Fiber Fool

Blood Orchid by Stuart Woods was another book read in less than a 24-hour period. I found it as riveting as the previous two in this series. I almost didn’t want to put it down to eat or sleep or talk to DH, I was sucked in that much! I can’t really tell you much or I’ll give stuff away, so I’ll just give you a bit of background on the series in general.

The Orchid series (four books so far, of which which this is third) is set in a small town in Florida called Orchid Beach where former MP, Holly Barker, and her retired military father, Ham, get themselves wrapped up into various large scale plots of drug running, money laundering, and other nefarious crimes that often bring with them multiple homicides.

Woods often includes some romance, and some descriptions of sex. I don’t find his discriptions of the violence to be over the top. If you like a lot of action and a dash of romance with your mystery/suspence novels, don’t pass up Woods’ Orchid series.

My mom is placing bets on how long I’ll be able to hold off reading the most recent in the series, Iron Orchid. I’m trying to pace myself so I’m not through and waiting an entire year or more for the next installment. I haven’t yet checked it out from the library, my current list of unread library books can be seen in the sidebar to the right under, “On the Nightstand.”

The next read was Shades of Earl Grey by Laura Childs, which is third in her Tea Shop mystery (no, I still haven’t read the first one) series featuring Theodosia Browning, proprietor of Charleston’s tea shop Indigo Tea in the historic district. Theo is backed up by her trusty and bright employees and a befriended detective.

Shades of Early Grey starts off with a freak accident and a missing ring worth a fortune. Theo gets suspicious that foul play was involved and ends up stirring the pot and raising feathers until the heat she has on the perp gets them to mess up and she once again saves the day by solving the crime(s) before the Charleston police department.

I still don’t know what it is, but once again I wasn’t sucked into this one very early on despite a major plot point within the first few chapters. I’m not sure if it is Childs’ writing style or what. Once I finish the book I always feel it was a worth while read. The two I’ve read so far definitely wouldn’t make my list of my top reads this year, but I don’t feel cheated out of the time I’ve spent reading the books. I’ll also probably read more in the series as they are available at the library when I’m there. I won’t go to the trouble of placing holds on the next one.

I guess I’d recommend it to those who enjoy tea drinking or books set in the Charleston area. If you don’t have interest in either of those and just like mysteries you might want to continue searching for a different series. Then again, give one or a two a read and make your own choice.

Because once you read a niche mystery it isn’t that hard to move into another food/drink centered novel I read The Grilling Season by Diane Mott Davidson. This is the seventh installment in the food-centric capers of Colorado-based caterer, Goldy.

This was another rather quick read for me. Peppered with the usual cast of supporting characters as well as a few new ones to shake things up. Again, I don’t want to give away the plot points and spoil your fun should you decide to read it. But, I feel that the books are getting a bit better with each one and Davidson continues to mix up her plot twists. If you’ve read other books in her series you should also enjoy this one.

The most recent book I finished yesterday. It was Milk and Honey by Faye Kellerman. This is the third in her Peter Decker and Rina Lazarus series. In this third book Decker and Lazarus are in a bi-coastal relationship as Rina gives Decker room to explore his religion without pressure from her and so she can have the assistance of her former husband’s family in raising her two boys.

Here we see a slightly softer side of Decker when he finds a toddler running around a new development in the wee hours of morning. In tracking down who she is and getting her reunited with her family some additional crimes surface that need solving. All the while, Decker is also doing some investigating on the side to try prove that his buddy from ‘Nam is innocent in a bashing of a prostitute in Hollywood.

The two concurrent mysteries along with a third somewhat minor one really kept this book an interesting read. Decker’s usual cohorts at the PD are present and one or two makes a bit more of an appearance than usual. This books also reveals a bit more behind Decker’s sometimes irrational behavior (which appear to some as being out of character). He even shows signs of wishing to change some of this behavior. Though some who are further in the series have said he doesn’t really resolve some of his behavior towards Rina in later books. That has me a little leary to continue on, but at the same time I read these books quite fast and don’t nit pick them apart as much as some so I will likely continue. After three books I feel a bit invested in Peter and Rina, ya know?

I’m about 1/3 of the way through the second Joanne Fluke novel, Strawberry Shortcake Murder. I have to say though that she pissed me off because she mentions Willmar, but she misspelled it! DH said perhaps it was supposed to be ficitious, but what she made refrence to is indeed in the real Willmar and in the same paragraph had referenced several other real town in Minnesota. She obviously needs to pull out a map when she’s picking towns! Grrrrrr!

I still plan to put up the baby hat pattern, but several activities kept me hopping this weekend. Hold tight, I’ll get it up soon, I promise!