Colour Scheme - Classic Mystery Review

Goodreads: Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source: Purchased

Description: Often regarded as her most interesting book and set on New Zealand's North Island, Ngaio Marsh herself considered this to be her best-written novel. It was a horrible death -- Maurice Questing was lured into a pool of boiling mud and left there to die. Chief Inspector Roderick Alleyn, far from home on a wartime quest for German agents, knew that any number of people could have killed the English exiles he'd hated, the New Zealanders he'd despised or the Maoris he'd insulted. Even the spies he'd thwarted -- if he wasn't a spy himself!

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This is the next Marsh book I had on my shelf.  

My Impression: I think this is the first Marsh book I've read that she set in her native New Zealand and I really enjoyed it.  It definitely has a different feel from her traditional English village mysteries but her ability to draw unique and interesting characters is the same.  This book was published in 1943 so I was expecting some datedness regarding different cultures, but I was pleasantly surprised.  There is a clear difference between the British Claire family and their guests and the local Māori community but there is a lot of respect between the two groups as well as appreciation for the Māori culture and traditions.   Though they are a little horrified by Simon Claire's strong New Zealand accent.  Marsh has a very dry and sometimes sly sense of humor, and this is very much on point in this book - especially with Dr. Ackrington and Geoffrey Gaunt.  

It takes quite awhile for the actual murder to happen but there is a growing sense of unease as the story develops.  Something is definitely not right at this out of the way resort and it's more than just the Claire family's casual incompetence.   Marsh can get a little overly indirect with her details which took away some of the impact when the death happens.  As well, I'm not quite sure how I felt about the relationship that develops between two of the characters.  

This is an enjoyable mystery and definitely a bit different from the typical classic mystery.  This isn't my favorite Marsh mystery so far, but I did enjoy it.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! I'm looking forward to reading more of her mysteries.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you're a mystery fan this is an interesting read and one worth picking up.

Friday Fives - Five Books By Some of My Favorite Authors I Have Yet to Read

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. My focus this year is on my favorites and right now I'm looking at some of my favorite authors and what books by them that I haven't read yet.

1.  Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts - I avoided some of her more fantasy books because that isn't my usual genre but lately I've been enjoying fantasy books more and more so I'm looking forward to picking this trilogy up.  Roberts' books aren't always 5 stars but they're always satisfying.

2.  The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor - This book has been on so many of my want to read lists since it came out.  I have really enjoyed everything I've read by this author but somehow this one just never quite gets to the top of the list.  

3.  Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry - I love this author's books and a previous one involving Lewis (Once Upon a Wardrobe) is on my Top Ten Favorite books.  I don't always love historical fiction that focuses on actual people but this author has yet to let me down so I have high hopes.

4.  At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities by Heather Webber - I love Heather Webber's books and have a few on her backlist to read.  This may be the one I pick up this summer.

5.  Fool Errant by Patricia Wentworth - I've read most of Wentworth's books and at least met all of her main characters - except for Benbow Smith. I need to hunt down some of her earlier books and this one is top of my list.

Recipe Thursday: SkinnyTaste's Slow Cooker Santa Fe Chicken

One of my goals for 2026 is to sort through all the recipes I have laying around tucked into folders and notebooks as well as my gigantic Pinterest/food blog collection that hasn't been touched in years.  I've been having quite a good time with it.  I enjoy cooking but it can become a chore pretty easily and this has made it a lot more fun for me as I feel like I'm working on a project.   Around here we've taken to calling it Recipe Thunderdome as all recipes have to be auditioned before earning their place in the final recipe binder. 

*For context I'm a reasonably capable home cook but one who is often trying to multitask and who is pretty much completely self-taught. *

Cookbooks aren't exempt from the Thunderdome and here's this week's candidate from The Skinnytaste Cookbook by Gina Homolka

Slow-Cooker Santa Fe Chicken

1 (14.4 oz) can Swanson 99% fat free chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can low sodium black beans, rinsed and drained

2 c frozen corn kernels

1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies (ie Rotel)

1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro

3 scallions, chopped

1 t garlic powder

1 t onion powder

1 1/4 t ground cumin

1 t cayenne pepper

1/4 t kosher salt

1 1/2 lb chicken breasts

In a slow cooker, combine the broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, and cayenne.  Season the chicken with salt and lay it on top.  Cover and cook on low for 10 hours or high for 6 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, remove the chicken, shred it with two forks and return it to the slow cooker.  

Changes:  I left out the cilantro because I hate cilantro with a fiery passion and the corn because somehow, I completely forgot to pick it up at the grocery store and didn't realize it until I was in the middle of putting this together.

Thoughts on Recipe Difficulty: Super easy.  I pretty much just dumped everything in the slow cooker and walked away for 6 hours.  

Cook Time:  Prep time is maybe 10 minutes plus another 5 to shred the chicken

Served With: Cornbread

Results:  This was good, flavorful and super easy.  I definitely won't forget the corn next time as I think the texture and the touch of sweetness would really make it better.  This made enough for 2 of us to have a dinner and then enough leftovers for at least another meal without ending up with a vat of soup.  

Verdict: Survived! 

