RETRO MYSTERY AND BOOK-RELATED VALENTINE'S DAY CARDS

Remember those Valentine's Day cards you punched out and gave to all the people in your class? Even if you don't, here are a few that are perfect for readers. I love these Retro Mystery and Book-Related Valentine's Day Cards. Be sure and view them all. Happy Valentine's Day!

And then there are the Bookish Valentines...

And my Favorite

Cartoon of the Day: Valentine's Day Arrest

William E. Butterworth III aka W.E.B. Griffin: R.I.P.

William E. Butterworth III, aka as the military thriller writer “W.E.B. Griffin,”has died at the age of 89.

From an obituary on his Facebook page:  

While his body of work includes more than 250 books published under more than a dozen pseudonyms, he is best known as W.E.B. Griffin, the #1 best-selling author of nearly 60 epic novels in seven series, all of which have made The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other best-seller lists. More than fifty million of the books are in print in more than ten languages, including Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, and Hungarian. 

Mr. Butterworth’s first novel, Comfort Me with Love, was published in 1959. The delivery-and-acceptance check from the publisher paid the hospital bill for the birth of his first son, William E. Butterworth IV, who two decades ago began editing the Griffin best-sellers and then became co-author of them.

Griffin wrote a multitude of novels in the crime and thriller genre under thirteen different pen names. Read more HERE.

HT: TheRapSheet

The Return of Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Marking the return of one of Australia’s greatest heroines and one of its most successful series worldwide with fans and media alike, Acorn TV announces that it will be the exclusive North American partner for the new feature film MISS FISHER AND THE CRYPT OF TEARS starring Essie Davis, as well as a new spin-off, 1960s-set series MS FISHER’S MODERN MURDER MYSTERIES in a deal with international distributor all3media international. Acorn TV will exclusively premiere the film and the Acorn TV Original series in North America in 2019 with the feature film also showing in select theatres.

Don Klees, Vice President of Programming for the Acorn brands at RLJ Entertainment, said, “After first introducing U.S. audiences to the fashionable Miss Phryne Fisher in 2013, Acorn TV is thrilled to work with Every Cloud Productions and all3media on her highly anticipated return in a gorgeous, cinematic film, The Crypt of Tears, as well as introduce audiences to her equally fashionable and entertaining niece Peregrine Fisher in Ms Fisher’s Modern Murder Mysteries.

From the creators of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries series, the Modern Murder Mysteries series moves the setting to the 1960s and features as much of the embodiment of style, glamour and adventure as the 1920s-set original. In 1964, when the famous aunt she never knew, Phryne Fisher, goes missing over the highlands of New Guinea, the gorgeously reckless Peregrine Fisher (Geraldine Hakewill, Wanted) inherits a windfall. Peregrine sets out to become a world-class private detective in her own right with the unerring guidance of The Adventuresses’ Club, a group of exceptional women of which her celebrated aunt was a member. A natural rule breaker, Peregrine is fearless, fun, and charmingly down-to-earth, as well as having a keen instinct for solving crimes. With newfound wealth and The Adventuresses to hone her rough edges and become the family she’s never had, Peregrine is unstoppable. The series co-stars Joel Jackson (Peter Allen: Not The Boy Next Door, Deadline Gallipoli) as smart, ambitious cop Detective James Steed and Catherine McClements (Wentworth) as Birdie, an ex-member of WW2 Special Forces and head of The Adventuresses.

The highly anticipated feature film, Miss Fisher and The Crypt of Tears, continues the story of global sensation Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, which aired for three seasons (2012-2015). Essie Davis (The Babadook, Game of Thrones) returns in the five-time Logie-nominated role that made her a worldwide star. Set in the late 1920s, The Crypt of Tears follows the Honourable Miss Phryne Fisher on a Middle Eastern adventure in search of an ancient treasure. The film features several series regulars, including Nathan Page as Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, Miriam Margolyes as Aunt Prudence and Ashleigh Cummings as her loyal assistant and maid Dorothy ‘Dot’ Collins.

THE POISONED CHOCOLATES CASE: A great Valentine's Day Read

Chocolates are perfect for Valentine's Day. I have several recipes for Chocolate Truffles on DyingforChocolate.com including Chocolate Cherry Truffles.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with one of my favorite chocolate mysteries: The Poisoned Chocolates Case by Anthony Berkeley. Don't put poison in your bon bons!

 

 

 

WESTMINSTER KENNEL CLUB DOG SHOW, VALENTINE'S DAY DOG TREATS, DOGS IN MYSTERIES

The Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, now in its 143rd year, started yesterday with over 2879 dogs competing across 203 breeds and varietes. The real show began last night and can be seen on TV and streaming. In honor of the Dog Show and Valentine's Day, and keeping in mind how important dogs can be to mysteries and in our lives, I am posting a recipe for Valentine's Day Dog Treats that you can make for your 'special' friend.

The illustration above is from Tyler Humphreys at TylersWorkshop (posted with permission). Here's a link to the etsy site where you can buy this card or order lots of other cards, pictures and sculptures. I love this Valentine's Day Card because it reminds me of my late pets, Topper and Belle au Bois Dormant.

And, to keep this post to a mystery theme, here's a link to the Mystery Readers Journal Animals in Mysteries issue. Available as a PDF or hardcopy. Here's a link to an article by Spencer Quinn, author of the Chet the Dog series.

Valentine's Day is all about chocolate. If you want Chocolate People treats, here's a link to Walker's Shortbread Scottie Dogs with Muddy Boots. This is a HUMANS ONLY RECIPE. Be sure and keep the chocolate away from Fido. I posted an article at Halloween about Dogs, Chocolate and Halloween Treats: A Dangerous Combination, and the same warnings are in effect for Valentine's Day.

Finally a Valentine's Day Dog Treat Recipe for your four footed faithful friend. 

Cupid’s Canine Cookies 
From the Home Alone Website, recipe by Ariel Waters (my comments are in italics)
Warning: Don't overfeed

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 to 35 minutes
Yield: 2 pounds of heart-shaped dog treats

Ingredients
5 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup milk
1/2 cup beef broth  (choose one with no or low salt or make your own)
1/2 cup corn oil
2 eggs
+ heart-shaped cookie cutter  (of course I've got plenty of these)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheet using 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
Combine remaining ingredients and mix well.
With clean hands, roll dough out to 1/4 to 1/2-inch thickness and use heart-shaped cookie cutter in honor of the holiday. If you have a larger dog (or a piggy dog like Topper) use a larger heart-shaped cookie cutter, Perforate the cookies with a fork down the middle to break apart easily after baking. Instead of a cookie cutter, you can always roll the dough into 1/2 to 2-inch balls and place them one inch apart on the greased cookie sheet.
Bake for 25 - 35 minutes until they turn golden brown. Baking times will vary based on size of treats,  altitude, and your oven.
Cool cookies on wire racks, as far away from your dog as possible.

After treating your dog, store the rest in the refrigerator or freeze until the next visit from Cupid.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Rosie and Reign

Stephen Huneck, Dog Mountain