of these twists and idols to keep the show from being too predictable.  But, wouldn’t it have been fun to have a twist were there weren’t twists?  That would really keep everyone on their toes.

The bones of the show are the same as always.  We start with three tribes of eight survivors playing challenges to win rewards or immunity, then each week, at least one person is voted out of the game.  Eventually, the tribes merge, and the people voted out form the jury that vote on who wins the game.

This was definitely not a season to jump into since it featured all returning players.  There are backstories from their previous times in the game that factor into how they play and their thoughts on some of the other players.  Additionally, there are just so many people to keep straight at the beginning that it helps if you have some idea who they are.  Even then, I’ll admit I’d forgotten who a lot of them are, but it did come back relatively quickly.

Then there were the celebrity fans.  If I had to hear “Billie Eilish Boomerang Idol” one more time….  Two celebrities showed up on the island and didn’t add much to the proceedings with their presence. 

And really, there were so many twists it was hard for anyone to have a strategy.  Yes, I get that it keeps the show from getting too predictable, but there needs to be a balance, and the show went in the wrong direction here.

On the other hand, it was nice to see some of my favorites playing again.  And the players pulled off some fun things given the parameters they had to work with (you know, the too many twists).

Yes, fans will still mostly enjoy season 50 of Survivor.  Despite my critiques, I did enjoy it.  But I hope they pull things back for the seasons airing soon (not that it sounds like they plan to).

July 17th's Friday Post

Welcome to Friday!  It's time for a Friday Post, where I will be linking up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

My teasers for the first three will be coming from All Aboard for Murder by Ellen Byron.

This is book three in her Golden Motel Mysteries.  It's a fun series set in the California Gold Country.

I'll admit, the first sentence had my scratching my head.  And the next paragraph didn't necessarily help.

“Happy Angus Sprockles Birthday!”
Sam Stern issued the cheery greeting to his daughter, Dee, who was cleaning up the breakfast detritus left by guests in the Golden Motel’s midcentury, redwood-paneled lobby.

It doesn't take too long before we get the context - Angus Sprockles is someone important in the local area, and they still celebrate his birthday.  Maybe I was just being dense when I first read that sentence.

Anyway, on page 56 of my ARC, we find this:

Raul ended the call. He pocketed his notebook. "We have a pillar of the community who appears to be the victim of a homicide. A valuable antique someone could've stolen is un-stolen. What exactly is going on here?"

That's an excellent question isn't it?  Of course, it is answered by the end of the book.  The book comes out on July 28th, but I'm part of a blog tour for it, and my review will be up on Monday.

Meanwhile, let's move on to this week's Book Blogger Hop.  The question is:

Do you read one book at a time, or juggle a few at once?

I stick to one book.  Otherwise, I start to get plot points confused, or one book gets forgotten for a few days.  The exception is when I am listening to an audiobook.  I'll have a book I'm reading with my eyes as well.

Have a great weekend!

Book Review: Lie Down with Dogs by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mysteries #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery with characters I love

Cons: Listing cons has gone to the dogs

The Bottom Line:

Changes for our leads

Set up compelling story

Curl up and enjoy

Changes Comes Racing at Jim and Sally

It’s always fun to see an author’s interests show up in their books.  Via her social media and newsletters, I learned that Liz Milliron has a retired greyhound dog.  So, when greyhound racing showed up in Lie Down with Dogs, the fifth Laurel Highlands Mystery, I smiled as I added it to my to be read list.

This series features Pennsylvania State Trooper Jim Duncan and defense attorney Sally Castle, who have started dating a few months back.  And they are both going through some job changes.  Jim has just transferred from regular patrol to the investigations division.  Meanwhile, Sally is taking a job with a law firm that her friend is starting, leaving behind her job as a public defender.

On Jim’s first day in his new job, he and his new partner land a case.  The victim has been dead in his house for a couple of days already, but they also find a greyhound in a cage in the back of the house.  They are able to learn that the dog has retired from racing, but they can’t figure out how the victim got him.

Meanwhile, Sally has taken on her first client in private practice – an accountant accused of taking money from one of her clients.  That client?  A greyhound adoption nonprofit.  Are Jim and Sally working two cases?  Or is there a connection?

