Death of a Kingfisher (2012) by M.C. Beaton

🦜 Judged from the title, I had, at first, thought this was a cozy mystery (this was my first introduction to M.C. Beaton's, by the way). But of course, I was wrong. This isn't just a murder of a bird - though it was the first murder victim - but several chapters later, it's proved to be a proper murder mystery. Police Sergeant Hamish Macbeth, our main character; a red-haired and hazel-eyed intelligent officer, with little or no ambition of stepping up the ladder of police office career, but is contented to serve in the remote village of Braikie near Lochdubh. He's quartered in the police station with his partner, a lazy laid-back veteran who's always hungry, Dick Fraser. Macbeth reports to Chief Inspector Blaire, who hates him and doesn't hesitate to sabotage his works if need to. 🦜 The kingfisher lives in the woods, which the current local tourist director renamed The Fairy Glen. It was found one day hung from a tree branch, with a noose around its neck. This was seen as an attack to The Fairy Glen, who would sabotage this tourist attraction? Maybe old and wealthy Mrs. Colchester who'd objected to the beautiful serene glen (which she owned) being monetized. But just as Macbeth planned to interview her, she was murdered in a cruel scheme. Money, then, became the suspected motive. But it proved to be a very trying case as one by one Macbeth's suspects or next leads became murdered. I've lost counting after the third, but someone counts that there were no less than nine murders in total! 🦜 Two third of the story seemed to be promising. A complex case with a cruel murderer(s), with a hint of love interest for Macbeth, not mentioning the "office politics" in the police station. However, near the end, the mystery became wilder and out of control. And when the suspects became lesser in number, Beaton put in new ones with more incoherent schemes. It felt like the writer, having started the book quite lovely, had no idea how to end it. The ending was very inconclusive, and I still didn't know how few of the murders had been committed, nor why, nor by whom. It was a heap of confusing crimes. Needless to say, this was a disappointing book from a promising series (it is the 27th, and has currently been running on to 38!) Maybe it was a wrong choice from the beginning? Maybe I should have picked another title? Well, if this is your favorite series, please tell me which one I'd better start with. Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Read for:

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2026

hosted by Carol @ Carol's Notebook

The Boy and the Dog (2020) by Seishū Hase #JapaneseLitChallenge19

🐶 After a devastating combination of earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, a young man found a stray dog in front of a convenience store. The name tag shows its name as Tamon. The man took the dog in, after making sure that the owner couldn't be found/contacted by the vet - no doubt it has been separated from the owner after the disaster. The young man, Kazumasa, has lost his job, and was at loose end to take care of his sister and their ailing mother. He was offered a job related to criminal activity, which he took for the money he desperately needed. He always took Tamon while on the job, as his guardian. One day the criminal operation failed, and Tamon was brought away by the criminal; and then he became Tamon's new owner.

🐶 The story consisted of several parts, each dedicated to Tamon's "adventures" with its different owners. It usually stays with one owner, taking care of them - or becomes guardian to him/her - until its 'services' are no longer needed, so to speak, either because of the owner's death or changed circumstances. Then Tamon will disappear one day, to be found several days or weeks later, usually in poor condition by the next-owner-to-be. One thing that Tamon's owners always notice, is that Tamon is always looking to the south direction whenever it is on journey with the them, as if there's something or someone in that direction it wants to come home to. It makes whoever owns Tamon for the moment, becomes a bit jealous of its dedication and purpose. But meanwhile, Tamon never fails to protect them. 🐶 Tamon's journey spanned for five years before he arrived at or found what he's been looking for. I won't reveal exactly whom or where it was, since it's part of this book's charm - the little mystery of Tamon which baffles us until the last chapter. The theme of the book is of the beautiful bond between human and dog. Tamon's owners are mostly the desperate or downtrodden individuals; and Tamon's friendship and deep connection with them always provides encouragement and comfort when they need it most. It shows the wonderful gift dogs have for whomever choose to accept it. 🐶 On the whole, this was a heartwarming story - consists of unrelated events, but tied together by the same affectionate dog, whose main goal in life seemed to be helping humans to find comfort in sorrowful moments. And if you happen to shed some tears in end - like most stories about dogs tend to do to us - so what? It's tears for the wholesomeness of life, anyway.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Read for:

Japanese Literature Challenge 19 hosted by Dolce Bellezza

Keeping A Nature Journal (2021) by Clare Walker Leslie

🌿 So, this is my first read for the new year. A surprise, because I don't usually pick a non fiction to go to on a Christmas holiday. However, I have been itching to start a nature journal, and the holiday seems to be the perfect time to do it. I would share my first ever nature journal later (yay!), but first of all, about the book. Clare Walker Leslie has been nature-journaling for forty years, and is now teaching students how to connect to the natural world and record the impression into diary or journal.

🌿 "The foundation for a naturalist's learning is curiosity and willingness to pursue learning in many different ways: watching, considering, recording, researching, asking questions." And that is what this book is about. First of all, Clare encourages us to take time noticing the natural world around us, wherever we are - in the backyard, taking stroll in the neighborhood, picnicking outside, or even when doing chores inside your house, take time to see outside your windows. Be curious, and record what interest you in quick sketches, even when you're not quite sure what animal or bird or tree you're looking at. In short, Clare instructs us to be more mindful. Clare always keep her journal very near her, so that if something interesting appears, she could instantly take a quick sketch, to be perfected later on.

🌿 Next, is the main topic, that is, the journaling. Clare gives us detailed instruction and many examples of how to keep a nature journal - what to sketch, what to write, what information to put in. There are steps to draw or sketch, from leaves, flowers, trees, insects, birds, larger animals, to tree and landscape. She also gives full instruction of how to scratch a layout from an object in several seconds. From which we can add the details later, with help from guide books, if necessary. We can use colors for shading, either by using coloring pencils, crayons, or watercolors. In many of her examples, Clare often uses pen too to do shading.

🌿 All in all, this book is a perfect one to get anyone starting nature journaling. It is not overly technical, and Clare is humble enough to encourage anyone, even if one never draws, to try nature journaling. It's not the drawing that matters most, anyway, but the mindfulness and the connection to the natural world. The only drawback, for me personally, is Clare's instruction on seasonal sketching. For someone who lives outside America, or at least the West, these sections are a wasting of time. However, the rest is instructive enough, and it really encouraged me to do the hardest step: to produce the first nature journal. And I have done that on the first day of my Christmas holiday. I have planned to go outdoor every day, but alas, I caught a terrible fever on Christmas Day, followed by intestinal cramps that forced me to rest in bed for several days. But I have achieved the hardest thing - to start the nature journaling - so I'll just repeat it on any weekends ahead.

It's not perfect, but I'm proud of myself nonetheless. I am even thinking of creating a blog for these nature journals. Will update about it soon!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