A Family Affair By: Rex Stout

An emotional farewell to the great Nero Wolfe series. A dead executive, a dead waiter and his dead daughter...throw in some Watergate musings and The Feminine Mystique and you've got Rex Stout's brilliant, but sad ending to the great Nero Wolfe. I'm so glad I've read all of this series, in order; I feel privileged to have been able to visit in Nero and Archie's world.

Please Pass the Guilt By: Rex Stout

A man with Lady MacBeth syndrome, a bottle of booze and a bomb in a desk-could you ask for anything more in a Nero Wolfe/Archie Goodwin story? I think not!!

A Gentleman in Moscow By: Amor Towles

What an utter and complete surprise!  I wasn't expecting to fall in love with this book, but that's exactly what happened.  Amor Towles has woven a gorgeous tapestry of life in the Metropol Hotel in Moscow.  Following the Count's exploits, lives, and friends & family through out decades of life in the hotel, sends the reader on a journey of dignity, friendship, redemption and love.  I am so enamored of this book, and can't wait to discuss it with my Book Club!

Atonement By: Ian McEwan

Have to admit-I had a hard time adjusting to Mr. McEwan's writing style-I felt it was unnecessarily flowery, but the more I read, the more I realized how vital those flowery descriptions were to setting the psychological tone of the story and the characters.  I ate this up once I let myself be washed away by this tale of family, betrayal, fantasy, reality, forgiveness and, obviously, atonement.  Now I know what all the fuss is about with McEwan's writing!

Personal History By: Katharine Graham

I've never a biography that read like a thriller!  This is a stunning achievement in biography.  A warts and all look at her own life, Katharine Graham leaves no subject untouched.  Written in an easy style, and always honest (even when unflattering to herself), Ms. Graham gives the reader an in depth look at her life, 3 generations of her family, the Washington Post Company, and in essence a history of publishing in America.  An extraordinary biography by an extraordinary woman!

Every Brilliant Thing At SpeakEasy Stage Co.

Last night I was lucky enough to see a wonderful production of Every Brilliant Thing presented by SpeakEasy Stage Company.  Don't be fooled by it's 70 minute running time, this production is packed with emotion, laughter, joy, sadness and hope.

I've truly completed "The List": #1,000,001-Adrianne Krstansky!
(see the show and you'll know what this means-and how perfect it is)

The Sewing Circle: Hollywood's Greatest Secret-Female Stars Who Loved Other Women By: Axel Madsen

Linking the hidden (or in some cases not so hidden) world of lesbians in the golden age of Hollywood, with a history of Hollywood, and a socialogical/psycholigical look at the time period, is no small task, but is handled deftly by Axel Madsen.  This great history reads easily, includes great anecdotes as well as well researched history.  A great read for anyone interested in LGBTQI and/or Hollywood history.

The Body in the Library by Agatha Christie

A simple locked room mystery...and by simple I mean the usual Agatha Christie twists and turns that can only be unravelled by the formidable Miss Marple!

Death of a Dude by Rex Stout

For several decades I've been listening to the The Adventures of Nero Wolfe radio series, starring the fantastic Sydney Greenstreet.  I adore this classic radio program and have been fascinated by Nero (who reminds me of my Dad), and enamored of Archie Goodwin (he's so damn charming!).  In all the time I've been listening to the series, I never read any of the original source materials!  I've been rectifying that situation for a couple for a couple of years now; I've been slowly gathering all of the Nero Wolfe stories on my kindle.

Here's my review of the latest that I've just finished.



Talk about a fish out of water! Nero Wolfe in Montana!!!!! When a man is killed near Lily Rowan's ranch, and Archie is ineffective getting the populace to talk, Nero leaves his creature comforts and arrives in Montana to help (well to get Archie to come home really, but if he has to solve the murder, so be it). Add in a couple of lawyers, a rude sheriff, a fascinating character named Woody and several trout and you've got yourself a Nero Wolfe mystery to savor!

A Christmas Peril (A Theatre Cop Mystery #1) by J.A. Hennrikus






Having read this after it was officially published, I found it to be a more tightly written than the first time I read it. A fantastic cross between an Agatha Christie Mystery and an Ed McBain police procedural. A great start to a new series.

SO glad to have received an advanced copy of this book. A great start to what I hope is a long series! A great protagonist with an interesting background headlines this story that combines, murder, theatre, and family drama. Concisely written, many twists and turns lead to a satisfying conclusion and leaves the reader wanting more.