Diamonds In The Dumpster: A Silver Sisters Mystery Presented by Morgan St. James and Phyllice Bradner - Join The Fun!

“Stuff it. He’s got enough to do as it is.

Besides, don’t you know you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?”

“Hogwash. We’re old. 

We learn new tricks all the time.”

“Such a mensch, my son-in-law!” Flossie reached up and patted his cheek. “It was so sweet of you to do this for us. I read the cards this morning and they even indicated magic and mystery—reminded me of that old Beatles song Magical Mystery Tour.

Flossie plopped into her chair just as the orchestra began to play a John Phillip Sousa march and the lights dimmed. A stream of waiters carrying trays of Baked Alaska adorned with flashing sparklers marched around the dining room in step with the music. Their waist-length red jackets, worn over crisp white trousers, featured epaulets trimmed with gold braid. Their snazzy uniforms added to the spirit of a wonderful parade. Most of the other diners were excited, but Flossie was bummed. 

“I didn’t learn a darn thing. She couldn’t get rid of me fast enough.” “Well, Old Girl, I guess this show’s a wrap. Ali Kazaam won’t be zapping any more assistants with his electronic doodads, his murderer has been caught, and the elusive Jade will remain an enigma. It was an exciting cruise, though, with some mystery theater thrown in to keep us on our toes.” Flossie scooped a few morsels off her plate into a napkin and tucked them into her handbag. “I’ll bring these to Waldo. I think he deserves some extra treats for his part in sniffing out the bad guys.” “You can say that again. Waldo got quite a workout. I’m glad we left him in the cabin tonight. 

To think, Goldie thought this cruise would be relaxing. Hah!” Before they left the table, Red gave Flossie and Sterling hugs and told them how great it had been to have them on his ship. “Sorry about the murder, but I really didn’t have any control over that.” 

