Cheli's Chase from sea to shining sea

Create Your Own Visited States Map


✔Alabama.....................When did We Lose Harriet?
✔Alaska........................Call of the Wild
✔Arizona.......................Sprinkle with Murder
✔Arkansas....................Shakespeare's Landlord
✔California....................Sympathy for the Devil
✔Colorado.....................Fatally Flaky
✔Connecticut.................A Clue for the Puzzle Lady
✔Delaware.....................True Justice
✔District of Columbia.....state of the Onion
✔Florida.........................Getting Old is Murder
✔Georgia.......................Who invited the dead man?
Hawaii........................... Attack on Pearl Harbor
✔Idaho..........................Killer Weekend
✔Illinois.........................The Time Traveller's Wife
✔Indiana.......................Shoots to Kill
✔Iowa...........................Calamity Jayne
✔Kansas........................A Second Helping
Kentucky........................Giver of Stars
✔Louisiana....................Motif for Murder, A Scrapbooking Mystery
✔Maine..........................Mistletoe Murder
✔Maryland.....................Baltimore Blues
✔Massachusetts............John Adams
✔Michigan.....................Winter Study
✔Minnesota..................Candy Cane Murder
✔Mississippi...................The Help
✔Missouri........................if Fried Chicken Could Fly
✔Montana........................Death Al Dente
✔Nebraska......................The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great Dust Bowl
✔Nevada.......................Through the Fire
✔New Hampshire..........The Good Daughters
✔New Jersey.................Twelve Sharp
✔New Mexico.................Battle of the Labyrinth
✔New York.....................Killer Heat
✔North Carolina.............On Agate Hill
North Dakota................The Children's Blizzard
✔Ohio.............................Blessed is the Busybody
✔Oklahoma.......................Grapes of Wrath
✔Oregon........................Moving is Murder
✔Pennsylvania...............Benjamin Franklin
✔Rhode Island...............My Sister's Keeper
✔South Carolina.............Dragonwell Dead
South Dakota...............In The Shadow of Wounded Knee
✔Tennessee...................Only You
✔Texas...........................Fax Me A Bagel
✔Utah...............................The 19th Wife
✔Vermont.........................A Murderous Glaze
✔Virginia.........................Patriarch
✔Washington.................Scent to her grave, Death Qualified
✔West Virginia...............Contrary Blues
✔Wisconsin......................All Girl Filling Station Last Reunion
✔Wyoming......................Summer of Fire

Wow, Cheli! You're almost half done already!

I have to start with my home state of Maryland.


#1 BALTIMORE BLUES
Author: Laura Lippman
Read: Mar 4 - Mar 10
State - Maryland
Pages: 336

Tess Monaghan, an unemployed ex-reporter, starts investigating the fiancée of a rowing friend as a freelance job to pay the rent. Knowing her hometown of Baltimore, she thinks this is going to be a simple "find out what she's up to" tailing, but it turns into a desperate effort to clear her friend of murder charges. The ensuing investigation gets dangerous and nearly deadly.
The characters are entertaining and the story develops into a real page turner
As a Baltimore native, it was fun to hear of the changes that I remember - Friendship Airport becoming Baltimore Washington International, Hutzlers no longer existing and the building becoming the Department of Human Resources, McCormick plant leaving the city and the smell of cinnamon no longer in air- all this while telling a story that could have been set in any big city but is beautiful set in the Author's hometown. Can't wait for more.

#2 MOTIF FOR MURDER, A Scrapbooking mystery
Author: Laura Childs
Read: Sept 3-5
Category: Crafts in the background
Pages: 264

Carmela Bertrand has reconciled with her bad boy husband and when he is kidnapped, she rushes to his Uncle Henry's house around the corner to get help only to find Henry shot dead. Who is after the Meecham family? What do they want other than the $5 MILLION ransom?

Carmela manages to rescue Shamus and then proceeds to get involved in the investigation of Uncle Henry's murder. While working on keeping her marriage together, Carmela works to honor Uncle Henry and avoid the murderer who has set an eye on her.

