Monday, September 28, 2026

Ornament Review: Belle V. Holliday - Snowtop Lodge #22 - 2026 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Cute ornament with added bell fun
Cons: Stands out a little because of the difference scene style
The Bottom Line:
A new artist’s style
Means slight changes for series
Fans will still enjoy




New Artist Brings a New Feeling to the Snowtop Lodge

I’ve been collecting the Snowtop Lodge series for quite a few years now, and I continue to enjoy each entry.  Original artist Joanne Eschrich Wright retired recently, so 2026 say a new artist take over the series.  There are some differences with Belle V. Holliday, but I do still like her.

This series always features a snowperson with a wintry theme.  Okay, so most are Christmas related, but we’ve had a few that weren’t.  And each ornament features a related scene on the bottom of the snowman.

Belle is wearing a red Santa hat, and she’s got a string of five bells in her hand.  The Santa hat has a slightly larger bell on it.  And yes, all these bells are real bells, jingling if you move or shake the ornament.  It’s fun to hear the differences in how they sound.

Where I really noticed the difference is the scene at the bottom.  We’ve got Santa (a snowman Santa, or course) flying over a town with his reindeer.  The colors on this scene are more vibrant than usual.  It’s not bad, but I think I prefer the more washed-out colors we’ve had in the past.  I’ll probably adjust in a year or two, but it definitely stands out now.  Also, the disc that is supposed to represent the moon is a little odd.  It sticks out off to the side, and it took me a minute to figure out what it was.  I think it would have been better painted on instead of trying to pop it out.

But overall, I really do like Belle.  The bells are a fun touch.  And the scene at the bottom is fun.

As always, the ornament is mostly porcelain, with some fabric touches.  So keep that in mind – it’s more delicate than the usual Hallmark ornament.

Being a snowwoman, Belle has a nice flat base, so you can set her out to be displayed.  You’ll also find the 22 in a Christmas tree series marker painted on the bottom.

The ornament comes with a ribbon to hang her on your tree.  When you do, you’ll find the ornament leans forward just a bit.  But that’s pretty standard for this series, and it still looks good.

Differences can be good, but they also take a little time to adjust to.  Belle V. Holliday might take a bit for fans of Snowtop Lodge to adjust to, but I’m sure they will still enjoy having her in their collection.

Enjoy the rest of the Snowtop Lodge series.

Sunday, September 27, 2026

September 27th's Weekend Catchup

Time once again for a weekend catchup.  I'll be linking up to:

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

The big excitement here was Friday night.  I went to the Matthew West (Christian singer) concert that was semi-near me.  An hour and a half without traffic.  There was lots of traffic when I was trying to get there, but I got there with about 10 minutes to spare.  Closer than I would have liked, but I made it before it started.  It was a great concert.  His newest CD just came out that day, so he did several songs from it in the second half.  My preorder copy had arrived Friday, so I had gotten to listen to it once before the concert.  There are some great songs on it.

Other than that, it's been the usual - work.  I went paddle boarding Saturday morning.  It was pretty calm most of the time I was there, which was wonderful, but was picking up a bit when I was done.  There was a mud run going on while I was there - a women's mud run.  I was happy when I found that out since, if I'd missed one that close to me I could have participated in, I would have been upset.  But I really need to do some more research to see what is out there mud run wise these days since I hadn't heard anything about it.

Joke of the Week:


What did one plate whisper to the other plate?
Dinner is on me.

This Past Week on the Blog:



This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Weekend Catchup
Monday - Ornament Review: Belle V. Holliday
Tuesday - Book Review: Mrs. Claus and the Fatal Figgy Pudding by Liz Ireland
Wednesday - September Reading Summary
Thursday - Book Review: Essentials of Homicide by Kim Davis
Friday - Friday Fun featuring The Case of the Case of Kilcladdich
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

It's a four book week for me this week.

Let's start with the ebook sale.  And it's non-fiction.  I know, I know, I'm shocked, too.  The book is The Deconstruction of Christianity by Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett.  I've started listening to Alisa's apologetics podcast over the summer, and she's mentioned that this book is on sale throughout September.  I just now remember to buy it.  Not sure if/when I will read it, but it sounds interesting.


The rest of the list will be in more familiar territory.

I got another ARC for 2027 this week.  I'm glad I looked because Rocket Girl by Diane Vallere is getting archived on NetGalley soon.  Considering it comes out the end of February, that surprised me.  She's another favorite author, and this is the first in a new series - a historical series set around the space program of the 1960's.  I'm looking forward to it.

I also got two August releases from the publisher this week.  (Meanwhile, I still don't have the ARCs from them for books that come out in a month....)  One I had requested; one I hadn't.  I'm thinking I might try to work one into my reading plans in the next couple of weeks, but we'll see.  Either way, the books are Apple Pies and Poisoned Lies at the Cider Falls Festival by Traci Hall and The Quilt Whisperer Investigates by Peggy Ehrhart.

What I'm Currently Reading:

As I'm typing this, I'm a third of the way into The Cambodian Curse and Other Stories by Gigi Pandian.  Yes, it's a short story collection featuring the characters in her Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt Mysteries.  I'm enjoying visiting these characters for shorter locked room mysteries.  I'm hoping to finish the story I'm in the middle of today.  Overall, I should finish the book up on Monday.

Have a great week!

Saturday, September 26, 2026

September 26th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Wow.  Lots of shows this week, and I had some thoughts.  This is longer than it's been in quite a while.

Marlow Murder Club – I’m very intrigued by this new story.  I very much want to know who did it and what else they are hiding.  I feel for Becks.  She’s in a no win situation being caught between her old friend and the police/her new friends.  I’m also very anxious to find out who has been in the video room.

Marble Hall Murders – I really thought the episode was going to end with Elliot’s murder, so that wasn’t a cliffhanger for me.  Why is he going around making all these public accusations (of sorts).  Even in real life I wouldn’t be stupid enough to do that, and I know it’s fatal for fictional characters.  And why is Susan getting all the blame?  Don’t feel like the historical mystery made too much progress.