“Oy, it was a real shame that arrogant Sheik bit the dust, but it sure made things exciting for us.” Red shrugged. “That it did, but I could do without that kind of excitement. I might not see you in the morning because I’ll have my hands full with the passengers disembarking.” “Don’t worry about us, Red. Flossie and I will find our way off the ship with no problem.” “Just the same, I arranged for you to be in the first group of passengers to leave. Deke Hand, one of my crew members, will come to your cabins, help you with the whole process and hand you off to Godiva. I talked to her last night and she’ll be waiting at the dock. Take care of my favorite service dog, okay? I’ll miss old Waldo.”

~~~

What a Fun Story! I've been on several cruises, but never ones that resulted in my finding a dead body! And that's not even the whole story... He had been murdered! Ok, we knew that somewhere along the way there was going to be at least one murder, else it wouldn't be a mystery where amateur detectives actually solve the case! But... Most of the time, one of the detectives would not have verbally accosted the victim... Oy vey, what a mess!

So, let's begin at the beginning. Two retired magician act members--Sterling Silver and his sister-in-law, Flossie Silver, who was his assistant--but is also the proud mother of a set of twins--Godiva and Goldie--and Waldo the Wonder Dog. They now all of are living in small bungalows on the estate of Godiva who is a rich widow who arranges for the "oldsters" to go on a cruise. Goldie only comes for a visit from her primary home in Alaska, to help in this time of Distress, yes, with a capital D! 

Red Pepper, Goldie's husband, is Captain of a cruise ship, the Aurora Borealis... and after much discussion among the family, Red agreed to host Sterling and Flossie on a cruise when it would be hosting magicians from all over! And, with a little bit of truth-twisting, Waldo was to become Sterling's service dog because he was prone to "fits" and Waldo could tell when one was coming on and help...

Thing was, when Sterling actually had the "fit" for which he would be later jailed, Waldo did little, to help Sterling, because he was later very busy finding the body of Sheik Ali Kazaam... who was twisted between several deck chairs and discovered on an evening stroll during which Flossie pointed out that Sterling really shouldn't have made such a fuss after performance. The key point for Sterling was that the Sheik used electronic gizmos and the Sheik's former assistant had been electrocuted during their last rehearsal... Now, she had been replaced by another beautiful woman who could also be accidentally hurt because the Sheik had chosen these dangerous tools rather than learn the old, but safer vaudeville magic...

Even though Sterling was very upset, he, nonetheless, was personally attracted to the turban that the Sheik wore! And, when they found the Sheik and Flossie had gone for help, Sterling had picked up the turban between the deck chairs and stuffed it down deep into Flossie's large bag in which she always carried possible needs, including water, a sweater...and more... That would prove to be the worst mistake that Sterling had ever made, or at least...the latest! 

Of course, the investigation begins onboard; however, everybody there, including Red's family members were not only allowed to leave, but he had arranged for them to leave as part of the first group and would be met by Red's Wife, Flossie's daughter...

Actually, once they had left the ship is when the major work on the murder mystery begins... And it becomes quite complex, even if readers can begin to identify the villains. While the plot may be simple and fun, the complexity is found in the characters and how they play their roles... Flossie is certain, when she finds out that Sterling had stolen the turban, that it would lead to bad luck and began to read the cards to find out exactly what could happen. While the two daughters got together, comparing their clothes and personalities that were so different even as twins and then settled down to work.

Godiva was a newspaper columnist, called Ask G.O.D. for Advice and they had so many submissions, they picked the very "worst" to print:

Dear G.O.D., A few weeks ago I got sick and my husband said he would take care of the house. In a couple of days, when I felt better, I walked around and everything looked fine until I opened the dishwasher. I don’t know what he was thinking, but there in the top basket along with the glasses and cups were two toilet bowl brushes, a pair of old sneakers and the mud flaps from his pickup truck. Now I can’t bear to eat off my dishes. I’m using paper cups and plastic spoons. He says the hot water sanitizes everything and I’m just acting crazy, but I’m ready to throw the bum out with the dishwater. What should I do?

So readers will enjoy reading a number of letters from the many who seek advice... and I have to say, the responses are just as explosive as you will ever see in similar columns you might have read. I love this silly little addition to our reading pleasure. 

By the way, did I mention that the main characters, Sterling and Flossie are in their eighties?! And, it was very clear that Flossie had the deeper drive to solve what happened... Her persistence in chasing after those with whom she wanted to speak is intense and when it results in not having moved the case further, she quickly acknowledges she shoulda, coulda, woulda figured it out if only... Actually, though, I could be wrong, but I think this book will have a follow-up story... Otherwise, there's a lot of rare jewels that are floating somewhere around the world, only waiting for Sterling and Flossie to get back on the trail! And I'll be waiting to follow them wherever they travel... I'm hooked on this fantastic and endearing family who comes together for any crisis... Got to love them all!

“Hmmmph. Who’d ever thought you’d have a jade Buddha, a gaudy menorah, and a huge jewel-encrusted gold cross all in the same display? Either she’s got a sense of humor, or can’t make up her mind. Wanna go in?”

~

Flossie jumped in before her daughter could say anything, “I just don’t get it, with your sister’s looks and all her money you’d think she’d find the prince—not the frog. But, what does she do? She attracts another schlemiel.”

~~~

GABixlerReviews

What's New Pussycat?! Shhh...It's a Secret - Kitty Confidential and Terrier Transgressions - (Pet Whisperer) by Molly Fitz!

 

Soooo, anybody who has been interacting with me for any length of time, knows that my most favorite relaxing novels are Cat Cozy Mysteries! And boy, did I find a new one! Even better, it's already up into the 30s of books available! As always, when I know there is a series, I immediately go for the first couple of books... I was hooked on the first! 

What's really nice, that, for now, there is lots of early publicity so that I don't need to do much more to talk about the story... First, below, is a book trailer--I love them all. But, I recognize that many writers can't afford to create one for each book... So, I hope you enjoy the synopsis, right within the trailer! Then next, the publisher provided a free video of somebody reading the first chapter from Audible Books! So, you'll learn enough to think about whether you, too, might enjoy this and the series...

Got to say, I love both main characters...The Cat and the human who happens to become his caretaker... Angie Russo is smart--she has a number of degrees to prove it...The thing is she just didn't know what she wanted to do with her life...so even though she hated lawyers, she took a job as a paralegal, which turned out to be a glorified secretary...you know, like, being sent out to get coffee! (This was a past-memory experience, so watch for more of Hashtag: Open Memoir...) 

Back to Angie and acting as the chief coffee provider... a reading of a will was scheduled and she was asked to make lots of coffee since all that were affected by the will was to attend... Trouble began when she had to use an old coffee maker... and was electrocuted! 

It was a Zap that resulted in her being rushed to the hospital...but, one that had done little physical damage and they released her--besides she was curious about whose will was to be read and how the firm was involved...

