#margo pembroke

[unfortunate-arrow]

𝐇𝐨𝐠𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐜𝐲: 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 | part 1

part 2

A/N: A really long post

𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚛 𝚁𝚢𝚊𝚗 𝙻𝚢𝚗𝚌𝚑

Nicknames: None

Name Meanings: Conor → Irish, “lover of hounds” ; Ryan → Irish, “little king” ; Lynch → Irish, “mariner.”

Date of Birth: March 29, 1900

Gender: Male ; he/him 

Sexuality: Heterosexual 

Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff 

Faceclaims: Colin Ford & John Wesley Shipp 

Parents: Cillian Lynch and Orla O’Rourke

Wife: Ciara Mary Mallon

Children: Doyle Brannigan Lynch (Dec. 13, 1925-1998) and Ailis Ciara O’Donnell née Lynch (Mar. 24, 1936-July 25, 1974)

Grandchildren:  Cian (Jan. 18, 1965-Dec. 2002), Ryan, Cara, Sara, and Conor O’Donnell (b. Aug. 18, 1973)

Great-grandchildren: Theodora “Dora,” Declan, Michael, Keira, Violet, Winifred, Brendan, Seth, Naomi, and Ciaran

Patronus: Leopard 

Favorite Subjects: Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Study of Ancient Runes

Least Favorite Subjects: Flying, Potions 

Extracurriculars: Prefect, head boy

Hobbies: Reading, gardening, playing the piano, stamp collecting, coin collecting 

Personality: Reserved, loyal, hardworking, has a sarcastic side, kind, friendly, gregarious, a slightly skittish nature, intelligent, stubborn, introverted, loving, cautious 

About Conor: The first Lynch to be sorted into Hufflepuff in over a century, Conor is both very similar and very different to his parents and has a very complicated relationship with them, as they both overcorrected in their attempts to not be like their own parents. This means that Conor learned to be independent at a younger age than most of his peers. However, that never affected him too much as Conor has always had a rather serious bend. He’s quite a private person, but he is very kind, friendly, and has a gregarious nature around people that he is comfortable with. He does enjoy being around people, even though he’s got a slightly skittish nature. He’s also quite intelligent, stubborn, and cautious. 

Conor never really has a good relationship with either of his parents and in the Tadhg Lives AU, he runs away at the age of 12 and begins living with his uncle and aunt. His relationship with his parents never gets the chance to heal either, as they both pass away before they could. However, in the Tadhg Lives AU, he does reconcile with his mother shortly before she passes away and he gets the opportunity to introduce her to his two children, Doyle and Ailis.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Conor becomes a healer like his daughter and youngest granddaughter. He also marries Ciara Mallon, a muggleborn from Derry in Northern Ireland. He falls for Ciara quite quickly and is surprised that they never ran into one another while at Hogwarts. He has two children with Ciara, a son named Doyle Brannigan who was born on December 13, 1925, and a daughter named Ailis Ciara who was born on March 24, 1936. Conor loved both of his children, but he ended up feeling quite wary about the direction his son was heading. The boy was acting much like Conor’s father had and he found that concerning, but his son ignored everything that Conor said causing a rift to form between father and son. His relationship with his daughter was much better and he was quite happy to give her away to a muggleborn man from Donegal named Seán O’Donnell. Sadly, Conor never gets the chance to meet any of his grandchildren as he contracted a fatal case of dragon pox in 1964, while his daughter was pregnant with his first grandchild. 

Trivia:

Conor’s youngest grandson is named after him. His middle grandson is also named after him, but more indirectly and it also honors his grandson’s paternal grandfather. 

Conor’s relationship with his son went downhill after an argument during the Christmas holidays of 1943. It was bad and nothing was ever the same again. Conor was very heartbroken by their falling out and did try to reach out to his son a few times, but Doyle never replied.

Conor’s relationships with his parents were always rather rocky. They didn’t always get along and well, Conor found himself being a bit of a black sheep in the family. In fact, Conor pretty much sets a new precedent for the Lynch family and it’s his children that end this particular branch of the Lynch family. 

𝚂𝚊𝚘𝚒𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚒𝚍 𝙻𝚢𝚗𝚌𝚑

Nicknames: None

Name Meanings: Saoirse → Irish, “liberty” ; Adelia → German, “noble, nobility” ; Lynch → Irish, “mariner.”

