Murder Takes a Vacation (2025) by Laura Lippman

 

💙 Mrs. Muriel Blossom is an American widow of 60-something, with insecurity problem, because she is a natural plump, and therefore has a knack of blending into the background. That, and with her sharp intelligent, Mrs. Blossom had worked as private investigator's assistant in the past. That she is currently involved in a murder and theft case, is pure coincidental. You see, the moment Mrs. Blossom had found a winning lottery ticket in a parking lot, 'her faith has been sealed', so to speak. She immediately booked a luxurious cruise to France on MS Solitaire, for herself and her bestfriend Eleanor. However, she indulged herself a trip to London, alone, before the cruise. On the flight, she was 'upgraded' to business class (her first time experience), and it was then that she met a gallant and charming middle aged man called Allan. It's been a long time that Mrs. Blossoms felt like a woman - attended to, flirted to - even kissed to - by a handsome man, and she was flattered and enamoured with this Allan. However, before anything could follow, she heard the news that Allan was dead - fallen from  the balcony of his hotel in Paris (while he said he was on the way to somewhere else).

💙 After that, mysterious incidents keep happening to Mrs. Blossom. Someone has been searching through her belongings at the hotel; then a theft attempted to snatch her purse at a cafe - what is really going on? A stylish called Danny is suddenly so helpful to Mrs. Blossoms, but who later on confesses he's actually an FBI agent and/or insurance agency investigator. He is always around Mrs. Blossom, even when she's on board the MS Solitaire - why is he following her? Then his story about Allan embroiling in stolen antiques - an invaluable statue with sapphire eyes - were any of this true? And if Allan did try to smuggle the statue through customs, and had been using her, Mrs. Blossoms, inadvertently, where is this statue now? Mrs. Blossoms has been searching through her belongings, nothing's there. 💙 I was surprised that a person such as Mrs. Blossom, who has worked as investigator's assistant, could not think or has a tiny suspicion about how Allan had been using her. It was clear as light, and I had been thinking from the beginning that that little 'incident' would prove to be how part of the crime would be commit. But no, Mrs. Blossoms is as oblivion and unsuspecting as any layman can be, even after learning that the man she thought loved her was proved to be a crooked one. Moreover, as a cozy mystery, this one is way much too cozy to be a mystery at all. Mrs. Blossom is NOT an amateur sleuth; she has never intended to investigate. She's just trying to enjoy her holiday - which she doesn't really deserve anyway, as it was paid by sheer luck (finding a winning lottery at a parking lot), despite of mysterious things that's happening around her - though she did sometimes wonder (why? how?) It only gets spiced up a little on the last two or three chapters, and Mrs. Blossom realized the truth only on a whim, not by intelligence. 💙 While the river cruise along the Seine is pretty promising, I didn't feel like being on a cruise at all. What I liked most is perhaps the character development in Muriel Blossom. The rest is just okay, though Kimberly Farr as the narrator of the audiobook did a nice job here, it's quite enjoyable as a light read. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Dear Mrs. Bird (2018) by A.J. Pearce #20BOS26

 

🖨️ In Dear Mrs. Bird, A.J. Pearce brought us right in the center of the war - that is, the Word War II. It was the 1941 in London, when bombing and air raid were everyday life for the citizens. Our heroine is Emmeline "Emmy" Lake, a young woman who's dreaming of becoming a fearless Lady War Correspondent; always longed to 'do something' rather than being at the side of the court witnessing the men struggling to defend their nation from "the madman" (Hitler). So, when she found an advertisement in the newspaper for a job vacancy at a publishing company, she applied instantly. Not only that, she accepted the job without fully realizing the job description. When she imagined her job would be a war journalist, it's actually only typing questions and responses for an advice column at Woman's Friend magazine, under the formidable editress of Mrs. Henrietta Bird.  

🖨️ But Emmy was undefeated, she just do the job; one day she might be promoted to the real journalism works. For now, well, it's just opening and sorting letters from women who are at their wits end with their everyday life's problems - which are stretching from domestic issues to romance or marital issues, and even dealing with grief. It would have been a good opportunity for Emmy to help these women coping up with the war and enhancing their spirits, but unfortunately, Mrs. Bird has a long list of 'Unpleasantness' - topics that she rejects to response. Emmy is frustrated that she couldn't help these women just because Mrs. Bird thinks their problems are unworthy, so she secretly writes back to them (to those who included return address and stamps) with Mrs. Bird's signature. Not stopping herself at that, she is boldly including her own response to be printed in the magazine! I know where these would result, but it's still fun to keep reading on. 🖨️ And it's not all about funny things that happened around Woman's Friend. Just when I thought this book is just about a typist defrauding women readers of an advice column, the story plunged right into the war. Emmy is volunteering three days a week at the fire station, where it would be very busy during the air raids. And Emmy's best friend and roommate's boyfriend also works at the same station as a firefighter. From them, we get a glimpse of what the raging war was like, almost as if we lived through the events ourselves. The first half part of the book goes on like this, half cheery and lighthearted atmosphere during the day, and half fiery excitement mixed with panic and patriotic touch during the night. However, entering the second half, we were plunging into the heart of the blasted war. Our heroine and friends are no longer spectators on the sidelines, they 'got' it first-handed. 🖨️ But don't worry, if sometimes it became rather gory, Dear Mrs. Bird has a perfect balance between dark and light; desperation and hope. I loved that Emmy bravely (or cowardly, depends on how you see it) keeps writing and sharing positive thinking letters to Woman's Friend readers, against her boss' wishes. These notes no doubt exude a hopeful tone in the midst of the destruction around the nation (or world) - just what the people needed at those difficult times. In the end, this is a story about resilience, courage, forgiveness, and hope - that there's always light at the end of the tunnel, if we patiently keep on our works in the hopeful tone. It is both touching and inspiring, and I have a feeling this book would make it to be one of the finalists for my most favorite book of this year!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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20 Books of Summer 2026 hosted by Annabel @ AnnaBookBel

