Beastly Bones

Title: Beastly Bones

Author: William Ritter

Narrator: Nicola Barber

Publisher: Recorded Books, 2015

Format: 6 compact discs 

Genre: mystery, fantasy, paranormal

Obtained: library




Summary: It is 1892 in New Fiddleham, New England.  Abigail Rook and her employer, R. F. Jacoby are very busy with their paranormal investigations. They are asked to investigate a cat that has turned into a fish.  The next day the owner of the "cat" is found murdered.  In Gad's Valley, where Charlie Cane, a friend of Rook and Jacoby, is a policeman, there are more strange occurrences.  These include the theft of a dinosaur bone, and another mysterious death.  Charlie asks Rook and Jacoby for some help in figuring out what is happening.

Thoughts:  This is the second book in the Jacoby series.  I just loved the first book and I thought the second was just as good, if not better.  This book had the same terrific characters as the first with some additions.  The author creates wonderful, lovable characters that he brings to life through the pages.  Both his major and minor characters are distinct and quirky and the reader feels like they are there with them.  The author also has created a magical world that he brings to life, complete with all sorts of supernatural beings.  As I read the book, I couldn't wait to see what being I would discover next.  What this author does with his world and characters is similar to J. K. Rowling.  How they come up with characters and settings, and make them seem real is amazing to me!
     There were more subplots in this book than the first in the series, making the book more layered, which held my interest even more than in the first book.  Although I figured out the major mystery quickly, this was okay, because there was so much else going on, and of course, just experiencing the characters and the world was enjoyable.
    The author's writing style is light and humorous.  The writing is easy to follow and keeps the reader engaged and entertained throughout.  I love how the author brings folklore and myths into the stories.  The author makes sure to wrap everything up at the end, and lets the reader know what is to come next in Ghostly Echoes, the third in the Jacoby series.
     The narrator is excellent.  She helps bring the characters to life, adding to their personalities.  She speaks clearly and reads at a great pace.  She reads with emotion.
     This is a fun, enjoyable series.  You don't have to be a mystery lover to enjoy this series.  The characters, settings, and supernatural beings are what makes these books so enjoyable.  I recommend this book for middle school to adult readers.





                                                                








Company: French Creek Tea Company
P.O. Box 5021, Custer, SD 57730
phone: 605-673-5383
email: Anniesemp@gmail.com

Tea: Mountain Berry

Obtained: sample from company





     Mountain Berry Tea from the French Creek Tea Company is a blend of black teas flavored with huckleberry, blackberry, and vanilla.  The sample was in a resealable zip lock bag that was of good quality, pleasing to the eye, and most importantly, kept the leaves fresh.  The leaves were mostly dark black and of all shapes and sizes with some whitish leaves mixed in.  The scent of the leaves was of sweet berries and vanilla.
     I measured 2 teaspoons of leaves, put them into my teapot, and poured 12 ounces of water over the leaves.  I let this steep for 4 minutes.  The liquid was a beautiful dark orange.  The scent was of vanilla, black tea, and berries.  The taste was a delicious blend of tea, berries, and vanilla.  Blending is a major strength of this company's teas.  There was no sourness or bitterness to this tea at all.  I find that with most berry flavored teas, there is a sour taste after swallowing. This is not the case with this one.  This tea was extremely refreshing and went down quickly.   Annie's Blend, from this company, was my favorite berry blend, but I may like this one even more.  It is a hard call.  I highly recommend this if you like berries and vanilla.
     The French Creek Tea Company does not have online ordering at this time, so I have included their contact information above.  Their teas are available throughout South Dakota and I saw on their facebook page that it is now being served in Colorado.  Click here to see where you can go to purchase some of this wonderful tea.