Murder On Tyneside (Agnes Lockwood Mysteries Book One) - Eileen Thornton, Author

Slow cooker - Beef and Veg with a splash of red wine! (a large splash)

Serves 4

1lb Braising Steak - cut into cubes

1 Large Onion Chopped

2-3 Carrots Sliced

Frozen Peas

New Potatoes

Tablespoon Plain Flour

Dried Mixed Herbs

Beef Stock Cube (dissolved in half-pint hot water)

Salt and pepper for seasoning to taste

Add a small amount of cooking oil to a large pan and brown the meat

Add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes before adding the carrots and peas.

Stir in the flour and the mixed herbs

Add the stock together with a the wine. (I said a splash, but let’s be honest,  about half a pint is better. 

Add salt and pepper to taste.

At this point you can add the potatoes - unless you would prefer to boil them separately - and bring to simmering point,

Pour the stew into the Slow Cooker. Cook for about 4 - 5 hours set on low or 3 - 4 hours on high.

Add more wine or water if necessary.

Murder On Tyneside - Review by Martha A. Cheves

Alan sighed, as he turned back to face into the room.  He had a case to solve.  But where did they start with this one?  Using his fingers, he counted off what the police knew.  One: there was a body.  Two: the victim had been shot and thrown from this window.  Three: there was no blood found in the room.  Four: the Scene of Crime Officers team had found no trace of blood in the entire building.  Five: According to the curator, the windows and doors were all locked before he went home that evening.  Yet the murder must have taken place here.  Why would anyone carry a dead body up here only to throw it from this window back down onto the street?  It just didn't make any sense.  And then there was the question of how they got in.

Agnes' mind was also working on the crime and how it took place.  She too decided to tick off the events on her fingers.  First there were robberies.  Then a woman, who happened to be staying at the hotel, was murdered, though her body was not found at the hotel.  Third, today they find that another guest could possibly be involved  in one- or even both of the crimes.  So what would be next?  She sighed.  This was as close as she had ever come to investigating a real crime and she wasn't going to be put off by the detective working the case, even if he was trying to keep her out of harm's way.  But where did she go from here?  What would be number four on the list?

Agnes Lockwood had been away from Tyneside for a number of years.  After the death of her husband she has decided to take some time and visit some of her childhood memories.  Agnes had chosen the Millennium Hotel for her stay.  It's views were beautiful and everything was up to date.  After checking in she decided to take a short walk around.  When she returned to the hotel she was surprised to find loud voices and a visit from the police.  Apparently someone had broken into one of the guest rooms and stolen an expensive necklace.  And this was just the beginning.

Chief Inspector Alan Johnson was assigned to the theft at the Millennium Hotel.  As soon as he saw Agnes, he recognized her from their childhood.  As children he had had a crush on her that ended when she and her family moved away.  Well, maybe some of the crush was still there.  In the back of his mind he seemed to hope so and even invited her out for a dinner of reminiscing.  That is when they found the body that appeared to have been thrown out of the window above.

I read for this woman several years ago and loved her work then.  And she didn't disappoint me with her writing of Murder on Tyneside.  Her technique of allowing you to follow the characters as they actually 'think' things through makes her writing different from most books I've read.  She includes the suspense, drama and mystery but also keeps the reading light with short chapters that makes it easier to keep turning every page to see what happens next.  I will admit that I had an idea of who the culprit would be but she made it difficult to be sure as she twisted the story to lead me in other directions.  Can't wait for Book #2

What Hunts Me (Ghost Killer Book 3) - Margaret Millmore, Author

Baileys Dip

-1 (8 ounces) of cream cheese, soften to room temperature

-1/2 cup of powdered sugar

-1/4 cup of Baileys Irish Cream liqueur (you can add a bit more if you'd like a creamier consistency)

-1/3 cup mini chocolate chips

*Combine cream cheese, sugar, Baileys and beat with a mixer until smooth and creamy

*Stir in chocolate chips

Serve with wafer cookies or salted crackers

What Hunts Me (Ghost Killer Book 3) - Review by Martha A. Cheves

He grabbed me by the shoulders and dug in.  I could feel the talon like nails breaking into my skin and scraping my collar bone, and pain reverberated through my body.  Drunk or not, I was still a ghost killer and still damn strong.  Raising my arms up and out, I broke free, but not before he tore a chunk of skin and T-shirt off my shoulder.  I flipped out of reach and started to run, but he was fast and on me in a matter of seconds, landing solidly on my back, and then I was face down in the dirt of the vacant lot across from the tavern and the motel.  He grabbed me by the hair, and the next thing I knew my head was slammed to the ground, over and over again.  Blood trickled into my eyes and then nothing, just blackness..... 