When the Cranes Fly South (2024) by Lisa Ridzén #WITMonth #20BOS26

 

Admittedly, it was "the cranes" that had first attracted me to this book. As you might know, I have become a nature enthusiast lately - I even managed a nature journaling blog besides this book blog. Birds is one of my favorite subjects for nature journaling, and so I was keen to know whether this is a book about cranes. It's not, but nonetheless, it is a wonderful book, and I am glad I have picked this as one of two books I've intended to read for #WITMonth2026. It's penned by Lisa Ridzén, a Swedish author, and translated by Alice Menzies.

This turned out to be a heartrending - beautiful yet bittersweet - story about an elderly man of 89, who is nearing the end of his life. After his wife, Frederika, was brought to a care home for dementia, Bo has been living alone in his house in Swedish countryside, only accompanied by his beloved dog, Sixten. While the story progresses, we get to know Bo's past and present life through Bo's dreams - you might realize that elderly people of nearly 90s sleep a lot - and the entries of the care-taker's log book. Everyday there are care takers who work on shifts to take care of Bo - preparing food, helping him washing, cleaning, and in general making him comfortable. Through these mediums, we learn about Bo's difficult childhood - especially his bullying father. The anger and injustice he felt throughout his adolescence had hardened him to adulthood, and made it difficult for him to be easygoing in his own relationship with Hans - Bo and Frederika's only son. 

Now Hans is insisting to take Sixten away from Bo, as with his own condition, Bo would be unable to take proper care of a dog. While to Bo, apart from his pal Ture, Sixten is the only company he has in his near nonexistence. I was so mad at Hans' stubbornness in taking Sixten away. Can't he see that his father is extremely lonely - the loneliness that only elderly people and those who directly care for them understand? That Sixten provides company, comfort, and the last 'pillar' Bo could cling to? So what if it's not ideal for Sixten; the dog is happy living with Bo anyway. I always believe that, in regards of elderly people after 80, it is best to just let them have what they feel are most important. It won't change anything anymore, but it would at least make them happy, comfortable, and peaceful when their days are numbered. That's what I am doing for my 86-years-old mother. And that's what I would want others do to me when I have myself reached the same age.

I loved how Bo talks to his wife all the time in his mind: "You won't believe what our son is doing today"... It's the only way to lessen the painful fact of things (that Frederika is 'no longer there' due to dementia), so that we can better accept the reality. I think it's not a wrong way to put our loved ones always on our mind - to make them always alive, in spirit, if not in flesh. I talk to my late Father in my mind every now and then, letting him know what had happened to my Mother, news of our acquaintances, and general news of myself. He is no longer with me, but it's just temporarily. One day we will meet again; and in the meantime, I will put him up to date with my life. Anyway, my favorite Bo's caretaker is Ingrid - she knows how to treat elderly people as a human, not merely a subject. She put what Bo wants into consideration, not just insisting on what she thinks best, or what the doctors ordered. 

On the whole, this book is not for lighthearted readers. It talks about the painful, uncomfortable business of getting older and/or dying; about the importance of saying what you need to say to your loved ones before it is too late; and about love, family, friendship, and forgiveness. Most importantly, it inspires us on how to treat elderly people; that is compromising between doing the best (we think we can) for them and letting them have what they want most - if the two are contradictory. But also, not less importantly, about what elderly people's feeling and desires - that they can't communicate better and just do what we tell them, doesn't mean they are happy with our arrangement; it's that they are too tired to argue or complain. Elderly people needs peace and comfort, but also to be treated as human being, not as accessories, workload, or a burden. We just need to listen when they talk (though sometimes repeatedly or incoherently or boring), and spare them their (last) dignity. We need to be with them more often. Stocking their favorite food in the refrigerator doesn't help (well, it helps a little), but what they want most is to be with their family, to feel they are still important and to be loved by the family. I wish I could do all for my Mother before her end. In the end, what an inspirational and touching this book is!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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20 Books of Summer 2026

hosted by Annabel @ AnnaBookBel

Then Again, Maybe I Won't (1971) by Judy Blume #Reading1971 #20BOS26

 

This would be a short post, partly because Judy Blume's Then Again, Maybe I Won't is a light reading; there's not much to talk about, partly because, on the other hand, I have a lot to talk about at my new blog. Oh, I have not mentioned that I have a new blog, have I? It's on nature journaling, and it's called A Sprinkle of Nature [click the link if you'd like to pass by - you'd be welcomed to visit if you want to ;)]. I also put the link on the side bar under "My Other Blog".