Weakest Link – I’ve got to admit, most of those villains I only knew from House of Villains.  And even then, I didn’t know a few of them.  I was hoping for Tom and Richard in the finals.  Oh well.  And Tiffany was just as annoying here as everywhere else.

Dancing with the Stars – Welp, I think we’ve found the non-dancer who is going to keep going further than he should.  Not that I am criticizing him for lack of effort.  I doubt I’d be doing much better.  And, it’s hard to argue with this week’s elimination.  There are several stars who seem to be struggling.  As Bruno said, everyone is trying, but I think the next few weeks will be fairly obvious eliminations.

RJ Decker – The case of the week was pretty week.  Okay, so I wasn’t just watching the show, but how did they find the ring?  I really missed something there.  Overall, it just felt very rushed.  But the cliffhanger at the end?  I really want to know what is going on there.

The Challenge – So bummed about Chris.  I was really rooting for him to make it to the end, and I’ve been rooting for him all season.  And I’m not liking team gray’s chances.  What will they do when it is a guy’s week again?  Although, I’m hearing we might have a shorter season, so we might be almost to the finals.  Still, I expect things to be pretty one sided when we get there.

Survivor – When they say unpredictable, they mean unpredictable.  Those first 20 minutes were wild.  Jumping off the ship.  No tribe right away.  The poor guy heading to exile.  It will be interesting to see two teams this season.  I’m hoping it means that there isn’t one tribe that dominates, because that’s been boring.  The fact that the team is coming back form tribal with some supplies is good.  And, Jeff (because I know you read my blog), some idols and twists are good.  But too many is bad.  There is a fine line.  Also, the coin flip?  It was great once, but it needs to go away now.  I always like it when an arrogant person is voted out, so the fact that this four strong alliance from before the teams were formed is already down a player, and someone who felt she was in control, makes me happy.  I hope Jenna gets a chance to fit in.  And I’m very curious to see how the season it going to unfold.

Totally 90’s House – Sorry, but the wrong team won.  First time I’ve felt that way, but I really thought the other team did a better job.  It was close, and maybe seeing it in person would make it more obvious to me why the judging went the way it did.  I will say, the one team is relying too much on the flooring for their nod to the 90’s.  It doesn’t look bad, but using it for everything?  And what was up with that pizza?  I get it was a retaliation prank, but a couple of seconds set up, and then all the time showing the delivery only to turn around and leave us dangling.  No word on how they paid for it or what they did with all those pizzas?  Bad storytelling.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe – That was a pretty fun season finale.  Loved all the nods to Big Bang Theory without having any cameos.  If I didn’t know season two was coming, I don’t think I would have liked the ending.  But I’m very curious to see where they are going to go next.

The Traitors: New Blood – Xavier was the right one to cut since he was trying to get Katie banished.  Going after a traitor is wrong.  But, now Katie definitely had a target on her back, and I don’t know how she gets it off.  Especially since they killed Logan.  Why would you do that?  If someone has named one of you, you don’t kill them?  Just makes you more suspicious.  And, you can assume there are three traitors because they usually have three.  That’s not a slip up.  Oh, and Instagram has started showing me Sherry’s videos on social media.  I thought I recognized her last week, but I wasn’t sure until she got more screen time tonight.  I’m ready for Jay to go.  I hope he gets banished.

Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test – Yeah, I said I wouldn’t be back to watch this show again, but when I saw Candance Cameron Bure was on it, I had to watch.  Plus, I was curious how Ruby Rose would do.  And I’m remembering why I gave up the show after the first season.  It is rough.  I get it.  That’s what training for special forces is really like, and it makes me appreciate those who volunteer to go through the training and succeed all the more.  But it’s not me, and it’s painful to watch.  And scary.  I would have been out at the helicopter drop.

Friday, September 25, 2026

September 25th's Friday Fun

I'm working on rebranding my posts on Sunday, so I thought it was time to think about rebranding my Friday posts as well.  I'm going with Friday Fun this week.  But we'll see what I'm thinking next week.

No matter what I call it, I'll still be linking up to:

First Line Friday
Friday Book Snippets
Book Blogger Hop

For the first two, I'll be pulling snippets from Mrs. Claus and the Fatal Figgy Pudding by Liz Ireland.

If you've been around my blog for very long, you know how much I adore this series.  If you are new, you need to know that, yes, this is the real Mrs. Claus up at the North Pole we are talking about.

This is book seven in the series, and here's how it begins:

If you've never experienced it, beginning your day with the castle's principal footman bringing you a tray of coffee and a bit of fresh pastry is an incredible luxury.

I'm not a coffee drinker, but switch in hot chocolate, and I'd agree.  Sounds absolutely wonderful.

This second teaser is coming from 50-60% of the book.  I read a physical ARC and I don't remember which page number it was on since I copied it over to a note file.  When I read it, I knew I had to use this quote:

For days, apparently, I'd been at the center of a soap opera. I was the Susan Lucci of Santaland and I didn't even know it.

What's that all about?  You're going to have to read the book to find out.  It comes out on Tuesday, and my review will be up then.

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

What’s the best investment you’ve made for your blog?

Since this is a free blog thanks to Blogger/Google, I haven't invested much money.  It's mainly been time.  Lots and lots of time.  I'm only partially joking when I refer to my blog as a second full time unpaid job.

Having said that, I am still really happy with the graphic I made for my Weekly TV Thoughts posts that I put up every Saturday.  If you haven't seen it, I hope you'll stop by tomorrow.  Or scroll down to last week's Saturday post.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, September 24, 2026

Book Review: Old Habits Die Hard by Melissa Westemeier with Mariana Damon (Nun the Wiser Mysteries #1)

Stars: 2 out of 5
Pros: The two leads are nice
Cons: Pacing was way off
The Bottom Line:
Nun finds a body
I did like characters but
Pacing is way off




Sadly, I Don’t Think This Series Will Become a Habit

There are those series that sound promising, and Melissa Westemier’s Nun the Wiser was one of them. I couldn’t pass up the premise. But, sadly, I found the execution of the first book, Old Habits Die Hard, to be less than I’d hoped for. 

