Monday, December 30, 2013

Read Your Freebies 2014



Reading Challenge Details:
  • Runs January 1, 2014 – December 31, 2014 (books read prior to 1/1/2014 do not count towards the challenge). You can join anytime before 9/30/2014. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
  • The goal is to read at least twelve (12) free ebooks. While twelve is the minimum, there is no maximum limit. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. You can move up a level as often as you’d like but no moving down.
  • This reading challenge is for LEGALLY obtained FREE ebooks. We do not condone ebook piracy. These can be books offered through bigger sites, such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, or smaller sites, such as Smashwords and All Romance Ebooks. Ebooks offered through author or publisher websites are acceptable as well, provided they are available free to everyone at the time of download.
  • Any ebook format will work for this challenge (azw, EPUB, iBooks, mobi, PDF, etc.). You DO NOT need to have an ereader to participate in this challenge. You can read ebooks using Amazon’s Free Kindle Reading Apps, which you can download for your iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC, Blackberry and more. Free audiobooks also count towards this challenge provided they are free to the public. They can't be free as a condition of signing up for a service and they can't be provided by the publisher for review.
  • Only ebooks and audiobooks that were available free, in a legal manner, to the public will count towards this challenge. eARCs, library books, ebooks free through Amazon Prime, and/or books won or gifted are not eligible for this challenge.
  • Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.).
  • Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, however, re-reads are not eligible for this challenge. The goal is to read the freebies you’ve legally acquired so that they are off your TBR pile.
  • To join this challenge, grab the 2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads, LibraryThing, BookLikes, Libib, etc., so as long as you have adedicated shelf for the 2014 Read Your Freebies! Reading Challenge and your profile is not private. The point of linking up is to have a place where people can see what you’re reading.
  • Levels:
         Coupon Clipper: read 12 books
         Penny Pincher: read 24 books
         Buying in Bulk: read 36 books
         Super Saver: read 50 books
         Extreme Couponer: read 100+ books
I will try Coupon Clipper.  I will set up a shelf on Goodreads for this.

To join go to:

http://www.thebookvixen.com/2013/12/2014-read-your-freebies-reading.html


Saturday, December 28, 2013

My Kind of Mystery Challenge




I am choosing Secret Messages to start.  This challenge is running from February 1, 2014 to February 28, 2015.


Thursday, December 26, 2013

Book to Broadway Challenge

The challenge is to read any book OR play with a musical based on it, and then watch and/or listen to that musical. Sounds fun, right? This is a pretty specific challenge, without an enormous selection, but hopefully it’ll still be lots of fun!


  • This doesn’t actually have a specific start or end time, unless it would be simpler to stick to January 2014 – December 2014. I’m not picky!
  • Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, fairy tales, and short stories all count.
  • I’m personally only going to be reading books of shows I have seen or have access to.
  • Each book DOES NOT count until you’ve seen/listened to the musical.
  • Ultimately, have fun exposing yourself to excellent literature and musical theatre!
    Sign up is at:

    Tuesday, December 24, 2013

    Alphabet Soup Challenge


    The Alphabet Soup Challenge means that by December 31, 2014
    your bowls must be full of one book for each letter of the Alphabet.
    Each Letter Counts As 1 Spoonful
    spoon
    Details
    This challenge will run from January 1st, 2014 until December 31st, 2014.
    You can join anytime. You do not have to review the book.
    You do not need to link up each spoonful.
    Make a page or a post or a GoodReads shelf where you will keep track of your spoonfuls. I keep track of mine on my Challenge Page.
    After you complete the challenge just come to the 2014 Alphabet Soup Page under the Challenges tab at the top of my blog and leave a comment with your completed list.
    Crossovers to other challenges are allowed and encouraged!
    It’s an alphabet challenge!!! The challenge is to read one book that has a title starting with every letter of the alphabet.
    You can drop the A’s and The’s from the book titles as shown below.
    So there are two different ways you can set up your own A-Z Reading Challenge.
    A – How I plan to do it: Make a list on your blog from A-Z. Throughout the year, as you go along, add the books you are reading to the list. Towards the end of the year, you can check and see which letters you are missing and find books to fit.
    OR
    B – Make a list now of 26 books, picking one for each letter of the alphabet. For example: A – Assaulted Pretzel by Laura Bradford B- Buried in a Bog by Sheila ConnollyC – Cat Trick by Sofie Kelly D – A Deal to Die For by Josie Belle etc.

