I had never heard of Jennifer Rowe (1971-2021) until I read Jon L. Breen’s comment in The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories: Third Annual Edition (you can read about it here) declaring Rowe’s Death in Store: A Holiday Mystery was the best mystery story collection of 1993. So, of course, I had to track down a copy and read it.

Rowe’s detective, Verity Birdwood, is a quirky solisitor with a knack for solving crimes. In “Forbidden Fruit,” Verity solves a murder while she’s just a child because of her keen eye for detail.

In “Rabbit Killer,” Verity is called on by an old friend to clear her mentally disabled brother who the police suspect as the killer of a neighbor. Verity works her magic and discovers the real murderer.

The title story, “Death in Store,” makes this book “A Holiday Mystery” because a department store Santa gets murdered. Verity Birdwood investigates the stabbing killing with scissors as the murder weapon. Verity’s solution brings some Christmas cheer. If you’re looking for a character with a Miss Marple vibe and an Australian setting, these Verity Birdwood stories deliver. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Forbidden fruit — 3

Rabbit killer — 20

Death warmed up — 59

Flashpoint — 72

Death in ruby — 89

Roses for do-hoppy — 105

Ladies’ day — 123

Death in store — 139

THE VERITY BIRDWOOD MYSTERY SERIES:

• Grim Pickings (1987)
• Murder by the Book (1989)
• Death in Store (1993)
• The Makeover Murders (1994)
• Stranglehold (1995)
• Lamb to the Slaughter (1996)

I admit I’m a sucker for the Disney+ Star Wars spin-offs even though most of them–except for The Mandalorian–are mediocre. The series starts with an attack on a space freighter by pirates. Then the scene shifts to an urban planet and a kid named Wim (Ravi Cabot-Conyers) who dreams of leaving his placid planet for adventure. And…Wim gets it when he discovers a buried starship. Two girls, Fern (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) who sports a flying jacket and rides a hover-bike and her sidekick KB (Kyriana Kratter), a tech whiz aided by a cool helmet/visor gadget (my favorite character) and Wim’s friend, Neel (Robert Timothy Smith) who looks like a blue elephant, get swept up by the starship and leave the planet…and get lost. Nick Frost extends the list of British actors to be cast in Star Wars as the voice of a snarky droid–SM-33–who has too few comic moments.

Crimson Jack (Jude Law) shows up to get the action started as the kids are desperate to return to their home planet. But, of course, their planet is a “lost” planet that was purposely hidden. I’ve only watched three of the eight episodes–a new episode drops every week–but Star Wars: Skeleton Crew has enough juice to hold my attention. Are you a Star Wars fan? GRADE: INCOMPLETE, but treading towards a B.

Alex Edmans, a Professor of Finance at London Business School, takes a deep dive into the manipulation of data and information so common in so much of our communications and “news.” The key element Edmans focuses on is our tendency to believe “facts” and “stories” that support our biases. If we’re pro-women running corporations, we’re much more willing to believe “studies” that show women CEOs out-perform male CEOs (according to Edmans, the jury is still out on this issue).

The other major culprit in skewing information is data mining. Data mining is a technique to search data for “facts” that support whatever you’re trying to prove. There may be a 1000 studies on whether breast-feeding increases a baby’s IQ, but data mining will find the studies that support your belief that infant formula works just was well. Whether it does or not, is another question.

With all the “research” being done, Edmans warns that anyone with a computer can find “evidence” to support just about any position–whether it’s true or false. That’s how conspiracy theories grow and thrive on junk science.

Deliberate confusion is the norm today. So many random facts are thrown about in the game of bewildering and baffling us. Is red meat bad or good? Should we drink a shot of vinegar (or extra virgin olive oil) each day to improve our heath? Are electric cars really better than gas powered cars?