Nobody would have guessed that there was a cat at the reading of a will... Yep, you guessed it, that cat was to inherit the bulk of the inheritance!   “And here I thought the car trip wouldn’t be worth it,” that same unfamiliar voice chimed in, pairing the words with an unkind chuckle. “That was, paws down, the best entertainment I’ve had all week.” Finally, my eyes flew open, and I found a gleaming amber gaze watching me from just a few inches away. Wait… Why was there a cat in the office, and why was it on me? I struggled to sit up, but my limbs were still too heavy to lift on my own.

“Oh, honey,” that voice drawled again. “If you expect to keep walking, then you probably should have landed on your feet.” 

I let out a loud groan. I could feel the activity humming all around me, but the only thing I saw was the danged cat who was definitely intruding in my personal space right about then. “What happened?” I asked before coughing again. “I think the coffeemaker electrocuted you when you tried to plug it in,” Diane revealed. Her shaky voice made it obvious she’d been crying. I felt so bad that my clumsiness put her through that. 

“Oh, jeez. This one’s even stupider than the first. I’m really looking forward to living with her while the rest of the family figures out where to dump me. Such a pity. They don’t know greatness when it’s staring them in the face.” 

I moaned and attempted to lift my head to get a better look around the room. “Who is that?” I demanded.

Yes, as much as I usually prefer books to boys, I often find myself a bit twitterpated whenever Charles is near. That’s probably how I made such a colossal mistake in the first place… Now I’m being blackmailed about my biggest secret, the fact that I can talk to animals.--2nd book

. 

“It’s me, Angie,” Mrs. Fulton said, squeezing one of my hands in earnest. “You asked what happened, and I told you about the coffeemaker.” 

“No, the guy who just called both of us stupid.” I wished I could sit up to see past this annoying cat, but he was the only thing that filled my vision in that moment. Of course, I had lots of questions about the coffeemaker and how such a tiny old appliance had managed to zap me unconscious, but the need to identify the unknown speaker weighed on me much more heavily. 

A cruel snicker sounded nearby. “I called you stupid, because you are stupid. Honesty is the best policy, the truth will set you free, yada yada, and all that other nonsense you humans like to say.” 

If I hadn’t known any better, I’d have sworn that strange, lilting voice was coming from the cat. Man, how hard had I hit my head when I fell? The cat leaned in so close that his whiskers tickled my face. His unnervingly large eyes moved frantically from side to side as if stalking some kind of prey. Oh, how I hoped I wasn’t that prey. I’d barely escaped the coffeemaker. If something sentient set out to hurt me today, I wouldn’t even stand a chance. 

“Did you… Did you really hear what I said?” the voice asked again, and again it really sounded like it was coming from the cat. Did he eat a tiny human or something? None of this made any sense. 

“Yes, I hear you, and I think you’re rather mean,” I answered with a huff, giving the best attitude I could, considering my prone position...

“Wow, you really can hear me,” the voice said again. “By the way, hi, I’m Octavius Maxwell Ricardo Edmund Frederick Fulton, and I have some demands.” 

I was having a difficult time keeping track of all the threads of conversation. I knew the partners were worried about me and about themselves, but I still couldn’t identify the mystery speaker or figure out what he wanted. 

“Octavius Maxwell… who?” 

