Carolyn Reconstructs Clues

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I see Yvonne and other pals are away. They leap at remembering sweet kitties. A word is always lovely any time they're back. :)

At the conclusion of the Canadian reading challenge, July 1 - July 30 of every year; I collapse from a generous sampling of patriotic literature.... Then binge on absolutely anything I want, for the next couple of months! Behold. Q;-)=

(31) “Dead Bolt” Juliet Blackwell, 2011 (5/5)
(32) “Murder On The House” Juliet Blackwell, 2012 (5/5)
(33) “Tarnished And Torn” Juliet Blackwell, 2013 (5/5)

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I love visitors to my reviews and blog. Enjoy your week-end. Carolyn “RIEDEL Fascination”.

“A Taste For Murder” Claudia Bishop, 1994 (2/5)
“Angel's Verdict” Mary Stanton, 2010 (3/5)
“Angel Condemned” Mary Stanton, 2011 (4/5)
“The Irish Cairn Murder” Dicey Deere, 2003 (3/5)
“Ghost Ship” P.J. Alderman, 2011 (3/5)
“Aunt Dimity Digs In” Nancy Atherton, 1995 (4/5)
“Eggs In Purgatory” Laura Childs, 2008 (2/5)
“Gunpowder Green” Laura Childs, 2002 (2/5)
“Crocodile On The Sandbank” Elizabeth Peters, 1975 (3/5)
(10) “The Man In The Brown Suit” Agatha Christie, 1924 (5/5)

“The Ghost & The Dead Deb” Alice Kimberly, 2005 (5/5)
“Ghost Of A Chance” Yasmine Galenorn, 2003 (3/5)
“The Curse Of The Pharaohs” Elizabeth Peters, 1981 (5/5)
“Something The Cat Dragged In” Charlotte MacLeod, 1983 (4/5)
“The Cat Who Could Read Backwards” Lilian Jackson Braun, 1966 (5/5)
“The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern” Lilian Jackson Braun, 1967 (5/5)
“The Cat Who Turned On And Off” Lilian Jackson Braun, 1968 (5/5)
“The Cat Who Saw Red” Lilian Jackson Braun, 1986 (4/5)
“Caught Dead In Philadelphia” Gillian Roberts, 1987 (3/5)
(20) “Death On Demand” Carolyn G. Hart, 1987 (3/5)

“The Merlot Murders” Ellen Crosby, 2006 (3/5)
“The Tale Of Oat Cake Crag” Susan Wittig Albert, 2010 (3/5)
“The Curse Of The Giant Hogweed” Charlotte MacLeod, 1985 (4/5)
“Remedy For Treason” Caroline Roe, 1998 (4/5)
“The Family Vault” Charlotte MacLeod, 1979 (5/5)
“The Withdrawing Room” Charlotte MacLeod, 1980 (4/5)
“The Night The Gods Smiled” Eric Wright, 1983 (4/5)
“Smoke Detector” Eric Wright, 1984 (4/5)
“Death In The Old Country” Eric Wright, 1985 (4/5)
(30) “Cure For A Charlatan” Caroline Roe, 1999 (3/5)

“Dead Bolt” Juliet Blackwell, 2011 (5/5)
“Murder On The House” Juliet Blackwell, 2012 (5/5)
“Tarnished And Torn” Juliet Blackwell, 2013 (5/5)

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Hm, the crickets on the personal memory above, tell us when Emma and Yvonne aren't around. ;) Oh well. I shared it aloud anyway.

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Our dear tabby, Spirit Penny, became a very important ten years old on July 19th! Here's to you, sweet boy. :-)

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Folks doing "My Kind Of Mystery" at my blog: the newest post is 'A RIEDEL Clue #2'! I
hope you enjoy seeing your reviews at the top menu. That's why I beg entering linkies with format exactitude - hundreds of reviews to list. ;-) www.CMRiedel.wordpress.com

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Top of the morning, fellow mystery lovers! If no one guesses 'A RIEDEL Clue #2' by tonight, I'll automatically give a hint. There's no request in comments but it's unspoken. :) One person can win by wagering a correct guess today, without a hint though. A glance at the three ladies' bios is all it takes. www.CMRiedel.wordpress.com

I'm thoroughly enjoying Yvonne's challenge and am past the topmost level, like many. I'm going to add all of my links when I polish off 12 reviews ~ they accumulated! I'll use the same post as a wrap-up to cover my bases but continue adding review links, plus updates here, through 2014. :)

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It's hard to get through a family tragedy. Our young, healthy, smiling 4 year-old cat suddenly fell ill and died in a few hours on July 31. Lovey is one of 4 kittens whom we saw born and who are our children. But 4 days later it is our anniversary (non marital). So with chin up, I'm celebrating a positive event that's important. It'll do us good and we're about to go out.
Happy fourteenth anniversary to Ron & I! Yours with courage and faith, Carolyn.