George Sinclair is a very powerful Ghost Killer.  Since acquiring a diary that was written by his great grandfather, who was also a ghost killer, George has found himself following a being that his great grandfather had buried many years before.  This being is wreaking destruction on everyone that gets in his way as he searches for the broken stones from what used to be a Muttata.  By gathering these stones the Muttata will put itself back together and give him total control over some of the worse demons and ghosts ever to roam.  

George is joined by another powerful ghost killer named Billy.  Their job is to follow the route George's great grandfather traveled in hopes of gathering the stones and preventing the destruction that will be bestowed on the whole world.  The problem is, this being seems to always be just a few steps ahead of them.  

After reading all three of the Ghost Killer Books, I must say that I'm surprised someone hasn't picked these books up as either movies or at least a TV series.  These stories are right up there with those of the Walking Dead.  They held me with every word, waiting to see what was going to happen next.  Now I'm waiting on Book 4.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Goodbye, My Love - Book 1 - Maggie Tideswell, Author

Traditional South African bobotie recipe

Serves up to eight people, but you can adjust it to make the recipe smaller.

Ingredients

1 fairly thick slice crustless bread (white or brown)

375 ml milk

25 ml oil

10ml butter

2 onions, sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

25 ml curry powder

10ml salt

25ml chutney

15ml smooth apricot jam

15ml Worcester sauce

5ml turmeric

25ml brown vinegar

1 kg raw mince

100 ml sultanas (don’t replace with raisins – they are too sweet; sultanas are much better for this recipe)

3 eggs

pinch each salt and turmeric

bay leaves

Cooking method

Soak bread in milk. Heat oil and butter in large pan and fry onions and garlic.

When onions are soft, add curry powder, salt, chutney, jam, Worcester sauce, turmeric and vinegar and mix well.

Drain and mash bread and reserve milk. Add bread to pan together with mince and sultanas.

Cook over low heat, stirring, and when meat loses its pinkness, remove from stove. Add 1 beaten egg, mix well, then spoon into a greased, 28 x 16 cm baking dish and level the top.

Beat remaining eggs with reserved milk (you should have 300ml, or a little more) and the salt and turmeric.

Pour over meat mixture and put a few bay leaves on top. Stand dish in a larger pan of water (this is important to prevent drying out) and bake, uncovered, at 180 degrees celsius for 1 hour or until set.

Serve with rice, coconut, chutney, nuts and bananas.

Goodby, My Love - Roxanne's Ghost Saga Episode 1 - Review by Martha A. Cheves

Ben dragged a breath deep into his lungs when he turned to Daemon.  "Okay, let's assume you find Roxanne and bring her home.  What form is she going to have?"  Millicent shared a look with Daemon.  "What do you mean?"  she asked.  "What I mean, Millicent, is simple.  Will she be as she was when I saw her last, or will she be a skeleton, or scarred and burned beyond recognition, or a puff of insubstantial smoke?  What form are you bringing her home in?"  He glared at his sister-in-law.  "Roxanne is dead, Millicent!" he bellowed.  "Get that into your head.  Roxanne is dead and she cannot come back, not as I knew and loved her.  Can;t you understand that?  I just want to remember he as she was, without you tarnishing my memories of her."

Jessica James has an appointment to meet with a Dr. Ben Arnold who has an Autistic child.  Her position will be the child's nanny.  From the looks of things Dr. Arnold wants to send her on her way and find someone else.  But, due to a 'pack' of dogs that greeted her she will end up having to stay at least for the night.

As the night goes on, Jess is faced with a mattress that seemed to be talking, an owl that appears to be watching over her, a physic who wears a dress, and three sisters that have come to the house insisting that  Ben's wife Roxanne isn't dead and they will be bringing her home.  On top of all that, Jess has started having her own visions of a woman named Daisy.  Did I forget to mention that this all takes place on Friday 13th?

When I started reading Goodbye, My Love I wasn't sure I would make it through to the end.  I don't really care for romantic books and this one was starting out on that line with full force.  But, I decided to give it a little longer and sure am glad that I did.  The romance turned into a full force mystery with a lot of paranormal mixed in.  Every page drug me deeper and deeper into the story, not sure what was going to happen next.  This book took me to the end and gave me no ending.  Just a promise of another book that will keep me going even deeper.

Sink or Swim - Stacy Juba, Author

Quick and Easy Chocolate Creamy Graham Cake

Ingredients:

2 packages of French Vanilla instant pudding

1 small Cool Whip or whipped cream container

Box of graham crackers

Canned chocolate frosting

3 ½ cups of milk

Instructions:

Blend milk with the pudding mix.  Add all the whipped cream and stir until well blended. Set aside. Layer graham crackers on bottom of a square pan. Spread the pudding blend over the crackers. Top with another layer of graham crackers. Cover with chocolate frosting. Add sprinkles. (optional) Store in fridge and let set for a couple of hours.