Sister Bernadette retired from teaching and her life as a nun, but she’s found herself living in The Abbey: Senior Living, the sight of the school where she taught for years now renovated into senior apartments. The residents are becoming a close-knit community, which is why, when the body of one of the residents is found, it upsets everyone. Especially since it doesn’t appear to be the obvious natural causes. The detective assigned to the case is AJ Lewis, one of Bernadette’s former students. Can the pair crack the case and figure out what really happened?

This book started out well. The body was found quickly and we got our first twist just as quickly. I settled in for a promising debut. 

And waited for the next big twist or revelation. 

Don’t get me wrong, we did still have a few things for the detectives to figure out along the way. But the clues and connections were slow in coming. The solution became obvious pretty early as well. Things made sense, but the plot needed some work. 

I was expecting Sister Bernadette to play a bigger role in the story. She shares viewpoint character duties with Detective AJ, but many of her scenes didn’t really advance the story. I liked her, but she didn’t contribute as much as I expected. She does provide a couple of pieces of the puzzle, but it was a small amount. 

Meanwhile, I also liked AJ. His scenes do add more to the story, which is good. I felt like he should have been the main character, which would have made the book stronger. 

There’s a bit of foul language in the book. It’s not excessive, but it’s certainly more than I expected for a book featuring a retired nun as one of the main characters. 

Plenty of people seem to enjoy this series, but Old Habits Die Hard just didn’t work for me. 

Wednesday, September 23, 2026

TV Show Review: Private Eyes - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Charming characters and solid mysteries
Cons: Low-budget production
The Bottom Line:
Ten short episodes
But finds charm by the last one
Look forward to more




“You Know This Isn’t a Competition, Right?  But I Totally Nailed It.”

Somewhere over the last couple of years, I learned about the show Private Eyes.  Talk about coming to a show years late.  In my defense, when the show premiered in 2016, it was only airing on Canadian stations.  It aired here in the states on Ion, a station I don’t follow too closely.  Anyway, I was curious about it, especially with a spin-off coming this fall.  So when I got a free year of Hallmark+, which currently has it streaming, I decided to give it a chance.

The show introduces us to Matt Shade (Jason Priestley), a former professional hockey player now trying to manage promising new hockey players.  When one of his clients falls sick during try outs under suspicious circumstances, Matt takes his father’s advice and teams up with private investigator Angie Everett (Cindy Sampson) to find out what happened.  Matt is so taken with Angie that he decides to become a private investigator as well, with Angie as his new partner.  It takes a little convincing, but eventually, Angie begins to come around.  Rounding out the main cast are Matt’s dad, Don (Barry Flatman) and Matt’s daughter, Jules (Jordyn Negri).  Oh, and Jules just happens to be blind.  In most episodes, we also have a couple of regular police officers, Derek Nolan (Clé Bennett) and Kurtis Mazhari (Ennis Esmer).

This season was only ten episodes.  As Matt begins to grasp his new job, the duo takes on a murder in the local restaurant scene.  They search for a missing prized race horse.  They try to help Angie’s friend who was robbed after attending a speed dating event.  They try to find a magician who vanished from police custody.  And Angie works to find a jewel thief who hit her cousin’s wedding.

I mentioned earlier that this is a Canadian production.  It is filmed in Toronto, and set there as well.  I find that fun while watching since it’s so rare something is set where it is filmed.

The show is fairly low budget, and that comes across as you watch.  That’s not to say it is bad, but it isn’t quite as polished as most shows you’d watch.

The mysteries themselves are solid.  They keep me entertained as I watch even if I happen to pick up on something early.  Things make sense when we reach the end.

They are obviously setting things up to have a romantic relationship between Angie and Matt, although we haven’t gotten there yet.  Honestly, I’m not picking up too much on “undeniable” chemistry between the two of them, but I often don’t early on in a series.  Still, I am enjoying watching their friendship grow, and I also enjoy the banter between them.

Angie doesn’t have a lot of supporting characters in her life outside of the two cops we interact with.  She has just lost her father, which explains part of that.  I do like Don and Jules as they help flesh out Matt.  We even get to meet Matt’s ex-wife, Becca (Nicole de Boer).

The cast is also good.  Yes, a few of the guest stars are a little weak, but the main cast brings their characters to life well.

Having said all of this, it did take me a few episodes to fully mesh with the characters and the world they live in.  But by the end of these ten episodes, I was really looking forward to visiting them again.

The show may be a little low budget, but the charm of the characters draws you in.  I’m glad I gave season 1 a chance and am looking forward to continuing on with Private Eyes.

Tuesday, September 22, 2026

Book Review: Holmes Away from Home by Samantha Larsen (Althea Adler Mysteries #1)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Strong series debut that left me wanting more
Cons: A couple of minor things
The Bottom Line:
New series starts well
Entertaining mystery
And strong characters




Miss Adler Solves a Murder

For a mystery lover, I am sadly ignorant about Sherlock Holmes.  But that doesn’t stop me from enjoying books that play on the Holmes mythology.  Since I’d enjoyed earlier books from Samantha Larsen, I was intrigued by Holmes Away from Home, the first in the new Althea Adler Mysteries.  I’m glad I picked it up.

The book takes us to London in the spring of 1911.  Althea Adler is the daughter of Irene Adler, and she’s been raised by her mother to become a thief.  She’s trying to create a life for herself as a law-abiding citizen, but when she gets a mysterious post card telling her to break into Sherlock Holmes’s safe, she doesn’t resist.  What she finds inside makes her wonder what her connection to the famed detective might be.