As always, the book is told from both Jim and Sally’s perspectives, which allows us to see the story as it is unfolding and allows us to get to know them both better.  I really do like the characters, and I’m enjoying watching their relationship continue to grow.  And yes, they are dealing with something on that front as well.

Change is never easy, and that is reflected here.  I actually really liked how those storylines played out in relation to the larger mystery.  They felt realistic, and I appreciated how both Jim and Sally were there to support each other.  And yes, we still get to see some of the supporting players we’ve met in earlier books who bring fun to the series.

The plot was strong.  I was drawn into the book and had a hard time putting it down.  I wasn’t complaining when some time opened up in my schedule and I was able to read the second half in one day.  I needed to know how things were going to end.  And yes, things did make sense once we reached the climax.

I also learned a little something about greyhounds along the way, which added to the fun.

Lie Down with Dogs proves to be another entertaining mystery with great characters.  If you aren’t reading Liz Milliron, you are missing out.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries.

Ornament Review: Christmas Is...a Warm Hug - Christmas Is #2 - 2025 Hallmark Release

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Cute Peanuts ornament

Cons: A bit simple for the price; size; tips

The Bottom Line:

Hug that brings a smile

Ornament does have issues

Still appeals to fans

Simple…but Still Warm

I caved.  I wasn’t going to get the second in Hallmark’s Christmas Is… ornament series.  In fact, I was ready to start reviewing 2026 ornaments this week (watch for that first 2026 ornament review to come next week).  But I decided to go ahead and get Christmas Is…a Warm Hug, the second ornament in the series.

This series features Peanuts characters enjoying heartwarming Christmas traditions.  Not all of them are the traditional traditions.  And that’s what we’ve got here.  Lucy is kneeling on the floor giving Snoopy a huge hug.  Her arms are around his neck, and both of them have smiles on their faces.

Considering how little use Lucy has for Snoopy, this is especially heartwarming.  It’s enough to make this Peanuts fan smile.

So, why didn’t I get it right away?  Part of that is price.  With the jump in prices last year, I cut back.  (I should stop since I was out of room years ago, but that’s another discussion).  The other reason is that this one is very simple.  It’s just the two of them.  And the ornaments in this series are a little larger than I would like.  Plus, outside the writing on the base, there is nothing to connect this to Christmas at all.

But that hug.  It’s just so cute.  It even warmed my heart.

Lucy and Snoopy are on a large circular base.  Around the front, we have “Christmas is…a Warm Hug” written.  And, on the bottom, we not only have the series marker, but a graphic celebrating the 75^th anniversary of Peanuts, which was in 2025, when the ornament came out.

Unfortunately, when you go to hang this ornament, it does tip quite a bit to the left.  Yes, you can use a tree branch to support it, but it’s a shame they couldn’t figure out a way to balance the ornament fully.

Christmas Is…a Warm Hug is a cute ornament.  Any Peanuts fan will find themselves warmed by getting it.

See more of the Christmas Is… series.

Book Review: Strong Medicine by Steve Hockensmith (Holmes on the Range #8)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery, the leads, and the humor

Cons: None – you’ll want to take this Medicine

The Bottom Line:

Blackmail and murder

Brothers continue to shine

Brimming with laughter

Time For Your Dose of Fun Medicine

It’s always a treat when Steve Hockensmith has a new Holmes on the Range book.  So, when I was offered an ARC of book eight in the series, I jumped at it.  I’m happy to say I took my dose of Strong Medicine and every page was a delight.

If you aren’t familiar with this series, you are truly missing out.  The series focuses on Gustav “Old Red” and Otto “Big Red” Amlingmeyer.  They are brothers who were making their living as cowboys when we first met them.  But thanks to the stories of the famed Sherlock Holmes, Old Red has started using Sherlock’s methods to solve cases the brothers have found themselves part of.  At this point, they have helped start the A.A. Western Detective Agency.

This book finds them in Galveston, Texas, in 1894.  They aren’t on an official case, but they have gone down to help their friend Olivia Pertwee.  Her family has suffered from a blackmailer, but their business partner just died in a fire in his warehouse.  Is someone out to destroy the family’s business?

I must admit, I didn’t remember Olivia, who we met in the previous book in the series, but that didn’t matter.  I really liked getting to know her as the book went along.  The book is filled with suspects, and they are a colorful lot, and that made it easy to keep them straight.

