June 24, 2023 AMAZING GRACE

Greece. It was amazing. Spent a few days in Athens--Acropolis, Parthenon, Erechtheion, Museum of the Acropolis--did I mention the--food-cappuccino-breathtaking views? It was a whirlwind. Then off to Delphi--the center of the universe for the ancient Greeks--famous for the oracle. Did I mention the cheese, olive oil, tomatoes, honey? Next--to Meteora one of the most incredible sites in the world--The Monasteries in the Sky-- as the monasteries seem to be suspended in midair.  In the 9th century, monks began building  monasteries on top of gigantic rock formations--some 1000 feet high. A total of 24 monasteries were built and today 6 still remain inhabited. It is beyond words. Finally off the Santorini, Fira and Oia. Again, my words will NEVER do justice to the beauty of these islands---by the way--I'm just giving you the highlights of this once in a lifetime trip.  Did I mention the honey?  Plenty of time to read on the 91/2 hour flight so I snuck in a few books including The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James. Yes, I am a huge fan of her books. This one's a mystery, thriller, love story with a bit of creepy and haunted house mixed in. Fun. The main character is Shea Collins. She's a 28 year old receptionist in a doctor's office by day and a cold case blogger by night. One day a patient comes into the office and Shea immediately recognizes her. She is Beth Greer, a woman tried and acquitted in 1977 of the Lady Killer Murders. Shea asks Greer for an interview and she surprisingly agrees to the interview--as long as it is at the Greer Mansion, which is supposedly haunted. The story then shifts back and forth between the two characters from 1960 to 2017 where the reader learns about the history of the two characters and that they actually have a lot in common including some tragedy that has shaped their lives. Did Beth really murder two men in 1977 and get away with it? Or is the story much more complicated? Will Shea employ local private investigator Michael De Vos to help her solve this cold case? Find out the answers to all of these questions and more when you read this delicious thriller for yourself. It's not a huge commitment either--350 pages that fly by. Enjoy.