Barbara (Ameise1)'s world (1)

After a rather catastrophic year, which probably also applies to many of you, I'm trying to be more present on LT in 2021 than last year.

Welcome on my thread.

My name is Barbara and I live with my husband Thomas in Zürich, Switzerland. We have two daughters who live not far from us. The older daughter is a social worker and works at an addiction prevention center. The younger daughter is studying law at the University of Zürich.
I work as a primary school teacher and am currently teaching a second grade.

I hope that it will get better in 2021, but I think that all current measures will still be in effect until the summer, possibly even longer. You can call me a pessimist, but I've learned that it's better to look facts in the eye. I feel much less stressed then.

Here are some photos from my hometown Zürich:

      

January
# 1 Irisches Roulette by Hannah O'Brien (4 stars)
# 2 End Of Watch by Stephen King (4½ stars)
# 3 Irische Nacht by Hannah O'Brien (4 stars)
# 4 Provenzalische Intrige by Sophie Bonnet (4 stars)
# 5 The Diamond Caper by Peter Mayle (3 stars)
# 6 The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark (4 stars)

February
# 7 Banker by Dick Francis (4½ stars)
# 8 Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (4 stars)
# 9 Innocent by David Baldacci (4½ stars)
#10 Slow Horses by Mick Herron (4½ stars)
#11 Dead Lions by Mick Herron (4½ stars)

March
#12 The Scarred Woman by Jussi Adler-Olsen (4 stars)
#13 Extraordinary People by Peter May (4½ stars)
#14 Odds Against by Dick Francis (4½ stars)
#15 Sommer, Meer und der Tote im Pool by Inez Velazquez (3½ stars)
#16 The Critic by Peter May (4½ stars)

Currently Reading

 The Hint

Currently listening

 The Outsider

Hi Barbara! It's good to see you back! I also hope to be more present here in 2021.

Here’s hoping 2021 will be better Barbara!

I am relieved to see you back, Barbara. xx

Dropping a star, Barbara. Hoping 2021 is kinder to all of us - it's been a weird year.

>4 cbl_tn: >5 SandDune: >6 PaulCranswick: >7 Crazymamie: Welcome dear visitors. It's good to see you. I wish us all a better 2021, even if we have to be patient.
Meanwhile something sweet from the Confiserie Teuscher in Zürich

Dark buttercrunch for me, please! Although the champagne truffles are appropriate for New Year's!

🙈😂😍

Welcome back! I really want to visit Zurich some day!

I love the photographs of Zurich and of the chocolates, especially the dark ones! Hope you have a better year and one full of lots of interesting reads!

Welcome back, Barbara! It's good to see you!

Gutes neues, Barbara!

>8 Ameise1: Preeettyyyy

I love the photo of the pigeon in the spotlight in >1 Ameise1: :)

Happy New Year. I have no idea what I am doing this evening (NYE) .....kids keen to say home and do gaming all night, and I can't say I object that much to that! We usually have a quite one.

Hi

Best wishes for a better 2021!

>11 drneutron: Thanks so much, Jim. It would be nice to meet you once in my corner of the world.

>12 thornton37814: Thanks so much, Lori. I love dark chocolate, too. I have made up my mind to only read what I feel like reading. If I ever see a BB, it's welcome, but I don't let any challenge lead me.

>13 katiekrug: It's good to see you, Katie. Welcome on my thread.

>14 richardderus: Thanks so much, Rdear. Please help yourself, replenishment can be delivered at any time.

>15 LovingLit: Isn't it? Happy New Year, Megan. It's good to see you here.

>16 BBGirl55: Hi right back to you.

>17 DianaNL: Thanks so much, Diana. I also hope 2021 will be better.

Dear friends, I sincerely wish you all a Happy New Year filled with health, confidence, joy and many good books.

Hi Barbara! It's nice to see you here again. And wishing you a very good new year!

Happy New Thread, Barb. Happy New Year! I hope we can see more of you in 2021. Stay healthy.

>20 EllaTim: Thanks so much, Ella.

>21 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. I try to give my best.

Happy reading in 2021, Barbara!

And keep up with my friends here, Barbara. Have a great 2021.

>23 FAMeulstee: >24 PaulCranswick: Thanks so much Anita and Paul.

book 1 Read in German

 Irisches Roulette

I discovered this author in mid-December and read the first volume of the Grace O'Malley series with pleasure. The cozy mysteries take place in Galway and the surrounding area, as Grace is the head of homicide. The hook of the stories is always something historical or political, which makes the whole thing exciting.
This story is about inconsistencies in the betting business. Soon Grace and her team have to realize that the leading minds in the betting business are walking over dead bodies. Who is behind this? Her partner Rory has to go undercover because his brother owns a betting shop and counts as a suspect. Grace's friend Peter supports her wherever he can. But he realizes that his mother runs a dubious betting shop. And what role do Dixi the hat maker and the Kosters siblings, who run an organic vegetable business, play? Of course, Grace's uncle Jim would like to interfere in the investigation because as a well-known politician he has the feeling that he is always and everywhere there.
It was a very exciting read and I will definitely continue with this series.

Next reading:

 Irische Nacht

Happy reading year, Barbara!

>28 PersephonesLibrary: Thanks so much, Käthe. I hope your reading year will be filled with lots of exciting books.

Happy New Year, Barbara. Let's hope 2021 is better than 2020. I think you are right, and we'll still be wearing masks and social distancing until the summer.

>30 BLBera: Thanks so much, Beth. I know that in this case I'm a pessimist. I suppose summer is very early it's more like autumn. I don't think that I will get my COVID vaccination before July and that seems very optimistic to me.

It's not official, till I wish you a happy new year on your LT thread. Soooo Happy New Year, Barbara!
I agree, I'm thinking masks and social distancing and very little travel till 3rd quarter 2021. However, I think I see light at the end of the tunnel

Hi Barbara, and Happy New Year!

Congrats on one book already read.

Happy new year, Barbara! I, too, think the restrictions will last till summer. We're already experiencing a post-Christmas surge in numbers in our state, which have doubled recently.

So glad to see you starting a new thread!! I agree on your COVID assessment, but 2021 has to have a better ending! Here's wishing you lots of great books.

Those Hannah O'Brien books look very good. I'll have to look out for them!

Ditto what >36 richardderus: said

Das neue Jahr hat nun begonnen
mögen bald wärmere Tage kommen
Starte durch, Fang an von vorn,
Fühle Dich wie neu geboren.
Tu alles was Dich glücklich macht
Und wobei Dein Herz am meisten lacht.

Happy New Year, Happy New Thread and a healthy life with a lot of books!
>1 Ameise1: Beautiful pictures, Barbara!

>32 Carmenere: Thanks so much, Lynda. I know there will be light at the end of the tunnel it only matters when that happens.

>33 karenmarie: Thanks so much, Karen. It's a lovely cosy mystery and therefor a quick read.

