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Morgan Sheppard (1010 KP) created a post

May 29, 2026  
Happy Folklore Friday for the 29th! 🌿

Today I want to talk about the Cyhyraeth, one of the quieter, stranger figures in Welsh folklore and one that has always fascinated me.

At first glance, a Cyhyraeth is like the Irish Banshee. It’s a wailing female spirit that acts as a death omen, heralding an impending loss. But unlike the Banshee, the Cyhyraeth is never seen, only ever heard, particularly along the Welsh coast and near water.

The cry was understood as a portent of death, arriving before illness, before disaster, before shipwrecks claimed their dead. Sometimes she was said to wail three times, each cry growing fainter, and those who heard her knew that something irrevocable was already in motion.

What makes the Cyhyraeth so compelling is how much she does with so little. There's no figure to describe, no face to imagine, only a sound moving through the darkness and the particular dread of knowing that a warning has already come too late to change anything. 🌊

She belongs to a rich tradition of Welsh omens and heralds, sitting alongside the Gwrach y Rhibyn and the corpse candle as one of the ways Welsh folklore gave shape to the unspeakable. Some things, it seems, need a voice even when there's no one left to hear them.

#FolkloreFriday #TalesFromWales #WelshFolklore #FolkloreFantasy #MythAndMoonlight
      
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Morgan Sheppard (1010 KP) May 29, 2026

And for those of you wondering... it's pronounced Kuh-HUR-aith 💙
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2570 KP) rated The Unkept Woman in Books

Mar 2, 2026 (Updated Mar 2, 2026)  
The Unkept Woman
The Unkept Woman
Allison Montclair | 2021 | Mystery
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Body in Sparks’s Apartment
When Iris Sparks returns to her apartment one night after work, she is shocked to find an unexpected visitor. It’s someone she is less than happy to see, especially since she thought the person was out of her life for good. After quickly going to the Bainbridge’s for the night, she thinks things are behind her again – until a body is discovered in her living room. Who was the victim? And who committed the murder?
 
If you have yet to meet the ladies of The Right Sort Marriage Bureau, I don’t suggest you start here. Despite the prologue, which has a scene two days before the story really starts (yep, still hate that literary technique), the book takes some time getting into the mystery. Instead, we get some updates in the ongoing soap opera infused storylines. But, as a fan, I was there for it. Things only pick up once the murder happens. Despite my focus on Iris in the teaser, Gwen gets plenty of her own moments to shine, and the plot couldn’t have been solved without both of them. And they continue to be two compelling leads I can’t wait to spend more time with soon. Fans looking to catch up will be as hooked on this entry as I was.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2570 KP) rated Two Kinds of Truth (Harry Bosch #20) in Books

May 29, 2025  
Two Kinds of Truth (Harry Bosch #20)
Two Kinds of Truth (Harry Bosch #20)
Michael Connelly | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
8.5 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Two Kinds of Cases
When two pharmacists are killed in San Fernando, it’s all hands on deck, including reserve officer Harry Bosch. It quickly looks like the motive might not be robbery but something to do with the drug trade. But Bosch’s attention is being split since an almost 30-year-old case is being questioned thanks to fresh DNA evidence. If these new test results are right, it looks like Bosch sent the wrong man to prison back then. Can he figure out what is happening to keep a killer behind bars?

Bosch having two cases he is juggling has become a staple of the series, and there’s usually one I care about more than the others. This time, I found the modern story just okay. It was too straightforward and felt written to bring in real life topics for 2017. The old case, however, was compelling, and when that was the focus, I had a hard time putting the book down. We see some Lincoln Lawyer characters and a few faces from Bosch’s past, which is great, and all the characters were engaging. As usual, these books incorporate a little more of the real world into the stories, but as long as you know going in, you will be fine. Overall, I did enjoy book twenty in this long running series.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2570 KP) rated A Book Club to Die For in Books

Nov 3, 2022  
A Book Club to Die For
A Book Club to Die For
Dorothy St. James | 2022
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Exclusive Book Clubs Lead to Murder
Tru Becket has been invited to speak at the exclusive Arete Society, a book club that has waiting lists to join. In fact, her friend Flossie is one of those waiting to get in, and she has come with Tru in order to plead her case. The meeting winds up being canceled, however, when Tru finds the group’s president dead in the kitchen. The police think that Hazel, this month’s hostess, snapped and killed the victim, but Tru doesn’t think so. Can she come up with an alternative suspect?

This book is a variation on the locked room mystery, and I have come to realize how much I enjoyed those added twists to the story. A couple of things were obvious early on, but overall, this was still a compelling mystery with suspects strong enough to keep you engaged. The series regulars are all here and are fantastic as well. There are some regulars who can get annoying, but they were kept in the background and added to the fun. And this book is fun. I laughed more than I had at the first two. One sub-plot in particular made me laugh every time it popped up. If you are looking for a light mystery, this is one you’ll enjoy.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2570 KP) rated Mistletoe and Murder in Books

Oct 18, 2023  
Mistletoe and Murder
Mistletoe and Murder
Connie Berry | 2023 | Mystery
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Christmas Wedding Faces Criminal Complications
It’s five days before Kate Hamilton is set to marry Detective Inspector Tom Mallory on Christmas Eve, and the complications are starting to come, like travel delays for Kate’s family and friends coming from the states. But the bigger complication comes from Sheila Parker, an acquaintance who comes looking for an appraisal of her coin collection. That night, Sheila’s house is searched. The next day, Sheila vanishes. Can Kate figure out what happened to Sheila before her wedding?

I find missing person mysteries to be that much more compelling, so I was hooked on this one quickly. I did figure a couple of things out early, but there were still plenty of surprised on the way to the climax. Meanwhile, I loved spending time with the characters old and new. We get some good updates on ongoing storylines, and the ending sets up the next full length book. I am a bit surprised that the wedding came in an ebook only novella, and there isn’t a lot of time for Christmas trappings, but both of these are minor issues. Fans will be happy to get a chance to visit the characters again. While this might not be the best place to start if you are new to the series, I definitely recommend you start the series soon.