Date of Birth: October 10, 1912 (at 5:09 pm)

Gender: Female ; she/her

Sexuality: Bisexual 

Hogwarts House: Gryffindor 

Faceclaim: Raegan Revord 

Parents: Tadhg Lynch and Niamh Kelly 

Siblings: Aisling Maeve and Oscar Oisín Lynch

Patronus: Lion

Favorite Subjects: Flying, Charms, Transfiguration 

Least Favorite Subjects: Potions, History of Magic, Herbology

Extracurriculars: Chaser on her house quidditch team starting in fourth year 

Hobbies: Quidditch, football/soccer, reading, flying, horse riding, writing

Personality: Kind, friendly, outgoing, optimistic, impulsive, spontaneous, brazen, gregarious, disorganized, intelligent, stubborn, relaxed 

About Saoirse: As the younger daughter, Saoirse has always felt like she needs to compare herself to her older sister, which couldn’t be further from the truth. She might be similar in personality to her sister, but she’s also very different and her parents have always avoided comparing their children. In fact, Saoirse takes after her mother more so than her sister does, although she does have a lot of her father’s impulsivity and spontaneous nature. She’s an outgoing girl with a lot of intelligence and is quite fond of quidditch. She also has a very close relationship with her twin brother, Oscar, and her relationship with her sister is occasionally contentious.

Upon starting her education at Hogwarts, Saoirse was sorted into Gryffindor just like her father had been and found herself right at home there. Perhaps it was because she had grown up around a lot of different Gryffindors and had a lot of good role models to look up to from that house. She also discovered a true passion in quidditch, earning the position of chaser in her fourth year after she spent the summer practicing with her father and some of her “cousins.” 

Despite her passion for quidditch, Saoirse’s ambition had always been to follow in her mother’s footsteps to become an auror. As a child, she had grown up listening to stories about what her mother had done during her early years as a field auror and she had always been completely fascinated by the stories. After graduating, Saoirse made that dream a reality, joining the auror training program as one of five girls in the class of thirty-five. 

Trivia:

Saoirse’s middle name is after her godmother, who is basically the closest her father has to a sister.

Saoirse loves to hold it over Oscar’s head that she’s five minutes older than him.

𝙾𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚛 𝙾𝚒𝚜𝚒𝚗 𝙻𝚢𝚗𝚌𝚑

Nicknames: Os, Oz

Name Meanings: Oscar → Irish, “god spear or deer lover or champion warrior” ; Theodore → Greek, “gift of God” ; Lynch → Irish, “mariner.”

Date of Birth: October 10, 1912 (at 5:14 pm)

Gender: Male ; he/him

Sexuality: Heterosexual 

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw 

Faceclaim: Iain Armitage 

Parents: Tadhg Lynch and Niamh Kelly 

Sisters: Aisling Maeve and Saoirse Brigid Lynch 

Patronus: Irish wolfhound (like his father)

Favorite Subjects: Flying, arithmancy, study of ancient runes  

Least Favorite Subjects: Herbology, potions

Extracurriculars: Seeker on his house quidditch team in his third year ; prefect

Hobbies: Hiking, reading, flying

Personality: Reserved, logical, practical, rational, stubborn, intelligent, curious, kind, observant, quiet, hardworking, determined, overthinker

About Oscar: As the only son, Oscar tends to take after his father more so than his mother. However, he lacks his father’s interest in mischief. He’s a quiet, reserved person with a logical and rational nature that’s accompanied by a kind and curious nature as well. He’s always felt like an individual, likely because he is the only son and that he’s never felt a desire to compare himself to his sisters… aside from in a competitive sense but that’s mostly reserved for the quidditch pitch. He has a close relationship with his twin sister, Saoirse, and a good relationship with his sister, Aisling, and his parents. 

Upon starting Hogwarts, Oscar was sorted into Ravenclaw, where he excelled in many of his classes and found himself at home in the house. He liked the connection to his mother and he also had a few “cousins” in the house, so there were some familiar faces to turn to. He also truly found quidditch and fell in love with it, just like his sister did and like his sister, he didn’t devote his life to quidditch. Unlike his sister, though, Oscar became a prefect in his fifth year and he found the position to be interesting. He learned that he preferred to work by himself and he didn’t want to be one to have too much power. Instead, after graduating, Oscar found himself inheriting the Kelly farm after his grandfather passed and he became quite the magical farmer… something no one ever expected from him.

Trivia:

Oscar is named after his mother’s late older brother, Ronan Oscar Kelly who passed away as a very young child. His middle name is after family friends. 

𝙷𝚎𝚗𝚛𝚢 𝙶𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚑 𝙿𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚎

Nicknames: Harry, Hank

Name Meanings: Henry → German, “estate ruler” ; Gareth → Welsh, “gentle” ; Pembroke → Welsh, “from the headland or rocky hill.”

Date of Birth: January 1, 1906

Gender: Male ; he/him

Sexuality: Demisexual 

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw 

Faceclaims: Cory Gruter Andrew & Nicholas Ralph

Parents: Maxwell “Max” Pembroke and Ivy Anders (@kc-and-co) 

Siblings: Colin Jeremiah, Andrew Lucan, and Margo Francine Pembroke 

Love Interest: Lucretia Josephine “Lucy” Devlin

Children: Dorothy “Dot” Pembroke ; Eamon Pembroke ; Rosemary Pembroke

Patronus: Lynx

Favorite Subjects: Astronomy, charms, transfiguration, history of magic 

Least Favorite Subjects: Study of Ancient Runes

Extracurriculars: Astronomy club

Hobbies: Reading, chess, star gazing 

Personality: Reliable, reserved, kind, intelligent, competitive (mostly with his siblings), sarcastic, curious, well spoken, hardworking, stubborn, quiet, dry wit

About Harry: As the eldest son, Harry generally has a rather serious demeanor. He takes after his father a lot in temperament and demeanor, although Harry has never felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s much more uptight than his siblings, although he does have a close bond with his younger brother, Andrew. In addition, Harry is a bit closer to his mother than he is his father. There’s no real reason, aside from the fact that Harry spent a bit more time with his mother than he did his father. 

