Better yakking than hacking

Thai journalist Jimm Juree is back in an all new mystery in the book The Axe Factor by Colin Cotterill.  I have enjoyed the previous two mysteries featuring the intrepid reporter and her wacky family, so I was hoping this book wouldn't disappoint. Now that I'm more familiar with the characters, I think I enjoyed this book the most so far.

Jimm is a 30-something freelance crime reporter for the Chiang Mai Mail newspaper.  She was having something of a successful career in the big city when she was called home to help her mother with the family business, the Gulf Bay Lovely Resort and Restaurant.  Unfortunately, the run-down resort is woefully short on paying guests, which is probably a good thing, because the family members running the business all have better things to do. There's the mother, Mair, who spends her time rescuing stray animals and helping others, while early stage dementia makes her a somewhat unreliable source for any information.  Brother Arny is a massive body-builder who unfortunately faints at the suggestion of blood, so he's of limited use in a fight.  He's engaged to Gaew, a female body-builder who is the same age as his mother.  Transgender sister Sissi doesn't live with the family, but the former beauty queen and computer expert is only a phone call away when someone's computer needs to be hacked.  Rounding out the regulars is Grandad Jah, a taciturn retired traffic cop.  There are also 3 bad tempered dogs and 2 cows who wander about the place at will.

In this adventure, Jimm is drawn into the mystery of a missing doctor.  While trying to help her mother rescue a kitten, Jimm is severely scratched.  When she goes to the clinic for rabies injections, the nurse confides that she believes one of the doctors has met with foul play.  The female doctor had been extremely reliable, but she hasn't turned up for work in a while.  Jimm begins to ask around, and finds out that Dr. Somluk has a reputation for causing trouble wherever she goes.  Recently, she attended a medical conference and made a scene which caused her to be removed from the auditorium.  As Jimm investigates further, she begins to wonder if the multi-national company that sponsored the conference might not be involved in the disappearance.

At the same time, another woman seems to have gone missing.  This woman was the Thai wife of a British author who lives in the area.  The author, Conrad Coralbank, is known for writing mystery novels set in the neighboring country of Laos.  Jimm is sent out to interview him for the newspaper, and there is an immediate attraction between them.  She isn't impressed with him, but when the interview she turns in to her editor is too bland, she has to meet with him again.  This leads to something of a romance, although the mystery of the missing wife is always lurking in the background.

To add to the confusion, several blog entries (ominously listed as "found two weeks too late") are interspersed throughout the book, indicating that the writer has already killed and has Jimm in the frame as the next victim.  But who is the blog's author?  As a hurricane approaches, it's up to Jimm and her assorted band of helpers to try to trap the killer and find out where the missing women are.

I really enjoyed getting back to the shabby beach again and catching up with Jimm and her family of misfits.  The book ended on something of a downer, so it will be interesting to see how they come back after this adventure!  I enjoyed the (presumably genuine) signs taken from various places that have mangled English, such as the vending machine that was OUT OF CONTROL.

Final Verdict for The Axe Factor:  Four Gherkins, for being an amusing look at the daily life of a crime reporter who finds crime comes to her

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Poor Emily was never murdered until he came along

Its been 25 years since actor David Suchet grabbed a cane and waxed up his mustache to portray Agatha Christie's beloved Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.   This summer, the final episodes featuring Suchet solving the most vexing of mysteries will be shown on PBS and via Acorn TV. Launched just in time for its biggest exclusive yet, Acorn TV, the premier British TV streaming service, is now available on the App Store. Acorn TV for iPad and iPhone can be downloaded here: http://bit.ly/1o1dSqo. You can see a new episode every Monday from 7/28 - 8/25.

For fans like me who aren't ready to see the series end, there is the Poirot Fan Favorites Collection.  These three disks feature six full-length mysteries that the dapper little detective solves by employing his little gray cells (and expert observational skills, naturally!).  The episodes were originally broadcast from 1989-2010.

The set gets off to an exciting start with a star-filled edition of Murder on the Orient Express.  Among the familiar faces are Barbara Hershey, Jessica Chastain, Toby Jones, and (most amusingly) Hugh Bonneville.  I enjoyed seeing a pre-Downton Abbey Bonneville as a valet.  I'm sure it was good training for his future role-reversal!  The story takes place mainly on a train travelling from Istanbul to London.  As with most Christie stories, there are quite a number of potential suspects, witnesses and victims to sort through!  Among the ones on the train are a Russian princess and her maid, a British teacher, an American obstetrician and a brash American businessman.

The businessman, Ratchett, manages to offend nearly everyone with his obnoxious ways.  He tries to hire Poirot to protect him during the train journey, saying he fears his life is in danger.  Poirot refuses.  While the train is stranded in a snowdrift in Yugoslavia, there is a murder.  Since the first class (where else?) cabin was sealed off from the rest of the riff-raff on the train, and since there are no footprints leading away from the victim's window, it quickly becomes apparent that the murderer must be among the travelers.

