New York Mysteries July 29 – Aug. 5

I’m back in NYC packed with lovely memories of Portland, OR. These include being with old friends and making new ones, the Inn@Northrup Station, the Japanese Garden, the Historical Society, many happy hours and Pioneer Square.
As I’ve mentioned before, The Inn@Northrup Station is a mixture of Fred Flintstone, Salvatore Dali, Portland courtesy and efficiency.

The Japanese Garden has a new campus designed by Kengo Kuma. It combines Japanese tradition and northwest climate conditions. Check out its website. It’s gorgeous.

One of my favorite sites is the The Historical Society. THE coin that determined Portland’s name is found here. Know the tale? Two of the founding fathers were in disagreement about what to name the new town. The Bostonian wanted Boston and the Portland, Maine man wanted Portland. They flipped a coin. Guess who won.

A Whirly-gig out side The Inn@Northrup Station
The Oregon Historical Society

Happy hours are a Portland tradition. Between the hours of four and six you can eat tasty small plates and drink lovely cocktails for about $20. Bartini is know for its martinis. Bamboo is a modern version of Japanese and northwest cuisine. Scrumptious.
I attended the Ninth Annual NW Book Festival in Pioneer Square which is being renovated. Toilets, anyone? The crowd was small but choice and the other participants were great to talk to.

 

 

Graphic Lessons: Recent thirty-five-year-old widow Millie Fitzgerald applies for a private school teaching job, faints on a stabbed and dying man in the school kitchen, deals with the only witness to the stabbing – a troubled nine-year-old, develops a crush on a NYPD detective and her dog dies.

Graphic Lessons: Nine-year-old Dana is the only witness who overhears three people fighting with George Lopez, the soon to be stabbed Windsor School kitchen worker. Who can she tell? Her mother who never listens or accuses her of lying? Her father who’s started a new family in Singapore? She tells Millie.

Graphic Lessons: Something’s eating at NYPD Detective Steve Kulchek: a failed marriage? surviving a car bomb? his girlfriend marrying his corrupt boss? screwing up an important case? It doesn’t matter because he’s relentless.