Upon starting his education at Hogwarts, Harry was sorted into Ravenclaw. He was a hatstall between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor, though. He didn’t join the quidditch team, though, as he had a slight desire to rebel against his family’s quidditch passions. It wasn’t big, but he found his own passions and interests, although he did continue to support quidditch teams. 

After graduating from Hogwarts, Harry became an astronomer. He had always been fascinated by space and paid close attention to the advancements that the muggles were making. In addition, Harry fell in love with Lucy Devlin, a magiczoologist and fellow Ravenclaw alumn. Together, they had three children: Dorothy Josephine “Dot,” Eamon William, and Rosemary Ivy Pembroke.

Trivia:

Harry’s middle name is after his late paternal grandfather, Gareth Rhys Pembroke. 

Like all three of his siblings, Harry knows the sign language that his Aunt Aoife uses and has learned it since birth, more or less.

Harry doesn’t really respond to the name “Henry.” He mostly hates being called it. Lucy is the only one he really allows to call him “Henry,” though. 

Harry is the great-grandfather of Sophia Josephine “Sophie” Pembroke and her two siblings, Rhys Andrew and Emmeline Daisy “Emmy” Pembroke.

𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚐𝚘 𝙵𝚛𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝙿𝚎𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚔𝚎

Nicknames: None

Name Meanings: Margo → French, “pearl” ; Francine → French, “from France or free man” ; Pembroke → Welsh, “from the headland or rocky hill.”

Date of Birth: June 8, 1911 

Gender: Female ; she/her 

Sexuality: Heterosexual 

Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff 

Faceclaim: McKenna Grace 

Parents: Maxwell “Max” Pembroke and Ivy Anders (@kc-and-co) 

Brothers: Henry Gareth “Harry,” Colin Jeremiah, and Andrew Lucan Pembroke

Patronus: Borzoi

Favorite Subjects: Charms, herbology, potions

Least Favorite Subjects: Transfiguration, astronomy 

Extracurriculars: Seeker on her house quidditch team 

Hobbies: Quidditch, pranks, reading, 

Personality: Intelligent, stubborn, hardworking, modest, kind, warm, loyal, athletic, friendly, reserved, anxiety-prone, athletic, mischievous 

About Margo: As the only daughter and youngest child, Margo takes after her mother a lot. She has her mother’s warm and friendly nature, but it’s coupled with her father’s reserved and anxiety-prone nature. These balance each other out, though. In addition, Margo has a close relationship with her father and with her brother, Colin. Colin is her favorite person to prank, because Colin will get involved and enjoy them.

Upon starting her education at Hogwarts, Margo was sorted into Hufflepuff, just like both of her parents had been. She found her footing in Hufflepuff quite quickly, feeling at home early on in her first year. In her third year, she made the Hufflepuff quidditch team with the position of seeker. She enjoyed the position, but hated the way everyone immediately compared her to her father. Therefore, when the opportunity to play other positions emerged, Margo jumped at the opportunity, but she always came back to seeker.

Despite her passion for quidditch, Margo never went professional. She enjoyed it as more of a pastime or hobby. Instead, she went on to become a quidditch journalist, reporting on the different games throughout the British and Irish league. She also dabbled in other writing pursuits like fiction, but never took them professional during her lifetime. 

Trivia:

Like her father, Margo is allergic to cats. 

Margo inherited her mother’s ability to change her hair color. However, she also inherited her mother’s limitations, meaning that the only colors she can change her hair to are blonde and brunette.

One of Margo’s favorite pastimes is pranking her brothers. She loves to mess with them, especially when they start getting on her nerves. She has started more than one prank war with Colin, as he’s the brother that willingly goes along with it.

𝙻𝚞𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚒𝚊 𝙹𝚘𝚜𝚎𝚙𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝙳𝚎𝚟𝚕𝚒𝚗

Full Name: Lucretia Josephine Devlin 

Nicknames: Lucy, Lu, Lucy-Lu

Name Meanings: Lucretia → Latin, unknown meaning ; Josephine → French, “Jehovah increases” ; Devlin → Irish, “unlucky.”