Episode two takes place in a cozy English village for Hercule Poirot's Christmas.  Once again, we have a thoroughly disagreeable main character.  Simeon Lee made a fortune from diamond mines in South Africa.  Along the way he committed many crimes and behaved in an abhorrent manner to everyone.  He is now elderly and wheel-chair bound, but he continues to be obnoxious and domineering.  He has three sons: George, who is a member of Parliament, but still gets an allowance from Daddy; Alfred, who lives with his wife in Daddy's mansion; and Harry, who has been estranged from the family for several years.  It's Christmas time and Poirot is looking forward to a nice, quiet Christmas, but as luck would have it, his heating goes out and can't be repaired until after the holidays.  He has no problem accepting a job from Simeon Lee over the holidays at his estate because Lee belives his life is in danger.  Lee asks Poirot to simply observe his relatives as he

makes some unpleasant announcements.  As well as his sons and their wives, his granddaughter Pilar has also arrived from Spain.  Her mother was Simeon's deceased daughter Jennifer.  Simeon calls everyone into his study where he announces that he's changing his will and that he's cutting back on expenses since Harry and Pilar are now going to be living with him.    He then throws them all out of the study.  Everyone disperses to various parts of the house, and soon afterwards, a terrible commotion is heard from behind the locked study door.  Upon breaking in, they discover Simeon Lee dead on the floor, all of the furniture overturned, and the safe open.  Since Simeon had just been showing various people the case of uncut diamonds he was storing in there, it seems likely that the culprit was after the stones.  Naturally, Poirot has to sort out everyone's whereabouts during the critical time, as well as discovering some unpleasant family secrets, but luckily, his friend Superintendent Japp from Scotland Yard is celebrating Christmas with family not too far away.  He's only too happy to help his old friend Poirot investigate the crime.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles takes us back to the days of World War I.  Poirot and many of his fellow Belgians have been evacuated to the English countryside to escape the war.  In the village one day, Poirot is delighted to meet his old friend Lt. Hastings.  Hastings has in turn come to the village to visit his old friend John Cavendish a the family estate.  Once again, we have a gaggle of children, in-laws, companions, wards, servants and various hangers-on to sort through!  Cavendish's widowed mother has recently remarried the odious Alfred Inglethorp, much to the disgust of her family.  She seems blind to all the criticism of her new spouse. Her companion, Evie Howard, voices her displeasure of the situation in such strong terms that she is dismissed from her position.  Soon afterward, several people hear Mrs. Inglethorp having a heated discussion with her husband behind the closed library doors.  That same evening, Mrs. Inglethorp drinks her last hot cocoa and expires in a noisy and public manner.
 Luckily, since Poirot is already in town, he is asked to come in and investigate.  He soon discovers all sorts of clues in the dead woman's bedroom, including a green thread on the door lock, candle wax on the carpet, a smashed cup on the floor, and so forth.  But what do all these clues mean?  Lt. Hastings attempts to help Poirot with his investigations, but of course he's just as clueless as the rest of us.  It takes a detective of Poirot's skills to sort out the clues and flush out the guilty!

The ABC Murders is a case which involves Poirot personally.  He begins receiving taunting letters from a killer promising to commit a murder in a certain town on a certain date.  At first, Inspector Japp is reluctant to believe that anything will happen, but after Alice Ascher is murdered in Andover and then Betty Barnard in Bexhill on the dates the letters mentioned, he starts to take notice.  Each victim is found with an ABC Railway Guide open to the relevant page near the body.  As the deaths continue, Poirot takes the unusual step of gathering together friends and family members of the deceased to help him with the investigation.  When Poirot investigates the lives of the victims, he begins to surmise that one murder is the main focus, and that the others are being committed to obscure that fact. But which victim is the real target?  Someone who had no connection to any of the murder victims is arrested for the crimes, but Poirot won't let the case rest until he uncovers the true motive for the killing spree.

Poirot is forced to come out of his pampered comfort zone when he and the now Captain Hastings travel to Egypt to investigate some mysterious deaths in The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb.  Teams of museum workers from London's British Museum and the U.S. Metropolitan Museum are on hand when they open the tomb of the ancient king Men-her-Ra.  As with all ancient tombs, the dead apparently don't appreciate being disturbed.  Upon entering the tomb, the expedition's leader, Sir John Willard immediately dies of a heart attack.  Before long, three other men who were on the team also die under strange circumstances.  Lady Willard becomes alarmed when her son Guy says he's going to go to Egypt to continue the work of his late father.  She asks Poirot to go out to Egypt and see if he can figure out what is going on. Poirot is initially puzzled, because the four deaths occur from very different causes:  a heart attack, septicemia, a suicide and tetanus.  Could the local rumors that the tomb was cursed be true?  Poirot suspects a more logical explanation . . .

Four and Twenty Blackbirds is the final episode in this collection, but several characters make repeat appearances, including Captain Hastings, Inspector Japp, and the secretary Miss Lemon.  While dining out with his dentist, Poirot is intrigued when the chatty waitress remarks on the odd habits of a regular diner.  The elderly man eats at the restaurant on the same days each week, and has certain dishes that he never orders.  In the past week, however, he has come in on odd days and ordered things he previously had avoided.  Poirot stores this information away, not realizing that he'll soon have to investigate the circumstances of this odd behavior.  The same elderly diner is found dead at home at the bottom of the stairs.  The dead man, artist Henry Gascoigne, is something of a recluse.  When Poirot goes to his house to investigate the circumstances of the death, he's further intrigued by the neighbor who says the elderly man seemed not to recognize her recently, and the news that Henry had been estranged from his twin brother Anthony.  When Poirot attempts to question Anthony, he discovers that he, too, has recently died.  The only relative the two men seemed to have was their nephew George Lorrimer, a music hall manager from London.  A letter in Henry Gascoigne's pocket seems to pinpoint the exact time of his death (thanks to that long forgotten service, "the evening post"), but Poirot isn't so sure.  Luckily, Inspector Japp lets Poirot into the secret lair of the new and exciting forensics department, so it won't be long before the culprit is caught.