[Christina]

C. wrote: "It's hard to get through a family tragedy. Our young, healthy, smiling 4 year-old cat suddenly fell ill and died in a few hours on July 31. Lovey is one of 4 kittens whom we saw born and who are ..."

Sorry for your loss. It is hard to lose a family member. Our dog is a member of our family and I can't imagine what you and Ron are going through.

Happy Anniversary!

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Thank you for being so sweet. Going through loss 11 years ago hurt enough to change my life astronomically (becoming vegetarian etc) but one solace was, that kitty lived 21 years. I can't get over my strong, bright son dying at 4. I'm trying to look at it as a positive that Lovey was vibrant and healthy until the day he died. Something internal failed all of a sudden and he was gone in hours. There might be a positive that he was great right until it was for some reason, the end of his body. His spirit seems to be with me and I'm going to cling to that.

Forcing ourselves to go out was helpful. Thank you for saying something about our non marital anniversary as well. I had a lot of fun, forced some joy to the top of my face for some pictures. We needed to get away from home because this *is* hard like you said. But our union as a couple deserves its day and Lovey has six other feline family members who are physically alive and deserve our attention and care. I have every other reason to be happy too and will find it; thanks to relatives and friends like you! *Hugs!*

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My anniversary has been nice. Ronnie & I have celebrated it these 3 days. August 4th we went to a Mennonite museum; not a dusty building but a whole village, with farm critters to pet, authentic heritage buildings. Last night we exchanged our gifts because we wante to continue the spray of happiness through the extremely recent loss of our 4 year-old white cat, Love. See him in my profile picture with me right here.

We were surprised by how much relief a very sentimental and positive funeral was for us, which even managed to include Love's six other cat family members; a good hour's service of our own! With songs, messages, and a last walk around our property, highlighting places Love played in especially.

Today, though Manitobans grow flowers earlier, I sowed Marigolds, zinnias, bachelor's buttons, and wild pink spray flowers around his resting place. We don't like call it specifically his grave: he isn't there. Merely the dear familiar body he finished with. Marigold is his Mother and the most glorious part of a flower, Petal, is his orange sister. All of a sudden, I feel I accomplished something useful and important. I retired and awakened feeling sick. Now, I feel less heavy in my soul. We went to the city to see about getting my few cell phone pictures off of a very old Nokia that is unlikely to plug into a CD. We'll try a bluetooth connection with someone's phone that has e-mail capacity and we'll try buying a data package (it's only a pay-as-you-go phone) that will let me attach the photos with a text message, to someone who would e-mail them to me. After heavy grief from July 31 onward, with a little relief in between; I am beginning to feel better and like I could read again.

[Christina]

Glad you have been able to find some peace and comfort.

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It's a hard road out of grief when the loss is monumental; top of my list of things I wouldn't want to occur (my kitties going before their time) and Lovey hadn't lived 1/5 of his life span. The other hard thing whether anyone understood a parental connection with their pets or not, is that mine died 5 hours after I saw something was wrong. It has been impossible for my brain, emotions, and heart to catch up. I see his picture and he should be here! We love him and need him; my cats are very involved in our everyday doings. But grief is about getting used to the loss of the physical, as we try to see how he still exists in every other form. Yes, every day I look for something to life me: this morning it's the wind and seeing my other six play in the sun. Cuddling Ron. Trees and flowers. Kindness like yours, popping in with a note. I will get there: thank you for asking.

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The first week was excruciating. I no longer sleep or awaken, sick and distraught. Dismissing blame / anguish at a cat barely 4 years-old, contributes to healing. I can read again. Reviews will be next. Of all to whom I reached out, so I would be surrounded by good will and support: those who say something also heal me tremendously. Kind words and compassion are an inspiration.

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LOVE RIEDEL
September 7, 2010 to July 31, 2014
Here's to you: our dearly sweet, love-giving son!


My young boy, 'Love' atop our highest shelf. Cute at 11 months old. [August 2011.]


We kept finding Lovey around books. At 2 years-old, he toppled a storage trolly.
I laughed at the spill of paperbacks and considered this tableau artistic.
These were published before either of us were born! [September 2012.]


Here is Lovey at nearly 3 years-old, beneath the same shelf of our library/cat lounge.
There is a sidewalk between it and our house. [Aug 2013.]