Date of Birth: April 7, 1909 (at 7:38 pm)

Gender: Female ; she/her 

Sexuality: Bisexual

Hogwarts House: Ravenclaw 

Faceclaims: Kyla Matthews & Clemence Posey 

Parents: William Devlin and Josie Edwards (@slytherindisaster) 

Siblings: Samuel Oliver, Emmeline Shannon, Sebastian Liam, and Matilda Grace “Mattie” Devlin 

Love Interest: Henry Gareth “Harry” Pembroke 

Children: Dorothy “Dot” Pembroke ; Eamon Pembroke ; Rosemary Pembroke

Patronus: Robin

Favorite Subjects: Care of magical creatures, herbology, charms 

Least Favorite Subjects: Transfiguration, divination

Extracurriculars: Care of Magical Creatures club

Hobbies: Baking, cooking, reading

Personality: Kind, intelligent, thoughtful, compassionate, self-conscious, curious, modest, patient, reliable, passionate, friendly, loyal, sincere, hard-working, sensitive, reserved

About Lucy: As the younger twin and middle daughter, Lucy struggles to find her footing. She’s the middle child, in every way, and while she definitely doesn’t feel like a middle child, Lucy struggles to understand her own role in the family. She is her mother’s daughter, though, and they share many similarities in personality. Lucy takes great pride in their similarities. Aside from her twin, she’s closest to Mattie, although she has never truly shared her sister’s desire for creative pursuits.

Upon starting Hogwarts, Lucy is sorted into Ravenclaw after ten minutes of the hat debating if she would fit better in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff. She became comfortable in Ravenclaw quite quickly, which was likely helped by the fact that her twin had also been placed there and so, Lucy had a familiar face to turn to. Luckily, the students and people around them were able to understand that Emmeline and Lucy were different people, even if they were quite similar.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Lucy followed her mother’s footsteps into the field of magiozoology. She became fascinated by moon calves and augries, in particular. In addition, Lucy also fell in love with Harry Pembroke, an astronomer and a fellow Ravenclaw alumn. They had three children together: Dorothy Josephine “Dot,” Eamon William, and Rosemary Ivy Pembroke.

Trivia:

Lucy’s family are the only ones who call her “Lucy-Lu.” Harry Pembroke is the only one who calls her “Lu.” Everyone else calls her “Lucy” and that’s the way that she likes it. 

Lucy’s middle name is in honor of her mother.

As a child, she would bring home all sorts of injured animals that she found while exploring the land surrounding the family’s home.

As an adult, the Devlin-Pembroke house is home to many different creatures, most of which Lucy had brought home. 

Lucy is the great-grandmother of Sophia Josephine “Sophie” Pembroke and her siblings, Rhys Andrew and Emmeline Daisy “Emmy” Pembroke. 

𝚂𝚎𝚋𝚊𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝙻𝚒𝚊𝚖 𝙳𝚎𝚟𝚕𝚒𝚗

Nicknames: Seb, Bastian

Name Meanings: Sebastian → Latin, “person from the ancient city of Sebastia” ; Liam → Irish, “resolute protection” ; Devlin → Irish, “unlucky”

Date of Birth: November 22, 1916 (at 1:12 am)

Gender: Male ; he/him 

Sexuality: Heterosexual 

Hogwarts House: Hufflepuff 

Faceclaim: Will Tilston 

Parents: William Devlin and Josie Edwards (@slytherindisaster)

Siblings: Samuel Oliver, Emmeline Shannon, Lucretia Josephine “Lucy,” and Matilda Grace “Mattie” Devlin 

Patronus: Great Grey Owl

Favorite Subjects: Charms, history of magic

Least Favorite Subjects: Potions

Extracurriculars: Seeker on his house team, starting in his third year

Hobbies: Quidditch, fencing, reading 

Personality: Reserved, cautious, compassionate, kind, loyal, hardworking, intelligent, strong sense of fairness, practical, athletic, modest, reliable, humble, helpful, stubborn, conscientious 

About Sebastian: As the younger son, Sebastian is the child that takes after his father the most… at least in terms of personality. He also is, perhaps, the closest to William as well. They just click quite well. In addition, aside from his twin (of course), Sebastian is probably the closest to his big brother, Samuel. He absolutely adores his big brother, in a way that happened due to their ten year age gap. He doesn’t feel the need to rebel against their parents the way that Samuel does, though.

When he started his education at Hogwarts, Sebastian was sorted into Hufflepuff. For the first time in his life, Sebastian found himself separated from Mattie, which left him panicked for the first few weeks. Slowly, though, Sebastian found his place within Hufflepuff house. He joined the quidditch team in his third year, earning the position of seeker. He wouldn’t pursue it as a career, but he quite enjoyed the sport. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, given his similarities to his father, Sebastian ends up becoming a wandmaker after he graduates from Hogwarts. He never became a big name like Ollivander’s or Gregorovitch. Instead, he kept a small practice and preferred it that way. 

Trivia:

Sebastian is ten minutes older than his twin sister, Mattie. 

His middle name is after both his father and great-grandfather. His great-grandfather was named Liam, which is an Irish variation of William.

