Deadly Advice: An Advice Column Mystery

I won't bother summarizing the plot since it's been done so thoroughly by others, but I will say that although people refer to this book as a "cozy," it is anything but. Sure, there's the amateur sleuth, a bevy of sidekicks, and touches of humor but this book is considerably less "gentle" than most cozy mysteries. In fact, that's why I like it better. So if you're getting tired of the small-town, small-minds type of cozy, pick this one up. You *won't* be disappointed!

Dipped, Stripped, and Dead: A Daring Finds Mystery

Dipped, Stripped, and Dead is possibly one of the funniest mysteries I've ever read. Candyce 'Dyce' Dare has the kind of sideways view of life that makes everyday inconvenience hilarious. Her struggles with her insufferable ex and his oh-so-perfect second wife, her young son and her best friend make a funny but very realistic backdrop to a murder mystery centered around a much-painted table that just might pay the next month's rent and the body that was in the dumpster where she found the table.

Feint of Art

Every chapter begins with an excerpt from a book by grandfather Georges about his life as an art forger. If you want, these can draw you into all kinds of philosophical speculations about the nature of truth and illusion (why artwork created today less valuable than one created centuries ago and why is a forgery from 137BC in the Brock museum while Georges's forgeries aren't?). Or you can just enjoy the suspense and the laugh out loud moments (like when poor Annie gets stuck in a window, which is much funnier in the novel than in a review). And in a postscript you can learn how to try Annie's faux finishing methods at home.

Preaching to the Corpse: An Advice Column Mystery

The most fun in the book, I thought, came from the bitterness of the search. One church lady denounces a female candidate, at one point, because she believes the job should go to a man. "We just aren't built the same way," she explains. A man, meanwhile, is hostile to a candidate he suspects is gay.

After several fun twists and turns, the book ends in an improbable, but exciting, way that makes Preaching to the Corpse, all in all, a very fun ride.

Looking forward to the next installment.

Buck is a strong, intelligent dog who moves from an easy life in California to the Klondike. Life is tough in the cold north of Canada and Buck has to learn many hard lessons to survive. But can he ever be happy there?

American English

Penguin Active Reading. There is  the text, teacher's notes, worksheets with the answers, Audio and CD-ROM in the archive.