I came away after reading May Contain Lies with a renewed skepticism and wariness about current “research” and social trends. I’m more liable to look at multiple sets of facts about an issue now and not just reject “evidence” that conflicts with my biases. Like Joni Mitchell suggests, I need to consider Both Sides Now. You might want to think about that, too. GRADE: A

Table of Contents:

Introduction — 1

PART I: THE BIASES 
1. Confirmation Bias — 15
2. Black- and- White Thinking  — 17

PART II: THE PROBLEMS 
3. A Statement is Not Fact — 57
4. A Fact is Not Data — 59
5. Data is Not Evidence: Data Mining — 89
6. Data is Not Evidence: Causation — 115
7. When Data is Evidence — 168
8. Evidence is Not Proof — 192

PART III: THE SOLUTION 
9. Thinking Smarter as Individuals — 211
10. Creating Organizations that Think Smarter — 235
11. Creating Societies that Think Smarter — 259

Appendix: A Checklist for Smarter Thinking — 283
Acknowledgements — 293
Notes — 295
Index — 313

The 10-3 Buffalo Bills travel to Patti Abbott Country to take on the 12-1 Detroit Lions. Some sports “experts” are hyping this game as a Super Bowl Preview. I don’t know about that. Both teams have plenty of injuries so we’ll see who shows up to play this game. The mighty Lions are 2½ point favorites. I’m not optimistic that the Bills can win this game.

How will your favorite NFL team perform today?

Anthony Chase, our local theater critic, praised Charo who he has seen in concert several times, and urged the listeners of his radio segment to buy tickets to see Charo when she was scheduled to appear in Western New York. For those of you who many be unfamiliar with Charo,  she is a Spanish-born actress, singer, comedian, and flamenco guitarist who rose to international prominence in the 1960s on American television, as well as starring in several films. Charo began playing classical (Spanish-style) guitar at the age of nine, training under the famed guitarist Andrés Segovia. When she arrived in the United States, she became a popular guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and was known as the  “cuchi-cuchi” girl.

Since Charo was appearing at the Rivera Theater–five minutes from our house–Diane had me buy two tickets on Thanksgiving Eve to witness this event. Charo performed a high energy show singing some ABBA songs, playing her classical guitar–of course she played “Bolero”!–and plunged into the enthusiastic audience who took dozens of selfies with the famous Charo. All in all, an excellent concert by an 80-ish woman who doesn’t look or act her age! Do you remember Charo? GRADE: B+

For part of the 1960s, Gordon R. Dickson was my Favorite Science Fiction writer. That role changed frequently from Asimov to Heinlein to Simak to Laumer…you get the idea. But for a few months, I was a Dickson guy. I read everything by Dickson I could get my hands on.

Some writers are born storytellers and Gordon R. Dickson falls into that category. Back in the late 1980s, BAEN Books published two fat collections of Dickson’s short stories: Beginnings (1988) and Ends (1988) which pretty much sum up his writing career.

These two collections provide examples of Dickson’s best work and his various interests, especially in War. Gordon R. Dickson is best known for his Childe Cycle:

• Dorsai! (alternate title: The Genetic General) (1959)
• Necromancer (1962) (issued under the title No Room for Man between 1963 and 1974)
• Soldier, Ask Not (1967)
• Tactics of Mistake (1971)
• The Final Encyclopedia (1984)
• The Chantry Guild (1988)

If you have an interest in one of the key SF writers of the 1960s and 1970s, Beginnings and Ends encapsulate Gordon R. Dickson in two great collections. Are you a fan of Gordon R. Dickson? GRADE: A (for both)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• 1 • Foreword (Beginnings) • essay by Gordon R. Dickson
• 5 • The Brown Man • (1984) • poem by Gordon R. Dickson
• 6 • Danger—Human!^? • (1957) • short story by Gordon R. Dickson
• 25 • Cloak and Stagger • (1957) • novelette by Gordon R. Dickson
• 51 • 3-Part Puzzle • (1962) • short story by Gordon R. Dickson (variant of Three-Part Puzzle)
• 66 • The Seats of Hell • (1960) • novelette by Gordon R. Dickson
• 110 • Listen • (1952) • short story by Gordon R. Dickson
• 117 • Soldier, Ask Not • [Childe Cycle] • (1964) • novella by Gordon R. Dickson
• 177 • Strictly Confidential • (1956) • short story by Gordon R. Dickson
• 197 • Powerway Emergency! • (1972) • short story by Gordon R. Dickson
• 212 • Idiot Solvant • (1962) • short story by Gordon R. Dickson
• 230 • On Messenger Mountain • (1964) • novella by Gordon R. Dickson
• 282 • Untitled • (1984) • poem by Gordon R. Dickson