In order to find out more, she gets herself invited to a weekend at Twickenham Towers with a couple of her friends from college, including the daughter of Dr. Watson.  But when the earl is found murdered her first morning there, Althea realizes she is going to have to solve the crime herself if she ever wants to leave.  Among the other guests is William, Marquess of Sheffield.  He seems to have his own agenda.  Can Althea trust him?  Who killed the earl?

In many ways, this book reads like the pilot of a current TV show.  We have the mystery of the murdered earl, and that is resolved in this book.  But several other things that are introduced here are set up but left unresolved.  I’m sure they are threads we will be following as the series unfolds, and I’m here for it.  In fact, I already can’t wait for the next book.

After some initial set up, the book focuses in on the murder of the earl, and it is a well-done mystery.  I was kept guessing as to who was involved and what exactly happened until Althea pieced it together at the end.  There were plenty of twists along the way, but things made sense when we reached the end.

It helps that the characters are strong.  We really got to know Althea and William here, and I really like both of them.  The rest of the cast, aka the suspects, are also strong, and they made it hard to guess exactly what was going on as a result.

William is a very important part of the book.  He’s a second viewpoint character.  While Althea does most of the solving, William contributes as well, and I appreciated how his character developed over the course of the book.  I did feel like the chemistry between the two of them was played up a bit too much, but that’s a minor complaint.

As I said, I’m already looking forward to seeing just what happens to Althea and William in the next book.  If you are looking for a fun Holmes adjacent book, you’ll be glad you picked up Holmes Away from Home.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

I'm reviewing this book as part of a blog tour.  To visit the other hosts, stop by here.

And enter the tour wide giveaway below.

Monday, September 21, 2026

Movie Review: Murder Takes the Stage - A Garage Sale Mystery

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Jennifer and crew are back in a decent mystery
Cons: Set up not well thought out; usual cheese
The Bottom Line:
Reenactment death
Jennifer steps up to solve
The franchise is back





“This Feels Like Old Times.”  “We’re Back!”

I never thought I’d be doing this, but I’m sitting down to review another Garage Sale Mystery.  The long running Hallmark mystery franchise had been canceled when star Lori Loughlin got caught up in the college admission scandal.  In fact, one of the movies was stopped mid-production and the finished one that hadn’t aired yet quietly debuted without too much fanfare a year later.  So I did a double take when I saw a new movie in the franchise, Murder Takes the Stage, was premiering this past weekend.  It was good to be back with the characters again.

Almost everyone is back for this movie, too.  The only character/actor missing is Jay Brazeau who played the pun loving coroner Dr. Tramell.  Okay, so Eva Bourne’s Hannah is essentially given a cameo, but I’ll take it.  After all, it’s been a few years, and that is reflected in both of the kids’ lives.  Hannah is off studying for the bar exam, having finished law school.  Younger brother Logan (Connor Stanhope) is in college, but locally, so he still gets involved in mom Jennifer’s sleuthing.

In the years since we’ve last seen her, Jennifer Shannon (Lori Loughlin) joined a murder mystery book club.   The club also puts on reenactments of famous crimes to raise money for the local food bank.  Their latest reenactment is of the Lizzie Borden story, and the debate between those who think she was guilty vs. those who think she was innocent is threatening to unravel the entire production.

But when Jennifer finds one of the actors in the production dead, things take an unexpected turn.  She’s sure it is someone else in the cast, but can she figure out which one it is?

As much as I was happy to see the characters again, I’ll also admit this was never a favorite franchise of mine.  Oh, I’ve watched them all, but I usually struggle with some aspects.  Like in this one – why are they putting on this play in a house?  And a bed and breakfast at that.  It means the various scenes are taking place in other rooms.  And why is a mystery book club putting on true crime stories?  Heck, for that matter, is this a fictional book club or a true crime book club?  Given Jennifer’s knack for solving mysteries, I could see it going either way.

Despite my issues with the setup, I did feel the mystery was well done.  We had several motives and red herrings that kept me guessing until Jennifer pieced everything together.  You’ve got to ignore how much Detective Frank Lynwood (Kevin O'Grady) defers to Jennifer.  It’s not remotely realistic.  Just go with it and enjoy.

Something else that hasn’t changed in this franchise is the liberal dose of low-budget cheese.  You can’t escape it here.  But if you are watching a Hallmark movie, you’re probably expecting it, right?

This was a very popular Hallmark mystery franchise, so I’m sure I’m not the only one who was happy to see it revived.  If you are a fan of the Garage Sale Mysteries, you’ll enjoy Murder Takes the Stage.

Sunday, September 20, 2026

September 20th's Weekend Catchup

Welcome to this week's Weekend Catchup.  I'll be linking up to:

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

I'm trying a bit of rebranding for this post.  I just came up with it in the last five minutes without giving it any previous thought.  So we'll see what I think when I have some more time to sit with it.

I went into the office this week.  My director had everyone who reports to her come in on Tuesday.  The company was providing lunch, but she took us out for ice cream.  It was nice for a change of pace, but I'm certainly not ready to be in the office on a regular basis again.

Sadly, the calendar says that autumn is starting this coming week, and our weather reflected that.  It was cool when I went for a run before work during the week, and the temps have been a bit more all over the place.  But it was nice when I went out paddle boarding Saturday morning.  Still a bit windier than I would have liked, but nothing too bad.

Pun-Official Holiday of the Week:


September 26 – Save the Koala Day is fantastic for koala-ty time!

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Past Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Weekend Catchup
Monday - Movie Review: Garage Sale Mysteries - Murder Takes the Stage
Tuesday - Book Review: Holmes Away from Home by Samantha Larsen
Wednesday - TV Show Review: Private Eyes - Season 1
Thursday - Book Review: Old Habits Die Hard by Melissa Westemeier
Friday - Friday Fun featuring Mrs. Claus and the Fatal Figgy Pudding
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

October is going to be busy with lots of new releases I've preordered.  But things were quiet this week.  Just one book, and it's an ARC.

That book?  RV Dead Yet by Penny Warner.  I've been a fan of Penny's books for a long time, and I keep saying I want to read more RV/camping/travel cozies.  Naturally, I jumped at this book.  It comes out January 5th, so I'll be reading it in a few months.

