Why read a book?

I have noticed something about myself. If I don't "get to" read (and I mean a book, not the mail) for a couple of days, I get a little cranky. Have you noticed anything like that? We all see things about activities for our brain, so I was curious if reading a book really does anything for you.

Here are some interesting things I found:

Per AI (you know him/her)

• "Boosts Critical Thinking: Mysteries sharpen problem-solving skills, encouraging readers to analyze clues, evaluate evidence, and differentiate between assumptions and facts.
• Enhances Memory: The Zeigarnik Effect suggests that the suspenseful nature of unresolved mysteries helps improve memory retention
  .
• Improves Attention to Detail: Readers are trained to notice small details (clues) to keep up with the plot. 
• Stress Relief and Escapism: Immersing oneself in a different world provides a "safe" way to explore fear and uncertainty, offering a "catharsis" or emotional release at the end.
• Mental Stimulation: The "whodunit" structure is a puzzle for the brain, enhancing mental agility and emotional engagement.
• Increased Empathy: Readers often explore the perspectives of diverse characters—detectives, victims, and sometimes perpetrators—which can enhance empathy."

From Penguin Random House:

• "In a study conducted by the University of Sussex, it was found that participants only need to read, silently, for six minutes to slow down their heart rate and ease tension in the muscles.
• Reading works better and faster than other methods to calm nerves.
• Books can promote empathy, social perception, and emotional intelligence.
Like Mysteries?


• "Mysteries engage the human brain, triggering curiosity and rewarding problem-solving.
• Humanity's evolutionary past shaped people to seek answers and unravel the unknown.
• Adding mystery to life sharpens thinking, fuels curiosity, and sparks adventure."

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/common-sense-science/202503/why-we-love-a-good-mystery

What about my reaction to not reading?

AI: 

"Avid readers often feel anxious, restless or sad when unable to read, as they lose their primary form of escapism, relaxation, and mental stimulation. Lacking this emotional coping mechanism can lead to feelings of boredom, stress, or dissatisfaction, making them feel out of sorts or less connected to their imagination."

My recommendation: Go read a book. Those around you will thank you. 

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Under the Stars – Beatriz Williams

 Happy Spring! I guess one post a month does not make a blogger. Been navigating a new season of life and the waters are bumpy. BUT I am trying not to sacrifice myself and the things I enjoy...which is reading.

For our March Mystery Book Club we read:

About:

"When a daughter and her famous mother return to Winthrop Island to confront their complicated past, they discover a secret trove of paintings that connect them to a mysterious woman who vanished on a luxury steamship two centuries earlier."

The story is told between dual time lines, current and 1846. Audrey (daughter, chef) and Meredith (mother, famous actress) return to Winthrop Island where Meredith has a house and a past. She grew up there. They return to the island after Meredith's agent begs Audrey to take her mother somewhere to get her sober for a big movie role they have landed for her. Audrey and Meredith have a strained, complicated relationship, but she agrees. Winthrop Island is also where Audrey's father lives.

The story of Providence Dare, a woman in 1846 is also told. She works in a household that took her in as a child, While she was raised with the children in the home, she was not considered one of the family, but rather household help. The wife of the Henry Irving, owner of the home, dies. The children are grown and have left home. Providence stays on as a housekeeper for Henry. When Henry turns up dead, foul play is suspected and Providence is a suspect. She flees Boston on a streamship, which sails in a bad storm. 

I found the 1846 story very good. There was actually a steamship at that time that sailed into a storm and was shipwrecked, landing on an island. Some of the names in the story are names of real people, but not the main characters.

As far as the current day story, I liked how Audrey reconnects with her father and where that goes (without saying too much). Her father, Mike is the most likeable character of the story. There is a lot of bad language which I felt was unnecessary. I don't mind some and sometimes it fits the situation, but I felt it was a bit much. One of the Mystery Group members pointed it out that the swearing stopped out of the blue part way through the book. Another said she had listened to the book and didn't notice it. 

A couple of people did not finish it but most did and liked it well enough. I liked the ending.

Beatriz Williams writes historical fiction and has several books that take place on Winthrop Island but are about different people that live there. But there are threads that tie them together. Several people, including me, liked it enough that we'd like to read some of the other books set in the island. One person who did not finish this book, actually has read others by her and likes her books. She also has seen the author in person and really enjoyed hearing her speak. 