Born seven years after Emmeline and Lucy, Sebastian (and his twin sister) was a surprise baby. 

His siblings are the only ones who really call him “Seb” or “Bastian.” He prefers “Bastian,” but would really just like to be called Sebastian.

He is a very good fencer, besting all four of his siblings quite often. 

𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚊 𝙶𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝙳𝚎𝚟𝚕𝚒𝚗

Nicknames: Mattie, Tilly 

Name Meanings: Matilda → German, “battle mighty” ; Grace → English, virtue name ; Devlin → Irish, “unlucky.” 

Date of Birth: November 22, 1916 (at 1:22 am)

Gender: Female ; she/her 

Sexuality: Heterosexual 

Hogwarts House: Slytherin 

Faceclaim: Florence Hunt 

Parents: William Devlin and Josie Edwards (@slytherindisaster)

Siblings: Samuel Oliver, Emmeline Shannon, Lucretia Josephine “Lucy,” and Sebastian Liam Devlin

Patronus: Basset hound

Favorite Subjects: Care of magical creatures, astronomy 

Least Favorite Subjects: Potions, transfiguration 

Extracurriculars: Keeper on her house team

Hobbies: Painting, music, reading, games

Personality: Intelligent, cunning, musical, creative, resourceful, hardworking, reserved, compassionate, ambitious, kind, thoughtful, modest, reliable, stubborn, can be inflexible, troublemaker, confident, practical

About Mattie: As the youngest daughter, Mattie is the only one of her siblings to have a creative passion. She is quite fond of the piano and can often be found playing a piano during gatherings. In addition, she’s quite fond of painting, although she’s not interested in making a career out of it. Aside from her creative passions, Mattie has a close relationship with her siblings. Besides her twin, Mattie is probably the closest to her sister, Lucy.

When she started her education, Mattie was sorted into Slytherin. Finding herself separated from Sebastian for the first time, Mattie found her footing surprisingly quickly. She joined the Slytherin quidditch team in her fourth year, earning the position of keeper. She enjoyed the sport, but not as much as either of her brothers.

After graduating from Hogwarts, Mattie became a tutor/governess. She wasn’t thrilled with the job, struggling to find things that felt fulfilling. She found fulfillment, though, when she began to teach music to young girls. It was a satisfying move. 

Trivia:

Mattie is ten minutes younger than her twin brother, Sebastian. 

Her siblings are the only people who ever call her “Tilly.” They only do it when they want to get on her nerves. Sebastian tends to do it the most often, but she’ll call him “Seb” in return.

Born seven years after Emmeline and Lucy, Mattie and her twin brother were surprise babies. 

Aisling Maeve Lynch

Colin Jeremiah & Andrew Lucan Pembroke

Samuel Oliver Devlin • Emmeline Shannon Devlin

[n-o-t-h-i-n-g-n-e-ss]

A Long Time Dead by T.L. Bequettte

About the Book:

A decade ago, it had been unthinkable when Joe Turner's life-long friend, Owen Prescott, was charged with a grisly murder. Then Owen disappeared, leaving behind a brilliant career and budding romance to live as a fugitive from justice.

Now, haunted by the memory and clinging to a belief in Owen's innocence, Joe dives in to solve the cold case as the FBI closes in on his friend.

The award-winning Joe Turner Mystery series returns with a haunting, serpentine tale that pushes the snarky defense attorney to the brink.

Bequette has penned another riveting thriller that rewards the reader with a signature twist at the finale. Unlock the mystery to the latest Joe Turner thriller today.

Buy the Book – Amazon

Reviews:

San Francisco Book Review – 5 stars

A Long Time Dead is the third book in the Joe Turner mystery series by T.L. Bequette. What I found interesting in this particular book is that Joe was not the main character. In fact, he only popped up here and there during the story mainly during flashbacks of him and his best friend Owen Prescott, the true main character in the book. This threw me for a bit of a loop since I have read one other Joe Turner book where he was indeed the main character and much of that book took place in the courtroom being that Joe is a Criminal Defense attorney.

A Long Time Dead starts with a scene where Owen is running from a man. In further chapters readers will learn that Owen had been arrested in 2013 for the murder of his former professor, Norvel Anendale who was filing a lawsuit against Owen for stealing his book idea. This lawsuit was one hundred percent bogus because it was Owen’s work that Anendale had wanted to collaborate on with Owen responding with, “Thanks but I think I work better alone.” This made Owen the number one suspect in Anendale’s death. The worst part is that Owen’s DNA is found at the scene of the crime.

Bequette does a thorough job of describing his characters and all of their quirks. The book is written in the third person and the reader is given the birds eye view of Owen, Margo (a love interest), and Alyssa (the FBI agent trying to find Owen). Owen’s job of a writer is less than boring as he even has a crazy stalker who he ends up filing a restraining order against.