It's always a great pleasure to enter Poirot's world and observe the great detective at work.  His powers of observation are second to none, and it's always very interesting to see how he manages to solve the most vexing cases.  It's even funnier to see the perplexed expressions on the faces of Japp and Hastings when Poirot explains how he figured out the solutions!

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of Poirot Fan Favorites Collection from Acorn Media in exchange for this review.

Final Verdict for Poirot Fan Favorites Collection: Four Gherkins, for being a welcome look back at the most famous cases of a beloved detective

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I'm gonna go if it starts getting passionate

Insurance investigator Jimmy Griffin is back in 6 all new cases in the second series of The Broker's Man.  US viewers will recognize Kevin Whatley (Griffin) from two long-running series: Morse & Lewis.  All of the gang are back this time around, even if office girl Harriet Potter is now being played by a different actress from the first series.  No matter, she's still sassy and ready to get stuck in during the investigations!

The series begins with "Pensioned Off."  A female police officer is suing after she was harassed and pushed down the stairs at the station, suffering a back injury.  Griffin is sent to watch her to determine if her injury is as severe as she claims.  The woman, Patsy Steele, walks with the aid of crutches, and Griffin is hoping to catch her out.  She's filed not only an injury claim, but also one for sexual harassment.  The male officers who witnessed the incident refuse to testify against their superior (who supposedly committed the harassment), and the female officers are afraid to get involved.  At the same time, Harriet is reviewing old case files and becomes convinced she's uncovered a case of fraud.  A man has been collecting £20 a week since the 1940s, and she finds it hard to believe that the now 108 year old man is genuine.  The insurance company isn't concerned about such small sums, but even so, they inform Harriet that the man is required to submit a thumbprint every year to verify his eligibility, so he must still be alive.  Leave it to Harriet to get to the bottom of the case!

"Horses for Courses" gets Jimmy personally involved in a case.  His daughter, Jodie, is at a nightclub when there's a fire.  Her date is killed, and Jimmy is determined to get to the bottom of the source of the fire, even if the insurance company has accepted that it was an accident.  The owner of the club, Charles Hooper, isn't too thrilled by Griffin's investigations, and makes some veiled threats.  Harriet and Vinnie (the other office investigator) are on the case of a jockey who can no longer work after losing his "competitive edge."  Vinnie attempts to goad the jockey into action, while Harriet takes a softer approach.

The third episode, "Playback," was the most intriguing, but also the most unusual.  Two kids, Chelsea and Mickey Smeeton, disappear while on a kayaking trip with a group of other students.  They seem to be especially mouthy and obnoxious kids, so you'd think everyone would be glad to see the back of them, but no.  Their parents are suing the local education authority (who apparently organized the trip).  They were offered £7000 as a settlement, but refused.  They take any opportunity to appear, teary-eyed and distraught, on TV highlighting their plight. When an anonymous call leads police to believe the parents are lying about the disappearance of their children, the formerly sympathetic neighbors turn hostile.  Harriet once again is investigating another claim, this time from an adult film worker who claims he's no longer able to perform.

The victim of a burglary in "Kith and Kin" turns out to be a particularly nasty man.  A collector of military history, Dr. Harman is a racist and Nazi sympathizer.  "Godzilla," the man who owns the insurance company that provides the bulk of Jimmy Griffin's work, asks him to investigate the case.  Dr. Harman mostly wants his three rare medals returned.  The thieves contact him and offer to return the medals in exchange for a ransom.  Jimmy is drafted to be the go-between, exchanging the cash for the medals.  When his phone goes off an an inopportune moment, the exchange is botched.  The thieves want to set up another meeting, but the insurance company balks at supplying more money.  Dr. Harman agrees to pay up himself, and so Griffin and Vinnie try again.  Meanwhile, Harriet's unemployed brother Lee pays a visit, and he seems to have acquired some unsavory friends.

A brothel is a bad place for a respected businessman to be found shot to death.  It's especially bad for Godzilla's insurance company when it turns out the man had a "keyman" policy that is going to pay his company £10 million in the event of his death in "Keyman."  Fraser Collins would seem to be the last man who would be interested in the dodgy girls of a rundown Soho brothel, but that's where he is when a masked intruder interrupts the proceedings and ends up shooting Collins to death.  The co-owner of his construction company, Lewis Hatton, is demanding the insurance payout.  "Godzilla" asks Griffin to investigate the circumstances and to try to find a loophole in the policy or circumstances of the death which will save him the multi-million pound payout.  The first thing that needs doing is to trace the girl who was with Collins when he was killed.  To do that, Harriet puts her undercover skills to work. She quickly attracts the attention of a man who insists she'll have to work for him if she wants to operate in this part of town as a hooker.  Griffin's daughter Jodie is doing some work experience in his office, and she puts her skills to work investigating why an all-female taxi company has had so many accidents over the past few years.

