2026 Book Review #19:A Fountain Filled with Blood

 

This is Book 2 in the Rev Clare Fergusson mystery series that I discovered this past winter. 

STORY SUMMARY

Clare, the new Episcopal priest at St Albans Church in Millers Kill in eastern New York State, is shocked when she hears of the horrible beating a gay young man in town was subjected to.  Who would do such a horrible thing? Clare is a former Army Air Force chopper pilot and thought she had heard and seen it all between her job as a priest and the former duties of a helicopter pilot but she is shocked that homophobia seems to have struck this little town when another gay man is found murdered due to a savage beating.  What is going on in Millers Kill? Then another man is found dead!

Are these murders just random acts of violence or do they have something to do with the proposed spa that is set for construction on the  very wealthy Landry family land?   And how do the PCBs found in the water relate to the construction project? 

It seems as though this small town is as wicked as New York City.  

Clare gets involved with helping Russ Van Alstyne, chief of police, solve the murders and figure out why the head of the project has turned up dead in the local park?  Is his death related to the other men?  

MY THOUGHTS

This is a light mystery and very fast-paced. I love the character development between Clare and her friend Russ.  Russ is married to Linda who doesn't always seem interested in Russ's work.  Clare is interested and Russ is beginning to have feelings for the priest that extend beyond their new found friendship, but Clare begins to date a gentleman begins she also senses an attraction to Russ and knows that he is married and as a priest, she wants to be proper.  The verbal exchanges between these two characters and their mutual attraction really make the book move forward. 

In book one and now book two, the ending is a bit predictable and also a bit farfetched with what Clare does to help Russ solve the mysteries, but it's not super sappy and the overlying feeling of this book is just a light, easy mystery. I appreciate that there are no major swear words and that it's all around a good clean read.  

The themes tend to be mature.  This book deals with homophobia, bullying, threatening behavior, environmental issues, murder, and drug possession with intent to sell.  It all ties in nicely and the ending of the book leaves you wondering what Clare and Russ will be up to in Book 3. 

I love that the author wrote out the entire hymn.  The reason for the title I believe is because when Clare comes upon a certain murder scene, she thinks of the setting as a "fountain filled with blood" and prays over the man. 

I love that the author includes prayers and specific spiritual disciplines and although i am not Episcopalian, I appreciate the beauty of it. 

And as in book one, I appreciated and enjoyed the mention of many familiar and close to me landmarks in the Adirondacks: Lake George, Saratoga, "Story Land" aka in real life it was Story Town and now the Great Escape/Six Flags, Albany Medical Center (where my daughters were born), Glens Falls where my sister and her son work among other well known places in eastern NY. 

I found only a few editing errors in this book. 

In my opinion, this book is appropriate for ages 17 and older (due to some mature content). 

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the highest, I rate this an 8. 

End of May Faves

 

It's the last weekend of May 2026!

It's also time to look back on the week and find the blessings in it...those things that made us pause and say "Thank You, God". Susanne is the host for this so to join in or learn more, head to her blog!   This meme is called the Friday Fave Five.  Five blessings that made us take note. 

FIVE FAVES

The rolling hills of the Berkshires
from the Vista on Burbank Trail
western Massachusetts

• BERKSHIRES HIKE: There was rain predicted for Saturday evening in our area of eastern NYS. I had a SoulSteps hike scheduled for that morning in the Berkshires and the trail was only 45 minutes from my house so I decided not to cancel it as that area was supposed to be partly sunny all day. I'm thankful I didn't cancel because the hike was just lovely with really good weather, temp wise. There were no black flies in this area which was also a blessing.  Although 5 people signed up originally (2 backed out), it ended up being 3 of us: My friend Evelyn and a new member named Becky who is literally 30 yrs younger than us. The hike was a lollipop trail and since Becky was new I had her choose which part of the loop we were going to hike first. She chose the left side which also turned out to be a blessing as there was a steep descent after the vista point to Monks Pond (the final destination). The entire loop was 3.8 miles and the trail was very well marked and nicely groomed. I'm thankful we were back by 1 pm and that the rain held off!  Here are my fave pics from the day: 

The trail widens out after the Vista

a lovely part of the trail after a steep descent

Monks Pond
on the Burbank Trail

SoulSteps Hikers: Becky, me, Evelyn 
Burbank Trail
Memorial Day weekend 2026

• RELAXING WEEKEND:  Our Memorial Day Weekend was mostly a rainy one: the rain came in around 6 pm Saturday evening and stayed until Monday morning.  Monday afternoon was beautiful so we had our youngest daughter (Claire) over for grilled vegan burgers, pasta salad with lots of fresh, raw veggies, and watermelon/blueberries/cantaloupe. Dave opted for strawberies.  It was very nice to have Claire with us for the evening. Our oldest daughter and her boyfriend were away for the long weekend due to a wedding so couldn't join us. I'm thankful we got to spend some time with Claire, and also that the weekend gave Dave and I time to firm up our vacation plans for the end of June/beginning of July. 