Old Red and Big Red are the only returning characters we see here.  I really liked the development they both got.  Old Red’s arc was a bit of a surprise, but I’m not complaining.  And Big Red, while the narrator of the stories (in a Dr. Watson role), is beginning to gain some skills of his own, which I loved to see.

And the mystery itself?  I called one part early on, but the rest kept me guessing until the end.  Yet, when Old Red explained things, it all made perfect sense.  Yes, I do find the use of a prologue set during the action of the book frustrating as I do with many authors, but at least we don’t have to wait too long to get back to that scene.

I’m sure it’s no surprise that this isn’t a cozy series.  It’s mostly language that would keep it from that category, so as long as you are expecting that when you pick it up, you’ll be fine.

What I’d forgotten about with the series is just how funny it can be.  The main characters are brothers, after all, and they act like brothers do.  But there are some funny interactions with the suspects, and Big Red infuses his first-person narration with humor.

Strong Medicine is another strong mystery from Steve Hockensmith.  As always, I’m anxious to find out where his imagination and pen will take us next.

Roam with the rest of the Holmes on the Range series.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

TV Show Review: The Golden Girls - Season 1

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Lots of laughs with these new friends

Cons: Some of the humor isn’t to my taste

The Bottom Line:

The strong laughs start here

As we meet these characters

Glad I started show

“I’m So Scared.  My Dentures are Chattering.”

Being the sitcom fan I am, I’d long heard people raving about The Golden Girls, but I’d been hesitant to watch it.  I finally decided to give it a shot via streaming.  After all, if I didn’t like it, I wasn’t out any money.  Before I was finished with the second episode, I was looking to buy it on DVD.

This sitcom centers on four roommates and friends living in Miami.  The house is owned by Blanche (Rue McClanahan).  Then there, Rose (Betty White), Dorothy (Bea Arthur) and Dorothy’s mother Sophia (Estelle Getty).  Together, the women are dealing with what life throws at you in your late 50’s or early 60’s.  That includes plenty of issues in their love lives, and some bumps in their careers.

For example, Blanche is constantly trying to land a man, but what happens when the man she loves comes with two young children.  Rose has to deal with losing her job when her grief center closes.  And Dorothy must deal with her ex-husband.  All of these women have adult children they are also dealing with in addition to grandkids and other relatives who come to visit, like Blanche’s father, who is trying to start a surprising new career.  And Sophia?  She deals with a health scare and considers moving in with one of her other daughters.

My hesitation to watch the show was that I’d heard the show delt frankly with the ladies’ love lives.  And it does.  I really could have done without some of those jokes or storylines that involved the more physical parts of those relationships.  And no, it doesn’t have anything to do with the characters’ ages.  I feel the same way about some of the storylines on Friends and The Big Bang Theory, both shows that I stopped watching at various points before finally giving in and becoming a full-fledged fan.  There isn’t anything here we haven’t seen on those shows.  But if those kinds of jokes bother you, know they are here.

But what I’ve heard about the humor is completely true.  This show is hysterical.  As I was watching, I would sometimes get laughing so hard.  The writing in the show is brilliant, sometimes going for the obvious sitcom joke and sometimes going someplace completely unexpected.

And the writing is matched by brilliant acting by the leads.  Their delivery of the lines is perfect.  I can’t remember seeing sarcasm put to such good use in a sitcom, but Rose’s naiveite is just as hilarious.  And there are times that the reactions to what another character is saying are actually funnier than the line.  Yes, they are getting laughs from just a look.  I can tell a few bits might wear by the end of the series, but for now, I’m still loving it.

And some of the scenes about women as they age?  Absolutely hilarious as well.

What is really remarkable about this to me is that shows often need a few episodes to find their footing.  Heck, sometimes it needs a season to really find itself.  That’s not the case here.  Yes, there are a few tweaks over the course of the season, but much of what works is in place early on.

Like many shows, this one has some changes from the pilot, like the house keeper who vanishes.  And it sure seems like the house only had three bedrooms at one point even though all four of the ladies have their own rooms.  They never explain that, or even when Sophia officially moves in.

