by Cynthia Chow & Sandra Murphy

This week we have reviews and giveaways of 3 Christmas mysteries, with several more to come in the next few weeks-Bones of Holly: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery by Carolyn Haines, A Dark and Snowy Night: A Seaside Knitters Society Mystery by Sally Goldenbaum, and Blackmail and Bibingka: A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery by Mia P. Manansala. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of all 3 books and links to purchase them at the end of each review–you may not be able to see the Amazon links if you have ad blocker on.

Bones of Holly: A Sarah Booth Delaney Mystery by Carolyn Haines
By Sandra Murphy

Sarah Booth and Tinkie, with baby Maylin, are judges for the Christmas tree contest in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, this year. The contestants are extremely creative so they’re glad there are two more judges, Sandra and Janet, both writers and former friends. Now they’re either frenemies or enemies depending on the day. They’re not shy about causing screaming fights in public and accusing each other of plagiarism. While the topics may be the same, the genre is not, so why get to the hair pulling stage over it? One writes fiction and the other non-fiction. Still, after each public display of temper, sales for both authors go through the roof.

Sandra is hosting a gala complete with a book signing to launch her latest bestseller. During the party she and her assistant disappear. Is it another stunt to boost sales or has something happened? Either way, how did they get out of the house, and where did they go?

As the police circle closer to Janet as cause for the disappearance, she begs Sarah Booth and Tinkie to find the truth although she’s not very helpful in that regard. To make matters worse, now Sarah Booth and Tinkie have to judge all the holiday tree entrants on their own. As circumstances worsen, they call in recruits in the form of Millie and CeCe from back home. Before you know it, the gang’s all here and the hunt is on. What could go wrong? Well, Jitty, Sarah Booth’s own personal ‘hant’ (ghost) keeps popping up with her ever cryptic and unexplained messages from beyond.

This is book twenty-five in the series. Look for number twenty-six, Tell Tale Bones, available for pre-order now, shipping in May, 2023. It’ll be a good time!

A Dark and Snowy Night: A Seaside Knitters Society Mystery by Sally Goldenbaum
Review by Sandra Murphy

It’s that time of year, when thoughts go to holiday parties, good food, and knitting for gifts or warmth. How convenient the Sea Harbor Yarn Studio has all the supplies you’d need and people to help you get past the knit ones and purl twos.

Usually, there’s an open party for everyone in town. This year the mayor, Beatrice, wants to show off her new house, and it’s invitation only with a guest chef often seen on television food shows.

Not everyone looked forward to the party; those who weren’t invited didn’t mind not dressing up but felt left out of the festivities. Invited guests loved the food and drink but not the uncomfortable atmosphere. Fights in the kitchen, a takeover attempt by Chef Lidia of the town’s most popular restaurant, a Peeping Tom on the loose, and roads slick with snow, had people looking for excuses to leave early. Of course, murder really puts a damper on a party.

Chef Lidia is found in the yard, having been hit over the head with a full bottle of wine. There are plenty of people on the suspect list: Dirk who fought with her and left early, her husband, Ollie, a wannabe chef whose career was ruined before it started, the restaurateur who didn’t want to sell, and that’s just the beginning.

Nell, Izzy, Cass, and Birdie aren’t your typical amateur sleuths. They don’t interview people so much as just talk, don’t put themselves in dangerous situations, or decide they know better than the police. They do protect their own and for them, crime is a puzzle to be solved.

This is book five in the series. Birdie is the oldest of the group, followed by Nell, Cass, and Izzy. Each have their own strengths used in solving crimes. It’s a close-knit group, one readers will envy. Birdie brings the wine, Nell cooks, Izzy takes care of knitting supplies and a place to meet, and Cass, a non-cook and not-great knitter, brings bread to go with Nell’s meal.

There’s a pattern for a broken rib cowl, 46” around and 12” deep, designed by Kate Dailey, owner of Marblehead Knits. Visit Kate at www.marbleheadknits.com. Kristen Fredrickson shares a recipe for a Christmas morning souffle. Find more about her at www.kristeninlondon.com.

Goldenbaum also writes the Queen Bees Quilt Shop mysteries (three).

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Blackmail and Bibingka: A Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery by Mia P. Manansala
Review by Cynthia Chow

For the first big venture of Lila Macapagal’s Brew-ha Café in Shady Palms, Illinois, she and her BFF business partners are planning Christmas menus for the town’s annual Winter Bash holiday celebration. Her family’s Tita Rosie’s Kitchen restaurant next door has taken off and become a sought-after tourist destination, so the pressure is on for Lila to succeed and make up for the recent events that have plunged her into criminal investigations. Along with the usual holiday drama is the return of her Black Sheep cousin Ronnie Flores, who has been absent from their lives for fifteen years but has come back to open arms from his indulgent mother. Lila can’t help but be suspicious of Ronnie and his track record of get-rich-quick schemes, especially when he shares the news that he plans to open a new Shady Palms Winery specializing in the coconut wine lambanog.

As Ronnie attempts to sway the family into catering for the new investors he hopes to impress, Lila is far more alarmed by the email blackmail threat that her Tita Rosie received. Its demands for $50,000 or Ronnie’s secrets will be revealed have Tita Rosie in tears but adamant that the police not be contacted. That’s going to be impossible when one of the investors is poisoned and police arrive, one of whom happens to be Tita Rose’s sorta-boyfriend Detective Park, the brother of Lila’s own boyfriend Jae. The drama between family members is heightened as the cousins battle through past wrongs and vie to be the most protective over their beloved grandmother. Wealthy investors, delicious Filipino treats, and pre-Christmas revelry compete for Lila’s attention as she attempts to balance her family’s needs with her instinct to protect them.

This third in the series, with a promised three more on the way, is a standout with its celebration of Lila’s family and their Filipino-American cuisine. Rice cake bibingka and the rice-pudding-like champorado are tantalizingly described with recipes included at the end, but it’s the memories and traditions tied to these treats that make them so important. Lila’s besties, Elena and Adeena, along with fellow businesswomen Yuki and Sana, are a vibrant and very fun group of modern women supporting one another in a world that is built against them. Lila has grown tremendously since her first appearance in Arsenic and Adobo, with her confidence and family bonds stronger than ever. The same family obligations that tend to get her into trouble are the ones that also help to get her out, as the love from her matriarchal family is unwavering and constant.

Even though Lila states that she is not as Christmas-crazy as the relatives who begin decorating in September, she has learned to love the town’s traditions that draw in even their growing Muslim and Jewish communities. Lila’s humor helps to propel her through the holidays and the increased pressure to help her rogue cousin, making this a lively and very entertaining read. The abundance of deliciously depicted treats like pinipig shortbread, pandan crinkles, and salabat snickerdoodles reveal how customs can blend together into a welcoming, multicultural celebration.

To enter to win a copy of all 3 books, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “holiday tbr” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen December 3, 2022. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. A new episode goes up next week.

You can use this link to purchase any of these books from indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy, and KRL gets a portion of the sale:

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

by Jayce Ham

November; what a month for gaming! Highly-anticipated releases, game awards nominations, and video game disappointments are all on the table for discussion this month.

God of War: Ragnarok is one of the most, if not the most, anticipated games in the last two years. Ever since the previous game came out in 2018, people have been foaming at the mouth waiting for a sequel. Fans were worried, however, that a sequel could not possibly measure up to the perfection that was the 2018 game. Luckily, fans were wrong, and the game exceeds every hope and expectation. To put it mildly, this game is a masterpiece. Highly regarded video game review site IGN gave the game a 10 out of 10 ranking which is rare for them. They only give that ranking to the best of the best games. Not only did the combat improve and become more vast, but the story was heart-wrenching, beautiful, and a perfect way to end the Norse saga. Complaints fans and critics had from the previous game, such as enemy variety and traversal, were addressed. The game has outsold the 2018 game and is nominated for game of the year for the 2022 game awards.

While I will not detail every nomination for every category of the 2022 game awards, I will discuss the nominations for Best Narrative, Best Indie, and Game of the Year. The nominees for Best Narrative are: A Plague Tale: Requiem, Elden Ring, God of War: Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, and Immortality. The nominees for Best Indie are Cult of the Lamb, Neon White, Sifu, Stray, and Tunic. And finally, the nominations for Game of the Year are A Plague Tale: Requiem, Elden Ring, God of War: Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden West, Stray, and Xenoblade Chronicles 3. The game awards air live at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT across all social, gaming, and digital platforms.

Unfortunately, with good news also comes bad news. Two games released this month have received much negative feedback, and people are questioning how much time and effort was actually put into them. The two games in question are The Dark Pictures Anthology: Devil in Me and Pokemon Scarlet & Violet. Both games struggle with many performance and graphics issues which make both games both hilarious and frustrating to play. I was hoping for much more with these two titles. Pokemon seems to have gone downhill with each passing year, with Game Freak caring less and less about putting a quality product.

While we ended on a negative note, the amazing games this month far outweigh the bad.

Jayce Ham is 29 years old and an ongoing contributor. With a love of all things nerdy, they are right at home covering entertainment.

by Sunny Frazier

It’s Christmas in Holiday Bay, Maine. Abby Sullivan, the owner of a mansion turned into an inn, is busy checking in guests. Among them is a Santa with a secret, a social worker with an orphan in tow, a new widow, and a scrooge of a travel writer. Ho-Ho-Hmm, what could possibly go wrong? Find a Secret in the Santa in Kathi Daley’s twenty-first Inn at Holiday Bay mystery.

Another nasty reviewer turns up in North Harbor, Michigan. After the library is flooded in a storm, Samantha Washington offers her Market Street Mystery Bookstore for meetings of the Mystery Mavens Book Club. But she immediately butts heads with the leader, a book reviewer. The next morning, Sam opens her shop to find the woman dead on the floor, bashed with the Complete Works of Agatha Christie. As a suspect, Sam turns to her friends at the Shady Acres Retirement Village for help. They discover every one of the Mavens had a motive for murder. Bookclubbed to Death is V.M. Burns eighth Mystery Bookshop novel.??One bad deed deserves another.

A wealthy doctor invites friends to spend a week at a luxurious ski villa. Private eye Darby Piper and her partner are hired by the doctor’s wife to go undercover as a couple. There have been threats against her husband’s life. Instead, the team is soon investigating a murder done with a bow and arrow. Frozen Detective is the second in the Piper and Porter mysteries by Amanda Flower. A recipe for Goat Cheese Phyllo Puffs included.

Are you ready for 4 Sleuths and a Burlesque Dancer? Four authors bring four distinct characters together again in the second Killer Foursome mystery. Meet Valentine Beaumont, Boston sleuth and beautician; Kate Connolly, San Francisco crime-solver; Merry Wrath, Iowa ex-CIA and Girl Scout Leader; and Franki Amato, New Orleans PI dodging a match-making grandma. Looking for fun, the ladies decide to go to New Orleans. But, they discover nothing’s simple in the Big Easy when they stumble across the body of a famous and elderly burlesque dancer. As their investigation leads them to the seedier side of the French Quarter, they dodge strippers, mud wrestlers, all-you-can-eat buffets, cranky Cajuns, Spanish dignitaries, and a bizarre running of the bulls. Authors Diana Orgain, Traci Andrighetti, Leslie Langtry, and Arlene McFarlane let the good times roll.

BEST OF THE REST
Kathi Daley—A Christmas Memory: Cottage on Gooseberry Bay #11

Paige Shelton—Winter’s End: Alaska Wild #4

Victoria Gilbert—Death in the Margins: Blue Ridge Library Mystery #7

Victoria Thompson—City of Fortune: Counterfeit Lady #6

Jenn McKinlay—It Happened One Christmas Eve: A Museum of Literature Romance #3

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. A new episode goes up next week.

Or click on this link to take you to Mysterious Galaxy’s website where you can purchase any of these books & a portion will go to help support KRL:

Sunny Frazier worked with an undercover narcotics team in Fresno County for 17 years before turning her energies to writing the Christy Bristol Astrology Mysteries. Based in the San Joaquin Valley of California, the novels are inspired by real cases and 35 years of casting horoscopes.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases.

by staff

Technology today is essential to healthcare and improves patient safety. Medical professionals prioritize the safety of their patients, but occasionally they make mistakes that cause patients’ diseases to worsen. These mistakes can sometimes be fatal. The bad news is that most of these errors can be prevented. Fortunately, healthcare providers may increase patient safety and improve patient outcomes using appropriate technologies.

Medical procedures are continually changing due to technology. Healthcare workers may now instantly share information, make quick decisions, and offer better diagnoses. In addition, difficult medical procedures like blood transfusions and surgery are now safe, thanks to technological advancements.

