Here are 100 books that Something Deadly on Desert Drive fans have personally recommended if you like
Something Deadly on Desert Drive.
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I am Susie Black, an award-winning cozy mystery author. As a long-time desert dweller and professional people watcher, I’ve always been fascinated by the intrinsic relationship between the often unpredictable, severe desert weather and the distinctive, sometimes quirky people who choose to live in it. With the introduction of The Sunny Knight Mystery Series, I have created an entire series that is devoted to exploring that unique connection. The Forecast is…Murder! is the series debut title.
Caroline Popov is promoted to General Manager of the Night Hawk Casino in the California high desert.
I cheered as Caroline didn’t let anyone push her around. If, like me, you’re curious about the real story behind the gaming industry, but a trip to a casino isn’t in your future, this story is right up your alley.
I was blown away by gaming industry pro-Bertoia’s physical description of the casino, the emotional atmosphere that permeates the place, and the characters who play and work there that were so spot on. I checked my wallet to make sure I didn’t lose a bucket of bucks at the Blackjack table.
Caroline Popov, alone, heartbroken, and deeply in debt ends up in glamorous Palm Springs, California where Native casinos have just opened, offering employment to thousands. She lands a job at the Palm Oasis Casino where she is mentored by the charismatic tribal chairman, John Tovar.
Embraced by casino culture, Caroline works her way up to casino manager of the Night Hawk, in the High Desert town of Joshua Tree. There, she is responsible for managing multicultural team members, satisfying the demands of often unique guests, and growing revenue while rooting out corruption.
In the process of rediscovering her inner strength,…
It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.
The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…
I am Susie Black, an award-winning cozy mystery author. As a long-time desert dweller and professional people watcher, I’ve always been fascinated by the intrinsic relationship between the often unpredictable, severe desert weather and the distinctive, sometimes quirky people who choose to live in it. With the introduction of The Sunny Knight Mystery Series, I have created an entire series that is devoted to exploring that unique connection. The Forecast is…Murder! is the series debut title.
As a long-time resident of Palm Springs, California, I’ve rubbed elbows with my share of entertainers; some beloved, others so obnoxiously full of themselves that I wondered how they managed not to get knocked off.
In A Murder in Palm Springs, antique appraiser Marty Morgan and her pal Carl are tasked to evaluate American Idol Jimmy Joseph's memorabilia collection. When Jimmy ends up dead, it's obvious not everyone was a fan. There’s no shortage of suspects, and Patron, Marty’s sister’s white boxer with paranormal abilities, can identify the culprit, but nobody’s asking his opinion.
Give me a whodunit with a whisper of woo-woo, and I’m a happy camper. Harman’s physical descriptions of Palm Springs are so spot on, you’ll be slathering on the suntan lotion and heading for the pool.
An aging American idol.A murder. A dog with paranormal abilities. Who knew walking to the mailbox could be so deadly?Join Marty and her dog, Patron, as they eliminate suspects in the murder of a beloved rock star in Palm Springs, California. This is book number eight in the bestselling High Desert Cozy Mystery Series by two-time USA Today Bestselling Author Dianne Harman. Enjoy!
I am Susie Black, an award-winning cozy mystery author. As a long-time desert dweller and professional people watcher, I’ve always been fascinated by the intrinsic relationship between the often unpredictable, severe desert weather and the distinctive, sometimes quirky people who choose to live in it. With the introduction of The Sunny Knight Mystery Series, I have created an entire series that is devoted to exploring that unique connection. The Forecast is…Murder! is the series debut title.
Two sisters check into a hotel in their Arizona hometown to celebrate one another’s birthdays.
Their celebratory getaway is abruptly interrupted when one of the sisters discovers the corpse of a nasty hotel guest. Both sisters are hopeless snoops who can’t mind their own beeswax. So, naturally, they stick their noses everywhere they don’t belong to sniff out the killer, much to the consternation of the homicide detective in charge of the case.
Give me a madcap cast that takes readers on a raucous, wild rollercoaster ride at a breakneck pace in a fun romp with a plot that has more twists and turns than a pretzel, plenty of motives and red herrings like this one any day of the week.
It’s a birthday weekend with the gift of murder.Recently widowed, Emma Banefield looks forward to a getaway birthday weekend with her free-wheeling sister, Nicole Earp, sipping chocolate martinis at the peaceful, historic, small town Dulce Inn. When a rude stranger, a nasty food critic, and a madhouse of temperamental artists greet them, all hope for a tranquil weekend evaporates faster than dew on a hot desert morning.Overlooking the riotous atmosphere is doubly hard after Em discovers the body of a hotel guest, and a second murder affects Nic personally. Now, entrenched in a caper that pits them against a surly…
This memoir chronicles the lives of three generations of women with a passion for reading, writing, and travel. The story begins in 1992 in an unfinished attic in Brooklyn as the author reads a notebook written by her grandmother nearly 100 years earlier. This sets her on a 30-year search…
I am Susie Black, an award-winning cozy mystery author. As a long-time desert dweller and professional people watcher, I’ve always been fascinated by the intrinsic relationship between the often unpredictable, severe desert weather and the distinctive, sometimes quirky people who choose to live in it. With the introduction of The Sunny Knight Mystery Series, I have created an entire series that is devoted to exploring that unique connection. The Forecast is…Murder! is the series debut title.