Among the guest stars I spotted this season, we had Sheree North and Priscilla Morrill who both guest starred a few times on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, which also starred Betty White in the later seasons.  (And I found Priscilla Morrill’s character here very ironic given the character she played on that earlier show.)  Harold Gould would come back in later seasons as a different character, but he pops up here.  WKRP star Gordon Jump also shows up.  Robert Picardo appears as a doctor almost a decade before he became The Doctor on Star Trek: Voyager.  Finally, while most people probably know Herb Edelman best from his role as Dorothy’s ex on this show, a character who pops up throughout the run of the show, I recognized him as Lieutenant Artie Gelber on a handful of Murder, She Wrote episodes. 

I can already tell I will be bummed by the TV show curse of most of the guest star characters only showing up in one episode.  I’d like to see more of some of them.  But that is the nature of TV, especially back in the 1980’s.

The DVD set I bought has all 25 season one episodes on three discs.  They are full frame and surround sound.  Some of the images do show their age a bit, but it is still watchable.  The only extra is a look at the fashion with Joan and Melissa Rivers.  I often find them hit of miss, but in this case, I loved their thoughts.

Safe to say, I’m kicking myself for waiting so long to start watching this show.  But I do have the rest of the seasons on DVD, so hopefully, I will get to the rest of the show soon.  If it’s as good as season one of The Golden Girls, I’ve got lots of laughs ahead of me.

July 12th's Sunday/Monday Post

It's that time of the week again.  Time for this week's Sunday/Monday Post, where I link up to:

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

We got some summer weather this week - upper 90's.  Yes, it will go higher before summer is over, but I'll take this.  Remember, I am a warm weather person.

I went into the office for a few hours this week.  For the next year, we do still have an office building, so my director had the locals who report to her in.  Turned out I was the only one who just came in for lunch and a meeting as opposed to working in the office all day.  Oops.  I'll know for next time.  Still, it was nice to see people.

And I did go paddle boarding Thursday night after work.  Got to enjoy the evening hours while I still can.

Saturday is Hallmark's ornament premier (half their ornaments for the year are out).  And it's game day.  So let's get to this, shall we?

Pun-Official Holiday of the Week:

July 14 – Americans do not meter out the lengths they’ll go to celebrate Tape Measure Day.  Many enjoy the day in a yard.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Toy Story 5

Tuesday - Book Review: The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood

Wednesday - Movie Review: The African Queen

Thursday - Book Review: Death on the Back Nine by Caleb Wygal

Friday - Friday Post featuring Strong Medicine

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - TV Show Review: The Golden Girls - Season 1

Tuesday - Book Review: Strong Medicine by Steve Hockensmith

Wednesday - Ornament Review: Happiness Is...A Warm Hug

Thursday - Book Review: Lie Down with Dogs by Liz Milliron

Friday - Friday Post featuring All Aboard for Murder

Saturday - TV Show Review: Survivor - Season 50

Book Haul:

I got another four books this week.

Up first is an ARC.  Murders in the Marquee is the first in a new historical series set in San Francisco written by Dana Mentink.  I have enjoyed the previous books from her I've read, and I always enjoy reading books set in California.  Between the two?  I had to get an ARC.

P.J. Fitzsimmons offered an ebook copy of his latest Anty Boisjoly Mystery, The Case of the Accomplished Accomplice, free to his newsletter subscribers.  Of course, I jumped on that since I enjoy his series so much.

I was looking to get free shipping on an order from Amazon (no, I don't have Prime), and so I decided to get The Pie & Mash Detective Agency.  This debut from J.D. Brinkworth sounds fun, and I am hoping I can get it read before the sequel comes out early next year.

Finally, I got an audio book out of the library.  Dead Days of Summer is the next Dead on Demand Mystery for me.  None of my libraries had an electronic audio copy.  And only one of them had it on CD.  Fortunately, my car still has a CD player, so I can listen to it that way.

What I'm Currently Reading:

In fact, I've already started Dead Days of Summer by Carolyn Hart.  I'm very curious as to what is happening, so I'm looking forward to more time in the car so I can find out.

I'm also working on The Glass Thief, the sixth Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mystery from Gigi Pandian.  I was hoping to read it for a Christmas in July review since it's set around the holiday, but I don't think I'm going to make that.  But I'm enjoying it.

Have a great week!

July 11th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Would you look at this?  I have two shows to talk about!

