The Seven-Year Itch Weekly Link Round-Up

 

I know that some of you probably read the title of this post and mentally pictured Marilyn Monroe standing over a subway grate. (I had a dress like that once, only it was a blue and white print.) However, this time, the seven years has more to do with the weather here in the desert than it does subway grates.

Last week, Phoenix got the most rain it's had in one day in seven years. 1.64 inches of badly needed water fell at Sky Harbor Airport on September 26. (Hey, when your average yearly rainfall total is 7 inches, that 1.64 is a lot of rain!) There was quite a bit of flooding, and I have to admit that I was chewing my fingernails for awhile as the yard became more and more saturated, the water kept running over the curb onto the property, and the levels kept creeping up. Fortunately, Mother Nature smiled on me-- the water came within a gnat's whisker of turning the pool into a mud hole-- but I didn't have to deal with that mess. Whew!

I've told you that I've been decluttering, clearing out, and reorganizing, so I thought I'd share an example. I got the wild idea of finding a shelving unit for the shower stall in the third bathroom that's accessed through the craft room. (It's really more of a "powder room"/"cloak room.") Denis was the primary user of this space, so I included it on my "hit list." Here are Before and After photos of that shelving unit. I can be dangerous when I'm in a Clear Out Mood!

I hope you're all doing fine and well-stocked with good books to read. Virtual hugs to you all. Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Are we entering a new Golden Age of Biography?
• Book banners are everywhere. These lawyers are playing offense.
• Denmark scraps a book tax to fight a "reading crisis."
• Growing up in a library is as magical as you'd imagine.
• The more advanced AI models get, the better they are at deceiving us-- they even know when they're being tested.
• People are trying to "deprogram" their MAGA parents through book clubs.
• The joys of reading a book containing multiple languages.
• How the 2025 government shutdown will impact libraries.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• Archaeologists found both a medieval dungeon and a Roman burial beneath a market square in England.
• Rare wampum beads were discovered at a 17th-century colony in Newfoundland.
• Did ancient Egyptians really booby-trap the pyramids?
• A new study found that a 7-year-old Maya child had a green jade "tooth gem."
• The Titanic's sister ship, the Britannic, sank in 1916. For the first time, divers have recovered artifacts from its wreck.
• The mystery of the small dog in Rembrandt's monumental masterpiece The Night Watch has officially been solved.
• You can buy these Gilded Age jewels that once belonged to the Vanderbilt family.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• What are cats saying when they reach out to touch their humans with their paws?
• Why do big dogs die young?
• This invasive vampire fish is helping researchers understand the human nervous system.
• Chimpanzees consume the equivalent of 2.5 alcoholic drinks per day by eating fermented fruit.
• A rare  blue-and-green hybrid jay spotted in Texas is the offspring of birds whose lineages split 7 million years ago.
• The curious case of "Old Thom," an orca traveling alone in the North Atlantic.
• 15 photographs of bears.

►The Wanderer◄

• 9 unexpected places to see fall foliage in the U.S. (and none of them are in New England).
• A year by year accounting of every country name change within the first quarter of the 21st century.
• Inside China's new wave of conceptually innovative bookstores.
• The states with the most and least national park land.
• Why so many old British homes have bricked-up windows.
• More than 300 hats have been pulled from Yellowstone's geothermal features so far this year.
• Explore 15 classic castles.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Jane Goodall, legendary primatologist and anthropologist, has died at age 91. National Geographic's most iconic Jane Goodall photos.
• 17th-century artist Johanna Koerten was once a bigger star than Rembrandt. Why did history forget about her and her peers?
• How Davy Crockett, the rugged frontiersman killed at the Alamo, became an unlikely American hero.
• In 1909, Theodore Roosevelt embarked on an ambitious expedition to East Africa. Here's why his trip still matters today.
• What Jane Austen's possessions reveal about her literary ethos.
• Breaking barriers and soaring into history: Pittsburgh's "Three Helens" during the Gold Age of Aviation.
• When Picasso saved Matisse's paintings from the Nazis.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• 20 of the best books to read in October.
• Visit Big Sky Country in these mysteries and thrillers.
• 15 whodunits offering a fresh spin on the country house murder mystery.
• 10 Agatha Christie movie adaptions that hit the mark.
• Cool down with these seven frozen desserts found around the world.
• Here are the 596 books being banned by Defense Department schools.
• 8  unexpected mystery writers you didn't know dabbled in crime fiction.

