RIPTIDE

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The Dark Library

E stella Ecker, or E as she prefers to be called, joins our Girls of Summer courtesy of author Mary Anna Evans and her new suspense...

Pirate Rules of Conduct or Dog Training 101

Photo: Carolyn Tillery I t’s summer, my favorite time to spend with my adored 1800s boy band leader, the handsome rogue Jean Lafitte....

The Queen of Poisons

It’s the perfect time to catch up with the Girls of Summer from the Marlow Murder Club. In the third and latest book in this delightful...

We Solve Murders

Richard Osman was a well-known British television presenter who few in the United States had heard of when his debut novel in The...

Emergency Book Response

I'm so proud to be part of the wonderful organization International Thriller Writers. Our leadership put out a call to members to help...

Ranchlands - From The Land for The Land

Now that Yellowstone has turned the horses out to pasture, many fans are grieving the loss of their weekly dose of modern ranching life....

The Dead Years

One of the best series debuts I read this year is The Dead Years by Jeffrey B. Burton. I’m a big fan of his Mace Reid K-9 mysteries, so...

Shake it Up — Cocktails Inspired by the Music of Taylor Swift

Calling all (adult) Swifties! The definitive cocktail book inspired by the songs of the powerhouse princess of pop has made its debut....

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

As a die-hard Agatha Christie fan, I was intrigued by the approach to retelling her famous novel—for children. The Mysterious Affair at...

The Hunter

The Hunter by Tana French ranks among the best books I have read this year. The second installment in French’s Cal Hooper series is just...

Murder at The Elms

I enjoy discovering new mystery series to recommend. Cozy series are the book world’s way of telling us that a host of characters out...

The Mystery of Yew Tree House

From the first novel in The Detective’s Daughter series by Lesley Thomson, I was hooked by her fascinating characters and fresh premise....

The Murder of Mr. Wickham

It’s not often that reviewers recommend older books on these lists, but in the case of The Murder of Mr. Wickham (2022) by New York Times...

Jane and the Final Mystery

For many, summer reads are new releases hot off the presses. And authors never fail to fill our beach bags with great stories. However, I...

A Christmas Vanishing

Christmas is all about traditions, old and new. From the national tree lighting and cookies for Santa to hanging stockings and...

Memory and Desire

Memory and Desire, the new novel from Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Philip Caputo, is the ideal gift for anyone who enjoys a good...

Up on the Woof Top

Dog and mystery lovers will cheer this holiday. Ace private eyes Chet and Bernie are back in Up on the Woof Top, the new novel by Spencer...

What’s Your Poison?

Having sold more than 2 billion copies of her crime novels, the bestselling author in the world, Agatha Christie, still reigns—and...

The Senator's Wife

If you're into great surprise endings, then I highly recommend "The Senator's Wife" by Liv Constantine. Enter the glamourous, exciting,...

It's One of Us

I've just finished JT Ellison's "It's One of Us," — and it's terrific. When Olivia Bender and her husband, Park, are notified that his...

Touring By The Book

Vacationing in England last July, we were overjoyed to be joined by our pre-teen granddaughter. We set out to create a memorable yet...

The Housemaid

Millie’s on parole, living in her car and on the edge. The call from Nina Winchester is a lifeline, her last hope for a second chance....

The Radcliffe Ladies’ Reading Club

When Alice Campbell leaves her controlling husband and moves to Boston, determined to chart her own path, she cannot know how profoundly...

Her Final Confession

By Lisa Regan Detective Josie Quinn is still coping with personal trauma while working to build a relationship with the twin sister she...

The Mirror Dance

By Catriona McPherson Dandy Gilver sets out to confront a traveling Punch and Judy man about a simple, straightforward case of...

Oh Christmas Tree

Like millions of families, we decorate our Christmas tree each holiday season. What began as an annual event became a vast, breakable...

Reality Home Schooling

Like many home enthusiasts, I’m a fan of HGTV and now Magnolia Network. For those interested in home remodeling, decorating, or interior...