This book is filled with references to Post-Katrina conditions in New Orleans while at the same being action packed and entertaining. Of the 4 Scrapbooking mysteries, I would say that this is the best so far.

As I post my additional states, I'm going to try to fill in the ones from earlier this year.

#3 WHEN DID WE LOSE HARRIET?
Author: Patricia Sprinkle
READ : 5/1/09
State : Alabama
Pages : 302

This is the second book by Patricia Sprinkle that I have read. (Who invited the Dead Man? was the third in this series I read first.) What catches me is her titles - When did we lose Harriet? Harriet somehow is the central character of this mystery but we only see her in the first two chapters. The remainder of the story has MacLaren Yarbrough searching for this young girl she has never met.
Mac comes home to Montgomery Alabama because her baby brother, Jake (late 50's) has a heart attack and is being ornery about having surgery. Mac is called upon to take his place at the teen center where she discovers a library book filled with $3000 cash. She determines that it belongs to a girl named Harriet and sets out to return them to the owner. Along the way she finds person after person, who can't even remember the last time that they saw Harriet and she is amazed at their lack of concern for someone that they are responsible for. Mac manages throughout her search to find out where Harriet got the money, what she wanted to do with the money, and eventually where to find Harriet. This is an excellently written mystery that confounds the reader until the very end. All the clues are subtly distributed throughout. I will definitely be looking for the next in the series.

That looks like a fun read. I've just added When Did We Lose Harriet? to my wishlist. Nice review.

#4 SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL
Author : Jerrilyn Farmer
State: California
Read : April 2 - April 4
Pages: 398

I really enjoy cozy mysteries and this one I definitely enjoyed. I was hooked by the first page with such mouth watering descriptions of food preparations, I could smell it and I wanted to taste it! The story was brilliantly crafted interlacing the catering services with the mystery. The only drawback is there were no actual recipes. Ms Farmer needs to give the reader a chance to actual taste those treats she describes by providing the instructions for the food we can almost taste!
Definitely need to find the next in the Madeline Bean Culinary Mysteries!
The book was set in Hollywood and the events were studio affairs, definitely the flavor of California.

#5 ONLY YOU
Author: Deborah Grace Staley
Read: Sept 5 - 6
State: Tennessee
Pages: 207

This is a light-hearted romance set in the town of Angel Ridge, TN. The legend of the town has it that angels sit on the ridge and watch over the townsfolk and smile on true love.

Dr. Josephine Allen (Josie) grew up in Angel Ridge on the right side of town. She was a bookworm and when she went off to college she was supported by the MacKay Foundation who paid for her masters and PHD education in Library science and then she returned to her hometown to become the head librarian.
Cole Craig is the town handyman who comes to Josie's rescue when a pipe in her old home breaks and floods her kitchen. Needless to say, Cole is from the wrong side of the tracks.
The developing relationship between the two is that of a typical small town with its prejudices and innocence fighting each other. Will the Angels smile on Josie and Cole or will they have to fight their own battles?
I enjoyed this book and will try to keep an eye out for the next one.

Cheli, I just saw your great map, followed the link, and made one for myself! I'm so pleased it worked -- I'm not good at this kind of thing -- but don't quite understand how to update it... do I have to go back and make a new map each time?

If you created an ID there, all you need to do is log in and go to MyMaps, update the states and then generate new html and paste in in place of the old map.

#27 STATE OF THE ONION
Author: Julie Hyzy
Read: Dec 28 - Dec 31
Source: public library
State: District of Columbia
Pages: 301

This is the first of the White House Chef series and was, for a cozy mystery, filled with personalities, intrigue and suspense.

This story starts with Assistant Chef Olivia Paras whacking an intruder to the White House grounds with the Sterling silver frying pan that is supposed to be Chief Executive Chef Henry's retirement gift. The intruder is trying to reach the President to warn him of a plot but is prevented and later killed before he can disclose the specifics to the Secret Service.

Olivia is involved more than she wants to be and more than the Secret Service suspect and the clues and tricks of the mystery are cleverly woven throughout.