The final episode of the series, "Swansong," did turn out to be the last we got to see of Jimmy Griffin and his friends.  In this story, alcoholic musician Tom Gold drives his car into the back of a stopped truck.  His wife is devastated by his death, but she quickly regains her lust for life when she takes up with Danny D., the man who managed the couple's musical career.  Danny worked at a club with a variety of acts -- singers, strippers and hypnotists might all share the stage on any given night.  When Jimmy and Vinnie come to the club to question some of the regulars, Vinnie is unknowingly persuaded by the hypnotist to join the strippers on stage (thank goodness, it's only a rehearsal and not the actual show!).  Jimmy gets a taste of being on the other side of an insurance investigation when the family returns home after a night out to find their house has been completely emptied in their absence.

These episodes were originally broadcast in the summer of 1998.  Throughout this second series we get to see the progression of Jimmy's relationship with his family -- his estrangement from his wife and the ongoing drama provided by his somewhat stroppy teenage daughter.  I was sad to learn that the actor Al Ashton, who played Vinnie, passed away at age 49 in 2007.  I really enjoyed another visit with all the great characters from The Broker's Man.  It's too bad there were only two seasons, but Oxford was apparently missing a policeman . . .

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of The Broker's Man: Series 2 from Acorn Media in exchange for this review.

Final Verdict for The Broker's Man: Four Gherkins, for being an entertaining look at the unusual world of insurance investigations

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Pride must bear a pinch

Suave Simon Templar,  known as "The Saint," plays by his own set of rules in The Saint.  He moves among criminals and the police (well, some of the police!) with equal ease.  In this set featuring 3 mysteries, we get to watch Simon Dutton portray the popular character made famous in the works of Leslie Charteris.  Simon earns his living by making sure rich criminals don't get away with their schemes.

In The Brazilian Connection, Simon is brought into the shadowy world of international adoptions when he happens to witness the abduction of a baby on a busy London street.  He sees the culprits get into a van with a distinctive logo on the side.  While the company involved would appear to be dealing only with importing art objects from South America, Simon becomes convinced there's more to the business when the company director flees and is hit by a train.  Seems like a pretty drastic outcome to avoid answering a few questions!  A wealthy charity maven attempts to get Simon involved in her causes, mainly the Adoptive Parents Association, but he suspects the organization is not as benevolent as it appears.  He finally manages to trace the missing baby, which leads to a chase involving an ambulance, speed boats, and the Thames barrier.

The second episode, The Blue Dulac, takes place in Paris. Simon's friends, Jacques and Christine Coustard, return home one day to find their apartment has been ransacked and their safe is empty.  Just as they are getting ready to call Simon for help, there is an explosion and they are killed.  Simon comes to Paris to investigate, although he has a pretty good idea of who is behind the deed.   The American George Lafosse (played by an appropriately googly-eyed John Astin) has been getting away with extortion and murder for years.  Simon begins following him, and shortly thereafter foils an attempt on Lafosse's life by a beautiful young woman.  The young woman, Sabine Gautier, explains that Lafosse is responsible for her father's death, and she wants revenge.  This provides an opportunity for Simon to kill many birds with one stone:  bringing Lafosse to justice, spending time with a beautiful woman, and arranging a jewel heist that will ultimately benefit him financially.  He's helped in this mission by the fact that Sabine has a twin sister, Seraphine.  There follows a somewhat complicated plan whereby Sabine gets a job as a maid in the house of the eccentric jewel collector Unwin, who happens to be in possession of the infamous Blue Dulac necklace, which was stolen 10 years ago.   Simon has a craftsman friend of his create a convincing fake of the necklace, and so it's a matter of coming up with a plan to get Sabine to substitute the fake necklace for the real one.  In the meantime, Simon has approached Lafosse and made a deal to sell him the stolen Blue Dulac for£5 million.  Of course, Lafosse has no intention of keeping his part of the bargain, and he still hasn't forgiven Sabine for trying to kill him . . .

The final episode, Fear in Fun Park, again takes Simon to an exotic locale, this time in Australia.  He goes in search of the missing daughter of a friend.  Already at the airport he catches the eyes of 3 females.  One is a young Chinese woman that seems to be lost.  Another is a ditsy Meg Ryan lookalike who keeps dropping things. The third is is old flame Felicity.  He accepts a ride from her to his apartment, and when he notices the Chinese girl in another car, he has Felicity follow.  He wants to see where the girl is being taken, but he loses the car in Chinatown.  It turns out that Felicity's father is a rich businessman, but he's thinking of selling some of his property to cover his debts.  The main thing he wants to sell is Fun Park, a derelict waterfront amusement part that used to be run by his late wife.  Felicity, however, plans to take over the running of the park and carry on her mother's legacy.  Her father's new wife, scheming Aileen and even her own fiance, Justin, seem to have other plans.  Both of them have ties to a shadowy Chinese businessman named Nick Chan.  He runs a large establishment which seems to cater to everybody in town:  a restaurant on one floor, a casino on another, and a brothel at the top.  When Felicity and her father decide to seek a loan rather than sell the park

to Mr. Chan, he doesn't take intend to have his plans spoiled so easily.  Simon, meanwhile, is still looking for the missing Chinese girl, when the daughter of his friend turns up safe and sound.  When Simon overhears Aileen on the phone agreeing to send Justin to the park, he decides to follow to see what's happening.  There follows a wild chase through Sydney, over bridges, monorail tracks, and up on top of a glass atrium.  The police shouting over and over, "Come down off the atrium! I won't tell you again!" is one of the funniest parts of the whole series (although the early cordless phone with a massive antenna has to run a close second!).

