
Under Vixen’s Mere is one of those novels that quietly gets under your skin and then refuses to leave.
From the opening pages, the prose immediately stood out to me. It’s spare without ever feeling sparse—clean, confident, and quietly assured. Dialogue and description are held in careful balance, each doing its work without calling attention to itself. Nothing strains for effect, and that sense of restraint builds trust early on, inviting the reader to settle in and follow where the story leads.

What makes this book especially satisfying is its sensory richness. The attention to detail is so precise you can practically smell the bread cooling on the racks, the sharpness of cheese, the damp stone after rain. It is comfort reading with substance: sunshine and laughter paired with the everyday complications life throws at us, and the quiet resilience required to meet them.

This is not a book about capital-H heroes. Instead, it centers on people who engage in small acts of service, kindness, and yes, heroism—not for recognition or glory, but because it was the right thing to do in the moment. These are stories of people showing up when it would have been easier not to.

The Locked Room is clever, cozy without being complacent, and deeply satisfying for puzzle-lovers. If you adore classic detective fiction but crave a fresh perspective, Harriet White deserves a place on your shelf—and very likely, in your reading rotation for a long while to come.

About the Book: A Treatise on Martian Chiropractic Manipulation and Other Satirical Tales Human beings are flawed creatures, and humor is the perfect means to exploit the endless fodder of our shortcomings. This multi-genre collection of twenty-one short satirical stories will leave you smirking, chuckling, scratching your head, and maybe even muttering to yourself […]
I love your description of art supplies, it’s so true!
I choose Royal Gala apples. Funny, I love art supplies too, even though I am fairly useless at it.
Annie Rocks. The music from the show is way better than the movie, but you can’t beat Carol Burnett. OR Bernadette PEters, Tim Curry, Ann Reinking. You can beat that annoying little Aileen Quinn who played Annie, and that horrible pick for Daddy Warbucks. (I always forget his name–he’s a fine actor, but he was just so wrong for that part.)
Avecados, I don’t care for as much.
Albert Finney. That’s his name. And it starts with an A.
What a wonderful list of items. As I read your list I nodded in agreement to almost every choice – I also adore alphabetizing, artichokes, arches, and art supplies. Although my list must include Aristotle accessories, and art galleries.
Oh yes, and the word ahh, which is a very handy word to have on hand.
We used to have an old Victorian house and the apples in the garden were Bramleys – first rate cookers, Ribston Pippins – divine and Worcester Pearmains – great!.. I have never tasted apples to beat these!
Michele says hi!