>34 The_Hibernator: Thanks so much, Rachel. Indeed, I'm just waiting for next week I think that the numbers will rise again here too.

>35 Berly: Thanks so much, Kim. I'm sure I'll find some good books this year too. Last year I got addicted with the Michael Sander and Lene Jensen series and the Department Q series. Now, I love this Irish series.

>36 richardderus: This series is just gorgeous, Rdear. I hope there is an English translation.

>37 thornton37814: Lori, I'm sure it would be your cup of tea too.

>38 figsfromthistle: Oh, thanks so much for this most lovely quote, Anita. It's a stand-up.

>39 SirThomas: Thanks so much, Thomas. I hope that your lockdown phase doesn't last too long.

>41 Ameise1: Sadly it appears they are only in German at the moment. Maybe they'll be translated at some point.

Dropping off my and wishing you the best of new years in 2021!

I think I have got an O'Brian book on my shelves somewhere... I love everything Irish but I am not so much a fan of crime stories. Maybe this series will change that.

Hi Barbara my dear, i have dropped my star off and will be a visitor in 2021 dear friend.

>43 ronincats: Hi Roni, good to see you here and many thanks for this sparkling star.

>44 PersephonesLibrary: Käthe, the good thing is that not all read the same. I have met authors on LT so often that I would not otherwise have dragged them off the shelf and in retrospect I am glad I read them.

>45 johnsimpson: Hi John, I'm very happy that you dropped a star. It's always a pleasure to see you.

So, starting tomorrow I'll be back in the classroom teaching. January is always a crazy month for us at school because we have reports to write. I am also curious to see how many children will appear tomorrow. Since COVID, this has always been a lottery. I checked it once and found that since the school year had started, there had been exactly one week when all students were present.

Best of luck to you with your teaching, Barbara!

>48 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber. It will be a challenge as during the past year.

Since schools in NY are closed, I'm amazed that you're teaching in-person classes. Switzerland must have a better control regime than we do.

Of course, that is not hard.

>50 richardderus: No Rdear, Switzerland is far from being a model student. The number of cases is high and the death rate is very bad. Only those responsible claim that the children are not the drivers. That is why the schools have been open since mid-May and we teach on site. The children are not tested either, so nobody knows how effective it is. The correct number of cases will be correct by the end of next week. Very little testing has been done in the past two weeks. I think that the politicians may then be more willing to take more severe measures. But I am almost certain that the schools will remain open.

>51 Ameise1: That is deeply disturbing and disheartening to hear, Barbara, and it upsets me because it means you are at risk just by going to work. Very very wrong, in my opinion!

A bit sad also about Hannah O'Brien's untranslatedness, though not on the same plane at all!

>51 Ameise1: It is so irresponsible to leave schools open. I am glad there is a Christmas break right now and are working with distance learning. Though I can't imagine how hard those online classes must be for kids as well as teachers. Do they give you the right material, like masks, to work at least?

>52 richardderus: Rdear, I was on sick leave from December 10th through the 31st. I had all the symptoms like with COVID, but luckily I tested negative. I actually got infected at school. I was under strict medical supervision for two weeks as everyone was worried about my lungs. The medication was an odyssey and my stomach and intestines are now suffering from it. You are right, we teachers are always exposed to risk, which it seems to me, does not bother anyone.

I am sorry that O'Brien's books are not translated. I've almost finished reading volume three and I still think it's good.

>53 PersephonesLibrary: Käthe, we had distance learning for 7 weeks in the spring. I think we can pat each other on the back in retrospect, because when we started the present class again, all the students were where they should be. The effort for us teachers was enormous. We worked 150% but it was worth it.
Yes, we are well equipped with masks, etc. No money is saved.

Happy New Year, Barbara!

Beautiful photos of Zurich up there. I'm hoping after the pandemic passes that we can get to your hometown some day. I was in Switzerland in my youth, but near the Junfrau (Wengen), and not the cities.

>57 Ameise1: Thanks so much, Joe. It's good to see you. Wengen is beautiful. It would be a great pleasure to meet you and Debbie here.

Hi Barbara! The O'Brien series sounds interesting. I hope it will eventually be translated into English!

>58 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie, fingers crossed that it will happen one day.

Best wishes for your start of work, Barbara.
In our country, the schools are still closed - but the discussion about opening is already beginning.
Stay healthy!

Hi, Barb. Good luck getting back to work. Stay as safe and healthy as you can.

>55 Ameise1: That's amazing work by your team Barbara.

Sorry to read you have been unwell too - wishing you a full recovery.

I love the photos of Zurich. A reminder of travel in better times. I loved visiting Basel and Geneva and the Scout centre Kandersteg - hope to do more travelling in Switzerland one day.

>55 Ameise1: the teachers here did a fab job looking after the kids online learning when schools were closed. It was a lot of work for them, but boy- did I appreciate it. Trying to work from home (sharing one work space between me and my partner), and do all the school stuff as well was a mission, so to have the kids kept busy in Zoom calls all morning was a relief.

Barbara, I hope you had a smooth start of the work week and everything went well! Take care!

Thank you so much for introducing me to Hannah O'Brien. I started with the first volume of the series and enjoyed it very much.
The best wishes to you!

>54 Ameise1: I hope you feel back to full strength soon!! Stay safe and good luck with teaching.

Happy new year Barbara! I thought that as we are friends on Facebook I should find your reading thread here! I'm sorry that you are having to teach in school again this term. I hope that you will stay safe and well.

>60 SirThomas: Thanks so much, Thomas. The kindergartens and primary schools will hardly be closed any more. I imagine that even if the cases increased again, these schools would remain open.

>62 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. We're all trying to stay healthy here, even after the first students are in quarantine again.

>63 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte. We try to do our best every day and remain extremely flexible, which is very important at the moment.
Fortunately, I'm feeling better again.
Ah, you visited a couple of beautiful places in Switzerland. I would be happy if you could come to Zürich one day. Unfortunately I didn't know you in 2012. There my husband and I were in Liverpool and Manchester during the summer holidays.

>64 LovingLit: Meg, we would never have got this far without the support of our parents. They did a great job. I believe you that distance learning via Zoom was a relief for you and yet you still had to help with school, certainly more than usual.

>65 PersephonesLibrary: Hello Käthe, thank you very much for the beautiful picture. The children came in full, but unfortunately many had headaches, stomach aches or were otherwise not so fit. The first ones were already missing on Tuesday and so it went on for the whole week. It's not nice to have half-sick children in school. We also learned that a new student from North Macedonia is coming to our class on Monday. Since she doesn't speak any German, the first few weeks will be a challenge for everyone.

>66 SirThomas: You're welcome, Thomas. I finished the third volume today and will write down my thoughts on it. I enjoy this series very much, but I will pause it now as I have other books that I should read first.

>67 Berly: Thank you very much, Kim. My stomach feels a lot better and the bioflorin also helped the intestines.