“Honey, are you talking about the cat?” Mrs. Fulton asked, picking the tabby off from my chest. My straining lungs thanked her, and immediately I felt stronger.

~~~

Needless to say, Angie and...the cat...didn't have a good beginning to their, soon, new relationship! First, she refused to call him by his full name--after all, he was practically royalty, or it felt so, given the way he had been treated by his beloved friend...and now continued to demand...

 

And Angie, forget about anything or anybody demanding any more of being a slave to others than she was already doing...

So what in the world was she thinking when she asked--yes--asked to take the cat home with her?!!

Indeed, she was shocked when the cat told her that his owner was murdered...and that he wanted her to find out whodunit! Considering that the deceased was a relative of her favorite boss, she thought she should help...but, never, never, did she planned on becoming a prisoner of the murderer!

 

And guess what, I was just as shocked as Angie--and you know I love when I don't guess the villain! Kudos to the author... And that meant, I'm moving on to the next in series... 

Angie has an eye on a new legal beagle who just joined the law firm... Even though she usually loved to see and talk to him, when he showed up when she was thinking she was alone in the office, and discovered her talking to--Octo-Cat (the name Angie came up with much to the chagrin of the cat!)

And when she realized that he knew the two were actually talking, he didn't bother to be surprised--he saw it as--salvation for this troublesome murder case!

Strange--right?! So before long, she was taken for a ride and then following Charles to his home! Why was he kidnapping her? 

What she did not expect was a cute, but barking terrier jumping with joy to have company! And then to have Charles instruct Angie to talk to him!

Well, guess, what? Angie couldn't talk to the dog, no matter how she tried, he just kept on barking and wanting to play... She needed help from....Octo-Cat! Who quickly told her... to forget about it! Of Course!

“Sorry, can’t,” Charles answered while the Yorkie ran furious, barking circles around the apartment to convey his enthusiasm. “We need you to come with us.” I crossed my arms and eyed them both suspiciously. 

“Why?” 

“Because we’re going to your house to talk to your cat,” Charles explained, grabbing Yo-Yo into his arms and clipping on the leash. 

To my house? Crud. Octo-Cat was definitely not going to like this. 

I opened the door to find Octo-Cat waiting for me with a rapturous look upon his face. “Finally!” he cried. “I’ve been so thirsty.” His expression quickly changed to outrage, though, when Yo-Yo nosed his way into the house and gave Octo-Cat a big, wet kiss right on the nose. Charles pulled back on the leash, then lifted the visiting dog into his arms. 

Octo-Cat shook with fury as a bead of drool dripped down his face and onto the carpet below. 

“Why would you do this to me? Haven’t I already been through enough today? First the fly and now a-a-a dog?” he spat out that last word as if it were the foulest curse word he could imagine...

Octo-Cat took a giant leap from the table to the counter, then sat with his tail flicking back and forth wildly. “Unbelievable,” he growled without so much as looking at me. 

I knew I was in the wrong here, but I also had no other choice but to comply with Charles’s wishes. If anyone else found out about my special ability to talk to cats, I’d lose my job, be made a laughing stock, and possibly have to move away from the only home I’ve ever known to start life over with a clean reputation. Hopefully Octo-Cat would understand that my hands were tied once I had the chance to explain a bit more. First, though, I needed to find a way to give Charles what he wanted. Once I did, the threat hanging over my head would be eradicated, and Octo-Cat could go back to being mad at me for the usual reasons. I grabbed a fresh bottle of Evian and a clean china tea cup from the cupboard. The cup came from the set we’d inherited from his late owner Ethel and was used for the sole purpose of offering Octo-Cat his daily libations. After presenting the fresh water to him, I made quick work disposing of the dead fly. He took one quick lap from the dish, then trotted off to my bedroom without so much as a thank you. “You’re welcome!” I called after him with a scowl. Jeez, it felt like no one appreciated me today. “So what now?” Charles asked, bending down to unleash Yo-Yo. “No, wait,” I cried, but unfortunately it was too late. The Yorkie immediately darted into my bedroom, barking manically the whole way. 

A dreadful hiss-growl-meow hybrid reverberated through the house, and a second later Octo-Cat appeared with his tail poofed out so large that it resembled that of a raccoon. “I hate you!” he screamed, tearing through the house as the dog gave chase. 

“Grab him!” I yelled to Charles, who made a leap for the rambunctious animal and missed. 

“Hey, Yo-Yo!” I called, racing back toward the kitchen. “Want a treat?” The Yorkie immediately turned in his tracks and trotted after me, releasing a joyous series of high-pitched barks. I reached into the fridge and grabbed a slice of lunch meat to offer him as a treat just as Charles managed to re-clip the leash to his collar. 

“Well, that was an experience,” he said with a weary chuckle. “I wouldn’t laugh if I were you,” I told him. “It’s going to take forever for my cat to forgive me now.” Charles stared at me in confusion. 

“If he won’t forgive me, then he also won’t help. Don’t you know anything about cats?” I grumbled, despite the fact that I hadn’t really known anything about them myself until a few months prior. He looked properly chastised as he hung his head and let out a giant sigh. 

“Sorry. What should we do?” 

“We aren’t going to do anything just yet. You are going to take Yo-Yo outside, and I guess I’ll go offer up my firstborn in a last-ditch attempt to get Octo-Cat to talk to me.” 

Charles began to smile but quickly retracted it immediately upon seeing the stone-cold serious expression on my face. “Uh, okay. C’mon, Yo-Yo,” he said, yanking the little dog toward the door.