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Foreword — 1
• “A Outrance” –4
• “Computers Don’t Argue” — 6
• “By New Hearth Fires” — 25
• “Ancient, My Enemy” — 45
• “Turnabout” — 89
• “An Honorable Death” — 119
• “Lost Dorsai” — 142
• “Last Voyage” — 227
• “Call Him Lord” — 249
• “And Then There Was Peace” — 276
• “Whatever Gods There Be” — 281
• “Minotaur” — 300
• “Enter a Pilgrim” — 321
• “Armageddon” — 342

I was busy organizing my music CDs last week when I found a handful of Christmas albums that had been misshelved (my bad!) and essentially “lost” for over a decade! Diane has over 100 Christmas CDs and they’re shelved separately but somehow these Christmas CDs ended up in the Smooth Jazz section!

Come Rejoice! from 1994 is a conventional Christmas album with plenty of familiar songs. The only unusual song is “Song for Sarajevo” which highlights the conflict that was occurring at that time. Judy Collins’ clear and bright voice delivers plenty of delight with this mix of Christmas songs. GRADE: B+

Renee Fleming’s Christmas in New York is more unconventional with a mix of songs, some familiar, some not. I love Fleming’s version of “Who Knows Where the Time Goes,” not a traditional Christmas song. “Central Park Serenade” is fun as is “The Man With the Bag.”

Traditionalists will love “Winter Wonderland,” “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” and “Silver Bells.” GRADE: B+

If you want to get into the Christmas Spirit, Judy Collins and Renee Fleming will take you there with these wonderful albums! Are you listening to Christmas music?

TRACK LIST:

1		I’ll Be Home For Christmas	1:06
2		Away In A Manger	4:21
3		Joy To The World	2:32
4		Song For Sarajevo	4:44
5		Cherry Tree Carol	4:28
6		Good King Wenceslas	3:18
7		All On A Wintry Night	3:28
8		Come Rejoice	3:32
9		Little Road To Bethlehem	2:35
10		Silent Night	4:05
11		A Christmas Carol	1:31
12		Charlie & The Bells Medley: White Christmas / Happy New Year	3:40
13		Let It Snow	3:09
14		Amazing Grace	3:48

TRACK LIST:

		Winter Wonderland	3:50
		Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas	3:35
		Silver Bells	3:07
		Merry Christmas, Darling	5:36
		The Christmas Waltz	3:19
		Who Knows Where The Time Goes	4:26
		Sleigh Ride	5:17
		Snowbound	6:28
		In The Bleak Midwinter	3:46
		Central Park Serenade	4:12
		The Man With The Bag	2:40
		Love And Hard Times	4:46
		Still, Still, Still	5:16

It’s sad that Mystery Scene magazine, founded in 1985 by Ed Gorman, just ended its run in October 2024 with issue #174. But when The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories: Third Annual Edition was published in 1994, the magazine world was a very different place.

Jon L. Breen’s “The Mystery in 1993” presents an optimistic picture of the market for mystery novels and short stories. Breen cites publishing statistics and pronounces the field “still healthy.” (p. 9). Breen goes on to list his 15 favorite mystery novels of 1993. In his assessment of the short stories of 1993, Breen singles out Jennifer Bowe’s Death in Store as the best short story collect he read that year (I’m tracking it down!). In the Reference Books category, Breen loved Burl Barer’s “fascinating and thorough account of Simon Templar and his creator Leslie Charteris , The Saint: A Complete History (McFarland). I’m tracking that down, too.

Breen also praised Marc Lachman’s A Reader’s Guide to the American Novel of Detection and Gary Warren Niebuhr’s A Reader’s Guide to the Private Eye Novel–two books I do own.