The Invincible Miss Cust

The Invincible Miss Cust, based on the real-life of Aleen Isabel Cust, might be historical fiction, but it’s a story destined to make...

First Blood

On the first day of her new assignment, Detective Inspector Kim Stone makes her way to her new Detective Chief Inspector’s office with no...

The Woman Underwater

That morning was like any other. Victoria Sands rushed her two boys through breakfast and out the door to school and blew a kiss to her...

A Jar of Pennies

Jesse Grinder was born with few options, and life went south from there. He’s from country stock who toil in forestry, eat, sleep, go to...

Hog Wild

The growing tribes of feral hogs spreading across the 450-square-mile Texas Cross Barr cattle ranch are about to get a snout full of...

The Floating Girls

Twelve-year-old Kay Whitaker has a severe case of boredom and loneliness. Growing up at the end of a dirt road in Bledsoe, Georgia,...

For Those Who Are Lost

With the Nazi invasion of Guernsey immanent, residents scramble to get their children off the island and to the safety of mainland...

How to Train Your Husband

Little Lessons Every New Bride Needs to Learn My husband often jokes with friends that he wants to return as one of our dogs when he...

Five Books to Pull from the TBR file For Your Vacation

Summer is the perfect time to delve into your To Be Read pile, and I have five superb books to share with you from mine. From a royally...

Well-Dressed Husbands

Let’s be honest. There is nothing sexier than a husband who has just mowed the lawn. Or cleaned out the garage. Or rearranged the...

The Physicists’ Daughter

It’s 1944, and Justine Byrne is thrilled by the opportunity to step away from her mind-numbing war-time assembly line job and use her...

The Romance of Packing

Planning what to pack for our upcoming summer trip to England would be easier if I knew all my careful, neat folding wouldn’t end up a...

Two Little Girls

One Heart-Wrenching Choice Choose which one dies—a horrific nightmare for any mother of more than one child. In Two Little Girls, the...

The Distant Dead

I discovered bestselling author Lesley Thomson’s remarkable Detective’s Daughter series a few years ago by chance. I should have also...

The Windsor Knot

As celebrations marking Queen Elizabeth’s platinum anniversary as monarch begin, it’s the perfect time to discover S.J. Bennett’s new...

Hattie Rose Has Earned Her Wings

Preparing for our first Christmas together 30 years ago, I asked my husband what kind of topper he’d like for our tree. His response told...

Salute to My Neighborhood Heros - Dallas Fire Station 17

I was delighted when asked to write a small profile of Lakewood's neighborhood fire station. In part, of course, because it's my...

First Impressions

After A Gloomy 2020, Refreshing Our Home’s Entry Is A Step In The Right Direction To Welcome Back Guests Our neighborhood, considered the...

Riptide Galveston

Celebrating My Love Affair With Galveston Island . . . The United States Coast Guard Station With Guardsman Joseph Ayotte, CS1 While in...

Riptide Galveston

Celebrating My Love Affair With Galveston Island. . . Waterman's Restaurant - Dinner, Cocktails And A Killer View Waterman's Restaurant...

Riptide Galveston

Celebrating My Love Affair With Galveston Island . . . Christmas on The Strand - Where It's Always Christmas I began collecting Christmas...

Riptide Galveston

Celebrating My Love Affair With Galveston Island . . . Star Drug Store – The First Drug Store in Texas A brass plaque marks the height of...

Riptide Galveston

Celebrating My Love Affair With Galveston Island . . . The Stewart’s Mansion - Home to Pirates and Philanthropists - With Shirley Roane,...

In My Dallas Kitchen

Sipping Pretty With Shades of Pink

Photo: Carolyn Tillery “A good, heavy book holds you down. It’s an anchor that keeps you from getting up and having another gin and...

Victoria Sponge Cake

No afternoon tea party in my home is complete without this royal treat. The Victoria sponge cake is named after Queen Victoria, a monarch...