I would say if you like historical fiction with a bit of mystery, give it a try or other books by Beatriz Williams.

https://beatrizwilliams.com/

Book for April: Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

 Happy false Spring! Five years ago this week, we were frozen here in Central Texas - no electricity or water for a week with temperatures below freezing. Today it is 81 degrees and sunny. That is also scary to a degree, (no pun intended) because it is 15 degrees above "normal", so what does that mean for summer?

For February, the Mystery Book Club read The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict. This was recommended to me by the founder of the MBC and book buddy Kay, She has an excellent blog if you would like to see more of her recommendations here: https://kaysreadinglife.blogspot.com

About: "The New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery of Mrs. Christie returns with a thrilling story of Christie’s legendary rival Dorothy Sayers, the race to solve a murder, and the power of friendship among women.

London, 1930. The five greatest women crime writers have banded together to form a secret society with a single goal: to show they are no longer willing to be treated as second-class citizens by their male counterparts in the legendary Detection Club. Led by the formidable Dorothy L. Sayers, the group includes Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy. They call themselves the Queens of Crime. Their plan? Solve an actual murder, that of a young woman found strangled in a park in France who may have connections leading to the highest levels of the British establishment.

May Daniels, a young English nurse on an excursion to France with her friend, seemed to vanish into thin air as they prepared to board a ferry home. Months later, her body is found in the nearby woods. The murder has all the hallmarks of a locked room mystery for which these authors are famous: how did her killer manage to sneak her body out of a crowded train station without anyone noticing? If, as the police believe, the cause of death is manual strangulation, why is there is an extraordinary amount of blood at the crime scene? What is the meaning of a heartbreaking secret letter seeming to implicate an unnamed paramour? Determined to solve the highly publicized murder, the Queens of Crime embark on their own investigation, discovering they’re stronger together. But soon the killer targets Dorothy Sayers herself, threatening to expose a dark secret in her past that she would do anything to keep hidden.

Inspired by a true story in Sayers’ own life, New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict brings to life the lengths to which five talented women writers will go to be taken seriously in the male-dominated world of letters as they unpuzzle a mystery torn from the pages of their own novels."

This book was a unanimous thumbs up by the book club members. 

The book is written in a traditional mystery style, just like an Agatha Christi novel. The characters and the plot unwind slowly, making it easy to picture it all in your head. One person did say she would love to see this book made into a movie. The five women are all very different and their styles all different. It is fun to read the descriptions of them all. There are a couple of differing opinions amongst the group. Afterall, they are all intelligent, independent and successful authors. The five form a club within the mostly men's club  - The Detection Club. Their goal is to get more women into the all men's club. Dorothy (Sayers') determines the best way to do that is to solve a real crime and show the men their sleuthing abilities. The apparent murder of May Daniels after her disappearance, happens to be in the news, so they choose this apparent crime to solve.

Besides being a good mystery (only one person in our book club guessed the bad guy), the true stories that are woven into the book are just as interesting. All of the Queens were well known authors of their time. The Detection Club was and still is a real "club". Dorothy Sayers was one of the few original women invited to join. Sayers did write the oath they are recite when joining. She and her husband did investigate the death of May Daniels. And much more. I think all of us ended up reading more about the five authors and would like to read some of their works. All are familiar with Agatha Christi, and some have heard of Dorothy Sayers but Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham and Baroness Emma Orczy are not familiar.

We all recommend this book!

Marie Benedict writes historical fiction and releases new books annually. It doesn't appear that The Queens of Crime will be a series. To read more about the author and her books, find here:

https://authormariebenedict.com

The Librarians, The Coroner, Ask For Andrea

 We are coming out of another polar vortex, arctic blast here in Texas. This morning it was actually warmer in Juneau Alaska than in Central Texas. I am ready for it to be gone.

Sharing three more books I read in the past month or two that I really liked. 

The Librarians by Sherry Thomas

About: "Murder disrupts the peaceful, predictable daily routine of life for four quirky librarians who must protect their life-altering secrets in the first contemporary mystery from USA Today bestselling author Sherry Thomas.

Sometimes a workplace isn’t just a workplace but a place of safety, understanding, and acceptance. And sometimes murder threatens the sanctity of that beloved refuge....