Patient safety is a top priority because negligence can land healthcare providers in court. Let’s look at a few ways that healthcare facilities can use to improve patient safety and provide quality care:

1. Increasing Diagnostic Accuracy

Diagnosis lays the foundation of a treatment plan. Various technical medical gadgets that offer accurate diagnoses have been developed thanks to technological advancements. As a result, the test results do not need to be verified by the patient, and the doctor can immediately begin the treatment plan.

Additionally, humans are prone to make mistakes. Because of human negligence, patients may fail to receive accurate test results. For instance, while labeling X-ray scans manually, they can mislabel them. As a result, patients may receive unnecessary treatment that can cause some medical side effects.

Technical tools like MRI scanners have simplified the procedure. As a result, the chances of diagnostic inaccuracy are now minimal. If you’re a facility representative looking for MRI Equipment, then MRIequip.com has everything you might need for non-magnetic and non-ferromagnetic needs, including MRI stretchers and gurneys, MRI Step Stools, and other room accessories.

2. Reducing Medication Error

Medical errors can have serious consequences, but they nonetheless happen frequently. For example, one of the main causes of death in the US is due to medical error. In addition, medication errors can occasionally be caused by incorrect diagnoses, a failure to record patients’ vitals before surgery, or ignorance of medical issues.

Before or during surgery, doctors can review patients’ medical histories thanks to EHR. In addition, technology has made it easier for medical professionals to do their jobs. They can concentrate on the task and complete it more quickly and error-free. Healthcare professionals with a degree thoroughly understand the industry and the necessary skill set. Additionally, they understand how important patient safety is.

3. Make a balanced team

The IHI states that one of the first phases in the improvement process is putting together a balanced team. Members of an effective team should come from various backgrounds and have a range of abilities and expertise. A clinical specialist with the background required to make wise clinical decisions should be on the team, along with a project manager who can handle day-to-day responsibilities and keep the team on track. The senior leader should be able to advise, oversee, and advocate for the team.

4. Improve effective patient follow-ups

Another option for physicians to enhance the quality of their care is to keep patients engaged after their visit. Patients feel appreciated when they receive the promised materials, timely reminders, and useful guidance; as a result, they are more inclined to return and recommend others. Set up workflows that automatically deliver patients the required materials to relieve the load on your staff.

5. Show empathy and care

Empathy is the most crucial aspect of healthcare services as this is the factor that is guaranteed to improve the patient experience. Therefore, make your patient feel important by interacting with them directly and clearly, and make an effort to establish a relationship with them. Maintain an air of friendliness and empathy to ensure your patient feels comfortable with you. If your patient feels comfortable talking and sharing with you, you have succeeded as a healthcare provider. The reason is that effective two-way communication between the patient and healthcare provider ensures that patients provide crucial and accurate information. And they trust your judgment when making crucial healthcare decisions.

6. Implement a system for online appointments

Many patients might feel at ease making an appointment over the phone. However, healthcare providers still need to meet the rising need for an online appointment system. The cause is that not everyone has the resources or skills necessary to make an appointment over the phone. For instance, the patient can be mute, suffer from a mental illness, have social anxiety, or might be traveling. In such cases, making an appointment over the phone can be tiresome and inconvenient.

We advise you to create an online appointment system using the available tools and software. By doing this, the appointment will be made immediately, you’ll get the appropriate patient data, and a patient log will be created automatically. These technologies can also send emails and reminder alerts to your patients and staff. You’ll see that fewer appointments are canceled as a result, and your team always has access to the most up-to-date information.

7. Analyze patient satisfaction

You must evaluate the patient’s condition at every stage of the treatment. Sometimes, what you observe might not accurately represent the patient’s genuine emotions. As a result, you must frequently visit patients to gauge their level of satisfaction with the way things are going. Patients’ feedback is useful in identifying areas that require improvement. Additionally, patient dissatisfaction might give medical facilities insight into potential policy changes.

8. Give them reductions

Offering discounts to patients is one of the best ways to encourage them to choose you over your rivals. It could be a membership card giving them access to free or highly reduced services or just a coupon for any assistance.

Many consumers enjoy going there because of the special discounts they receive when they visit a certain restaurant or brand. You can do the same thing by creating a loyalty program for your patients in exchange for completing surveys about their experience. These cards might offer concession breaks or complimentary checkups in exchange for completing quick questionnaires regularly.

9. Give them a warm welcome and a smile

The simplest kind of hospitality is a smile. Simply grinning at patients might go a long way in building rapport. Patients are probably stressed and uncomfortable when they walk into your facility. You must therefore help them feel at home. When a client walks into your office, smile, say hello, and start a conversation. They will feel more at ease and be able to put their anxieties behind them temporarily.

10. Ensure a pleasant tone

Although it might seem obvious, a surprising number of medical professionals ignore their tone. Patients pay attention to what you say and how you say it. Many doctors and other medical professionals greet patients with a quick “Hello,” When they are ready to leave the room, they frequently utter an abrupt “Goodbye.” Often, the tone is more significant than the actual words. Your patient will notice if you are harsh or rude, which could make them react defensively. They are more likely to be receptive if you speak in a kind tone. Therefore, despite lengthy wait times for appointments, patients appreciate a friendly welcome and farewell.

Conclusion

For good reasons, improving the overall patient experience has become a priority in the healthcare industry. This approach doesn’t only benefit the industry from a business approach but also ensures that there is a humane connection between healthcare workers and their patients. Hence, shifting the mindset and your service strategies to make them more patient friendly will ensure you win over every patient’s heart.

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by Linda Lovely

People enjoy reading books set in familiar locations—be it hometowns, family vacation spots, or famous resorts they long to visit someday. Novels give readers an inexpensive way to spend time at well-known and beloved locales anytime they want. Settings also can help transport readers deep into the world inhabited by the novel’s characters. They do so by evoking personal memories of sights, sounds, smells, and touch. In some cases, vivid descriptions of a location with weather details impact a novel’s mood and texture almost as strongly as the characters we meet on the pages.

Novels set in real-world locations impact book sales and profits, too. For instance, people who love vacationing in Jamaica may pick up a title by an unknown author simply because the book’s tropical setting promises to let them relive their get-away while seated in a cozy armchair.

Linda Lovely

All these factors provide authors with strong incentives to choose popular destinations as settings, especially if they have in-depth knowledge of a city or region. That definitely influenced my decision to launch my new Homeowner Association (HOA) Mystery series in the South Carolina Lowcountry. It’s a region I love, and one I called home for a dozen years.

The Lowcountry also checked a number of other boxes for me. My heroine, Kylee Kane, is a retired Coast Guard investigator, who works for an HOA management company. I wanted Kylee’s employer to have at least a dozen HOA clients of varying sizes rather than being concerned with managing a single large HOA. Why? With multiple clients, I avoid the Cabot Cove syndrome. As my series continues, I don’t risk decimating the population of one HOA. Instead, I can spread my mayhem across any number of developments.

Beaufort County fits this need perfectly since it boasts literally hundreds of islands and a wide variety of homeowner and condo associations. Since Kylee lives on a boat at the Downtown Beaufort Marina, I also reap the extra advantage of being able to incorporate adventures at sea as well as on land.

But, while the HOAs Kylee visits are set in a real region, all are fictional. Readers won’t find a single one of these HOAs on an area map. The reason’s obvious. To supply the essential conflict, I need to portray HOA feuds, board power struggles, and owners unhappy enough to be murder suspects. That makes it impossible to use real communities. My characters and feuds are imaginary so there’s no way to assign them to a real community and risk sullying the reputation of actual board members and residents.

So, just as authors wisely never allow a character to suffer from food poisoning in a real restaurant, my villains and pain-in-the-behind property owners don’t live in actual HOAs.

Nonetheless, my heroine and her family members and friends get to tap their toes and feast on shrimp at The Jazz Corner in Hilton Head, buy sweets at Beaufort’s Chocolate Tree, cruise on smooth seas in Calibogue Sound, and marvel at the wildlife within Botany Bay’s nature preserve.

In other words, both characters and readers get to enjoy every aspect of the Lowcountry’s natural beauty and cultural charm despite the fact they’ll never buy property in one of the fictional HOAs. My goal with this marriage of make-believe and reality is to serve up suspense in a setting that makes readers want to visit the Lowcountry often—by book or in person.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode went up last week.

You can use this link to purchase the book. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the Amazon link. You can also click here to purchase the book.

A journalism major in college, Linda Lovely spent most of her career working in PR and advertising. Lovely’s tenth mystery/suspense novel, Neighbors To Die For, was published by Level Best Books November 8. Whether she’s writing cozy mysteries, historical suspense or contemporary thrillers, her novels share one common element—smart, independent heroines.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases.

by Brenda Stanley

Write what you know. It is the first rule aspiring authors often hear. Using your own experiences in your writing gives your work the authenticity readers expect. It’s why I base most of my novels in the areas where I’ve lived or worked.

I grew up in the small Utah city where my mystery novel, The Still Small Voice, is based. While I haven’t lived there in almost forty years, I set the story during the time when I did, and then, took a trip back to stir the memories of what I’d experienced while living there.

The main character of my novel is a woman named Madison Moore, who is returning home after being estranged from her family for years. She is summoned back by her dying father, who then tells her about a murder years before and that he has proof the woman in prison is not the killer. This has Madison in the center of a decades-old mystery and reliving painful memories that have kept her away from her family and the place she used to call home. While my own experiences don’t mirror Madison’s, there is much in the novel that does.

There is nothing like seeing the incredible scenery of the Wasatch Mountains. The towering peaks are so immense, and the colors of the seasons flow across them seamlessly. As I stood there after decades of being away and looked up at them, I was surprised at how much I had taken their grandeur for granted.

Homes now spread out from the base of the mountains, and what used to be vast orchards of apples and cherries are now office buildings and businesses. Progress has come to what was once a rural farming community, and while the geography may be different, not everything has changed.

Brenda Stanley

I grew up in the LDS church, and while I am no longer a member, I didn’t leave Utah because of my experiences with the religion. My reasons for leaving the church began long before I left the state of Utah for a job. My parents and brothers also moved from the area, so I’ve rarely returned to the place I once called home. Going back made me realize what an impact all these things have had on my life and my writing.

In the novel, Madison must navigate through her past tragedy that led to her family’s divide while trying to find the truth about a murder that happened decades before. Her devotion to her father’s dying wish is complicated by the pain she still endures from being cast out.

For those who’ve never lived around or within these specific cultural circles, it can be challenging to understand how powerful those feelings and influences can be. However, regardless of where you live in the world, when it comes to generational beliefs and family dynamics…when you don’t toe the line, few things in life can be as powerful or as painful as being cast out.

In the novel, past events have Madison still feeling rejection and shame when she first arrives back at her childhood home. But as she searches through her father’s clues regarding the murder, she begins to see how her life and the woman in prison share similar heartaches. Madison must decide if it’s possible to escape the ghosts of her past or allow them to continue their hold over her.

Going home can bring many emotions, both happy and sad. It can also stir up experiences that have affected our lives even without realizing it. They say home is where the heart is, and that may be true, even when that heart is broken.

Drawing on what you know is what writers do. Including places and times from your past can give clarity and detail to your writing as well as your life.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode went up last week.

You can use this link to purchase the book. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the Amazon link. You can also click here to purchase the book.

Brenda Stanley is a writer and journalist who spent over two decades as a news anchor and investigative reporter with the NBC affiliate KPVI in Idaho. She has been recognized by the Scripps Howard Foundation and the Hearst Journalism Awards to name a few. Brenda holds an MBA and has taught as an adjunct professor. She is the author of six novels and four cookbooks. Brenda is the mother of five children, including two sets of twins, and a grandmother of eight. Idaho’s governor appointed her as board chair for the state’s organization dedicated to preventing child abuse. She is a member of the Mama Dragons and an advocate and ally for LGBTQ rights. She and her veterinarian husband, Dave, live on a small ranch in Blackfoot, Idaho, with their dogs, horses, chickens, sheep, and whatever else Brenda decides to add to her “petting zoo.”

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases.

by staff

Traveling is always fun, but the joy it brings can be indescribable when you travel with your gang. Going on trips and getaways with your loved ones helps calm you down and strengthens the bonding between all.

If you travel with a large group of people, you’ll have the opportunity to see the world with many of your closest friends and family members. It is a great time to make memories together, but it can quickly become stressful if you bicker about hotel costs, places to go, and flights. Therefore, to avoid conflict and mismanagement, keep these tips in mind when traveling with a large group.

Prepare in advance

When traveling with a large group, it’s the little things that can cause problems. Before making reservations, be aware of the following factors. Make reservations at a restaurant everyone wants to eat at, rent a car large enough to accommodate everyone, or pick adjoining hotel rooms.

