Judith McMonigle Flynn and her cousin Renie have reluctantly agreed to cater their Uncle Boo's 75th. birthday party. They show up and are treated like servants instead of the relatives that they are. When the birthday celebration is over, the guest of honor disappears into his study and is later found shot to death. Judith's colorful relatives offer no end of possibilities as far as suspects go, and she, as usual, decides to do her own investigating. Her policeman husband Joe's chief rival is assigned to the case, which makes Judith even more determined to find out who the killer is. This is one of the best-written of the Bed-and-Breakfast Mystery series and is a very enjoyable read.

This is one book in a series of bed-and-breakfast mysteries set in Seattle, Washington. Anyone familiar with the city can tell that the author, Mary Daheim, has changed the place names, but retained the feel of the city in accurate descriptions. Heraldsgate Hill is really Queen Anne Hill. Norway General Hospital is really Swedish Hospital. Papaya Pete's restaurant is really Trader Vics. Donner and Blitzen department store is really the now defunct Frederick and Nelsons. Nordquist is Nordstroms. The Belle Epoch is The Bon Marche, now known just as The Bon. Moonbeams coffee house is really Starbucks, and so on. The descriptions are so accurately and fondly drawn that the reader experiences a warm sense of being there, especially if one has actually lived in Seattle at one time. The relationships of the characters are sometimes feisty but honest and often very funny. I recommend this whole series.

Fans of Keillor's "A Prairie Home Companion" are already an imaginative sort. We know what Arlene Bunsen looks like, or Pastor Inquist. We've got a good idea how Roger Hedlund has been rotating his crops, and the main goings on on Main Street. We don't need pictures of this area because we already know it by heart--we've seen it on the radio. This book does exactly what it should...it doesn't dispel our images of Lake Wobegon, but gives us pictures of its neighbors and people living their lives in rural Minnesota. All the images are sepia toned. With a few exceptions, the subjects are unposed and candid, getting ready for the prom, or readying the field for corn.

The composition of the shots are superb. The short prologue gives a first person retelling of how Keillor invented the town that "time forgot and the decades cannot improve." That introduction, however, is so short that it's almost unfair to say that this is a Garrison Keillor book. He essentially wrote the foreword (although it's not titled that way), and the pictures tell the real story.

My only disappointment is that there isn't any color. Certainly sepia tones give us nostalgia the way we'd like to remember it, but sunset on a farm is something you can't appreciate in shades of brown. Rural life has its monochromatic moments, to be sure, but there's enough color and life to help us remember that not everything is nostalgia.

This gripe doesn't detract from the beauty of this book, though. Thankfully we never see Lake Wobegon, only hints and shadows. It allows us to preserve our preconceptions, but gives us a deeper feeling of connection with the area. If you're a fan of APHC, you probably already own this book (or you should). If not, take a look at a lifestyle that might be foreign to you.

From the Central Minnesota prairie, in beautiful black and white pictures and picturesque prose, here is the Genesis of Garrison Keilor's magical mythical Lake Wobegon, site of "A Prairie Home Companion." Here we get to *see* the strong women, good-looking men, and above average children of and for whom he speaks on Saturday nights. Accompanying Richard Olsenius' stunning photography (how can the viewer not be deeply moved by the picture of the veterans at the St. Wendell cemetery on Memorial Day?) are excerpts from the Radio Show, interviews with inhabitants, and essays and musings from Keilor - like this:

"Culture isn't decor, it's what you know before you're twelve. It sticks with you all your born days. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. You can try to wrestle free of it, like those geese who trail the V-formation, trying to look as if they aren't part of this bunch, as if flying south were a personal decision on their part, but your feint towards independence only makes it clearer who you really are. Some people like hot dish better if it's called cassoulet, or pot roast if it's pot-au-feu. Fine. Suit yourself. Same difference."

Whatever you call those culinary delights, you'll like this book. Come see Father Kleinschmidt's Annual Blessing of the Snowmobiles. Ja, you betcha! Reviewed by TundraVision.

This was purchased as a Mother's Day gift for my Mother-In-Law and it was a big hit. She really loved it - as did my Father-In-Law. Garrison Keillor already seems to be a big hit with the over 50 crowd and this book fits perfectly with his style.