In the leafy suburbs of Austin, Texas, a small branch library welcomes the public every day of the week. But the patrons who love the helpful, unobtrusive staff and leave rave reviews on Yelp don’t always realize that their librarians are human, too.

Hazel flees halfway across the world for what she hopes will be a new beginning. Jonathan, a six-foot-four former college football player, has never fit in anywhere else. Astrid tries to forget her heartbreak by immersing herself in work, but the man who ghosted her six months ago is back, promising trouble. And Sophie, who has the most to lose, maintains a careful and respectful distance from her coworkers, but soon that won't be enough anymore.

When two patrons turn up dead after the library’s inaugural murder mystery–themed game night, the librarians’ quiet routines come crashing down. Something sinister has stirred, something that threatens every single one of them. And the only way the librarians can save the library—and themselves—is to let go of their secrets, trust one another, and band together...."

I enjoyed this book. It follows four young librarians—each with distinct personalities and their own secrets—who form an unexpected friendship after a patron turns up dead. As the mystery unfolds, the tension grows: Who is the mysterious man seen carrying a bag into the library? Why has the guy who previously ghosted Astrid suddenly reappeared, only to ignore her again while focusing all his attention on another librarian? And how are these threads connected to the deaths?

The characters are engaging, and their backstories add depth without slowing the pace. There are some suspenseful moments, especially when the group gets involved in trying to catch the suspect, sometimes working with the police and sometimes stumbling into danger on their own.

What made the book especially enjoyable for me was its setting. The author describes my local library and its surrounding neighborhood exactly as they are, which brought an extra layer of charm and familiarity to the story. We also learn about the workings of a library, which if you are like me, you take for granted.

https://www.sherrythomas.com/bookshelf.php

The Coroner (Coroner's Daughter #1) by Jennifer Graeser Dornbush

About: "Summoned from her promising surgical career first to her estranged father's bedside, and then his post as medical examiner when his small town needs urgent help with a suspicious death, Emily Hartford discovers home is where the bodies are in this pitch perfect mystery debut."

Recently engaged and deeply ensconced in her third year of surgical residency in Chicago, Emily Hartford gets a shock when she’s called home to Freeport, MI, the small town she fled a decade ago after the death of her mother. Her estranged father, the local medical examiner, has had a massive heart attack and Emily is needed urgently to help with his recovery.

Not sure what to expect, Emily races home, blowing the only stoplight at the center of town and getting pulled over by her former high school love, now Sheriff, Nick Larson. At the hospital, she finds her father in near total denial of the seriousness of his condition. He insists that the best thing Emily can do to help him is to take on the autopsy of a Senator’s teen daughter whose sudden, unexplained death has just rocked the sleepy town.

Reluctantly agreeing to help her father and Nick, Emily gets down to work, only to discover that the girl was murdered. The autopsy reminds her of her many hours in the morgue with her father when she was a young teen—a time which inspired her love of medicine. Before she knows it, she’s pulled deeper into the case and closer to her father and to Nick—much to the dismay of her big city fiance. When a threat is made to Emily herself, she must race to catch the killer before he strikes again in The Coroner, expertly written and sharply plotted, perfect for fans of Patricia Cornwell and Julia Spencer Fleming."

This was a very good first installment in a five‑book series—with the sixth book expected in October 2026—it sets a strong foundation. The pacing is brisk, and Emily’s seemingly perfect life is quickly thrown into turmoil. She struggles with whether she should remain in her hometown longer than planned to care for her father, all while facing increasing pressure from her fiancé of just one day to return to Chicago.

Once she’s “back home,” Emily realizes how much she’s missed her life in Michigan. When a local teenager dies and she is pulled into the investigation—due to the town’s lack of another coroner—her stay extends even further. Typically, another county could perform the autopsy, but that would require more time and additional costs the town can’t afford. As Emily becomes more involved, she begins to see unexpected sides of her fiancé and family, forcing her to confront difficult questions about her future.

I found this to be a compelling start to a series—a well‑crafted murder mystery supported by interesting, layered characters. I highly recommend it if you’re looking for a new series to follow.

https://jenniferdornbush.com/books/#coroner

Ask For Andrea by Noelle W. Ihli

About: "Meghan, Brecia, and Skye have just one thing in common.