~~~

Sooo, who does the terrier belong to and why is Charles taking care of him? Well, it was rumored that Charles just might have been given the murder case--yes, a murder of the couple who loved and took care of the little terrier... Charles was representing a caretaker who had been accused of the murder of the pair--with a hammer!

Well, Angie had two thoughts: if she volunteered to help with the case, she might get to know her dream man much better... Plus, since he had already blackmailed her, she might as well try to help, especially since she did have a secret helper...a cat who just might be able to talk to the d-o-g! Angie was thinking she was going to pay bigtime for the favor of his help on another murder case... Especially when he made her promise that she would do anything he wanted! Yikes!

The mystery wasn't quite so difficult, except that the writer put in a twist that just couldn't have been foreseen even by a cat whisperer... But, little by little,  things started happening, one of which was that Charles absolutely refused to consider a woman who Angie was sure had done the deed! Either she was irritated that he wouldn't take her thoughts as valid... or she was jealous... either may be true, of course!

Angie has one flaw as an amateur detective, however. She seems to keep putting herself into the final confrontation with the killer... This time, however, she had learned from the first almost-disaster... And she not only had backup from her family and the police, but Octo-Cat was right there in the room when she began her interrogation, which soon became more and more heated! And, fortunately, Octo-Cat knew what to do...and did it! Maybe he should be called Techno-Cat?! LOL

In any event, I've moved on to the third book, but not as binge reading like I've done in the past... I've been watching Velshi and his Banned Book show as well as announced releases from other news programs...and have a "ton" of non-fiction reading which will need escapes from time to time...Molly Fitz--my hero--who will save me from allowing the nonsense now corrupting our daily lives to take me over into depression! 

Wonder what Octo-Cat would think of this...cat singer?!

I do hope you are all working to plan your vote as they advertise...apparently things have been changed so be sure to check out your local regulations... This is NOT a time to decide it's not worth it to get out and vote... especially in Pennsylvania, my friends... We have two of the worst liars running (Mastriano and Oz) who are running false campaigns against their opponents... How I wish that Freedom of Speech did not allow lying!!!!! in Political Ads, etc. Lord, help us from those who are using politics for their own power grabs!

God Bless 

Gabbie

Merry Christmas from Book Readers Heaven Featuring Not a Creature Was Purring by Krista Davis

 

Teenagers handed out candles to the people who had come to watch. Each dog and cat received a light that could be attached to a collar with a carabiner-style clip. They glowed in the shapes of stars. A bell rang once, silence fell over the crowd, and the children sang “Away in a Manger.”

And “Jingle Bells.” And even “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” 

Not a single person in the crowd didn’t smile as they continued their performance. At midnight, the church bells in the bell tower rang out, just like I remembered from my childhood. It was Christmas Day. The procession of candles and darting stars as people and their furry friends walked home was almost as special as the children singing.

~~~

“Ouch, ouch, ouch!” Zelda whispered. 

“I told you to wear gloves,” muttered Shelley. 

I could barely make them out on the dark porch. It was one in the morning, and Wagtail was slumbering. If it hadn’t been for the moon, I wouldn’t have been able to see them at all.

“Gloves are too cumbersome,” Zelda groused. 

“I don’t know how you can place the lights precisely with woolly fabric on your fingers.” 

I shivered as a cold wind swept through. My elf tights with one red leg and one green leg weren’t thick enough to keep out the chill. We stood on Marie Carr’s front porch, hastily wrapping colorful lights on the Christmas tree we were delivering. Shelley passed me the cord of lights. I wrapped them around my section of the tree and handed them to Zelda. “Hush, you guys,” I hissed. “Two kids live here. You’ll wake them!” 

Wagtail, a small town in the mountains of Virginia, had experienced a boom year by catering to visitors who brought their dogs and cats for a vacation where they could be part of the fun. This year, instead of exchanging gifts with our neighbors or having secret Santas, the town had decided to make the holidays merry for our less-fortunate residents. My grandmother, whom I called Oma, German for grandma, had installed a suggestion box in the lobby of the Sugar Maple Inn, which we ran together. Anyone could stop by and drop off a suggestion for a deserving neighbor or a resident in need. And then the semisecret Elf Squad was dispatched.

