Ears for Murder: A Beanie and Cruiser Mystery!

...I aimed for home base. I'd intended to stop by Pandora's Box to collect Cruiser's portrait, but the shop was probably closed for the day. Besides, both the dogs and I were exhausted from our Bear Country adventures at Taylor Creed. It was after feeding time at the zoo. First things first, I'd go tomorrow to pick up Cruiser's portrait. I hoped I'd be getting my money's worth.
As I approached my front doorstep, I noticed someone had left a package there. I wasn't expecting any deliveries, but a note was attached. It was from Pandora.
I hope you are pleased with the portrait I've done of Cruiser. Pay me whenever it's convenient. I look forward to seeing you again. Now I felt bad because I hadn't invited her over to deliver the painiing. What must she think of me? Did she think I was trying to avoid paying her for her work? I would see she got paid. As a writer, I understood how creative people are seldom respected or paid what they are really worth and how that makes them feel. Is it any wonder that so many artists and writers throughout history have suffered from depression or even committed suicide? I hadn't seen any indication thus far that this was the case with Pandora...
I collected the package as we went inside. I was eager to see the completed painting of Cruiser, but he and Calamity were intent on food and bolted for the kitchen. I'd have to fill their bowls with their dinner rations before I could start unwrapping any packages. The only packages those two were interested in contained their favorite brand of kibble from the Haute Hydrant. I set down their bowls and Calamity attacked hers with gusto, managing to spill more food than she ate. If left them to finish their meals while I opened the parcel from Pandora...

There is nothing more exciting to me than receiving a package. Like Maria sings in The Sound of Music, "brown paper packages tied up with strings" are a few of my favorite things. I carefully unwrapped the painting, which was nicely matted and framed. We hadn't discussed whether a mat and frame were included in the price she quoted, but I was relieved that she had done the framing for me. I wasn't skilled at that, and I knew having it done at a shop would have been a further expense I wouldn't really afford.

Sorry only a photo!

The final product was everything I had hoped it would be. Pandora had not only accurately portrayed Cruiser's likeness right down to every hair and whisker, she had captured his soul in pastel on the finely sanded paper. Seeing this masterpiece, I regretted I hadn't commissioned a painting of him when he was younger, but I was thrilled to have this one of him. I've always found that a painting of a senior dog conveys a radiance which is hard to put into words, even for someone who writes about dogs. The light in those eyes that seems to reflect the loving heart of a special companion is the reason why we love dogs as deeply as we do for the comparatively short time allotted...

~~~

Ears for Murder:

A Beanie and Cruiser Mystery

By Sue Owens Wright

The Secret of Bramble Hill was my first book by Sue Wright - it turned out to be a personal favorite earlier this year... Do check it out! This time, however, I got the chance to meet Beanie and Cruiser, the latest in her cozy mystery series. I did not, however, expect that Beanie would be living in a cabin in the woods, like me, spending her day as a free lance writer, especially for the local newspaper. Guised as a reporter, for the Tahoe Tattler, she has also begun to be an amateur detective and somehow seems to be around when a body is found...

I quickly discovered that I had made a
mistake in allowing Calamity off her
leash for our morning walk. Before I
could say Fleabiscuit, she scurried off,
creating a cyclone of dust in her wake.
...When the dust settled, I discovered
something else besides my two hound
dogs marking a surviving tree. They
had led me straight to a man's
bloody corpse.
~~~

This one was a rather gruesome find and actually was found by the two dogs who had been off their leash and away from Beanie, once they'd smelled the body. Actually it had been Calamity, her daughter's dog who she was dog-sitting while she was out of town... Beanie had not realized, however, that Calamity would be as much trouble as she was! The man was somebody Beanie had seen...he had been driving a large masticator who had been eating all the beautiful trees around her home...Now he was seated at the foot of one of those trees with his arms chained around the trunk... an arrow through his neck...with his ear gone... Perhaps as a trophy... The thing was that many were upset about the trees being mowed down, especially the way they were doing it...Beanie knew her grandfather would be angry with what they were doing to the land... and her love of the area had grown deep and strong because of him...

Beanie was part Washoe and remembered much from what she had been taught in her early life by her ancestors. Now with an arrow being used to kill the man tearing up the forest, she was especially concerned they could be blamed... But there was also another group there that had similar concerns, but were part of a secret society that had been out in the forest one night. She had seen their lights and had tried to find them...

Learning about Lake Tahoe and its Indian past gave an interesting plot to a location that is well known by many. Now those with money and land wanted to build a major resort complex that would only detract from the natural beauty known to those who lived there all the time. That includes two men in Beanie's life, both of whom lend a personal insight for those, like me, who have not read previous books in the series.

The key thing for me was the ongoing storyline of Beanie, Elsie MacBean, who is an author living near Lake Tahoe. We meet her and her two dogs staying with her, as well as a number of town characters that add greatly to the setting... Readers of cozies have by now, added a cup of tea and a few crackers to sit back and enjoy the life there on the lakeside...