That's all for this week! No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!  

The Girl from Devil's Lake by J.A. Jance

 

First Line: Fertile, Minnesota. 1956. The voices had been with Steve for as long as he could remember.

It should be a time for celebration for Sheriff Joanna Brady. It's the holiday season, and her daughter, Jenny, is graduating from the police academy. Instead, the body of a young boy is discovered caught beneath a flooded bridge, and Joanna is called in to investigate.

The young boy was murdered, and crime scene details tell Joanna two things: this wasn't the killer's first murder, and it's only a matter of time before he kills again. But it's not long until Joanna begins to understand that this murder is just one piece of a much larger puzzle, a puzzle that spans decades and long distances. In tracking down every dangerous lead, Joanna has her work cut out for her.

~

J.A. Jance's Sheriff Joanna Brady series is one that I've loved for years. It's set in Cochise County, Arizona, an area I know well and love, and Jance (who lived in Bisbee) brings the Arizona desert to life. Any reader who loves a cast of characters who grow and change over the years should dive right into these books, starting with the first, Desert Heat. In no time at all, these characters will feel like family.

The Girl from Devil's Lake is a fast-paced dive into how a prolific serial killer can live undetected for decades. Jance doesn't dwell on his crimes, but on how he's managed to blend in-- and how Sheriff Joanna Brady manages to bring him to justice. One of the ways she does it is by occasionally letting readers see things from the killer's point of view.

Joanna has come a long way over the years. Now a seasoned and well-respected sheriff, she has worked hard to develop friends and knowledgeable contacts in law enforcement. I wondered how the series would change as she aged, and having her eldest daughter, Jenny, graduate from the police academy and join the Pima County Sheriff's Department is the perfect choice to keep these stories fresh. 

Reading this book was like catching up with what's been happening with family. The book title also added spice and anticipation to the killer's downfall. From her first appearance, I knew that the girl from Devil's Lake would make her mark. Now I can't wait for the next installment. Seriously, if you are a character-driven mystery-loving reader and you haven't read these books, do it!

The Girl from Devil's Lake by J.A. Jance

eISBN: 9780063252653

William Morrow © 2025

eBook, 336 pages

Police Procedural, #21 Joanna Brady

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley 

A Swedish Solo Weekly Link Round-Up

 

I have always been someone who loves organizing, whether it's my bookshelves or my closets. Storage bins and my label maker are very good friends of mine. However, I can't say that I do it all the time or that everything in this house is perfectly in its place. Years can go by before I'll get a wild hair to start ripping things apart and putting them back together.

I've been under the influence of my latest wild hair for the past couple of weeks. I guess some people would call it Swedish death cleaning, especially since this mood struck after Denis's death. My beloved family group I refer to as KaDaSuMi (you know who you are) helped me with the lion's share of clearing out so many things that I could not have done by myself. What's left are things that I can handle with occasional help from my visiting nurse, Alex.

I've had to clean up after my grandparents' and mother's deaths, and all three of them were packrats. (For example, I found 116 single socks squirreled away in my grandparents' house.) Denis was a semi-reformed packrat, and I'm just about ready to go through the last of his stash areas. 

While I do this, I'm also working through my own stuff as well as all the cupboards, drawers, and anyplace else where things are stored. If something hasn't been touched in years, out it goes to be recycled or donated. I've been moving furniture to make the house easier for me to navigate, and I've set up an area where I can get some of the crafting done that has been piling up. I don't want KaDaSuMi to go through what I have. (Which means that I must have a plan for all my books.)