    Books can be read in any order and all formats – print – e-book – audio – are acceptable for this challenge!
    Ready to join??
    Bloggers grab the image below and make a post about the challenge to encourage others to join!
    alphabet 2014 500
    Non-bloggers you can join too! Just keep track any way you wish and enter a link below if available or sign up in the comment section. You can even set up a special shelf on Goodreads.com to help you keep track!
    Need some help finding titles to match the alphabet – Jandy’s Reading Room has a wonderful list to get you started. X and Z were the toughest for me so this year I am going to try to take care of those two early.
    Follow Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book as there may be special announcements made about the challenge.
    I will keep track below and on Goodreads.
    A   Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon (basis of The King and I)
    B   (The) Butler Did It By Kate Deveaux  (Not for anyone under 21)
    C  Cloche and Dagger (Hat Shop Myster, #1) by Jenn McKinley
    D   Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson
    E    Effect by E. Harper
    F   Final Catcall (Magical Cats, #5) by Sofie Kelly
    G  Geared for the Grave by Duffy Brown
    H   (A) High-End Finish by Kate Carlisle
    I    Imaginary Friends by Darren Pillsbury
    J  Johanna's Bridegroom (Hannah's Daughters,#6) by Emma Miller
    K  Kismet by Carly Phillips
    L  Lending a Paw by Laurie Cass
    M  Murderous Matrimony by Joyce & Jim Laverne
    N  Nine Lives Last Forever  (The Cats and Curios Mystery Series, #1) by Rebecca M. Hale
    O  Orgasm University (Members Only, #4) by Jennifer Kacey
    P  Pearls and Poison by Duffy Brown
    Q  Quiet Ops by Bob Burton with L.J. Martin
    R  Ringing In Murder by Kate Kingsbury
    S (The) Silence of the Library by Miranda James 
    T Throw in the Towel (A Flowershop Mystery #15) by Kate Collins
    U (The) Unorthodox Murder of Rabbi Wahl by Joseph Telushkin
    V  (A) Very Single Woman by Caroline Anderson
    W (The) Whole Enchilada by Diane Mott Davidson
    X  Xs: An Allie Armington Mystery by Louise Gaylord
    Y (The) Young Man and the Sea by Rodman Philbrick
    Z  Zen and Xander Undone by Amy Kathleen Ryan

    Thursday, December 12, 2013

    Don't Look Behind You


    Don't Look Behind You by Lois Duncan is my book for the Horror at the Literary Exploration Challenge.

    As far as April Corrigan was concerned it was the end of the world when she entered the Federal Witness Program.  She lost her name, her home, her friends and competitive tennis which was her passion.  Her father was a witness at a trial and someone tried to kill him and the hired killer would not stop looking for him.  Therefore the Corrigan's had to leave their home.  They were at a hotel and a hit man tried to get in but the agent protecting them got him away from their room.  Unfortunately, the agent was murdered.

    They were relocated from Virginia to Florida.  April gave her name as April Gross to a girl on the plane.  When she meets her again, she has to lie and say it was someone else.  Then they went to Disneyland and April who was now Valerie Weber, and tried not to answer when an old friend called her April.  She lies to the friend and says they were just there on vacation and she would be going home eventually. The friend tells her that her boyfriend is seeing someone else.  Valerie does not like this so she decides that she want to move in with her grandmother who remained behind.

    When she finally gets to her grandmother's she finds out that the hit man had been there and her grandmother had a broken arm.  Her grandmother decides to join the rest of the family in Florida.  

    Many things happen along the way and when they get back to Florida.  I do not want to give away more of the story.

    I read this book all at once.  I did not want to put it done.  It is well written and you wonder what will happen next.  It could be classified also as suspenseful as well as horror.

    2014 Just For Fun


    This is a Goodreads Group which commits you to read one book for fun each month.

    2014 What An Animal Reading Challenge VII

    Welcome to the 2014 What an Animal Reading Challenge VII.  The challenge will begin on January 1st. Read on for more details...

    The rules are really simple...


    1. Read at least 6 books that have any of the following requirements:


    a. there is an animal in the title of the book

    b. there is an animal on the cover of the book

    c. an animal plays a major role in the book

    d. a main character is (or turns into) an animal (define that however you'd like).

    ***** AMENDED:

    Level 1 - Read up to 6 books

    Level 2 - Read 7-12

    Level 3 - Read 13 or more 


    2. The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)--dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark...dragon, mermaid, centaur, vampire, werewolf...you get the idea...


