Blood Will Have Blood by Linda Barnes

Famed theater director Arthur Darien's production of "Dracula" is in trouble.
Strange and macabre jokes -- including a batch of literally mixed Bloody Marys -- are unnerving the cast and threatening to close the play before opening night.Michael Spraggue enters the cast, but in a dual role unknown to most of them -- Arthur Darien has asked him to solve the mystery of the jokes before the jokes turn deadly. But Spraggue finds that he is not the only actor playing a dual role. Nobody is sticking to the script -- and a killer is bent on giving the performance of a lifetime!

A nice cosy mystery, well...maybe a little bit more gore than most cosies but not over the top.Overall an enjoyable, light read.

The Book Boy by Joanna Trollope

Alice has a secret...she can't read. All her life she has felt invisable. Her husband is a bully and her teenage children ignore her. She decides to do something about it and pays one of her sons friends to teach her to read.

A very quick, read of a light feel good story.Very enjoyable.

Late for the Wedding by Amanda Quick

Private investigators Lavinia Lake and Tobias March are hot on the trail of a murderer for hire . This time a macabre murderer appears to be copycatting two killers who left behind memento mori rings at the scenes of their crimes. The original Memento Mori Man murdered for hire decades earlier, taking on assignments only if he thought the target thoroughly deserved death. Three years before the start of this novel, the same "ghastly signature" was employed by Zachary Elland in tribute to his predecessor. Elland, March's fellow spy (during the Napoleonic wars), committed suicide after March unmasked him, so when a memento mori ring turns up on the doorstep of Elland's rich lover, Aspasia Gray, March is not surprised when she seeks him out at Lord Beaumont's country-house party. Lake, however, is dismayed, since Gray wants more than just March's investigative skills. A murder is promptly committed at Beaumont's estate, and Lake and March launch their investigations, centering on a certain unstylish blonde wig and a trio of dangerous, dowagers.

A Time of Exile by Katherine Kerr

The world of Deverry: an intricate tapestry of fate, past lives, and unfathomable magic.

A world populated by Elves, Men, Dwarves, and Wildfolk or faeries/elementals, some of whom are dark, without compassion or understanding of the worlds they interact with.

The Elves are a fallen race, driven out of their magnificent and palatial cities centuries before by invaders, and who now roam the plains as primitives. They possess the potential to be superlative magicians, but the knowledge was lost in the fall of their civilization. Humans, though warlike and shorter lived, have preserved this knowledge, but guard it jealously. The Wildfolk, basically magic incarnate, are unhinged from the effects of "karma", but lack permanence of personality, and cannot grow or develop, cursed to stagnation. The Dwarves are a secretive mystery, entrenched within the earth. Each has something to offer the other, and the story that unfolds is the story of this "technology" exchange, of sorts, between them.

This is the first book I've read in this series and it stands alone well. I would like to read the rest of the series.

B is for Burglar by Sue Grafton

Hired by neurotic, sleek Beverly Danziger to find missing sister Elaine Boldt, Kinsey finds herself shuttling between Boldt's Santa Teresa condo and the Florida apartment that was her last known destination. An enigmatic Pat Usher is living there, claiming to be a sub-tenant and suggesting Elaine is visiting friends in Sara-sota. At the Santa Teresa end, Kinsey worries about a possible connection between Elaine's abrupt departure and the murder of Marty Grice, her next-door neighbor and sometime bridge partner, whose bludgeoned body was found in their burned-out house by husband Leonard. His young drug-dealing nephew Mike knows more about that than he's telling. There are mysterious break-ins, savage apartment trashings and another death before Kinsey gets her act together and survives a gripping confrontation with the killer

It was OK, but I found myself putting the book down and doing other things so it didn't grab me. It is the first I've read of this series and will give the series another try.