As someone whose early career was spent in a family business, Arson and Americanos took me on a delightful trip down memory lane.
It was just like old home week as I cheered the familiar banter and playful bickering between third-generation spunky barista Hazel, her mom, and grandma.
Give me a whodunit like this one, starring an endearing cast and a loyal protagonist with heart and courage who is willing to step up and put everything on the line when it counts the most, and I’ll show you an unputdownable story you’ll be sad to see end.
When her family’s coffee shop goes down in flames, can this spunky barista prove it was arson?Hazel Hewitt loves being in the coffee business with her mom and grandma. But when their cafe burns to the ground, her mom’s beloved boyfriend appears to be at fault. Joe will lose everything if he’s blamed for this, and since he’s the closest thing Hazel has to a father, she knows she needs to step in.Hazel’s brother and the rest of their town’s police force think this is a simple case of negligence on Joe’s part. So when she’s not making plans with…
Children’s stories about memory loss, Alzheimer’s, and dementia resonate with me because I know firsthand how difficult it is to care for someone with this disease. My Aunt Luella had Alzheimer’s, and I cared for her in my home. When my aunt no longer remembered me, my heart ached. I felt hopeless, afraid. I can only imagine how difficult it is for a child to watch as a beloved grandparent forgets them. I found these five books to be helpful and inspiring. They offer hope. They embrace the love that still exists.
A Doll for Grandma shows the love between a grandmother and granddaughter.
Kiera loves spending time with Grandma. They play dress-up, paint their nails, make molasses cookies, and picnic with Kiera’s doll. Over time, Grandma changed. She became forgetful, misplaced items, and could no longer live at home.
When Kiera visited Grandma at the memory care home, Grandma was different. She rarely smiled. She said odd things and thought Kiera was her childhood friend. Kiera found a way to connect with Grandma by giving her a doll. Grandma and Kiera played with their dolls, and they ate molasses cookies together.
This story reminds us that when a loved one loses their memory and their personality changes, there are ways to connect, share happy times, and make new memories. (An article titled "Helping Children Understand Alzheimer’s Disease" by Judy Cornish at the end of the story is helpful in explaining memory…
Kiera loves spending time with her grandma. They play dress up. They paint their nails. They make cookies for picnics with Kiera's doll. But then Grandma starts to change. She starts misplacing items and forgetting how to do everyday tasks. Soon she has to move out of her home into a memory-care center for people with Alzheimer's. She starts calling Kiera by a different name. Then Kiera has an idea and finds a new way to enjoy time with her Grandma.
A Doll for Grandma poignantly and sensitively tells the story of a girl's empathy and kindness in the face…
As an educator, author of children’s books, and caregiver of a loved one with dementia, I felt that I had to write a story about the disease from a child’s point of view. When I became a caregiver, I was struck by the lack of information for children and the misconceptions of the public about the disease. I wanted to create a story that reassures children and gives them guidance on how they can help be a caregiver. I added the Author’s Note to provide accurate information to adults so that more people are aware of the signs of dementia and to build understanding and compassion.
This sensitive, charming book shows how a child learns about what is going on in her granny’s brain.
It addresses the emotions that a young child may feel when they witness confusing changes in a loved one’s behavior. This story provides a wonderful opportunity to discuss dementia and what to do if a child has concerns or questions.
Are you looking for a picture book to talk about dementia or Alzheimer's with a child? This Alzheimer’s book for children explains Alzheimer’s dementia in kid-friendly terms. The book presents memory loss in an easy-to-understand narrative.
Boys and girls alike will benefit from this “must have” children’s read. Alzheimer's has an impact on families around the world. This book allows a family to face this challenge together and make the most of every available moment.
In Granny Needs My Help: A Child's Look at Dementia and Alzheimer's the main character Zéh is excited, happy, and challenged as she helps and…
At five years old, Kasiel was found with the pointed ends of his ears cut off. Despite that brutal start, he’s lived twelve peaceful years with the man who took him in. Keeping his hair long over his mutilated ears helps him hide the fact that he is Vanrian, a…
An author of a caregiving memoir myself, I’m also a former magazine and newspaper editor who has had the opportunity to read and write about many topics. For the past five years, I have been a manager and director of AlzAuthors, an online global organization that offers the world’s most comprehensive collection of books and blogs on Alzheimer’s and dementia. To say I have done a lot of reading on this subject is an understatement. I’ve been honored to work with so many talented and big-hearted authors who share their Alzheimer’s and dementia experiences. Being immersed in the Alzheimer’s world through AlzAuthors has given me insight into many of the best memoirs on this subject.
I can’t even imagine having both parents diagnosed with Alzheimer’s on the same day. But Jean Lee handles this situation with grace and devotion. Through her parents’ letters, she shares their love story. Ed and Ibby have a beautiful bond as do their daughters, yet the girls face a challenging road of caregiving that is sad, humorous, and touching, but always a model for how to love well. In Jean’s book, she casts a spell of nostalgia, faith, and whimsy, pulling the reader into a circle of intimacy.