Sink or Swim - Review by Martha A. Cheves

Under the show's set-up, twelve contestants had competed in four teams.  The crew awarded marks based on skill and neatness, with team members pooling their numbers to win privileges like movie nights or dinners in the officers' mess.  Every Monday, a low-scoring contestant walked the plank and went home on a rendezvous ship.  Cassidy had lasted until the final cut. 

Cassidy Novak was one of the contestants on the reality show Sink or Swim.  She didn't like losing at anything, especially when there was a million dollars at stake.  But lose she did coming in at second place.  Her dream of opening a chain of gyms with her as the fitness instructor has come to an end.  The only thing she can do now is go to her dull life in Garrett and hopefully make enough money to pay her bills.  But... life was to never be the same again.

As with all the cast members, Cassidy had received her share of fan mail.  There were those from her admirers and even a gift here and there.  Then she spotted the Raggedy Ann doll, just like the one her father had given her before he ran away from Cassidy and her mother never to be heard from again.  And then came the 'love' letters expressing the love and devotion of someone who signed everything with the name Miles.  As time goes on, Miles becomes more than a want-to-be lover.  He becomes her stalker.

This book has several twists and turns.  As Cassidy received a hint as to who this person might be I started believing she might be right.  All of her suspects had the perfect opportunity and reasons but which one was it?  I was surprised to the end!

This is a very enjoyable book to read.  I found myself wanting to read 'just one more page' before going to bed.  Can't wait to read more by this author.

The Acorn Stories (Acorn, Texas Book 1) - Duane Simolke, Author

Chicken Cashew at Chuck’s China Town

Recipe by Duane Simolke

Ingredients:

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, marinated in Teriyaki sauce.

Vegetable oil, just enough to brown the chicken.

Finely diced carrots and onions.

Garlic or garlic powder.

For more spice and a Texas twist, add jalapeno slices or cayenne pepper.

At least 2 ounces of cashews.

Salt and pepper.

Marinate the chicken overnight. Dice it and brown in a frying pan with the carrots, onions, and seasonings. Add more Teriyaki sauce as it cooks. Chicken should be cooked through and tender. Just before it’s all ready, toss with the cashews.

Serve over rice or pasta.

If you don’t have cashews, peanuts work fine.

The Acorn Stories - Review by Martha A. Cheves

My name is Aragon Carsons, and I'm just going to state some facts.  People tell me a little more than they should.  Well, a lot more than they should.  Actually, people tell me way too much.  Or they say too many things where I can hear them, which is just the same as telling me, as far as I'm concerned.  Do they really think I won't share what I heard with anybody?  I mean, stories like these can't just sit on a shelf in somebody's brain.

The more I think about it, the more sure I am that my neighbors want someone to tell their Acorn stories, that they don't want to be just a small part of a small town in a big state in a big country.  People aspire to leave something behind other than babies, a mortgage, and a nasty rumor or two.  And they certainly want someone reliable tell it, like what my grandmother did when she chronicled the early folks of Acorn.  

So maybe I'll serve you up a few slices of Acorn pie.  There are enough words in my kitchens, enough stories in my cupboards - I'd like to work closets into this paragraph, but I certainly wouldn't want to strain a metaphor so early in my narrative - that I could find ingredients for several pies.  But I'll be choosy an pick out some of my favorites.  

And that is exactly what Aragon does in The Acorn Stories

When I was young we lived in a small town outside of Atlanta.  Everyone knew everyone and everyone knew everyone's business.  Way back then we even had what was called 'Party Lines'.  These were phone lines where several houses had the same phone line with each having a different number of rings so you would know when the call was for you or someone else.  But... if you quietly picked up the phone you could listen to all the gossip running around the neighborhood.  This book reminds me of that time.

The residents of Acorn didn't have the party line but they did spread the gossip.  As I read each 'story' I found myself remembering people from my past that would fit perfectly into Acorn.  Even if your town is small, it's large in its problems and these problems seem to become the talk of the town.

I loved this book and the memories it brought back.  So, if you remember the 'Party Lines' you can't help but enjoy this book.  If you are a bit younger than I am but live in a small town, you'll enjoy this book.  And if you're from a large town, read it and enjoy what you have missed out on.

Silently in the Night - Graham Clayton, Author

Double Chocolate Ghost Cookies

1 cup butter

1 1/2 cup white sugar

2 tsp Vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 Ghost pepper (fresh)

2 cups flour

2/3 cup of cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 cups of dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup of dry roasted unsalted almonds or 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla & Ghost pepper (remove seeds & finely dice & smash up the Ghost pepper) until fluffy.

Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda & into butter mixture until completely blended, fold in chocolate chips & nuts.

Drop rounded teaspoons of the dough onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes, cool cookies on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to cooling rack. Eat & enjoy.

Silently in the Night - Review by Martha A. Cheves


#1
She had ridden without lights for an hour and a half, fearful of barking dogs as she approached the house.  He'd been lying comatose on the sofa, induced by the barbiturates in the casserole.  She'd donned latex gloves and inserted a flexible rubber tube down his throat and loaded him up with a full bottle.  Enough to kill him without him recovering consciousness.  Then she'd put the note on the floor; the note which she'd spent an age producing, copying from examples of his handwriting she'd taken with her.  She'd kept it simple:  'Life is hopeless without her.  No point in going on.'

#2
James bit his lip.  It would be true to say that this time he felt fear.  He was about to meet a ghost; the ghost, in fact, of his cousin who had died at birth and apparently grown up in the neverworld of the hereafter.  It was, he thought, quite bizarre.

#3
Simon pointed his floater to the east and set the controls to 'cojoin'.  The orbicular machine moved across the lunar landscape without further bidding and Simon tried to relax.  He really was too tall for the floater, his bent knees almost shielding the control panel, but a job was a job and he needed the money if he was going to escape the dark side of the moon and return to the relative comfort of Earth.

Above I've given you just 3 samples of the types of short stories you'll find in Silently in the Night.  All are short and a bit on the dark side.  You'll find everything from ghosts to aliens to murders and all are filled with suspense and mystery, many without happy endings.   These stories might just keep you awake at night if you read too many before going to sleep.

Over My Dead Body (Father Frank Mysteries Book 2) - James R. Callan, Author

Callan's Oatmeal Cookies

Start with

            ¾ cup of butter

            ½ cup granulated sugar

            1 cup brown sugar

            1 teaspoon of baking powder

            ¼ teaspoon baking soda

            1 teaspoon cinnamon

            ¼ teaspoon ground cloves

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ground cloves and beat until mixed and smooth.

            2 eggs

            1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla

Now, mix in the eggs and vanilla until well mixed and smooth.

Next, if you have a good mixer, use it.  Otherwise mix by hand.

            1 ¾ cups of all purpose flour

            2 cups of rolled oats

After all of the above is well mixed in, then add and mix only enough to distribute the nuts and cranberries.

            1 cup pecans or walnuts

            1 cup of dried cranberries or Craisins

Use a teaspoon to put small mounds of dough on a cookie sheet and bake in a 375 degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Some like the cookies softer and some like them crisper.  You decide, or make a pan of each.

This will make about 5 dozen cookies, depending on the size of the cookie you bake.  If you have a  large enough mixer, you can double this recipe, cook half of it and put the remaining batter in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.  Then, you can bake the rest tomorrow, yielding hot, fresh cookies on both days, with only one mixing.  Happy eating.

Over My Dead Body - Review by Martha A. Cheves

Mike shifted his focus to the priest.  "This big company, uh, Lockey Corporation, got a court order to condemn Mr. Cranzler's land to make way for a new shopping center.  He was very upset at losing his place.  His brother..."  He looked at his notebook.  "Ah, Randall Cranzler, found Sydney Cranzler dead this morning in his house.  The M.E. determined the deceased took an overdose of -."  He glanced at his notebook again.  "Digitoxin, a medication he used for his heart.  In fact, the pill bottle was completely empty, and tests showed his body was loaded with it, probably twice as much as needed to kill him.  Plus, the deceased left a suicide note in the printer output tray, saying he didn't want to live to see them bulldoze his house." 

Syd Cranzler was one of Father Frank's parishioner at the Prince of Peace Church.  When Detective Mike Oakley broke the news to the Father and Georgia Peitz, neither believed suicide was even possible.  Mike, on the other hand, believed what the M.E. had determined - Syd took his own life.  And after dealing with a representative from the Lockey Corporation, with his pushy tactics of trying to get the contracts signed for the shopping center, both Father Frank and Georgia were even more convinced they were right.  Now they had to prove to Mike that it was a murder, not a suicide.

I followed Georgia and Father Frank's leads in the hope of determining if it was murder and if so, who the murderer was, as well as who else was pushing the sale of the property.  As it seemed, Syd was the only property owner that didn't want the sale.  The others were all impatiently waiting on Syd's contract to be signed.  Then came the real problem.  After his death, the property was turned over to a new owner and the buyers now had to convince the new owner that this was best for everyone.

As close as I followed, I was still in for a surprise.  Bet you will be too.  And now that Father Frank has my attention, I'll be going back to read Book One, Cleansed by Fire.