Bare Bones by Kathy Reichs

In Bare Bones Kathy Reichs leads her heroine, Temperance Brennan, into one of her scariest, most gruesome adventures yet. As fans of this popular series already know, Tempe is a forensic anthropologist: an expert in the human form (especially bones) who helps solve crimes.

A dead baby is only the first in a series of grisly remains, both human and animal, that Tempe must sort through and decode. Meanwhile, as several seemingly unrelated cases begin to intertwine, her sleuthing puts her in the crosshairs of a very nasty stalker who hides behind an e-mail alias.

Full of detail and action as Kathy Reichs books usually are. My only complaint would be that it was a bit unbelievable how the 3 main cases she was investigating, all very different, tied together.Overall tho an enjoyable read. I can't believe how long I've had this book without reading it.

Wish Upon A Star by Olivia Goldsmith

Claire takes the ferry into Manhattan everyday, dreamily wishing that life could be as magical as it is in the novels she reads, and hoping she'll catch a glimsp of sexy lawyer Michael at work.Until one day, out of blue, Michael offers her a trip to London, all expenses paid, and Claire's fortunes take an extraordinary about-turn.

Crossing the Atlantic, a whole new world opens up for Claire. Finally, she can go to the ball - or, rather, revel in all the delights London has to offer a girl with a fresh spring in her step. The streets may not be paved with gold, but they are rich with opportunity.

But happy-ever-after isnt easy, even in fairytales and Claire must reckon without the obstructive efforts of a very strait-laced Englishman if she is going to have the happy ending she's after.

I enjoyed this. Not as fluffy as I had thought it would be. Entertaining escapism.

The Wild Child by Mary Jo Putney

Switched identities, arranged marriages, and the mildest case of insanity meet in a light hearted read.

When Dominic Renbourne is visited by his identical twin Kyle, he steels himself for the sort of bitter confrontation that has marked their meetings for years. But when Kyle makes an exceptional request, and offers some family land as a bribe, Dominic feels his defenses failing. Unable to deny the desperation in his brother's eyes--or the chance to finally inherit some of their family's wealth--he agrees to an unusual charade. Dominic will temporarily take his brother's place in the courtship of the beautiful, if possibly mad, Lady Meriel Grahame.

The mysterious Lady Meriel is as unpredictable as was rumored. After her recovery from a childhood kidnapping, she turned inside to her secret world of silence and the comfort of her lush garden. Though two elderly relatives and an Indian caretaker have since watched over her, Meriel can not communicate, and flees from the external threat that Dominic presents.

Unable to dismiss Meriel's odd behaviors as insanity, Dominic seeks to uncover the source of her pain and the core of her complex personality. Warmed by his patient compassion and gentle encouragement, Meriel begins to open up to him. But the pressures of society and the growing threat of her commitment to an asylum force Meriel to choose between these two worlds.

Helplessly in love with her, Dominic searches for a way to help her find her true identity, while continuing to conceal his own.

Feral City by Rosie Scott

"Feral City is the city of our future, its centre a wasteland peopled by addicts, violent gangs and the homeless. In a gesture of defiant optimism, two sisters - one a warrior, the other a survivor - open a bookshop in the heart of this decaying city. Their bizarre and moving story mirrors the fragile balance between defeat and courage."

I always think of urban wars, post apopolyptic stories as being set in the US rather than New Zealand and in this case the setting added to the sense dislocation.I enjoyed the excerpts from other books that Faith quoted and her feelings about reading..."Reading released the lovely rich voices of the past into my world, and filled it with colour and dreams." A strange book that I can see will stick with me for some time.

The Grave Tattoo by Val McDermid

A rainy summer has brought a body to light in one of the district's bogs. At first glance, numerous characteristics, including the presence of black tattoos considered native to the 18th century South Seas area, suggest it might be Fletcher Christian. Jane Gresham, born-in-the-Lake District Wordsworth scholar, has long thought local gossip about the poet and the poem might be true, so the finding of this body causes her to go home to research the possibilities.