I wasn't familiar with the actor Simon Dutton before watching this series, but I was struck many times by his resemblance to a Sherlockian Benedict Cumberbatch.  I also wasn't familiar with the character of The Saint, so it was a bit puzzling why, when Simon would announce his real name at the end of each episode, at least one person would look dumbstruck and announce, "Why, you're

The Saint!"  His fame obviously proceeded him!  In the first two episodes, he definitely had a financial interest in the outcome of the cases he was investigating, but I didn't see any monetary gain for him in the final one.  I enjoyed the exotic locations and the suave manner of Simon Templar and hope to see more of his adventures in the future!

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of The Saint from Acorn Media in exchange for this review.
Final Verdict for The Saint: Four Gherkins, for being an inside look at the adventures of a modern day Robin Hood

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Not consistent with ultimate death by cow

Once again, the beautiful setting of Midsomer County is home to some particularly vexing murders in Midsomer Murders Set 24.  Luckily, DCI John Barnaby and DS Ben Jones are still on the case, questioning witnesses and ferreting out the killers (while dealing with their own personal problems).  For those who need some relief from all the scheming, lying and suspicion, there's the always adorable Sykes the dog to entertain us!  As usual, he steals every scene he's in, and in one episode, even manages to insert himself into the investigation (although in a somewhat indirect manner!).

Written in the Stars takes place around the Moonstone Ridge heritage site.  Members of the local Astronomical Society, as well as faculty and students from the University of Midsomer's observatory and various locals (including local psychic Mystic Mags) have gathered to watch a solar eclipse.  Wouldn't you know it, just as the moon passes in front of the sun, a scream rings out and a body is discovered.  I guess the old superstition that eclipses are bad luck must be true!  The murder victim is Jeremy Harper, a member of the Astronomical Society and owner of a local tea room and museum.  He's also chair of the parish council and is strongly opposed to the university's plan to build a new observatory on the revered Moonstone Ridge site.  Jeremy's death isn't the only one that's happened on the ridge -- several years previously Jeremy's sister-in-law Mary was found dead there under mysterious circumstances.  Could the curse of Moonstone Ridge be
true? Soon the museum is burglarized, and the two items, an arrowhead and a bronze-age disc, are stolen and turned into murder weapons.  Mystic Mags is claiming to have predicted all the deaths (after the fact, of course), but will her prediction of romance for DS Jones come true?  Sykes the dog gets into the spirit of some "down dogs" while helping Sarah practice yoga (her husband Barnaby only uses yoga to fall asleep, a tactic I've been know to employ myself!).

The second episode, The Sicilian Defense, goes into the world of die-hard chess players.  During the Bishopwood Chess Tournament, rivalries of many types are exposed.  There's Alan Robson, who made a fortune on an early chess video game, but who's having trouble beating the young chess prodigy, Jamie.  Edward Stannington, the president of the Chess Society, is quick to rub in the embarrassing loss.  David Farmer, who's running the tournament, is still worried about his teenage daughter, Harriet.  Harriet was going to elope with her boyfriend Finn Robson (Alan's son), the previous year, but she was found injured in the woods behind her house, and Finn disappeared.  She's been in a coma ever since, unable to tell anyone what happened.  The tournament is taking place at the King's Gambit Hotel, which isn't doing too well financially.

Mr. Potts, the hotel's owner, is desperately trying to find people to invest in the hotel and save him from financial ruin, while his wife Caroline uses up precious resources by operating her own "meals on wheels" service for the elderly and infirm in the area.  Harriet finally wakes up, but members of the chess community start turning up dead.  More alarmingly, the deceased all have pieces of paper with some weird notations stuffed into their mouths.  Eventually, Barnaby discovers, these are moves from the famous "Sicilian Defense," used during a renowned chess match.  As Harriet's memory begins to return, it seems someone will do anything to keep the truth from being exposed.

Schooled in Murder begins with an appropriately stylish and saucy Martine McCutcheon storming into a meeting of parents and the headmistress of the prestigious Midsomer Pastures Preparatory School. It seems her character, Deborah Moffett, has received a letter stating that her daughter will not be welcome at the school the next term.  Someone has written an anonymous letter to the school authorities claiming Deborah's immoral behavior reflects poorly on the school.  Deborah flounces out of the meeting, but not before threatening to expose a few secrets.  Shortly afterward, she's killed when her skull crushed by a huge wedge of Midsomer Blue, the award-winning cheese (I hate it when that happens!).  It turns out the dairy responsible for producing the cheese and the school have an unusual link: the school must offer several free scholarships to students of dairy workers.  While investigating the murder, it transpires that many of these students get expelled every year.  The dairy turns out to be having problems.  The new owners, Greg and Hayley Branther, inherited the dairy from her family and moved to the area from London.  Hayley anticipated it would only be for 6 months, but that time is up and Greg shows no intention of wanting to leave.  In fact, he's working with a large conglomerate to purchase milk from them (rather than local small farmers) as well as "modernize" the production process (which will result in the loss of many jobs).   More deaths follow, all of them connected to both the dairy and the school in one way or another.  Which is the true source of the motive?  At the same time, a very spry-looking Sykes is taken along with Barnaby on all his cases.  While he was supposedly involved in a dog fight and needs looking-after, it would seem as if there might be other reasons that Barnaby doesn't want to let Sykes out of his sight . . .