Loved it! Huss didn't mess around, he just got straight to the meat of the program. I bought a digital camera and PE2 5 days ago and finshed the book 2 days ago...I'm now enhancing color, ballance, contrast, etc., I can drop in a new sky if I took a picture on an overcast day, I took a picture of a rose that looks like an oil painting after messing with it...I can do all of the things that I dreamed of doing when I bought my camera and PE2. I highly recommend this book to anyone who thought that PE2 might be a program that could help them produce better pics, but who has struggled figuring out what the hell all those tools and options do for you. This is the first book I have read and its great, now I hope that "Hidden Power..." is as good as this one!

True to the book's title, you will learn at least 50 ways to create cool pictures. If you must have the theory of color or light to satisfy your need to use Photoshop Elements, this book is not for you. If, however, you want to get right into improving and turning your pictures into great images without all the "techie" lingo, then by all means you must get this book. It is full of picture examples (good photography in color) with easy to follow steps to fix, enhance or just have fun with your pictures. This book is sure to satisfy the needs of the occasional film or digital shooter and those who are, well,... "shutter addicted." There are enough projects and tips and tricks in this book to pick up and have fun with over and over again. Worth every penny! I highly recommend this book!!!

This easy-to-read book is obviously about a good software tool, but its value lies in the truth of the title. As I use this book, I am really beginning to feel that I can create cool pictures.

I picked up this book as an attempt to make use of the pictures from my very(free) digital camera. I am amazed that I can make my many mediocre pictures into rather good pictures without spending an hour searching for clues from the help text.

I must also comment on the good navigational tools this book offers. This book includes a good index, too often missing (either the "good" or the "index") from other publications. The best part is the clear and thorough table of contents, which saved me more than a trip or two to the index anyway.

I always seem to be a sucker for Tip boxes. Happily, they are strategically placed throughout the book. They are the keys to truly mastering the program with techniques for getting the job done quicker or avoiding pitfalls.

The author's apparent knowledge of the complexity of photography and the software makes this book a great technical reference. His casual tone and approach make the book a great learning tool. While I am more likely to be found reviewing a restaurant or coffeehouse, I make this exception for a book because it is so tasty!

Emma Lord decides she needs a break from her routine and climbs into her trusty Jaguar to take a road trip. The problem is that her Jag is not so trusty and it breaks down partway through her trip. Emma has problems getting it fixed, so she calls the daughter of a friend of hers. The daughter invites Emma to spend the night and confides that she and her husband have just moved into an old family home where they have found a skeleton in the basement. Emma then joins them in their search for answers as to who the skeleton was and how it got in their basement. Many of the premises of this book seemed very contrived to me. Supposedly Emma barely knew her hostess and yet she imposed on her for several days. Also I wondered why the threesome would go to such great lengths to uncover the identity of the skeleton. Also, all of their theories were pretty much only theories, since they could prove none of them.
Of course our intrepid heroine comes up with the solution almost by accident. This was an interesting book, but not as well conceived as some of the others in the series.

Wow! This is the fifth book in the series, and the books are still exciting! Mary Daheim writes light murder mysteries that are both intriguing and hard to put down. If you like a good challenge, pick up one of these books and try to figure out "whodunit!" This whole series is so exciting because Mary Daheim continually lets all of her characters grow and she introduces new characters with each book! I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

I have read all of Daheim's books. Once I started, I carefully searched out all her titles and tried to read them in order as there is some carryover. I have lent them to friends, but am keeping them for another read. She writes about Washington state which I have been to but feel that I learn something about her part of the country, as well as being entertained. They are all well done mysteries.

Alpine is full of talk about the return of Ursula O'Toole. Having grown up in the small town, she married a wealthy doctor and is now returning to her birthplace to marry Warren Wells, another native of Alpine. Ursula immediately becomes embroiled in church politics and plans to run for the board of the Catholic school. Before that happens, however, she is found dead in the river. Some people think it was an accident but Emma Lord, local newspaper editor disagrees. She and her intrepid friend, Vida, do some investigating on their own. Did Ursula's future husband kill her for insurance money? Did Ursula's political enemies do her in? Did she have an old enemy in Alpine? Emma and Vida, together with Emma's boyfriend Sheriff Milo Dodge, finally uncover the answers to these question.

This is truly a great series. It is full of small town characters who are lively and sometimes odd. The plots are credible and exciting and the main character is believable. Never a disappointment!