American Ninja Warrior – Wow, they were moving fast.  I couldn’t believe some of those times.  And two people beat the Mega Wall, too.  On the other hand, I was surprised at the people who struggled with the regular wall.  It’s been a while since they focused on something who didn’t make it up the wall, and we saw that twice plus someone in clips.  I mean, I get it.  That’s a hard thing to get up (I’ve tried) so I’m not criticizing.  And that one teen?  So inspiring!

Press Your Luck – I’m wondering when they thought this would air.  Talking about the Super Bowl?  Either they are very early or very late.  Did enjoy the football theme, however.  And an amazing come back in the bonus round.  So close to taking it all home.  So very, very close.

July 10th's Friday Post

Welcome to Friday and this week's Friday Post.  I'll be linking up to:

Book Beginnings
First Line Friday
Friday 56
Book Blogger Hop

My teasers for the first three will be coming from Strong Medicine by Steve Hockensmith.

This is book eight in his Holmes on the Range series, featuring two cowboy brothers who have turned detectives, inspired by Sherlock Holmes.

Here's how the fun begins:

When you’re a cowboy, you learn to be both a heavy sleeper and a light one.

Meanwhile, at 56% into the book, we find the main characters trying to get some information from a cabby.  That leads to this exchange:

“My rate,” he went on, “is a dollar a question.”

“What?” Old Red said.

“Is that question number one?” the cabby asked.

“It wasn’t a question,” I clarified. “It was an expression of disbelief.”

The book will be out on Tuesday, and my review will be up then.

Meanwhile, let's turn our attention to the Book Blogger Hop for the week, shall we?  This week's question is:

What’s your biggest pet peeve about the book community?

That's a hard question.  I do have some pet peeves, but I'm not sure what the biggest is.  And what I really do like is that you can find just about every opinion represented.  So, I try to avoid those who harp on things I don't like.

I guess the one thing that stands out the most are the people who think you can only do things one way, and then tell others they must enjoy books that way or it doesn't count.  As I like to say, we aren't in school.  This is a hobby.  We can enjoy books however we want.  Physical, ebook, audio.  Multiple a week or just a couple a month.  Best sellers or indie authors.  It's all good as long as you are enjoying it.

Have a great weekend!

Book Review: Death on the Back Nine by Caleb Wygal (Myrtle Beach Mysteries #6)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Clark and a decent mystery

Cons: Needed a good edit to cut things down

The Bottom Line:

A golf course murder

There’s solid mystery here

But needed edit

Taking a Whack at Murder

I have gotten caught up in the Myrtle Beach Mysteries.  There’s an ongoing storyline that I really want to see through to the conclusion, which I know happens in book seven.  But first, I needed to go on a fatal round of golf with book six, Death on the Back Nine.

The series follows Clark Thomas, a widower who owns a bookstore in Myrtle Beach.  Over the last year plus, he’s found himself involved in a series of murders that have happened in the area.  Along the way, he’s been piecing together clues to what happened to his wife several years before.

This book finds Clark’s brother coming for a visit.  He hasn’t seen Bo in several years.  One thing Bo wants is to play golf on one of the fantastic golf courses throughout the area.  Clark arranges for the two of them to join Detective Moody for a round early one Saturday morning.  But, the foursome directly ahead of them isn’t the most fun to follow around the course.  When they get to one hole with a wicked dogleg, one of that foursome hits their ball into the woods…and never returns.  Someone has hit him with a golf club.  With Clark on the spot and Moody’s partner out of town, the mayor asks Clark to help out.  Will he be able to find the killer?

The series took a darker turn with this book.  Even Clark is bothered by what he learns about the suspects along the way.  It’s hard to find much sympathy for any of them.  So know this isn’t quite cozy going in and you’ll be okay.

Honestly, I felt like Clark’s involvement here was a bit of a stretch.  Yes, Clark has been recognized by the mayor for his previous help solving murders.  But there are still things that didn’t sit well.  And we really focus on the case to the point that some of the potential subplots are left to dangle.  I’m not talking about the ongoing storylines, but some things introduced here that get wrapped up in a rush at the end.

The author does acknowledge at the end that this is the longest book in the series to date.  It could have been shorter.  We got several repetitive passages that would have been easy to cut or summarize.  And, we got too much lead up to the murder.  Yes, we were getting to know the victim and suspects, but we could have gotten the feel for the characters in fewer pages.

We also got extensive use of foreshadowing to the point that it was annoying.

