Road trips are great-the open road, the junk food consumed while driving, the abundance of country music stations in this fine land of ours. Road trips are supposed to teach us something; what I learned was not to freak out when the tire pressure indicator comes on, if two gas stations have already told you […]

Agatha Christie, born September 15, 1890, was a best-selling writer, the best-selling novelist of all time, but she was also a surfer when young, a world traveler, a poison expert, and enthusiastic archaeology buff. Talent and imagination took her to the top, and her hospital pharmacy work in World Wars I and II gave her the poison […]

The Amber Shadows, by Lucy Ribchester, begins in the cold winter of 1942 at Bletchley Park, the site for British codebreakers during World War II. Honey Deschamps, who transcribes coded messages, meets a man while walking home in the dark who gives her a package with Russian postal marks. Inside is a small amber block, mysteriously […]

Gone to Dust, a fast-paced and funny private eye novel by Matt Goldman, is set in wintry Minnesota. A woman is found murdered in her home, the entire crime scene obscured by thick layers of vacuum cleaner bag dust.  This detail, unsurprisingly, is an obstacle to the investigation.  When the police call in private investigator […]

There are times when even the stiffest of upper lips wobble, and the most ardent reader’s literary work ethic turns to mush. This poor unfortunate soul cannot conceive of picking up the grim psychological thriller, the worthy biography,the best-selling history,  or even the latest gore-soaked serial killer novel.  Dark days call for cheerful measures, and […]

Hey everyone, there’s this super rare natural phenomenon known as a ” total solar eclipse” happening this Monday, August 21! Citizens across the country will be whipping out their fancy eclipse glasses or homemade viewing devices, and hunkering down to enjoy this special natural event.  Here in Grand Junction the event will be viewed as […]