And yes, I've accepted my first ARC for 2027.  How crazy is that?

What I'm Currently Reading:

When I got back from the lake, I finished up Essentials of Homicide by Kim Davis.  Yep, I just got it last week, and I've already read it.  I enjoyed it, but you can read more of my thoughts on October 1st, when I post my review.  (Now, to find the time to write the review.)

I'm thinking next is going to be the other new book I got last week - Art Attack by James Ponti.  I want to read it soon, and I think right now will work out the best.

Have a great week!

Saturday, September 19, 2026

September 19th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Marlow Murder Club – They really buried the motive.  I didn’t remember any mention of it until the climax.  Must have been a couple of lines in the first half, which I’ll admit I didn’t remember that much of.  They needed to give us a recap.  (Or I missed it when I was fast forwarding through the beginning.)  Left a bit of a bitter taste in my mouth, but I mostly enjoyed the episode.

Marble Hall Murders – Some very fun transitions between the two realities in this one, more than I remember in the past.  I feel like the book story got the most forward movement here, but that may just be my perception at the moment.  Other stuff might prove to be important later.

Dancing with the Stars (9/15) – Interesting way they are doing the premier with two nights and two eliminations.  Whitney has a challenge this season after the win last season.  I’m a little surprised they are through to the next week, in fact.  I’m coming into this season without anyone I’m already rooting for, but several of the guys impressed me this week.  I’m a little surprised at who went home considering who his wife is and that Adele just won next pro.  I figured they’d stick around another week or two at least.  Sorry to see them leave already.

RJ Decker – That opening scene.  I mean, I get the synergy they were going for, but it was weird.  They really should have done something else.  I did like the main story, however.  And the way the relationships are growing is nice, too.  I’m really glad the show is back for season two.

The Challenge – I wonder why they didn’t go into what the three guys did to get themselves booted.  Yes, I read about it, but still, seems like they could have done a bit more to address it.  But I find it ironic that Nelson and Josh both got DQ’d together since they’d been feuding so much.  Nice that Orange took another hit.  Although, with what they’ve got left, this could get very interesting.  I feel like they need to adjust the teams to even out the sexes, but I’m sure they have a plan.  Although, with two teams, how are they going to have two people in eliminations.  I’m very curious about that.

Dancing with the Stars (9/16) – Lots more great dancers tonight.  Not that I’m surprised.  Yes, some of them have room to grow, but there are some that should make it far.  We’ve still got 14 pairs.  That’s insanely high, or at least it feels that way.  Interesting that both of the new pros left in the first week of the competition.  I know new pros don’t tend to go far, but this seems quick even for them.  Also, I do like that Maura and Mark are paired.  It will be interesting to see how far they go.

Totally 90’s House – I wasn’t completely in love with either house, but I think I liked the master bathroom in the house that lost a little better.  Was it more, or was the tub in the willing house way too small?  Nice that Melissa got a cameo.  I wonder if she will wind up coming back or if that is all she gets for the season.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe – That one was fun again.  Really enjoyed all the superhero lore and appearances, and I was surprised by the cameo.  I’m anxious to see how they are going to wrap things up next week.  Or at least the first season.

The Traitors: New Blood – So, Kim.  You say “everyone thinks lawyers are liars, so I’m going to lie so people don’t know I’m a lawyer.”  I’m sorry, what?  You are kind of proving their point.  I was actually rooting for her to be the first one gone.  This accomplish twist is interesting.  I’m very curious to see who joins the traitors and who is the second murder victim.  That first banishment was interesting.  We’ve already got the supposed slip up.  I couldn’t quite tell what happened there.  Guess I should have paid more attention.

Anna Pigeon – I actually was intrigued by the mystery, but I found the solution a letdown.  Completely logical, but somehow less than they were setting things up to be.  And the romantic storyline?  Predictable and frustrating.  Can’t someone be smart just once?  Instead, we get the soap opera. 

Friday, September 18, 2026

September 18th's Friday Post

Welcome to this week's Friday Post, where I will be linking up to:

First Line Friday
Friday Book Snippets
Book Blogger Hop

My teasers for the first two will come from Holmes Away from Home by Samantha Larsen.


This is the first in a new series featuring Althea Adler, the daughter of Irene Adler, a legendary character in the Sherlock Holmes cannon.  And yes, this series is Holmes adjacent.  As the first sentence shows:

Stealing from the famous Sherlock Holmes was rather simple, really, Althea Adler thought as she cracked open the safe behind the portrait in his study.

That definitely made me want to read more.

My second teaser comes from 56% into the book.  I think.  I don't remember for sure where it came from, but I had to use this exchange.

“I want the postcard back,” Althea said between clenched teeth, pressing her dagger harder against him. “It’s mine.”
William found himself staring at her plump, red lips. “I’m having a devil of a time trying to figure out if you’re attempting to kiss me or kill me.”

I'll let you figure out what that is all about.

The book came out this week, but I'll be reviewing it on Tuesday as part of a blog tour.  For now, just know I enjoyed it, and come back on Tuesday for my full review.

Let's move on to this week's Book Blogger Hop, shall we?  This week's question is:

If you could recommend one overlooked book, what would it be and why?

I feel like we just answered this question two weeks ago.  So, I'll link to that post for your reference.

For a new book, I'm going to create a theme here.  I've got quotes from a Holmes adjacent book above.  I'm going to recommend Holmes on the Range by Steve Hockensmith.  This is the first book in a series that features two cowboy brothers in the 1890's who, inspired by the stories about Sherlock Holmes, start solving mysteries in the old west.  It's a very fun book with laughs and a good mystery.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, September 17, 2026

Book Review: Thicker Than Water by Liz Milliron (Laurel Highlands Mystery #6)

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Sally, Jim, and another good mystery
Cons: Climax tried to do too much
The Bottom Line:
A dead young woman
Sally, Jim both work to solve
Nice series entry




The Young Woman in the Shack

The advantage of falling behind in a series is that you can read books closer together.  Admittedly, I still try to space books out instead of doing a true binge read, but I’m looking forward to my every other month visits with Jim and Sally as I continue Liz Milliron’s Laurel Highlands Mysteries.  And Thicker Than Water was another good book.