photo by Claire

•  ERRANDS DONE!  Tuesday was a day of several errands which began with a hair cut appointment with my long-time stylist, Robin.  When I saw in several Summer Fashion articles that pixie cuts are back  on trend for 2026 ....they are especially popular in France....as well as here on the East Coast, I had Robin cut it pretty short because it grows so fast and this way it will last until after we are back from vacation.  After the haircut, I grabbed an iced coffee from *$ and then went and picked up my new sunglasses as Claire had texted me that they were in! She wanted me to pose for a pic thus the photo. 😁 I then dashed over to the town park to get in a walk before having to go home and do some chores. I'm thankful I was able to get so much done on Tuesday. Here's a pic of where I did my power walk after the errands: 

The Crossings Park 
Tuesday

• LAKE DAY! Thursday was a day that I had a scheduled SoulSteps hike in the morning.  There were 4 of us to hike the Nature Trail at my fave state park that features a lake. We walked 3.2 miles and then 3 of us took our beach chairs and sat on the beach trying to get some sun.  It started to rain but then stopped after about 2 min so we stayed another half hour but when it began to rain in earnest, we packed up to go home. I only live about 35 min south of this lake so I do go often in the summer. Anyone ages 62 and older can go for free (if you camp, you still have to pay for the  campsite) to any of the NYS Parks M-F.  For the weekends, I have  an Empire Pass which is worth every penny. It's good for one calendar year and because I've been a member for more than 20 years, I get a discount! After time at the lake, I enjoyed a late lunch on the deck and did some chores around the house. It was a lovely Spring day.  I'm thankful for lake time with good friends after a good hike! I didn't take a lot of photos on this trail as I've hiked it numerous times over the last 30 years but here's a couple of my faves from the day: 

SoulSteps Hikers
front: Joan, Shawna
back: me, Annette

Moreau Lake from the lookout

Moreau Lake from the more private beach 
on the left side of the lake 

• ANSWERED PRAYERS: There were several prayer requests from friends, family, people I know and I found out this week that many of them were answered in a positive way.  One friend has a son who recently graduated from college and was having trouble finding a summer job. Well, he was just offered a permanent job in his field so her prayer that he work and save for grad school was answered. Another friend, and my neighbor, had a very good test result after a scary biopsy.  I can't go into details as don't have her permission to share.  Our oldest daughter and bf had safe travels both ways on their mountain getaway.  Our youngest daughter had safe travels and made excellent time on her one day visit to Dave's mom out in Plymouth County, MA. Another friend of mine has had some positive  communication with her oldest daughter  which there has been a bit of a strain in their relationship.  I'm so thankful that we are seeing positive answers to prayer and that God is at work in the lives of my friends and family. 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wednesday HodgePodge Fun

While eating breakfast this morning, I headed over to Joyce's blog to see what her "hodgepodge" meme questions were for the day and I enjoyed them so much I decided to put off the mopping of the floors to play along. 😊

1. Do you like your name? Are you named after someone (grandparent, etc)? If you have children how did you choose their names? 

I love my name (Faith) but hated my middle name and still do (Ellen).  I'm named Faith because my parents, as Christ followers and after trying for 7 years to conceive, had the "faith" that the pregnancy would go well.  They first wanted Donna because the Donna Reed show was so popular in the late 50s (I was born in Dec of 59) but my cousin was named Donna and mom didn't want to copy her oldest sister.   Someday I'll share the story of how my younger sisters Joy, Hope, and Jill were named. 

Yes, I have two daughters.  We chose their names (mostly, I did and Dave agreed) based on heritage/ancestry.  Courtney Elisabeth (our oldest) is an old French gender-neutral name (representing my side of family, via my dad) and Old English (representing Dave's side of the family), meaning "of the court" or "queen-like" and she definitely was our little princess.  Her middle name Elisabeth, is the Biblical spelling of Elizabeth (my mother in law's name) and spelled with the s is how my mom's middle name was spelled so both grandmothers were thrilled with what we chose. I put her name in the color of her bedroom once she turned 12 and wanted a more "grown up" look. That bedroom is now our guest/exercise room and is painted a more ocean type blue grey. Courtney was the only one in her class with that name!

My youngest daughter is Claire Rebekah.  Claire is the feminine French spelling meaning "light" or "like a star" (and she has certainly shined on stage with her ballet) and it represents my side of the family (I'm half French via Dad's side) and Rebekah is a Biblical name that means "to bind" or to tie family together.  It also is a name and spelling I've just always loved. I put her name in purple as when she turned 10 and wanted a room makeover, she wanted her fave color in wallpaper that looked like swirled paint.  The room is now Dave's home office and the wallpaper is still up as he likes it! It's a soft lilac color and quite soothing. Claire was the only one in her class with that name, although younger friends and acquaintances have told me it's become a very popular name (Claire)

2.  A piece of red velvet cake, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a slice of blueberry pie? You can only have one...which will you choose? If you could pick any red, white, or blue dessert other than those listed here, what would you choose? 

If I could only eat one of the above, it would be vanilla oatmilk ice cream with blueberries on top. 