But just as you have begun to wonder--where are the clues to use in solving the mystery--everything starts happening and the speed of the novel moves faster...First there is the bear, then another meeting of that secret group...and, oh yes, Beanie hopes that her new suitor is going to stick around, especially after he helps save her! The climatic ending is almost a whirlwind blowing after the pace had lulled us into enjoying the coziness of it all...

Wright zaps with a bow and arrow, literally, in the midst of a forest fire that threatens homes and land throughout the area. But nothing prepared me for this killer, an amazing villain that totally fits the story, yet... Wright's creative imagination went into overdrive in finishing this book. With a tinge of psychological suspense, she weaves a tale that was totally unexpected! Verrrry Cool and highly recommended!

GABixlerReviews

Sue Owens Wright is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction. She is an eleven-time finalist for the Maxwell, awarded annually by the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) to the best writer on the subject of dogs. She has twice won the Maxwell Award and earned special recognition from the Humane Society of the United States for her writing. She writes the acclaimed Beanie and Cruiser Mystery Series, including Howling Bloody Murder, Sirius About Murder, Embarking On Murder and Braced For Murder, which is recommended on the American Kennel Club’s list of Best Dog Books. 

Her newest free-standing novel is "The Secret of Bramble Hill" (Black Opal Books, 2016). Her nonfiction books include What’s Your Dog’s IQ?, 150 Activities for Bored Dogs, and People’s Guide to Pets. She has been published in numerous magazines, including Dog Fancy, Mystery Scene, AKC GAZETTE, Fido Friendly, The Bark, and Animal Fair. Her work also appears in several anthologies, including PEN Oakland’s “Fightin’ Words,” along with Norman Mailer and other literary notables.

Sue graduated from California State University Sacramento and taught elementary school, college English and adult writing courses. She did MFA studies in fiction writing at the Universities of Dublin and Galway in Ireland and University College London in England. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, DWAA, Sisters in Crime, PEO International, Sierra Pastel Society, SSPCA, and Daughters of the American Revolution. For more information about the author, visit www.sueowenswright.com.

Sue Owens Wright Presents a Personal Favorite for 2017, The Secret of Bramble Hill!

Tessa felt relieved when the door opened to reveal the cheerful countenance of a plump, ruddy-faced woman. “May I help you, miss?” the woman inquired, smiling. 

“I’m Tessa Field, Aunt Emily’s niece, just arrived from America.” 

“Oh, of course. Please come in. We’ve been expecting you. I’m Maggie, the housekeeper. Come this way, and I’ll show you to the parlor.” 

Tessa was about to tell her she already knew the way, but Maggie turned smartly on her heels and waddled down the hallway. Tessa followed the housekeeper along the familiar oak-paneled walls. The ticking of the massive grandfather clock echoed solemnly in the hall as it had for generations. They passed the gallery of Bramble Hill’s ancestors, including Lord Walthingham and his beautiful Lady Rose, rumored by local folk to haunt the cliffs at Seaborn Point where they fell to their deaths a century ago. She noticed that the portrait of her aunt had been moved from its usual place. Aunt Emily now smiled benevolently from the end of the hall. 

“You’re just in time for tea,” Maggie said. “Please make yourself comfortable here whilst I finish preparing it.” 

