Dorothy Dunnett - Mysteries to Challenge Bright Minds

 

 Never too late for a Halloween image or two.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 This week, Melbourne and Palm Bay suffered 18-24" of rain in 24 hours. NOT a hurricane. Just a weird weather event. Many of the worst-hit areas were not designated as flood plains; so, no flood insurance. Below, a pic taken by a Florida Tech student from the 6th floor of a dormitory. I suspect the FIT students were more enjoying a day off than worrying about the flood.

  

 To end the Gallery on an Upbeat . . .

 

Pic by Tim Wilcox

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MYSTERIES TO CHALLENGE BRIGHT MINDS

Dorothy Dunnett is best known for her impressive series of Historical novels, but it's her mysteries that most captured my heart. Her mysteries are called the "Johnson Johnson" series, yet oddly enough, each book is narrated in first person by a female.

The world lost Ms Dunnett's brilliant mind to cancer to 2001, but her Johnson Johnson mysteries live on as some of the most brain-challenging stories around. (When I first discovered them, I read each through 2 or 3 times. And, as I vividly rediscovered when I recently began to re-read the series after a pause of a good many years, they are even more astonishing than I recall.

Is it possible for an American to understand all the references? I doubt it. The same for younger readers, as the books were written in the 70s. Nonetheless, they will still "blow away" anyone who appreciates multiple of characters of exceptional intelligence.

Which brings me to a Grace RANT . . .

Those who handled Ms Dunnett's estate seemed to think that changing the titles of her books would make them more appealing to a general readership. And—horror of horrors—The Photogenic Soprano became Dolly and the Singing Bird, then deteriorated still further some years later to Rum Affair. Another example:  Match for a Murderer became Dolly and the Doctor Bird and eventually Operation Nassau. The same massacres applied to each of the seven books in the series. Aargh!

What was the problem with the Dolly names? 1) no one unfamiliar with the series could have any idea "Dolly" wasn't some child's doll or maybe Dolly Parton; 2) the titles were far too frivolous for the dramatic, action-filled mysteries, spiced with sophisticated humor that Ms Dunnett wrote. But, sadly, the third versions of the seven titles were even worse. Also, a book that came much later in the series is currently listed as Number One - a huge mistake that completely ruins what is supposed to be a major revelation at the end of the actual Book One, The Photogenic Soprano (now Rum Affair). Another example: How could anyone even remotely guess that Dolly and the Bird of Paradise - later Tropical Issue - could be backstory giving us a peek into the worst moment in our laid-back hero's life?

Nonetheless, do not be put off by the title shifts. The CONTENT remains the same. If you want great mysteries while pitting your mind against Ms Dunnett's sharp-edged one-liners, indulge yourself. (Even if you're not a member of Mensa.) Just DO NOT begin with Tropical Issue. (I recommend inserting it after Roman Nights.)

The Johnson Johnson mysteries are for readers who like to have their minds challenged. Also, you need to be able to accept that some references will go over your head (as some very Scot & Brit references did for me, even though I read the books shortly after they were published). 

I am embarrassed to list the perfectly awful titles below, but here is what currently comes up on Amazon Kindle:

Tropical Issue   (Do NOT read first!)

Rum Affair  (The original first book in the series)

Ibiza Surprise

Operation Nassau

Roman Nights

(Suggest insert Tropical Issue here.) 

Split Code

Moroccan Traffic  

Among the original titles I can remember:

The Photogenic Soprano

Murder in the Round

Match for a Murderer

Murder in Focus

Send a Fax to the Casbah  

 

 

Dorothy Dunnett wrote the Johnson Johnson mysteries in the 1970s. Despite a few obscure references, they are still superb reading. Don't let the nondescript, totally uninspired new titles put you off. Give them a try. These are books by a highly intelligent author written for the delectation of people smart enough to appreciate her Scot-based wit. (And education.) And if you want to know more about the laid-back hero, Johnson Johnson? Well, you'll just have to take a leap of faith and give the Dunnett mysteries a try.

           

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 Though I'm quick to say my mysteries are not even in the ballpark with Dorothy Dunnett's magnificent works, my favorite is the one set at the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. The cover is a bit dark, but that's a man hanging from one of Ringling's many banyan trees.

 

Someone is killing people at the Bellman Museum, staging the deaths as bizarre works of art scattered over the museum's sixty-six tropical acres. FBI Special Agent Aurora "Rory" Travis, broken in body and spirit, shunning the world as a tram driver at the museum until a friend becomes a suspect in one of the deaths. Rory's self-appointed investigation is complicated by the appearance of a mystery man who hops onto her tram in the midst of a thunder storm and the arrival on site of a determined Sarasota PD detective. In the end, only one of the new men in her life is watching her back when Rory is forced to confront her worst fears as she goes one-on-one with the villain.