>68 Sakerfalcon: Welcome Claire, it's good to see you here. I will still search your thread so that I can see what you read.
We all go to great lengths to stay healthy. That is the top priority.

book 2 ♫ Read in German

 End Of Watch

This was the third part of the Bill Hodges Trilogy and this time too the story captivated me from beginning to end.
Hodges, who has developed pancreatic cancer, discovers that his nemesis Brady has somehow managed to get active again. This is all the more astonishing since he lies completely paralyzed and helpless in a clinic. How does this person manage to sneak into so many heads and manipulate these 'hosts' in his favor?
Hodges and Holly are investigating a suicide. Soon they have to discover that this is not the only one, but that this is part of a cluster of suicides. When Barbara almost got under a car, Hodges and his team begin to reconstruct the connections. Can they neutralize Brady forever this time?
It was very exciting and I suffered with Hodges and his team.

Next listening:

 Provenzalische Intrige

book 3 Read in German

 Irische Nacht

The third volume in the Grace O'Malley series is about Celtic gods, spirits and traveling people. On the night of October 31st, 'Samhain' is celebrated on the Irish Aran Islands. The festival symbolizes the change of the Celtic nature gods to winter camp. All people dress up so that they are in no way recognized by the inhabitants of the otherworld. The right occasion for a murder to happen for this cozy mystery.
While Grace and her team begin the investigation, they have to do without their young medical examiner because her mother has passed away. In the course of the investigation, the young forensic doctor disappears and everyone worries about her. There are two other people murdered and far too many suspects. Are the travelers behind the murders and what does the dog trainer do on his secret excursions?
It was again very exciting to read and I learned a lot about Irish mysticism and culture.

Next reading:

 The Diamond Caper

Hi Barbara, found your thread too. Happy Weekend!

>73 Ameise1: I remember seeing one of hers on my wishlist the other day (probably first in series). I don't think it was available at one of my libraries. I think I ran across it when I was double-checking to see if availability remained the same or if some of the Overdrive ones had expired or libraries had discarded print copies. I actually found some books now purchased either in print or electronically, so it was not wasted time. It got my TBR list in better order.

>70 Ameise1: This is very challenging! How do you feel? I hope you didn't catch anything. I feel sorry for the kids as well - as if times aren't harsh enough anyway. In what class the Macedonian girl will participate? Happy reading weekend!

So jealous that you get to enjoy the Hannah O'Brien books!

Oh well, it's fair, lots doesn't get translated into German and I could, if I applied myself, resuscitate my schoolboy German.

Happy Sunday! Stay safe while teaching.

Have a lovely Sunday, Barbara.
Best wishes for your health and all the best in your teaching.

I had some time to browse your thread and was startled toread you were that sick! I hope you are on the mend and feel like the old Barb soon. Take care while working at school. I now are glad I am retired although I worked in my own little office and could have kept distance easy by moving the furniture around.

Have a nice Sunday!

>75 connie53: >80 connie53: Hi Connie, it's good to see you here. Thank you very much, I feel a lot better already. We try to do our best not to get infected, but you never really know what can happen. This pandemic has one good thing: the children keep their distance and wash their hands regularly, can blow their nose in a handkerchief and cough in their elbows. I hope that once this is over that they can keep these hygiene measures.

>76 thornton37814: Ha, I'm happy to have been of assistance so that your TBR list has become a little longer. :-)

>77 PersephonesLibrary: Touch wood so that I won't be infected by the children again.
Since I teach a second grade at a primary school, the girl from Normacedonia will be there in all subjects. Fortunately, my teammate (we both teach in this class together) is trained as a teacher for German as a second language. She will work a lot with the new student so that she can follow the class. It is not the first time that a child comes into our class who does not speak German. We are very used to school these children with us.

>78 richardderus: Rdear, don't be jealous. Whenever possible I read books in German. But it also often happens that a book is not translated, then I read in English. I need more time reading it in French. I am used to speaking and reading the newspaper in French, but I don't have enough training in literature because I don't do it regularly.

>79 SirThomas: Thank you Thomas, I'll take all the best wishes in a multipack. Today I am enjoying a sunny day again. That seldom happened enough in the last two months.

Happy Sunday, Barb. I also really enjoyed End of Watch. That was a very good trilogy by King. Did you ever read The Outsider? It has a nice connection to those books and is also very good.

Happy Sunday, Barbara.

>82 msf59: Happy Sunday to you, too. Thanks so much for the recommendation. My library has got an audio copy of it. I'll take it when I'm there the next time.

>83 DianaNL: Happy Sunday, Diana.

Happy Sunday Barbara. I'm still in the process of finding the threads of those I so enjoyed last year. I'm glad I found you. I'll plant my star and return as often as I can.

You are reading some good books. Good luck in teaching this semester. I can only imagine the challenge. I retired from academia two years ago. I advised/taught the publications in the Journalism Department. Thirty six years was a long time. I am glad I retired when I did.

All good wishes to you for a bright and healthy New Year!

Happy 2021, Barbara. I wish all of us good health and good reading this year.

>81 Ameise1: It's a shame it will take so long until you'll get the vaccination... Crossing all fingers and touching wood you stay healthy. Take good care!

Hi Barbara, thank you for stopping by my thread. Here is hoping that 2021 is a better, healthier and happier year than 2020 was. The O'Brien books sound great! Here is hoping they will be translated into English at some point.

>81 Ameise1: I used to resolve every year to practice my Spanish and Italian more.

Now I wistfully recall days when I could speak and read them....

>73 Ameise1: I haven't heard of Hannah O'Brien but that looks like a series for me!

Have a lovely weekend, Barbara.

I finally checked my shelves and indeed, I own Irisches Verhängnis! :D Time to read that one soon.
I hope you can enjoy a lovely weekend, Barbara! Is it snowing in Zurich?

Stay warm, stay safe, stay in touch, Barbara. x

Hi Barbara my dear, i hope that you had a good week back at school and hope that you are all having a good weekend so far. We are both fine as Karen has been off all week taking some holiday time. Sending love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

>85 Whisper1: Thank you Linda for finding me. Unfortunately I haven't got around to finding all threads yet. I have had two very tough weeks. Later more.

>86 ffortsa: Thank you very much, Judith. It can only get better. At least since last Wednesday you have had a ray of hope with your new President and your great Vice President.

>87 PersephonesLibrary: >91 PersephonesLibrary: Ah Käthe, starting tomorrow, children aged 10 and over will have to wear masks in class and on the playground. Even during sports lessons. I'm really happy that my students are younger.
Nice to hear you have a copy of this book. Hopefully you like it too.
I'll write about the freak weather later. Now the sun is shining once again (it is rare).

>88 lkernagh: Hi Lori, thanks so much for stopping by. Well, fingers crossed that there will be a translation one day.

>89 richardderus: Hi Rdear, I know that if you don't stay on the ball all the time, you lose your skills. It is also difficult to speak a foreign language if you don't get the opportunity to do so regularly.

