Murder in My BackYard

Title: Murder in My Backyard

Author: Ann Cleeves

Published: 1991 by Ballantine Books

Pages: 251

Genre: mystery

Obtained: used book store







Summary:  Why would someone murder Alice Perry in her own backyard in Heppleburn, England?  Did it have something to do with the land she just sold and wanted to buy back?  Did she find out information someone didn't want her to know?  Does it have something to do with one of her step son's families or one of the townspeople?  And who committed the murder?  Inspector Ramsay is on the case.

Thoughts:  This is what I think of as a traditional English mystery.  The book started off at a slow pace, doing a good job of describing the setting and introducing the characters before the murder took place.  As the book went along and clues were discovered, the pace picked up more and more until the mystery was solved.  There were numerous suspects and possible motives. There were also countless feasible red herrings thrown in, making this a clever whodunit story.
     The writing style was clear and straight forward.  The well developed characters were unconventional and interesting.  The protagonist, Inspector Ramsay, was likable and has his own series of which this is the second book.  The village where the story took place was charming.
     I would recommend this book for a traditional mystery lover looking for a quick, light whodunit story.
   



                                                        

Company: Art of Tea

Tea: Jasmine Pearls

Obtained: gift









          Jasmine Pearls is a tea handcrafted by Art of Tea.  It is a green tea scented with jasmine.  It comes in a brown resealable bag.  When you open the bag, there is an enticing jasmine scent.  The leaves are hand rolled into little brown and white balls.
     I poured eight ounces of water over my tea ball which held one teaspoon of "pearls".  I steeped the tea for 3 minutes (3-5 was recommended).  If you steep the tea in a clear pot or cup, you can watch the "pearls" expand into leaves.
     The liquid was a clear pale yellow.  There was a faint aroma of jasmine to the liquid.   The scent was calming to me.  When tasting the tea, there was a very slight jasmine taste to this light, smooth tea.  It had a minute astringent aftertaste that was pleasant.
     This tea was delicious.  It is one of my favorites, definitely my favorite green tea.  It is delicate, yet has flavor.  The best part is the aroma reminiscent of spring.  It gives you a relaxed feeling, yet has medium caffeine content.  I am betting this is refreshing iced as well.