What would you do if both parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s?At the time of their diagnosis, Ed Church struggles to his feet, yelling, “How dare you use the A. word with me,” while Ibby wags her finger at the doctor scolding, “Shame on you.”They protect each other, Ibby by asserting, “We’re not leaving our home,” and Ed reassuring, “We’re just fine.”About his driving Ed defends, “I’m an excellent driver, I’ve never had an accident.” When their daughter, Rosie, finds dings in Ed’s car, he dismisses, “Someone must have bumped into me.”After Rosie moves them to assisted living, convinced they are…
I am a novelist, a journalist, a humanist celebrant, and coauthor with my husband of the best-selling Nicci French thrillers. Witnessing my father’s dementia and his slow-motion dying radically transformed the way I think about what it is to be human. In 2014, I founded John’s Campaign which seeks to make the care of those who are vulnerable and powerless more compassionate, and which is now a national movement in the UK. In 2016, I won the Orwell Prize for Journalism for ‘exposing Britain’s social evils' in the pieces I wrote exploring the nature of dementia.
Drowse Draaisma is a memory specialist, and this lucid, eloquent and humorous book celebrates the rich and fruitful pleasures of memory in later life (and takes the sting out of the natural forgetfulness that comes as we grow older). It combines science, psychology, anecdotes, advice, and it is above all a work of spirit and optimism.
With a storyteller's gift and a scientist's insights, Draaisma celebrates the unique pleasures of the aging memory
You cannot call to mind the name of a man you have known for 30 years. You walk into a room and forget what you came for. What is the name of that famous film you've watched so many times? These are common experiences, and as we grow older we tend to worry about these lapses. Is our memory failing? Is it dementia? Douwe Draaisma, a renowned memory specialist, here focuses on memory in later life. Writing with eloquence and humor, he explains…
Children’s stories about memory loss, Alzheimer’s, and dementia resonate with me because I know firsthand how difficult it is to care for someone with this disease. My Aunt Luella had Alzheimer’s, and I cared for her in my home. When my aunt no longer remembered me, my heart ached. I felt hopeless, afraid. I can only imagine how difficult it is for a child to watch as a beloved grandparent forgets them. I found these five books to be helpful and inspiring. They offer hope. They embrace the love that still exists.
Ice Cream with Grandpa is about the love between a child and his Grandpa.
The child tells the story beginning with the first time his Grandpa gave him ice cream. Their love of ice cream bonds them, but they also enjoy gardening, and walks in the park. When Grandpa moves to an apartment, it took some adjustment. What helped was the ice cream parlor nearby. Grandpa eventually goes into a memory care home.
The child fears Grandpa won’t remember him. His mom explains that Grandpa is still Grandpa. They can still enjoy spending time together. On Grandpa’s last day in hospice, they eat ice cream. Grandpa passes, but the child continues to remember their love each time he eats ice cream.
This story moved me so much that I cried. I love that this book includes a Guide for Parents and Caregivers: Tips for Talking with Children about Dementia, Hospice,…
After his beloved grandpa's health declines and he receives a diagnosis of dementia, a grandson must navigate the changes in their relationship. Through it all, he learns that Grandpa is still Grandpa, and their bond deepens and sweetens through a shared love of ice cream.
Ice Cream with Grandpa is a loving, tender picture book that gently explores the topics of dementia, aging, and loss. Written from a child's point of view, it chronicles the changes in their relationship as his grandpa moves to assisted living, then memory care, and eventually hospice.
Ferry to Cooperation Island
by
Carol Newman Cronin,
James Malloy is a ferry captain--or used to be, until he was unceremoniously fired and replaced by a "girl" named Courtney Farris. Now, instead of piloting Brenton Island’s daily lifeline to the glitzy docks of Newport, Rhode Island, James spends his days beached, bitter, and bored.
I am a registered nurse, author, and dementia daughter. As a nurse and hospital case manager, I spent many years caring for people living with dementia and their families. This inspired me to write a novel, Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story. I soon encountered difficulties marketing my book. I reached out to two other dementia daughters I’d met online who had also written books on the subject from personal experience and together we founded the non-profit organization AlzAuthors.com. Our mission is to carefully vet resources – stories of personal caregiving – to help busy caregivers find the information and inspiration they need for their own journeys. To date, we are 300+ authors strong.
Michael was an executive in a Fortune 500 company when he was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at age 49. What followed was a cascade of losses: career, income, purpose. Not one to give up easily, Michael turned his efforts and energy to dementia advocacy, speaking across the country and internationally at conferences and before Congress. His book tells the story of his newfound passion and work with raw honesty.
Imagine having a mysterious illness take over your mind. Over the next 10 years, you try to navigate a health care and social system that is not equipped to address what is happening to you. As you slowly lose your ability to think and remember, you have to try to hide the losses to protect you and your family financially. You encounter doctors who are at best baffled, and order a series of nonspecific, redundant, and uninformative studies. If you want to know what it is like to walk in the shoes of one person with Alzheimer’s, read this book,…
