Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: When Captain Henry Davenport is found murdered and stuffed inside his chimney, the local chimney sweep, Pet Ray, who was in the home around the same time, is the primary suspect. But, when Pete's body is also found, Sergeant Hamish Macbeth believes the murders are related to Davenport's shady business dealings and concentrates his investigation on four men who claimed to have been conned by the deceased Captain. Review:  Hamish Macbeth mysteries have become one of my trusted "must-haves" whenever I visit our local library in search of books to read. So, when I stopped by last weekend in a bit of a rush, this was the first book I grabbed off the shelf. Unfortunately, this one just didn't live up to my expectations, especially when compared to other books from this series. Let me start out by saying the title of this book is very misleading. Yes, there is a chimney sweep and he is murdered. But, other than the first couple of chapters, he is ...

Synopsis: Feeling out of place and unwanted as one of Bonnie's toys, Woody struggles to find a role in his new child's life. As a result, when Bonnie is afraid to go to kindergarten, Woody sneaks along for the ride and winds up being the guardian for her new favorite plaything, Forky. This ultimately results in him going on a road trip with Bonnie and her parents, reuniting with an old friend and facing off with an antique doll that wants to steal his voice box. Who's in it? The animated movie uses voices from Tom Hanks , Tim Allen , Annie Potts , Christina Hendricks and Tony Hale . Review: My youngest daughter's school was showing this film at its movie night last night and, since none of us were really interested in watching it while sitting on a gymnasium floor, my wife decided to just rent it from Red Box and have a family movie night at home instead. I wasn't a huge fan of Toy Story 3 , which I thought was a little dark (especially when the toys ne...

Synopsis: Attorney Perry Mason is visited by Australian Bishop William Mallory, who is seeking his assistance in helping a woman who was wrongfully accused of manslaughter by her father-in-law 22 years earlier and is now seeking to secure an inheritance for her daughter. The problem is, the bishop speaks with a stutter, leading Mason to believe the man might be a fake. Review: I had a bit of a time crunch this past weekend, when I stopped at the local library in between running other errands. As a result, instead of looking for something unique to read, I stuck with authors I knew, including this particular book. I've read a few Perry Mason books now and, overall, my opinion of them has been a bit mixed. There have been some that were entertaining mysteries. But, at the same time, I have come across some that just didn't excite me. Unfortunately, this book fell in the latter category. I think the mystery itself, which did predictably eventually include a murder, had...

Synopsis:  In 1787, the British ship, Bounty, is given the task of sailing to Tahiti and bringing back breadfruit trees while under the command of Captain William Bligh. Bligh proves to be both incompetent and cruel, leading to unrest with the men on board the ship. Caught in the middle of this is his 1st Lieutenant, Fletcher Christian, who is disgusted by his captain's actions but is reluctant to take action. Who's in it? The movie stars Marlon Brando , Trevor Howard , Richard Harris , Hugh Griffith and Richard Haydn . Review:  I have wanted to see this particular movie for a number of years now but never seemed to find the time to do so, especially since the film is nearly 3 hours in length. However, I had some free time yesterday morning, while my wife was still in bed and the kids were at their grandmother's and was able to get through just enough of it to be able to finish it up early this morning. Overall, I have to say I was happy I finally had the opportun...

One of the events I'm helping organize for the Beaver Dam Family Center. This is a popular food drive event and is open to the public.

Synopsis: Raised by strict parents, Annie Fleming chooses to rebel by using her good looks to manipulate men, including her local boss and the local minister. So, when she is killed by a bomb disguised as a valentine, there is a seemingly endless list of suspects for Sergeant Hamish Macbeth to comb through. To make matters worse, the constable assigned to help the newly-promoted Macbeth, Josie McSween is more interested in tricking the sergeant into marrying her. Review:  After finishing up the Perry Mason book I was reading earlier this week, I immediately got started on this murder mystery, which I had checked out at the library at the same time. And, once again, I wound up enjoying the book so much, I had a hard time putting it down. In fact, if my eyes were getting tired to the point the words were blurry, I probably would have finished this the same day. There are a couple things I found I really enjoyed about this particular book. The first one was the mystery, which...

When did my kids Stop eating like birds? They are already asking me for seconds And I haven't even had my firsts. How did they even eat their food so fast? Seriously, I haven't got a clue. They had to inhale it like a vacuum Because there's no way they had time to chew. Image courtesy of Pixabay Our storage containers are empty and collecting dust. Seeing them going unused makes me a bit blue. I mean, come on now, I already had to pay for dinner. Are you telling me I also have to buy lunch too? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad my kids aren't starving. I'm proud of the fact I'm keeping them well-fed and safe. It's just, sometimes I wonder If maybe I'm raising miniature versions of Henry the Eighth. Honestly, I don't mind that they eat. I just wish they'd save at least some of it for later. Is it really that much to ask To have a few more leftovers in our refrigerator?