Labeling my finished knitting projects before putting them back on the shelves.

The weather is finally beginning to cool a bit, and I've been thinking of trips to the Desert Botanical Garden and The Poisoned Pen. I know I need to get out and about. It's good for my physical and mental health, but... part of me dreads going because I'll be solo. Denis has been my beloved companion for so many years that going back to traveling everywhere alone is depressing. Yes, he'll be with me in spirit, but it really isn't the same. I know many of you have already experienced exactly what I'm talking about. However, I lived a good part of my life alone, so I know I can do it again. 

Virtual hugs to you all! Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• Proving that insanity is worldwide, the Taliban has banned books written by women from Afghan universities.
• Why is Barnes & Noble buying up another indie chain?
• Anti-book ban legislation and additional free speech protections are now law in Delaware.
• Richard Osman horrified after scrolling on Amazon to find his books.
• Before drinking coffee, people washed their hands with it.
• Not just a fashion statement: How purses are used as political tools.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• A documentary entitled Cleopatra's Final Secret reveals hundreds of coins and port found in Egypt. But does that mean Cleopatra was buried there?
• 15 archaeological sites revealed by climate change.
• A 3,000-year-old bracelet belonging to an ancient Egyptian pharaoh has been stolen, sold, and melted down for gold.
• Archaeologists have unearthed a treasure-filled tomb belonging to the first known ruler of a Maya city in Belize.
• A boy found a shipwreck on a Scottish beach. It turned out to be a 250-year-old warship from the American Revolution.
• Newly discovered Pompeii frescoes reveal a different-- wild-- side of ancient Roman women.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• Fish are spawning in the Chicago River, another sign the once-contaminated waterway is rebounding.
• Could beavers be the secret to winning the fight against wildfires?
• A jaguar in Brazil has smashed the record for the species' longest documented swim.
• Scientists are mapping the ways octopuses use their complex arms, revealing preferences for certain tasks.
• See 15 breathtaking bird images from the 16th annual Audubon Photography Awards.
• Five astounding ways humans are driving animal evolution, including causing lizards to grow longer legs and leading moth populations to become darker.

►The Wanderer◄

• By counting growth rings, researchers solve the mystery of the Sycamore Gap tree's age.
• This tiny museum in coastal Denmark just surpassed the Louvre in one big way.
• In Greece, where ancient history meets tourist fantasy, the climate crisis is accelerating faster than almost anywhere else in the global north.
• Abandoning daylight saving time could prevent over 300,000 stroke cases a year in the U.S. 
• Is AI good for the planet?
• Set sail on the Erie Canal 200 years after its inaugural voyage.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• Before Stephen Shore became famous, the was a 12-year-old photographer capturing stunning scenes of 1960s New York.
• LeVar Burton has been named the ABA's indie bookstore ambassador.
• Joseph Yoon, the chef cooking a cicada recipe for every palate.
• Activist and writer Mary Church Terrell led the charge for desegregation.
• Four famous American women who were also prolific letter writers.
• The fierce women of Sparta wrestled, danced, and drank.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• The 25 greatest children's books of the past 25 years.
• The six best pet parents in crime fiction.
• The best historical fiction of fall.
• 13 British TV shows Americans like more than British people do.
• An ultimate list of classic mystery books.
• A Collection of Old English Customs, and Curious Bequests and Charities (1842).

That's all for this week! No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!  

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

 

First Line: Dear Netflix, My name is Dominic Eastwood and I'm a big fan of your true-crime documentaries.

Pub owners Sue and Mal Eastwood have revived their isolated rural pub called The Case Is Altered by featuring a weekly trivia game. Then strange things begin to happen. A body is found in a nearby river, and regulars are outraged when a new quiz team appears every week and comes in first. Every. Single. Time.

But the body and the mysterious quiz team aren't the only mysteries at The Case Is Altered. Sue and Mal Eastwood have their own secret, and their past may have finally caught up with them.