    3. Challenge runs from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. That’s a full year to read at least 6 books (you can read more if you’d like). 


    4. Books can be fiction or nonfiction.


    5. You may make a list of books at the beginning of the challenge or you can just list them as you find them.


    6. Book titles may be swapped out at anytime (assuming you made a list to begin with).


    7. Crossovers with other challenges are permitted and encouraged.


    8. You don't have to have a blog or write a review, but you can if you want to.
 If you don't have a blog, just post in the comment section that you'd like to join. You can post your books in there. Or you can sign up by joining my group on Goodreads for this challenge by clicking here.

    9. Books can be in any format of your choice (print, audio, ebooks)

    If you'd like to sign up, please use Mr. Linky below. Please link directly to your post about the challenge and not to your main blog page.

    There will be one linky to sign up, one linky for completed reviews and one linky for completed challenge wrap up posts

    I am going to try level 2:  Read 7-12 books.  I will probably keep track on Goodreads. 

    Completed Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2013

    My books for 2013:
    1. A Novel Way to Die by Ali Brandon
    2. Buttons & Bones by Monica Ferris
    3. Cat Spitting Mad by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
    4. One Hot Murder by Lorraine Bartlett
    5. Cat Laughing Last by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
    6. The Big Kitty by Claire Donally
    7. Murder on the Mind by L.L. Bartlett
    8. Cat Seeing Double by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
    9. (A) Killer Read by Erika Chase
    10.  Killer in Crinolines by Duffy Brown
    11. Cat Trick by Sofie Kelly
    12. Read and Buried by Erika Chase
    13. Murder of the Cat's Meow by Denise Swanson
    14. Oak and Dagger by Dorothy St. James
    15. Perilous Pranks by Joyce and Jim Lavene

    Monday, December 9, 2013

    2014 What's In A Name? Challenge


    The basics
    The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories (examples of books you could choose are in brackets):
    • A reference to time (Eleven Minutes, Before Ever After)
    • A position of royalty (The People’s Queen, The Last Empress, The Curse Of The Pharaoh)
    • A number written in letters (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, A Tale Of Two Cities)
    • A forename or names (Rebecca, Eleanor & Park, The Unfinished Work Of Elizabeth D.)
    • A type or element of weather (Gone With The Wind, Red Earth Pouring Rain)
    Remember the titles I’ve given here are only examples, you can by all means use them if you want to – some are classics after all – but it’s not necessary. There are plenty of other books that will fit the categories and you may have some in mind already or even some on your shelves you can read.
    Extra information
    • Books can be any format (print, audio, ebook).
    • It’s preferred that the books don’t overlap with other challenges, but not a requirement at all.
    • Books cannot overlap categories (for instance my first example, Eleven Minutes, could be used for category 1 or 3 but not both).
    • Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!
    • You don’t have to make your list of books beforehand, you can choose them as you go.
    • You don’t have to read your chosen books in any particular order.
    Everything else
    On January 1 I’ll publish 7 posts, one for each category and one for your wrap-up post. These posts will be published as WordPress pages and linked to from one main post on the blog. You will be able to post your links to your reviews or leave comments, depending on whether you’re a blogging reader or a non-blogger reader. You’ll be able to find this main post through a link I’ll be adding to the navigation section of my sidebar. Alternatively, for ease, you might want to subscribe to this blog via Feedly or email so that the gateway post will be immediately available to you without you having to search the site. The non-Feedly feed link and also a Bloglovin’ link are on the sidebar.
    If you have trouble finding a book for a category, have a look at the corresponding page for it here – readers who’ve already completed the category will have linked to their reviews and added titles that you can look through.
    To join the challenge, sign up using the Mr Linky if you’re a blogger, and if you’re not a blogger simply leave a comment below. If at any time you have difficulties adding your link, email me at the address on my contact pagewith your information, and I’ll add it myself.
    How to use Mr Linky: put your name and/or your blog’s name in the top box and the URL (web address) of your blog in the second box. If you have a Tumblr or use a Facebook page instead of a blog, use the web address to that instead.
    How you link is up to you, but it’s suggested that you include both your name and blog name in the first box.
    If you have any suggestions for this year’s challenge, let me know in the comments.
    And remember that you don’t have to sign up today – as the challenge runs until the end of 2014, you can sign up at any time during the year.
    Hope you enjoy the challenge and best of luck! The hashtag for Twitter is #whatsinaname – it’s used randomly for other reasons, but still it makes the most sense for this challenge. Sorry about the lack of line-spacing on the links, I don’t know how to change it.

