Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: No longer obsessed with James Lacey and determined to end another obsession, Agatha Raisin goes on vacation to avoid Christmas. The vacation is a disaster and when she returns early, she learns Health and Safety Board member John Saturday has done the job for her by banning Christmas decorations, among other things, for safety concerns.  When Saturday is murdered outside a church meeting in nearby Odley Cruesis, there are many suspects. However, the police make the wealthy widow Miriam Courtney their primary person of interest and she, in turn, hires Agatha's detective agency to clear her name. Things become even more complicated when Agatha's employer is also murdered and one of her closest friends is attacked and hospitalized. Review: I was unimpressed with the last Agatha Raisin mystery I read but have reached a point where I'm too far into the series to just give up on it because I didn't enjoy one book. So, I ended up checking out Busy Body from my lib...

Synopsis: After spending time in prison, Stephen Pike is thrilled to be getting a second chance as a servant at the remote Tithe Hall, even after learning the Viscount, believing Halley's Comet will cause an apocalypse, seals his family and servants in their rooms for their safety.  The residents survive the night, except for the Viscount, who is found murdered inside his sealed room the next morning. With suspicion quickly turning on Stephen, his only hope to avoid being arrested for a crime he didn't commit is the elderly but still sharp Decima Stockingham helping him figure out both who killed the Viscount and how they did it. Review: I saw The Murder at World's End in my library's new book section when I went there to pick up a book I had on hold. It looked intriguing, so I decided to check it out as well. After finishing it last night, I can honestly say it was one of the best mysteries I've read in a while. Having the book set around the 1910 Halley's C...

Synopsis: Even though she has convinced herself she no longer has feelings for her ex-husband, James Lacey, Agatha Raisin is not looking forward to attending his wedding, especially after learning he is having second thoughts about marrying the beautiful and much younger Felicity Bross-Tilkington. The wedding, however, doesn't happen because the bride-to-be is killed while getting ready. After initially being considered a suspect until a hat purchase helped clear her name, Agatha is hired by Felicity's mom to find the killer. She agrees and gets help from her protege/rival Toni but, as the case progresses self-doubt and multiple attempts on her life have Agatha considering retirement. Review: While I have never been a big fan of the Agatha Raisin/James Lacey saga, the past few books from this series had me optimistic about There Goes the Bride when I checked it out from the library. As it turns out, it was a book I would consider a let-down. On the surface, the book has an in...

Synopsis: When Mrs. Bloxby is approached by a pushy vicar, Arthur Chance, to recruit Agatha Raisin to help promote his church's fête, Agatha agrees to meet him, but only to reject the request in person. However, when she meets one of the organizers, handsome widower George Selby, her habit of chasing men results in her agreeing to help instead.  She is able to make the event a financial success by recruiting a disgraced but still popular pop singer to make an appearance. Unfortunately, things take a dark turn when someone laces jam tasting samples with LSD, resulting in two deaths. Even though some of the villagers blame Agatha for attracting a bad element to their festival, she believes one of the locals committed the crime and investigates. Review: When I picked up a copy of A Spoonful of Poison from my library Saturday morning, I wasn't expecting to finish the book by Monday morning. However, while my history with reading Agatha Raisin novels has been a mixed bag, this wa...

Synopsis: Judd Nix just got the break of a lifetime. After serving as an intern, he has been hired to be part of a team managing country music's latest superstar, Ripley Graham. In addition to a steady paycheck and meeting celebrities, he is getting the opportunity to learn about the industry from his boss, Simon Stills and the attractive Megan Olsen. Things take a sour turn, however, when both Judd and Simon are struck by bullets presumed to have been meant for Ripley, leaving Simon in critical condition and clinging to life. Was the attempt the result of stalled negotiations, a revenge plot from a recently fired recording studio head or was there another motive? As the investigation takes place it becomes clear multiple lives are at risk. Review: As I previously mentioned, my last trip to the library was made without any clear idea what books I wanted to check out. As a result of that, I wound up choosing them at random and that included Murder on Music Row , which I picked pri...

Synopsis: A forgotten-about cistern located in the roof of Bascom Hall at the University of Wisconsin-Madison causes a flood and reveals the skeleton of a long-hidden body and a visiting art professor, Nora Barnes, finds herself helping with the investigation, even after her own life is threatened. Her husband, Toby Sandler, also takes an interest in the case but is more interested in finding lost architectural plans drafted by Frank Lloyd Wright. Review: I didn't plan ahead when I went to the library last week and, with nothing on hold and no books on top of my list, I wandered the stacks looking for anything that caught my eye. The Bones of Bascom Hall wound up being one of the books I checked out, primarily because it takes place in a city I frequently visit and I liked the idea of a murder mystery in a familiar setting. I finished the book this morning and would describe it as OK. I liked the mystery surrounding the discovered body because it added some challenges that were u...

