Week of February 21 – I was slowed down this week since I was preparing for both the Suffolk Mystery Festival and the Murderous March Mystery Conference, both Saturday, March 5.

But I managed to get through two books, both of which I enjoyed immensely.

First was Judgment at Santa Monica, by E.J. Copperman.

Our hero is a lawyer, and when we meet her she is defending, and losing, a case of a suburban mon accused of prostitution. To her surprise, famous actor and previous client, Patrick McNabb turns up and wants her to take another murder case. Cynthia Sutton, another actor, is involved in a messy divorce that she blames on her mothering-law. Our reluctant defender has barely gotten started when Cynthia is accused of her mother-in-law’s accused of her mother-in-law’s murder. And lawyer Sandy is shot at and a co-worker is seriously injured. What is going on?

A good mystery and a wonderful wise-cracking protagonist.

The second book, Stargazer, is by Anne Hillerman. She is continuing her father’s mystery series, with the addition of female character Bernie Manuelito.

It looks like an ordinary day: serving a bench warrant, taking care of a herd of escaped cattle and so on. Then the husband of Bernie’s old college friend Maya requests her held. What has happened to Maya? Once closer than sisters, Bernie had lost touch with her old friend when Maya began drinking heavily. Now Maya has been accused of the murder of her estranged husband but something doesn’t seem right. With Chee, Bernie’s love interest, and Joe Leaphorn to help, another murder is solved.

As usual, one of the most captivating parts of these books is the study of the Navaho culture.