For those new to the series, it features Pennsylvania State Trooper Jim Duncan and defense attorney Sally Castle.  When the series started, they had just met, but at this point in the series, they are dating and getting pretty serious.  Along with navigating their relationship, they also have to figure out how to keep their jobs from impacting their relationship when the cases they are working on cross.

When a college student walks into Sally’s office asking for protection from a man, Sally is willing to help.  But the young woman doesn’t give many details before she disappears.

Two days later, Jim is pulled into the hunt for a missing autistic young man.  While the man is found, he is talking about a “sleeping blue lady” he saw in a nearby shack.  Sure enough, there is a dead young woman there.  And it’s the woman that came to Sally for help.  Sally just can’t let it go, so she starts investigating on her own.  Will the two be able to figure out what happened to the victim?

Given the main characters, I’m sure it’s no surprise that the books are more serious in tone than the cozy I often read.  They also tackle some darker subjects.  However, even when a book tackles a more serious subject, it does it with sensitivity and includes only as little detail as needed.

It isn’t long before Jim and Sally start to piece together several motives for the victim’s murder.  I was pulled in and always had a hard time putting the book down.  With both of them sharing viewpoint character duties, we got plenty of twists and plot advancement.  Unfortunately, the climax was a little messy.  All the questions were answered, but the way it came together was a bit more complex than we needed.

On the other hand, I continue to love Jim and Sally.  Their relationship takes another step forward here, and I loved watching those moments.  I’m just as invested in that story arc as I am the mystery they are facing in the current book.  I also appreciated how they both handled this case in regards to their relationship given some of what’s happened before.

I’m glad I’m finally make the time to catch up on this series.  With the great characters and the engaging mysteries, time spent reading these books is always well spent.  Thicker Than Water is no exception.

Check out the rest of the Laurel Highlands Mysteries.

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Ornament Review: Cookie Cutter Christmas #15 - Making Stockings - 2026 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Another cute scene in a fun frame
Cons: Scenes isn’t obvious at first
The Bottom Line:
Getting stockings set
Creates charming Christmas scene
Does need second look




The Stocking Were Made by the Chimney with Care

It’s fun to see what Hallmark’s artists come up with each year for the series I track.  While I don’t always buy them, I do enjoy seeing the creativity.  One of the most creative is the Cookie Cutter Christmas series, and this year’s entry is another fun one.

Each ornament in the series features a Christmas scene starring a mouse inside a cookie cutter shape.  This year, the shape is a Christmas tree.  The mouse inside?  He’s working on a stocking.  We can already see the red stocking hung by the fireplace, and he’s now working on a green stocking.  It looks like he’s putting the white bow on top.  We can see the fire in the background, and gingerbread walls.  And the mouse has a blue blanket on his lap.  The arms of his chair?  Candy canes, of course.

I’ll admit, I had to look closely at this one to figure out what was going on.  The candy canes looked a bit like the posts on a bed, and the blanket made me think this was a bed scene at first.  But that’s my only complaint.  Once you look closely, you can see the cute scene unfolding.  We’ve only ever seen this mouse by himself, so the idea that he has someone else makes me smile.

While the Christmas tree shape does have a bit sticking out at the bottom, the base is still nice a sturdy.  You can set this out to be displayed if you want.

The loop for hanging the ornament is at the top of the star.  No surprise that it hangs straight.

As always, the back of the ornament features the series marker.  And, in a detail I love, it also includes a handle for the cookie cutter part of the design.

While the scene took a second look, overall, this addition to the Cookie Cutter Christmas series is fun.

Enjoy more of the Cookie Cutter Christmas ornaments.

Tuesday, September 15, 2026

Book Review: Home Sweet Homicide by Rosalie Spielman (Hometown Mysteries #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Compelling mystery with great characters
Cons: Part of Tessa’s character arc didn’t quite work for me.
The Bottom Line:
Wedding meets murder
Plus other complications
In this fun entry




Wedding Complicated by a Dead Ex

Last year, I really delved into Rosalie Spielman’s Hometown Mysteries, enjoying the first four.  Somehow, this year, I’ve let the series get away from me, and I suddenly found myself getting behind again.  So, I picked up Home Sweet Homicide, book five.  I was so glad to be visiting the characters again.

If you haven’t started the series, it features retired Army Lieutenant Colonel Tessa Treslow who has returned to her hometown of New Oslo, Idaho, after getting out of the army.  It means she is able to reconnect with family, but it has also meant seeing more of her ex-boyfriend and some others from her growing up years that she wasn’t so anxious to see again.  And that’s not even to talk about the murders that have happened since she returned home.

Speaking of that ex-boyfriend, Joe Eriksson is getting married to Jessie St. John.  Much to her surprise, Tessa and Jessie have become friends since Tessa returned home, and somehow, she finds herself agreeing to be a bridesmaid.  Everything is looking good two weeks out from the wedding until Jessie’s best friend from high school shows up and starts trying to change all the wedding plans.

But that’s nothing compared to the chaos that happens when Jessie’s first ex-husband is killed, and Jessie just happens to be first at the scene.  Joe, the sheriff, is sidelined in the investigation since he could be another suspect.  While Tessa is warned away by the state detective that comes in to investigate, can she help it if she keeps finding pertinent information?  Will she learn enough to solve the case before the wedding gets canceled?

As I said earlier, it was wonderful to be visiting the characters again.  New Oslo is filled with an assortment of friends and family, and they are an entertaining bunch.  Of course, Tessa is a fantastic main character, and I enjoyed seeing what is going on in her life.  I did have an issue with some of her personal growth here, but maybe I’m just being a guy, and a single guy at that, when it comes to first love.