I can’t fault the plot itself.  It was very cleverly done, and I didn’t have it figured out before Clark did.

And I do like Clark.  I didn’t feel like we saw too much of the regulars except for Detective Moody, but it was nice to get to know him better.

As is usually the case, we got a cliffhanger related to Clark’s wife’s murder to pull us into the next entry in the series.  A predictable cliffhanger, in this case, but I am curious where it is all going to lead.

This series continues to be just okay.  I good edit would solve so many of the issues with Death on the Back Nine.  But I am hooked enough to give it at least one more book.

Here are the rest of the Myrtle Beach Mysteries.

Movie Review: The African Queen

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong acting and interesting story

Cons: Definitely shows its age

The Bottom Line:

Trip down a river

Filled with plenty of danger

Dated but good film

Treacherous Trip Down the River

I’ve heard of The African Queen for years.  It’s a legendary classic movie, after all.  When I spotted it on Turner Classic Movies, I decided to watch it.  While it definitely shows its age, I did enjoy it.

The movie is set in Africa in 1914.  Rose Sayer (Katharine Hepburn) and her brother, Sam (Robert Morley) are missionaries in a remote village until World War I finds them.  Germans come in, kidnap the natives, and destroy the village.  In the aftermath, Sam dies, so when Charlie Allnutt (Humphrey Bogart) returns with his boat, The African Queen, Rose is all too willing to leave with him.

Charlie is all for hiding out since the Germans would want to take his boat for the supplies he carries from location to location up and down the river.  However, Rose has another idea.  She wants them to take the boat up the river and use it to destroy a German ship patrolling a lake there.  Will they make it?

This movie was made in 1951.  You’ll want to keep that in mind as you watch.  The storytelling and acting are definitely different than we get now.  I got impatient as the movie took a while introducing the characters and setting up the story.  But once the duo left on the boat, things picked up.  It was fairly episodic as they faced one set back after another and had to figure out how to overcome it.  But it does entertain as it does so.

The movie was filmed partially in Africa and partially on a soundstage.  You can definitely tell when they are using a sound stage because the effects are obvious today.  However, the fact that it was filmed on location, something that wasn’t done nearly as much back then, makes much of the movie look wonderful.

One last thing I found annoying; the characters called each other by name in most lines of dialogue.  Please, just stop!

With Rose being a missionary, I was expecting a refined woman who shied away from adventure.  Yes, she is refined, and she and Charlie do butt heads upon occasion (more so before they fall in love) because he isn’t nearly as refined as she is.  However, she is much more adventurous than I, or Charlie, gave her credit for being.  That leads to a couple of funny scenes.  Yes, they both have moments of weakness.  I liked that.  It’s realistic that at some point you’ll want to give up.  But I appreciated that the other person stepped up and handled the situation.  That teamwork was fantastic.

While there are some other actors in the film, the majority of the time, it is just Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn on screen.  They rise to the occasion perfectly.  I buy their performances, even with the script gives them some sudden turns.  Bogart won an Oscar for his performance here, and Katharine Hepburn was nominated for one.  It’s easy to see why.

If you enjoy classic movies and have missed this one, it is worth going back and correcting that oversight.  As long as you remember how old the movie is, you’ll appreciate The African Queen.

Book Review: The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood (Marlow Murder Club #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Lots of laughs with a great plot

Cons: The ending is a bit overly convoluted

The Bottom Line:

Judith faces past

High profile victim in town

Filled with laughs and twists

Judith’s Past Comes Back to Haunt Her

I’ve really been enjoying the Marlow Murder Club books, and with the way book four ended, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on book five, The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts.  When it arrived, I made it my top priority, and I am glad I did since I really enjoyed it.

This book picks up where the last book ended, which means no time has passed for the characters.  And poor Judith Potts, a seventy-something widow, is facing a woman claiming to be her step-daughter.  But this isn’t a happy family reunion.  The other woman is accusing Judith of killing her husband before the other woman was even born.

While Judith is trying to process all of this, her friend on the police force, Tanika, is contacting Judith and her two friends, Becks and Suzie, about the latest murder in town.  A famous footballer has just been shot on his property.  The ladies of the Marlow Murder Club are a bit surprised since Tanika doesn’t normally try to pull them into a case.  Why is she doing it in this case?  Can they solve it while also resolving Judith’s problem?