Make time off a priority

Traveling is exhausting on its own, let alone taking care of a large group. Take it easy, and don’t overdo it. Rather, schedule rest breaks at regular intervals. Not to mention, the time you give your travel buddies on their own so they can relax, read, or pursue their own interests will be greatly appreciated.

Rent group lodging

You’ll need to brainstorm when deciding where to stay with your group. Renting short-term rentals, AirBnBs, or cabins for large groups is smarter than booking rooms at a hotel or resort.

Group lodging is a great way to keep everyone together while simplifying and making your lives easier. As a result, your group will be able to save more time and money. On the other hand, if you stay in a hotel, paying for rooms individually and waiting for everyone to meet in a central location takes up valuable time and money.

You can also spend intimate time together by renting a home. Take part in indoor activities such as cozy games and cooking together, storytelling, and watching movies together. No matter how long your trip is, you still want to ensure comfort and smart choices for you and your family.

Plan like a pro

Make a plan. Traveling with a large group requires you to be prepared for anything. Many moments will require planning, and you will want to be confident that you have done so in advance. It is important to consider the various aspects of your trip when planning. Group activities should be planned and organized well for everyone in your group.

Likewise, consider your group’s needs in terms of accommodations, transportation, and group deals. You want everyone to be involved in the planning process when you plan a trip, regardless of distance. If you want to avoid conflict over the itinerary, you must consider everyone’s ideas, desires, and opinions. On a group trip, compromise will most likely be necessary to accommodate the group’s overall needs and desires.

Consider your options and plan ahead. It is important to plan and consider the details when planning a vacation or field trip. Utilize democracy to help make decisions about destinations and stops everyone would like to see.

Plan a backup

You should always have a backup plan or a contingency plan when traveling. Make a list of just-in-case situations and possible mishaps that may occur and plan ahead for them. In case of problems with your accommodations or activities, you should have a backup plan in place.

For any type of trip or vacation, whether it is a family trip, a group trip, or just a relaxing vacation, having a set plan for what you will do when unexpected events happen or when you disagree with the group is ideal in case something springs up and surprises you. Therefore, creating a backup plan is imperative to have a stress-free trip.

Take advantage of group discounts

Traveling in groups requires group discounts. You can get great deals for groups if you take advantage of them. The savings will be not only monetary but also time-related. It is normally possible to arrange discounts when there is a very large group planning to buy in advance. Various types of activities and places offer group discounts. A group trip can offer you the following types of discounts:

• Discounts on airline tickets
• Tours for tourists
• Holiday cruises
• Accommodations
• Cafes and restaurants
• Activities while traveling

If you call ahead and explain your group, you might be able to gain insight into group deals that weren’t available before. Some places also offer discounted tour groups. Keeping everyone together is easier with tour groups. You will be able to tour the tourist attractions and landmarks of your destination more easily with the help of your tour guide. So, in short, traveling in a group will save you a handsome amount of money.

Discuss expenses with your group

It can get awkward when groups aren’t clear on how much the trip will cost or when they’ll have to pay their portion of the trip’s expenses. You might want to consider using an expense app that calculates what each person owes for expenses and logs receipts and other information. Doing so will definitely shift some of the burdens off your shoulders.

Communicate openly

Your trip will run smoothly if you communicate effectively. If you are traveling in a group, it can be difficult to maintain communication, so you must ensure everyone has the necessary knowledge. You should be able to maintain communication even if you are separated at times, whether through phone calls and texts or meeting up together.

As a result, you should set up a group text to have a place where information and communication can be shared even though you are separated. In case of an emergency, you could even create a list of everyone’s phone numbers so you will always know who to contact. When traveling, there is nothing more important than communicating in order to limit and avoid conflicts and unnecessary chaos as much as possible.

Final Words!

In all, traveling is a fun activity that we all need to experience every once in a while. However, when traveling with a group of people, follow the above-mentioned tips to avoid unnecessary hassle. We hope you will have a comfortable and memorable trip using them.

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by Kathleen Costa

Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win an ebook copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

Life is Good, and then…
Mae West has turned diamonds into dungarees, a penthouse into a parking spot, and New York to Normal, Kentucky; she couldn’t be happier. She renovated Happy Trails Campground, the only thing that truly belonged to her after the government confiscated all of her husband’s assets, and turned it into a popular, full-service vacation destination. In the process, she helped to inject well-needed tourist revenue into the small community’s coffers. She also garnered dear, yet some quirky, friends and reestablished a relationship with her adopted family. Also, after a rocky start, she is set to marry local PI Hank Sharp, no date, yet, but next Fall, Mae thought, would make a beautiful backdrop.

All is not rosy in Daniel Boone National Forrest since beyond the flora and fauna, it’s also been the scene of many a crime. Mae has been a person of interest a time or two and several close friends and family have also been implicated, but, with a bit of awkward help from the quirky Laundry Club ladies and a bit of luck, Mae has used her amateur detective skills to help put a few in jail. But, the governor recently pardoned two of them: Lester Hager, former Baptist preacher found guilty of murder, is now suffering from cancer, and Grady Cox, Jr, who despite his mental break defense, was found guilty of Mae’s ex-husband death. Although questionable decisions by the out-going governor, the two have returned to Normal.

Trappings, Turkeys, & Thanksgiving Earns 5/5 Deviled Eggs…Engaging Cozy!
It’s Thanksgiving, and Normal has a lot of traditions around this time: the Turkey Trot 5k run and a big reunion of current and former residents in for the holidays. Mae loves the season and all the treats it brings, but she needs to stay in shape if she ever hopes to fit into a wedding dress. She joins the local running group with Christine Watson, owner of the Cookie Crumble bakery. (Yes, a bit of an incongruity.) Yet, Mae’s still breathless up the hills and her thighs still ache, and she’s not sure she can keep up her resolve to the wedding months away. Letting the group run off ahead of her, she decides she needs to do more walking than running for safety sake. She spies a wayward squirrel dropping its gathered treasure, a laminated obituary, next to a makeshift remembrance marker for seventeen-year-old Theodore Redford. Who is he?

The festivities started with a pre-gathering at the Red Barn Restaurant: long-time friends reuniting, toasting with special concoctions, and listening to some toe-tapping tunes. Mae is red when Hank’s antagonistic sister makes an entrance and a bit green when one of Hank’s former girlfriends appears. But, things get out of hand with beer bottles flying, murder accusations spewing, and Sheriff Hemmer getting an errant fist in the face. But, the next day, it’s the dead body that puts a black eye on Thanksgiving, and several of Mae’s friends in jeopardy.

Turkey-rrific! Tonya Kappes’ long running A Camper and Criminal Cozy Mystery series maintains its popularity with book twenty-eight, Trappings, Turkeys, & Thanksgiving, due to a clever mystery, lots of possible scenarios, evolving characters and relationships, realistic investigative techniques, and a nail-biting arrest. Once again Mae is spurred on to snoop with her crew, The Laundry Club Ladies, resulting in the usual missteps and successes. It’s made more complicated when some friends are implicated in the murder, but this time an “accident” that happened years prior may hold the key to why this death has just occurred. I enjoy how the clues and details are revealed slowly in and about the Thanksgiving celebration and wedding talk, and however a surprise, the final reveal was realistic and supported by the drama. It didn’t come out of nowhere. But, there were other issues happening that she wove well into the story. I like that!

Tonya has an entertaining writing style interspersing many delightful southern mannerisms and colloquialisms. She provides ample descriptions and effective dialogue in the narrative to illustrate the natural environment, the small community, and the multi-generational characters. The mystery is well-developed, the characters are realistic, the journey is engaging, and the ending included more than a few surprises. It’s one of my favorite series!

Extra Treat! This series always has some tasty treats and helpful ideas for any level of camper whether you’re in a national park or the backyard. Recipes and Camping Hacks from Mae West and the Laundry Club Ladies include (1) Dirty Chai Donuts (Christine Watson’s Recipe from the Cookie Crumble) and (2) an Autumn Fizz (The Red Barn’s seasonal special). The Camping Hacks include (1) off-season camping needs and (2) winter campfire tips.

Don’t Miss This Special Deal! Tonya Kappes is one of several popular authors who have a book from one of their series available thru Prolific Work’s sixty-book Twisty Tales & Cozy Crimes giveaway. Yes, SIXTY “free and exclusive books” are available for a short time. The books are claimed thru Prolific Works as an ePub, mobi, or pdf file. Be sure to “LIKE” Twisty Tales & Cozy Crime Facebook page, too.

Surprise! From Tonya Kappes’ A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mysteries check out Brides, Bribes, & Binoculars for FREE…clever, witty, and fun! Mae has been kidnapped…by her bridesmaids! With a bedazzled T-shirt announcing “Bride-to-Be,” Mae’s being whisked away for an unprecedented bachelorette party weekend since an actual wedding date hasn’t been determined. But, it’s the Laundry Club, and they’re not known for doing things according to tradition, nor do things go smoothly! Earns 5+/5 Bridezillas!

Amazon Preorder Alerts! The next mystery for Mae and company is the twenty-ninth book, Gifts, Glamping, & Glocks, set for December 15 release. In 2023, more is coming with the thirtieth book, Zoning, Zealots, & Ziplines, set for a February release and book thirty-one, Hammocks, Handguns, & Hearsay, for April. Don’t miss a single A Camper and Criminals Cozy Mystery!

Be a Big Tonya Kappes Fan!
“Southern Hospitality with a Smidgen of Homicide!” USA Today bestselling author Tonya Kappes pens a variety of series. along with this Camper & Criminals Cozy series, she also has a Mail Carrier Cozy Mystery and Holiday Cozy Mystery series along with some exciting ghostly-, magical-, and caffeinated-themed series. For ghosts, there’s the Ghostly Southern Mystery and Kenni Lowry series. Add some magic with Magical Cures Mystery and Spies and Spells series. Finally, get a little caffeinated with her Killer Coffee Mystery. She also has an enjoyable online presence and various events enticing fans to gather to talk, share, and partake in the fun!

Facebook – Author Tonya Kappes
Join the “Cozy Krew”
Become a Member at the Website – Tonya Kappes
YouTube — Tonya Kappes

To enter to win an ebook copy of Trappings, Turkeys, & Thanksgiving, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “turkeys,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 26, 2022. US only, and must be 18 or older to enter. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. A new Thanksgiving episode went up this week.

You can use this link to purchase the book from Amazon or click here. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the link:

Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying year 2 of retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband of 26+ years.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

by Paula Hunsaker

Feral Paws Rescue Group in Fresno shares with us some of their animal rescue adventures every month. Check out KRL’s article about Feral Paws to learn more about them and check out their website.

Rescue work is hard at times!

Our rescue over the years has seen and been through so much that is heartbreaking and joyful at times. But there are times when you have to stop and question the human race. I have learned over time that there is a huge difference between the mind of the public and the work of rescue. I have found over time that there are some very heartless humans. We get so attached to our rescue pets and some even become forever pets with the rescue. I have had long conversations with other rescue buddies: what will happen to our animals if something should happen to us? It’s something that so many rescues and the public don’t think about until it’s too late.

That’s the sad part. The animals end up at a high-kill shelter, confused and thinking they did something wrong. It’s just not fair! It’s something that doesn’t take hours to discuss with your family—what would you like to happen to forever pets if you should pass away? I saw a rescue CEO/Founder who didn’t make plans for their rescue animals, but other rescues jumped in to try and keep the animals from going back to a shelter. It’s just a simple discussion with your family, however, be sure to write out your wishes. Time and time again I have seen a family member dumping a pet that belonged to their loved one at a high-kill shelter. The animals grieve and do not do well at the shelters. It’s very sad to see this happening to an animal that loved its owner now sitting in a cold, noisy kennel with no warm bed to lay in and sleep or a bowl of their favorite food looking at maybe less than five days to live before being killed.

Our rescue focus is on saving cats mainly from shelters, but there are times we will help cats from the public. It all depends on our space and what is going on with a cat in need of help. For the past few weeks, we have been trying to help four cats named Kit-Kat, Stephanie, Spanky, Doot-Doot and two dogs named Stitch and Smokey. Their outcome wasn’t looking good after their owner passed away. They were looking at being dumped on the streets or at a shelter or left at the house they called home. It was a very stressful heartbreaking time. I wasn’t sure what I could do to help the two senior dogs since our rescue only does cats. So, with my thinking cap on, I had to go to work because I couldn’t bear the thought of the dogs being left behind or dumped at the shelter. We were given a deadline of November 3 to help these animals. The owner who passed away loved his animals. They were healthy and happy and such good pets. It was a very sad time for this family of pets.