Five years later, the pub is derelict, and their nephew Dominic is determined to make a documentary about their story. What really happened at the pub? Does a single question really have the power to kill?

~

Author Janice Hallett is proving herself to be a queen of the plot-driven mystery. As a character-driven reader, I tend to steer clear of these mysteries, but Hallett's stories are proving to be an exception.

The Killer Question is told through newspaper articles, chat forums, emails, and text messages, and I was surprised by how this method of storytelling captured my interest as each clue was teased out. Another enjoyable aspect of the book is showing the behind-the-scenes operation of pub quizzes-- how questions are formulated, how owners pay close attention to how the quizzes affect their sales, and how the quiz teams each seem to have a personality of their own.

Whenever I feel the need to read a plot-driven mystery, I know the author to look for: Janice Hallett. She knows how to get my little grey cells whirring.

The Killer Question by Janice Hallett

eISBN: 9781668083550

Atria Books © 2025

eBook, 448 pages

Standalone Thriller

Rating: B+

Source Net Galley

Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen

 

First Line: January 6, 1947. When the knock came at her door, Maple Bishop was in her living room staring at a tiny family.

Maple Bishop's dollhouse business is thriving, and she even has a second "career" as a crime scene consultant for the local sheriff. When the body of an aspiring firefighter is discovered in a burned cabin, she's called in to help determine if the fire was an accident or arson. This case has even more importance because the dead man was a close friend of Kenny, the sheriff's deputy, and Maple's confidante.

After creating the cabin in miniature, the investigation leads Kenny and Maple to Maple's old Boston neighborhood, so not only must Maple solve the crime, but she must also confront the past she wants to forget.

~

Having had mixed reactions to the first Maple Bishop mystery, Death in the Details, I was interested in what the second, Murder in Miniature, had in store. I'm happy to say that all systems are go, and I'm looking forward to the third book.

Watching Maple create the dollhouses that people want, as well as her miniature crime scene models, fascinates me. This is the major reason why I was first intrigued by this series. Still grieving the death of her husband, Maple has made friends in this small town, and being able to help the local sheriff helps satisfy her in other ways. After all, she's a trained lawyer who's had no success in finding a firm that wants to hire a woman, hence her move to Vermont.

When the complicated investigation takes Kenny and Maple to Boston, we learn more about Maple's past, setting her up for a major decision in the next book in the series. I'm looking forward to finding out the choice Maple makes.

Murder in Miniature by Katie Tietjen

eISBN: 9798892421829

Crooked Lane Books © 2025

eBook, 288 pages

Historical Mystery, #2 Maple Bishop

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

The Times Are A'Changing Weekly Link Round-Up

 

This has certainly been a period of adjustment, and although I wonder how long it's going to last, I know that it will take as long as it takes. My sleep patterns have been disrupted, and now it seems that I'll be sleeping a few hours in bed at night then taking an afternoon nap in my recliner. Whatever works, eh?

I'm also finding it difficult to get back into the swing of blogging. When I come in here and look at my desk and computer, I have the tendency to see them as objects of torture. These past few months, I've spent countless hours on the computer and speakerphone dealing with one uncooperative business after another. As I conquer the last holdouts, this spot will no longer feel like a medieval torture chamber.

I was shocked and saddened at Robert Redford's death. I guess I thought he would live forever. I've been having a Redford movie marathon and remembering the three years I lived in Provo and got to meet the gorgeous man himself a few times. He's the only man besides my husband who made my mind go completely blank. 

And speaking of Denis, this photo reminds me of all the days we spent exploring this wonderful state. This is how I picture him. He's out on the trail, ahead of me, but he's not impatient. He knows how much I love to dawdle.

Virtual hugs to you all. Enjoy the links!

►Books & Other Interesting Tidbits◄

• How polio was eradicated using millions of sugar cubes that helped the medicine go down. (I remember those sugar cubes.)
• How to raise a reader in an age of digital distraction.
• Author Hank Phillippi Ryan goes behind the scenes on a book tour.
• Why would a county evict its public library over $1?
• The Jefferson County (Kentucky) Public Schools ban on cell phones has created a surge in library visits.
• The fear and fascination of Gothic fiction.