Review:

"This is an engaging Florida investigative thriller starring a likable cast to include eccentric seniors especially Aunt Hy, polar opposite sleuths with a common interest in Rory, and a terrific heroine struggling to regain her sea legs. . . ."
Harriet Klausner

Grace Note & Political Ramble

 

Sadly, no meme can cover the full horror, no words the extent of the insanity, greed, corruption, and plunge-into-Authoritarian-government that our country has experienced during the Trump administration. Let's face it, even a Mid-term Blue Wave isn't going to restore our Democracy, But, hopefully, a Blue Wave can stem the carnage, wall-in the Fascist contingent of the Republican Party until 2028, when we can vote-in a government truly "of the people, by the people, and for the people." In short, a government that cares about ALL of its people.  

 

  

 

 

Grace Note (non-political):

An odd thing happened this week. I decided to re-read a book by a favorite author, a book I'd read twice before. But it had been so long, I had to search all the author's works to find the title. And then . . . my fond memories were rudely shattered. The main characters, particularly the heroine, now seemed like idiots, their reasoning so convoluted I wanted to slap them both upside the head. I had to force myself to finish the book. The plot, setting, and action scenes were outstanding, but the characterizations of the h/h . . . Ugh! The heroine, in particular, was WAY beyond the accepted "suspended disbelief" allowed authors of Fiction.

I asked myself, Is it me? Is it that I am now older and wiser? Or maybe I'm judging this early work against the author's later books, a brilliant series of books with much more believable characterizations? Or have I just gotten old and crotchety, using a too-picky judgment scale?

Whatever the reason . . . New thoughts, new reactions? Don't be afraid to accept that our tastes can change, a fresh, or wiser, outlook on life transforming our opinion of what we read. 

I finished the book about an hour ago, and the ending was even more fantastical. Really weird in a book so strong on historical events, setting, and general atmosphere. So, authors, take care. If you're writing Fantasy, go for it. If you're writing Historical Romance, there's a limit to how far you can challenge "suspended disbelief." 

 

A POLITICAL RAMBLE

A couple of weeks ago, before Ramaswamy's horrifically tasteless campaign ad against his opponent, I posted to Facebook my disgusted reaction to the extreme negativity of the Republican ads here in Florida. Almost none mentioning issues or accomplishment, just nasty, mean, predominately false accusations against their opponents. Is this what politics has come to? No issues, no promises, nothing but vitriol?

As far as I'm concerned, it's the Trump effect. Lie like a rug, the louder the better. Say perfectly awful things about anyone who doesn't agree with you (even if they're your closest allies). Embrace mean, violent, "get out my way" politics. Avoid issues. Just tell voters, "Don't worry, all will be well," and the suckers will fall for it every time.

Snatch hard-working immigrants and genuine American citizens off the street, imprison them, deport them, just because Trump Republicans  don't like their color, their hair, their height, their presence in what should be a lily-white MAGA America.

Sneer at women, even the white ones. Woman are good for only two things, after all. (Well, maybe three or four when you add Cleaning and Cooking.) Women of all colors are there solely for men's pleasure. They are pretty toys. No one should be prosecuted for treating them that way. And yes, a slap or two is okay when they get out of line.

WAKE UP, PEOPLE! This is Trump's America. An autocracy where only White Good Ol' Boys reign. Where Violence, such as the Capital Riots, is okay. As is Rape and Mass Deportation. Ruining our many Pride and Joys, from our forests to the Rose Garden, the East Wing to the Kennedy Center, etc., etc.

BUT . . .

Despite Trump's efforts to emulate his autocratic heros (dictators all), This is a country founded as a DEMOCRACY. Trump and Company have done their best to take your voting rights away; are, in fact, still at it. It's time to FOIL THE VILLAIN. Take the first step in getting our Democracy back.

VOTE, VOTE, VOTE!

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Book of the Week

My only Steampunk novel—and definite Fantasy. 

 

Miss Araminta Galsworthy encounters a number of surprises at the home of her new guardian, an inventor like her father. In addition to a host of strange machines and attacks by people who think her guardian's invention, the airship Aurora, is the work of the devil, she is expected to play hostess to a bevy of guests, all of whom seem to be engaged in treason. And, oh yes, she is expected to marry her guardian. Immediately.

Minta struggles to adjust to a new husband, new enemies, and new friends—one a princess who must rise above her rivals for the throne of England. When the day of revolution arrives, Minta plays a vital role, but comes perilously close to losing her chance to live a life where she, not the airship Aurora, is the center of her husband's life.