The day before Owen is about to get convicted, he flees the country. He ends up in the small village of Tetley leaving behind his parents, girlfriend April, and best friend Joe. Living a secluded life with only Mrs. Pembroke, whom he had purchased his cottage from, around and occasionally going to the local pub, Owen is very careful about who he speaks to and is living under the name of Ancil Bradford. Then he meets Margo, a very fit, beautiful woman who he starts falling for. As Owen/Ancil’s world starts to slowly unravel and he becomes more and more suspicious of people, he feels as if he will be caught soon. This book has all the elements of a bestselling psychological thriller, with twists and turns around every corner. The characters are intriguing and all of them seem to have dark secrets. The setting is lovely and quaint. Readers will not be disappointed as every aspect of the book comes together in the end. In fact, Owen may need his very own series soon as he is just as, if not more, likable than Joe.

~ Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review

About the Author:

T.L. Bequette is a criminal defense attorney turned writer from Lafayette, California. His debut novel, Good Lookin, A Joe Turner Mystery won the 2022 Independent Press Award for Crime Fiction, a Chanticleer International Book Award, and was a Finalist for a National Indie Excellence Award. Kirkus Reviews called the book “a rigorous, thoroughly engrossing mystery from a writer with immense potential.”

Blood Perfect, second in the Joe Turner series, was hailed by Chanticleer Reviews as “a tale that solidifies Turner as a charmingly reliable champion of the innocent.”

Much of Bequette’s law practice involves defending young men from Oakland accused of murder. He holds degrees from The University of the Pacific and Georgetown Law School and serves annually on the faculty of the Stanford Law School Trial Advocacy Clinic.

[mariahcaarey]

A Long Time Dead by T.L. Bequettte

About the Book:

A decade ago, it had been unthinkable when Joe Turner's life-long friend, Owen Prescott, was charged with a grisly murder. Then Owen disappeared, leaving behind a brilliant career and budding romance to live as a fugitive from justice.

Now, haunted by the memory and clinging to a belief in Owen's innocence, Joe dives in to solve the cold case as the FBI closes in on his friend.

The award-winning Joe Turner Mystery series returns with a haunting, serpentine tale that pushes the snarky defense attorney to the brink.

Bequette has penned another riveting thriller that rewards the reader with a signature twist at the finale. Unlock the mystery to the latest Joe Turner thriller today.

Buy the Book – Amazon

Reviews:

San Francisco Book Review – 5 stars

A Long Time Dead is the third book in the Joe Turner mystery series by T.L. Bequette. What I found interesting in this particular book is that Joe was not the main character. In fact, he only popped up here and there during the story mainly during flashbacks of him and his best friend Owen Prescott, the true main character in the book. This threw me for a bit of a loop since I have read one other Joe Turner book where he was indeed the main character and much of that book took place in the courtroom being that Joe is a Criminal Defense attorney.

A Long Time Dead starts with a scene where Owen is running from a man. In further chapters readers will learn that Owen had been arrested in 2013 for the murder of his former professor, Norvel Anendale who was filing a lawsuit against Owen for stealing his book idea. This lawsuit was one hundred percent bogus because it was Owen’s work that Anendale had wanted to collaborate on with Owen responding with, “Thanks but I think I work better alone.” This made Owen the number one suspect in Anendale’s death. The worst part is that Owen’s DNA is found at the scene of the crime.

Bequette does a thorough job of describing his characters and all of their quirks. The book is written in the third person and the reader is given the birds eye view of Owen, Margo (a love interest), and Alyssa (the FBI agent trying to find Owen). Owen’s job of a writer is less than boring as he even has a crazy stalker who he ends up filing a restraining order against.

The day before Owen is about to get convicted, he flees the country. He ends up in the small village of Tetley leaving behind his parents, girlfriend April, and best friend Joe. Living a secluded life with only Mrs. Pembroke, whom he had purchased his cottage from, around and occasionally going to the local pub, Owen is very careful about who he speaks to and is living under the name of Ancil Bradford. Then he meets Margo, a very fit, beautiful woman who he starts falling for. As Owen/Ancil’s world starts to slowly unravel and he becomes more and more suspicious of people, he feels as if he will be caught soon. This book has all the elements of a bestselling psychological thriller, with twists and turns around every corner. The characters are intriguing and all of them seem to have dark secrets. The setting is lovely and quaint. Readers will not be disappointed as every aspect of the book comes together in the end. In fact, Owen may need his very own series soon as he is just as, if not more, likable than Joe.

~ Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review

About the Author:

T.L. Bequette is a criminal defense attorney turned writer from Lafayette, California. His debut novel, Good Lookin, A Joe Turner Mystery won the 2022 Independent Press Award for Crime Fiction, a Chanticleer International Book Award, and was a Finalist for a National Indie Excellence Award. Kirkus Reviews called the book “a rigorous, thoroughly engrossing mystery from a writer with immense potential.”

Blood Perfect, second in the Joe Turner series, was hailed by Chanticleer Reviews as “a tale that solidifies Turner as a charmingly reliable champion of the innocent.”