I liked the excerpts from Fletcher Christian's story at the beginning of each chapter.
Multiple, but related plots converge from multiple points of view and the conclusion is tidy.

The Star Witch by Linda Winstead Jones

Isadora is without her sisters for the first time in her life, and a slave in the Emperor Sebestyen's strange and formidable palace. Having killed two men, she finds her magic all but gone. Acting as Empress Liane's personal witch, she decides to choose to protect Liane in order to try and regain the power she has lost. Having lost her first husband Willym to the Fyne Curse, Isadora refuses to ever love another man. However when Lucan Hern from the Circle of Bacwyr visits the palace, Isadora becomes Sebestyens pawn. Forced to go to Lucan bed, it is his gentleness that eventually melts the hard shell around her heart, but she dare not fall in love for Isadora doesn't think she could survive loosing another man to the curse.

The rebels are growing stronger and threaten the safety of the Empress Liane and her unborn children. Having sworn to protect her, Isadora hopes to be able to help her deliver the children and then sneak out of the place. Only getting thrown into the pit of Level thirteen changes her plans as well as Lucans.

Lucan is at the palace for dual reasons: first to decide if his brother should be able to marry his pregnant mistress and secondly but the more important reason, to regain the Star of Bacwyr - and he thinks he has found it on Isadora's finger.

I enjoyed this even more than the Sun Witch. Isadora seemed to have mellowed a little bit since then.

Rule No. 5: No Sex On The Bus by Brian Thacker

Entertaining read about an Australian guy who worked as a tour leader for a travel company and the antics the crew and travellers got up to on his many trips through Europe.

Brian Thacker confesses all as he reveals the best (and worst) of twenty trips as a tour leader around Europe. He reveals how he fed passengers hamburgers made from breakfast cereal, horse-meat spag bog and roosters' testicles. How he left a passenger standing by the side of a motorway in France for three hours in his underwear clutching a purple toothbrush, and how he lost his driver, his cook, his bus, ten brightly coloured canal bikes, a large church and eventually his patience.

Laugh out loud funny in places. Some bits I couldn't resist reading out to anyone close by.I now have a list of must NOT see museums (including the matchstick museum, the condom museum and the museum of penises) if I ever get to Europe.

With A Single Spell by Lawrence Watt-Evans

Tobas has always been considered unlucky. But, when the wizard to whom he is apprenticed suddenly dies, leaving him half trained and with only a single spell, his situation becomes desperate. Setting off to the more advanced lands of Ethshar, Tobas hopes to find make a life for himself.
It is an entertaining story with colorful characters, good dialogue, and creative writing.

Sister of the Moon by Janeen O'Kerry

In glens of Eire, the Sidhe once reigned, but their rule is nearly over as mankind with its iron swords threatens the very existence of magical beings. Queen Scahta realizes her people need a miracle or a simply demise. With another bad harvest, food is scarce and she knows the only hope to stop this genocide is for her to find a spouse to serve as the king, but this individual must contain a special soul.
Scahta begins testing the males of her species, but no one seems deserving until a member of the enemy steps forward. Anlon is a man yet Scahta sees the dignity of his soul and knows he is the one, but her people will never accept the outsider even as she and he fall in love with one another.

The hero was too wimpy, the heroine was too stupid and the story got bogged down. I skipped and skimmed my way through the second half. So, no, not a favourite.

The Sun Witch by Linda Winstead Jones

Three hundred years ago a disgruntled lover cursed the family by saying that no Fyne woman would find lasting love. There had seemed to be a few husbands who died by their thirtieth birthday. Sophie's sisters, Isadora and Juliet, have come to accept that they will never find a mate; but Sophie dreams of a green-eyed stanger, and when she meets him her whole life is changed. Kane is a rebel fighter and a wife and child is not part of his life plan. However their daughter is kidnapped and the two of them have to rescue her from the fortress of the despotic ruler.