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Gallery, incl. Remarkable "Launch" Pic

 

I had no intention of giving Cassidy more space this week, but . . . on Tuesday morning (10/13) she came up with what has to be one of the most amazing launch pics ever. Her story:  she was up a 3:45 am so she could be off on a solo 500-mile flight to Georgia and back in one of FIT's Cessnas. (Flight origin - Melbourne, FL) She was flying past the Space Center at 6500 feet when the rocket went up, and took this pic from the cockpit. The Vehicle Assembly Building can be seen off to the lower left. Rocket was a Falcon 9; payload - supplies for the Space Station.

 

Space X Launch, Kennedy Space Center, 10/13/26

 Grace note:  At the same time Hailey and her team from Lockheed Martin were in the air on the way to Texas. Why? We have no idea, as Hailey has one of those jobs covered under the Official Secrets Act (or something similar). But I know she's been looking forward to venturing out of HQ here in Orlando. 

And remarkably, all three grandgirls took flight this week, Riley rounding out the trio. Although Riley has always said she got her scholarship to Stetson (Deland, FL) because she plays the euphonium, truth is, her major is Business. And this week she and a few other Stetson business students flew to Atlanta for something called "Venture Atlanta." Below the photo, Riley's own description of what they did there.

 I am part of the Hatter Angel Investment Program acting as an analyst for the Hatter Angel Investment Network. It's a class of 10 students of all ages, graduate and undergraduate. We are doing the due diligence for the companies that came to the Venture Atlanta convention to see which companies are worth investing in. We just came back to Stetson where we will be taking a deeper look at the companies we found the most interesting.

Grace note:  I'm thrilled to say I played an integral part in the girls' early education. Wow! 

 

Mom & Baby Gator, Myakka State Park, FL

Photo by Igor Marach

 

Roseate Spoonbills, Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, FL

 

Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge, FL

 

Sunrise at Delray Beach, FL

Photo by Anthony Golden 

 

 

Rainbow, New Jersey, 10/26

 

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 Book of the Week

 Among my 50+ books, only two are the genre called "Contemporary Romance." Florida Knight is one of them. The background is totally authentic. Before moving to the Orlando area, I was a long-time member of The Society for Creative Anachronism, attending many events along Florida's Gulf Coast. I was also a long-time volunteer at the Ringling Museum during the era when they sponsored a Medieval Fair each spring. Even the traffic event mentioned is true, occurring while I lived in Venice, FL. And, of course, the topic of abuse is timeless.

Grace note:  I hadn't read these reviews in a long time. Definitely made my day. 

 

 Kate Knight fights memories of a former abusive relationship by armed combat with male members of a Medieval re-enactment group. To Kate, men are anathema, yet somehow she finds herself sharing a postage-stamp-size tent with a Florida Highway Patrol officer who is attempting to discover who almost killed his brother in a tournament at a Medieval Fair. For Kate, trust comes hard as they deal with obsessive enthusiasts, quirky personalities, and a ruthless killer.

Author's Note: My thanks to the Florida Gulf Coast shires of the Society for Creative Anachronism for providing so much colorful detail for this story. And to the John & Mable Ringling Museum for all the years it hosted truly grand Medieval Fairs.

Reviews:

"Lord and Ladies! Prepare thyself for an enchanting tale of mystery and romance! . . . I had a great time reading this novel! Bancroft's characters are funny and heartwarming. I found myself rooting for all of them. The connections between them are genuine, their troubles tugging on my heartstrings and their successes making me smile. . . . Bancroft couldn't have chosen a more original background." Heather Eileen, Romance Junkies

"Blair Bancroft gives us an excellent tale of two people who have wrapped their hearts into a cocoon of self preservation. Kate's history is a horror story of abuse and neglect. Michael's present as a patrol officer is often filled with the dregs of society. Both have felt they had to keep others at a distance to survive. The tale of Mona and Bubba, Kate's friends, is a mixture of heartbreak and strength that adds much to the book. The author does a great job of weaving their relationships while giving us an education about people who crave simpler times when chivalry was alive and well." Dee Dailey, The Romance Studio

"I just finished reading a great book. It travels through time, but not in the usual manner of time travels. There is no element of disbelief. . . . It brings the reader into the story not by guile or subterfuge but simply by telling a compelling story. The hero is a man for all seasons . . . Lady Knight an outwardly strong woman who has built a wall around her senses. Can Officer Turco scale that wall? I highly recommend this book. If you love historicals or contemps this tale is for you as it has both elements and is a great mystery. FoxladyCarey

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Our Cassidy & HAMILTON

 

Cassidy reports that as "Red Jacket" day approached, someone in the College of Aeronautics at FIT (Florida Institute of Technology) asked her to list her recent accomplishments. Which resulted in the rather stunning praise posted below Cassidy's pic. Needless to say, family is "bustin' our buttons."

