Shopping in Stores Versus Online

During the pandemic, I went to the food store, but avoided other types of in-person shopping, relying upon online shopping. Now that I’m fully vaccinated, I’ve attempted to return to some in-person shopping. To be honest, the results have been disappointing. I tried to purchase two items at retail stores. In one case, they tried to sell me the pieces rather than a complete product, and in the other the salesperson couldn’t answer any of my questions. So I returned to online shopping, ordered the two items in minutes and received them in days. Like some activities during the pandemic, I expect we will will not return to the way we used to do things.

Grandson’s First Trip to the Zoo

Do you remember the first time you went to a zoo? I had the opportunity to watch my five-year-old grandson’s reactions to seeing real animals (not just pictures) when we went to the Los Angeles Zoo. Reservations were required and a limited number of people were allowed in on half hour increments. We wore masks and hiked around the whole zoo. On the way home he went through his list of the favorite animals he had seen. Two near the top of the list were giraffes and gorillas. It was an enjoyable day for all of us.

e-book Box Sets

Box sets are an interesting concept. Books in a series can be package so a reader can order them as one combined e-book. As an example, the first four books in my Paul Jacobson Geezer-lit Mystery Series are available in an e-Book Box Set. http://ow.ly/D2P6E These four books are Retirement Homes Are Murder, Living with Your Kids Is Murder, Senior Moments Are Murder, and Cruising in Your Eighties Is Murder.

In Retirement Homes Are Murder cantankerous octogenarian Paul Jacobson must become an amateur sleuth to clear himself as a murder suspect when he finds a dead body in the trash chute of a retirement home. As Paul’s snooping and short-term memory loss get him in trouble with the local police, his new friends and granddaughter Jennifer help him solve an expanding list of crimes. Paul finds romance as he struggles to escape a murderer intent on a repeat performance.

In Living with Your Kids Is Murder Paul Jacobson must solve two murders while struggling with the problems of his short-term memory loss. As Paul ends up suspiciously close to a bank robbery, kidnapping and drug bust, his granddaughter Jennifer helps him track down the real perpetrators. Paul juggles two girlfriends, experiences the quirks of old age romance and must find a way to stay alive when he confronts a murderer.

In Senior Moments Are Murder Paul Jacobson must solve a series of murders in spite of his short-term memory loss. Paul learns about the homeless community, disreputable art dealers and the beach scene in Venice Beach, California, and dances a geezer two-step to stay out of the clutches of the police and the bad guys. 

In Cruising in Your Eighties Is Murder memory-impaired amateur sleuth Paul Jacobson becomes involved in a series of crimes. On an Alaskan cruise, he must deal with mayhem, missing people and murder and use all his geezer resources to solve a case of international intrigue.

What’s a Mystery Novel?

I’m currently a judge for a mystery novel contest and have been thinking about the question of what is a mystery novel?

In one sense, most novels are mystery novels in the sense that there is something that we as readers try to figure out as we read. This is the broadest definition. The more restrictive definition is a novel that includes a crime, most often murder. There are also books of other genres such as fantasy or romance that have mystery elements. What do you think?