This book has adventure, love, sex, torture, murder and magic - just about covers it all :)

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

Someone, someTHING, is shredding people in Chicago, leaving behind huge doggy footprints in the blood of the victims. It is up to Harry Dresden, wizard/PI/occasional police consultant to find out who and stop them before the next full moon.

This book was an entertaining mix of magic, mystery, action and humour.

Book of Moons by Rosemary Edgehill

The 2nd in aseries about Bast, a witch in New York who finds herself in the middle of mysterious happennings.
There's an old Grimoire or Book of Shadows for which people are willing to kill and she's got to find it before things get worse.

The Cabinet of Curiosities by Lincoln Preston

In downtown Manhattan, a gruesome discovery has just been made - an underground charnel house containing the bones of dozens of murder victims. Research reveals that a serial killer was at work in New York's notorius Five Points neighbourhood in the 1880's. When a newspaper story on the old murders appears to ignite a new series of horrifyingly similar killings, panic overtakes the city.

A blend of history, science, the supernatural, and crime makes for an entertaining mix.

The Lieutenant's Lady by Kate Huntington

Lydia Whittaker's horrid Uncle Henry has cast her, her widowed mother, and sisters out of their Yorkshire home. Now Lydia must not only hand over the estate she has thriftily managed for years, but also enter the marriage mart. This is far from her desire until her heart is set aflutter by the very first man she meets.Lieutenant Edward Whittaker has been quite preoccupied with squandering his allowance on the pleasures of London. And when his father announces his intentions for him - a cavalry commission and a wealthy, simpering society bride - Edward is far from charmed.

On his arrival in the country he is refreshingly intrigued, however, by Lydia's dimpled smile and keen wit. But as soon as the feuding Whittakers observe the bloom of feelings between the two cousins, Lydia's mama puts up a dreadful din, and Uncle Henry threatens to disinherit Edward.

But love...well, not quite conquers all. Edward gets disinherited when he marries Lydia, but they live happily ever after anyway.

A nice light read. Just what I needed between a couple of heavier reads.

Creation In Death by J.D. Robb

Eve Dallas offers a satisfyingly novel mélange of suspense, sex, forensics and heroics. It's 2060, and the serial killer nicknamed The Groom is back in town after an absence of nine years, resuming his horrific run of kidnapping, torturing and killing young women. Dallas, who served as a detective in the frustrating first investigation, assumes lead role in this one. This time, not only do the killer's chosen victims have ties to Dallas's husband, Roarke, but Dallas herself may be the killer's ultimate target. Swiftly paced, the story cuts frequently from the investigation to the killer's progress with his victims. Dallas works to outplan, outfight and outsmart the killer; to keep her handsome, rich husband happy; and to be ready for the next round after a good night's sleep.

I enjoyed both the setting and the characters, especially Roarke.

The slightly in the future setting was close to today with a little extra technology. I liked both Eve and Roarke and now want to chase up the first few books in this series to find out more about their pasts and how they met.

Guilt by Association by Susan R Sloan

There are two parallel and intertwned storylines. Sloan develops the lives and careers of Karen Kern, who has been forever altered by a rape in her college days, and Robert (Bob) Willmont, Karen's assailant, who is not affected by his actions at all. Sloan creates credible lives and fascinating characters for both of them. Tension and suspense build to a peak until the inevitable happens. The two, victim and assailant, meet thirty years later. What happens makes for some of the most riveting reading imaginable -and gives new meaning to the concept of "revenge."

A very good book that followed the stories of both rapist and victim, until they finally come face to face again.

Another book I've had on my shelves for 3 years and when I finally read it really enjoy it and can't believe I've had it for so long without reading it.