 

 The COA would like to recognize Cassidy Reale for her outstanding accomplishments so far this year! A junior studying Aviation Management w/ Flight, Cassidy has been both an exceptional student and an incredibly active part of our campus community. She is the current VP of Collegiate Aviation Business Executives.

While Cassidy has excelled on campus since arriving in 2024, her success is the result of a great deal of personal and professional drive. She has avidly pursued external scholarships and grants to fund her education and flight training, receiving multiple generous awards, including the Lawrence Ginocchio Aviation Scholarship from @nbaaonline, the AAAE Aviation Management scholarship, and the @eaa Citation Max Scholarship for 2026. More impressive is her desire to connect current and future students with similar opportunities, opening the door for more students to pursue flight education without a concern for cost.

 

Cassidy, congratulations on your successes, and keep making the COA proud!

 

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HAMILTON

 

STATS:  Music & lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda

Source:  Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernon

Off-Broadway Debut - February 2015

Broadway Debut - August 2015

 

Comment by Composer:  "America then, as told by America now."                                                            

 

As you can guess from the photo above, Susie and I saw Hamilton this week. Susie bought the tickets weeks ago, but as Fate would have it, the tickets fell on MOVING DAY for the Reale family. But no way was Susie going to miss the show. I was simply looking forward to an evening out, never suspecting the impact of what I was about to see.

 

To analyze my reaction, I had to look back over a lifetime filled with music and drama. I sang my first solo in church at age 4, was in my first play with adults at age 6, taught a drama class for fifth & sixth graders while in high school. I also played the lead in all high school plays, performed in and did costuming for college musicals, directed a production of The King and I at Newton (MA) High School, and eventually toured with the National Company of The Sound of Music. I am a member in retirement of Actors' Equity and Musicians Local 802 in NYC. So . . . when I tell you this performance of Hamilton was the most amazing performance I have ever seen, I know what I'm talking about!

 

I suspect the electric drama of the evening was enhanced by the rabid enthusiasm of the audience at the Dr. Philips Center, many dressed in costume for the occasion. Enthusiastic audience = enthusiastic cast. Or maybe the actors give their all at every performance. All I know is, it was a tour de force, ranging from heartfelt words and emotions to explosions and the rattle of gunfire. From the thrill of winning the Revolution to the tragedy of betrayal and death. In short, the story of the early years of our country as centered around the life of Alexander Hamilton, a great statesman and not-so-perfect husband.

 

What I did not learn in school—that Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were lifelong friends, until jealousy and what Burr considered betrayal provided the final straw that led to their duel - and Hamilton's death.

 

All the above is told in a 3-hour cascade of song, dance, & occasional dialogue. A whirlwind of emotion portrayed by a cast that makes the show their own. Yes, this was a top-of-the-line National Company, but Hamilton is so well written and choreographed that it can carry even a lesser cast to an emotional triumph. If you ever have an opportunity to see, GO, GO, GO! (It is available in movie form on the Disney channel.)

 

Hamilton is particularly important in this year of our country's  250th  anniversary. (I suspect I wasn't the only one equating King George with DJT.)

 

Special Grace note:  I would like to commend the Dr. Philips center for its attention to the handicapped. Yes, I had to abandon my walker somewhere around Row M and make my way up stairs to Row T, but the brass railings were sturdy. I also got a ride in an open wheelchair-size elevator (going down, sans walker, at intermission). And the valet parking driver backed Susie's car into a space directly in front of us. (The fee was also less.) 

 

It will likely take me a week to recover, but Hamilton was well worth it. If you can possibly find a way to see it, do so!

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 Book of the Week

 

  

 

  

When the widowed Miranda Tyrell escapes a dire situation in Kent by accepting a position as governess in Lincolnshire, taking her young son with her, she never dreams she is jumping out of the frying pan into the fire. Instead of peace and safety, Miranda discovers the flat agricultural plains and salt marshes are rife with tales of mysterious fires, gutted animals, and strange sights and sounds in the night. Her new charge is a disturbed nine-year-old known as the Demon Child. In addition, rumors supported by the local curate claim that her employer, a badly scarred veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, is a demon. And those are only the beginnings of her troubles as she attempts to teach two fatherless boys and deal with her wayward heart, which she swore would never love again. 