>90 PaulCranswick: >92 PaulCranswick: Thanks so much, Paul. The last two weeks have been very busy.

>93 johnsimpson: John, it's good to hear you're fine. I think of you often because the reports from England regarding the pandemic are unfortunately not the best. Stay healthy. Can Karen protect herself adequately at work?
We're fine. Thomas was tested last weekend (luckily negative) because he had many symptoms. He is much better now.

On Thursday, January 15th, it started to snow continuously. I went to school by bus in the morning and a bus actually drove me home in the evening. Our garden was already covered in snow, but there was nothing that awaited me early on Friday morning (see photos). I felt like I couldn't leave the house at all. The trees and bushes blocked the way from the front door to the street, I should have crawled. So I grabbed the shovel, hit the branches so that I came to the street in a stooped position. The first problem was solved, but the next followed immediately, because the bus and tram operations were stopped. So I had to walk through the heavy snow to the train station, hoping that at least the trains would run. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long. Shortly after the train left the station, it stopped and for the next 30 minutes nothing happened. I had called my colleague in the meantime that I was on my way, but had no idea when I would arrive. When I reached my destination, the next problem was how do I get from the train station to the school building because the sidewalks were impassable for pedestrians. So I went on the street because there were no cars anyway. It took me over two hours to get to school. Usually I bion there in 20 minutes.
The way home was again an adventure.

     

book 4 ♫ Read in German

  Provenzalische Intrige

This is the third volume in the Pierre Durand series and reading it was again a pleasure.
This time Pierre Durand had to find out why a soap maker was killed. Provence is well known for soap production and for the murdered people it was very important that only natural essences and products are used for her soaps. Of course, not everyone agreed that they wanted to sell Provencal soap cheaper, but that meant that many of the soap's ingredients had to be manufactured artificially.
At the same time, Durand wanted to prove to himself that he would be suitable as a chief investigator, since this post is to be filled. Not only his girlfriend, but also the residents of the place disagreed with this. They urged themselves to renovate his old farmhouse so that he didn't want to leave.
The many delicacies that accompanied this series again and again make my mouth watery.
I will definitely read the other books of this cozy mystery.

book 5 Read in German

 Die Diamanten von Nizza

This reading has rather disappointed me. It was about stolen diamonds and substance abuse. Both topics were rather lame. There was a lack of tension and humor.
The only good thing about this book was the food, which kept making me hungry.

Next Reading:

 Banker

Next Listening:

 The Cinderella Murder

>95 Ameise1: That was a hard journey getting to school on Friday, Barbara, was it easier this week?
I saw on the weather reports some snow is expected again tomorrow in Switserland.

Stay safe and enjoy your books.

Happy Sunday, Barb. Sorry to hear about all your snow. Is it better there now?

We have had a fair bit of snow here in Cheshire but nothing like yours! It's a standing joke in Britain that half a dozen flakes of snow can cause the country to grind to a halt and we always point to European countries that have a lot of snow and manage to go on as if nothing was happening. You've ruined my image of Switzerland!

>100 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, so that nothing drove until Sunday. On Sunday Thomas fought his way through our 'jungle' with a chainsaw and freed the path so that we could go straight back to the street. On Monday the trains were very late, but the bus lines that I need ran pretty punctually.

>101 msf59: Hi Mark, there is still snow, but not nearly as much as a week ago. Still, it was impossible to drive the car myself, so I took the bus every day.
As Anita already noted, snowfall is announced again from tonight to Wednesday. I will definitely take the bus to school again tomorrow.

>102 CDVicarage: Hi Kerry, we always have snow here in Switzerland (especially in the mountains) and we are actually used to almost everything. This time Mrs. Holle meant it too well. It snowed in such amounts here in Zurich as we have not seen for years. The first day it was over 40cm and the next day even more. In the end, no one could keep up with clearing snow. So up to 30cm everything is no problem. You drive by car, all public transport runs on time and the winter service clears the fresh snow without any problems. This time the crowd was overwhelming for everyone in a very short time.

>95 Ameise1: The snow is lovely.

>96 Ameise1: I wonder if that series is in English? I'll have to check. ETA: Apparently not

>97 Ameise1: Sounds like the cover illustration is better than the book.

>95 Ameise1: Pretty to look at, miserable to wade through.

>103 Ameise1: Wow!! 40cm!! (Two feet for US visitors) No wonder the system was overwhelmed.

Better week ahead, Barbara, especially no more lame books. (Like >97 Ameise1:)

Lots of snow there in your photo's, Barbara. It's lovely to see, but very impractical if you have to go out. But when you can snuggle up at home, with enough to eat and drink an of course books, it's very romantic.

Lovely snow photos! We had snow today, but barely a sprinkling.

Happy Sunday, Barbara! Amazing pictures - you had as much snow as we did! I am sorry for your snow hiking adventure to school. I hope your week will be off to a good start tomorrow!

Hi Barbara my dear, your snow photos are amazing and i can well imagine it took you such a long time to get to work. Karen is able to keep safe at work, it is the customers that are the problem. So many of them don't seem to bother with the distancing rules, they don't have their masks on properly and now that they have made it compulsory to wear a mask, Karen has noticed that they come in with a mask then once inside they take it off, they let their kids run about as if they are in a playground and she has to bite her lips not to say anything as she sometimes thinks that if she says something, she will get the sack, lol.

Have a good week ahead my dear.

I admire your persistence in getting to school in such a lot of snow! We have had a few flakes here, nothing more. Hope you will have less dramatic weather given everything else you are dealing with at work.

Wow, that’s a lot of snow!

>95 Ameise1: The pictures and the snow are beautiful! - But from home in the warm room it is easy to say.
I wish you a good start to the week, Barbara.

Hi Barbara!

>71 Ameise1: I loved this series, too.

>95 Ameise1: Beautiful pictures, but I am sorry you had to be out in it. Two hours to get to school. I'm impressed that you persevered and glad you got there safely.

>103 Ameise1: Such a contrast to where I live. Any snow at all sends everybody into a panic, buying up all the bread and milk and the car accidents! People do not slow down when they are in snow and should.

Oh my, Barbara, what an adventure!

>114 katiekrug: What Katie said! Beautiful to look at but not so much fun to deal with. Amazing photos.

Happy Friday and a lovely reading weekend, Barbara!

>95 Ameise1: I always enjoy snow pictures! Quite beautiful.

Hellooooooo!

(I thought maybe if I hollered you would hear me....)

>95 Ameise1: we have not had snow here for so long!
It looks lovely :)

Hi Barbara, I'm dropping off a star here, hoping everything is fine with you. I have been absent from LT for a some time, but I hope we can rekindle our LT-friendship.

Hi Barbara, I hope you are doing well - and everything is going smoothly in school. May your weekend be calm and relaxing! Take care

Hi Barbara, saw your pictures on instagram. Have a nice time!