Christine Kringle by Lynn Brittney

Santa is not a single immortal being at all. The truth is he is one of over seventy different Gift Bringers who each service their own country and has their own name, passed down from father to son. Each of the Santa families belongs to the organisation known as the Yule Dynasty. Each year the Yule Dynasty holds a conference. This year’s conference is being held in Finland. The Kringles from the USA are flying to the conference with an important request to put before the meeting. They want the rules changed so that their daughter, Christine, can be Santa when it is time to pass the mantle on. Kriss Kringle knows that it will be no easy task; but there are already some female gift bringers, St Lucy, Babushka and Tant Arie to name a few, whom he hopes will back his request.However, before his request can be ruled on, disaster strikes when the small English town of Plinksbury bans Christmas completely. While the Yule Dynasty Meeting goes into disaster mode to come up with a plan, Kriss arranges for his daughter to visit the town and solve the problem to prove that females can make good Santas too. What follows is a wonderful magical adventure for Christine and her friends Nick (son of the English Santa) and Little K (son of the Japanese Santa). Can they convert the drab, unhappy town from hopelessness to celebration? They only have a few days to do it before the Yule Convention members notice what they are up to and try to stop them.

I enjoyed this fun, Chistmassy book. The characters were good and I liked the way little bits of information about how Christmas is celebrated in other countries was slipped in.

A Proper Family Christmas by Jane Gordon-Cummings

William Shirburn really isn’t into Christmas – all that jingly tinselly presenty stuff makes him feel queasy. He’d prefer to spend it alone watching trash with his cat. But there’s an unwritten law that elderly people are not allowed to be left alone at Christmas, especially if they live in a vast old mansion that could be a gold-mine in the right hands – and William’s relative are very keen to ensure that Haseley House does end up in the right hands! Hilary Watlington intends to ignore Christmas altogether. With Daniel away, she won’t have to conceal how desperately she still misses Ben. But widows aren’t allowed to spend Christmas alone either and it sounds as if William might need her support. Frances, the nanny, was hoping for a break from spoilt little Tobias and his dreary parents, but now she finds they’re off to stay with his eccentric grandfather in some spooky old house in the Cotswolds. Can Hilary possibly be starting to have feelings for another man? And does she know the whole truth about the attractive Oliver Leafield? Will Frances overcome the snobbery that threatens to separate her from Daniel? Or learn which of his relatives it is really safe to trust? And whose name is William going to put on the will-form that they’re all so keen for him to complete?

I thought the characters were wonderful, a grouchy old man and his eccentric often hideous relatives and an impish cat all thown together in a rambling big house for christmas. Misunderstandings abound, as relatives plot what should happen to Uncle Williams estate. Very funny in parts I found this a great page turner, and nice cosy read with a touch of romance, some great characters, William was wonderfully grouchy, Leo was wonderfully awful, as were Lesley (aka Ratso) and Stephen.

Damsel Under Stress by Shanna Swendson

Just as Katie and Owen have acknowledged their interest in each other, Katie gets what she never really wanted: An inept fairy godmother. It seems that the fairy godmother is there to find someone special for Katie. Now, Katie thinks she may have already found someone special, and just wants her FG to go away. Easier said than done. And even when the FG tries to help, her spells don't seem to work out quite right, resulting in embarrassment for Katie and chaos in her vicinity. A whole bunch happens, including Katie meeting Owen's frosty foster parents, which could have gone better than it did, and an incident involving dragons.

I didn't like the ending which saw Katie heading home to Texas. There is a book 4, but I don't like the ending being left hanging.

Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson

Katie Chandler is Merlin's personal assistant. When Owen Palmer, the sexy wizard Katie's been secretly swooning over, reports that a spy has been in his office, Merlin puts Katie on the case to discover the identity of the traitor. It's no small task, and Katie is distracted by the arrival of her parents, who have flown up from Texas to see how their daughter is faring in the big city. Katie is shocked to find that she's losing her own magical immunity, which she fears will jeopardize her position and hamper her ability to identify the spy.

A pair of red stilettos with a Cinderella spell on them gives Katie some excitment for a while.

I'm enjoying this series.