On October 31, I was able to get two of the cats Kit-Kat and Doot-Doot out of the house; the ones closest to the person sleeping with him to the end. [Sad] I took them to our vet, and they checked out in good health. Kit-Kat is taking it hard not being with her owner. I had a blanket with his smell on it. I had given it to her when we got to the rescue. She knew the smell, and she sleeps on it every night. Doot-Doot isn’t so bad as Kit-Kat, but these two cats are very bonded. They wrap themselves up in his blanket.

We weren’t sure about the remaining animals inside the house. I worried about the two senior dogs. I knew I couldn’t take them into our rescue because we weren’t set up for dogs at all. I reached out to a rescue buddy, Rhonda Massey-Kacerek, about the dogs. She was going to see if she could find fosters for them. Our November 3 deadline was coming up or the animals would be left behind or dumped someplace unknown. Our communication wasn’t good with the contact person. Their response wasn’t good at the time. On the deadline day, I texted the person that I have rescue stepping up for the two dogs.

Rhonda and I went to the home to get Smokey and Stitch, the two dogs. When we got there, I asked about the two remaining cats, Spanky and Stephanie. I was able to get Spanky, but they said they didn’t know what happen to Stephanie. Rhonda was able to take the two dogs. They were sweet and well taken care of; just so full of life. As Rhonda played with them in the yard, I watched them running around the yard they called home for so long and they had no idea that it was the last time they would run in that yard. As Rhonda loaded them into the crate. I felt sad they were leaving a home that they were so loved in before their owner passed away. Rhonda did update me that she was going to try and keep them together when they are adopted. After they had lost their owner and home, they shouldn’t now lose each other. [Sad]

As I left, I felt hopeless for the last remaining cat in the house. When we left the house, we were told it was the last day to get any of the animals out of the house, but the next day I got a text message that they found Stephanie hiding in a closet. I did want her, of course, so I rushed over and got her. Now all the animals made it out of the house and are going to have a future! Not left behind!!

I want to thank Rhonda for taking the time to help save the dogs being left behind!

EMAIL: fprg.org@gmail[dot]com
Phone: 559-412-7226

Check out more animal rescue stories in our Pet Perspective section & watch for more stories from Feral Paws every other month, and we would love to have you join our KRL Pets Facebook group. Advertise in KRL and 10% of your advertising fees can go to Feral Paws.

by Cynthia Chow & Sandra Murphy

This week we have 3 food mysteries for you to enjoy with your Thanksgiving dinner-Bake Offed: A Five-Ingredient Mystery by Maya Corrigan, Death by Spiced Chai: A Bookstore Cafe Mystery by Alex Erickson, Soul of a Killer: A Books & Biscuits Mystery by Abby Collette. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of all 3 books and links to purchase them at the end of each review–you may not be able to see the Amazon links if you have ad blocker on.

Bake Offed: A Five-Ingredient Mystery by Maya Corrigan
Review by Sandra Murphy

Val Deniston has seen more than her share of dead bodies. She deserves a break from her café manager job and sideline catering business. Her best friend, Bethany, is one of the organizers for a mystery fest, far enough from home to require a hotel room and count as ‘being away.’ Val’s helping with panel discussions and is hosting the trivia contest. Her grandfather is one of the cooking demonstrators tasked with making a dish from classic mysteries. His offering is for the famous Nero Wolfe, a challenge because Wolfe’s meals always use the maximum number of ingredients. Granddad, known as The Codger Cook, never uses more than five.

When one of the three contestants is found dead in her bed, many of the mystery fans believe it’s part of the entertainment and the police detective is an actor. Val and Bethany discover the body when they’re awakened after midnight by a whistling teakettle in the next room. It had been a full day with panel discussions, the cook-off, and meals, yet the bar area is like a revolving door as participants are in and out until closing time. The hallways, stairs, and elevator are in almost constant use with witnesses only seeing glimpses of each other, making alibies hard to pin down.

A second woman collapses and is rushed to the hospital, but no one can be sure she was the intended victim. Meanwhile, valuable items are stolen, sabotage suspected, grudges held. Val has a sense of urgency to help solve the case. A police detective she knew years ago is in charge and not doing a very good job. Can the case be solved before the event ends on Sunday?

This is the eighth book in the series. Val had only moved back home to get Granddad’s house sold and him settled into a retirement or nursing home. He refused. The compromise was Val living with him. Since then, he’s thrived. Val is hard pressed to keep up. It’s a nice change to take the characters out of their comfort zone where they know all the suspects and drop them into an unknown situation. The mystery has enough hidden agendas, mistaken identities, and red herrings to give even Hercule Poirot’s little gray cells a workout.

Recipes are based on the board game Clue and include Mrs. Peacocktail, Hot Miss Scarlet Punch, Mr. Green Salad, Colonel Mustard Vinaigrette, Mrs. White Bean Chili, Professor Plum Cake, Nero Wolfe’s Lemon Sponge Cake, and Beerimisu, Granddad’s dessert for Nero Wolfe, a twist on the traditional tiramisu recipe with the substitution of stout and Kahlua for the usual espresso.

Death by Spiced Chai: A Bookstore Cafe Mystery by Alex Erickson
Review by Sandra Murphy

Krissy Hancock is one of three owners of Death by Coffee and bookstore. Business has picked up, books are selling, and she needs new employees. Her favorite employee did the work of two people, but she just left for college.

When someone screams in what’s usually a quite place, Krissy knows to go running. A customer announces as loudly as she can, there’s a cockroach in her half-drunk coffee. Before Krissy can wonder why the woman didn’t notice it before the halfway point, the woman runs for the bathroom and moments later, screams there are roaches in there too. Way to clear a room!

Krissy’s day, week even, goes downhill after that. There’s a weird phone call, a trash review about the library supposedly written by Krissy, a recent photo of Krissy’s boyfriend with his ex and looking mighty cozy, a new neighbor who doesn’t want to be friends, and a nasty online gossipy ‘newspaper’ that seems to devote most of its space to slamming Krissy. When a crime is committed, Krissy gets the blame for that too—and then there was a murder.

People can get angry about a lot of things—a mistake in their order, a misunderstood comment, a name forgotten—but someone is angry about every area of Krissy’s life. Even her cop boyfriend, Paul, can’t help her. He’s been ordered not to discuss any investigation with her. She’ll just have to see what she can find out on her own and hope she lives to tell who did it.

This is book ten in the series. What’s not to like about a bookstore with a café and a cat? The three partners get along well, business is good, and Krissy’s dad is an author whose books sell like crazy. Krissy and Paul have a good relationship which would be better if she’d stay out of his investigations. It’s a small town police department and they realize that’s not likely to happen. She takes a lot of risks by not telling others where she’s going or who she suspects and not trusting the police to do their jobs. I do hope in book eleven, Krissy remembers to charge her phone and keep it in her pocket at all times. Sorry to say, no recipes included.

Sandra Murphy lives in the shadow of the Arch in St. Louis Missouri. She’s editor for Peace, Love, and Crime: Crime Stories Inspired by the Songs of the ’60s, with twenty-two cozy stories. She also edited A Murder of Crows, twenty-one stories featuring animals and crime (no animals were harmed). She also writes for magazines, newsletters, and the occasional guest blog. Both anthologies are available at the usual outlets, print or ebook.

Soul of a Killer: A Books & Biscuits Mystery by Abby Collette
Review by Cynthia Chow

Thanks to a DNA kit and a genealogy database, fraternal twins Keaton Rutledge and Koby Hill were reunited after being separated for over twenty years. Now having bonded and closer than ever, librarian Keaton and chef Koby have opened Timber Lake, Washington’s Books & Biscuits, their dreamed combination of a bookstore and restaurant. Koby learned his cooking skills from his foster mother Mama Zola, a new town resident who is anxiously over-preparing for her first Annual Founder’s Day Potluck at the Everlasting Mission Baptist Church. When entitled and insulting church member Austin James is found dead with a bowl of Mama Zola’s peach cobbler in his hands, she calls Koby in a panic thinking she’s about to be arrested. It’s not long before they learn that Austin was electrocuted and not poisoned, but unfortunately it also looks as though Books & Biscuits employee Pete Howers is being targeted as the culprit. While Keaton worries that she may be responsible for turning Timber Lake into another Cabot Cove and destination site for murders, threats to kick Mama Zola out of her church for helping Pete mean that they will all once again be helping out in an investigation.

Keaton’s experience as a former librarian have her utilizing all of her observational skills and knowledge with fictional mysteries to put together the pieces before the police make a hasty arrest. Keaton’s eye for details may be a little more fashion-orientated than Sherlockian, but Koby does have the focus that makes them such a formidable team. Or at least a detecting duo that puts the “amateur” in “amateur detectives,” if you go by the definition that Keaton definitely looked up. The formerly-from-Seattle Detective Daniel Chow is once again on hand to both warn and resignedly accept their help, especially when they prove to be a deft team when questioning pastors and navigating church politics.

Readers of this second of the fun and very compelling mystery series should be warned to not read this on an empty stomach, as descriptions of Koby’s and Mama Zola’s outstanding soul food are drool-inducing and so tantalizing. An energetic reporter with her own agenda offers assistance, but it’s really Keaton and Koby who both enthusiastically and reluctantly once again immerse themselves in the investigation. Koby continues his own mission to track down the birth mother who gave them up twenty-five years ago, and while Keaton is hopeful, she is also worried about what they might find. Keaton and Koby have built themselves a found family of foster mothers and friends, with their shared love of food and reading always bringing them together. Keaton’s practicality and sense of caution is balanced out by Koby’s protective instincts, making them a supportive and very loving team. Delicious soul food cooking, admirable maternal figures, and the secrets hidden within the church all make for a savory and compulsively cozy read.

To enter to win a copy of all 3 books, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “feast” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 26, 2022. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If you are entering via email please include you mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. A new episode went up this week.

You can use this link to purchase any of these books from indie bookstore Mysterious Galaxy, and KRL gets a portion of the sale:

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

by Matt Lubbers-Moore

Holiday season has arrived!
Gift giving at its zenith!
Consumerism gone mad!
Bah Humbug!
Buy local, buy direct if possible, and always review books you love!
That is all. Have a safe and prosperous new year!
On With the Books!!

Last Chance Chicago by Diana DiGangi
Out Dec. 6, 2022, Bywater Books
Attorney and recovering cocaine addict Sam DiCiccio didn’t think she was ever going to see her ex-wife Amy Igarashi again, much less wind up defending her against felony insider trading charges. But Amy’s been falsely accused, and Sam, who’s still in love with her, can’t bear to watch her take the fall for a crime she didn’t commit. Amy is holding on to resentment from their broken relationship and is hesitant to let Sam back into her life. But that all changes when her assets are frozen by a judge, and Sam is the best and only lawyer she can afford. As Sam and Amy pull the threads of the alleged crime, they begin to unravel a mysterious corporate conspiracy that runs deep and wide. But, as the clock ticks faster each day, the chance to prove Amy’s innocence and keep her out of jail begins to slip away.

On a Wire by Ryan Lill-Washington
Out Dec. 6, 2022, Palmetto Publishing
Casey’s life has always been chaotic. Growing up in Charleston as an openly gay man hasn’t made life any easier for him, a constant disappointment to his Mother’s social reputation. When Casey wakes up one morning to find a dead man in his apartment, his blurred memories of one night stands and forgettable sex come crashing in around him. Now, with no recollection of having even brought a stranger to his home, he’s named the number one suspect in a spree of serial murders targeting his latest sexual trysts. With a body count rising, each branded with a blackbird tattoo, and Casey unable to remember what happened, he finds himself in the crosshairs of a serial killer, grappling between what is and isn’t real.

A Kind of Vanishing by Leslie Thomson
Out Dec. 8, 2022, Head of Zeus
A spellbinding mystery of obsession and guilt, A Kind of Vanishing is the poignant story of what happens to those left behind when a child vanishes without trace. THERE IS NO ESCAPING THE PAST. Summer, 1968. While playing in the ruins of a deserted village, nine-year-old Alice Howard goes missing. The only person who could have seen what happened was Eleanor Ramsey, the young girl who was with Alice when she disappeared. But the children were not playing nicely. Having discovered a family secret about her new friend, Alice had begun taunting Eleanor. Soon after, Alice vanished – along with the chance of this secret getting out… Now. The families were never the same after the disappearance, but both have been linked together by tragedy. So when Eleanor’s teenage daughter, Chris, becomes suspicious of her mother’s past, she turns detective, opening up shocking truths for the Ramsay family and all who knew the missing girl.

