Rambling About.. Rachel McMillan's Of Dubious and Questionable Memory

In January I fell in love with Rachel McMillan's Merinda Herringford and Jemima Watts. Even though I read it so early in the year I knew then that The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder would likely be one of my favorite books of 2016. It still is. I still find myself saying "cracker jacks" far more often than I ever thought imaginable and have been waiting oh-so-impatiently for a new book to appear. At the end of May the novella Of Dubious and Questionable Memory was released but I was holding out to get it until a full-length novel was available to join it. I was so very above the moon happy when I saw that A Lesson in Love and Murder would be released on August 30th -- and that it was available on NetGalley! (Do yourself a huge favor and read these in order!)
Of course, now that I actually have each in my possession I'm spreading out the Merinda and Jem love and not reading them back-to-back after all. Figures, eh? I'll post A Lesson in Love and Murder a bit closer to its publication date. Don't worry -- it's only three weeks to wait!

A short read but worth every too-fast second. I can't ramble about it too much because I just know I'll botch it and give something away, but here are some random thoughts that would have made its way into a full-length ramble had it been a full-length book (which I'm glad it wasn't -- something I never thought I would say as I tend to stay away from shorts):

* St Jerome's Reformatory for Vagrant and Incorrigible Females -- Sadly, it doesn't seem to have existed. The Toronto Morality Squad did, and there are several St Jerome this-and-thats, but I've found no record of St Jerome's Reformatory.... yet.

* Poor Jem trying to be all domesticated and housewifey. And poor Ray trying to deal with Jem. And poor everyone trying to deal with Merinda! (Jasper especially. She even called him a "human golden retriever" ... at his own birthday party!)

* Only these four could come up with such a ridiculous wager. Lunches or motorbikes. Really?

* "Boston stole my soul from the moment we disembarked at South Station." Yep. I definitely know the feeling! Reading about it in the glory of what was October 1911? Absolutely delightful. Could almost feel the crispness of the air in my chest.

* Jemima fangirls over Louisa May Alcott. I knew I loved her.

* Merinda, Merinda, Merinda. It's a good thing I love Jem and Ray and Jasper so very much. You I kind of want to shut into a closet for prolonged periods of time. You do have your moments of not being totally self-absorbed, though, for which I am very thankful.

* The case itself? Perfect for a story of this length. Any longer may have left it dragging along. Fun and spunky and a little heartbreaking and totally what I would expect from McMillan.

* Lemon jam. I need some. Now.

* "One little step to try and understand someone, and the whole world can change for you." -- A keeper of a quote!