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Thank you, everyone helping through this. My beautiful, loyal young cat shouldn't be gone and it occurred so fast I have trouble believing it either. Every kind word makes a great positive difference. Carolyn.

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Hearing from people means a lot. We've come to that big date after Lovey's passing a month ago: their birthday, September 7th. We can get through it and make it happy for all.

Happy fourth birthday to you Love, and to the others continuing to grow in age: Conan, Angel, and Petal! We never forget you for an instant and love all of you!
Yours forever: Carolyn, Ron, McCartney, Spirit, and your Mom - Marigold.

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There must be comments forthcoming about these gorgeous, sentimental photographs! :)
Here are my latest book selections.

(34) “A Veiled Deception” Annette Blair, 2008 (5/5)
“Larceny And Lace” Annette Blair, 2009 (5/5)
“Ghost & Dead Man's Library” Alice Kimberly, 2006 (5/5)
“Death By Diamonds” Annette Blair, 2010 (4/5)
“The Cosmic Clues” Manjiri Prabhu, 2004 (3/5)
“The Lies That Bind” Kate Carlisle, 2010 (4/5)
(40) “An Uninvited Ghost” E.J. Copperman, 2011 (3/5)

“Death Of A Gossip” Marion C. Beaton, 1985 (2/5)!
“Kilt Dead” Kaitlyn Dunnett, 2007 (4/5)
(43) “The Twelve Deaths Of Christmas” Marian Babson, 1979 (3/5)

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Charity used book sales, this very morning. Then next week-end during Mom's birthday too! May Ron & I find items we have been seeking and check-off our lists very successfully.

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I've read a good deal more but need time to list them here and review. I'd be grateful to hear from people who appreciate the above photographs of my dear cat. This is a time of recent loss. I'm bewildered that few seem to have caught this news. Our Love has been physically gone two months; with whom I spent every day since birth.

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I invited everybody connected with me (blog subscriber, challenge guest, Goodreads pal) to a Hallowe'en prize activity! Easy criteria; New York, England, and southern US must have lots:
(A) SHARE A SPIRIT STORY,
(B) GIVE THE WEBSITE OF A LOCAL HALLOWED SPOT, or link such a photo that you took.
Sincerely, Carolyn. http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2014/10...

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Calling pals: are you catching any posts? I'm getting crickets, in response to personal news; all activity. It better not happen for this gal's birthday in November! {Carolyn shakes a finger}.

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(34) “A Veiled Deception” Annette Blair, 2008 (5/5)
“Larceny And Lace” Annette Blair, 2009 (5/5)
“Ghost & Dead Man's Library” Alice Kimberly, 2006 (5/5)
“Death By Diamonds” Annette Blair, 2010 (4/5)
“The Cosmic Clues” Manjiri Prabhu, 2004 (3/5)
“The Lies That Bind” Kate Carlisle, 2010 (4/5)
(40) “An Uninvited Ghost” E.J. Copperman, 2011 (3/5)

“Death Of A Gossip” Marion C. Beaton, 1985 (2/5)!
“Kilt Dead” Kaitlyn Dunnett, 2007 (4/5)
“The Twelve Deaths Of Christmas” Marian Babson, 1979 (3/5)
“The Tale Of Castle Cottage” Susan Wittig Albert, 2011 (3/5)
(45) “Aunt Dimity’s Christmas” Nancy T. Atherton, 1999 (5/5)

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Someone in our group handed in the right answer! You need to wage your guesses for
A RIEDEL Clue ~ 3 by tomorrow, or a solitary person can win without a draw. http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2014/11...

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“Skirting The Grave” Annette Blair, 2011 (4/5)
http://www.amazon.ca/review/R3KD9TKFA...
“A Single Death” Eric Wright, 1986 (5/5)
http://www.amazon.ca/review/R2CS7C3J9...
(48) “Buried In Stone” Eric Wright, 1996 (4/5)
http://www.amazon.ca/review/RYQ9KV54E...

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“The Suicide Murders” Howard Engel, 1980 (5/5)!
http://www.amazon.ca/review/RJBTZIWAY...
(50) “Curiosity Thrilled The Cat” Sofie Kelly, 2011 (2/5)
http://www.amazon.ca/review/R2X5IQQDK...

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“It Takes A Witch” Heather Blake, 2012 (3/5)
http://www.amazon.ca/review/R2IYVCWZQ...
(52) “Murder In Scorpio” Martha C. Lawrence, 1995 (4/5)
http://www.amazon.ca/review/R8VJVKCEW...

Scorpio is my birth sign of course. Five days until my wonderful day! :-) Carolyn.