Nest of White Crows by June Gillam
Out Dec. 12, 2022, Gorilla Girl Ink
Hillary Broome begins team teaching an ethnic studies class with her friend, Professor Grover Zale, expecting to deepen her understanding of systemic discrimination. But another professor’s lessons stir violent tendencies in a student with criminal ties, leading to a series of hate crimes targeting Zale and Hillary. She’s survived other horrors, but nothing like the death she faces now.

Manny Porter and the Yuletide Murder by D. C. Robeline
Out Dec. 13, 2022, Bold Strokes Books
Riding a tide of success after helping his boyfriend, Lyle, save their neighborhood of Tinker Creek from predatory developers, reporter Manny Porter throws himself into his career and community activism. The last thing he expects is to discover the body of prominent research scientist Phillip Nikolaidis during a laboratory tour. Murder can strike anywhere, and all the evidence is pointing toward Tristan DeJesus, Manny’s nineteen-year-old mentee. Manny only has the holiday season to overcome jealous colleagues, an angry corporation, and a skeptical publisher to discover who killed Nikolaidis before the judicial system condemns an innocent man to lethal injection.

A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar
Out Dec. 13, 2022, HarperCollins
Josefa is an unapologetic and charismatic thief, who loves the thrill of the chase. She has her eye on her biggest mark yet—the RMS Titanic, the most luxurious ship in the world. But she isn’t interested in stealing from wealthy first-class passengers onboard. No, she’s out for the ultimate prize: the Rubiyat, a one of a kind book encrusted with gems that’s worth millions. Josefa can’t score it alone, so she enlists a team of girls with unique talents: Hinnah, a daring acrobat and contortionist; Violet, an actress and expert dissembler; and Emilie, an artist who can replicate any drawing by hand. They couldn’t be more different, and yet they have one very important thing in common: their lives depend on breaking into the vault and capturing the Rubiyat. But careless mistakes, old grudges, and new romance threaten to jeopardize everything they’ve worked for and put them in incredible danger when tragedy strikes.

The Butcher of Berner Street by Alex Reeve
Out Dec. 20, 2022, Felony & Mayhem Press
“Cold-hearted murder.” That’s what was promised in the anonymous note, and Leo can’t resist. He may be a working journalist at last, but it’s a precarious gig, and a good story could bring in the readers. What he finds on Berner Street, though, is a dead body that isn’t, not to mention a lady wrestler who’s quite a bit more. The crowd is angry: They like things cut and dried. But Leo knows all about things that are one thing and also another. He’s got a secret himself, and if he’s found out, an angry crowd will be the least of his worries. This is Queen Victoria’s London, and the courts are not kind to young men who are…quite a bit more.

Nine Liars by Maureen Johnson
Out Dec. 27, 2022, Katherine Tegen Books
Senior year at Ellingham Academy for Stevie Bell isn’t going well. Her boyfriend, David, is studying in London. Her friends are obsessed with college applications. With the cold case of the century solved, Stevie is adrift. There is nothing to distract her from the questions pinging around her brain—questions about college, love, and life in general. Relief comes when David invites Stevie and her friends to join him for study abroad, and his new friend Izzy introduces her to a double-murder cold case. In 1995, nine friends from Cambridge University went to a country house and played a drunken game of hide-and-seek. Two were found in the woodshed the next day, murdered with an ax. The case was assumed to be a burglary gone wrong, but one of the remaining seven saw something she can’t explain. This was no break-in. Someone’s lying about what happened in the woodshed.

Notable releases:
Alone and Lonely by Adrian Smith, Out Dec. 1, 2022
Into the Blue Again by Marisa Billions, Out Dec. 2, 2022
Kairo’s Billionaire by Jocelynn Drake, Out Dec. 2, 2022
Early Graves by Joseph Hansen, Out Dec. 13, 2022
Reporting Live by E. C. Ward, Out Dec. 20, 2022
Diamonds Under the Mistletoe by Ki Brightly, Out Dec. 20, 2022
A Body in His Bed by Sue Brown, Out Dec. 22, 2022

Click on this link to take you to Mysterious Galaxy’s website where you can purchase many of these books & a portion will go to help support KRL:

Matt Lubbers-Moore has two graduate degrees in library science and history. He is the co-owner of ReQueered Tales and author of Murder and Mayhem: An Annotated Bibliography of Gay and Queer Males in Mystery; 1909-2018

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

by Kathleen Costa

This week we have a review of Death on Deadline by Joyce St. Anthony along with an interesting interview with Joyce. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, and a link to purchase it.

Death on a Deadline: A Homefront News Mystery by Joyce St. Anthony
Review by Kathleen Costa

Fun Walk Down 1940’s Lane
Irene Ingram has journalism in her DNA. Her father, whom she calls Pops, owns the Progress Herald, the local newspaper, and when she was ready, she became the home, garden, and fashion reporter. But, now, she’s also the editor-in-chief with complete editorial control since her father is somewhere in the Pacific as a war correspondent. The long-time reporters were a bit skeptical that twenty-something Irene could do the job, but she had proven herself by finding answers to a recent case involving sabotage and murder. Her secretary Peggy Reardon is also her best friend, sounding board, and confident. Irene is living back at home with her mother and teenage sister Lily who’s typically infatuated by all things Hollywood and Frank Sinatra. Her fiancé Bill Turner is away for training with the Third Armored Division, but if she gets herself again too deep in some trouble, she has her future father-in-law Chief Walter Turner for extra support.

Death on a Deadline Earns 5/5 Headlines…Entertaining & Clever!
It’s June, 1942, and war rages on in Europe. The town is preparing to do their little part by having a war bond drive during the upcoming county fair. However, the big news of the day, or more likely rumor, is that film star Clark Gable is coming to Progress. Ava Dempsey assures Irene that the information is not rumor, but it’s difficult to trust the biggest busybody in town whose beauty shop is gossip central. Ava says her sister Angela, one few even remember, is an actress herself and married to Freddie Harrison who Ava paints as a popular up and coming star. She is confident that her sister is in the know and Gable, as chairman of the Hollywood Victory Committee, will be one of the stars attending their war bond event. Well, don’t put it on the front page quite yet…

“Call me Angel, everyone does,” is adamant Clark Gable “might be coming,” but Irene is still skeptical pointing out “might” is not “definite.” Angel is pure Hollywood from her looks to her uppity demands, but Irene was right in being reticent. Clark Gable is a no show, but Angel’s own animosity is on full display when B-listed actor and cheating husband shows up…and that, unfortunately, is the final credits for him!

It’s Bees’ Knees Delightful! Joyce St. Anthony has brought WWII era drama into the world of cozy mystery with Victory Gardens and war bonds, fifty-cent lunches, front lines and the home front, and families worried about loved ones and pray Western Union passes them by. She’s added a strong female lead in Irene, a fascinating career in journalism, small town dynamics, and lots of tension to make this a “couldn’t put down” experience. The mystery is well-developed, clever, and easy to read with all the usual suspects being introduced along with their particular grudge against the victim. And he, the victim, being a less than admirable character in thought and deed, seems to have been first in line for some karma. Too many suspects would rather see the curtain literally come down on him: scorned wife, protective father, competing actor, a mistress. But, don’t overlook anyone waiting in the wings or secret grudges waiting to be exposed!

Joyce’s write style is very entertaining, descriptive with engaging dialogue, and adding to the chapter leads, a current headline was a unique walk down history; I was on Google to learn more. I love my mysteries to be of another era, and with many references to World War II, 1940’s society, and various historical figures, it was obvious Joyce did her research. Fun. Compelling. Satisfying surprise. This is definitely a book cozy fans should put on their TBR list.

Homefront News Mystery series
Front Page Murder (March 8, 2022)
For Book Clubs, check out these questions for a spirited discussion.
Death on a Deadline (November 8th, 2022)

Be a Big Joyce St. Anthony Fan!
Joyce St. Anthony is the pen name of Joyce Tremel. As a police secretary for ten years and having creative thoughts about troublesome co-workers, Joyce decided to turn to writing mysteries. As Tremel, she wrote the popular three-book Brewing Trouble Mysteries series that follows Maxine “Max” O’Hara whose dream of opening her own craft brew pub, the Allegheny Brew House, in Pittsburgh is realized. All good fun!

Facebook: JoyceTremel & Joyce St. Anthony
Website: Joyce Tremel & Joyce St. Anthony

Kathleen Costa is a long-time resident of the Central Valley, and although born in Idaho, she considers herself a “California Girl.” Graduating from CSU-Sacramento, she is 35+ year veteran teacher having taught in grades 1-8 in schools from Sacramento to Los Angeles to Stockton to Lodi. Currently Kathleen is enjoying year 2 of retirement revitalizing hobbies along with exploring writing, reading for pleasure, and spending 24/7 with her husband of 26+ years.

Interview with Joyce St Anthony:

KRL: How long have you been writing?

Joyce: As long as I can remember!

KRL: When did your first novel come out, what was it called, and would you tell us a little about it?

Joyce: My first novel was To Brew or Not to Brew. It was the first of three books in the Brewing Trouble series, published in 2015. It featured a brewer named Maxine O’Hara who is in the process of opening a brewpub when she finds the body of her assistant in the mash tun. The police think he fell in, but Max thinks otherwise so of course, she investigates on her own.

KRL: Have you always written mysteries/suspense and if not, what else have you written?

Joyce: I don’t think I could write anything else. I tried to plot a romance once, but I kept wanting to kill off a character.

KRL: What brought you to choose setting and characters in your latest book/series?

Joyce St Anthony

KRL: Do you write to entertain or is there something more you want the readers to experience from your work?

Joyce: Mostly to entertain, but I also want readers to learn something, especially with the historical series. I wouldn’t want to waste all that research, lol.

KRL: Do you have a schedule for your writing or just work whenever you can?

Joyce: I’m usually at my desk all morning unless I have errands to run or something like that. I’ll break for a few hours mid-day because there’s always housework, yardwork, or laundry to do. Then I might work another hour until it’s time to make dinner.

KRL: What is your ideal time to write?

Joyce: I don’t really have one. With deadlines, I’ve learned to write at any time of day or night.

KRL: Do you outline? If not, do you have some other interesting way that you keep track of what’s going on, or what needs to happen in your book when you are writing it?

Joyce: I write a synopsis – usually 4 or 5 pages before I start writing. It’s just a general roadmap because the stories always change as I write and get to know the characters better. And sometimes the characters drive the story, and I don’t have a say in the matter.

KRL: Did you find it difficult to get published in the beginning?

Joyce: Ha! Absolutely! My first published novel was the fourth or fifth book I’d written. I lost count of how many agents I’ve queried over the years. Well over two hundred is my best guess. I don’t understand writers who send out ten queries, get rejected, and quit. Either you want to be an author, or you don’t. If you do, you don’t quit. You keep writing and keep submitting.

KRL: Do you have a great rejection/critique or acceptance story you’d like to share?

Joyce: The only thing I can remember is one rejection that only said, “I thought it would be better.”

KRL: Ouch! Most interesting book signing story-in a bookstore or other venue?

Joyce: This past summer I was invited to be the guest author at an author’s tea at the Rosemary House in Mechanicsburg, PA. It was a lot of fun. The caterer put a lot of thought into the menu, matching food up with things in the book, Front Page Murder. They had a “Victory Garden Salad,” “It’s a Mystery Chicken Salad,” “The Sleuth’s Cucumber and Mint” sandwich, “World War II Ration Chocolate Cake,” etc. They were very creative.

KRL: What are your future writing goals?

Joyce: I’m hoping to get an offer to write another Homefront News book, and I’m currently working on the first Cider House Mystery book.

KRL: What kind of research do you do?

Joyce: For the Brewing Trouble books, I got to hang out in breweries and learn to brew beer. The samples were a bonus. The same with my new Cider House series. The research for the Homefront News books was really interesting, but not as much fun. I did a lot of reading, checking dates, newspaper headlines, weather reports, etc.

KRL: What do you like to read?

Joyce: I mostly read mysteries, especially historical ones. I love anything set in the 1940s.

KRL: What are your favorite TV shows or movies?

Joyce: Most of the things we watch are older shows. Monk is always a favorite. The Mentalist was great. CSI is fun to revisit. And I can’t forget Downton Abbey. For newer shows I like Chicago PD, Blue Bloods, and CSI-Vegas. My current favorite is Miss Scarlet & The Duke on PBS. We don’t watch many movies, unless they’re old ones like The Sting, or even older like Casablanca. We rewatch the Band of Brothers miniseries at least once a year.

KRL: Have you any advice for aspiring or beginning writers?

Joyce: The best way to learn to write is to read a lot of books in your chosen genre. Read the book for fun the first time around, then read it again and study it. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, and how a book is structured. After that, start writing and learn the craft as you write. Chances are the first book you write is not going to sell. Put it aside and start another. Repeat as often as necessary. Don’t give up.