Whose Body in the Library - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Whose Body in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #13) by Eva Gates

Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)
Source: Publisher

Description:  While Lucy McNeil is enjoying her new job as the mother of twin boys and library director, new librarian Nichelle Gilchrest has just arrived at the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library, reporting for duty. But life throws a wrench on Nichelle’s first day when she finds a body on the steps–a body that bears a startling resemblance to her father who disappeared on a fishing trip to the Outer Banks thirty-eight years ago.

Fingerprints confirm the dead body is indeed Nichelle’s father, now living in Nags Head under the name Brian Saunders. Brian had been befriending older lonely women in exchange for money, but was he working alone?

Detective Rhonda Thomas is on the case and the suspect list is only getting longer. Sorting through the wronged women and their relatives, Detective Thomas discovers Nichelle’s own brother Brad had been in Nags Head a few days before the murder happened and has been lying about his whereabouts.

Hoping to clear her brother’s name, Nichelle decides to investigate what happened. With seasoned sleuth Lucy’s gentle encouragement for the amateur, Nichelle is in for an exciting and dangerous first week at the library.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book: I've really enjoyed this series so far and the premise of this one with a new main character was intriguing.  

My Impression: I've been a big fan of this series since the beginning, so I was super excited to pick this latest book up.  I was intrigued by the idea of a new primary character with the addition of Nichelle and was really pleased with the result.  With long running cozy series (and probably any series) you can get a certain sameness the later it gets into the series.  This was very cleverly done.  There's the same setting and side characters that I've grown to love over the years though some roles have changed but a new perspective on it all.  The mystery was also a good choice for this new path and it gives the reader a good chance to get to know Nichelle and her backstory but in a way that shows and not tells.  

I really like Nichelle and enjoyed watching her learn her way around town.  The mystery kept me hooked and I wasn't sure how it was going to work out.  I thoroughly enjoyed getting there. I'm hoping there will be more books in the future as Nichelle is a great lead character and I'm looking forward to seeing more develop with the other side characters - especially Sam (the former lead detective) as he gets used to retirement.  

This is a fun cozy mystery series with a great beachy AND bookish setting.  It has a fun group of side characters and a great sense of community.   It is probably best read in order but you could jump in just with this one without too much issue.  If you're a fan of cozy mysteries this series is a fun one.

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I've really enjoyed every book in this series and am excited to see the next book.  

Would I Recommend this Book? If you are a cozy mystery fan this is a must not miss series.  

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Bookish Wishes

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is Bookish Wishes where you're supposed to list books I want to buy.  I buy books like it's my job and between that and a really great library and a bit of a NetGalley habit I really don't need any books.  So instead I'm going to make a list of general additions I wish I could add to my reading life.

1.  More reading time - I read pretty fast and am usually able to read multiple books at a time.  Unfortunately, I frequently have to do things involving my son's school, or work, or basic house stuff like laundry and cooking dinner.  All of these get in the way of reading (or getting through my To Watch list which is getting pretty substantial)

2.  To be instantly comfortable and alert when I sit down to read - This past month I've really struggled with migraines which has cut down on my reading.  And there are times where by the time I get settled down to read I'm only able to read a few pages before falling asleep.  I'd like that when I do pick up a book all of that goes away.

3.  For the used bookstore to have the exact backlist book I'm looking for - I'll also be good with having the next book I need in a series every time.

4.  For some of the authors that I enjoy but don't publish regularly to write faster without sacrificing quality - If an author writes one book a year I'm okay with that but there are a few whose books I enjoy who aren't quite as regular (Kate Morton comes to mind).

5.  To see less miscommunication in cozies and romances - I hate when I spend half the book screaming at the characters to JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER

6.  Time to organize my bookshelves - I've turned a guest bedroom into a library/reading room and I have a lot of bookshelves (though I could probably use another one or two) but I haven't really organized them exactly how I want them.  However, the idea of clearing out all the bookshelves and redoing them is more than a little intimidating and there's always something else that needs to get done.

7.  A book series based on solving cases with Investigative Genetic Genealogy - I have fallen down a rabbit hole with the DNA:ID podcast and the Paul Froncziak case (there's a podcast, a few books and tons of different episodes TV and podcast.  If you're interested in cold cases look into it - you won't regret it) and I would love to see that fictionally represented better than I have so far.  If you can think of any books that fit this description let me know.

8.  Read faster- I read fairly fast but there are so many books I want to read that I really wish I could read faster so I could get to them sooner!

9.  To be less distracted when I read - I'm starting to work on this but it's so hard to stay focused sometimes when I'm read during the day.  The phone is definitely a problem though this is what I'm working on but there are all kinds of things that catch my attention and then once I put my book down I'm not very likely to pick it back up.

10.  To have a full week where I don't have to do anything else and I can just lock myself in my reading room and just read one book after another.  - I'm not sure if I could actually do this without getting a little stir crazy but it sounds like absolute heaven.

What are some of your bookish wishes?

Reading What I Love - Year One by Nora Roberts

The last few years I've made a list of 10 books - 5 books off my shelf, 5 books from the library - that I'm really wanting to read.  There's no real rhyme or reason.  I just go through my library list and my shelves and pick the books that are calling to me.  My focus in 2026 is reading books I think I'll love - or at least really enjoy.