This set contains three new mysteries that were originally broadcast in the UK in late 2012/early 2013.  Many famous faces (for fans of British TV) pop up, including the above-mentioned Martine McCutcheon (Eastenders' Tiffany -- she of the being run-down-in-the-street fame), Maggie Steed, Fay Ripley, Julie Graham and Cal Macaninch.  Even if you don't recognize the names, the faces will be familiar!  The final disk also contains a biography of Sykes the dog.  I only know his work from Midsomer Murders, but he's apparently a very talented and sought-after canine thespian!

Once again, the dedicated police officers and crime scene investigators use their considerable skills to sort out the guilty from the innocent.  The lovely scenery and eccentric locals help to give the series a pleasant feel -- even as the bodies pile up!

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of Midsomer Murders: Set 24 from Acorn Media in exchange for this review.

Final Verdict for Midsomer Murders: Set 24: Five Gherkins, for being another welcome visit to the beautiful but dangerous Midsomer County

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I shoulda stayed home

If you're looking for examples of what can go wrong on a summer vacation, look no further than Summer House with Swimming Pool by the Dutch author Herman Koch.  Dr. Marc Schlosser is a general practitioner who is rather bored with his job and life in general.  He's tired of the patients who come in and want to grumble for 20 minutes, or who insist on an exam or prescription when there's nothing actually wrong with them.  He's beyond fed up with having to accept the social invitations to plays and other "artistic" events that feature his patients.  It's at one of these events that he and his wife become friendly with the obnoxious actor Ralph Meier and his wife Judith.  Ralph is larger than life and his boorish behavior makes it clear that he thinks he's entitled to whatever he wants -- food, women, the company of others -- no matter what anyone else thinks.  It's therefore somewhat surprising (to his wife Caroline, at any rate) when Dr. Marc agrees to spend part of their summer vacation at the Meiers' summer rental house.  Ralph's grotesque ogling of Caroline might make her skin crawl, but the two Meiers boys are close in age to Marc and Caroline's two daughters, so how can Marc disappoint them by refusing the offer?  The fact that he's rather attracted to Judith Meier of course has nothing to do with his acceptance of the offer . . .

While at the summer house, there are no end of unpleasant shenanigans taking place.  The geriatric film director Stanley Forbes and his teenage girlfriend Emmanuelle are also staying with the Meiers, so there's plenty of people around for trouble-making.  A night on the beach leads to all sorts of problems, including a major one involving one of Marc's family members that will have long-lasting consequences.   Marc quickly decides on who the culprit was, and his later actions toward that person will impact nearly everyone in the story.

I found the tone of the novel, especially at the beginning, extremely engaging.  I really enjoyed the narrator's world-weary take on life. As the book went on and we got to know him better, however, I was less enchanted.  I also didn't like the pronouncements that were made about men and women and the supposedly biological reasons for their behaviors that Marc was constantly putting forth.  These "radical ideas" came courtesy of a professor he'd had in medical school. The ideas were so abhorrent that the professor was dismissed from his job in disgrace, although the ideas are now "generally accepted" as being true.  The overall message was quite disturbing, and I ended up being rather disappointed in the book overall.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

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25 Free Things to do in London

When you're planning a trip to London, the sheer number of things to see and do can be somewhat overwhelming. The helpful people at Cheap Flights have created this gorgeous infographic of some of the more popular options for things to see while in London. It will make it easy to narrow down your choices and help you make a plan of action! I've been to some of the attractions listed below, but not all of them, so I've definitely added some for my next trip!

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I was blubbing like Andy Murray

My friends and family would probably say that I'm slightly obsessed with London, and they would be wrong:  I'm totally obsessed!  For those long, arid stretches of time between trips, I try to read as much as possible about my favorite city.  The book Bizarre London: Discover the Capital's Secrets and Surprises is just the sort of book that I can't get enough of.

Of course a city with such a long and illustrious history as London is filled with locations and stories that are well-known to most people, whether they are particularly interested in London or not.  But this book is filled with tons of interesting facts, presented in unusual categories, which make for fascinating reading.

The chapters of the book contain both straightforward topics (Royal London, Working London, and Sporting London, to name a few) as well as some you might not expect (Eccentrics' London or Gruesome London).  Each chapter has many interesting lists included, covering things such as Famous Buildings with Secret Histories, Underground Oddities, Worst Business Decisions Ever Made, and London's Weirdest Wills.  There are also plenty of interesting lists, such as the 108 Livery companies, London's Oldest Shops, and 20th Century Traitors.   And what modern book about London would be complete without a delightful selection of quotes from the inimitable mayor, Boris Johnson?

In short, each page features a fascinating story or character that will keep you reading until, suddenly and with a shock, you realize you're already at the end!  I really loved all the strange and new information and the black and white illustrations were a perfect fit.  If you have any interest in London, history, or just random/unusual trivia, this is a great book for you!

