What We're Watching

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Now that we're all up to speed on our reading and our TBR lists/stacks are ever more burgeoning, it's time for a look at what's on the tube for when we can tear ourselves away from our books.

From the reality TV queen here, we are glued to the new season of GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF–oh, sorry, GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW, as we're supposed to call it in the US, although that doesn't have nearly the same ring as GBBO. My non-cooking, non-baking hubby is now hooked and keeps asking me, "When's the baking show on again?" (Some of his enthusiam this season might have to do with one very cute contestant...) He's also gotten hooked on THE VOICE, my other reality TV indulgence, but is not so keen on the little bits I can manage to snag of the UK's STRICTLY COME DANCING on VPNs. (Shhh, don't tell.)

And now back to crime. In the lull between summer programming and new autumn stuff, we pulled up a UK series from 2003 called STATE OF PLAY. We couldn't find it streaming but it is available on DVD and Blu-ray, and I can't recommend it highly enough. The writing! The cast! It was directed by David Yates and featured David Morrisey, John Simm, James McAvoy, Bill Nighy, Kelly McDonald, Polly Walker, and more. Even more than twenty years later, it doesn't feel dated, and it's one of the best things I've ever watched on television. They made a movie of it a couple of years later starring Russell Crowe, but that doesn't begin to compare to the original 6 part series. (That's a very unflattering photo of the Scottish actress Kelly McDonald, who I adore, on the DVD cover. Most recently you will have seen her as Carl Mork's therapist on DEPT Q!)

We're watching SLOW HORSES, although the weekly dole-out formula is especially annoying with the complicated storylines in this series. We've also discovered a British (Irish) police series called BLUE LIGHTS that is really good. This is on Britbox and is in the gritty rather than cozy vein. The 3rd season just aired so we're looking forward to having several seasons to follow.

Oh, and we are now recording the late-night shows on our Tablo, so that we can keep up with the voices of sanity, AKA the late-night TV hosts. Who would have thought it?

Take it away, dear REDs. What are you watching?

HALLIE EPHRON: Like you, I’m watching The Great British Baking Show (Season 16) … so many great contestants to root for. This batch seem especially talented. 

My daughter was visiting and she’s never watched “Sherlock” which we could stream on Britbox. I do love Britbox. The plots are SO COMPLICATED I have no trouble being challenged to follow the storylines even though I’ve seen them all. And Benedict Cumberbatch is so deliciously and gleefully sociopathic as Holmes. And Martin Freeman the perfect foil as the very human Watson.

And I confess, sometime during the pandemic lockdowns I got hooked on Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. They’ve become a weeknight ritual.

DEBS: Hallie, I LOVED Sherlock, and would happily watch it again. Also, my parents were religious watchers of WHEEL OF FORTUNE and that brings back fond memories for me.

LUCY BURDETTE: We’ve been on a busy vacation so I’ve not been watching TV except for the occasional Jimmy Kimmel or Steve Colbert clip. However, I am very much looking forward to seeing Jane Goodall’s FAMOUS LAST WORDS, and Jeremy White playing Bruce Springsteen later this month. Debs, John loved BLUE LIGHTS but I only watched one or two episodes–too dark for my soul before bedtime!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Oh, I have been on book tour, so hotel TV is all about Chopped, which is always on.

 But in real life, back home, so many good things–Slow Horses is back, hurray. Cannot wait for The Lincoln Lawyer to return.

Also, I just spent the day with Elizabeth George, she is incredible, so I came home from Atlanta and instantly started bingeing the new Lynley, and then will return to the old Lynley. SO fun, now that I know all the backstory.

I am a massive fan of The Morning Show, and crossing fingers  the new season is good. Oh, and Invasion. 

I LOVED State of Play, Debs. And isn’t The Diplomat coming back?

OH, and finally–THE OFFER! (Debs, did you tell me about this?) About the making of The Godfather, and it is fantastic.)

DEBS: Yes, it was me who recommended THE OFFER. I don't know why this series didn't get more press. I think it's worth a temporary subscription to Paramount just to watch it!!!! So glad you liked it, Hank. We watched THE GODFATHER when we finished it, and that was fascinating, too.

And, yes, we are looking forward to THE DIPLOMAT, too.

RHYS BOWEN:  A big fan of the Great British Baking Show here too. They are always such nice, kind people who cheer for each other. How could you not love it! We also watched the Thursday Murder Club.. which deviated quite a lot from the book.

