3 comments about Death of a Lovable Geek: A Dotsy Lamb Travel Mystery (Five Star Mystery Series).

1. In the Scottish Highlands, Virginia medieval history professor Dotsy Lamb, accompanied by her best friend Lettie Osgood, is excited to be at an archeological dig led by renowned Dr. John Sinclair whose brother William owns the site. However, her enjoyment especially when she finds an ancient gold coin that could revise what is known about the eleventh century and earlier ends when the murdered corpse of mushroom expert Dylan "Froggy" Quale is found by Christine, a teen who works in the nearby Castle Dunlaggan kitchen.
   
   Chief Inspector Duncan Coates suspects Froggy's site roommate American media expert Van Nguyen, but Dotsy believes that is not likely. When John dies soon afterward, Dotsy thinks mushroom poisoning killed him, which she wonders might be tied to Froggy's homicide as the young man was the expert on fungi. With the help of Lettie and her knowledge of the real King Macbeth (not that Shakespeare imposter), Lettie investigates at the same time that Coates makes his inquiries.
   
   DEATH OF A LOVABLE GEEK is an enjoyable amateur sleuth tale with a police procedural in the background. The story line contains two fascinating twists that will surprise the audience. The cast is strong especially the medieval scholar and her best friend while the look at how castle proprietorship has changed adds depth to a fun cozy.
   
   Harriet Klausner



2. This old-fashioned mystery novel featuring Dotsy Lamb follows her debut in Death of an Obnoxious Tourist. This time, we find her and her friend Lettie in Scotland at an archaeological dig where she hopes to find out more about her favorite Scottish king, Macbeth, the real person, not the one depicted by Shakespeare.
   
   Unfortunately, one of the college students at the dig is found stabbed to death, and later, the head of the project dies under mysterious circumstances. All in all, these events give Dotsy plenty to think about. Are the two deaths related? And how can she clear the student's roommate of the charges brought against him by the police in the murder?
   
   It is really pleasing to read this suspenseful tale, without all the gore and graphic detail which too often can distract the reader in the mystery genre. Written simply in the first person, the narrative progresses like a traditional puzzler, which makes it enchanting. Recommended.



3. Virginia history professor Dotsy Lamb and her best friend Lettie Osgood are in the Scottish Highlands for this installment in this great series. Dotsy is working on an archaeological dig run by Dr. John Sinclair. It is on the grounds of Dunlaggen Castle owned and run by John's brother William.
   
   Dotsy uncovers a gold coin thought to be from the eleventh century or earlier. Mushroom expert Dylan "Froggy" Quale is murdered by the castle. Chief Inspector Duncan Coats suspects Froggy's roommate American media expert Van Nguyen. Dottie doesn't believe it and sets out to find the real murderer.
   
   Throw in another death by possible mushroom poisoning, plenty of spooky castle sounds, and unexplained happenings, and you have yourself a fabulous mystery.
   
   I really enjoy this series. Dotsy and Lettie are fabulous characters, and the mystery is very well written with a plot with enough red herrings to keep the reader guessing.
   
   The Scottish setting really added to the story. I did have a little trouble understanding the Scottish characters now and then, but I know I would have the same problem if I visited there, so it made it very believable.
   
   I liked the archaeological dig setting as well. Brought enough players into the story to provide the tension and mystery needed.
   
   I highly recommend this book.

No comments about Fodor's Exploring Scotland, 7th Edition (Exploring Guides).

5 comments about The Aran Islands.

1. My dad was born there in the 1950's and i was named after it. not a bad place, not much to do but nice to visit. the book is informal but informative.



2. "The Aran Islands" is a delightful rendition of the experiences of J. M. Synge during his visits to the Aran Islands just over a century ago. Synge's journey had been encouraged by William Butler Yeats. "Go to the Aran Islands. Live there as one of the people themselves; express a life that has never found expression." Here Synge gained an insight into the Irish character which would enrich his later works.

   The Aran Islands are a chain of islands off the coasts of Connemara and Clare. Isolated by the sea, the Arans, like the Galapagos in the natural world, preserve the language and customs of traditional Ireland.

