The Case of the Man who Died Laughing by Tarquin Hall

Author Tarquin Hall really knows how to set the stage in his book, “The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing.” The sights and sounds of modern India are a major part of this intriguing mystery. Private investigator Vish Puri looks into the death of Dr. Suresh Jha, well-known for unmasking fraudulent swamis and godmen. Dr. Jha died in a fit of laughter at his morning yoga class when a vision of the goddess Kali appeared in a cloud of smoke and ran him through with a sword.

   While Puri is trying to find the murderer, his wife and mother have a mystery of their own. During one of their ladies’ get-togethers, two masked bandits robbed them. They’re determined to solve the crime, without telling Puri.

   The audiobook, narrated by Sam Dastor, is wonderfully entertaining. Highly recommended, especially to readers of Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series.

The Cat, the Lady and the Liar by Leann Sweeney

Rich and eccentric Ritaestelle Longworth's cat has gone missing, and Jillian Hart has been called by the animal shelter director to discreetly check out the situation. He doesn't want to return the cat to an unsafe house.

Jillian finds the Longworth household suspicious and silent. Ritaestelle has been accused of shoplifting at local stores, and relatives hint that her mental state may be in question.

When Ritaestelle shows up at Jillian's door at night in her bathrobe, she tells her she suspects her family is poisoning her. But when Jillian discovers the body in the lake, both she and Ritaestelle are under suspicion.

Plenty of suspects and plenty of cats add up to an entertaining mystery with a likeable amateur sleuth.

May's Books

Dock Bass suspects his wife is cheating on him with his boss. When Dock gets a letter from a lawyer in Gettysburg telling him he’s inherited a house, he packs his truck and heads off to take a look. “Busted Flush” by Brad Smith combines history, mystery and humor in this tale of a man who refuses to be bought.

Dock discovers a secret workshop in his new house which may contain authentic civil war relics. In this history-mad town, everyone wants a slice of what Dock has found. That includes Amy Morris, TV news superstar who would rather be chasing down a hot political scandal in Aruba.

Great cast of characters and a plot that includes a lot of colorful civil war history and Abraham Lincoln background.

 

American Boy by Larry Watson
Six Years by Harlan Coben
Carte Blanche by Jeffery Deaver
Busted Flush by Brad Smith

April's Books

Oshkosh resident Jess Riley follows up her successful first novel with “All the Lonely People,” the story of Jaime Collins and her dysfunctional family. After a particularly awful Thanksgiving dinner, when Jaime throws the mashed potatoes at her brother, she advertises on Craigslist for a new family. But even a handpicked  family comes with faults.

The laugh-out-loud moments are found among the chapters that come uncomfortably close to painful truths. The back cover of the book says. “Dedicated to anyone who has ever wanted to unfriend a relative on Facebook.”

Death of Yesterday by M.C. Beaton

Bonnie of Evidence by Maddy Hunter

Visiting Tom: a man, a highway, and the  road to roughneck grace  by Michael Perry

Unnatural Acts by Stuart Woods

Great Lakes Circle Tour: reliving history along Lake Michigan's circle tour route by Bob Schmidt

Life at Home in the 21^st Century: 32 families open their doors by Jeanne Arnold

Murder for the Halibut by Liz Lipperman

Monkey Love and Murder by Edith McClintock

All the Lonely People by Jess Riley

March's Books

What I read in March.

 

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to drive the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Author Dave Ihlenfeld spent a year doing just that, and chronicled his adventures his adventures in “Dog Days: a year in the Oscar Mayer wienermobile.” He learned that there are only so many hot dog related puns you can take. Read it with relish.

  

Not Quite What I was Planning: sic word memoirs by writers famous and obscure from Smith Magazine
Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough
Farewell Dorothy Parker by Ellen Meister
Farm Chicks Christmas by Serena Thompson
The Cooking Mom by Amy Hanten
The Proud Tower: a portrait of the world before the war, 1890-1914 by Barbara Tuchman
Dog Days: a year in the Oscar Mayer wienermobile by Dave Ihlenfeld
Dropped Names: famous men and women as I knew them by Frank Langella
Buried in Buttercream by G.A. McKevitt
The Cooking Mom Cooks Up Memories by Amy Hanten
Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy
Classic in the Barn by Amy Myers
Middle of Nowhere by Ridley Pearson

February's Books

In Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, baked from scratch cupcakes are decorated with eyepopping prosting and garnishes. The results are spectacular, but for ome cupcakes expensive ingredients or special equipment is needed. Still, a visual feast.

Martha Stewart's Cupcakes: 175 inspired ideas for everyone's favorite treat

Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett
Insane City by Dave Barry
Julia's Cats: Julia Child's life in the company of cats by Patricia Barey
Opposnakes by Salina Yoon
I could Pee on this: and other poems by cats by Francesco Marciuliano
Arsenic and Old Puzzles by Parnell Hall
Hit Me by Lawrence Block
Llama of Death by Betty Webb
Whole Lotta Led Zeppelin: the illustrated history of the heaviest band of all time by Jon Bream
Unseen Academicals by Terry Pratchett

Archie Meets Nero Wolfe by Robert Goldsborough

Fans of Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series will enjoy Robert Goldsborough’s new book, “Archie Meets Nero Wolfe,” Goldsborough, author of seven Nero Wolfe mysteries, captures the sights and sounds of Prohibition-era New York.

In this prequel, Archie Goodwin arrives in the big city fresh from small town Ohio with his high school diploma in hand. When he’s fired from his job as a security guard after two weeks, he gets work with a private detective. In the course of a kidnapping investigation, Archie meets the famous detective Nero Wolfe, who eventually offers him a job.