Goodreads:  Year One (Chronicles of The One #1) by Nora Roberts

Blurb:  The sickness came on suddenly, and spread quickly. The fear spread even faster. Within weeks, everything people counted on began to fail them. The electrical grid sputtered; law and government collapsed--and more than half of the world's population was decimated.
Where there had been order, there was now chaos. And as the power of science and technology receded, magic rose up in its place. Some of it is good, like the witchcraft worked by Lana Bingham, practicing in the loft apartment she shares with her lover, Max. Some of it is unimaginably evil, and it can lurk anywhere, around a corner, in fetid tunnels beneath the river--or in the ones you know and love the most.

As word spreads that neither the immune nor the gifted are safe from the authorities who patrol the ravaged streets, and with nothing left to count on but each other, Lana and Max make their way out of a wrecked New York City. At the same time, other travelers are heading west too, into a new frontier. Chuck, a tech genius trying to hack his way through a world gone offline. Arlys, a journalist who has lost her audience but uses pen and paper to record the truth. Fred, her young colleague, possessed of burgeoning abilities and an optimism that seems out of place in this bleak landscape. And Rachel and Jonah, a resourceful doctor and a paramedic who fend off despair with their determination to keep a young mother and three infants in their care alive.

In a world of survivors where every stranger encountered could be either a savage or a savior, none of them knows exactly where they are heading, or why. But a purpose awaits them that will shape their lives and the lives of all those who remain.

The end has come. The beginning comes next.

Why I Think I'll Love This One: I typically enjoy Nora Roberts' books and I've been enjoying fantasy more lately, so I thought I'd revisit this one which I skipped when it came out.

My Thoughts:  While I've been enjoying fantasy more lately I typically lean towards the cozier fantasy side of things or at least quest based.  This was decidedly not that.  There's nothing cozy about this book and the focus from start to finish is just survival.  The world has ended, society has broken down and people with magical powers - stronger since the Doom started - are hunted on all sides.  This is an ensemble cast who for the most part didn't know each other before but are all united by the goal to survive and create some kind of community.  Because of the ensemble cast and the general grimness of the world I struggled to become invested with the story at the beginning, and it took me a bit to figure out who was who. I never wanted to stop reading it but I wasn't flying through it.  And then everything came together.  It took me 3 days to read the first 100 pages and then 1 day to read the final 300.  This isn't my favorite Nora Roberts book and definitely isn't a book I'll reread but I will definitely be picking up the next book in the trilogy very soon.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

All Creatures Great and Small - Classic Nonfiction Review

Goodreads: All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot

Rating: Loved It (5 Stars)
Source: Purchased

Description: Delve into the magical, unforgettable world of James Herriot, the world's most beloved veterinarian, and his menagerie of heartwarming, funny, and tragic animal patients.

For over forty years, generations of readers have thrilled to Herriot's marvelous tales, deep love of life, and extraordinary storytelling abilities. For decades, Herriot roamed the remote, beautiful Yorkshire Dales, treating every patient that came his way from smallest to largest, and observing animals and humans alike with his keen, loving eye.

In All Creatures Great and Small, we meet the young Herriot as he takes up his calling and discovers that the realities of veterinary practice in rural Yorkshire are very different from the sterile setting of veterinary school. Some visits are heart-wrenchingly difficult, such as one to an old man in the village whose very ill dog is his only friend and companion, some are lighthearted and fun, such as Herriot's periodic visits to the overfed and pampered Pekinese Tricki Woo who throws parties and has his own stationery, and yet others are inspirational and enlightening, such as Herriot's recollections of poor farmers who will scrape their meager earnings together to be able to get proper care for their working animals. From seeing to his patients in the depths of winter on the remotest homesteads to dealing with uncooperative owners and critically ill animals, Herriot discovers the wondrous variety and never-ending challenges of veterinary practice as his humor, compassion, and love of the animal world shine forth.

Genre: Nonfiction

Why I Picked This Book: I read this book decades ago and remember enjoying it but nothing about it.  I've been wanting to watch the latest television adaptation but wanted to reread the book before I did so.

My Impression:  This was my slow read for most of May and it was an absolute delight. I don't have any experience with livestock and this book doesn't have me wanting to run out and get cows or horses but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Herriot's experiences with caring for them and a wide assortment of other animals.  Frequently this care takes place in inhospitable weather and quite often with helpers who offer more opinions than actual help.  

Herriot has a slightly dry, somewhat self-deprecating but always present sense of humor.  There are poignant moments, humorous moments, and tense ones but all very human.  My favorite story was the little Pekinese Tricki Woo though there were a number of others that stand out to me.  I did wonder how Herriot survived without throwing something directly at Seigfried's head as he is quirky and absentminded to the point of maddening.  This was an interesting, entertaining and sometimes poignant read.  Each chapter is fairly stand alone and it makes for a wonderful slow read.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely!  I'm looking forward to reading more of Herriot's work as well as watching the TV adaptation.

Would I Recommend this Book? I would!  This was a wonderful read that I really enjoyed.