►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄

• The man who tried to smuggle 600 looted ancient Egyptian artifacts in three checked suitcases is going to prison.
• An "extraordinary" Roman helmet from a war-ending battle was found in the sea off the coast of Sicily.
• Archaeologists have unearthed ancient clay puppets with open mouths and detachable heads that "resemble modern toy dolls."
• This painting of lounging lions was hanging in a family's living room. It turned out to be an original Delacroix.
• Africa's oldest mummy is a toddler who died 5,400 years ago, nearly a millennium before the Egyptians started mummifying their dead.
• In the muddy banks of North Carolina, student archaeologists may have discovered the remnants of a centuries-old Spanish ship.

►Channeling My Inner Elly May Clampett◄

• A study suggests rodents conquered the world with the help of their thumbnails.
• Five dramatic ways animals respond to human noise.
• Seaweed piles are slowing down sea turtle hatchlings as they make the dangerous trek to the ocean.
• San Diego canines hit the waves with their humans at the 20th Annual Surf Dog Surf-A-Thon.
• A new vaccine could help save Australia's beloved koalas from chlamydia, and it just got approved.
• These bumpy little seahorses are amazing camouflage artists.

►The Wanderer◄

• Researchers may have proven the existence of a secret passageway beneath Milan's Sforza Castle, first depicted by da Vinci in a 1495 sketch.
• See 15 photographs that show off scenes from Spain.
• Fallingwater's roof is leaking. Can this $7 million renovation protect Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece?
• "Books are for everyone." Inside Penguin's hidden archive.
• Ten of the scariest airport landings in the world.
• 515-mile-long "megaflash" of lightning sets a new world record, spanning eastern Texas to west-central Missouri.

►Fascinating Folk◄

• During the Great Depression, Black educator Melva L. Price looked to conflicts abroad for lessons on fighting racism at home.
• Augusta Baker, the legendary children's librarian of Harlem.
• How deaf quarterback Paul Hubbard changed sports forever by inventing the huddle.
• Frank Kameny helped chart a path to liberation for millions of gay Americans.
• (Re)discovering Minerva Parker Nichols, architect.
• John Williams, the famous composer known for Jaws and Star Wars, has debuted his first piano concerto at the age of 93.

►I ♥ Lists◄

• Kirkus Reviews' 20 books to curl up with this fall.
• Eight mysteries for Jane Austen lovers.
• Fifteen non-fiction books that will change the way you think.
• The best books starring archaeologists and treasure hunters.
• Seven movies that changed the world in surprising ways.
• How fifteen British dishes got their names.
• The fifteen greatest Robert Redford performances.

That's all for this week! No matter how busy you may be, don't forget that quality Me Time curled up with a good book!  

Trying to Catch Up on Reviews

 

I'm so far behind in my book reviews that I didn't know where to start until I took a deep breath and realized that the best place to begin was with the books that have been waiting the longest. 

These catch-up reviews are going to be short and sweet, but at least you'll have an idea of what pages I've been turning the past few months! (I'll also provide links to Amazon in each title if you want to learn more about any of the books.)

Let's get started!

The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

#1 Ali Dawson mystery

Rating: A

My Thoughts: Many of you know that I love Elly Griffiths' writing so much that I pre-order the UK editions of her books. In this book, she combines two of my favorites: mystery and time travel. 

A local MP sends time traveler Ali Dawson back to 1850 to answer a question about an ancestor. Good plot twists, a good sense of humor, and a good setup for the next book in the series. I loved fifty-year-old Ali Dawson with her fire engine red hair, working class roots, three ex-husbands, her son Finn, and her Siamese cat, Terry.

Bring on the next book, Elly!