~~~

If I see or hear the word, cat, related to any book, I normally buy it. I'm a collector of all things cats, including some live ones... So when I saw, Not A Creature was Purring, a book in the Paws and Claws Mystery Series by Krista Davis, I immediately downloaded this Christmas special, and loved it...Now, I'm starting from the first in series, by the way, and finding that the main characters remain the same, but the story changes in each book, making it a perfect series for me to recommend as a cozy or amateur detective series, whichever you prefer. I normally continued using cozy since I find that whenever I want something I know I'll enjoy, thinking about a cup of tea to curl up with, "cozy" just seems to me to be the more appropriate name for these books.

While the kitten in the series, Twinkletoes, a calico who is known as the feline ambassador of the Inn before Holly came, she quickly accepted Holly as "hers..." You cat owners will know what I mean by that. Twinkletoes is not the main character, but I still enjoy how each writer develops a unique personality to seduce us cat lovers into buying the books. Actually, Trixie, a Jack Russell Terrier, is the main animal character... And, with her special skill, it's no wonder she's a star. You see, her smelling skills leads her to all the victims in each cozy mystery--in other words, she finds the dead body! Yikes! Not a skill that is especially endearing to Holly and we readers, but it does set up the amateur detective, Holly Miller, who is the main character.

Holly has come to visit her grandmother who runs the Sugar Maple Inn in Wagtail. I immediately wondered whether Wagtail was the town's name before...or after. You see, this little town has taken advantage of the love of cats and dogs by so many people, and have directed the entire community in garnering and hosting all those who love to take their pets with them wherever they travel. Honestly, I was immediately enchanted how every single detail has been afforded each and every animal visitor, and, of course, their loved ones... Davis is one of those authors that I commend for creating an upfront directory of both the main characters who continue from book to book, but also who will appear in each book. This has always helped me as "the plot thickens" and I want to refresh my memory of who the visiting characters are.

Trixie was picked up by Holly on her way to visit...Trixie was hitchhiking  and chose Holly to rescue her. Now, there is no way that Trixie is ever left behind when Holly is out and about. And if she does leave him behind for safety's sake, Trixie has learned the Inn's secrets from Twinkletoes, who has become a good friend and playmate, and they quickly are out and about on their own, sometimes getting in trouble!

By Christmas, Trixie has already come to be known for finding the bodies in town... This time, Mr. Grinch plays a part! When a local resident puts up a giant Grinch balloon and plays loud music late at night, everybody in town is enraged and complaining. But it was Trixie, out and about, who finds the way inside of the balloon to find a dead body! Did the owner of Mr. Grinch use the balloon to rid himself of an enemy?!

One other ongoing character deserves acknowledgment at this point. Holmes Richardson, a childhood friend from Holly's early life when she came during the summers to visit and help at the family Inn. Secretly, Holly has never lost her romantic feelings for him, even though both she and Holmes are engaged to somebody else! One advantage, however, both grandmothers in the families would very much like to see Holly and Holmes together! It's a side plot that is fun to watch as all of these characters flow through each story and become enmeshed in the mysteries.

Dare you contemplate a town where all animals meet and play together, with people food on restaurant menus, made especially and safely for your pets' consumption and their dinners are served on the floor near you while you dine? Sound too good to be true? Well, probably so, since there's always murder afoot in Wagtail. But, the level of detail in creating such a town and community is one of the best creative storylines I've read and which adds so much to each book. 