Final Verdict for Bizarre London:  Five Gherkins, for being a beautiful little volume that's packed full of interesting stuff!

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Well, the cover is nice

I really do like the cover of I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You by Courtney Maum.  The stamp and postmark and the familiar (well, to those of us who have/had foreign pen-pals) red, white and blue airmail envelope colors along the edges of the book made me think this would be a lovely story involving travel.  While there was some travel (and letter-writing) involved, the main story was somewhat of a disappointment.

Richard Haddon is a British artist living in Paris with his beautiful and successful French wife Anne and daughter Camille.  He would seem to have it all, but no, he has to go and start an affair because (from what I can gather) he was just a bit bored.  He ends up falling madly in love with the American Lisa, who breaks things off with him to move to London and get married.  Richard, who was beginning to toy with the idea of leaving his wife for Lisa, is desperately depressed by the break-up.  At the same time, some paintings he's done (but is not very enthusiastic about) have had a successful showing, but have left him feeling as if he's sold out.

For some unfathomable reason, the departed Lisa has decided that she wants to keep in contact with Richard by writing to him, but he never writes her back.  To keep the wife from finding out, the letters are delivered to the art dealer who shows Richard's work.  Richard keeps the letters and obsesses over them.  When the family goes to visit Anne's parents, naturally Richard takes the letters along.  Shocker, his wife discovers them and throws him out.  Naturally, once he's in danger of losing his marriage, Richard decides to turn his efforts into winning back his wife.

There is a lot of back and forth with Richard and Anne and their arguments (he's really, really sorry; she can never trust him again, etc.) that gets rather tedious.  Unfortunately, thrown into this domestic chaos is a long, long discussion of Richard's latest "project" -- getting an American washing machine and a British washing machine and having people bring things they want to "wash clean" -- using gasoline.  It all ties in with a long discussion of the Iraq war and how the US and Britain were guilty of war crimes.  The story contained lots of pretentious talk about "art" (some of it tongue-in-cheek, to be sure) and the people who make and view it.

It was just really hard to get behind Richard or care much about what happened to him.  He was wishy-washy in all areas of his life and tended to discard or ignore anything good (his wife, his successful paintings, etc.).  The resolution of the story was also a bit abrupt -- a decision was made out of the blue and didn't seem to make much sense given what came before.  I also wondered about who was buying the art "piece" consisting of two washing machines and a clothesline full of gasoline soaked items.

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You from the publisher in exchange for this review. 

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How not to suck as a husband

Doug Fields admits right up front that his book 7 Ways to Be Her Hero was originally going to be titled "How to Get All the Sex You Want" but that he thought that title might be somewhat off-putting to the women who were the likely buyers of his book (for their husbands, of course!).  The book begins with reminders to husbands to stop chasing things (success, women, excitement, etc.) and turn their energies into becoming the best husbands they can be.  He uses Biblical principles and ideas to emphasize the point that once married, husbands and wives form one heart and should try to treat each other with more respect and thoughtfulness, since what harms one harms the other as well.

The seven ways are each given their own chapters, with information and examples to explain each idea.  Among the ideas that are explored are "Don't say everything you think" and "Put your pride aside."  I really liked the way the author presented his ideas with reasons to back them up.  For instance, he gives examples of situations in which the first temptation might be to say something which will be hurtful, or cause tensions to rise and how things like this might be better handled.  Of course, it's easy to sit and read (and plan to act on) advice like this when not in the heat of the moment!  Still, I think the ideas about being more thoughtful in our interactions is good advice.

Many of the chapters have a "B" section following. These sections deal with what to do when you (as the husband) feel that you are not the one with the problem that was discussed in the previous chapter.  Sometimes, while not in the wrong, the way of dealing with character flaws in your spouse in such a way that won't exacerbate the situation.  I enjoyed the way the book attempted to give men concrete ways to be more "heroic" to their wives, but also gave reasons as to why these actions will also be helpful to the men themselves in the long run.

Disclaimer:  I received a copy of 7 Ways to Be Her Hero from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for this review

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Come out of your shell and network already!

The rise in social networking tools like Facebook and LinkedIn have made it very easy for individuals to make contact with others in their field.  Many people, however, are still reluctant to reach out on anything other than a superficial level to others, especially those who might hold a higher position than they do.  In the book Never Eat Alone, author Keith Ferrazzi stresses the importance of creating a large network of people who can help and be helped by you.  By having contacts across many different areas, he argues that you will be creating opportunities for generosity which will ultimately benefit you in ways that might not at first be apparent.

The book begins with attempting to overcome the reluctance to reach out that many people have.  The author mentions many times that he offered to help people newly starting out in their fields with job interviews, introductions or internships, only to be rebuffed because the recipients of his generosity didn't want to feel indebted to him.  He goes on to stress the importance of creating connections precisely so that you will be able to help those who need it when you seen an opportunity to do so -- without "keeping score."  Although he does also frequently mention how he "keeps up" with how young people he's helped are doing in their careers . . .

Once you have accepted that you need to increase your personal and/or professional network, strategies are offered that will help achieve this.  He advises how to "do your homework" to make connections as well as keep a list of "aspirational names" of business leaders that you hope to meet one day.  He also gives advice on how to make the dreaded "cold call" to make connections and how to get around gatekeepers that are employed precisely to protect their bosses from people like us!  This new edition of the book has also been updated to include information on how to network, market yourself and gain followers on the newer social platforms.