KRL: What is something people would be surprised to know about you?

Joyce: I have a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo. I’m about twenty years out of practice though.

KRL: Do you have any pets?

Joyce: Two cats named Hops and Lager. Hops looks just like the cat on the cover of my Brewing Trouble books. As soon as I saw her in the shelter, I knew she was coming home with us. Lager is an orange and white short hair. He and Hops were friends, so he had to come along.

KRL: Is there anything you would like to add?

Joyce: Just to thank you for the interview. This was a lot of fun.

KRL: Thank you for chatting with us. Website? Twitter? Facebook? Instagram?

Joyce: www.joycetremel.com, www.twitter.com/JoyceTremel, www.facebook.com/JoyceTremel

To enter to win a copy of Death on a Deadline, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “deadline,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 26, 2022. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode goes up next week.

You can use this link to purchase the book. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the Amazon link. You can also click here to purchase the book.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.

by Mallory Moad

Take one hundred ninety-eight legs, sixty-two ears, six wings, and countless costumes and accessories, and what do you have? It’s not a parade, a military pageant, or an anime character. It’s something much better.

These appendages and fancy dress clothes belong to the cast and crew of the Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre, where an assortment of dogs, cats, and other pets, along with their human co-stars, exhibit skills and stunts in a show that is as heartwarming as it is entertaining. And here’s the twist: Every animal in this production was adopted from a shelter. Every. Single. One.

Gregory Popovich is the man responsible for giving these creatures a second chance at life and turning them into superstars in the process. Born in Russia into a circus family, Gregory is a fourth-generation circus performer and veteran of the prestigious Moscow Circus. He came to the United States in 1990 and was the first performer from the Soviet Union to sign a contract and work for Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. When he went out on his own, he followed the advice of his father to always have an act that is different, to make something that is unique. That’s where the pets came in.

Although Gregory began his solo career as a juggler and physical entertainer, he was no stranger to working with pets onstage. His mother had an act with dogs, and he says, “My first babysitters were dogs of my mom!” Having grown up surrounded by animal performers, his ability to communicate with pets comes naturally. Adding trained pets to his act, which was already receiving attention and acclaims, was the logical next step. The idea of pet shelters was new to Gregory, but when he was introduced to the concept by his US friends, he immediately found his cast of characters. When Gregory goes in search of potential performers at a shelter, “They choose me, I choose them.” He never looks for a particular breed, size, appearance, or gender but instead pays attention to their personalities and response to interaction with humans. This applies to cats as well as dogs.

If you have ever owned dogs, you know what people pleasers they can be. And if you have ever been owned by a cat, you know that’s just not how they roll. Gregory explains, “Working with cats is a completely different technique than working with dogs. It’s important to find out what they like to do and what their natural habits are” and each cat performs just one stunt in the show. But it’s not unusual for one of Gregory’s furry friends to go on strike and refuse to perform. “Yes, it happens with cats very often. They all have different moods, and they ignore me. But for each trick or routine I have two to three cats who can do the same trick, and during the show, I can tell which one to select.” That’s right, these cats have understudies. They’re all divas, they all have their limits, and the audience loves them to pieces.

Gregory always refers to his performing companions as pets, not animals. “I work with house pets, dogs and cats,” he explains. “They are my family, and I believe domestic pets need our care and love. I am grateful to live and work with my best friends.” His training techniques are based on intuition, positive reinforcement, and respect for each pet and its natural abilities. They aren’t forced to do things they wouldn’t, or can’t normally do, or which would make them uncomfortable. Nor are they punished, caged, abused, or sedated. Sometimes Gregory will adopt a pet, usually a cat, that just doesn’t take to the stage, but he has never returned a pet to a shelter. “They are still part of our family.” When they are adopted, they get a forever home, even the ones with stage fright.

Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre is based in Las Vegas and alternates a residency at Planet Hollywood’s V Theatre with touring. The pets travel in style in a custom made trailer with air conditioning, heat, and water. Each pet has its own separate area, an added safety feature. Well cared for, they have a regular veterinarian who looks over them from the moment they are adopted. “Each pet has a health certificate, record of the shots, and even travel passports,” Gregory says. “They have more paperwork than me!” When they’re home on their days off, these famous pets are just like yours and mine. The dogs enjoy running, jumping, and swimming, and the cats, in Gregory’s words, “like to lounge and sleep.” Of course they do. Everyone has the option of going outside to play or sleep in the sun.

The cast of Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre isn’t limited to cats and dogs. There are mice, a parrot (who can bark and meow, something he learned from his neighbors), and geese. All of them have names, “Even the mice!” Wait a minute – geese? Gregory tells the story: “I was at the animal shelter and saw a goose there. When I asked the shelter worker how they found a goose, she said a lady moved and brought the goose to the shelter. I decided to try and bring geese on stage and it works great!” There are humans in the show as well and include jugglers, physical comedians, acrobats, and hand balancers. Because the family-friendly show is mostly physical and contains almost no spoken words, it is appropriate for everyone regardless of age, lan-guage, or ability. “It is an international show and doesn’t need translation.”

Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre will return to Fresno’s Tower Theatre for the fourth time on Wednesday, November 30. Gregory will be bringing twelve cats, twenty dogs, three geese, and the newest star of the show, a mini pig named Lucy that will be fun and exciting but hopefully will deliver a message, too. More than an animal loving world-class showman, Gregory Popovich is a vocal advocate for shelter adoption. “Our main message is animals are people, too,” he says. “If, after my show, someone from the audience visits a local animal shelter and adopts a pet, I feel like my message reached out.”

My name is Mallory Moad, and I believe adopted pets are the best kind.

For tickets, contact the Tower Theatre at (559) 485-9050. For more information on Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre, visit comedypet.com, and you can find videos of Popovich Comedy Pet Theatre and interviews with Gregory Popovich on YouTube.

Mallory Moad is a visual/performance artist, vocalist in the jazz band Scats on The Sly and a proud Central San Joaquin Valley native.

by Tom Sims

Last December, a group gathered downtown to read the names of and remember fifty-six identified individuals who had died homeless in Fresno between January and November 2021. The service included readings, short messages, and music from a variety of religious traditions.

I thought of a friend who used to visit me at my church office/coffeeshop/bookstore. I came to trust him so much that I would leave him with the store and the cash register when I needed to run errands. Every time he came, he wanted some Bibles to give away. He had been homeless for years, but he was always thinking of others. He was hard core, not suited for any programs. Nor did he ever ask me for anything for himself. He even tried to pay for his coffee.

Since 1990, the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) has spearheaded a solemn annual tradition: Commemoration of each homeless person who died in the respective city during the preceding year. The commemoration takes place on the shortest day of the year, December 21. The event is planned again for this year on National Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day, December 21. It will be mid-day and the location will be announced.

Meanwhile, Fresno’s homeless people are dying from natural and unnatural causes. On Monday, October 17, 2022, shortly after 4:30 p.m., Fresno Police were dispatched to Santa Clara Street and G Street. When officers arrived they found sixty-one-year-old Billy Cleveland Carrow suffering from an apparent stab wound. Paramedics pronounced the victim dead on the scene.

This was the forty-ninth murder of the year. It was not a statistic. It was a human tragedy. Billy was someone’s loved one.

How many homeless people reside in Fresno?

One estimate is that that Fresno has 216 homeless per 100,000 residents, 18th in the nation in per capita. The Point-In-Time survey says that there are 4,216 persons in 2022 identified as experiencing homelessness in Fresno and Madera Counties of which 2,338 were unsheltered on July 15, 2022.

Dr. Paul A. Toro, Professor of Psychology at Wayne State University in Detroit, believes that such surveys, conducted at night, only account for about one-quarter of the real numbers. He and his Research Group on Homelessness and Poverty have conducted a wide range of studies on homelessness over the past thirty years. Since its inception, Dr. Toro has been a member of the Research Council of the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Paul Thomas Jackson, Secretary and convener of Fresno Homeless Advocates which sponsors the annual memorial, makes this statement alerted me to this assessment from Gerry Bill.

Gerry Bill, professor emeritus in American Studies at Fresno City College and board member of the Fresno Free College Foundation, Peace Fresno and the Fresno Center for Nonviolence as well as co-chair of the Central California Criminal Justice Committee, longtime social justice activist in Fresno and co-founder of and helped establish the Eco Village Project of Fresno stated:

“This is all based on a seriously flawed method of counting homeless—the annual point-in-time (PIT) count, which is done every January. As flawed as it is, the count is the only official number we have to go by. It is a serious undercount, and the actual numbers are probably at least four times higher than the PIT count…”

Jackson summed it up by saying, “If using another statutory definition that relates to federal funding of education, the definition of homelessness embraces a much larger population. Thus, it would be possible to say the number is over 10,000 and likely less than 30,000.”

How does Fresno as a city address the issue?

Recently retired member of Mayor Jerry Dyer’s inner circle, H. Spees, was charged with the city’s response for four years and sought to build coalitions and a unified strategy. According to the city website, Fresno’s engagement can be described as:

• Emergency Solutions Grants – The City works with the Fresno County to jointly issue a Request for Proposals (RFP).
• HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program – In an effort to provide ‘housing-first’ opportunities for the unsheltered population, the City of Fresno recently approved $1 million in HOME Investment Partnerships Program funds to be directed to the Fresno Housing Authority for the formation of a local Tenant Based Rental Assistance (TBRA) program.
• Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) – The City makes available CHDO funds for affordable housing projects which may include the creation of single room occupancy housing.

One recent Public/Private collaboration is the transformation of a motel on Blackstone into Crossroads Village with 165 permanent housing units for the homeless rhcommunitybuilders.com/crossroads-village-1.

In the meantime, one proof of the ongoing crisis is the fact that homeless people are continuing to die of the streets of Fresno.

They are homeless for a wide range of reasons from economic downturns to life crises to mental illness to addiction. No one set of criteria can describe them all. As Zack Darrah, CEO of Poverello House passionately challenged us at last year’s memorial, “We have to do better.” H. Spees echoed that sentiment.

Those who have walked alongside these neighbors with open hearts and listening ears have all heard heartbreaking stories. They have also encountered resilient, caring, and valuable human beings. Each life lost is a person who is irreplaceable.

In a recent Facebook post, one of the organizers of this year’s event, Caryn Kochergen, spoke of the “invisible people” in our community and said, “Love opens our eyes to invisible people.”

Times of memorial, when names are read and individuals are called out, one by one, trigger our sense of the reality and tragedy of this issue. Indeed, it is more than an issue; it is a story made up of countless stories of real people with real lives and real histories. Sometimes, it is easier to forget them.

National Homeless Persons’ Remembrance Day is December 21, 2022. It removes the sheet of invisibility and forces us to look at homelessness in the face. Not just the face, but to look in the faces of people whose names are slowly read, people we have lost in the previous year.

Helping to coordinate this year’s event with Paul Thomas Jackson, secretary of Fresno Homeless Advocates are Caryn Kochergen and Mimi Fanucchi,

Jackson has said, “National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day takes place each year on the longest night of the year, the winter solstice (usually December 21st). 2020 marked the 30th Annual Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day. While we remember those we have lost this year, we cannot let this be the start of another thirty years of growing homelessness.”

Fresno Homeless Advocates do not solicit donations, endorse candidates, or engage in partisan political debates. It does not seek to replace those groups who offer direct services or implement policies at the government level. The advocates, as a trans-partisan, non-profit, communitarian group has addressed a number of issues such as the demolition of an encampments, which it says, “disrupts the lives of the occupants and exposes them to physical and psychological dangers even greater than their unsheltered status, which is already far below minimal standards of health and safety.”

Paul Thomas Jackson points out that “Fresno, California, is Homeless Hotspot #3 in the country…. Arguably, Fresno’s crisis is the country’s worst, since more people within our local homeless population lack shelter than do any other U.S. cities. That is to say, at least 88% of homeless Fresnans are unsheltered; no more than 12% are sheltered. They are working for a ‘home-full community.’ This is the object of our association, the thing we ultimately desire, our final desideratum.”

For more information on the groups activities, advocacy, and discussions, please visit Fresno Homeless Advocates | Facebook. Details about the memorial location will be posted on that page. You can also receive updates by signing up for them at: pastortomsims.typepad.com/the_dream_factory/community-updates.html.

In the meantime:

According to Brandi Angela of Fresno Homeless Advocates, Fresno’s Warming Centers will be open for the winter and include:

1. Maxie L Parks, 1802 E California Ave, Fresno, CA 93706
2. Mosqueda Communty Center, 4670 E Butler Ave, Fresno, CA 93702
3. Pinedale Community Center, 7170 N San Pablo Ave, Pinedale, CA 93650
4. Ted C Wills, 770 N San Pablo Ave, Fresno, CA 93728

Fresno Area Express offers free bus rides to the warming centers as long as the buses are operating.