Enchanted Inc. by Shanna Swendson

Katie Chandler has moved to New York to make her mark in business. Having long viewed herself as an everybody's little sister-type person, she is unprepared for the adventures that await her when MSI, Inc., approaches her with a once-in-a-lifetime offer. Thinking that they fall into the spam category, she ignores the overtures for several days. MSI's persistence wears her down, and, on meeting with the company's representatives, she learns that the initials stand for Magic, Spells, and Illusions, and that the magic community is alive and well in New York City. Katie discovers that her very ordinariness allows her to see this community at work in ways that most others cannot. Her acceptance of the job is the first step in a series of captivating and hilarious adventures.

I enjoyed this fun story of Magic and Illusions. Katie is a very likeable character who has suddenly got a very interesting life.

Death In Store by Jennifer Rowe

8 short cosy mysteries featuring Verity 'Birdie' Birdwood. 2 were Christmas themed, all had a twist. A nice easy read.

Forbidden Pleasure by Lora Leigh

People have heard of fleeting rumors about The Club. Located just outside Washington, D.C., only its members know where men go when they want to indulge the desire to share their women with a carefully selected male partner. John “Mac” McCoy resigned his membership from The Club when he married Keiley Hardin. Tempting and innocent, sweet and sexy, she would never accept Mac’s desire to share her with another man. However, Mac’s fantasies of sharing his wife haunt his dreams. And his passions. Unable to wait any longer to draw his best friend Jethro Riggs into his marriage, Mac invites Jethro to their home with the intention of drawing Keiley into the pleasures that only be achieved when two men love the same woman. But there’s more going on in Mac’s neck of the woods than a little additional pleasure. A past case, a stalker that likes to playing games and his wife is now in the middle of it all. Passion and pleasure, danger and desire combine as forbidden pleasure becomes an addiction none of them can escape.

I enjoyed this book. Yes, the stalker plot was background, but this book wasn't supposed to be a thriller, it is erotica and quite good erotica. The only thing I found annoying was Mac's continual harping on his 'dark lusts' or variations thereof for the first couple of chapters....umm and I didn't think his 'lusts' were all that dark, but that could just be me.

False Impression by Jeffrey Archer

A millionaire art collector and megalomaniac contrives to have people killed and wind up with their property without having to pay for it. He specializes in loaning money to people who have expensive art, and who won't be able to pay off their loans, especially not with the terms he negotiates. The book starts the day before 9/11/01, with him finalizing a "deal" that will bring him one of Van Gogh's self-portraits, worth tens of millions, for next to nothing. He runs into a snag, though, in that his office is in the World Trade Center. Though he escapes unharmed, he finds former and current employees working to sabotage the deal and see that the Van Gogh winds up in proper hands.

Ruddy Gore by Kerry Greenwood

Phryne is off to see a special performance of Ruddigore, a lesser-known G&S operetta. Then the character playing Sir Ruthven collapses onstage, and his understudy falls ill soon after. Phryne is called upon to investgate and comes across orphaned babies with birthmarks, hauntings by the malevolent ghost of a long-dead actress, and a trap meant to kill Phryne that squashes the stage prompter instead. Phryne is assisted by her latest lover, Lin Chung, who she rescued when he and his grandmother were attacked by thugs.

I always enjoy Phryne books, they are fun!

Up Country by Nelson DeMille

Retired CID Officer Paul Brenner is called on by his superior to return to Vietnam to find a North Vietnamese solder who witnessed an American Captain murdering an American Lieutenant in 1968. The Vietnamese soldier wrote a letter to his family about the incident. When an American soldier gets a hold of the letter, it eventually finds its way to the American government. As Paul's investigation moves closer to its resolution, he realizes how much this murder means to the American government. His task is daunting but he receives help from the beautiful and mysterious expat Susan Weber.