Wishing you a lovely Sunday, Barbara

Dear friends, thank you very much for keeping my thread warm. For the past few weeks I have not been able to post. Teaching got me very absorbed. At least I was able to read a little, which I'm about to post.
The snow at home in Zurich is gone, thank God. I now have three weeks vacation. We are on ski vacation in Davos for the next two weeks since Saturday, which is always very relaxing for me. Pictures will follow later. While we are in Davos, the craftsmen are at work at home because we are getting an air heat pump as a new heating system. This gives them enough time to install it so that we have a heated house again when we come back.

book 6 ♫ Read in German

 The Cinderella Murder

This was a very exciting introduction to a series that was new to me.
Laurie Moran and her team are preparing a reality show. It's about an unsolved old case where a young student was found dead in a park years ago. During the investigation, one witness after the other was murdered. Laurie discovered that everyone involved was in danger. She also found that it was all about money, power, envy and child pornography.
It was an exciting listening and kept me captivated until the end. I will read the rest of the books too.

book 7 Read in German

  Banker

Again, this was a good Dick Francis mystery.
This time it was about narcotics of a special kind. An insurance agent Tim Ekaterin had to discover that a good racing stallion, who now started his service as a breeding stallion, had mostly disabled offspring. What's behind it? A self-proclaimed horse whisperer seems to have a hand in this. He does not shrink from dangerous, even deadly, methods. This applies to horses and people alike. Tim meets a pharmacist who helps him to uncover the tricky case.
It was exciting from the first to the last page.

book 8 ♫ Read in German

Magpie Murders

This is an interesting mystery. During the first half you immersed yourself in the story, which then ends abruptly, of course at the most exciting point without knowing who the killer is now. Just to start a second mystery, similar in everything to the first, only that this appears as a reality while the first is an author's script. Until the two mysteries merge and the reader learns the truth.
Very gripping and exciting.

book 8

Innocent

I have no idea why I haven't read this book earlier, in any case it is a great introduction to a series that is new to me, which I will definitely continue reading.
Will Robie is a killer who is actually 'employed' by a federal agency and yet does not appear in their books. This book introduces all the protagonists who will also appear again in the following books.
Will has to kill a Saudi prince, which he supposedly manages without any problems. Back in the DC he finds out that someone is hunting him down. Who is behind it? All the signs look like he's being hunted by a federal agency. Who is the mole? During his 'escape' he meets Julie, a teenager who witnessed the murder of her parents and is now on the run and swore revenge. Will takes care of her. As he tries to solve both problems, he becomes more and more convinced that all the dead who pave the way have to deal with him.
It's very varied and exciting.

Currently reading:

 Slow Horses

Currently listening:

 The Outsider

It's good to see you back, Barbara! I hope your holiday goes well.

As already mentioned, we are in Davos for two weeks. On Sunday and yesterday Monday the weather was good and so we could go skiing. This morning the peaks were wrapped in thick clouds, which once again gave me the opportunity to update my thread.

   

>131 CDVicarage: Thank you Kerry, we are enjoying it.

>132 Ameise1: Great to see you back, Barbara and hooray for an extended time off. Marvellous pictures!

>134 PaulCranswick: Thanks so much, Paul. Yep, it feels very good to be here.

>132 Ameise1: wonderful pictures, Barbara.
Enjoy your holiday!

>132 Ameise1: It looks beautiful there, Barb. Enjoy your holiday and i hope you get a lot more skiing in.

>137 SirThomas: Thanks so much, Thomas. We urgently needed the change of scenery. We haven't been away from home since the beginning of August.

>138 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. We definitely will have more sunny days.

Your vacation looks so lovely, Barbara! Enjoy!

>141 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber. I've never enjoyed it more than this time.

Hi Barbara.

>124 Ameise1: Enjoy your holiday and, when you get home, your new air heat pump and heating system.

>126 Ameise1: I’m glad you liked Banker and are participating in the Dick Francis SHARED Read.

>127 Ameise1: And the Magpie Murders. Lots of good mystery reading here. Horowitz now has a series going, Detective Daniel Hawthorne. I’ve read the two that are published and liked both of them.

>132 Ameise1: Excellent pictures. Thanks for sharing.

>143 karenmarie: Thanks so much, Karen.

I really like Dick Francis books and that one was excellent.
Oh, I have to look the Horowitz books up at my library.

Looks like you enjoy your holiday in Davos, Barbara, well deserved time off :-)
Thank for sharing the pictures.
Even here we had snow for a week, thankfully not as much as you had in Zürich.

Fantastic pictures Barbara! I'm glad you are able to get away and have a good time.

Hi Barbara, wonderful pictures of a wonderful world! Enjoy your holiday.

>132 Ameise1: Lovely pictures, Barbara! Thank you for sharing. It looks amazing!

>132 Ameise1: How beautiful Davos is! I'm so glad that you're enjoying the time away from home improvement...always most sensible.

Ski well!

It looks here and on Facebook like you're having a great time in Davos, Barbara. Thanks for posting photos.

We have so much snow here it's hard to imagine going somewhere on holiday to experience more of it, even for skiing. But we have neighbors who do it, too (Colorado). The bite of the skiing bug obviously is a strong one.

Davos looks lovely. How nice to be able to travel.

>145 FAMeulstee: Thanks so much, Anita. It's so good to see something other than your own house and garden or the classroom again.
Yes, it was a snowy winter across Europe. That doesn't happen every year.

>146 Sakerfalcon: Thanks so much, Claire. We have no travel restrictions within Switzerland, but we still waited to see how the epidemiological situation developed. The good thing is that we always rent the same holiday home in Davos. It has everything we need and also a good kitchen. So we can take care of ourselves like at home. The restaurants are all closed. There is a kind of take away on the ski slopes, so we got a grilled servelat.

>147 connie53: Thanks so much, Connie. We urgently needed this 'change of scenery', even if we have a nice home. It is also interesting to see how humble you become and enjoy the little things that you used to take for granted.

>148 PersephonesLibrary: You're welcome, Käthe. I love the mountains, especially when the weather is nice ;-). In the past, nothing stopped me, we went skiing in all weathers. The privilege of old age is that we only go skiing when the weather is nice and, as soon as the light is diffuse, we take a day of walking or reading.

>149 richardderus: Thanks so much, Rdear. It's actually like a fairytale on the mountain peaks. Davos itself is not such a beautiful city. I very rarely have to go through the place as the grocery store is close by. We get everything we need there. There is therefore no reason to continue walking through Davos.
Yup, I've had two 'craft invasions' at home in the past few months while we were still living there. Once there were new windows and the second time the painter came for the entrance area and the living room. That meant moving furniture over and over again, climbing over everything, etc. If it can be avoided, then I'd rather be away during a renovation.