Groups That Serve the Homeless and Need Your Support:

POVERELLO HOUSE poverellohouse.org

“Believing in the dignity of every person, at Poverello House we work to enrich the lives and spirits of all who pass our way by stewarding the resources made available to us through providential and community support.”

“From January 2022 to August 2022, Poverello House provided over 30,000 nights of shelter through the Village of Hope and Naomi’s House.”

SANCTUARY TRANSITIONAL SHELTER
fresnoeoc.org/transitional-shelter
Fresno EOC Sanctuary Transitional Shelter is located at:

1046 T Street
Fresno, CA 93721
(Between Tulare and Mariposa in Downtown Fresno)
For more information call or text: (559) 931-1444

“Sanctuary Transitional Shelter operates an overnight shelter for homeless or otherwise displaced youth and young adults.”

Overnight Shelter Services. Youth and young adults (ages 18-24) can receive:
• Overnight shelter
• Housing support
• Counseling and supportive services
• Employment and education services

FRESNO MISSION www.fresnomission.org
Rescue. Restore. Empower. Through Christ-centered communities of transformation.

The mission houses thousands of people annually and feeds many more.

EVANGEL HOME evangelhome.com

Mission (from the website):

• To serve women and children in crisis.
• To meet their basic physical needs.
• To promote personal development and responsibility.
• To encourage spiritual growth.
• To uphold and honor Jesus Christ in all we do.

ECO VILLAGE PROJECT OF FRESNO, A Green Solution to Homelessness ecovillagefresno.org
Arthur Dyson and friends guide this venture.

“The Eco Village Project of Fresno provides safe and dignified living spaces in an environmentally sustainable manner, giving each resident the educational, emotional and physical tools, caring support and training to escape the cycle of homelessness.”

NOTE: Founder, Nancy Whitlow, was recently honored. “Valley PBS presented Nancy with the award on March 20, 2021. Fred McFeely Rogers (Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood) was born on March 20, 1928, and these awards are bestowed upon select members of the Central Valley community every year on Mister Rogers’ birthday in honor of his legacy.”

WINGS FRESNO www.wingsfresno.org
Mission Statement: “Affirming every human being’s right to shelter, Wings Advocacy Fresno engages volunteers to serve our homeless neighbors.”

Tom Sims is a local pastor (and Grandpa!), writer, and blogger. Pastor Tom Sims spends time pastoring Granny’s Park Community church, leading 4141 Ministries with his wife, Andrea Sims, writing, teaching, and hosting various websites, blogs The Dream Factory where Ideas can be given room to grow, and Facebook pages such as The Politics of Compassion. You can also find him on Facebook.

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by Lorie Lewis Ham

Here is your weekly reminder that there are also new articles up on our other website KRL News & Reviews! Every week there will be book reviews and giveaways, plus sometimes pet articles, theatre articles, and more! So don’t miss out-if you read us through a subscription that goes to your email you can sign up over on KRL News & Reviews for the same thing for the articles posted there! In the meantime just hop on over there and see what we have up this week!

Also don’t forget to check out our mystery podcast! It’s really simple to listen just click on the link and then click play on whichever episode you want to listen to. While it is also on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts, if you don’t have those just going to the podcast website is as simple as pie! Don’t miss out on the mystery and theatre fun!

For those who read KRL online instead of in your email inbox, here is the player for our new podcast episode that went up this week. This episode features the Thanksgiving mystery short story They Shoot Pumpkins Don’t They? by Margaret S. Hamilton, and it is read by local actor Donna Beavers. For those who read KRL in their email here is the link to the new podcast episode: mysteryratsmaze.podbean.com/e/they-shoot-pumpkins-don-t-they-by-margaret-s-hamilton.

We now also have a Patreon where you can help support the podcast and the magazine and get special perks! You can give as little as $1 a month and it will be greatly appreciated. We also have fun KRL and Mysteryrat’s Maze merchandise at Redbubble as well.

by Lorie Lewis Ham

Oedipus El Rey will be opening this weekend at the Selma Arts Center (SAC). We took a moment to chat with the show’s director Rodolfo Robles Cruz recently to learn more!

KRL: Why did SAC pick this show and how did they learn about it?

Rodolfo: I pitched it to the Selma Arts Center this past summer for their 2022-2023 season. I discovered this show during my time at Fresno State, and was lucky enough to see it performed at CSU, Fullerton in 2020. I was inspired to submit it after Dr. Gina Sandi-Diaz directed Electricidad, which is part of the trilogy by Luis Alfaro, at Fresno State. Our goal is to see all three shows produced in the Valley. Electricidad, Oedipus El Rey, and Mojada.

KRL: What is the basic plot of Oedipus El Rey?

Rodolfo: Oedipus El Rey follows the same journey as the classic Greek Oedipus, he is cursed by the same fate. However, we see an epic journey led by a young man freshly out of prison, through his journey we are infused by the Latine community and culture. It is an epic tale with comedy and tragedy.

KRL: What makes this show unique?

Rodolfo: This show is a marriage of Classic Greek theatre and traditional Mexican Storytelling. Audiences will be enthralled by the mysticism and the magical realism, while enjoying nuanced and fine performances by a talented cast of actors.

KRL: I understand that parts of the show are set in the Central Valley, is this a change that you made?

Rodolfo: Nope! It is written with references to the Central Valley with the primary setting in the L.A. area. It further expands the community and the immigration journey from Mexico to the greater part of California.

KRL: You mentioned that the show carries cultural significance and importance in our Central Valley with our Latine communities, can you expand on that?

Rodolfo: The show is written in the language we as Chicanx people speak. In the classic dialect and in dialogue. With infusions of Spanish weaving in through the script. This show offers such a personal and dynamic look into the lives of many Latine individuals. What I think is so special is that it represents the collective experience we as Latine people have lived through. In these voices, I see my South East Fresno Community. And communities all throughout the greater Central Valley.

KRL: Why do you feel that this type of show and message is important right now?

Rodolfo: I am so lucky and honored to be continuing the work alongside Latine theatre Veterans. People who long before me have pushed for this type of theatre in our community which is so impacted by a Eurocentric vision of theatre. But we in the Valley, who are so vastly composed of BIPOC individuals, need to be pushing shows about our communities, and for our communities. Especially with messages as strong as Oedipus El Rey carries.

KRL: What was the hardest part about directing this show?

Rodolfo: Luckily, it’s been a beautiful and smooth ride. My initial worry was making sure we captured the proper spirit and sense of community this show needs to be successful. My cast has been delightful, eager, and formed a community very quickly. It’s easy to feel comfortable and safe in a room of people who look like you and respect your art.

KRL: What did you enjoy the most?

Rodolfo: My team! Both actors and designers. They’ve worked hard and are taking pride in this show visually and viscerally. And SAC has been such a huge support and resource I have been fortunate enough to work with.

KRL: This is a Valley premiere correct?

Rodolfo: It is!

\KRL: What are the dates, times, and location of the show?

Rodolfo: Friday, November 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 19 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 20 at 2 p.m.
Friday, November 25 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, November 26 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, November 27 at 2 p.m.
Thursday, December 1 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 2 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 3 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Selma Arts Center, 1935 High St. in Selma CA.

KRL: How much are the tickets and where can they be purchased?

Rodolfo: www.selmaartscenter.com/on-stage

Admission: $21 Adults , $19 Seniors / Student / Military, $15 Children under 13
2 student discount nights for $15 tickets for students with Valid ID.

KRL: Anything you would like to add?

Rodolfo: Continue to support local theatre! Thank you, KRL!

KRL: Thank you for chatting with us and for bringing to the Valley what sounds like an amazing show!

Check out more theatre reviews & other local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. And don’t miss out on Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast where we feature mystery stories read by local actors!

Lorie Lewis Ham is our Editor-in-Chief and a contributor to various sections, coupling her journalism experience with her connection to the literary and entertainment worlds. Explore Lorie’s mystery writing at Mysteryrat’s Closet. Lorie’s latest mystery novel, One of Us, is set in the Tower District of Fresno and the world of community theatre!<

by Terrance Mc Arthur

“Be our guest!”

The Good Company Players have invited all to a joyous production of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater through January 8. Feast and enjoy!

If you had a child…or were a child…you probably know the Disney version of Beauty and the Beast forwards and backwards, but there is something about seeing people on the stage that makes it even more…more… than it was before. Theatre is a different kind of magic.

Cast of GCP’s production of “Beauty and the Beast”

Cast of GCP’s production of “Beauty and the Beast”

Peter Hartley, as the Prince who becomes the Beast, booms convincingly with the help of audio reverb. He can be mean and cruel when forcing a father to sacrifice his daughter, or introspective when doubting he will ever escape his curse, and slowly melting as love conquers arrogance. His transformations between forms and makeups are aided by body doubling.

Cast of GCP’s production of “Beauty and the Beast”

Roger Christensen is always a pleasure to see on the stage, and his befuddled look as Maurice, father of Belle and eccentric inventor, is comforting in his doting on his daughter. Zachary Kelley is true to the nature of Gaston’s flunky Lefou, as sycophantic and obsequious as the animated version was.

Among the transformed castle staff, Mrs. Potts and her son, Chip, have always cornered the aww factor. Tracy Jones as the lady teapot is gentle, supportive, and knocks the title song out of the park. Finley Van Vleet (who alternates with Alaric Cameron) is a cheerful, clear-voiced, and wistful Chip, and works with Cameron in the “Be Our Guest “ production number as a Salt to his Pepper.

Cast of GCP’s production of “Beauty and the Beast”

Kaye Migaki’s choreography is energetic, as always. Laurie Pessano’s direction is sure-footed, and her additional choreography turns tin cups into musical instruments and tap shoes (Some judicious script-cutting strengthened the confrontation between Gaston and the Beast). Judith Dickinson coached the vocal interpretations, and creates a unified sound that rings to the rafters. David Pierce’s set miraculously crams a castle and a French village into the Dinner Theater’s pocket-size stage.

This show is a giant, colorful Christmas present to the families of the Valley. Go ahead, bring the kids, and watch them be quiet and attentive . . . and you will be, too.

The show plays at Roger Rocka’s Dinner Theater, 1226 N. Wishon, in Fresno. Tickets can be purchased on their website or by calling the box office at (559) 266-9494.

If you love local theatre, be sure to check out Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast, which features mysteries read by local actors. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and also on podbean.

Check out more theatre reviews & other local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. You can also find more theatre coming up on KRL’s Local Theatre event page.

Terrance V. Mc Arthur worked for the Fresno County Public Library for three decades. He is retired, but not retiring. A storyteller, puppeteer, writer, actor, magician, basketmaker, and all-around interesting person, his goal is to make life more unusual for everyone he meets.

by staff

Computer programming is the most sought skill in 2022. It is the lifeblood of modern life. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to operate like we do today. For instance, imagine what would happen if our computers disappeared tomorrow. No data, no connection, no internet, or no convenience. Can you survive without these facilities that let you move the world at your fingertips? In fact, do you realize that you wouldn’t be reading this article without it? So, the question is, should you opt for computer programming?

Well, studying computer programming or mastering the fundamentals can help you stand out amongst your counterparts and give you a competitive edge in today’s technology-driven world. In addition, learning computer programming also helps the individual by honing their reasoning, logic, communication skills, and perseverance.

While most of us only benefit from the work of programmers, only a few of us can actually read and write code and communicate with computers in their own language. So, if you are a beginner or planning to earn a computer programming degree, here are our top reasons why you should go for it.

Solve Real-World Problems

If you are thinking about how to become a computer programmer, then the first step is to develop a problem-solving mindset. Programmers are commonly known for their ability to hunt down problems and develop solutions.

For instance, Google has revolutionized by offering relevant search results to users looking for information over the internet. Likewise, Facebook allows people to connect and stay in touch with each other regardless of geographical distance.

Similarly, buying rented furniture and ordering food online are all solutions to different problems made possible with the help of computer programming. These solutions improve people’s lives and experiences and lead to technological advancements. Therefore, computer programming can open a new world of opportunities if you have a problem-solving mindset.

Evolve by Staying Ahead of the Curve

One of the most significant advantages of studying computer programming is that it helps you continually evolve and stay ahead of the curve. As a programmer, you must keep fully informed and updated about the latest technology.

For instance, if you are a professional Python developer, you will have to stay abreast of all the latest updates in Python. This is because the previous version may get obsolete in the newer version. Similarly, suppose you are working on enterprise application software. In that case, you will have to optimize and integrate it with the latest organizational changes in processes and business operations.