The beginning and ending of the book focus on this issue while the middle strays more into the realm of Paul's past tours of duty in Vietnam in 1968 and 1972, his memories of his tours as he passes through or revists former battle fields and the glimpse of Vietnam of today.

I found this story compelling, both for the mystery and for Paul's story.

Nongsa Marina, Indonesia

- from Pete and Kathy, an excerpt for future reference



We are currently at Nongsa Point Marina, which is on the northern end of Batam Island (pop 3 million). It is still in Indonesia but only a ½ hour fast ferry ride across to Singapore. As I’m sitting out in the cockpit writing this I am looking across the water to Singapore. With the light the way it is this morning you feel as though you could reach out and touch it. Between us and it are many, many boats, ships of all sorts and sizes, container ships, ferries, tugs towing barges, cruise liners, small local boats and the occasional yacht trying to weave it’s way safely through this maze of fast moving and also anchored boats. Will be us in a few days. Many times as we have flown into Singapore we have looked down on this scene. We can also see the planes coming and going from Changi airport. The Marina here is pure luxury as it is part of a big resort that is owned by Singaporeans, for Singaporeans and westerners and, I guess, rich Indonesians, although we have not seen any of those yet. The Indonesians we do see are the poorly-paid resort /marina workers - just fabulous friendly and helpful people. You may say it is their job, but it goes further than that. The folks we have met are really keen to better their positions in life and practice their English at every opportunity. They don’t moan, it is just a statement. Probably the chief draw card for me is the pool - it is like a lake. Gorgeous +++ in all this heat. The resort is currently being refurbished so we have much of it to ourselves. We are also able to use thefacilities at the resort next door, even flasher than ours. All in all, life is sweet.

So, here we are just across from Singapore but to get here we came approximately 1000 miles, as we side tracked to Kumai to see the Orang-utans. According to other cruisers it is a “must do” on the cruising calendar and they were not wrong. We travelled with 3 other boats - “the Kids” as we called them, all younger folks, i.e. 30-40 age range, and from the USA, Norway and Holland. Was fun being in company again, especially comforting at night when you could see their lights around you and talk on the VHF. En route for Kumai (approximately 550 miles) we made 2 stops - one at the top end of Bali and the other on the island of Bawean.

On the way to Bawean, late afternoon, we were approached by a small Indonesian fishing boat, offering fish in exchange for diesel. We only carry enough for us, so they negotiated. We gave them cigarettes, some beer, a tee shirt. They went off smiling and happy but... we got no fish!

Bawean was fantastic. From the very moment we stepped ashore from our dinghies we were almost mobbed by well wishers. They don’t see many westerners and so it was a special occasion. The English teacher brought his English class to meet us so they could practice their English. After “hullo, my name is …” and “where do you come from”, they were stuck. Young and old had mobile phones and used them to take photographs of themselves with us. Pete was in his element cuddling up to all the lovely petite ladies. We had 2 nights at Bawean and it was good swimming off the boat. On the second day we met an Australian couple (sort of our age) and decided to go into the town approximately 5 miles away. No bus, so with lots of actions and “brrm, brrms” we got rides into the very Moslem town on the back of the local lads’ motor bikes. The whole experience was fantastic and loads of fun. I had worn a skirt to be respectful and, as a western woman, you are not supposed to cuddle up to the Moslem men. Well - you just try being on a narrow, potholed, steep road and trying to stay on the bike; keep the skirt from flying up around your head; hold your sun hat on; look after your bag and make sure there is distance between your body and the driver’s - impossible. The town itself was amazing, obviously well-off, lovely houses with tiled porches, elaborate wrought iron work and lots of pot plants but, lots of rubbish. We found out that most of the money is earned offshore, with many of the folk being seamen. Steve (the Aussie) kept calling out “hullo Mama, Poppa” and high-fiving all the kids. Of course we all started doing this and the locals just loved it. We felt like the pied piper as we had so many kids following us about. We were invited into 2 homes where we were served with pink Fanta in little sherry-type glasses and plied with numerous little biscuits and sweets that were stored in very fancy gift wrapped containers. Ramadan had just finished so everyone was celebrating. The first house we were invited into had beautiful furniture and an enormous chandelier that would not have been out of place in Buckingham Palace, and a mirrored ceiling. I felt sorry for the Moslem women of the house who were shunted outside, although one of the daughters was in western clothing and had a motor scooter and came in and out several times, so we don’t know how this society works. I could go on and on about our experiences in Bawean but won’t. It will remain a special place in our hearts, rubbish and all. Oh - if anybody wants to get into the hotel business, here is the place. They are building an airport and hope for tourists but have no hotel. They asked Pete but he declined. What a means old millionaire he turned out to be.