The mystery was great with plenty going on to keep us guessing.  Yet things made sense when we reached the end.  And there is enough other drama with the wedding and another subplot that my interest never lagged.

I need to make returning to this series a priority.  Fans old and new will enjoy Home Sweet Homicide.

Plan more visits home with the rest of the Hometown Mysteries.

Monday, September 14, 2026

Movie Review: Coyote vs. Acme

Stars: 4 out of 5
Pros: Laughs and fun character moments
Cons: A bit broad overall
The Bottom Line:
Taking on a corp
Looney Tunes humor in court
Goal? To entertain





“How Hard Could It Be to Catch a Bird?”

The first time I heard about Coyote vs. Acme, I was on board.  It just sounded like so much fun.  Then, there was the whole drama with Warner Bros. deciding to shelve it for a tax write off.  So, I was thrilled when I heard that Ketchup Entertainment had bought the film, and I made a point of going to see it in the theater.

While the film is more live action than animated, we do have a good mix of animation in the real world.  And it starts like a classic Coyote and Road Runner cartoon.  Coyote is out to catch his dinner, Road Runner, and his latest Acme products do not work as he envisions them.  When he goes home that night, defeated, he sees an ad from a lawyer who represents people like him, harmed by shoddy products.

So Coyote heads into Albuquerque, New Mexico to hire Kevin Avery (Will Forte).  But Kevin just wants to go for the simple settlement, something that Coyote doesn’t want.  Suddenly, Kevin finds himself going up again his law school nemesis, Buddy Crane (John Cena), in a case that is drawing national attention.  Can he figure out how to win the case?

As I said earlier, this film is a mix of mostly live action with a little animation.  But the animation looks wonderful.  It’s more modern 3D, although they do have some fun nods to 2D animation.  The effects are outstanding.  It’s easy to buy what we are seeing on the screen.  And the human actors do a fantastic job of making us believe this world is real.

And yes, many of the Looney Toons characters show up.  Most have extended cameos to further the story.  This is Coyote’s film, and that’s fine.  But I did appreciate how the rest of the characters were used.

Anyone who goes to see the movie will have fun.  There are plenty of laughs from start to finish.  Yes, most of them are slapstick, but what would you expect?  This is a movie that is having fun, and it invites us along for the ride.  It knows it has one job, to entertain us, and it does it.

It is also refreshingly free of so much of the modern movie agenda.  Yes, the movie is an allegory for one issue (I’m being vague so as to not spoil things), but it’s never preachy about it, and it’s an easy issue to agree with the movie on.  While there is a mention or two of corporations being bad, in this case, Acme is pretty evil, so it works.  Again, the movie is focused on entertaining us.

Yet, it does have some nice, tender moments near the end.  These moments kind of snuck up on me, but they were well earned.

I mentioned earlier that the actors did a great job with the effects of the film.  The acting overall was good.  The characters were fairly broad, but that’s the writing.  Likewise, the character arcs were fairly predictable, but I was having fun overall, so I didn’t care.

Coyote vs. Acme is the light comedy we don’t get much anymore.  It’s not an event movie, but it’s a fun way to spend an hour and forty minutes.  You won’t be sorry you gave it a chance.

Sunday, September 13, 2026

September 13th's Sunday/Monday Post

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

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

It's been a hot and humid week here.  Yes, I fully realize that the rest of the country is now laughing at me because what we had wasn't as humid as it gets elsewhere.  But for us, it was humid.  And it was around 100 without the humidity.  This week, it wasn't the dry heat we usually brag about.  Quite a change from the week before when it was chilly, especially when I was out for a morning run.

Work wise, I think I've gotten through all the extra reporting fun.  I have one last thing to get approval for, but that's the easy part.  The hard part is behind me.  Still got plenty to do, but I think I should make my deadlines.

Other than that, not much else to talk about.  My life group met to clean the church this morning.  And as I'm typing this, I got to finish it up so I can get ready to go to game day.  So, shall we get to it?

Joke of the Week:


Why was the robot so tired after his road trip?
He had a hard drive.

This Past Week on the Blog:


This Coming Week on the Blog:


Sunday - Sunday/Monday Post
Monday - Movie Review: Coyote Vs. Acme
Tuesday - Book Review: Home Sweet Homicide by Rosalie Spielman
Wednesday - Ornament Review: Belle V. Holiday
Thursday - Book Review: Thicker Than Water by Liz Milliron
Friday - Friday Post
Saturday - Weekly TV Thoughts

Book Haul:

Just two books to talk about this week.

Up first is Art Attack, the third Sherlock Society book for middle graders from James Ponti.  While I don't love this series as much as I do his City Spies series, I still enjoy it.  The book came out on Tuesday, and my preorder arrived on Thursday.

The other book is an ARC of Essentials of Homicide, the third Aromatherapy Apothecary Mystery from Kim Davis.  It actually came out this week, too, but the ARCs came out at the same time, so I snagged one of those.  I'll be reading it soon to review at the very beginning of October.


What I'm Currently Reading:

And I'm reading another ARC.  This one is Mrs. Claus and the Fatal Figgy Pudding by Liz Ireland.  I'm about a third of the way into it, but I probably won't get a ton of reading in this weekend, so I'm hoping to finish it on Monday.  I absolutely love this series, so I'm enjoying catching up with the characters.

Have a great week!

Saturday, September 12, 2026

September 12th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Marlow Murder Club – The ladies are back!  It’s been long enough since I read the book these first two episodes are based on that I can’t remember what happened.  But I’m still about half a step ahead of the ladies.  As soon as something gets mentioned, I’ll remember what happens with that clue/development.  I’m enjoying watching the cast back in action.  Their chemistry is so much of the fun.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter (9/6) – I don’t know why it took me so long to figure out the whole nightmare situation.  I’d thought when they first showed up that they would fall victim to whatever was going on, too.  Not as creepy as some of the episodes this season.  And a good cliffhanger for the next episode.  Glad it’s only a day apart.