With two strong storylines, this book never lags.  I was engaged the entire time I was reading it, and this book juggles both storylines well.  At first, the climax felt a bit rushed, but as the ladies talked through it, I came around.  I still feel like a couple of things were a bit convenient, but I’m willing to let them slide.

Much of that is because I was having so much fun.  While Judith, Becks, and Suzie are great friends, they are all very different, and their reactions to the storylines as they unfold are comic gold.  We also get some fun escapades along the way.  I think I laughed at this book the most since book one.

Given her name is in the title, this is Judith’s story more than the other two.  We really get to see her develop more over the course of this book.  That’s not to say that the rest, including Tanika, don’t have their moments to shine.  And Suzie and Becks get plenty of page time as well.

And the new characters?  They work perfectly as the suspects in this case.  They certainly kept me guessing as the story unfolded.

Fans of these characters will devour this book and put it down satisfied.  While I think it will mean more if you’ve read others in the series first, anyone will find The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts to be fun.

Enjoy the rest of the Marlow Murder Club Mysteries.

Movie Review: Toy Story 5

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good message; nice to see old friends again

Cons: Missing the charm of the first three

The Bottom Line:

It’s toys vs. tech

Tackles subject thoughtfully

But lacking the fun

Surprisingly Nuanced

It’s been several years since I watched any Disney or Pixar animated movie.  And my feelings on Toy Story 4 have changed over the years (I don’t like it as much as I tried to convince myself I did when I first saw it.)  But I have seen all the Toy Story films in the theater (not counting the Buzz Lightyear movie), and I knew I’d kick myself if I didn’t go see Toy Story 5 while it was still in the theater.

After letting Andy grow up in real time, Bonnie (voiced by Scarlett Spears) has stayed a young girl.  And, as we rejoin her and her toys, she is too shy to make any friends, even with her neighbors.  Of course, soon Sheriff Jessie (Joan Cusack) learns that a plague is sweeping through the world, technology.  It is turning all the kids into mindless zombies who just stare at their screens.

To Jessie’s horror, Bonnie’s parents get her Lilypad (Greta Lee), Lily for short.  This device connects Bonnie with some girls from her dance class.  Will they be good friends for Bonnie?  Or is there someone better out there?

Yes, this is Jessie’s movie.  Honestly, I’m okay with that.  They do give Woody and Buzz (Tom Hanks and Tim Allen) a substantive subplot, while many of the familiar toys are reduced to extended cameos.  I do miss them, but I get it.  If you are going to tell new stories, you can’t keep all these toys in the story, too.  It just gets too cluttered.

This movie really plays on Jessie’s background, first introduced in Toy Story 2.  Again, I’m not sure we needed to go there, but I did feel like it worked, and I appreciated it.  And I especially appreciated the growth Jessie got as a result.  I feel like it’s something that has been missing from the franchise, but maybe I just need to rewatch the original trilogy.

Which brings us to something I especially appreciated.  In the discussion about devices and technology, it starts out fairly black and white, but it becomes gray as the movie goes on.  After all, like almost anything else, technology can be good or bad.  I also appreciated that it clearly showed adults just as addicted to technology as the kids because it is true.  (Admits the guy who spends so much time working on internet reviews.  And thanks for reading them!)

Having said all of this, the movie was missing that spark that made the original trilogy so special.  I’m not sure what they had to say about technology was worth a new entry in the franchise.  I still would have been okay if they had stopped at the original trilogy with the occasional special.

Then there’s Buzz’s storyline.  I’ve always appreciated his romance with Jessie, but I felt like they were trying too hard for laughs with him.  He’s never been the sharpest, but he felt especially clueless here.

On the other hand, there are a couple of running gags with Woody that I enjoyed.

I guess part of the problem is the things that made the originals feel so special, all those little details, are now such a familiar part of the world these characters live with, they’ve lost the special feeling and they’ve lost the ability to make us laugh and smile.  Instead, the majority of the humor came from a new potty-training device.  Yeah, you can guess where those jokes are going.  I wasn’t a big fan.

There is a mid-credits scene you’ll want to watch.  And there is something at the end of the credits as well, but I didn’t think it was worth sticking around for.

I’m glad I saw Toy Story 5, but I’m glad I went on a discounted night to see it.  It’s fun to see old friends again, but the spark that made the original trilogy so special is still missing.