After a 2 night and 3 day sail and our first big thunder and lightening storm – yes, very scary, we crawled up the Kumai River in southern Borneo (Kalimintan) in the dark to anchor opposite the port of Kumai. We were expecting a sleepy little place and maybe a couple of yachts but there were 24 yachts and the port had quite big ships. The big ships were a surprise as the entrance to the Kumai River is only a few metres deep according to our cruising instructions. “The Kids” organised a 2 day river boat trip to see the orang-utans. Very, very reasonable, approximately $300 for our marvellous mini holiday. That price also included a boat boy to look after W.R. We had the best river boat and were fed and looked after as I imagine Kings and Queens to be. Once again, wonderful Indonesian hospitality. We sat up at our big wooden dining table, with comfortable chairs to match, and watched the jungle, its people and animals and smaller river boats pass by. Joanna Lumley also did this trip and there is a DVD “Last Chance to save the Orang-utans” that features our river boat captain and the places we went. We left the boat-boy water, a bucket, some coke, and some ladies magazines to look at. It isn’t until you look at these with Moslem sensitised eyes that you realise how decadent they might look, with all the pictures of women in their underwear.

Camp Leaky and the Orang-utans.
It is very hard to put our encounters with the orang-utans in words ‘cos they just won’t give you the right picture. In short it was very emotional and one of the most incredible experiences we have been privileged to have. When the first orang-utan we saw came straight up to me and took my yellow Pak’n’Save bag my heart almost stopped with joy. We went to 3 different areas to mingle with and observe these breathtaking creatures. We walked along a jungle track with a mother, baby and an older sibling when mum stopped, reached out and took Astrid’s (one of “The Kids) water bottle, unscrewed the cap and drank the water. One of the rangers came up then and held out his hand for the bottle which was handed back and then also the cap. Just amazing and right there next to us. If it is not obvious already, we kind of liked our venture into the jungle.

Betrayed by Lyndsay Harris

Lyndsay makes a friend in Tanya who is very needy and apparently lives a drama filled life. She needs to be the centre of Lyndsays life. When they both have 2 children Lyndsay doesn't have as much time for Tanya, so Tanya's stories of past and present abuse get much worse, then Lyndsay's daughter Sarah, aged 6, apparently starts stealing and then damaging property..her mother's, her brother's, Tanya's and Tanya's daughter's and then starts writing threatening notes. Her school decides she needs to be supervised at all times and then after rumours start among the other parents say she can't go to school at all. Tanya is the wonderful supportive ffriend all the time. Luke, Sarah's older brother notices and mentions that it always seems to be Tanya who finds the evidence of Sarah doing these things, Sarah keeps saying she doesn't know why she does it, where she gets the razor blades uses to slash clothes and curtains and the pills she puts in peoples pockets and bags and doesn't know where the money or objects she supposedly steals are. Luke points out that nobody listens to kids...but nobody listens.

It ends up all being Tanya. She goes to gaol for theft and harrassment. She never explained why she did it. After it was all over Sarah said she thought she was going mad because everybody said she was doing things she never remembered doing.

End of October

Just for the record and to help keep track for end of year Stats.....at the end of October I have read 142 books.