The Case of the Missing Bronte

I was talking with a friend of mine (while sitting, watching the sunset at the beach, no less) and our conversation leaned towards our respective schoolings. She had recently completed a course with one of her favorite teachers, an offensive, rude British man. 'Come on, you little shits,' was his favorite phrase. But at the same time, he was her favorite teacher. "After all," she said, "Everything is better when it is said in a British accent."

Yep. It is. So before you read The Case of the Missing Bronte, practice spelling your favourite words properly and sip a hot toddy with a chum. You won't regret it.

I'll write more once I've actually finished the book. For the moment, cheers!

Underdog

Read it, finished it, loved it. It's actually the second in a series, but it's not too hard to jump in. Melanie Travis is new to the dog showing world, although her Aunt Peg is more than willing to introduce her and Melanie's new puppy, Faith, to it. Jenny Maguire, a prominent dog handler, teaches Melanie some of the basics - until Jenny is murdered.

A couple things bothered me about this book, but they didn't detract from the read and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone. First off, it was hard for me to get into it. Of course, I read it in its entirety while I was sick, and therefore nearly entirely oblivious to everything going on around me.

Secondly, I guessed whodunnit before it was announced. I consider this rather a success on my part. I mean, I guess all the time. This is just the first time I've been right. Yay me!

Final conclusion: Good book. My cat was jealous.

-over n out-

Berenson, Laurien. Underdog. New York: Kensington Books, 1996.

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse by Bruce Hale

The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse (2000)

A hardboiled detective. A young boy - vanished. A mysterious ... chameleon? This book was terrific reading aloud to my niece and nephew (7 and 10 years, respectively). They absolutely loved it (I could tell because they wouldn't let me stop reading that afternoon until we finished it!) Even despite their enthusiasm, I think I liked it more than they did.

Hale takes a tongue-in-cheek look at crime fiction, setting a disappearance at Chet Gecko's elementary school. The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse introduces the major characters in his Chet Gecko series. Read 'em all!

Praeludium

'Twas a dark and stormy night. A perfect night to wrap herself in a thick quilt, brew some tea, and curl up with a frightening book.

Or not. It's a beautiful July morning, the sun is shining, and I am lazing on the couch eating a granola bar and talking about myself on the World Wide Web.

At any rate, welcome to my first post, which is hopefully not my last. Danke! Merci! Gracias! Thank you for listening.

Over 'n' Out.