Finley Library will be closed 12-24-15, 12-25-15, 12-31-15 and 1-1-16 so library volunteers may enjoy their holidays. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, at least here on our farmstead with the snow, the deer in the yard, the birds--including a wild pheasant--but maybe I should say it's beginning to FEEL a lot like Christmas--at least in the mornings and evenings!  HAHA!  These warm days have me not knowing which way to turn, but the decorations are up and the tree will soon follow with gifts and thoughts for loved ones.  Speaking of gifts, I hope you took seriously the idea put forth in this article last week about giving to your local public library as a gift to friends that really don't need anything else (except a hug!).  Finley Public Library would be lost without the monetary donations and books we receive--and then so would be our readers!  Keep us in mind--books are beneficial to everyone!

Here's a couple reviews:

Murder at Midnight by Elliott Roosevelt.  (HC/RP) (Eleanor Roosevelt series #16)  (1997)  Elliott Roosevelt was  the son of President Franklin Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor.  He began his fiction writing career in 1984, with the publication of the book, Murder and the First Lady, although he had previously written several non-fiction books.  Though I have recommended this series to readers many times, I had never read one of the books, so I thought that would be a good reason to try one.  What a pleasant surprise!  Finley Library has three or four books in the series and I will--sooner or later-- get to them all--mainly because this one was so enjoyable AND a very good mystery--a la Agatha Christie--with some interesting historical people and tidbits thrown in for good measure!  In this one a recently appointed New York City judge was staying at the White House for awhile.  However, he was not an honest man as FDR soon found.  Before he could be make to leave, however, he was murdered in his White House bedroom!  (Remember, this is fiction!)  Because of his unsavory "friends" in NYC, there are many suspects, and because he was a philanderer as well, there were even more suspects.  Mrs. Roosevelt and her Secret Service man work to solve the mystery and both worry because of the accessibility of the bedrooms of the White House--including the President's.  I inadvertently guessed the culprit before the end, but that was my fault.  Do Not Look at the Last Page!  (There are  216 pages.)  Author Roosevelt does a very good job of clouding the issues involved for the suspects including giving them alibis.  And, I did like his writing style.   I would certainly recommend this book for all the aforementioned reasons.

An Hour to Kill by Karin Yapalater.  (HC/RP) (2003)  This is the first (and only) book written by this author, so I thought I would try it.  Although somewhat a police procedural, it more about several psychotic relationships among several psychiatrists, their patients and their spouses.  There are several murders up front and two good detectives with baggage of their own are brought in the mix.  The murders take place in Central Park in New York City and this time I had to keep reminding myself that this book was fiction.  Two psychiatrists--a man and a woman are having a ménage a trois with the woman's husband, a District Attorney.  (Yes, we are certainly not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.)  There is prostitution involved and drugs and a policewoman gone bad, but trying to redeem herself.  Both detectives have back stories they would rather keep to themselves, but alas, it just doesn't work.  We all know there are bad cops and bad doctors, but  is it because they are bad at their jobs or just bad people?  Though interesting, not such a very enjoyable read...