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Three days until my birthday! Woohoo! We're having one nice party with my parents and two friends today. The mailbox hasn't had anything yet. I hope it's filled with special words next week! I imagine the major pile arriving on Monday and most fun of all: Tuesday, November 18th itself. :) Others are born this month too, so I need to finish outgoing mail for them as well.

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Today is the day to enjoy my present age, before it rises tomorrow!

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It's my day today! May it be good and happy!

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Well, let's see how the year of my new age goes.

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For we who love standard or traditional mystery: a great one went to Heaven today. As always, I have observed that authors live a wonderful, long time and I hope I live up to the same career when I make it come true. She reached age 94, her last novel only 3 years ago: "Death Comes To Pemberley". Here's to you, Phyllis Dorothy James!!!!

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A string of new posts; mine got missed. What a gift Phyllis left with us, her suite of novels, isn't it? On the subject opposite to death: shout outs on this girl's birthday, shared above. Q;-)=

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(53) “Mind Over Murder” Allison Kingsley, 2011 (2/5)
http://www.amazon.ca/review/RFQNJOQQE...

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It's been 4 months that my Love passed away. If anyone wants to see, wonderful pictures of him are in message #64. I miss you, my 'tinky'. We all miss you.

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Eager to discuss any books or subjects within! Some folks might have these discussion threads to update their reading but I'm not typing for myself. I very much appreciate and do this for conversation. :)

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Everyone connected to me is invited to this activity, world wide: blog subscribers, challengers, Goodreads contacts. I have looked forward to it most of all! The post is here. Emma, this is my chance to see your hoard, for prizes of your choice! Hop in! :-) http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2014/12...

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Hoping everyone is having a wonderful day in their parts of the world. Manitoba is getting warm ones!

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Interested in seeing where I keep my physical books, the only kind I read? I put a lot of time into a duo of posts at my blog! Anyone may share, or treat these as a gallery tour and just comment on them. I would be thrilled to have your reactions. That is why I post anything! :)
http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2014/12...
https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/2014/1...

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So.... after weeks of notice, no birthday message for this gal last month, huh? Q;-)= I tried!

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Who wants to see what else I have been reading? How about we catch up with book title #54.

(54) “Last Wool And Testament” Molly MacRae, 2012 (5/5)!
“The Secret Portrait” Lillian Stewart Carl, 2006 (3/5)
“The Witch Is Dead” Shirley Damsgaard, 2007 (3/5)

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If you read anything mystical or paranormal, have a look here. "ETHEREAL 2015" has been published! I toast to a wonderful year. ¡Salud! https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/ethere...

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No way josé. We are not going on another commenting spree and missing mine! I work hard in here and am HERE for comments. ;> My latest reads are the following.

“Scone Cold Dead” Kaitlyn Dunnett, 2008 (4/5)
(58) “Home For The Haunting” Juliet Blackwell, 2013 (5/5).

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For all of us who like finding matches for our wide array of creative titles:
"GENTLE SPECTRUMS 2015" is up! https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/gentle...

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Hm, a disappointing thought. No one has engaged in a comment here since August 6, yet I keep my folder active at least every week. Prove me wrong! That I *should* re-open a Goodreads companion folder after all, (further to the blog challenge) in 2015. Before I go: let's see great conversations, or visits, taking place now. :-)

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I do a very appreciative nod to Yvonne in paragraph three. "My Kind Of Mystery 2015"
is up and ready to go! :-) https://cmriedel.wordpress.com/mykind...

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Here is my full, renewed trio! I welcome any keen participants, who have material that fits. http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/etherea...
http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/gentle-...
http://cmriedel.wordpress.com/mykindo...

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The best I've read so far of this English-Canadian talent!

(59) “Death Of A Hired Man” Eric Wright, 2001 (5/5)!
http://www.amazon.ca/review/R5X4C8DEV...

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Testing: are people seeing this? I reviewed the Lilian Jackson Braun books for instance, with very high feedback right here. Click back a few pages to see my list of reviews including those.

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The initial is to not give away too much of a personal ID in public. In groups, of course I name myself. You still might not know me nor I you. But I began to wonder why there was commenting and commenting, everywhere but here, which are kept just as current.

A relief - thank you! :-) Very sweet of you to offer friendship connections at Goodreads; not to mention interest in my blog. What a triple honour all at once! A true new year's gift. :-)

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I am presently starting the following storytelling genuis, my new favourite, living Canadian author! (Cudos to the late Lyn Hamilton & Charlotte MacLeod). This is likely my last book entry for "Crusing Through The Cosies": a nice even quantity. I'm pleased.

(60) “The Ransom Game” Howard Engel, 1976