>150 jnwelch: You're welcome, Joe. I saw how much snow you got in Chicago on Mark's FB page. It reminded me of our snow load that we received in mid-January. For us, masses of snow are nothing unusual, even if we don't necessarily need it in a city like Zürich. Fortunately, we have a really good public transport network here in Switzerland that always works. Most of the winter our car stays at home and we use public transport to get from point A to point B.
Yes you are right. Skiing is in our blood. I was already on the boards when I was 2½ years old and hopefully I will be able to ski for a long time. We now belong to the generation of beautiful weather skiers.

>151 SandDune: Thanks so much, Rhian. Yes, we can travel freely within Switzerland, even if we do not do so in this pandemic time. But since we rent a holiday home here and arrive with our own car, we are well protected. The protective measures to get to the mountains are also very good, so that we feel very safe. Of course we always wear protective masks here, just like at home. This now belongs to us, like all other items of clothing.

Happy Wednesday, Barb. Hopefully you are on the slopes at the moment. Enjoy. Cold here but no snow in the forecast today. Possibly a little bit over night.

>156 msf59: Hi Mark, good to hear that the big snow is over. Yes, at noon the thick clouds are gone. So we could spend a sunny afternoon on the slopes.

After the peaks were still thickly wrapped in clouds in the morning, we were able to hit the slopes from noon and enjoyed a warm, sunny afternoon.

     

Wonderful pictures, Barbara - thank you for sharing.
Enjoy your holiday!

>159 SirThomas: You're welcome, Thomas.
Within the next two hours our younger daughter and her partner will come. He'll stay until Saturday and she'll stay a few days longer. Tomorrow our older daughter will come who will stay until Sunday. Our holiday home is now full.

>158 Ameise1: Beautiful! And the snow angels in the upper left photo just make it perfect.

Nothing beats being away while renovations get done.

>161 richardderus: 🙃😍 I'm glad you like the photos. Today I had since a very long time the feeling that life is beautiful. *smooch*

Oh gosh, just look at all that sun! We need some of that here to go along with our snow...

Lovely pictures again Barbara! Enjoy!

Great pictures, Barbara.

Wonderful! And I can imagine how even more enjoyabe skiing is now for you. When you don't feel the pressure to go skiing "at any cost" but can handle your time more freely.
I am neither a big fan of mountains nor of skiing - but I can fully feel the energy and joy about it! Happy weekend, Barbara!

>158 Ameise1: I do have a little twinge of envy in my heart looking at your marvellous photos, Barbara, but mainly just happy that you at least get to enjoy for all of us.

Beautiful pictures, Barbara. So glad to hear that you get a good break to relax.

Amber, Ella, Connie, Käthe, Paul and Charlotte, thanks so much. The weather is terrific and I'm really happy that my daughters could come.

Unfortunately Thomas had a stupid fall on his last ride on Thursday. At first he thought it was just bruises. When he could no longer move his arm on Friday morning, he went to the doctor and he immediately sent him to the hospital for more detailed investigations. It turned out that he had a very complicated fracture of the upper arm. The upper arm is split in half lengthways and the joint ball didn't look great on the CT either. The surgeon, a shoulder specialist, explained that it was only during the operation that he could decide what exactly to do. In the best case with a plate and tensioners that fix the crack or in the worse case a new shoulder joint if the joint ball is too badly damaged. He was operated on yesterday morning. Fortunately, he didn't need an artificial joint. He is currently still in the hospital.

book 10 Read in German

 Slow Horses

This was the first book in the Slough House series. It took me a moment to familiarize myself with Herron's writing style, after which I couldn't stop reading.
At Slough House, they are all ex-MI5 agents who have fallen out of favour for various reasons. Often times they don't trust each other, which makes it difficult to work together. Everyone wants to put themselves in the right light so they can go back to MI5, which of course never will happen.
In addition to the fact that you become familiar with the protagonists, some of whom you will meet again in the following volumes, it is about right-wing extremists who can be found high up in politics.
A young Pakistani is kidnapped. It is threatened that he will be beheaded. Soon the head of the Slough House Jackson Lamb discovers that this has been arranged by the head of MI5. Since he, too, has been scraped, but has many dark trump cards in his hand, he and his team set out to save the young Pakistani, especially since the undercover MI5 agents and some of his current investigators were killed.
It was a gripping read.

Currently reading:

 Dead Lions

Oh my goodness, I am sorry to hear about Thomas's accident and surgery. Stupid ending of such a lovely trip.

I wish you all the best - he shall get well and recover soon!

>172 PersephonesLibrary: Thanks so much, Käthe. We are staying here in Davos until next Saturday. When he'll leave the hospital he can still enjoy the lovely weather. Due to corona I can't visit him at the hospital.

Happy weekend!

>158 Ameise1: Great photos!

>169 Ameise1: Sorry to hear about the accident. Glad he is on the mend.

Thanks so much, Anita. It feels good being here in Davos.

>169 Ameise1: That is unfortunate, Barbara. Good he didn't need an artificial joint. Wishing him speedy recovery. And glad you are still enjoying the visit to Davos.

>176 EllaTim: Thanks so much, Ella.

>169 Ameise1: Oh, wow, Barbara, I'm so sorry about Thomas's fall! But it sounds like good news that he didn't need more serious work done. I hope he gets to come home soon and makes a fast and easy recovery!

>178 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber. During the next six weeks, the left side is fixed with a large cuff 24/7. He has to go to physio twice a week. After these six weeks there is the first major follow-up check. I hope that he can leave the hospital tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

Hi Barbara!

>169 Ameise1: I’m so sorry to hear about Thomas’s fall and fracture. I hope he recovers quickly from the surgery.

>173 Ameise1: I didn’t think of possible corona restrictions on visiting him. I’m sure you’ll be glad to get him back to your rental home for some TLC.

>179 Ameise1: Wow, major recovery time with 6 weeks in a large cuff, physio, and evaluation after that.

So sorry to hear of Thomas’s accident. What an end to your holiday!

Oh, wow, I hope Thomas heals well and quickly!

>180 karenmarie: Thanks so much, Karen. I also hope that he can leave the hospital soon.
Yes, the Corona restrictions here in Switzerland are pretty strict. During the first wave, not even the fathers-to-be were allowed to be present at the birth. Even people who were dying were not allowed to be visited by relatives. Now in the second wave, these two groups are allowed to go to hospital.
It was very uncomfortable for Thomas because he
a) has never been to the hospital in his life and has never had an operation
b) even when he visited me in the hospital, he always ended up feeling unwell
c) I was also not allowed to accompany him for the examinations

Fortunately, there is video telephony, so we can talk several times a day.

>181 SandDune: >182 drneutron: Thanks so much, Rhian and Jim. It will take a few months to restore. The injury was more serious than was first thought. Fortunately, a well-known shoulder surgeon operated on him and so we know that he is in good hands.

>169 Ameise1: Oh no...at least it all ended well. And thank goodness for that.