   The book is a narrative of what Synge saw and the stories he heard during his stays in the Arans, told by a master storyteller in the finest Irish tradition. The language is delightful, the stories are entertaining and the insight into the Irish soul is profound. A must read for any lover of the Irish.




3. The search for authentic experiences is regarded as an important theme in postmodernism. John Millington Synge's book demonstrates that this quest for authenticity has been an important part of cultural inquiry for a long time. This wonderful book was written almost one hundred years ago, but it reads like a contemporary ethnographic inquiry. He provides vivid descriptions of daily life and wonderful presentations of the folklore of the Aran Islands. The book is primarily descriptive, but there are interesting textures and conclusions throughout Synge's writing. I would recommend reading this book and then watching Flaherty's film "Man of Aran." Follow up that visual feast with Stoney's "The Making of the Myth." To complete your excursion, top things off with a reading of Synge's "Playboy of the Western World" and "Riders to the Sea," two fine plays that he set on the Aran Islands. The stories, descriptions, and textures within Synge's book will become very clear when you're finished.



4. This book describes the adventures of J. M. Synge on the Aran Islands around the turn of the Twentieth Century. William Butler Yeats suggested that Synge visit the island in order to learn Irish and become acquainted with traditional Irish culture as it had been preserved on the islands. Synge followed his suggestion, and made four lengthy trips to the islands. In this book, he recounts his experiences on the islands, together with some of the stories and poems that were recited to him there.
   
   The book is a unique collection of travelogue, journal, and research notebook. Synge describes his relationships with individuals on the islands, as well as some of the common traits and customs observable there. He tells us about harrowing sea passages that he took from island to island in small rowed boats, and records a number of folk-tales that were shared with him by island residents. Synge was to draw on all of this material in his later writing career, making the book quite interesting for those who enjoy his plays. The book also provides informative details of what daily life was like in this remote region at the time.



5. Not only does this book describe a time long past but Synge has a deeper sense of the psychology of the inhabitants of the Aran Islands and how it differs with that of "civilized" people of the time. Anyone who is interested in this topic and enjoys this book would do well to read Twenty Years A-Growing by Maurice O'Sullivan, which is a personal account by Mr. O'Sullivan of his life on Ireland's Great Blasket Island and is a wonderful, lyrical read that shows alot of humor as well as love for the natural world around him.

No comments about Edinburgh Popout Map.

No comments about Scotland: Where to Stay Bed and Breakfast (Visit Scotland).

No comments about Bruce Davidson: England/Scotland 1960.

No comments about Scotland: Land of Lochs and Glens.

3 comments about Scotland's Golf Courses: The Complete Guide.

1. A great book. I wanted to explore Scotland and its golf and Scotland's Golf Courses: The Complete Guide was the perfect guide to the country and the game. Not only did it tell me all about the famous courses but also the hidden gems which I will go back and play again. It had so much information in it that all I had to do was turn up and play.



2. Congratulations to Vic Robbie on his revised edition of Scotland's Golf Courses. The first book was good but this is even better with more information and write-ups on courses, including all the new ones that have sprung up in recent years. The photographs by Brian Morgan, the world's No.1 golf photographer, are great and give you a real taste of golfing in Scotland.



3. I have never been to Scotland and wanted more info than a directory style book.

No comments about The Civilized Shopper's Guide to Edinburgh and Glasgow.

2 comments about Bed & Breakfast Stops in Britain (Bed & Breakfast Stops: England, Scotland, Wales & Ireland).

1. We were in England and Scotland in November of 2006 and found the B&B book very helpful. We had made no prior reservations for overnight stays on our 9 day car tour because we had no schedule and decided to stop wherever we wanted. With the B&B book we were able to find an accommodation in the town where we wanted to stay, and we called to see if there were vacancies. The descriptions in the book were accurate and the prices were almost always what was quoted. I would certainly use this book again when traveling in the U.K.



2. I returned this book. It had no useful information for Wales where we drove around the beautiful countryside in June 2007.