It's a Mystery to Me

I thought that when I got a job, I would blog more often, since I would actually have the money to do something, and would therefore have something to blog about.  However, things never turn out quite the way I plan, and I've been absent from this for far too long.  Every time I would sit down to do a post, the only thing I could think to talk about was how it sucks to work retail, that the hours are so stinking irregular, that my paychecks are far too small to actually "do" anything, that far too many customers are rude, can't read signs, don't use common sense, and seem to think that their retail cashier sets store policy (if I had enough power to set policy, do they really think I would be cashiering for minimum wage??!)  Geez, I need a different job! (To be fair, I know that most of the customers are nice.  But it only takes a few difficult ones to have me wanting to pull my hair out by the time my shift ends.  There have been days when I've driven home in tears!)

But, enough about that!  It's 3:00 p.m., my work day is done, and I have tomorrow off to enjoy!

I haven't talked about books too much here, which is surprising, because I am an AVID reader and take a book with me everywhere I go, just in case I wind up having to wait somewhere.  Books are my security blanket, my refuge when life goes wrong, and, sometimes they are my best friends.  I know, perhaps, that sounds maudlin, but it really is true.  At 3:00 a.m., when worries and stress keep me from sleeping, and I don't feel that my best friends would appreciate my calling to whine, books are there to take my mind off my troubles.  They're also pretty good at killing boredom : )

I have a particular fondness for murder mysteries, both modern ones, and out-of-print mysteries written during the Golden Age of mysteries, the 1930's and '40's.  A good crime novel can absorb my attention for hours, and it appeals to the geek in me that loves to solve puzzles. Today, I thought I would talk about a few of my favorite contemporary mystery writers and their series. I'd love to hear about your favorite writers, whether it's mysteries, or another genre altogether. 

I think my favorite series is one written by Beverly Connor, featuring the character Diane Fallon.  Diane is a forensic anthropologist who is the director of a natural history museum in Georgia.  She is often asked to examine old bones, and this often leads to a murder investigation.  If you are a fan of cold case mystery shows and forensic science, you will love this series.  Diane and her forensic team are likeable and fascinating, and the plots are complex and absorbing.  Each book is a great read that will keep you up long past your bedtime, they are that hard to put down.  There are nine books in this series, with a tenth being written as we speak.

Another favorite is the Bennie Harper series, written by Earlene Fowler.  This series centers on a quilt-loving, folk museum curator cowgirl who lives on the central coast of California.  Bennie is married to the police chief of their town (named San Celina, loosely based on San Luis Obispo), and has a large network of extended family and friends who help her meddle investigate the murders that come her way, much to her husband's dismay.  Each book in the series has been given the name of a traditional quilt block pattern, the history and meaning of the pattern corresponding to the theme of that particular book.  I love the characters in this series (particularly Bennie), as they're the kind of people I would love to meet and befriend in real life. 

I also enjoy Carolyn Haines' Sarah Booth Delaney Mysteries.  At the start of the series (Them Bones) Sarah Booth is a failed actress who is about to lose the family plantation in the Mississippi Delta.  Desperate to raise some cash, Sarah Booth "dognaps" her wealthy friend's toy dog, holding her for ransom, then is hired by that friend to deliver the money.  Sarah Booth falls into a full time job as a detective, then eventually, in later books, begins working as an actress again.  Sarah Booth is smart and loyal, self deprecating and funny, and I love that the series has something to say about what it means to be a strong, independent single woman in today's world.

All of these are available at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.  Each author also has her own website for more info:

Beverly Connor:  http://beverlyconnor.net/

Earlene Fowler:  http://www.earlenefowler.com/

Carolyn Haines: http://www.carolynhaines.com/

Well, that's just three of my favorites, but I could go on and on about books and authors I have loved.  If I ever get to the point where I have a semi-regular schedule, I may start another blog just about books.  And please share with me your favorites; I love to talk books, and am always interested in learning about new authors (well, new to me, anyway).

Thanks for your visit today, and thank you for your comments.  I love reading them.