Creamy Blackened Seafood Pasta

Texas Gulf shrimp and scallops are the perfect seafood for this spicy pasta dish. With 367 miles of coastline, it’s no surprise that...

Haute Lunch

T he bombshell announcement that the Downtown Dallas flagship store of Neiman Marcus would close shocked and angered many. Even the...

Banana Nut Bread With Chocolate Chips and Coconut

Banana bread is a home-made standard and the bread recipe most searched for on the Internet. Thanks to its simplicity, this basically...

Classic Southern Pecan Pie

Classic Southern Pecan Pie With its sweet, honey-gold filling and roasted nuts, pecan pie is a long-standing favorite of Sunday dinners...

Toffee Berry Crisps

My husband loves crunchy cookies, and these buttery treats are a texture and flavor powerhouse. The oats and toffee provide a nutty-like...

Cherry Squares Coffee Cake

The holiday season is the perfect time to meet with family, friends, and neighbors to catch up over morning or afternoon coffee. And that...

Chicken Pot Pie

As chilly weather settles in, so does our craving for old-fashioned favorite dishes. Chicken pot pie ranks among the best and most...

Artichoke Bites

I’m always looking for new appetizers, and this recipe for Artichoke Bites is a new favorite. It’s a showstopper: hearty, flavorful,...

Batten Down the Hatches — The Hurricane

The most identifiable drink in the French Quarter is undoubtedly the delicious, fruity Hurricane, garnished with a cherry and an orange...

Cool, Classic Grasshopper

Anything Art Deco, especially jewelry, architecture, or fashion, is always going to grab my attention. Classic cocktails, such as the...

Vanilla Bean Cake

Spring is the perfect time to celebrate all things beautiful—and the beautiful women in our lives. Don’t wait for Mother’s Day, a...

Texas Cocktails

This holiday, charm your guests with elegant cocktails laced with Southern hospitality from author Nico Martini. Texas Cocktails is a...

Candy Cane Wonderland Cake

Candy canes instantly make us think of Christmas, much the same as Santa Claus. Historians believe the sweet holiday mainstay was created...

French Pear Champagne

Americans consume roughly 360 million glasses of Champagne on New Year’s Eve, and during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, shell out...

Fresh Orange Cranberry Sauce

Each holiday season, Americans serve 5 million gallons of cranberry sauce. And the red, tart condiment has long had a place at the...

Green Bean Casserole

A Fresh Take on the Thanksgiving Classic Green bean casseroles have become as synonymous with Thanksgiving dinners as turkey and...

Served With Suspicion

On the Trail of Culinary Crime Novels Few things go together better than reading and eating, so it only seems natural to put them...

Toffee Almond Butter Cookies

Shortbread’s long history speaks to its popularity. Mary Queen of Scots, in mid-16th century Scotland, is said to have been very fond of...

Southwest Chicken Quiche

In the 1950s, Americans decided they liked quiche, and it’s easy to see why. Many women had stayed in the workforce following World War...

Chuck Roast Leftovers Ruben Sandwich

One of the things I love about making chuck roast for Sunday dinner is having leftovers. This week I transformed the leftover roast into...

Golden Grilled Cheese

It's 107 degrees here again, so we're staying inside, finishing up a few small projects and selecting some movies to watch. We decided on...

Pistachio Almond Ice Cream Pie

One of our family’s favorite summer desserts is ice cream pie. With pre-made crusts, recipes for this frozen treat can’t be simpler or...

Old Fashioned Banana Nut Bread

Banana bread is often one of the first recipes as children we help our mothers bake. It’s a favorite afternoon or late-night snack and a...

Pull-Apart Herb Bread

Our family loves bread, whether rolls, biscuits, or loaves. This Pull-Apart Herb Bread recipe is one of our favorites, and I’ve made it...

Hearty Tomato Soup with Homemade Croutons

Creamy tomato soup from the popular red and white can has always been a home fast-food favorite on chilly evenings. My Hearty Tomato Soup...