Apart from that we watch a lot of Britbox, all our favorite mystery series, plus I like all the travel shows on Britibox. Martin Clunes and various British islands, others on favorite villages, canal trips etc. I guess I’m nostalgic for a simpler era at the moment.

Finally finished up Clarkson’s Farm which got rather annoying in the end.

How about it, dear readers? What other gems have we missed, and are we all "baking" together? (I keep promising to buy some kind of a treat for Friday nights, because we always feel so deprived when the episode is over!)

Research is Fun! by Daryl Wood Gerber #giveaway

LUCY BURDETTE: I definitely enjoy research (think Paris pastries for example!), but I've never thought through all the benefits the way my pal Daryl has. She's here to tell you what she's figured out along the path of many books!

DARYL WOOD GERBER: Don’t groan. It is. It not only expands my mind, it enhances the book I’m writing. Here are five reasons why I enjoy it.

Research feeds my curiosity

When I wrote the Cheese Shop Mysteries, I tasted at least 1000 cheeses over the course of the series. Lucky me. When I wrote the Cookbook Nook Mysteries, I purchased bunches of new cookbooks. Again, lucky me. When I wrote the Fairy Garden Mysteries—I’m going to release a novella in December—I did a deep dive into fairies and myths, and I made numerous fairy gardens that now adorn my garden. Yes, you guessed it. Lucky me! 

Research expands my horizons

I like to armchair travel, which I guess most readers do. But sometimes I need to leave the nest and travel to get a feeling for a new place I’m going to include in a series. For my current series, the Literary Dining Mysteries, which are set in the mountains near Asheville, NC, I visited the city and took a few tours in the surrounding towns with my nephew, who lives there. We had fun. When we ate barbecue in Black Mountain, I knew I’d found my fictional town. Plus we met a number of quirky characters, a few of whom made it into the book, with slight alterations, of course. Next, to expand my knowledge of books, I selected the book that would be featured in the first of the series: Pride and Prejudice. Why? Because it’s a superb story, and it’s the favorite of the bookshop owner in the story. She is like an aunt to my protagonist Allie, a caterer and devoted reader. To properly do the references justice, I reread the book and marked (with sticky notes, mind you—no dog-eared pages or magic markers) the quotes I would include at the top of each chapter. Doing the deep dive made my story come alive. I paid attention to the words, the expressions, and the tempo. In addition, I did extensive research about the clothing, music, and food of the Regency Era. Check out the yummy maids of honor recipe on my website here.

Research helps me realize which stories deserve the spotlight 

For my newest in the Literary Dining Mysteries, Murder by the Millions, I chose The Great Gatsby as the book the literary dining party would study and discuss. It happens to be one of my all-time favorite novels.  The tragic character of Jay Gatsby breaks my heart. I studied the novel and its themes, and I boned up on the clothing, music, and food of the era. To my surprise, while I was writing the book, I visited New York City, and what was on Broadway?  The Great Gatsby.  I bought a ticket and ensconced myself in the story and mood, as presented in musical fashion. I’ve got to say, that was some of the most fun research I’ve ever done.  The story really deserves the spotlight.

Research can blossom into a personal journey

For the first in the Aroma Wellness Mysteries, which is set in Carmel-by-the-Sea, meaning I could use much of the research I’d already gleaned for the Fairy Garden Mysteries, I delved into how to open a spa business, how to conduct a mindful meditation, what various massage techniques require, and the value of crystal readings. What makes this series a bit of a challenge, is I decided to include a café and gift shop at the spa. Both of those businesses required more research. For the café, I experimented with good-for-you recipes. For the gift shop,  I learned about the many items it might sell, including baoding balls and fragrant candles and bonsai trees. 

However, the bonus to this research is, in order to learn about singing bowls, gemstones, and essential oils, I visited the Native Spirit Lodge, which is located near my house, and I indulged in a sound bath. What a treat. I came out of that place so relaxed! 

The downside of research . . . it can be costly

I’ve spent a lot of money on books, cookbooks, gemstones, and essential oils. I’ve bought way too many fairy figurines—I’m obsessed. 

The upside? I love using the oils and rubbing the gemstones between my fingertips. And I love all my new books. I love holding them and browsing the pages. Navigating through Internet sites doesn’t feel the same. 

Which is why I’ll continue to leave my office occasionally to conduct in-person research. It’s fun. It’s enlightening. It enhances my stories. Lucky me.