Anyway, this is about a teenage boy (thirteen years) called Tony Miglione, who narrates the novel. He comes from a middle class family in Jersey City, his dad works as electrician, his mother a housewife. His dad "struck gold" when one of his personal inventions was bought by a big business owner. The family became suddenly rich, and they moved to an upper-class district in Long Island. Here Tony begins observing some "unpleasantness" that often make his stomach aches of anxiety. The neighbor's boy Joel, whom Tony befriended, turns out to be a shoplifter, and a telephone-prankster. Then his mother becomes a terrible social-climber, that got his grandmother angry (and Tony disgusted). 

This short novel talks about the unpleasant business of puberty, especially here from male teenager's perspective; social climbing; and cultural status. The Migliones are Italian Americans, but they tried hard to blend in with the upper class American (Tony's mother's name is Carmella, but she let the snobbish neighbor calls her Carol). One thing that disturbed me most is Tony's voyeurism. He often spies on Joel's pretty elder sister Lisa through binoculars (which he received for Christmas gift, reasoning that he's going to birdwatching), when she's dressing or undressing. That's disgusting, and I wonder why the therapist he's seeing didn't say anything about it. Anyway, like I say, it's a light reading, it's not very fun, but not very bad either. I was just happy enough to feel the 1970s vibes (when teenagers riding bikes everywhere, and make plans to meet at a place only through telephone one week before - and both parties remember and show up!)

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

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20 Books of Summer 2026

hosted by Annabel @ AnnaBookBel

Murder on Wheels (1932) by Stuart Palmer #20BOS26

 

🚘 The second book in a series always make me apprehensive; will it be better from, or at least the same as, the first? Will the writer improve their writing or will it be a flop? I am glad that Stuart Palmer did the first with the Hildegarde Withers series. Like the first one, The Penguin Pool Murder, this book also has an unusual kind of murder for Hildegarde and Inspector Piper to investigate. Hildegarde, still with her sharp notice of small details, and her invaluable umbrella, chose to run her own investigation separated from Piper's. This cute pair of detective-amateur-sleuth decided to make it a competition!

🚘 One winter afternoon, the traffic officer near Fifth Avenue found, first a driverless Chrysler roadster on the street, then a body of a man flopped down the same street, apparently from the sky, with a noose around his neck. Piper and Hildegarde took to investigate the case, as soon as they learned that it was most certainly not a suicide. The victim is identified as Lawrence "Laurie" Stait, who came from a highly respectable family (an old money of New York), and who has lived in a big house with his identical twin brother Lewis, his domineering eccentric grandmother, his dotty aunt, a nerdy cousin Hubert, and half a dozen servants. Perfectly identical as Laurie was to Lew in appearance, they were completely different in character. Laurie was always acknowledged as the space goat of the family - always befriend dubious characters - while Lew is the dependable and sweet one. Hence, it's not a surprise to anyone, that someone has murdered him.

🚘 The almost impossible murder was the first striking point of this book for me. An eyewitness - a taxi driver - told Piper and Hildegarde an astonishing story of the way the body "appeared" on the street. It was first "rise right up out of the seat (of the car)," into the air, then fly down the street, backwards! Had the taxi driver been drunk and hallucinating? Or was it the true account of Laurie's tragic demise? How was it possibly done, then? And most importantly who had motive and who had no alibi when the murder happened? Was it the "cowboy" Keeley, whose sister had had an affair with Laurie last summer? The noose (or what they called lariat) was almost identical with the one he always use for his shows. Or was it one of the family? The aunt and cousin Hubert had a strong alibi - two tickets of the opera - but Lew's alibi was from the flirty maid Gretchen. And what about the torn opera ticket that Hildegarde and Piper found outside the house in the snow? Did it mean that someone else has gone to the theatre when they were supposed to be at home? 🚘 I loved this book for its perfect balance between: a). the murder plot - yes, it's rather complicated and I doubted if it is plausible in real life - but it's fantastic as a mystery novel; I also loved the plot twist, though not unsuspected (by me at least); b). the often hilarious encounters of Hildegarde and Piper, not mentioning the appearance of Mrs. Stait's (the grandmother) parrot; the ending scene between the dog and the parrot is the perfect one to end this kind of murder mystery!; and lastly c). Hildegarde and Piper's dynamic relationship, halfway between partner-in-crime and affectionate/romantic-interest. You'd wonder all the time: would they, or would they not...? And I half suspect Palmer would keep it that way for the rest of the series, because if the scale tipped a little more to one side, the balance would be ruined, and the series would not be as perfect as it is.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

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20 Books of Summer 2026 hosted by Annabel @ AnnaBookBel