Friday, December 08, 2017

A Real-Life Mystery Weekly Link Round-Up



There was a real-life mystery going on here last week. We live in a cul de sac, and a fence surrounds the property. Back in the days when we had much rowdier neighbors, it wasn't unusual for everyone to use the area in front of our house to park and block our driveway. The neighborhood seems to be undergoing a kinder, gentler phase, but when I walked past the front door and glanced out the window at about 1 AM last Thursday morning, I noticed a large white vehicle parked where it was blocking the drive.

Eight hours later when Denis went out to hop in the car to go to his dentist appointment, the vehicle was still there, and he couldn't get out. He walked to the dentist but was so clogged up by auto exhaust and pollen that his new crown had to be rescheduled. When he walked back home, the vehicle was still blocking the drive. Denis had to call and cancel his appointment with the hearing aid folks, but he still had some shopping to do. So he called the non-emergency number for the police and told them the situation.

To cut a very long process short, the car had been loaned to a young woman who left it at the end of our driveway, unlocked, and no one knew where she was. The vehicle owner's wallet, credit cards, and ID were in the unlocked vehicle. (What git leaves that stuff in his vehicle--even if he's not loaning it to someone?) The police got in touch with the owner who came and drove away in his property. Finally, Denis could run the rest of his errands. But what happened to the girl?

I doubt that we'll ever learn what happened, so I think I'd better mosey out to the corral to get those links ready for you. Head 'em up! Moooooooooooove 'em out!


►Books, Movies & Other Interesting Tidbits◄


►Channeling My Inner Indiana Jones◄
  • The mysteries of a shipwreck hundreds of years old off the coast of Italy are being revealed by 3D scanning.
  • A rare Roman sundial has been uncovered in Italy.
  • A 260 million-year-old forest that existed before the dinosaurs has been discovered on Antarctica. 
  • A mysterious blocked passage discovered near a Mayan temple could unlock secrets of this ancient civilization.
  • Archaeologists are finding buried treasure at the Abbey of Cluny in France.
  • An ancient Egyptian mummy wearing a golden sky god mask has been discovered in a long-lost sarcophagus.


►Channeling My Inner Elly Mae Clampett◄
  • How fruit fly brains could improve our search engines.
  • See a brilliant blue butterfly take flight for the first time.
  • How O-Six became the most famous wolf in the world. 
  • This rock art may be the earliest depiction of dogs.

►Fascinating Folk◄
  • Joe Ide: Creating a complicated hero from the 'hood. 
  • Lee Child shares tips for using research and dialogue in writing.

►I ♥ Lists◄



That's all for this week! Don't forget to stop by next Friday when I'll be sharing a freshly selected batch of links for your surfing pleasure.

Have a great weekend, and read something fabulous!



8 comments:

  1. Now I'm interested in this puzzle about what happened to the young woman. Car's owner doesn't know what happened. It could be the beginning of a work of crime fiction. Was she murdered? Being held hostage in a house? Picked up by a car -- voluntarily or involuntarily? Is the vehicle's owner lying?

    Maybe Barbara Peters could find a local author to write about this mystery.

    Meanwhile, how is Alexa doing? Is she helping with the holiday decorations or making comments?

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    1. Alexa has been minding her Ps and Qs--following voice commands and otherwise staying quiet.

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  2. Oh, I want to know what happened to that woman, Cathy! I hope she's all right. If you find out, I hope you'll let us all know. What an intriguing story...

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    1. I doubt that I'll ever find out what happened, but if I do, I'll let y'all know.

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  3. I have two questions and wonder if you can help: One is do you know of any good mysteries written by people under 30? I've read a few this year but don't know the ages of the writers.
    And also, how long ago do mysteries have to have been written to be considered "classics"? Obviously the Great Detective Holmes. But what about John Dickson Carr's books? Or Ross MacDonald's?

    I am trying to finish a global challenge and a book bingo. Have one book to go for the challenge and three for the bingo.

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    1. I'm a bit rushed for time at the moment, so I don't know how much help I'll be. I did a rudimentary search but all the authors under 30 didn't write mysteries.

      As far as "classic" mysteries, the Golden Age of mysteries is generally considered to be the 1920s and 1930s. I would extend that into the 1940s, so Carr and MacDonald should qualify.

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  4. Thanks on the classics.

    And I found a book by an under-30 writer which I have wanted to read anyway: "I am Malala." Wonderful young woman who won part of the Nobel Peace Prize.

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    1. I saw that book listed in the search that I did. She is a remarkable young woman, and I admire her deeply.

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