Much of Bequette’s law practice involves defending young men from Oakland accused of murder. He holds degrees from The University of the Pacific and Georgetown Law School and serves annually on the faculty of the Stanford Law School Trial Advocacy Clinic.

[mannieflirt]

A Long Time Dead by T.L. Bequettte

About the Book:

A decade ago, it had been unthinkable when Joe Turner's life-long friend, Owen Prescott, was charged with a grisly murder. Then Owen disappeared, leaving behind a brilliant career and budding romance to live as a fugitive from justice.

Now, haunted by the memory and clinging to a belief in Owen's innocence, Joe dives in to solve the cold case as the FBI closes in on his friend.

The award-winning Joe Turner Mystery series returns with a haunting, serpentine tale that pushes the snarky defense attorney to the brink.

Bequette has penned another riveting thriller that rewards the reader with a signature twist at the finale. Unlock the mystery to the latest Joe Turner thriller today.

Buy the Book – Amazon

Reviews:

San Francisco Book Review – 5 stars

A Long Time Dead is the third book in the Joe Turner mystery series by T.L. Bequette. What I found interesting in this particular book is that Joe was not the main character. In fact, he only popped up here and there during the story mainly during flashbacks of him and his best friend Owen Prescott, the true main character in the book. This threw me for a bit of a loop since I have read one other Joe Turner book where he was indeed the main character and much of that book took place in the courtroom being that Joe is a Criminal Defense attorney.

A Long Time Dead starts with a scene where Owen is running from a man. In further chapters readers will learn that Owen had been arrested in 2013 for the murder of his former professor, Norvel Anendale who was filing a lawsuit against Owen for stealing his book idea. This lawsuit was one hundred percent bogus because it was Owen’s work that Anendale had wanted to collaborate on with Owen responding with, “Thanks but I think I work better alone.” This made Owen the number one suspect in Anendale’s death. The worst part is that Owen’s DNA is found at the scene of the crime.

Bequette does a thorough job of describing his characters and all of their quirks. The book is written in the third person and the reader is given the birds eye view of Owen, Margo (a love interest), and Alyssa (the FBI agent trying to find Owen). Owen’s job of a writer is less than boring as he even has a crazy stalker who he ends up filing a restraining order against.

The day before Owen is about to get convicted, he flees the country. He ends up in the small village of Tetley leaving behind his parents, girlfriend April, and best friend Joe. Living a secluded life with only Mrs. Pembroke, whom he had purchased his cottage from, around and occasionally going to the local pub, Owen is very careful about who he speaks to and is living under the name of Ancil Bradford. Then he meets Margo, a very fit, beautiful woman who he starts falling for. As Owen/Ancil’s world starts to slowly unravel and he becomes more and more suspicious of people, he feels as if he will be caught soon. This book has all the elements of a bestselling psychological thriller, with twists and turns around every corner. The characters are intriguing and all of them seem to have dark secrets. The setting is lovely and quaint. Readers will not be disappointed as every aspect of the book comes together in the end. In fact, Owen may need his very own series soon as he is just as, if not more, likable than Joe.

~ Kristi Elizabeth, San Francisco Book Review

About the Author:

T.L. Bequette is a criminal defense attorney turned writer from Lafayette, California. His debut novel, Good Lookin, A Joe Turner Mystery won the 2022 Independent Press Award for Crime Fiction, a Chanticleer International Book Award, and was a Finalist for a National Indie Excellence Award. Kirkus Reviews called the book “a rigorous, thoroughly engrossing mystery from a writer with immense potential.”

Blood Perfect, second in the Joe Turner series, was hailed by Chanticleer Reviews as “a tale that solidifies Turner as a charmingly reliable champion of the innocent.”

Much of Bequette’s law practice involves defending young men from Oakland accused of murder. He holds degrees from The University of the Pacific and Georgetown Law School and serves annually on the faculty of the Stanford Law School Trial Advocacy Clinic.

[revisitingstoneybrook]

#68 Jessi and the Bad Babysitter: Chapter 12

It’s movie time! This is one of the few kid subplots I actually like because the whole thing is thought up of and written by the kids, instead of the BSC coming up with the idea and forcing the kids into it.

For once, a BSC Activity is not being held in the Schafer/Spier's barn. No, the setting is the Barrett's living room. Since the house is always messy messy messy (while Mrs. Barrett is milfy milfy milfy), Stacey and Jessi go to work cleaning up the room and decorating a plush armchair with tin foil to make it look like a throne.

Mr. Braddock donated his video camera and Stacey takes the job of camera girl. To play the queen, Suzi's wearing one of Mrs. Barrett's OMG soooooooooo gorgeous dresses. After a brief argument with the Magic Mirror (Adam Pike) because he won't wear his costume (his dad's black robe and green face paint) and another uttering of Suzi's catchphrase, “Think again, Buckaroo!”, shooting gets underway.