Marble Hall Murders – Yes, it took me until the end to see the connection between the two stories.  I wonder just how much of the book Elliot is writing is true.  And why is he confessing via the page?  While I’m sad Susan is single again, I’m not surprised.  And I was really happy to be back with her and Pundt as the new story gets going.

The Librarians: The Next Chapter (9/7) – That’s it?  Seriously?  I wondered if they were going this route about the time things took that serious turn, but when we actually got to the climax, it was all just so…anti-climactic.  The ending was just so poor.

The Challenge – Nelson, shut up!  I get that you are upset and frustrated.  But instead of trying to earn the trust of the rookies, you are going to call them out like that and keep picking at them.  Seriously, you are not going to win any of their votes that way.  There are other ways to go about it.  (And I’m just a few minutes into the episode.)  I hate it when a player has to leave due to an emergency.  I’ve heard Cory’s daughter is okay after her surgery, which makes me happy.  I’m very curious where the cliffhanger is going to end things.  Overall, I’m really not liking this captain thing, but it does add to the drama, which is the point.

Totally 90’s House – Both of those master bedrooms looked great when they were finished.  These teams are either getting some help behind the scenes or are much better at this than I’d ever be.  I’d take either one of the finish products, although I do think the right team won.  It was just a little better.

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe – That was interesting.  And, frankly, a little dark.  But there were some laughs.  And I’m curious to see where they are now that they are trapped.  And yes, it was fun to see another recurring character pop up in addition to Penny’s second appearance.  I’m wondering if Amy will get a second appearance before the season is over.  And are the other three in the wings for the season finale?

Anna Pigeon – Really?  They are going there?  I mean, I don’t feel like they had any major plot holes in the episode.  But still, this all feels like a twist in order to have twists.  Now we know they can just randomly make people bad guys.  And I really don’t get where the story with the big bad as even gone at this point.  It’s very disjointed.

Friday, September 11, 2026

September 11th's Friday Post

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

First Line Friday
Friday Book Snippets
Book Blogger Hop

Friday Book Snippets is the combination of Book Beginnings and Friday 56.  We need to share two snippets, the first from the beginning and the second from somewhere in the book, not necessarily from page 56 or 56% into the book.  It's co-hosted by Head Full of Books and Bemused and Bookish.  Thanks for keeping this going, ladies!

We will see if I stick to page 56/56% for my second snippet.  I always liked that it focused me as I looked for that second teaser.  Of course, sometimes, there wasn't much to choose from.  I suspect I'll probably start with those pages, but expand out if needed.  My approach may change as I get used to the new rules.

So, let's get to it.  My teasers for the first two are coming from Home Sweet Homicide by Rosalie Spielman.


This is book five in the Hometown Mysteries.  It's been a while since I read one of these books, so I was happy to dive back in.

Here's how the book begins:

The café was suddenly even colder than usual for a January.

That sounds like bad news, doesn't it?

I read this book a couple of weeks ago, before the change for snippets was announced.  So here's from 56% into the ebook:

Troy ambled up to me. "Tessa. I am shocked, just shocked, to see you here."
"Your sarcastic wit is not appreciated, Mr. Barnes." I shook my head but couldn't keep a small smile away.

A little bit of fun there.

I enjoyed this book.  My review will be up on Tuesday, so I hope you'll come back to read it.

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

How much do online reviews shape what you pick up next?

I'm always a bit embarrassed when I admit they don't influence me that much.  Even with how much time I spend reviewing.  It doesn't help that I don't have a lot of time to spend looking at other book blogs.  I wish I did.  But if I am seeing a book pop up quite a bit, I might give it a more serious look.  It doesn't help that I have a huge to be read pile.  I'm so busy trying to keep up with all of those books I don't have a lot of room for new discoveries.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Book Review: The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J. D. Brinkworth (Pie & Mash Detective Agency #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5
Pros: Two leads in intriguing premise
Cons: Slow and meandering at times
The Bottom Line:
Two fledging PIs
Take on weird first mystery
Wanders bit too much




Even Fledging Detectives Need More Focus

When I heard about The Pie & Mash Detective Agency a few months back, I thought the premise sounded like fun.  Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be as good as I hoped it would be.

The book introduces us to Jane Pye and Simon Mash, a millennial couple.  Jane has recently lost her job, and she’s signed them up for a beginning private eye class, something Simon is less than interested in.  Nearing the end of the term, the instructor passes out cases for the students to work on.  However, Jane and Simon’s case is a little different.  It’s one their instructor hasn’t already solved.

On the surface it seems simple enough – a man returned home from work one day to discover his front door open and his girlfriend gone.  He was certain she was the love of his life, and he’s equally as certain that something bad has happened to her.  But the police aren’t taken him serious because of the girlfriend’s name.  You see, there have been multiple women with the name Nellie Thorne who have disappeared in this area of England over the decades, so she’s become something of an urbane legend.

But Jane and Simon, well mostly Jane, are determined to show they are taking the class seriously, so they dive into the case.  Is Nellie real?  If so, is she in trouble?

You can see the appeal.  Jane and Simon sounded like a fun detecting duo, and the mystery intrigued me.  I just had to know what was going on.

And I did enjoy Jane and Simon.  They shared time as our third person point-of-view characters, which allowed us to really get to know them better.  While at times they did seem to lean a little too hard into millennial stereotypes, they grow over the course of the book, which I appreciated.  They brought some humor to the proceedings as well.

It was mostly the mystery that let us down.  Now, let me be clear.  I expected that Jane and Simon would take some detours and hit some road blocks along the way – more so than in a typical mystery novel.  It’s part of the premise.  The problem was they spent quite a bit of time on some of these detours and even a side quest.  The uneven pacing was frustrating at times.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the characters we met along the way were interesting.  And the book did build to a logical, suspenseful, and fun climax.  It just had some fat it needed to trim along the way.

I’m not sorry I picked up The Pie & Mash Detective Agency.  But I probably won’t be moving on to their next case when it comes out next year.