Synopsis: While dining at a restaurant with his secretary, private investigator Oliver Keith is approached by his friend, Julia Sayre, who asks him for his help because she believes her new, wealthy husband, Albert, is in some sort of trouble and she'd like to know what he is hiding. However, when they return to Albert's office, they discover the art dealer has been murdered and later learn $100,000 in government bonds have been stolen from a safe only Albert and Julia knew the combination to. Who's in it? The movie stars Reginald Denny, Patricia Farr, Dorothy Revier, Jameson Thomas and Lew Kelly. Review: After a short walk to the Kwik Trip a couple blocks from my office, I realized it was getting too hot/humid for a longer walk and decided to watch a movie at lunch instead. This ended up being  The Lady in Scarlet,  which I came across last week and thought sounded interesting. After watching it, I can say it more than met my expectations. The murder mystery turned out...

Synopsis: Once again feeling the gloom that comes from investigating divorce cases, the only thing keeping Agatha Raisin going is her plans to once again attempt to have a perfect Christmas dinner party even though the holiday is still months away. When a wealthy widow, Phyllis Tamworthy, wants to hire Agatha because she believes her family will murder her, the detective, believing her would-be client might be insane, is reluctant to accept. However, when Phyllis is murdered while Agatha is in her manor, she decides to investigate and gets help from her newest employee, Toni. She soon learns just about everyone who knew Phyllis had motive to kill her. Review: I wasn't sure if I wanted to check out Kissing Christmas Goodbye from the library because it is only June and I'm just not ready to even start thinking about the Christmas holiday yet. However, I was concerned later books in the series would reference this one, leading to confusion or spoilers, so decided to read it aft...

As I re-watch the series Psych , I am gaining a whole new appreciation to just how brilliant the Mr. Yang storyline was. There's a great mystery about the serial killer's identity; it put Shawn Spencer's ( James Roday Rodriguez ) skills to the test and Ally Sheedy was a fantastic choice for the role.  The secondary story about her partner, Mr. Yin, had the potential to be equally as good but, at least in my opinion, fell short because Professor Karl Rotmessen ( Peter Weller ) was kind of a letdown. Don't get me wrong, Weller was solid. It's just a character that seemed in desperate need of a surprise twist involving an already established character rather than a guy who was suggested to be her father. Here are three that I think would have been much better choices. Mary Lightly (Jimmi Simpson) What if Mary wasn't actually killed by Mr. Yin and instead WAS Mr. Yin? In my version of this story, the murder victim would have been Mary's twin brother, killed by h...

Synopsis: Kitty O'Day, a hotel switchboard operator who is obsessed with detective stories, overhears her boss, Mr. Williams, being murdered over the phone. Her boyfriend, Johnny Jones, confirms this but by the time the police arrive, the body is gone and Williams' wife, Gloria, claims he is alive and on his way to Chicago. Despite warnings from the police, Kitty continues to investigate and when more bodies turn up, she and Johnny become the primary suspects. Who's in it? The movie stars Jean Parker , Peter Cookson , Tim Ryan , Lorna Gray and Dick Elliott . Review: I ended up selecting Adventures of Kitty O'Day solely because it sounded intriguing when I read the description. I didn't know what to expect when I started watching it this morning, but it turned out to be an entertaining and funny film. The movie, as I later learned, is a sequel to Detective Kitty O'Day and one of the things I liked about this movie is, while it did reference that film (which I...

Synopsis: Tommel Castle is set to host an elaborate Valentine's Day wedding between Alannah Hamilton and Darius Palmerston, with Alannah's wealthy and influential father, Charles, saving no expense and Police Sergeant Hamish MacBeth's ex-fiancée Elspeth Grant traveling with the wedding party to provide exclusive coverage of the event for her television station. However, as seemingly forewarned by Elspeth's gift for premonition, the happy event is met with tragedy and Hamish, along with his constable, Davey Forbes, are soon investigating a murder after Palmerston is found slashed to death by a sword hours after the wedding and another wedding guest is later found killed.  Review: While I had my early doubts (and dislikes) about the direction Hamish Macbeth's story was taking following M. C. Beaton's death and the decision to continue the series with R. W. Green's assist, I have admittedly begun to enjoy some of the later books more than expected. In fact, wh...

Synopsis: When his train conductor father is killed in an intentionally caused wreck, pilot Larry Baker vows to find the man responsible for both that crash and a series of other wrecks plaguing the L & R Railroad. This proves to be more difficult than expected when he learns "the Wrecker" is able to disguise himself as anyone. Who's in it? The movie stars John Wayne , Shirley Grey, Conway Tearle, Tully Marshall and Edmund Breese. Review: This may make me sound a bit un-American, but I've never been a huge fan of John Wayne movies. Look, the man was a legend and I'm not denying that. It's just his most famous films essentially have him playing the same character in a different setting, to the point I can't identify the movie on sight, just that it is a John Wayne film. That said, when I came across The Hurricane Express , I was intrigued. It was a film that starred Wayne before he was a household name and that, along with what sounded like an inter...