July 5th's Sunday/Monday Post

Welcome to this week's Sunday/Monday Post.  I am way behind where I wanted to be today (Saturday), so let's get to it.  I'll be linking up to:

Sunday Post
Sunday Salon
Stacking the Shelves
Mailbox Monday

Technology is not being my friend right now.  My TV is not connecting to my wifi.  Everything else is connecting to the internet.  I can wire it in, but last time this happened, my TV broke and I had to get it fixed.  I'm worried that's about to happen again.  The fix wasn't cheap, but was covered by my warrantee, which has now expired.

Meanwhile, I got a new laptop a couple of weeks ago.  I'm just now trying to move stuff into it.  Yesterday, it was music and pictures.  Today, I woke up to a notification from Microsoft that I was over my limits.  Turned out, my photos were automatically put into OneDrive for me.  Deleted them from my new laptop, and I'm now no longer over my limit.  So, now, I need to figure out how to store stuff on my hard drive.  You know, what I actually want to do.  It looks like my documents will all be put to the cloud as well.  Keep in mind that I had to get a new laptop because I was out of storage on my hard drive there, so if all that stuff were in the cloud, I wouldn't have room for it without paying a monthly fee.  But if I were willing to do that, then I wouldn't need a new laptop.  (Yes, there were some other reasons for it, but that was the big one.)

I always hate getting a new laptop, and stuff like this is why.

What else have I been up to this week?  I went over to some friends' to watch Wednesday's USA World Cup game.  I'm not a big sports person, but it was nice to get to spend some time with them, and I did enjoy the game

Other than that, it's been work.  I had Friday off, so I went over to paddle about noon.  It was later than I had planned, but the wind wasn't too bad yet, and I enjoyed it.

Joke of the Week:

Why do restaurants on the moon get such bad reviews? No atmosphere.

This Past Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - TV Show Review: Murder, She Wrote - Season 10

Tuesday - Book Review: Pour Choices by Adrian Andover

Wednesday - June Reading Summary

Thursday - Book Review: Murder at Ochre Court by Alyssa Maxwell

Friday - Friday Post featuring The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

This Coming Week on the Blog:

Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post

Monday - Movie Review: Toy Story 5

Tuesday - Book Review: The Mysterious Affair of Judith Potts by Robert Thorogood

Wednesday - Movie Review: The African Queen

Thursday - Book Review: Death on the Back Nine by Caleb Wygal

Friday - Friday Post

Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

I've got five new books to talk about this week.

Let's start with Serving up the Truth by Debra Klein.  I won it from a blog giveaway.  I'm planning to get to it in August.  Sounds like it's something I will enjoy.

My Kindle buying spree last week was because I had a bunch of Kindle points expiring at the end of June.  I've let some expire this year, but I was close enough to a reward and this was a huge chunk, so I didn't want to let that happen again.  But that also meant I had to use them this week.  Oh darn, right?  I used them to get Homicide on the Range, the newest Hometown Mystery from Rosalie Spielman.  This is book six.  I still need to get book five read, but I'm hoping to do that soon.

Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn went on sale for Kindle this week.  (And it still is as of my typing this Saturday at noon.)  I wasn't the biggest fan of the first in the series, but I've been curious about the sequel, so I decided to snag it.

The last two books are eARCs.  I signed up for a blog tour for A Murderer's Guide to Mardi Gras by Ellen Byron.  The book comes out in August, so I won't be reading it for another couple of weeks, but I've got the ARC for when I'm ready.

Strong Medicine by Steve Hockensmith comes out much sooner.  Like July 14th.  This is the latest in his Holmes on the Range series, which features cowboy brothers solving mysteries in the old west using skills they gleaned from the Sherlock Holmes stories.

What I'm Currently Reading:

I'm sure it's no surprise that I'm currently reading Strong Medicine by Steve Hockensmith.  I'm enjoying it so far, but I need to get more read.  With the morning I had, I haven't gotten as much read as I had hoped Saturday.  I'm still hoping to finish it off on Sunday.

Which means Monday, I'll be working on All Aboard for Murder by Ellen Byron.  Yep, she has books coming out pretty close together again.  I'm part of a blog tour  for it on July 20th, so I need to get it read and the review written.  I always enjoy her books, so I'm looking forward to diving in.

Have a great week!