For the fans of Mary Daheim's "Alpine" series, this is a pleasant addition. We see Emma Lord more comfortable in Alpine, accepted by the townspeople and coming to terms with her faith. The domestic violence, economic crisis are portrayed in a way to make you think about these issues. Small-town living? Not what everyone makes it out to be. In "The Alpine Icon", Ursula O'Toole Randall comes home to Alpine, engaged to another former Alpine resident,Warren Wells. A few things crop up that would make this move a bit uncomfortable. Warren's ex-wife, Francine, still lives in Alpine and runs an exclusive dress shop. Ursula manages to step on toes by making callous comments and a "holier than thou" attitude. She stepped on one toe to many and ended up dead. The sheriff, Milo Dodge, with Emma Lord's help and that of her House & Home editor, Vida Runkel, goes after leads all over Alpine. He sees more action in this book: domestic violence, drugs, attempted shooting and...love. A super continuation in "The Alpine Advocate" series. But for a first time reader, I would suggest the first book in the series "The Alpine Advocate".

Pagan Kennedy writes an interesting story about William Henry Sheppard, black Presbyterian pioneer missionary to nineteenth-century Congo Africa. The book is laced with quotations from original sources that give something of the flavor of the man and his times, as well as comments from his colleagues. Often, one wishes for more of the quotations and less reading between and behind the lines by the author.
Clearly, this is a work of historical fiction, leaning more to the fiction side than the history side. Although Kennedy relies on historical sources, she is primarily a fiction writer. It becomes evident in the way she frequently imagines the thoughts and motives of Sheppard and the other players in his history. One soon recognizes that Kennedy has created William Henry Sheppard in her own image and likeness. The nagging question remains on every page: how does Kennedy know the thoughts and motives of Sheppard and his missionary colleagues unless they are recorded in their writings or conversations with others?
The picture of Sheppard that emerges is of a strong but flawed individual using African exploration to escape American racism and social ostracism. Traditional religious ideas of the missionary as one who sacrifices his or her life to deliver the Christian message to those who have never heard is largely absent from this book. One wonders why Kennedy didn't just write a novel about a black southerner who goes to Africa as a missionary explorer. Then, she would not have to use so many "probably he was thinking" or "imagine that he" or "it must have seemed to him" and the like.
In the end, a disappointing book. The "real" story of Sheppard and his mission remains to be written.

I think that this book gives an excellent, detailed look back on a greatly unknown black American explorer, William Henry Sheppard. Pagan Kennedy opens our eyes to history that is left out of history books. The Presbyterian missionary attempts to convert African tribes into "civilized Christians", but in the end fails because of his mishaps and disliking by a white missionary. I recommend this book to anyone interested in studying black American explorers, or anyone looking for information on the Belgium Congo.

In my younger years I read many a book about exploring Africa and hunting the animals as well as safaris' as written by various authors. Great reading!

This book is about a black man named William Henry Sheppard A/K/A
The Black Livingstone...for good reason. Others complain about using conjecture in writing this story, however, the author, Pagan Kennedy, admits there are huge holes missing in the life of William Sheppard and I believe she did a fine job in telling this story. To make it interesting she just had to use conjecture or there would have been no book. There are plenty of facts, however, to prove that a whole lot of life-threatening danger was involved and original exploration and pathfinding done by the Black Livingstone.

This is the story of a black man's life that started as a nobody, then through hard work and some chicanery became a sought after celebrity and then in the waning years again became a nobody.

The relationship between Sheppard and his wife is an interesting one. All of her life she dreamed of living a certain way and after MANY decades she finally realized her dreams as outlined in the epilogue.

This was a fine book for me as the author did well in assembling the information at hand. I had never heard of Sheppard and the others in this story and am glad I read it!

Perhaps this cozy mystery has more to offer to the long-time readers already acquainted with the numerous characters. Family dynamics might have been amusing to someone more familiar, but were simply an irritation to this reader. Replacement hips, broken shoulders, deafness, dementia and free loading 30-year old kids simply are not amusing. Too many characters, living and dead, that just kept popping up throughout the book made it almost impossible to keep up with the story, the chatter was over the top, but not delightfully so, and the mystery was so very convoluted I really didn't CARE who had done it - I was just ready for the book to end. Where Ms. Danheim REALLY lost me though, was when a character was calling the airlines to check on passenger manifests. There should be SOME reality in a cozy mystery, some clever twists, and a lot more of setting and research by my thinking. This was a senseless hodgepodge.

It took our library ages to finally get me a copy of this to read. I had picked it up in several bookstores but never bought it, as the rest of my Mary Dahiem collection is in paperback. To be sure, I'll buy this one when it comes out, but the book was a bit of a letdown. The happenings at the B & B take place around Halloween, but this holiday and all its spooky trappings are never really used effectively. The "mystery" trick or treaters is rather lame, if not next door to impossible to believe. As for all the movie folks who swoop down on Judith and her husband, there really aren't any memorable characters; this is the most normal group she has ever dealt with. Not a surprse that none of them had the ambition or forethought for mayhem. I don't mind a few red herrings in a book but it was virtually impossible to figure out who the murderer actually was. There was not as much interaction between Renie and Judith, but Bill, Renie's husband, is turning into a very welcome, likeable character. He and Joe's friendship seems every bit as genuine as Judith and Renie's. Gertrude was her usual colorful self, and always welcome at every appearance. The big push in the book is that Judith could lose her beloved B and B due to the drowning death of a famous producer. However, even though there was a lawyer involved, there was never a mention of a lawsuit by anyone except the near hysterical Judith and the nervous Joe. It just never seemed like a possibility at all, so hence no panic on the reader's part. And, sorry, I don't think anyone could buy Renie's three children, none of who had serious beaus, turning up engaged. A mediocre Mary Dahiem is better than most, but I hope her next foray is more in keeping with her previous books, most of which are pricelss and have been read at least three times. I don't know if this one will get another read.

Filmdom's most sparkling glitterati have brought their limos and their egos to Judith McMonigle Flynn's Hillside Manor for a gala preview of the latest epic monstrosity from genius superproducer Bruno Zepf. Hostess Flynn's Pacific Northwest B&B is a far cry from Hollywood - but then Bruno's cinematic spectacular is a far cry from good. And the great man's entourage - with their swelled heads, their tantrums, their demands, and their illicit habits - surely rank among the most insufferable guests ever to rumple Judith's bed linens." "Bruno hopes his new film is to die for - unfortunately for him, it is. Not long after the lights come up on the less-than-lauded screening, the unfortunate mogul is discovered drowned in the kitchen sink. His demise could have been a bizarre accident caused by a faulty cabinet door that Judith's ex-cop hubby Joe Flynn never got around to repairing. And since the only species in Tinseltown more numerous than Oscar seekers is attorneys, Judith could lose Hillside Manor in a wrongful-death suit. Unless, of course, she can prove it was murder." "But there's a problem: No one on the scene benefits from the producer's fade-to-black. The police are stymied (surprise!), but Judith's livelihood depends upon her finding a killer - any killer will do. And that's the script she intends to follow, with the assistance of "Mr. Don't-Fix-It" Joe and a curiously reluctant cousin Renie, who's got troubles of her own."--

Once again Jude is conned into helping out an acquaintance, this time an old high school friend who owns a B and B in the Santa Lucia Islands. An obnoxious guest falls down the stairs and is found dead shortly after Renie hits him in the head with a dinner plate when he tries to steal her dinner. It turns out that he really died from a blow to the head, just not Renies. This contains the usual wierd group of characters and improbable mystery, but is very enjoyable none the less.

Judith Flynn and her cousin Renie are asked to help an old high school friend run her bed-and-breakfast while she takes a much-needed rest after the death of her husband. The B&B is on a remote island which is inhabited by an eccentric group of people who are not particularly welcoming to newcomers. Added to this, Judith and Renie have an unfriendly tenant who is disagreeable to everyone with whom he comes in contact. Renie argues with him and hits him on the head with a dinner plate when he becomes aggressive and demanding. He leaves and shortly thereafter, he is found dead. The cousins fear that Renie's blow may have contributed to his death, but further investigation leads them to several of the island's inhabitants who seem to have a motive for murder. As usual, the cousins have more success than the local law enforcement officers, and after several red herrings, Judith discovers the identity of the killer. This is another good read from author Daheim.

I've always liked mysteries but have never read many before seeing this one. I read it in two days and could hardly put it down! The characters were all so vivid and real and the scenery was like Ms. Daheim had taken a picture and taped it into the book. It was highly entertaining from begining to end and now I'm on to my next Bed and Breakfast Mystery!