>185 richardderus: Thanks so much, Rdear. Yup, always looking from the bright side. 😎

Hi Barb, that must have been a shock ending your vacation with Thomas falling. I'm glad you can keep in touch with him by video telephony, Barb. I send all my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

>187 connie53: Thanks so much, Connie. We are still in Davos until next Saturday. I'm sure I'll get some lovely skiing day whereas Thomas will be reading on the sunny deck.

>188 Ameise1: On the sunny deck reading would be my thing if I could choose. I've never skied in my live. Just went langlaufen twice in Austria. And that was really not my thing.

>189 connie53: Luckily, not everybody has to do everything. I grew up in the mountains and therefore we say that we are born with skiis on the feet. I don't need anymore skiing for hours a day. Some slopes and then reading on the deck. 🤗

So sorry to read about Thomas' fall in the midst of your vacation, Barbara.
Glad he is in good hands, wish him a speedy recovery!

>191 FAMeulstee: Thanks so much, Anita. Better times will come.

>190 Ameise1: They say the Dutch are born with (ice)skates on their feet, but that didn't happen to me. I think I'm not a winter girl. I like spring and summer so much more. Just give me sun and books.

>193 connie53: 😂
I love all season but my favourite one is autumn.

So sorry to hear of Thomas’s accident, I wish him a speedy recovery.
I hope you both can still enjoy your vacation despite everything and wish you a wonderful week!

I am so sorry I missed this, Barb. Sad to hear about Thomas's fall. I am wishing a full recovery for him. Please keep us posted.

So sorry to hear about Thomas's accident. I hope he will be out of hospital soon and can relax in the sun.

How are you and how is Thomas doing, Barbara? Is there still no possibility to visit him?

Sorry to hear about Thomas' fall, Barbara. Hope that he's got plenty of pain relief and is back with you soon.

Great to see you are enjoying the Mick Herron series. I am hooked: waiting anxiously for his next book.

Hi Barbara!

The Dick Francis SHARED Read March - April thread is up: March - April, Odds Against

Hi Barbara, I'm sorry to hear that Thomas had an accident, but I'm glad the prospects in the long run are good. I hope he can leave hospital soon. I've never tried skiing as I have a feeling I probably will break a leg or an arm by just looking at the skis. My uncle learned to ski when he was in his late 50s. Well actually, he didn't learn, he just put on skis and went off the slope. Unfortunately, he did not know how to slow down and managed to end up in a pile of soft snow after having jumped over the roof of a little cabin. Well, at least that was the story he told us and although he was known to exaggerate a little, his daughter who has never ever lied in her life was a witness and backed up the story. But my uncle was a bit of an acrobat in his younger years, so I just think he was very lucky. After that little eperience he was wise enough to take some lessons though.

I hope you'll enjoy the sun and snow for the rest of your stay in Davos.

>195 SirThomas: >196 msf59: >197 Sakerfalcon: >198 PersephonesLibrary: >199 charl08: >200 karenmarie: >201 Trifolia:
Thank you, dear ones, who asked, Thomas was able to leave the hospital on Tuesday. He has a gilet that fixes the left side to his left side 24/7 for the next six weeks. He is particularly in pain when showering and getting dressed, otherwise he has submitted to his temporary fate. Here is an X-ray of what his shoulder area looks like now. All of the ligaments also had to be sewn back together. It will take a minimum of four months before he is 100% fit again.

>199 charl08: Charlotte, I love this series too. Fortunately, my library has more books of it. I remember well that you recommended this series to me.

>200 karenmarie: Thanks so much, Karen. I've already it on my Tolino. I'm ready to read it. :-)

>201 Trifolia: Monica, your uncle's experience made me smile. Thank you for sharing it. Thomas often also has the feeling that he is still 20 and can do anything on his skis.

I spent a few nice days skiing alone on the slopes. One day it was very hazy because we were once again focused on the Sahara dust this winter. Otherwise it is already spring-like warm in the mountains and you have the feeling that the snow is melting away from under your skis.

   

book 11 Read in German

 Dead Lions

This is the second volume in the Slough House series. It grabbed me from the start.
There are two new members at Slough House who also share an office. They don't trust each other, but the other members don't trust the new ones either. A former agent is found dead on a bus. Jackson Lamb does not believe in natural death and sends two of his agents out to investigate. It soon turns out that the connection must be related to the Cold War and should be reactivated after so many years of 'sleeper'.
At the same time, two other Slough House members are seconded by an avid MI5 agent to babysit a Russian oligarch. One is murdered and the other is out for revenge.
It was again exciting from the first to the last page. You get to know the 'hard' core of the Slough House better and better.

Currently reading:

 The Scarred Woman

>204 Ameise1: And again beautiful pictures - I like them much better than >202 Ameise1:
Enjoy your vacation. I wish you a wonderful weekend and Thomas continue to get well.

>207 SirThomas: Agreed, landscape shots are always better. ;-)

Happy Friday, Barb. Thanks for the update on Thomas. Hoping for a quick recovery. I hope you are enjoying your last days on the slopes, even if it is solo.

>209 msf59: Happy Friday to you too, Mark. Tomorrow, we're heading back home. My last skiing day was yesterday.

Poor Thomas! I dislocated my shoulder a few years ago and that was bad enough. I can't imagine having an injury like his. I hope he is a good patient :)

Lovely mountain views - thanks for sharing!

>202 Ameise1: Ouch. This looks painful. Will he get rehab? And will you stay at home to help him - or can he do that stuff on his own?

>204 Ameise1: Magnificent!

Have a lovely weekend - here's to a quick and thorough recovery!

>158 Ameise1: what amazing vivid colours! I bet that air is as fresh as you'd get anywhere :)

>202 Ameise1: Impressive X-ray! It must be very unhandy for Thomas to function like that. I hope he isn't in to much pain.

>204 Ameise1:. O wow, those pictures are beautiful.

>204 Ameise1: That looks nice and snowy! Hoping Thomas recovers quickly.

Beautiful snowy landscapes, Barbara. The shot of Thomas' shoulder not so great. Too bad he missed skiing because of it.

>205 Ameise1: & >206 Ameise1: Two series I also like to keep up with, Barbara.

So glad Thomas had no worse problems than the painful ones he's dealing with. And the warmth in March bodes ill for Summer, I fear.

Sending hugs!

I hope you both arrived safe and sound at home - and that Thomas can recover and regain his strength quickly. Do you still have time of (Pflegeurlaub) or did you go back to teach on Monday?

I hope you and Thomas are doing well and enjoying the weekend!

Hi, Barbara. I’ve somehow fallen behind on your thread. So sorry to hear about Thomas’s injury. Four months - poor guy. I hope the pain diminishes for him, and you both have a good weekend.

Just checking in with you, Barbara, to see how Thomas's recovery is coming along and how you are navigating the classroom situation.