James took a seat at his desk, calmly leaning back in his chair as though it was just a normal, ordinary night and there wasn’t a man standing near the door of his den holding a .38-caliber revolver. “Take a seat, Mr…” James started to say. “Watson,” the armed man responded. “Matt Watson.” “Please make yourself comfortable, Mr. Watson,” James said. “Can I call you Matt?” Matt nodded and walked over to a worn couch on the far wall. Pushing up the glasses he wore on his thin, unshaven face, he scanned the room cautiously. “There aren’t any weapons, if that’s what you’re worried about,” James told him. “And as luck would have it, I left my phone in the kitchen.” James could see Matt studying him, trying to read his tone of voice and facial expressions. “I have no reason to lie to you, Matt,” James said. “I am willing to cooperate fully and get out of here alive. You just need to tell me what you want. I should tell you, however, I don’t have a lot of money in the house or really anything ...

Synopsis: Agatha Raisin has tried to convince herself she is over her ex-husband James Lacey, even after he returned unexpectedly into her life and moved back into the cottage next door to hers. However, when he offers to take her on a surprise holiday, her old romantic feelings cloud her judgement and, despite warnings from the vicar's wife, Mrs. Bloxby, she accepts. Only, the romantic vacation to a warm beach Agatha imagined instead turns out to be a trip to Snoth-on-Sea, an English resort town that has fallen on hard times, is nothing like James remembered and turns their vacation (complete with separate hotel rooms) into an instant failure. And that is before Agatha gets dragged in for police questioning after her missing scarf is used to strangle Geraldine Jankers, a dreadful woman she had a public spat with just hours before, resulting in an extended stay as she tries to find the real killer, has her life put at risk as a result and sees any hope of reconciliation with James...

Synopsis: While working as a page at a Hollywood radio station, Frankie Ryan aspires to be an on-air comedian with his friend, Jeff Jefferson while also doing his best to convince producer Bob Farrell to give a singing audition to the beautiful Anne Mason, who works at the radio station receptionist desk. He soon finds himself caught up in a mystery when the station's top talent, Rita Wilson, is murdered during a rehearsal and a singing cowboy, Tex Barton, is later found killed.  The mystery takes a whole new urgency when the police arrest Anne for the crimes. Who's in it? The movie stars Frankie Darro , Mantan Moreland , Marjorie Reynolds, Tristram Coffin , Dick Elliott , Lorna Gray and Clyde Dilson. Review: I was recently introduced to actor Frankie Darro when watching another movie this week and was surprised when I realized he starred in Up in the Air , a movie that has been in my library for a couple months, but I just never got around to watching. After making that di...

Synopsis: Bellhop Buzzy O'Brien dreams of solving crimes like his father, a now-deceased police officer, and while he has had some success, family friend Det. Steve Lanahan doesn't like Buzzy's meddling, which he knows can put the young man in danger.  This comes to a head when a banker is murdered in Buzzy's hotel and Buzzy chooses to protect the police's top suspect, Kitty Monahan, because he doesn't believe someone with that last name could commit murder. Facing possible jail time for interfering in the investigation, Buzzy must figure out who the real killer is before Steve or the hotel detective, Fluger, catch and arrest him. Who's in it? The movie stars Frankie Darro , Dick Purcell , Mantan Moreland , Sheila Darcy and James Flavin. Review: While trying to decide if I wanted to watch vampire movie this morning or a fantasy film promising plenty of sword fighting, I happened to come across Irish Luck. Unable to decide between my first two choices, I e...

As I go through another re-watch of the series Psych , I find myself a bit amazed at the number of characters who were introduced, some with multiple-episode stories, only to be written off the show and never mentioned again.  My opinion about this is mixed. While some of the characters, like Freddie Prinze Jr.'s cameo as the alien-obsessed Dennis Gogolack made sense as a one-off, other characters, such as Shawn Spencer's ( James Roday Rodriguez ) long-time love interest, Abigail Lytar ( Rachel Leigh Cook ) seemed like they should have been around longer than they were. There is one character, however, that I find myself lumping into a different category - someone who both deserved a bit more time on the show but also in a different capacity. I am referring to Nestor Carbonell's Declan Rand, a character that I think would have made an awesome supervillain but was never given the opportunity. A quick recap for anyone who doesn't remember Declan. Introduced in the season...

I've been taking the time to re-watch the television series Psych in order whenever I have a few free minutes and have enjoyed the episodes the second (or is it tenth?) time around just as much as I did the first time.  As is the case with most good shows, it is more about the memorable characters than the stories themselves. The one thing I realized during this re-watch is while the show is centered around Shawn Spencer ( James Roday Rodriguez ) and his friend, Gus ( Dulé Hill ), the unsung hero in all eight seasons may also be one of television's most underrated dads, Henry Spencer ( Corbin Bernsen ). Here's why: He was, for all intents and purposes, a single dad. Shawn's parents divorced when he was young and while his mom (played in later seasons by Cybill Shepherd) left Santa Barbara, Henry raised his son while also working as a police officer. That is something that had to be a hard enough job on its own and was only amplified by young Shawn's well-documented ...