Thus, if you are well versed in algorithm designs and data structures, you can easily upgrade and evolve with time. As a result, you get plenty of opportunities to excel in your career and polish your skills as a life-long learning opportunity while serving society.

Express Your Creativity

As we know, creativity has no limit. It is not restricted to arts and plays a significant role in computer programming. If you are a creative individual and skilled in computer programming, you not only give machines instructions but also elevate your abstract thinking and bring out creativity.

Since a programmer bridge the gap between an existing problem and its solution, learning and applying programming skills lets you use your creativity and introduce innovative and unique solutions to real-world problems.
For instance, when programmers are tasked with a longing problem, it’s their job to devise a definite solution. They might start with a blank screen, keeping the big picture in mind, but they must use logical thinking and creative problem solving to resolve the issue.

When you understand the relation between your preferred coding languages and relate it to the problem at hand, it pushes you to delve headfirst into the problem and find the best outcome. Alternatively, you can use CSS and HTML if you are a non-tech person, like a writer, or need to improvise a website layout or create a survey. Hence, the possibilities are endless.

A Universal Language

Programming involves coding, and just like mathematics, coding is a universal language. In other words, it remains the same worldwide and doesn’t need to be translated. For instance, if you are a lawyer, you cannot apply the same knowledge worldwide. Different countries have different laws, and thus, a lawyer needs to update their skill set accordingly.

Since programming languages are the same worldwide, you can work anywhere in the world. Moreover, being a computer programmer makes you a highly employable professional and allows you to thrive in any environment.

Applicable to All Industries

If you are a professional whose skill set is needed in all industries equally, you are never out of the game. The same is the case with computer programming, as there’s not even a single industry that can operate without computers.

Therefore, the scope of programming is not restricted to the IT industry. There is a huge demand for programmers in various sectors like manufacturing, medicine, and other rising sectors globally.

If you are a professional, industries will hire you and utilize your problem-solving skills to design unique, advanced, robust systems to enhance their business processes. In addition, with the power of programming, you can help companies improve their sales while effectively managing their logistics and related stuff.

Conclusion

Technology is a wide-open field with several opportunities for computer programmers. These professionals are in high demand worldwide—peace of mind if you are looking for a future career.

With computer programming, you get an attractive salary and the flexibility to do the type of work you want to do in your preferred industry and from wherever you are. Lastly, it gives you a chance to showcase your creative, logical, and problem-solving skills and serve society.

So, whether you want to build the next generation of enterprise solutions or an intriguing mobile app, computer programming can significantly impact your career and life.

Paid Post

by Terrance Mc Arthur

How can there be a play where the star of the show is never seen?

Wellllll, it helps if the star happens to be an invisible, six-foot-tall rabbit.

The answer is Harvey, Mary Chase’s 1944 comedy classic, lovingly presented by the Fresno Pacific University Theater Department through November 19.

FPU’s production of “Harvey” from left to right, Steph Gonzales (Veta Louise Simmons), Joseph Ham (Elwood P Dowd), Alex Hodson (Myrtle Mae Simmons), and Janet Glaude (Mrs. Chauvenet)

Elwood has been played by Jimmy Stewart, Frank Fay, Joe E. Brown, Dooley Wilson (Sam in Casablanca), Art Carney, Donald O’Connor, Harry Anderson, and Jim Parsons. Joseph Ham creates a calm, gentle character, friend to everyone he meets, with an unswerving gaze that sees good in each person (or creature) he meets. He’s low-key, but someone you’d like to meet (a lot like Mr. Ham).

From left to right, Izaiah Ruiz (Dr. Lymon Sanderson) and Joseph Ham (Elwood)

Hodson, is tall, willow-thin, angular, and a hoot, awkward but endearing. She portrays love at first smile with ease.

Sabelosethu Mlaba shows a swaggering ease as Wilson, an orderly at Chumley’s Rest. He gets a rude awakening when Harvey intrudes into his reality in a subtle way. Mlaba alternates in the role with BK Robinson.

From left to right, Joseph Ham, Steph Gonzales, Alex Hodson, and Janet Glaude

Hannah Navia (Mrs. Chumley) is pleasant as Elwood weaves his character’s spell of making people feel good and kindly toward him. Judge Gaffney handles the Dowd legal affairs, and Alex Lujan is gruff, all-business, and prone to righteous indignation. He’s fun to watch.

Joseph Ham (L), Janet Glaude (R)

Elizabeth Fiester directs with a sure confidence that makes the outlandish seem logical . . . and even desirable. Technical director Brandi Martin creates a double-sided set that spins, stretches, and folds to change from one scene to the next. Brooke Aiello’s costumes plant us firmly in the Colorado of 1947, with beautiful dresses, crisp medical wear, and elegant cocktail party attire. The women’s hairstyles are marvelous blasts from the past.

At the curtain call, the loudest cheers and applause are for Harvey when he enters . . . and he does. This is a nostalgic fantasy that will make you wonder about what is really important in life—getting ahead, or kindness. Choose wisely.

Performances will be in the Lin Family Performance Studio, part of the Warkentine Culture and Arts Center, on the main FPU campus, 1717 S. Chestnut Ave., Fresno. Tickets are available at eventbrite.com/e/fpu-theater-presents-harvey-by-mary-chase-tickets-399615078457 or at the door.

*Pooka—a mischievous spirit or sprite of Irish folklore, who often appears as a human-sized animal, magical in nature, and thank you for following the asterisk to find out about me.

If you love local theatre, be sure to check out Mysteryrat’s Maze Podcast, which features mysteries read by local actors. You can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Play, and also on podbean.

Check out more theatre reviews & other local entertainment articles in our Arts & Entertainment section. You can also find more theatre coming up on KRL’s Local Theatre event page.

Terrance V. Mc Arthur worked for the Fresno County Public Library for three decades. He is retired, but not retiring. A storyteller, puppeteer, writer, actor, magician, basketmaker, and all-around interesting person, his goal is to make life more unusual for everyone he meets.

by Cynthia Chow & Krista Davis

This week we have a review of a mystery set at Thanksgiving–A Good Dog’s Guide to Murder by Krista Davis, along with a Thanksgiving guest post from Krista. Details at the end of this post on how to enter to win a copy of the book, and a link to purchase it from Amazon.

A Good Dog’s Guide to Murder: A Paws and Claws Mystery By Krista Davis
Review by Cynthia Chow

It’s the winter holiday season for Wagtail, Virginia, and the pet-centric, pet-friendly tourist attracting town is celebrating with their Christkindlmarket and its annual Wagtail Dog and Cat Gingerbread House Contest. A partner with her Oma in their pet-welcoming Sugar Maple Inn, Holly Miller is enjoying the influx of guests and growth of town business. A new convention center has just been built and is about to open when an old oak tree on the property breaks, sparking controversy over the previous owner’s will which forbade it ever being cut down. Suspicion over cranky Orly Biffle’s motives for his codicil quickly arises when they find shoes cemented inside of the dying tree, shoes that happen to be attached to a human body.

Holly takes on the responsibility of sifting through the missing persons reports as she attempts to discern the identity of the body, eventually narrowing down the list of probables to that of Boomer Jenkins. Their “Fonzie” fled town on a motorcycle twenty years ago, leaving behind a number of broken hearts, jilted fiancées, angry parents, and jealous rivals. His connections to Wagtail residents overlap with a number of Biffle family members and local residents, all of whom either loved or hated him outright. An attack on Holly’s boyfriend Holmes has her assessing her priorities, especially when her own mother unexpectedly arrives in town. Along with the news that her second marriage is ending, Nell DuPuy announces that has come to Holly and Wagtail’s adorable hobbit-like homes and pet-welcoming community with plans on moving in and bringing along Holly’s maternal grandparents. Holly’s previous successful ventures into murder investigations have her working alongside the police as they narrow down suspects, track down a missing young gingerbread baker, and of course, ensure that everyone and their fur babies have a great Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Having sniffed out an inordinate number of dead bodies, it only makes sense that Jack Russell Terrier Trixie would have her own guide advising fellow canines on how to best sniff out crime and assist their humans in solving murders. In this eighth of the series, the adorable short columns from Trixie’s viewpoint are interspersed throughout with her providing her viewpoint on scent tracking and how to pick out nefarious culprits. It’s Holly’s feline Twinkletoes who ultimately comes to the rescue in a rather dramatic fashion though, culminating in a conclusion that is satisfying for those who like their criminals to be unlikable and deserving punishment. This is a delightful holiday read for those who love to indulge their pets, as there is an abundance of recipes and many scenes depicting the bond between humans and their companions. Holly’s family is genuinely likable and engaging, with even her irritable Aunt Birdie showing affection during the admittedly stressful season that brings people together. Pet and human recipes, gingerbread houses, and good old-fashioned sleuthing make this the perfect gift to give and receive during the holiday season.

Cynthia Chow is the branch manager of Kaneohe Public Library on the island of Oahu. She balances a librarian lifestyle of cardigans and hair buns with a passion for motorcycle riding and regrettable tattoos (sorry, Mom).

The Joy of Thanksgiving
By Krista Davis

When I wrote The Diva Runs Out of Thyme, I set it at Thanksgiving because it’s a national holiday that nearly everyone loves. Loads of food, family, friends, parades, and football! There’s a certain happiness about a day (or a long weekend!) off. And unless you’re the one cooking, it’s relatively stressless. There’s no worrying about gifts. No rush to decorate the house inside and out. And there’s a big enough variety of food to accommodate most diets. It’s like a big, relaxed party! You don’t even have to have a table large enough to accommodate everyone because some of the people will be watching football.

Krista Davis

Liesel, better known as Oma, and her granddaughter Holly, own the Sugar Maple Inn. When a member of the Biffle clan is injured in an accident the day before Thanksgiving, Oma and Holly realize that a grand feast and cooking is the last thing the Biffles are thinking about now that one of them is in the hospital. In spite of their differences, Oma and Holly include them in their big Thanksgiving feast. As Oma says, “Of course we will invite them all. We are not at war with the Biffles.”

I think that’s part of the joy and magic of Thanksgiving. It’s a holiday where it’s easy to include friends and neighbors. A great time to make amends and set aside differences. It’s a time to invite people who can’t go to see their loved ones and people who are all alone.

Having been on the cooking end of the holiday, I readily admit that it’s the most intensive cooking holiday for me. Especially when people must have their favorites. “I don’t care what you serve as long as there’s…” Fill in the blank. Cranberries from a can. Cranberries cooked with sugar and orange juice. A pumpkin roll. A pumpkin pie. An apple pie. A pecan pie. Cornbread dressing. Sausage dressing. Oyster dressing. Mashed potatoes. Grandma’s biscuits. It’s a never-ending list, and it is extremely time consuming to cook it all. I usually have to start the Sunday before Thanksgiving to accommodate all the requests. Thank heaven for freezers. But it’s only once a year. And I have heard from friends that they love the cooking part because it’s the only time of the year all the adult sisters can get together, laugh, share memories, and drink wine while they’re cooking. That’s a whole other celebration of love.

Adding people outside the family to your celebration can also have an added benefit. Most people behave better when others are present. That’s not a rule you can count on completely. Add enough booze and someone is likely to start an argument, but hopefully it can be diffused quickly with the appearance of the much coveted pie.

Whether you have dinner delivered or make it yourself doesn’t matter because it’s the joy of togetherness that wins the day.

To enter to win a copy of A Good Dog’s Guide to Murder, simply email KRL at krlcontests@gmail[dot]com by replacing the [dot] with a period, and with the subject line “guide,” or comment on this article. A winner will be chosen November 19, 2022. U.S. residents only, and you must be 18 or older to enter. If entering via email please include your mailing address in case you win, it will be deleted after the contest. You can read our privacy statement here if you like.

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Also listen to our new mystery podcast where mystery short stories and first chapters are read by actors! They are also available on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify. A new episode goes up next week.

You can use this link to purchase the book. If you have ad blocker on you may not see the Amazon link. You can also click here to purchase the book.

Read more about Holly and her furry sleuths Twinkletoes and Trixie in A Good Dog’s Guide to Murder, published by Berkley. The first book in the series is Murder, She Barked. Krista also writes the Domestic Diva Mysteries and the Pen & Ink Mysteries. Like her characters, Krista has a soft spot for cats, dogs, and sweets. She lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia with dogs, cats, and a hidden stash of chocolate. You can learn more on her website.

Disclosure: This post contains links to an affiliate program, for which we receive a few cents if you make purchases. KRL also receives free copies of most of the books that it reviews, that are provided in exchange for an honest review of the book.