    Monday, November 4, 2013

    2014 Cursing Through the Cozies


    I will be posting my list on Goodreads and my reviews may be there or on one of my blogs. I am going to stay at Level 3.  Super Sleuth and hope to read at least 16.

    Tuesday, October 29, 2013

    TBR Pile Challenge

    http://evie-bookish.blogspot.com/2013/10/2014-tbr-pile-reading-challenge-sign-ups.html
    I am choosing to enter this challenge for 2014.  The link to sign up for the challenge is above.

    1-10- A Firm Handshake*  Here is where I want to start.  I am not sure which books I want to read.
    11-20 - A Friendly Hug
    21-30 - First Kiss
    31-40 - Sweet Summer Fling
    41-50 - Could this be love?
    50+ - Married With Children

    Tuesday, October 22, 2013

    The Vow




    This book was a free read from Pulseit on October 21, 2013. The Vow by Jessica Martinez is the story of Annie (Annabelle) Bernier and Mohanned Ibrahim Hussein who is known as Mo.
    Mo and Annie have been best friends since they were 10 which is shortly after the Husseins came to America from Jordon.

    When Mr. Hussein losses his job at ReichartTek the Husseins decide to move back to Jordon.  Annie does not want to see her best friend leave, so she decides to marry him as she is 18. Mo is only 17 and he asks his mother to grant permission that he needs to wed. The three of them go to the courhouse where the couple is wed..  After, his family leaves, the couple consult a law student who tells them more about the law.  They could be felons if they do not live together and follow other rules.  It might be possible for him to get a student visa if they get an annulment.  Since they have decided not to have marital relations this would be possible.

    Annie was working at Twister before they married.  She had gone out with Reed and he had kissed her.  She breaks up with him and quits her job before the couple move in together.

    Reed and Annie meet later in the book and Annie realizes she is in love with him and explains to him that she had not sleep with Mo.  The couple decide to get an annulment and Mo leaves for Jordon.

    I really liked this story and finished it in one night.  Pulseit has books available for free for a week at a time.  I would recommend this to young adults and their parents.

    Saturday, October 5, 2013

    Freedom


    Freedom! (Miss Annie) by Frank Le Gall  was read as a Graphic Novel for the Literary Exploration Challenge and as F for A-Z.

    This book is the story of a kitten wanting to see the outside world.  She is considered too young.  One day she does get out and meets new friends and she makes it safely home.  It is meant for young adults but will be enjoyed by those who are more mature.

    As the owner of a cat who likes to go outside, I really enjoyed this book.

    Monday, September 2, 2013

    Seed No Evil

     




    Seed No Evil by Kate Collins is my S book for the A-Z challenge.  The diretor of Protecting Animal Rights is murdered.  Abby's mother is the chief suspect.  But, Abby is scheduled to get married in two weeks and Marco seems to have his own secrets.  Will the wedding take place?  Will Seedy find a home?  Will the shelter stay as a No Kill shelter?

    Seedy is a three legged dog who was the mother of Seedling - a puppy that Tara (Abby's niece) wants to adopt.  Seedy took to Abby immediately.  Abby is able to convince Tara's parents to let her work at the shelter and eventually to adopt Seedling. The sister of the murdered head of the shelter says she never wanted to change the shelter.

    Of course, the murder is not the only problem.  The Gazebo in the park where Abby wanted to be married is destroyed and it will not be re-built in time for the wedding.  Abby lets her future mother-in-law help her find an alternative.

    I must admit that I cried at the wedding.  Marco had secretly built a small gazebo for them to be married in.  A surprise ring bearer turns out to be Seedy who Marco had adopted.  How could I not cry.  Seedy found a home, the wedding happens and the shelter does not change and most of all - Abby's mother was cleared.
    As to who actually committed the murder - you will have to read the book and decide for yourself.

    Thursday, August 1, 2013

    Kiss of Fire

     



    This book satisfies a few challenges.  It was a free e-book acquired from Amazon, it fits Fantasy as it deals with magic creatures and it has fire in the title so it fits What's in a Name 6.