One thing I found amusing was the chapter titled, "Never Give in to Hubris," because on nearly every page there is reference to the awards the author's been given, the celebrities he's worked with, the many young people who are clamoring for his knowledge, and generally how important he is.  It felt like a lot of bragging and name-dropping and honestly took away from the message of the book.  He should re-read his anti-hubris chapter before the next edition comes out!  If you can overlook all the self-congratulation, there are some good messages to take from the book about building connections and helping yourself by helping others.

Disclaimer:  I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review.

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Why so glum?

The European drama series is currently a very popular entry into the mystery genre due to several recognizable characteristics.  The new Welsh series Hinterland is no exception.  Brooding lead detective with some personal baggage? Check. Gorgeous scenery? Check.  Gruesome crimes? Check.  All of which add up to an entirely enjoyable and intriguing drama.

This series has been called a Welsh version of The Killing.  Having only seen the US version of that program, I have to say that I'm not seeing the similarities.  Hinterland features the investigation of 4 distinct crimes, although they take place within a relatively small area, but there's no "who killed Rosie Larsen" story line running throughout the whole thing.  There is a slight connection between several of the episodes, but it's only vaguely alluded to.  Still, it's an engaging drama in its own right.

DCI Tom Mathias (Richard Harrington) comes to Aberystwyth to head up the investigation unit of the local police force.  He's clearly had some sort of personal upheaval -- his letters to "Meg" are returned unopened and he is constantly looking mournfully at a photo of two small girls.  His living situation is also a bit bleak.  He's living in a caravan (trailer to us US folks) in the middle of a beautiful but desolate area.  Still, it's a good place to get in his frequent jogs.

The first episode of the series, "Devil's Bridge," begins with a horrific scene.  An elderly woman is missing from her home, but there is blood everywhere, suggesting she was either killed or very seriously injured.  In the course of their investigations, the team finds out that the woman ran a children's home for many years.  The building is now a hotel, although since it's in a rather remote location, guests are somewhat infrequent.  While looking around the grounds of the school, Mathias finds the old lady's body in a river.  Mathias becomes convinced that a former resident of the home is responsible for the crime, but since the home operated for decades, it will be a challenge to trace all the now-adult residents.

"Night Music," the second episode, once again concerns violence done to an elderly person in his own home.  Solitary Idris Williams is found beaten to death in the kitchen of his farmhouse.  Although he lives in the house on his late father's farm, it soon emerges that Williams doesn't own the farm:  his father left it to "the Guild" -- a local organization of prominent men who allow him to live in the house.  The investigation leads all the way back to events that took place in World War II, so once again, the list of suspects is long.

A close-knit community hides its secrets well in the third episode, "Penwyllt."  Divers discover a body in a local pond.  The body had been weighted down with a large tire, so while suicide is considered as a cause of death, it doesn't seem likely.  The dead man turns out to be a teacher whose van broke down in the town the previous year.  He had to wait around for parts to be delivered to fix the van, so apparently he made at least one enemy while there.  It's up to Mathias to sort out the culprit from a mass of shady characters.  His task isn't made any easier when another suspicious death occurs in the village.

Finally, the last episode, "The Girl in the Water," starts with two boys finding a beautiful young woman in a red dress dead in their field.  She was posed in an odd position, leading Mathias to wonder at the significance of her appearance.  The victim, Alys Thomas, was a student at the local university.  Could one of her professors have had a relationship with her?  While investigating, Mathias embarks on a relationship of his own, but, being something of a misery-guts, you just know things won't run smoothly for him . . .

It would be interesting to know if Welsh law differs significantly from the laws of other countries that we've come to know from detective shows.  For instance, although this is the "badge-flashingist" bunch of cops I've ever seen, they have no hesitation to break in to any suspect's home and start rifling through their belongings.  There's never a mention of any sort of warrant, so I wonder if it's not needed in Wales?  The suspects often turn up as their belongings are being searched, and no one seems to raise a fuss.  Odd.  Also, Mathias is inordinately fond of his flashlight, using it even when it seems a flick of a light switch would serve him better.  Then again, who am I to question the methods of the great detectives?

There are also tons of bonus features on the final disk which demonstrate the amazing amount of work that went into this production.  The series was filmed in both English and Welsh -- at the same time.  So one shot was set up and filmed in English, and immediately re-done in Welsh (or vice versa).  There are several interviews with the producer of the series, who speaks in Welsh (with subtitles, thank goodness!).  The beautiful landscape also presented its own share of filming difficulties.

Overall, I found the series to be quite intriguing.  Both Mathias and his second-in-command, DI Mared Rhys, seem to be suffering from personal difficulties brought on by too much time spent on the job.  In addition, their boss, the dour Chief Supt. Brian Prosser, seems to have a suspect picked out for every crime, before the investigation even begins.  We don't get much of a glimpse into what makes Mathias so morose, but it looks like there will be another series of Hinterland next year, so maybe we'll get some clarification then!
 
Disclaimer:  I received a copy of Hinterland from Acorn Media in exchange for this review

Final Verdict for Hinterland: Four Gherkins, for being an exciting and atmospheric detective series set in a breathtaking landscape

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