Reading right now:

            “Death, Taxes, and a Chocolate Cannoli” by Diane Kelly. In this ninth book in the funny IRS agent Tara Holloway series, Tara goes undercover in a mobster’s wife’s restaurant in order to get close enough to put him behind bars.

On hold right now:

            “The Marauders” by Tom Cooper." This funny debut crime novel has pill-addicted, one-armed Louisiana treasure hunter Gus Lindquist looking for the lost treasure of pirate Jean Lafitte.

Other mysterious things:

            Funny and mystery seems like a strange combination, but there are many fantastic mystery writers that have added a little comic relief to their novels with great success. If you haven’t tried any, you might find that a little comedy is good for the soul. Some outstanding writers in this field include: Donna Andrews, M. C. Beaton, Lilian Jackson Braun, Janet Evanovich (whose 22^nd Stephanie Plum book “Tricky Twenty-Two was recently released), Tim Dorsey (his 19^th Serge Storm book will be released in January), Denise Swanson’s Scumble River series, Alexander McCall Smith’s No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series, Mary Daheim, Agatha Christie, Lisa Lutz, Tamar Myers, Diane Mott Davison, Stephanie Bond, Lawrence Block, Harlan Coben’s series about Sports Agent Myron Bolitar, Parnell Hall’s Puzzle Lady’s series, Carolyn Hart’s series starring Annie Laurance, Kinky Friedman, Joan Hess’ Maggody mysteries, Carl Hiaasen, Joanne Fluke, G. M. Ford, Susan Santangelo, Sibel Hodge, and Sue Ann Jaffarian’s Odelia Grey series. Annelise Ryan’s series about deputy coroner Mattie Winston is also funny and smart and her seventh book in the series comes out in January (“Stiff Competition”). Nancy Martin’s “Miss Ruffles Inherits Everything” comes out this month and is the first in a funny new cozy series.