Hi Barbara my dear, hope that you are well and that Thomas is not in too much pain, no wonder he will be four months in recovery after seeing the X-ray shot. What with all those pins and having the ligaments sewn up. Hope the girls are OK my dear, we are both fine and get our first vaccine shot tomorrow, we can't wait to get on the ladder to Covid recovery.

Hope that you are having a good weekend and give our love to Thomas, sending love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

Hi Barbara, I hope you and Thomas are doing well and everything's going smoothly for you! Have a lovely week!

Hello Barbara, I hope, you and Thomas are well.
Best wishes!

Like your other friends, Barbara, I am looking out for a positive update. Hope all is well with both of you.

Thank you very much, it's been an intense couple of weeks. Thomas is sometimes a little better. Unfortunately, he is still not free of pain and his left side of the body is still fixed. Until April 27th he is still 100% incapacitated. Since he is left-handed, he can do nothing but read and dress himself. Ergo, I am not only fully involved in teaching, but the whole household, shopping and cooking, as well as the garden are now completely in my care, which means my days and weekends are fully occupied.
Today our youngest daughter was operated on. The gallbladder had to be removed. The operation went smoothly and she is already in her room.
From tomorrow up to and including Monday I have 'Easter holidays' and I am really looking forward to it.
I only read five books in March. Hopefully I'll have a little more time to read over the next few days.

book 12 Read in German

 The Scarred Woman

I love the Department Q series. It grabs me from the first page.
This book is about Nazis and right-wing extremists, young welfare recipients and the pitfalls of Danish welfare, alcoholism, but for the team especially about Rose, whose mental state threatens to escalate to such an extent that she could die from it.
A young welfare recipient and her friends do not get along with the woman on welfare. Conversely, she finds that the social assistance system does not work because she has to keep listening to insults and lies and the recipients collect the money. So she decided to take justice into her own hands and kill the young 'useless' women.
On the other hand, one of these recipients comes from a wealthy family, only the grandmother guards the assets, the old Nazi secret, and gives her descendants little money every month. One day she is found dead in the park.
At the same time, this old lady was Rose's neighbor. Rose never explained to her team what depressed her or what she had to suffer from her father and what guilt she believes she has incurred. Her mind is driving her so crazy now that her life is in danger. Can the team save her?

book 13

 Extraordinary People

Great introduction to a new series for me.
Enzo Macleod, a Scot who lives in the south of France, used to be a forensic pathologist who now teaches biology at a small university. He has a knack for solving unsolved murders for years, claiming that the police are not doing their job properly, which doesn't exactly make him popular with the police.
A journalist wrote a book about seven unsolved murders. He hires Enzo to solve the first case. A former minister disappeared ten years ago. A skull in a box of five items appears in the Paris Catacombs. Enzo tries to figure out what these five items mean. He soon realizes that it is a clue as to where the nearest body parts are buried. Not only is it a dangerous mission for himself, no, his daughters are also involved.
Very exciting and variedly written.

book 14 

 Odds Against

When I started reading I thought, 'oh my, I probably won't like this that much'. I was very wrong, because soon the tension picked up speed and I couldn't put the book down.
If you've read a lot of Dick Francis books, you soon saw which way the story was headed, but the how and why was well hidden.
Sid, a former jockey and son-in-law of a rich man, 'worked (sat)' in a detective agency since his accident and actually did nothing. His father-in-law tricked him into investigating why successful horse racing venues were being run down, to the point of selling land so that houses could be built there.

book 15 Read in German

Sommer, Meer und der Tote im Pool

This is the first story of a Spanish investigator working around Malaga. He has a twin sister and three older sisters. His mother is a heart of a soul and his father is more of a tyrant who is dying. His boss is anxious to calm down the beautiful and rich, while Comisario Pablo Benitez gnaws at the 'bone' until he has found the culprit.
In this case, it is about an elderly German who was found dead in the pool. Was it just a heart attack, as the wife and his cardiologist claim, or is there more to it?
An amusing cozy mystery, something for summer vacation.

>227 Ameise1: That is a lot on your plate, Barbara, you well deserve a break from work.
Sending healing vibes for your husband and your daughter.

I hope you have some good books to read during the Easter holiday.

book 16

The Critic

The second volume in the Enzo Macleod series was also exciting. This time Enzo is investigating the Gaillac wine region, where a renowned American wine critic disappeared ten years ago and reappeared as a corpse during a night harvest. What's behind that? When even more missing 'dead' appear, Enzo too has to fear for his life. Fortunately, he has strong support from his daughter Sophia, her boyfriend Bertrand and the student Nicole. For a long time he could not expect anything from the authorities because he is not accepted as a recognized forensic expert in France.

Good Morning Barbara! The sun is shining! Today is a day to plant zinna seeds in the gardens.
I hope all is well with you.

Currently reading:

 The Hint

>232 FAMeulstee: Thanks so much, Anita. Yes, I do have some good books and I really hope that I'll get enough reading time. Unfortunately, I won't be able to avoid spring cleaning in the house either.

>234 Whisper1: Hi Linda, it's wonderful to see you. We have a 'wild' garden and we tend to plant few or no cultivated flowers. We have lots of herbs and wildflowers that bloom all summer long.

>227 Ameise1: Barbara, you have been having a difficult time! Here’s hoping everyone is soon recovered.

>236 Ameise1: I’m taking a similar approach with our ‘weeds’. When I find a weed I look it up on my plant app to see if it is attractive or is beneficial to wildlife. If it is either of these, and it’s not disturbing any existing plant, then it generally gets to stay.

We are having a wildlife pond built starting on Friday of this week. We have had a brick built pond for many years, which is gradually collapsing and we are having a wildlife pond built in its place I’m hoping for frogs and newts!

Challenging times, Barbara! I am thinking about you and your husband and wish you both a lot of strength! 💛

My dear lady, the time that try a person's soul are upon you. I hope you can remain of good cheer despite it all.

Dropping in to say hello and wish you a wonderful easter weekend.

>237 SandDune: Thank you Rhian, yes it is definitely not an easy time for me. I write an update in my new thread.
We have had our pond for 25 years. We dug a hole and put in pond liner. We had to replace it once after 10 years, and we haven't had any problems since then. We fetched various native marsh and aquatic plants in the forest near a pond, which are flourishing magnificently. We don't have any frogs because the dragonfly larvae, which there are enormous numbers in the pond, eat the tadpoles. We enjoy the fascinating spectacle when a dragonfly hatches after the metamorphosis on an aquatic plant. It's very nice to watch.
We have very many mountain newts that populate our pond. Our youngest daughter always counted them in spring and this for years.

>238 PersephonesLibrary: Thanks so much, Käthe. It's definitely a very challenging time for me.

>239 richardderus: Rdear, if you think you have survived the worst and maybe you can still catch your breath for a day or two, then the next hammer is sure to come. More in the next thread.

>240 figsfromthistle: Thanks so much Anita. I wish you a wonderful Easter weekend too.

Please join me on may new thread.