    Joclyn and Ryland have known each other for a long as they can remember.  Joclyn's mother works for Ryland's father.  There is one thing that Joclyn keeps hidden and that is a dragon on her neck - she keeps it covered.  She does not know that it is the symbol of the Chosen One until the day her whole world changes.

    Wyn is a friend from school and it turns out that Wyn, Joclyn and Ryland are all paranormal creatures who can use magic.  Joclyn has to be taught how to use it by Ilyan who turns out to be Ryland's brother.  Unfortunately, Ryland's father has been stripping his memory.  The "good" magic bunch attempt to rescue Ryland but are unable to do so.  This is the first book in a series.

    The book was intended for the YA age group but I did enjoy it.  There is some romance and great descriptions.  I certainly say that I believe there is such a thing as magic and like Joclyn we might not all know how to use it for good.


    What's in a Name 6 Finished

    1. A book with up or down (or equivalent) in the title:The Top-Flight fully-Automated Junior High School Girl Detective by E. W. Hildick
    2. A book with something you'd find in your kitchen in the title:  Buttons and Bones by Monica Ferris
    3. A book with a party or celebration in the title: One Hex of a Wedding by Yasmine Galenorn
    4. A book with fire (or equivalent) in the title: Kiss of Fire by Rebecca Ethington
    5. A book with an emotion in the title: Cat Spitting Mad by Shirley Rousseau Murphy
    6. A book with lost or found (or equivalent) in the title: How to Lose a Tooth by E. C. Stilson

    I finally finished my six books for this year.

    Friday, July 26, 2013

    One Hex of a Wedding













    One Hex of a Wedding fits What's in a Name 6 because a wedding is a celebration.

    Emerald O'Brien is about to marry her fiance, Joe.  But, events keep happening that it seems that the wedding will not occur.  First, Joe is wounded by a gunshot and Emerald's ex becomes the prime suspect.  Then her gown is found in tatters and the band cancels.  Everytime she puts on a necklace that her sister sent her, she gets this weird feeling.  When she finally researches the history of the necklace, she finds there was a ancient curse on it that a friend removes by putting the item in holy water.  By investigating, Emerald finds that Joe was not the prime target, their friend was and her maid of honor is also in danger.  Maeve not only gives Emerald the perfect dress, but she makes sure the wedding does occur.

    I was familiar with sage being used to cleanse by American Indians as I had a class where we studied different cultures.  Emerald is in touch with the spirit world and used her powers for good.  I enjoyed reading this paranormal mystery and would recommend it to others.  It is the fifth book in a series but does well as a stand-alone.  I had not read the other books and could enjoy this one.

    Tuesday, July 2, 2013

    I Am Spock


    I Am Spock by Leonard Nimoy has been on my shelf for awhile.  I read I Am Not Spock when it came out and decided that this would be my Non-Fiction Book for the Literary Exploration challenge. This is my I book for A-Z.

    Mr. Nimoy uses conversations between himself and the character, Spock to help set the tone of this autobiography.  It covers his life from the beginnings of Star Trek (the original series) until the end of Star Trek VI (the Undiscovered Country).  It includes his experiences as an actor and director.

    I have had the opportunity to see Mr. Nimoy speak at some of the New York Star Trek Conventions and on stage as Vincent.  I also watched him on Mission Impossible, Star Trek and in the story of Golda.  It is interesting to see the struggle he went through being accepted as a director of comedy and then of drama.

    This book should be read by Mr. Nimoy's fans as well as fans of Star Trek.  It shows that he accepted the fact that he will always be connected with his most famous role.

    Oak and Dagger


    Oak and Dagger by Dorothy St. James is my 14th book in the Cozy Reading Challenge.
    It is part of the White House Gardener series.

    Casey Calhoun is a gardener at the White House.  Frida Collingsworth, the White House's curator, accuses Gordon of stealing he research and notes about Dolley Madison.  The President decided to dig holes for two trees in honor of his children.  Unfortunately, he hits a pipe and mud and water shot up from the hole.  Casey and the secret service grab the President to pull him away.  

    Later, Gordon Sims, the chief gardener is found face down in the Koi pond.  Casey and her sidekick Special Agent Jack Turner perform CPR on Gordon until the medical staff arrives.  An ambulance takes Gordon to the hospital.  Because Gordon feels like a father to Casey, she does not want to lose him.  Casey decides to look for Gordon's tools as he went out to trim a hedge.  She finds his pruning saw and Frida's body.