I believe of the 45 new series that I started in 2009, this is one of my favorites.

#28 A SECOND HELPING

Author: Beverly Jenkins
Read: Mar 24 - Mar 27
Format: Paperback, 386 pages
Source: Librarything ER progam
Subject: Foster care, infidelity, coming of age, adoption
Setting: Henry Adams, Kansas
Category: Books found - Internet/thru LT/library/bookstore
Genre: Cozy romance
Challenges: 101020, 75 Book, 50 State
Stars: 3

This book is the continuation of the tale of Henry Adams, Kansas which had been purchased by Bernadine Brown off of EBay. The characters are rich and invite the reader into a place that they are endeavoring to improve with Ms. Brown's help. They have built a school which they name after the current teacher of 40 years, they support emotionally and mentally the five children that they have "adopted" into their town and their hearts, and they have shown that even while their town is being transformed, their lives can be as well.

#29 Fax Me A Bagel

Author: Sharon Kahn
Read: April 1 - April 2
Format: paperback, 242 pages
Source: Public Library
Subject: Murder, inheritance, bagels
Category: A Full Course meal
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Challenges: 101020, 75 Book, SYLL
Stars: 3

This little mystery is set in the fictitious town of Eternal, TX where we find the main character Ruby Rothman, a Rabbi's widow, trying to buy some bagels and instead finds herself a witness to murder. The victim was in line at the Hot Bagel and pushed ahead and she ended up dead. Since the owner is blamed and he was also the last person that her husband was with before he was killed in a hit and run accident, Ruby begins to wonder if the two deaths could be related.

It was entertaining to watch how the main character interacted with other members of the congregation now that they were replacing her husband. Her contacts with her husband family is also a main point and lead to interesting insights.

All in all a pleasant little cozy.

Some fun books on here! I tried the Sharon Kahn series a while back and seem to remember that I liked the first book and not the second, but I don't remember why.

#30 New Mexico
BATTLE OF THE LABYRINTH

Author: Rick Riordan
Read: May 15 -May 22
Format: Audio 9 CDs equivalent of 361 pages
Source: Public Library
Subject: Greek Gods,
Category: I Heard them!
Genre: Fantasy
Challenges: 101020, 75 Book, Audiobook, SYLL
Stars: 3½

The Battle for supremacy between the Titans and the Olympians is coming. Camp Half-Blood is threatened by an entry from the fabled labyrinth which would allow the enemy to enter and destroy all the young demigods. Percy along with Annabeth, Tyson, and Grover set out on a quest to find Daedalus and stop the invasion.

Many ancient myths are included in this story - Daedalus and Icarus, Calypso, and all different types of creatures and monsters. It's action-packed and a highly entertaining. Much of the story elapses in New Meixco caverns. Can't wait for the next one.

I just remembered that I read my ALASKA book last month


#58 Call of the Wild
Author: Jack London
Read: June 27 - June 27
Subject: Dog sledding
Stars: ★★★½

This is the book telling the story of a dog named Buck. He is a magnifiicently strong animal that is stolen from his farm in California and sent off to the Yukon becoming a member of a dog sled team.

The style of the story reminds a great deal of Black Beauty coming from the animal's POV. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleasantly surprised at a fast paced tale.

Challenge Book Mississippi

Title: The Help ★★★
Author: Kathryn Stockett
Genre: Fiction
Subject: Civil Rights, segregation, racism
Setting: Jackson Mississippi
Main Characters: Celia Forte, Johnny Forte, Skeeter Phelan, Minny, Aibileen, Hilly Holbrook, Elizabeth Leefolt
Series: none
Dates Read: January 8 - January 18
Number of pages: 721
Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?: yes, MCL


This book had me swaying back and forth - did I like it or not? I purposely delayed reading to wait for the hubbub die down so that it wouldn't influence my impression. Then my book club decided to read it and I agreed to go for it. I was disappointed. I'd heard that it was an extremely well-written book and I saw flashes of that but, the beginning had me extremely confused about what characters went with other characters, and the middle dragged and was very repetitive. The ending left me with too many questions.