I'm reading Murder Most Howl right now, which features a Murder Mystery Weekend at the Inn. The Ghost and Mrs. Mewer and Murder She Barked set a good foundation for the series while including a murder mystery for readers to try to solve. Given my reading in the series so far, I can almost guarantee that anybody who loves pet characters in murder mysteries will be thrilled with Krista's tails, oops, I mean tales, from Wagtail! Highly recommended for the characters, stories and the mysteries!

~~~

I hope you are enjoying the Christmas Season! I also hope my thoughts about Krista Davis' Paws and Claws Mystery Series will bring you joy now and as you read this and her other series...

May the new year begin with the sure knowledge that O Holy Night is the reason for the season!  Remember, Celebrate the Birth of Jesus on that Night!

H. Y. Hanna's New Cozy Series - An English Garden Cottage Mystery!

Do you love strolling through a garden, especially when flowers begin to bloom? One of my passions has been to build garden rooms throughout my primary area outside my log cabin. No, it is not an English garden--it would require many more plantings close to each other. While I like that, adding to a garden each year is more important, as more and more land has been cleared  and finding spots to plant is part of my fun. In the author's trilogy, I got involved with learning about English Cottage flowers and enjoyed it, but it was the mystery that always pulls me most into the storyline...

H. Y. Hanna got a new fan when I bought one of the books in the English Cottage Garden Mystery series...I immediately bought the other two to catch up and follow the fun and informative book series by Hanna.

First, it had a cat on the front...and I was excited to meet the cat character--who belongs to a neighbor and a dog character who belongs to another neighbor...both natural enemies (or are they?) are constantly fighting.

Both are a joy to watch as they are constantly included throughout the book!

What I really enjoyed, though, was how informative the book was regarding the flowers that could be used in the Cottage Garden. As many know, I'm always looking for new additions to my yard...and was grateful for this excellent exploration of plants and flowers...

Hanna begins her new series with Poppy Lancaster, the main character, working in a dead-end job but soon has a wonderful surprise when a solicitor contacted her about her grandmother dying and her being her only heir. Sadly, Poppy's mother had left home before Poppy was born, so she had never known anything about her relatives, if she had any. She had been told that her mother was rather wild in her teen years and, as a groupie, had become pregnant...by one of the guys in the band...

Now she had inherited an English cottage, which also had a huge garden. Only one thing...in order to get her inheritance, she had to live and take over the family cottage garden and bring it back to life. Thinking she would sell it, she still decided to visit the cottage, mainly because she did't have the money for an overnight stay. She was thrilled that the inside of the cottage was not in bad shape, even though the garden had become overgrown and full of weeds. But as she settled inside, she decided to check out the garden--and found to her delight that many of the flowers were peeking out of hidden places...

But when Oren screamed out further away, "Noo-oww!" (Yes, Poppy decided that the cat's meow sounds like Now--and even How, sometimes! The entire dialogue between the two of them is a delightful play on Oren's vocal statements. Poppy and I were both delighted.) But when she followed the meow, she found...a hand...attached to a body...with lots of flowers dragged and falling around the area.

Could it be one of her nearest neighbors--an inventor and an author... Can she risk getting to know them both better as she searches for clues?

Yes, a Cozy Mystery that is cat oriented...My favorites for at least 30 years back to when Lillian Braun was still writing...And I've never been disappointed with how the storyline is woven around the cat character to the amateur investigator... 

Great beginning and on to the second in series!

In the second in series, Poppy begins to learn about the danger of poisonous flowers...the hard way... But while that's happening, Poppy has fallen in love with a male with ginger hair...and he can often be found, indeed more than often, at Poppy's house where he is welcome always! Of course, he happens to be owned by a crime author, who somehow thinks he is more than qualified to find whodunit...

Just getting started on her new project of a canine scent garden, Poppy is, sadly, immediately stopped when the next-door neighbor drops dead...She had come over to meddle in how Poppy planned to start the garden, when she turned to leave and dropped to the ground... It should probably be spotlighted that Poppy knew very little about flowers or gardens...still, she was willing to try...

Readers will learn that there are many flowers in a garden that can be used to poison, most times unknowingly... But when a plant is chosen because of its poisonous capability, then considering whodunit, within an area known for gardens can get very...intoxicating...

Poppy is wavering about staying at the cottage inherited from her grandmother, recognizing she knows absolutely nothing about planting, seeding, nor the business... However, as she becomes known as the granddaughter of Mrs. Lancaster who had served the community with such beautiful flowers, she discovered that many were willing to talk about what she needed to do, how to select and plant, and more. When her neighbor returned several books borrowed from her grandmother, she began reading in earnest...and soon was identifying flowers beyond those that are normally known, such as roses, tulips...  

We get to meet Einstein, who in this book falls head over heels with a poodle, owned by a doting and rich woman living nearby... (Check him out in the front cover above.) When she learned who Poppy is, she immediately assumed that she was "skilled" and asked her to create a canine scent garden! Poppy was optimistic, and in need of money, when she said, "yes." But when she actually started working the project after being stopped for a second murder, she was very nervous...

Poppy also gets to meet and become friends with Nick, a writer, who comes to share Oren, with her and just happens to be with her, when the next murder is found at a community event where a dog race, in which Einstein, the dog who belongs to an inventor, the other next-door neighbor, is running... The murder victim was the main leader of this event...

Mystery solving is always fun, albeit, sad to have murders happen, in a cozy mystery...loving this series... Enjoy the first three! Highly recommended


GABixlerReviews

It's been a very hot summer this year...blooms appear and leave quickly...

But with  H. Y. Hanna...there'll be more books in this series!

Watch for them!