A SMALL DEATH IN THE GREAT GLEN

Joanne works as a typist for the local newspaper. Her husband and mother-in-law think it's shameful for a woman to be working, much less riding a bike and wearing pants. Joanne has to deal with the shame that her husband is abusive. Then things in town are totally shaken up when a young boy is found dead in the canal. Joanne's daughters were playmates of the boys' and they insist that he was taken by the "hoodie crow". Joanne's co-workers at the newspaper are determined to follow the first real newstory in ages and help find the killer.

I am not sure that this first novel by A.D. Scott was a great mystery but it sure was a fun setting for the book. The time is the 1950's in Scotland. People are still recovering from the war. Women's roles are still pretty traditional. The characters were very enjoyable. I am hoping that this will be the beginning of a new series.

Rating - A-

BACK OF BEYOND

Cody Hoyt is a cop whose life is running of track. He smokes like a chimney and after finally getting sober, he finds his AA sponsor dead. It might look like an accident followed by a fire to most people but Cody isn't buying it. He vows to do whatever it takes to find out who killed the man who helped him so much. It seems like Cody's obsession with the case may ruin his career but that doesn't seem to be enough to scare him into following the rules.

I am a fan of C.J. Box's Joe Pickett series but I loved Blue Heaven and now this new standalone. Cody is certainly not a saint, nor an easy man to admire but he is loyal and a very good cop. The struggle to find a killer in Yellowstone included plenty of twists and turns and it took me quite awhile to figure out who the real killer was. I found it to be a great read!

Rating - A

MY LUCKY LIFE

Dick Van Dyke has had a very rich show business career spanning over 60 years. It was great fun to hear him talk about all of the different things he did before he got his big break in show business with "The Dick Van Dyke Show". He loved to sing, dance and make others laugh. Dick said he made a decision to make only movies and shows that he could watch with his kids and not be ashamed of. He is very frank about his issues with alcoholism. After a very long marriage, he got involved with another woman and spent nearly 30 years with her, too. The book is a very genuine look at his life and I found it very enjoyable.

Rating - A

BLOOD, BONES AND BUTTER

This is the story of a woman who became a chef somewhat by default. She learned about cooking and developed a love of good food from her French mother. The story is also about a very dysfunctional family. When her parents divorce, Gabrielle is pretty much left to fend for herself. She started working in restaurants at age 13. She grew up fast and made plenty of mistakes. Along the way, she tried college and even got her masters but found that cooking was her true love. The author also left her lesbian lifestyle to marry an Italian. Much of the book describes their summer visits to Italy with their children to stay with her husband's family.

I enjoyed listening to this book. The descriptions of food were wonderful, but often the foreign foods were not described so that I really knew what they were. Even at the end of the book, I wasn't sure if I liked the author. She was a very hardworking woman who obviously knew her craft but at times, I found her very demanding of those around her and very unforgiving.

Rating - B-

PURGATORY RIDGE

Cork and his wife are working at getting their marriage back together when some issues return. Protesters are trying to shut down the logging business which involves the reservation that Jo represents. When the protests turn violent and a man is found burned to death, Cork cannot help his desire to get involved. When people start talking about Cork running for sherrif, Jo is fearful because she knows it could bring up the secrets of her past. A kidnapping changes everything for both Cork and Jo.

I really do enjoy William Kent Krueger's books. Cork O'Connor and his family are very real. They are not perfect but they are very likable. This book was filled with drama and plenty of twists and turns. Once again, I'll be looking forward to the next in the series.

Rating - A-