Any dessert not listed here.....hm......probably raspberries and blueberries as a fruit cup with shredded coconut on top. 

3.  What's a job you'd like to try for just one day? 

Forensic psychologist or profiler trying to figure out the mental state of serial killers or abusers. 

4. Any patriotic decor in your home currently or coming up this summer? 

Absolutely!  Here are some pics of how my home is decorated from now until August when I then decorate in Summer themed items like sunflowers and daisies: 

a windsock hanging off the trellis 

my rock/flower garden in backyard

on a bookshelf in family room

living room chair

family room decor

front flower garden 

Front entrance..the American flag
will come down on Saturday and up will go a summer themed one
but the flag will  go back up for the first 2 weeks of July 
to celebrate Independence Day 

coaster in living room

front yard

Family room 

family room coasters

cloth napkins in dining room

I also have a "Welcome" flag in the flag colors hanging on the side entrance to kitchen from garage  that I neglected to take a photo of and a small round navy blue sign for the outside side garage door that has cut out stars and says "Welcome Friends". Those 2 items  will hang there until August.

5. It's the end of May, so let's exercise our brains. Sum up your month with an acrostic using the word MAY. We can do it!!  

M= many busy days

A= annoying black flies in the mountains 

Y= yearning for time on the beaches at the mountain lakes 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The  Tuesday evening small group Bible study/book group I lead only has one more week of reading/discussion and then we'll wrap up with a "Dinner on the Deck" night. I'm so looking forward to having a break from leading this weekly group.  We will meet up again in mid-September!

ENJOY YOUR WEDNESDAY!  The weather is gorgeous here so after housework and an errand, I plan on taking a nice long walk. 

Tuesday 4: Seasons

Welcome to the Tuesday 4 Meme!!  

I really enjoyed these questions when I saw them on Linda's blog so decided to play along while I wait for my laundry to finish. 

1. Do you have a favorite day of the week and how about  a favorite month of the year? Why?

When I was teaching full time (special ed Prek) I loved Mondays, believe it or not. New week, new lesson themes, and most of the children were eager to be there. Also, it's when I had a full classroom team in my room (speech, ot, pt along with my TA) which made it easier to work on specific goals with specific children and do some play therapy, too. 

Now that I'm retired, I like all the days! If I had to choose a fave though, it would be Sundays when both daughters are typically available to get together or come over for dinner or just hang out. 

Favorite month is harder!  How about we do it this way and do it by seasons.

My favorite Spring month is June (yes I know Summer falls mid-way through June) but I LOVE the end of May leading into June.  Everything is so lush and green by then at least here in eastern NYS. 

Fave Summer month:  August. Usually the days are less humid, the evenings are simply delightful and the best hiking for the mountains is mid-August through Oct.  Why? because most tourists from the  states to the south and west of us head away from the Adirondacks and head home due to their public schools starting in August. Ours begin after Labor day so I love the mountains once the tourists are gone. 

Fave Autumn month: October.  The crisp air, the chilly mornings, the plentiful sunshine and no bugs while hiking! Also, all the fresh produce!!  October is truly delightful here in eastern NY. 

Fave Winter Month: the first one: end of December: Winter Solstice and youngest daughter's birthday (mine is earlier in the month as is my nephew and his mom, my sister Joy)  Christmas, New Year's Eve, and just the freshness of the fallen snow (if we actually get any in December!). 

2. What’s the most beautiful or magical thing about each of the four seasons?

The changes in weather and the way the mountains look so different in each season. 

3. Summer is coming... what does this mean in your life? How will things change, stay the same ,etc?

For me, it means my husband will actually use his vacation weeks. Also, our anniversary is the last day of June. Life slows down a bit in regards to leading my weekly women's book group and we don't typically have choir rehearsals in the summer. Our evenings are longer, outdoors often around the bonfire pit. 

Things that change: we tend to eat dinner a bit later; we tend to have more adventures in the mountains and lakes; we tend to get together with good friends more and the hiking season really picks up which means I'm busy volunteering at leading my hiking group I founded 2 years ago! 

This year the beginning of summer will bring our youngest niece's graduation from high school and her grad party. 

Things that stay the same: we still attend church and volunteer with Production (Dave) and HomeBound organization (me).

4. What do you look forward to in each season?

This seems redundant but:

Spring: I look forward to the flowers, green grass, grilling our food,  and milder temps. 

Summer: all the things mentioned above plus coffee and breakfast, lunch, dinner on the deck (unless temps are above 85 which will force us to turn on the central air and eat indoors), swimming in mountain lakes and relaxing on the beaches, visiting family we may not have seen over the winter. 

Autumn: more mountain hikes vs deep woods hikes; cozy sweaters and cute riding boots or ankle boots; power walking in the mornings with no humidity; bonfires, game nights with friends, Harvest events

Winter: the cozy warm house with candlelight flickering for evenings and some mornings; more time to read and watch movies; Comfort foods like my homemade mac and cheese, stuffed pepper soup, and other slow cooker meals plus the things mentioned above. 

Just about 3 more weeks until Summer officially begins!!