My Current Interest

Midsomer Murders Series 22 Neil Dudgeon, Nick Hendrix Another season of Midsomer Murders has come and gone. Six episodes of DCI John Barnaby (Neil Dudgeon) and DS Jamie Winter (Nick Hendrix) working to solve the strange and unusual murders of Midsomer County. Series 22 starts with the episode “The Wolf Hunter of Little Worthy.” An urban myth is floating around town. A myth everyone knows was created by a contest. Yet, the people have picked up on this myth as though it was real. It is even being used to kill people. At the same time, a new glamping site has been set up. Complete with hot tub and massages, it would seem people would be thrilled to have this new business in town. This is not the case. Campers and townspeople alike do not like this glamping business. Someone dislikes it so much, they are doing whatever they can to sabotage it. “The Stitcher Society” is about a club for people recovering from heart surgery. It is a close-knit club until a suspected murderer is allo...

How Women Won the Vote Susan Campbell Bartoletti We are in a terrifying time. A time where governments through the United States are taking away rights, and are being backed by the courts. Rights for women.  Rights for LGBTQ+. Rights for voting, seemingly* directed at hindering the right to vote for anyone whose race is other than white.  (*Note: I write “seemingly” only because I have yet to see one of these new voting laws specifically mention race. However, based on what I have read and observed, I have come to this conclusion as to who these new voting laws are targeted against.)  They are doing this simply because they can. Each one knows the right they are removing will never affect them. And if by chance one day it does, they have the means and the power to get around the laws they themselves have put into place. These events are why everyone needs to read How Women Won the Vote: Alice Paul, Lucy Burns, and Their Big Idea by Susan Campbell Bartoletti. It is a remi...

All Creatures Great & Small Season 2 Photo of DVD cover taken by Kate Dorsey I fall in love with Siegfried Farnon a little more each time I watch All Creatures Great & Small . Yes, he’s blustery. And yes, he has a hard time admitting when he’s wrong. But beneath that, he has the biggest heart. He cares to the point it probably terrifies him, which is why he acts the way he does. Those are the reasons I have fallen for Siegfried. Only now Siegfried has competition for my affections. Because, of course, I’m going to actually meet these fictional people in real life, right? The more I watched season two of All Creatures , the more I came to adore Richard Alderson. A widow with two daughters, Mr. Alderson is a man of few words. He’s a little rough around the edges, but incredibly kind and caring. Mr. Alderson loves his daughters and wants them to be happy, even if their happiness means leaving him. He still becomes emotional over his deceased wife, even though it has been years...

Monk Photo of series box cover taken by Kate Dorsey     There are times where the best thing on TV is old TV shows on DVD . Especially when political ads begin to appear during commercials. Even more especially when those ads are for elections over half a year away. When this happens, something much more pleasant to watch is definitely desired. Even if there is a murder an episode.                One of my favorite series to rewatch is Monk . I just watched the entire series, all eight seasons, again. Not in one sitting, of course. Eight seasons with about sixteen episodes per season, that would be a lot of sitting. No, it took me weeks to watch the entire series, and most of the time I was doing something else at the same time. Still, spending weeks watching a show I enjoy as much as I do Monk , it was far better than watching what I was finding on TV.      Former detective Adrian Monk (Tony Shalhoub) wants almost no...

Love & Saffron Photo of book cover taken by Kate Dorsey      If you love food, this is the book for you. There are different descriptions throughout of the food the characters discover and try. Something people who are into food will probably love.      If you’re not a food person, Love & Saffron is for you as well. I say this being not a huge food person myself. I tended to zone out at the food parts, which is what made me think I would not finish this book at first. Then I thought how silly it would be to drop out on a book so quickly when it was less than 200 pages long. At least get to page 50. Which I did. Then I got to page 100, to page 150, and to the end. By keeping going, I found myself reading a great story about a beautiful friendship.                             It all started with a packet of saffron. Joan Bergstr...

The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies Photo of Blu-ray cover taken by Kate Dorsey      As the name suggests, there is a lot of battling in this final film of The Hobbit trilogy. A LOT. Pretty much the entire film is one battle or another. The Extended Edition adds even more.         At the end of Desolation of Smaug , the dragon Smaug ( Benedict Cumberbatch ) is on his way to Laketown to wreak his revenge. The townspeople are running for their lives; including the Master of Lake-town (Stephen Fry), who is trying to run off with the town’s gold. Bard the Bowman ( Luke Evans ) is in prison, doing whatever he can to break free.      With the inadvertent help of the Master, Bard is able to free himself. He runs to a watchtower where he tries to kill Smaug with an arrow. Except, Smaug’s scales are too tough for the typical arrow. Bard soon runs out of arrows, except for one.      Bard’s son, Bain (John Bell), brin...

     I am very excited to find a new mystery series to read.  Every year I try so many.  Some stick while others don’t.  On occasion, I don’t even finish the first book.  Which is why I am happy I was eager to read Booked for Death all the way to the end.                               Charlotte Reed, owner of Chapters Bed-and-Breakfast, is holding a special week of events celebrating mystery author Josephine Tey.   The plan is for this to be a fun event.   Which it could have been had guest Lincoln Delamont not been so obnoxious.      With his obnoxiousness apparent, it should not come as much of a surprise that Lincoln is the one who becomes the murder victim.   No one got along with him.   Not even his wife and daughter.   Everyone involved in the event had a reason to kill Lincoln.   Including Charlotte.    ...