REDS, tell us about some research you've done on one of your projects. Commenters will be entered in a drawing for Daryl's giveaway, a copy of the first in the series and swag!

Daryl Wood Gerber is the Agatha Award-winning and nationally bestselling author of the Literary Dining Mysteries, Aroma Wellness Mysteries, Fairy Garden Mysteries and Cookbook Nook Mysteries. As Avery Aames, she penned the popular Cheese Shop Mysteries. In addition, Daryl writes suspense novels, including the well-received The Son’s Secret, Girl on the Run, and the popular Aspen Adams trilogy. Daryl has published a standalone Christmas romance, Hope for the Holidays, and her short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies. Fun Tidbit: as an actress, Daryl appeared in “Murder, She Wrote.” She loves to cook, garden, read, and walk her frisky Goldendoodle. Also she has been known to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. You can learn more on her website: https://darylwoodgerber.com

Find Daryl here:

FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/darylwoodgerber

BOOKBUB: https://bookbub.com/authors/daryl-wood-gerber

YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/woodgerb1

INSTAGRAM: https://instagram.com/darylwoodgerber

GOODREADS: https://goodreads.com/darylwoodgerber

BLUE SKY: @darylwoodgerber.bsky.social

AMAZON: amazon: https://bit.ly/Daryl_Wood_Gerber_page

https://bit.ly/3SenzVy

NEWSLETTER: https://darylwoodgerber.com/contact-media/

In the beautiful mountain community of Asheville, North Carolina, caterer and personal chef Allie Catt serves up mouthwatering, literary-themed dinner parties inspired by her clients’ favorite books. Her next event is sure to be a roaring success—if a murderer isn’t a killjoy . . .

If it were true that the best thing a girl can be in this world is a fool, then Allie Catt would be out of luck. Fortunately, Allie’s business is a smashing success. And following her Pride and Prejudice event, grander plans await . . . 

Feast for the Eyes bookstore manager and Allie’s best friend, Tegan, is hosting a book club soiree and wants it to be a glittering affair based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s iconic Jazz Age-set novel, The Great Gatsby. Soon, Art Deco table settings and visions of flappers are dancing the Charleston in their heads. Even Tegan’s prickly sister, Vanna, is on board. And surely, Allie’s tuxedo cat, Darcy, thinks it’s the cat’s meow.

Amid the planning, charismatic developer Jason Gardner arrives in town to buy some historic buildings on Main Street. He, too, has plans: to create a modern mall. Allie is more than concerned. She even wants to protest. But when Jason invites her to cater a lavish party, she finds him surprisingly likable. Then she’s summoned to his estate for a meeting—and finds him dead.

Once again Allie’s landed in the middle of a crime scene.

The Sound of Music by Lucy Burdette

 LUCY BURDETTE: I hadn't paid much attention to the news that THE SOUND OF MUSIC is celebrating its 60th anniversary until my neighbor mentioned she was going to our local theater to see it on the big screen. I'm not lukewarm about this musical--I adore it! So I immediately signed on to the neighbor posse. We got there a half hour ahead in case the place was mobbed (it wasn't) and settled in with popcorn.

https://youtu.be/q0y-CuV1SI4

I love this show so deeply! It was the perfect antidote for the bad news the world keeps throwing at us. I love the way the romance develops--such a great example of show don't tell. The Captain's patriotism is inspiring, the escape is epic, I love those nuns from beginning to end, the depiction of stepfamily dynamics...well, not so realistic:). I do have some lingering questions, such as why oh why did they give Julie Andrews that horrendous haircut? And what is Maria referring to when she sings she might have had a wicked childhood?? Her family of origin is never mentioned--what shaped her into the spunky woman she grows into during the movie? Would the baroness really have bowed out so neatly once Maria returns to the von Trapp household? She strikes me as more of a fighter than that...

I must have seen this not long after it came out in 1965, but I was also cast in our high school rendition as Brigitta. (That probably accounts for a bit of my adoration...)

Here's my pal Joel Silidker (RIP) playing the Captain...

Are you a fan of the show? Have you seen it recently? Is there a different movie you feel even more strongly about?

ps On a different subject, if you might want to listen to the audio version of my first advice column mystery, it's on sale for $7.50 until November 1. 

https://www.audiobooks.com/promotions/promotedBook/809297/deadly-advice?refId=221829