The story had numerous moments of excellence i.e. toilets on the lawn, Celia in the Pink dress, the chocolate cake but they were few and far between. The characters were stereotypes - few were more than two dimension or used for more than a particular aspect of the story.

Ad yet, the story held me, having me wish that somehow it was going to turn out differently and each of the characters would be redeemed in some manner so that their lives would be better. Maybe this aspect of the book is why I rated it a 3 star, otherwise, I probably would have gone lower. Just proves, all books are not for all people.

Challenge Book for the state of IDAHO

Title: Killer Weekend ★★★★
Author: Ridley Pearson
Genre: Mystery
Subject: political assassination, hire killers
Sertting: Sun Valley, Idaho
Main Characters: Elizabeth Shaler, Walt Fleming, Patrick Cutter, Danny Cutter, Dick O'Brien, Trevalian
Series: yes, #1 Walt Fleming
Dates Read: March 11 - March 15
Number of pages: 314
Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?: no, public library
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Geography, Study hall

Sheriff Walt Fleming is responsible for the safety of the Sun Valley resort and normally things are quiet, but now Patrick Cutter has brought his International Corporation's meeting to the resort and along with it has come danger. Liz Shaler, a frequent Sun Valley visitor has come to announce her candidacy for President. She has Secret Service and private security but none of them want to listen to the hometown sheriff who knows that something is amiss.

The diligent efforts of Sheriff Fleming not only solve a murder but much more. The writing in the mystery was tight and intensive. The tension held throughout and was terribly interesting. A Definite recommend!

Challenge Book for the state of ARKANSAS

Title: Shakespeare's Landlord ★★★
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Subject: impulses, self-defense
Setting: Shakespeare, Arkansas
Main Characters: Lily Bard, Claude Friedrich, Marshall Sedaka
Series: yes, Lily Bard #1
Dates Read: June 2 - June 7
Number of pages: 224
Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?: yes, audio stockpile
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Geography Class

Lily Bard has a past. She's been living in Shakespeare, ARK for 3 years, working to clean the homes of many of the residents of this little town. Trouble threatens to expose what she's hiding when she witnesses a hooded figure wheeling a mysterious bundle into the nearby park. When she goes to investigate, she finds the area landlord dead.

This was a simple little cozy. More time was spent on Lily and her relationships with the town residents than maybe was necessary. The main characters and secondary characters do need a bit more development but since this is the first in the series, there's time. The mystery was light but entertaining. Hope for improvement in future installments.

Challenge Book - WEST VIRGINIA

Title: Contrary Blues ★★★½
Author: John Billheimer
Genre: mystery
Subject: Federal subsidies, fraud, extortion
Setting: Contrary , West Virginia
Main Characters: Owen Allison, Mary Beth Hobbs, Stony Hobbs, Stuart Hobbs, Purvis Jenkins, Dwight Armitage
Series: yes, #1
Dates Read: June 4 - June 17
Number of pages: 278
Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?: no , Public Library
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Geography Class

Okay, it's filled with stereotypes - hillbillies, moonshine, less than smart individuals, revenue runners, etc. but it was still fun!

Contrary, West Virginia has been receiving a federal grant for 4 years for buses to run in their town, but this year when the DOT sends an auditor he ends up dead. Well, the audit has to be finished so DOT sends another - Owen Allison - to Contrary to finish up and he ends up un the middle of a can of worms that nearly gets him killed too.

The problem is just a small error on the request changing 2 buses to 20 buses and the DOT didn't notice so they been sending $500,000 a year. Well, the town of Contrary didn't want to live up to its name so they kept the extra funds and used them for other things. Trouble comes when a "disabled" veteran wants a bus ride to his "job" of guarding the local still.

Well, you can see how this is filled with the stereotypes but they are woven in so humorously, you just keep going with a smile on your face.

An absolutely entertaining read - and perfect for my West Virginia state visit!