 

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COMFORT FOOD RECIPES

 

 Below, a photo Cassidy posted to the family loop, stating it was CABE visiting Orlando Airport. My question: "What's CABE?" Here is Cassidy's reply:

Collegiate Aviation Business Executives. Our club is to help students learn about other sides of aviation including airport planning, operations, management, consulting, etc. Most students are flight students (as 75% of the collegiate aeronautics is) and they hope to figure out their Plan B.

 

The family searched the photo in vain for Cassidy. Turns out, she took it. With a Delta flight landing dead center in the background, of course she did. But I managed to get another photo out of her.

 

Cassidy, Orlando International, 9/26

 Riley, Cassidy's older (middle) sister was airborne this week, traveling to Ohio for the wedding of her boyfriend's cousin (thanks to Donald's father's job producing umpteen "frequent flyer" miles). Photo below from the reception.

 The granddaughter of family friends did something even more adventurous recently:  participating in Florida's annual Alligator Hunt.

Jada and the Gator (10' 1")

 

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 TWO COMFORT-FOOD RECIPES

 Both recipes are from a little book titled, Back to School (published by Taste of Home in 2015.) Special Note: Ignore the title. Everyone needs Comfort Food.

 

  

Mexican Beef Cobbler

1½ lbs. ground beef

1 envelope Taco seasoning mix

1 jar (16 oz.) salsa

1 can (8-3/4 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained

2 cups (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1½ cups biscuit/baking mix*

½ cup milk

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper.

 

*Translate:  Bisquick 

 Special note from Taste of Home:  Add whatever  you like to make this your own—black beans, sour cream, chipotle peppers in adobo or even guacamole!

 Preheat oven to 350°. 

1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles. Stir in taco seasoning, salsa, and corn. Heat through. Transfer to 11 x 7 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese.

2.  In a small bowl, mix biscuit mix and milk just until blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls over cheese. Sprinkle with pepper.

3.  Bake dish, uncovered, at 350° for 35-45 minutes or until bubbly and topping is golden brown.

 

Pizza Pockets 

 

1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

1 teaspoon dried basil

½ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon each, onion powder and sugar

1 tube (11 oz.) refrigerated thin pizza crust

1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Optional toppings:  pepperoni, sausage, bacon, green pepper, pineapple, olives, and/or mushrooms

1. Preheat oven to 425°. In a small bowl, mix the first six ingredients. 

2. Unroll pizza crust. Cut into 16 squares. Press squares into bottom and up the sides of 16 ungreased muffin cups, allowing corners to hang over the edge. (This will take two standard cupcake pans.)

3. Spoon 1 tablespoon sauce mixture into each cup. Top with cheese. Add toppings as desired. Bake 10-12 minutes* or until crust is golden brown. Serve remaining sauce with pizza pockets. 

*May take longer, depending on the amount of toppings 

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Way, way back in Ages Dark—more precisely, the summer I turned four, we moved to the tiny town of Wellfleet on Cape Cod—my father's first job after getting his Masters in Education from Harvard. It was love at first sight. Even though my father took a better-paying job the next year, we returned to Cape Cod every summer, my parents finally retiring there . . . until one day I got a letter from my father saying, "Your mother just came in, all excited. She saw a car go by on the road outside."

It turned out Cape Cod, so lively in summer, was a wasteland in the winter. Which is how my parents began to "winter" in Venice, Florida, which led to my family moving there some fifteen or so years later.

All of which leads to this week's Book of the Week.

Love at Your Own Risk is my only contemporary romance for Kensington before the line was shut down about the same time Signet shut its Regency line. (Both too squeaky clean for the sudden interest in books so hot they verged on erotica.) Just how squeaky clean is demonstrated by my being told my book would be re-titled He Said, She Said, as Marketing didn't think "Risk" would play well in the hinterlands. Naturally, when I got my rights back and published it myself, I used the original title. 

I hope you will enjoy my sole book set on Cape Cod—the "research" came straight out of a plethora of memories (plus living in the New Haven area for a quarter century.) 

 

 

Following a tough trial, all defense attorney Vicki Kent wants is a few days of peace and quiet at her parents' cottage on Cape Cod. Instead, she finds a man challenging her with a 9mm in his hand. John Paollilo is an angry, burned-out homicide detective from New Haven, exiled by his boss to an enforced vacation on the Cape. Needless to say, conflicts abound—from a clash of professional viewpoints to the odoriferous retaliations of a family of skunks—as Vicki and John reluctantly share the cottage, exploring the Cape and each other, and in the end discovering that opposites really do attract.

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 For a link to Blair's website & editing info, click here. 

For Archives, see the menu on the right. 

 For recent blogs, scroll down.