The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict

Standalone Golden Age thriller

Rating: A

My Thoughts: Told from the point of view of Dorothy L. Sayers, five bestselling mystery writers band together against the misogynistic males of the Detection Club to prove they're every bit (if not better) than the men.

The five women: Sayers, Baroness Emma Orczy, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham, and Agatha Christie. I enjoyed how these women approached the investigation and learned how to play to each other's strengths. 

Yes, this is very similar to Rosanne Limoncelli's The Four Queens of Crime, but I much preferred this one.

The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice by Simon Parkin

Non-Fiction

Rating: A

My Thoughts: In the summer of 1941, German troops surrounded the Russian city of Leningrad and began the longest blockade in recorded history, one that would ultimately claim the lives of three-quarters of a million people. 

I learned so much from this book, not only about the siege of Leningrad, but also about seed banks, their importance, and the lives of the botanists who chose to risk starvation in order to preserve those seeds. Mind-boggling history that I couldn't devour fast enough. (Somehow the pun seemed inevitable. Sorry.)

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

Standalone Historical Mystery

Rating: B+

My Thoughts: Lawhon's The Frozen River was one of my Best Reads of 2024. I was so impressed that I wanted to read more of her work.

Once again inspired by a real-life unsolved mystery, Lawhon spins the tale of Judge Joseph Crater, a man who steps into a cab and disappears just as rumors of corruption begin to  circulate about him. Thirty-nine years later, his wife Stella is ready to reveal what she knows. It's a story that involves not only Stella herself, but a showgirl named Ritzi and the Craters' maid, Maria Simon.

This was so entertaining that I will be looking for more of Ariel Lawhon's books. She's one of my favorite discoveries of the past two years.

Well, I made a little dent in my list of reviews. Have you already read any of these books? Which ones? What did you think of them? Or... did I tempt you to add any of them to your own reading lists? Inquiring minds would love to know!

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson

 

First Line: Today sees the publication of Deadline, the latest novel by bestselling author, Elín S. 

Jónsdóttir.

Young police officer Helgi Reykdal's life is looking up. He's in a new, happy relationship with Aníta and is enjoying the simple pleasures of being with her and immersing himself in his favorite crime novels. When he's assigned to look into the disappearance of a bestselling novelist, he can't wait to prove himself.

His superior officer tasks him with finding out where the missing woman is before her disappearance is leaked to the press, but there are absolutely no clues, and Helgi has to begin at the beginning by interviewing all the people who know her best.

But as his interviews progress, Helgi learns that the novelist's life wasn't what it seemed. In fact, it's even stranger than the bestselling mysteries she wrote.

~

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer is Helgi Reykdal's second appearance (after Death at the Sanatorium). The young police officer is the replacement for Hulda Hermannsdóttir, who is the main character in Jónasson's superb Hidden Iceland trilogy. Helgi is intrigued by Hulda, a difficult woman who seems to have vanished into thin air, but he's thrilled to be given the task of finding Iceland's bestselling author, Elín Jónsdóttir. His greatest pleasure in life-- besides his burgeoning relationship with Aníta is to bury himself in his favorite mystery novels, and Jónsdóttir is one of his favorite authors.

This book is written in the style of Golden Age mysteries, combining Helgi's investigation with segments of a taped interview with the missing woman. That investigation on its own kept me fully engaged, but what brings The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer to the next level is the inclusion of Helgi's personal life. In many ways, Helgi is better suited to being an armchair detective. He is extremely non-confrontational and naive, qualities which can be dangerous in a police officer's life and oftentimes bad in personal relationships. Jónasson takes a page from Alfred Hitchcock's playbook by letting readers know more about what's actually happening around Helgi. As I read, my feeling of dread continued to build, and by the book's conclusion, I now have to know two things: (1) what happens to Helgi now, and (2) will he ever discover what happened to Hulda? 

The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson 

Translated from the Icelandic by Victoria Cribb

eISBN: 9781250408273

Minotaur Books © 2025

eBook, 282 pages

Police Procedural, #2 Helgi Reykdal

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley