100 Rules for Living to 100 by Dick Van Dyke

A collection of short stories taken from the life of Dick Van Dyke. Some are happy, some are sad, some are matter-of-fact. There are stories of his time on various sets as well as his descent into alcoholism. Overall is an air of sentimentality that is a little saccharine at points but well-deserved by an artist who has lived and worked as long as he has. 

Three and a half stars

This book comes out November 18, 2025

ARC kindly provided by Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley

Opinions are my own

Mrs. Pollifax, Innocent Tourist by Dorothy Gilman

Let's be honest, the Pollifax books are a product of their time. It's aging better than some books and definitely captures the tone of its time.
John Farrell is back and needs the help of Mrs. Pollifax. There is a manuscript that needs to be smuggled out of a Middle Eastern country and the author only trusted Farrell. Having Emily P. will help him fly under the radar. Or so they would think. But Emily is seated next to a man who is not only overly garrulous, he is more dangerous than he appears. And that will double the danger they are in as he has done something that will affect their safety even more.

Three stars

This book came out in 1997

Mrs. Pollifax #13

Follows Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer

Followed by Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled

Hard copy I did not keep

Opinions are my own

The House with No Keys by Lindsay Currie

The Deltas are back. They've been helping out at the fun house but both Hannah and West could use more money. Big money. So when an invitation that promises them $10,000 each if they can finish a new mystery house. And there's a not-so-veiled threat it they don't. 

They go, but this is nothing like the previous book; these rooms feel mean. And it doesn't help that Sara has some secrets of her own. One of which will change the way the Delta's function forever.

This book was fine. Not as good as the first one but it's hard to follow up a mysterious haunted house with kids running round unsupervised. 

Four stars

This book came out April 2, 2024

The Delta Games #1

Follows The Mystery of the Locked Room

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Mistletoe Murders 3 and 4 by Ken Cuperus, Raymond Ablack (Narrator), Ann Carol Ann, Cobie Smulders (Narrator), Anna Cathcart (Narrator)

Mistletoe Murders 3

It's a year later and we're back in Fletcher's Grove. Emily's past has come back to haunt her. Not only is it possible that the group that almost took her out before is trying again, but her old boss and former flame is now in town trying to keep her safe. That is throwing her current relationship a little bit.... off. They're still finding time for themselves but it has to be a little more hidden. Of course, the murders aren't helping...

The first two sets of stories revolve around the wedding of Emily' frenemy. There have been a series of mishaps leading up to the wedding. The wedding day is the lowest, when the husband-to-be is almost killed and his good friend dies in an accident involving an amp. Lots of characters from past stories in this one. 

The last story has Sam's daughter trying to get into a prestigious forensics school. Unforunately, there's a body found on the first day on campus. In this story, Emiliy isn't featured as prominently but she does almost die.

Three and a half stars

Mistletoe Murders #3

This book came out November 7, 2024

Follows Mistletoe Murders #2

Borrowd as audiobook from Audible Plus

Mistletoe Murders 4

These stories are fast, fun, and fluffy. Not a lot of depth but really fun to listen to. 
It's been eleven months since Emily had to leave Fletcher's Grove. We don't know much about what we did while she was gone, but we get the conflicting emotions of her return. While the town doesn't seem to have changed much, it is just enough for Emily to feel off kilter. One of the changes is that Sam seems to have moved on which, fair, Emily had to leave without a word. 
Not everything has changed though, there are still secrets... and murders. So Emily hops right back in with one more person who knows her past and one who seems bent on murdering her. 
The series again ends on a cliffhanger, but this one has more serious implications if it all goes wrong. 

Three and a half stars

Mistletoe Murders #4

This book came out November 6, 2025

Borrowd as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own

The Witching Moon Manor by Stacy Sivinski

It's been a little over a year since the events of the first book. Anne, Violet, and Beatrix have missed their birthday together but the three are reuniting in their Chicago home. Violet is haunted by a mistake she made during her and her husband's acrobatic act. Beatrix no longer seems to have any words. And Anne has to prevent an apocalypse. 

I actually liked this one a bit better than the first because we are getting more character and world building. 

Three and a half stars

The Spellbound Sisters #2

This book came out October 1, 2024

Follows The Crescent Moon Tearoom

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Murder In An Italian Village Audiobook by Michael Falco, Nichol Zanzarella (Narrator)

Bria Bartolucci is a guest in Positano. Not a tourist but not a resident either. She was moved there by her husband, Carlo, who has since passed away. But she is staying strong for her eight-year-old son, Marco, and his dog, Bravo. She is going to open her B&B, Bella Bella. 

One day she comes home to Bravo barking at one of her guest doors. Inside, a man in a suit who appears to be sleeping. But, this is a mystery, so, of course, he is not. The rest of the book has her running around in one of my least favorite tropes, person with no experience trying to solve a mystery for "reasons" and ACTIVELY interfering in the investigation. And that's when Luca, the cop on the case is Bria's best friend's brother and almost like a brother to Bria herself. To be fair, his partner, Nunzi (sp?), isn't a big Bria fan. Bria is also upset that her handyman, Giovanni, who has a shady past, seems to be a prime suspect. But he's always been so good to her...

I'm not sure if it's a cultural thing but this is the first time in a LONG time that I went and checked the gender of the author because Bria seems like an idealized version of A Woman rather than an actual human being. That along with her meddling, made this book a slog for me.

Two and a half stars

Bria Bartolucci Mystery #1

This book came out September 26, 2023

Followed by Murder in an Italian Cafe

Borrowed as an audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

A Very Punchable Face by Colin Jost

Arguably, the things people best know Colin Jost for is being on SNL and marrying Scarlett Johansson. This book gives him a little more depth. Including a bit about how he tried to murder his younger brother and treated him fairly horribly, at least based on the stories in the book. It would be interesting to hear it from the other side. 

Overall it's a celebrity biography. A little bit about the behind-the-scenes of SNL through Jost's lens. But most of it is fairly bland and skates over a lot of the stories. Interesting but not much in depth.

Three stars
This book came out July 14, 2020

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own