They were all murdered by the same man.

He hunted them online, masquerading as an eligible bachelor. Then he played the perfect gentleman, a thick layer of charm and a thousand-watt smile hiding the fact that his first dates end in shallow graves.

He’s gotten away with murder three times now.

The only thing that might keep him from killing again? The women he murdered.

Meghan, Brecia, and Skye might be dead, but they’re not gone. They’ve found each other. And they won’t rest until they find a way to stop him.

The haunt is on."

This was a really good ghost story—told entirely from the ghosts’ point of view. It isn’t a cozy or humorous tale; instead, it offers a unique perspective that immediately drew me in. The tension builds steadily as we witness events through the eyes of the ghosts while the living characters remain completely unaware of what is happening. By the end, the story becomes genuinely terrifying, and I found myself actively rooting for the ghosts. It’s an excellent and memorable ending, though definitely not a cozy read.

Although Ask For Andrea is listed as Book #1, there doesn’t appear to be a Book #2 at this time. However, there is a prequel titled Forget You Saw Her.

 More information is available on the author’s website: https://www.noellewihli.com/books

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

Hi all. 

 Our Mystery Book Club selection for January was:

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

This book one of a new series by this author Ali Dawson as the main character. 

About: "Ali Dawson and her cold case team investigate crimes so old, they're frozen—or so their inside joke goes. Nobody knows that her team has a secret: they can travel back in time to look for evidence.

The latest assignment sees Ali venture back farther than they have dared before: to 1850s London to clear the name of Cain Templeton, an eccentric patron of the arts. Rumor has it that Cain is part of a sinister group called The Collectors. Ali arrives in the Victorian era to another dead woman at her feet and far too many unanswered questions.

As the clock counts down, Ali becomes more entangled in the mystery, yet danger lurks around every corner. She soon finds herself trapped, unable to make her way back to her beloved son, Finn, who is battling his own accusations in the present day.

Could the two cases be connected? In a race through and against time, Ali must find out before it’s too late."

My thoughts: I like some time travel stories. When I was a kid I would wonder if a person could go back in time and what time would I like to go back to. I also like some sci fi stories. I like them blended with a good mystery.

This book has all three. I say sci fi because it is science fiction to travel in time...isn;t it? I also like historical fiction. (No wonder I have such a long TBR list).

 

What I liked: I liked the descriptions of living in the 1850's. Very descriptive of the clothing (way too much for a woman), day to day activities (taking out the chamber pot in the morning. Ugh), trying to stay clean in London in all the mud and smoke etc. (Yuck) Just solidified that I would not want to go back to that time. I loved the story of this "secret government project" where a member of the team is sent back in time to solve a cold case. Their first assignment was to go back only to 1977. Two hours. In and out. The second one is a favor to a prominent politician (Isaac Templeton) to clear his ancestor as he is writing a book about his family and he is hoping to prove that the story about him murdering women is not true. So Ali gets sent back to 1850, which is really pushing the limits. When she goes to the "spot" for the gateway to open up and return her to her own time, nothing happens. A person on the street asks her why she has been standing there so long, that he saw a man standing on that same spot and he just disappeared into thin air. Ali rents a room from the person she is investigating. He is actually quite observant and thinks she is a very different kind of woman. He takes her to see the place where The Collectors meet. A men's group where they sit around and talk and probably smoke cigars and drink and show what they have collected. Something weird about a chair though. 

Meanwhile back in "now" Isaac Templeton is murdered. Ali's son Finn is arrested. And the group cannot seem to get Ali back. 

Once you get past the first couple of chapters which builds the background information we need on characters and situations, the plot moves pretty quickly and is very intriguing. Really good cliffhanger and and some questions which makes me want to read book two, "The Killing Time" which comes out in February of this year.

Most of the Mystery Book Club really enjoyed the book. The handful of people who did not, just don't like time travel stories, it seemed. We all recommended Elly Griffiths other long running series, the Ruth Galloway series about an archaeologist. 

More to come!

Here's to a Happy (Better) New Year!

 Long time since I checked in. 

Been tied up with episodes of "This Old House" and then "These Old People". 

Hopefully the season for both shows have ended!

Quick update on what I have read recently. I hope to get back on track and sharing in the New Year.