Tessa sat in the brown leather chair beside the massive stone fireplace where a toasty fire crackled. She thought of the many evenings she had cuddled in her aunt’s lap while she read Cornish folk tales of fairies, witches, and elves. Tessa was glad to see the old pianoforte in the corner where it had always been. She should have felt safe and comfortable here beside the fire’s warmth, but a strange chill pervaded the room. Always a cheerfully decorated room, awash in sunlight from the expansive lead-paned windows, the parlor now was dark and gloomy. Everything else in the room was unfamiliar to her. The chintz-covered settee had been reupholstered in somber, scratchy tweed. Gone was the gay pink and gold striped wallpaper she remembered. The walls were now papered in a gaudy red and green tartan plaid. It reminded her of a horse blanket. Tessa noticed the painting that now hung above the piano in place of the peaceful seascape of Covington Harbor she recalled from years past. It depicted a pack of deerhounds felling a doe. The dogs’ teeth sank deep in the bloodied flank of their prey, and their feral eyes appeared to glitter wildly in the fire’s reflection. Aunt Emily would have thought the artwork to be in poor taste for this genteel parlor where she had often entertained her guests. Tessa thought one of her own amateur paintings would have even been an improvement over this one. Aunt Emily always encouraged her young niece’s love for art by allowing her to explore the countryside for hours with the watercolor paint box and brushes she gave her one summer while visiting. It was on one of those afternoons while painting a seascape from high atop the cliffs overlooking the harbor that she had first met Peter. She smiled, remembering their meeting and how he was writing poetry in a journal but was too embarrassed to admit it to her. Boys didn’t write poems! Tessa arose from the chair and sat down at the piano, trying her best to ignore the ugly painting above it. She gently lifted the fall and rested her fingers on the keys, testing the tone by playing several chords. The piano seemed slightly out of tune, like everything else in the room, but the sound was not unpleasant to her ear. She tried to remember some songs she used to play and thought of one that Aunt Emily had taught her. “There’ll be bluebirds over the white cliffs of Dover.” Singing that song brought a flood of happy memories of balmy summer evenings, parties, and music. Sounds of laughter and clinking glasses could be heard throughout the house in those days. Bramble Hill and its inhabitants seemed untouched by the war, at least to a child. After Aunt Emily had tucked her in for the night, the little girl tiptoed downstairs and hid behind the open parlor doors where she could peek at the guests unnoticed. How she admired the lovely ladies with their elegant gowns and sparkling diamonds. She thought they looked like flowers blooming in the garden. The soft rustle of their petticoats was the whisper of spring rain on the heath. Even now, she fancied she could hear the echo of laughter and idle chatter of guests as they smoked their Player’s cigarettes in jeweled holders. In her mind’s eye, she saw them gathered in a sing-along around the piano while Aunt Emily played and Uncle Georgie sang in his rich baritone voice. After her uncle died during the war, the summer parties did, too. Suddenly, Tessa stopped playing. The piano’s resonant tones trailed off, and the room was once more as silent as a grave.

~~~

While this book is multi-genre, I couldn't help aligning it with my personal favorite genre, Gothic suspense. While the era may be off and the narrative more contemporary, the book has that wonderful edgy storyline that keeps readers guessing and sometimes holding their breath... 

Of course, the ghosts and the seance, as well as the main character's psychic gifts, does lend the delightful paranormal into the mix of murder, romance, and historically seeing the world in the mid-'90s.  I read it in one sitting...and loved it...The author has a wonderful talent in her writing so that the story moves somewhat slowly, while we capture her delightful background settings,  while still maintaining a solid suspense in our minds as we consider and reconsider who did what to solve the mystery... 

Sometimes I pick up the murderer intuitively through the writing, which I did this time, always delights me, but the writer wasn't satisfied that you might solve the crime before she wants you to...and adds a defining twist that heightens the suspense... Did I say I loved it? Of course I don't "love" every book, because a book has to be a certain blend of personal likes to respond to your own choices for entertainment, doesn't it...

Sadly, it was the death of her beloved Aunt Emily that brought Tessa back to Bramble Hill. Not only had she lost her last family member, but also a close friend. She had been disturbed that she was apparently lost on a boating accident, since Emily had been an award-winning swimmer. What was worse though, was the strange atmosphere she immediately picked up with her psychic senses as she entered her once part-time home. That became even more troublesome when she met Aunt Emily's second husband and immediately felt an aversion to him... Oh, he was handsome and charming, alright, but when he began almost immediately to make moves on Tessa, she began to question his relationship to his dead wife...

The romance between Tessa and a boyhood friend within the novel could easily be a separate story since it is such a delightful tale of close childhood friends, having parted, now meet again. It is clear that Peter came back to Bramble Hill to meeting again, but Tessa has already committed to another man in her life. Still, her feelings for Peter have never gone away... The tension and caring between these two add greatly to the overall story, especially since Tessa has few people she can trust... At least that was the case until she found Peter with another woman when she had thought the time together was to be a date...

The villain will surprise many perhaps, but even then, the "why" is not clear until closing chapters that brings the whole story out...

The Secret of Bramble Hill is a tantalizing bit of history that claims there is treasure somewhere there...I love the ingenious method that the author used to tease and then reveal what that secret is all about... On the other hand, the overall intrigue of what each character brings into the story taunts as we strive to figure out whether the murder is really the main attraction, especially when more murders happened or were attempted! A thrilling mystery in a setting that adds much to the atmosphere, as well as ghostly appearances that are scary when at least one different ghost seemed to be the original murderer who had built Bramble Hill for his love...and then killed her!

Surely, potential readers know who you are by the time you're finished learning about the book... For those of you for whom it sounds interesting, I'd even call it a must-read... Check it out!


GABixlerReviews

Sue Owens Wright is an award-winning author of fiction and nonfiction. She is an eleven-time finalist for the Maxwell, awarded annually by the Dog Writers Association of America (DWAA) to the best writer on the subject of dogs. She has twice won the Maxwell Award and earned special recognition from the Humane Society of the United States for her writing. She writes the acclaimed Beanie and Cruiser Mystery Series, including Howling Bloody Murder, Sirius About Murder, Embarking On Murder and Braced For Murder, which is recommended on the American Kennel Club’s list of Best Dog Books. 

Her newest novel is "The Secret of Bramble Hill" (Black Opal Books, 2016). Her nonfiction books include What’s Your Dog’s IQ?, 150 Activities for Bored Dogs, and People’s Guide to Pets. She has been published in numerous magazines, including Dog Fancy, Mystery Scene, AKC GAZETTE, Fido Friendly, The Bark, and Animal Fair. Her work also appears in several anthologies, including PEN Oakland’s “Fightin’ Words,” along with Norman Mailer and other literary notables.

Sue graduated from California State University Sacramento and taught elementary school, college English and adult writing courses. She did MFA studies in fiction writing at the Universities of Dublin and Galway in Ireland and University College London in England. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, DWAA, Sisters in Crime, PEO International, Sierra Pastel Society, SSPCA, and Daughters of the American Revolution. For more information about the author, visit www.sueowenswright.com.