Challenge Book for the state of DELAWARE

Title: True Justice ★★★★
Author: Robert Tenanbaum
Genre: Legal Thriller
Subject: infanticide, legal definitions
Setting: Delaware, NYC
Main Characters: Bucth Karp, Lucy Karp, Marlene Ciampi, Sarah Goldfarb
Dates Read: June 20 - July 3

Today's controversial headlines easily could be the driving force behind this legal thriller. After a wave of suspicious baby deaths, the NY public, spurred on by sensational headlines and newspaper stories, wants someone convicted and Butch Karp, the Chief ADA in NYC, is put in the position of having to prosecute a 15 year old Hispanic girl who is alleged to have thrown her baby out of a bathroom window after delivery so that she could return to a party. In the meantime, his wife, Marlene, who specializes in security for battered women, decides she's been shot at enough and is going back to practice law.

Marlene's first case is the defense of a young woman in Delaware who also is accused of infanticide. Leaving her two young sons and teenage daughter, Lucy, to the care of her husband and the Nanny, Marlene travels down the interstate to entangle herself in the search for justice for the dead child as well as the young woman accused of an horrific crime.

Lucy has troubles of her own when she inadvertently discovers the bodies of the parents of her best friend, dead in their home. The alleged murderer is someone that Lucy had befriended and so she tries to discover where her instincts were wrong in trusting this person.

The three different subplots of the book are so well intertwined that once the reader is embroiled in the story, there is little rest to be had. The stories grab your emotions and swing the reader from side to side until the inevitable conclusion.

The characters are interesting, though at some points a bit stereotypical, but all in all a story to relish. Unfortunately, it is part of a series (stands alone quite well) but only drives me to want to see these characters again. Ah, well, what's another series. Highly recommended.

The portion of the story set in Delaware gave a good idea of a small state and its legal difficulties.

Maybe I'm glad that my Delaware book was disappointing as it did not give me another series to follow.

Challenge Book UTAH

Title: The 19th Wife ★★★
Author: David Ebershoff
Genre: Historical Fiction
Subject: Mormons, pologamy,
Setting: Utah
Main Characters: Ann Eliza Young, Brigham Young, Joseph Smith
Series: no
Dates Read: July 28 - August 25
Number of pages: 514
Off the Shelf (pre-2012)? Source?: yes, audio stockpile
Category for 12 in 12 challenge: Geography Class

I don’t know exactly what to say about this book. There are more than enough reviews telling you the plot of the book but I think I need to say something befre I express my impressions of the story.

The book is actually two stories - one about the origins of the Mormons in Utah and the second a murder mystery in the current day. I think I would have liked it better if instead of trying to interweave the two tales, each had been separate. I often found it confusing going back and forth and so I feel like I lost continuity.

The material about the founding of the Church of the Latter Day Saints was enlightening and noticibly well-researched.

The references to life in Utah were extremely compelling in their differences to other states.

You're traveling right along.....Let me know if you find anything for North and South Dakota---I'm missing those also.

The All Girls Filling Station's Last Reunion was partially set in Pulaski WI during the WWII time.

Finally, progress! I have only 1 states left - North Dakota. Hopefully, I can finish this year!

Wow! You're so close. Do you have a book picked out for North Dakota?

yes, Children's Blizzard

>28 cyderry: A great one to end the challenge with

I HAVE FINISHED THE CHALLENGE!

>30 cyderry: Congratulations!

>30 cyderry: Congrats. Time for a second set with different rules? :)

>32 AnnieMod: not for me. I'm still working on my European Challenge and my president's challenge!

>33 cyderry: President’s challenge? Which group hosts this one? :)

>34 AnnieMod: President's Challenge was started in 2009 - read a biography for each American President. I'm only up to FDR.

https://www.librarything.com/ngroups/5471/US-Presidents-Challenge-USPC

>35 cyderry: Oh, what I need, a new challenge :) Thanks!

I had been (slowly) working through US history with the idea to read biographies/memoirs of all presidents when I get to them... did not even think to look for a group or challenge here (with hindsight, I wonder why not). Even have a few lined up.

Congratulations!