The Year’s 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories: Third Annual Edition presents a wide variety of stories, something for every reader’s taste. I really liked Lawrence Block’s “Keller’s Therapy” and Doug Allen’s “The Ghost Show.” If you’re looking for a short story collection that captures the mystery short story essence of 1993, this is the book for you. GRADE: B+

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction: The Mystery in 1993 by Jon L. Green –9

Slasher / F. Paul Wilson — 23

Keller’s therapy / Lawrence Block — 37

The mouse in the corner / Ruth Rendell — 59

That bells may ring and whistles safely blow / Margaret Maron — 80

That damn cat / Barb Collins — 89

Parris Green / Carole Nelson Douglas — 103

The man in the red flannel suit / Jan Grape — 127

Checkout / Susan Dunlap — 141

Goodbye, Sue Ellen / Gillian Roberts — 149

The ghost show / Doug Allyn — 162

McIntyre’s Donald / Joseph Hansen — 183

Some sunny day / Julian Rathbone — 203

The wall / Marcia Muller — 231

History repeats itself, and it doesn’t even say pardon / Mat Coward — 276

Strays / Kristine Kathryn Rusch — 283

The lesson / Billie Sue Mosiman — 301

Spin-a-rama / Jeremiah Healy — 308

The mood cuckoo / Jonathan Gash — 322

The ugly earthling murder case / George Alec Effinger — 336

Sweetheart of the rodeo / Mark Timlin — 352

A vacance en campagne / Tim Heald — 376

It takes one to know one / Robert Bloch — 391

Shade work / Bill Pronzini — 412

First lead gasser / Tony Hillerman — 418

Enduring as dust / Bruce Holland Rogers — 427

Stereophonic is a play with music. A group–rumored to be based on Fleetwood Mac–is in California recording an album. But the progress is slowed by the daily disagreements and friction among the five band members.

The play is set in 1976 and the set is basically a recording studio. “The drummer, Simon (Chris Stack), does not want to use a click track, but it’s been 36 takes and he’s still dragging. Diana (Sarah Pidgeon) sings beautifully and has songwriting chops that get stronger by the day, but she’s fragile and defensive and feels constantly under attack from her lead-guitarist boyfriend, Peter (Tom Pecinka), who’s brilliant, creatively domineering … and also fragile and defensive and convinced that he’s constantly under attack from, well, everyone. The wry, aloof vocalist-keyboardist, Holly (Juliana Canfield), has, for the moment, reached a détente with her philosophizing, self-pitying, cocaine-and–Jack Daniels–fueled husband, the bassist, Reg (Will Brill), but hostilities could resume at any moment. The engineers, Grover (Eli Gelb) and Charlie (Andrew R. Butler), just want Simon to use the fucking click track so that they can get the fucking take and everyone can go the fuck to sleep.” Vulture

I thought Stereophonic was a bit too long. How many spats between this group of dysfunctional people can an audience endure? But, if you’re interested in how an album got made in the Seventies, this is the play for you. GRADE: C+

I listen to music every day and according to Daniel J. Levitin, a neuroscientist, that just might be keeping me sane and healthy. Levitin takes the reader on a guided tour of the current research into the effects music has on our health. Along the way, Levitin explains how our brains work and what we can do to keep our brains in tip-top condition.

In reading I Heard There Was a Secret Chord I learned how music can contribute to the treatment of a host of ailments, from neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, to cognitive injury, depression, and pain.

Listening to music activates certain areas of the brain, and the aim is to use that increased stimulation to help areas that have been damaged by illness or are malfunctioning to produce depression or other mental problems. 

I found I Heard There Was a Secret Chord fascinating! If you want to learn more about how music can improve your health and your Life, this is the book to read. What kinds of music do you like to listen to? GRADE: A

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

A musical species — 1

If I only had a brain : the neuroanatomy of music — 15

Oh, the shark bites : musical memory — 36

Look at me now : attention — 60

Daydream believer : the brain’s “default mode,” introspection, and meditation — 77

Interlude — 95

Music, movement, and movement disorders — 102

Parkinson’s disease — 126

Trauma — 139

Mental health — 156

Memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke — 168

Pain — 187

Neurodevelopmental disorders — 200

Learning how to fly — 227

Music in everyday life — 250

Fate knocking on your door : précis to a theory of musical meaning — 276

Music medicine, mystery, and possibility — 317

Acknowledgements — 325

Appendix: Types of Music Therapy — 331

Glossary — 335

Notes — 344

Index — 384