For our Mystery Book Club we read the following books at the last few months of 2025:

* Sherlock Holmes - books inspired by Sherlock Holmes such as books about Sherlock's sister, housekeeper, etc. We had a lot of fun with this. You can't believe how many spin offs there are.

*Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jesse Q. Sutanto. If you haven't read it I highly recommend it. Such a fun feel good mystery. It was a favorite for the year by the group. (I believe I wrote about this book earlier when I first read it.)

* The Art Thief; A True Story of Love, Crime and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel.

About: "One of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of the twenty-first the story of the world’s most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser. In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, the best-selling author of The Stranger in the Woods brings us into Breitwieser’s strange world—unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them." 

True story. Very interesting book and everyone really liked it. After we finished reading it, The art theft in The Louvre happened. 

*First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

About: "Evie Porter has everything a nice Southern girl could want: a doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence, a tight group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job. 
Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job isn’t like the others. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life I still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge."

I plan on catching up with some books that I read on my own also soon. 

Until then 

 

Masterpiece Mystery Fall 2025 and The Rainmaker TV series

Sorry for the late notice, but had an unplanned "blog break". So many T.V. shows for this fall Mystery watching.

Masterpiece Mystery begins tonight, August 24th with three really good series.

Professor T Season 4 - 7 p.m CST

"British crime drama television series starring Ben Miller as Professor Jasper Tempest, a genius University of Cambridge criminologist with obsessive compulsive disorder. Emma Naomi, Barney White, and Frances de la Tour. It is an adaptation from the Belgian TV series of the same name. 

After Season 3’s shocking finale, Dan and Jasper are consumed by grief. Dan throws himself into work while the Professor hides in his lectures, avoiding the police at all costs. But Helena, Jasper’s therapist, helps him face back up to his police work and the team tackles complex and dangerous cases. But through the danger and mystery, love is very much in the air."."

The Marlow Murder Club Season 2 - 8 p.m. CST

"From Roger Thorogood's novel - The Marlow Murder Club starring Samantha Bond (Downton Abbey, Home Fires) as Judith Potts, who is joined by Jo Martin (Doctor Who, Back to Life) as Suzie Harris, Cara Horgan (The Sandman, Traitors) as Becks Starling and Natalie Dew (Sandylands, The Capture) as DS Tanika Malik.

In The Marlow Murder Club Season 2, Judith, Becks and Suzie are called back into action when a series of new unsettling crimes befall the local residents. Navigating the delicate balance of Marlow society – from local aristocracy to boatyard workers, the picturesque High Street to a newly established archaeological dig – the sleuthing trio dig into all corners of Marlow life as they assist DCI Tanika Malik in her official investigations."

Unforgotten Season 6 - 9 p.m. CST

"Unforgotten Season 6 follows veteran London detectives as they examine the lives of a disparate group of people linked to a cold case. This crime drama stars Sanjeev Bhaskar (Yesterday) as DI Sunny Khan and Sinéad Keenan (Little Boy Blue, Doctor Who) as DCI Jessica James.

"When a spine is dredged out of Whitney Marsh, a new case begins for the team. Both Jess and Sunny are glad of a new challenge, given their strained personal lives."

Watching for Maigret and The Gold coming October 5th on Masterpiece also.

Have you been watching The Rainmaker on the USA network? It started 8/15/25 and is on every Friday night at 9 CST. I just watched the first episode and I am hooked! Likeable characters, unlikeable characters, several opportunities for "whaaaat?", "ohhhhh" and other gasps.

"The Rainmaker is an American  legal drama television series. Based on John Grisham's 1995 novel of the same name and starring John Slattery . A hotshot young lawyer is fired from his prestigious white-collar firm and signs on with a small-time ambulance chaser and her less-than-honest paralegal who work out of a converted former restaurant. He soon finds himself facing off against his former employer in court when he takes on a wrongful suit involving an African American man who died while undergoing hospital care."

Starring Milo Callaghan as Rudy Baylor who, fresh out of law school, goes head-to-head with courtroom lion Leo Drummond (John Slattery) and his law school girlfriend Sarah Plankmore (Madison Iseman). Rudy, along with his boss (Lana Parrilla. I remember her from Once Upon a Time). 

So many good shows after the summer drought. Yay!!