    Casey sets put to find Frida's killer and clean Gordon as his prints were on the saw.  She also is trying to find seeds or plants to duplicate a historical garden and find the missing documents.  While she is doing this, Casey winds up meeting her father, who had disappeared years before.  

    I love these books.  The descriptions make you feel you are there.  The characters are wonderful.  I love the way Jack's house is described.  I look forward to reading further adventures of the White House gardeners.





    Saturday, June 15, 2013

    Blogging Things I Suck At

    Laura at http://musicplusbooks.blogspot.com is trying to get this tag to get around. I do not do well at embedding things or spelling.  I use dictionary.com as much as any other url.

    I suck at housework.  It is not something I was taught.  Using a vacuum is ok.  I just don;t do it enough.  I prefer spending time on the computer or reading.  I do not usually blog about personal things on this blog.  I use this blog for reviews.

    I have not done any giveaways or really tried to let more people know about my blogs.

    Thursday, June 13, 2013

    WWRAT5 Update


    I have completed reading four books:
    Quincey, M.E.
    Another Saturday Night & I Ain't Got No Body
    Murder of the Cat's Meow
    Zombie Man: Feared to Cheered

    I have done the Jigsaw Cover and Title Scramble Challenges and have posted in Songs for the Summer links for the four books I finished and one for the one I am reading (Oak and Dagger).

    I did attend the 1st Twitter Party.


    Wednesday, June 12, 2013

    Zombie Man: Feared to Cheered

























    Zombie Man: Feared to Cheered by Pat Hatt was a free book from Wayland Press by way of E.C. Stilson's blog.  I am using it as my Z book for A-Z challenge and it was read during WWRAT5.

    Zombie Man is an illustrated book recommended for age 10 and older.  The zombie becomes a super hero by saving others.  I normally would not consider reading anything about a zombie but this book won me over.  I certainly would recommend it to anyone wanted to read a cute book.














    Murder of the Cat's Meow


     





    Murder of the Cat's Meow by Denise Swanson was read during WWRAT5.  It is a wonderful Cozy Mystery.

    Skye Denison makes her living as a school psychologist and is engaged to the Scumble River police chief, Wally Boyd.  Her friend Bunny Reid is having a cat show and is starting a dating servicce at her bowling alley.  Skye is called to come to the bowling alley to help find a missing cat.  The cat is found and she is convinced to stay and help with the cat show. There were dealers selling things for cats and a photographer.  So, Skye buys some things for her cat and arranges to meet the photographer in the morning. She winds up serving dinner and washing dishes and stays to see who gets matched but leaves before the disco dancing afterwards.

    The next morning, Skye arrives at eight and finds that the show's hours were 9 to 2.  She tries the door and finds it open.  Bingo, her cat was in a carrier and Skye sees brown ooze coming from the mesh of the carrier.  Bunny comes in and smells the mess.  Skye wants to clean Bingo and the carrier so she is directed to the basement.  While looking for the utility closet. she finds Alexis Hightowner strangled by a cat toy and quite dead.  Alexis was one of the judges during the event and was disliked by a lot of people.

    Since Skye did not know if the murder is still in the bowling alley, she hurries up stairs, finds Bunny and tells her what happened and gets them to Bunny's office.  She locks the door and calls 911.  When the police arrive, they do not let Skye clean the cat up after she promisses to make a list of people who may have convinced Alexis to go to the basement who may have had a reason to kill her.  She answers their questions and they let her leave to clean up.

    Skye also happens to be a consultant for the police department and consults with Wally about who may have motives.  The police come up with a major suspect who is nowhere to be found.  Skye eventually comes up with a clue as to where he might be.  He is caught and confesses but Skye still does not believe he committed the crime.

    While all this is going on, Skye is still needed at the schools where she works.  She spends time at the different schools and if needed at one, has to reschedule at the other.  Skye and Wally set a date for their wedding and her friend Spike comes to town to investigate small town corruption.  The next day, Skye finds a clue in something Spike dropped which leads to the conclusion of the book.

    The book ends with Skye shopping for a wedding dress.

    I love cozy mysteries and this is a very good one.  There is the added bonus of a ghost who refuses to let Skye and Wally have sex at Skye's house and the attempt to get rid of the ghost.  Since I own three cats, like the fact that Bingo is not forgotten - even if Skye is away from home.  This book will be discussed later this month at the cat mystery lovers yahoo group and I do not want to say any more about the mystery.  This book is a must read for cat and cozy mystery lovers.