Blueberry Almond Coffee Cake

This simple blueberry coffee cake is one of my favorites to serve guests for a mid-morning coffee or tea visit. It’s simple, quick, and...

Who Was Bloody Mary?

The popular brunch cocktail often proffered as a hangover cure continues to delight—or relieve—after more than 100 years. Bartender...

Wrangler Shaved Beef Sandwiches

Wrangler Shaved Beef Sandwiches are the ideal solution for busy work and school nights. The hearty sandwiches are not only filling, but...

Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Biscuits

There’s something intrinsically southern about biscuits baked in a cast-iron skillet. Whether served with jam and scrambled eggs at...

Easy Homemade Pizza Dough

Weekend family movie nights are even more fun when pizza is involved—homemade pizza. This recipe is easy and perfect for when you have...

Rodeo Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are childhood favorites. These treats have a little bit of everything for the child in all of us: oatmeal, raisins,...

Lemon Sponge Cake

A Tribute For Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee Celebration Sponge cake is a lovely alternative to the sweetness of frosted cakes and...

Oatmeal Brulée

Our Childhood Staple Grows Up — Oatmeal is one of those simple, wonderful foods we never outgrow. It’s one of the first solid foods most...

Apple Pancake

I'm a huge fan of egg bread recipes. I found this recipe on social media, and I don’t know its origins. However, it’s delicious. It’s...

Homestyle Chili

Chili has long been a Texas staple, from chuckwagons on the prairie to tailgate parties at the stadium or arena. It’s an easy dish to...

Homestyle Chicken Tetrazzini

Chilly weather always makes me crave chicken tetrazzini. It’s a hearty, flavorful chicken pasta dish that has been around seemingly...

Boozy Buttermint White Hot Chocolate

PHOTO: Carolyn Tillery A pretty cup of hot chocolate in front of the fireplace is the perfect remedy for all the frigid weather we’ve had...

Highclere Castle Christmas Cocktail

With many forgoing large parties for more intimate gatherings, this holiday may be the rebirth of the cocktail party. According to a 1917...

Cornbread

Cornbread is one of the few foods documented as served at the first Thanksgiving dinner. Of course, the essential ingredient in the...

Fresh Apple Cake

Fall brings with it so many traditions. It’s the time of school carnivals, pumpkin patches, Friday night football, and, of course,...

Licensed to Chill

When hearing “shaken not stirred,” one immediately envisions MI6’s super spy 007, James Bond. Always suave as he orders his signature...

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I’m a huge fan of vanilla buttercream, so much so, it’s become a family joke. A few years ago, our daughter-in-law sent me a refrigerator...

Lemon Meringue Pie

Whether pies, tarts, cakes or cookies, citrus treats–tart or sweet–conjure relaxing spring and summertime images of picnics and porch...

Apple Pecan Fritters

Although apple pie is a delicious July 4th dessert that most of us grew up enjoying as part of our holiday celebrations, this year, I...

Lafitte’s Best

America's Independence Saved by a Cunning Pirate ... A decorated American general and a Louisiana French pirate seem unlikely partners in...

Devil's Food Cake

Creating a Wickedly Good Dessert How some versions of deep chocolate cake picked up the ominous moniker of “Devil’s Food” isn’t clear....

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Probably no vintage dessert speaks to a bygone era more than the pineapple upside cake. Growing up in South Texas, the sweet, moist...

Chocolate Almond Bundt Cake

Bundt cakes became popular in this country in the 1950s, and it’s reported that one in three American homes where folks bake has at least...

Carolyn Tillery

Lover of Mysteries, Writing, Cooking, and Dogs

I’ve been passionate about reading mysteries and writing since I held my first Nancy Drew novel. I became a reporter while I was in college and my entire career has involved journalism. My home is filled with books and dog toys, and there’s almost always something coming out of the oven.

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“Do not open your heart to evil… If you do–evil will come…”

– Agatha Christie