The Queen asks her Magic Mirror who the biggest polluter is. “Magic Mirror on the wall - the one I bought at the Washington Mall. Who is the biggest polluter of all?” I don't know, but I want to know who came up with that stupid line! Well the Queen is, as Adam tells her (and his acting apparently sucks) but Snow White is such a devoted environmentalist, she might report the Queen to the Environmental Protection Agency! 

The Queen calls for the Woodsman (Vanessa) to go and dispose of Snow White but Vanessa's having issues with her axe. Her costume consists of “green tights under gym shorts, a blousy shirt, and the felt hat we'd bought at Pembroke's.” Sounds like one of Claudia’s outfits. Anyway, the head of the axe keeps sliding off, so Jessi attaches it to the handle with her hair tie. Unfortunately, there's no illustrated evidence of Jessi without her hair in a bun. The Woodsman plans to chop up Snow White (Carolyn), but when she lifts the axe, the blade flies through the air and clocks Buddy on the head. D'oh!

With some quick thinking, the Woodsman ad-libs and pushes Snow White into the swamp instead. And no rhyming at all, whew! Swamp Thing (Haley) rises out from behind the “swamp” (a box with green crepe paper and soda cans and junk taped to it) and rescues Snow White (now played by Marilyn). Swamp Thing then casts a spell (Swamp Thing can do that?) and sends Snow White into the Zorbs' forest.

Let's see who they got to play the Zorbs. Laurel Kuhn is Doc, Matt Braddock is Grumpy, Norman Hill is Happy, Sarah Hill is Sleepy, Margo is Sneezy, Nicky is Bashful and Marnie's Dopey. That's a pretty random group of kids...and I guess the Hills aren't Dead to the BSC after all. See Kristy?

And go fucking figure they make Norman one of the fatter dwarves! 

They really hate that kid.

And since this is Snow White, Dawn-Style, the Zorbs put the gems and minerals back in the earth. 

Suzi, now the witch, presents Snow White (Carolyn again) with the radioactive apple and she swoons to the floor. So the Zorbs put their rings together and call for Captain Planet. And there's too much of them to do the whole “Earth! Fire! Wind! Water! Heart!” thing, so we never get to see who ends up with the non-element. It probably would have been Norman.

Buddy comes in as Captain Planet and says he'll create an antidote in his laboratory to save her. He sends the Zorbs after the witch and Stacey has to run around the room, chasing after everyone.

The witch finally gives up and surrenders to the Zorbs. Captain Planet cures Snow White and says they'll fight pollution together. Overjoyed, Snow White kisses him and he acts all grossed out over the “cheek pollution.” The kids get together and say a “We miss you!” message for Dawn, and the the movie's a wrap.

[morganrealty-blog]

Morgan Realty: Making Your Dreams a Reality

The second of 5 kids who moved from Montego Bay, Jamaica to Stamford, Connecticut in 1986.  Margo fell in love with Pembroke Pines on a weekend trip to Florida in 2001.  Six weeks later she bought a home and moved her family there.

Acquiring her Real Estate Appraisal License in 2003 from Gold Coast School of Real Estate, Margo worked as a full time Property Appraiser for 7 years before getting her Real Estate License in 2010.  After acquiring her Real Estate License she went to work for Home Owner Ship Realty Inc. as a Acquisition and Disposition Agent on a $89 million dollar Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) project; putting both licenses to work.  At the end of the project Margo went back to Gold Coast Real Estate School and attained her Real Estate Broker License.  She opened Morgan Realty and Management Services Inc., and Morgan Realty & Appraisal Services Inc. Morgan Realty focuses on listing and selling homes in Pembroke Pines, Miramar, Weston, Davie, Cooper City, Miami and throughout all of South Florida.

Morgan Realty is an expert in selling Foreclosures, Short Sales, Probate and Divorce Sales in the Southwest Broward Real Estate market.

Morgan Realty is in the business of making your dreams a reality.

OUR COMPANY

Located in Pembroke Pines, Florida, Morgan Realty and Management Services Inc. is a real estate company which assist clients with Acquisitions, Dispositions, Residential and Commercial Leasing, First Time Home Buyers, and Down Payment Assistance.

OUR MISSION

To act in the best interest of our customers at all times, bringing unquestionable ethics to each transaction. To become trusted advisors for all our customers. To develop long-term client relationships by providing exceptional brokerage services that drives unparalleled customer satisfaction.

OUR PLEDGE

For every single customer, we will work as hard as we can to help them achieve their dreams. We are grateful and inspired to be working with a select team of professionals whom I believe are the most capable, honest and hard-working in the state of Florida. We believe that working hard at something you love to do, with people you trust, is one of the greatest experiences in life. We love to help our customers find a house that can become a home. We are devoted to our families, our colleagues, our community, and our country. We are proud to offer what we feel are the finest homes in the county. Finally, we believe that our business can be successful for generations only if we continue on a path of honesty and trust. We will not bend the truth to make a sale.

[unfortunate-arrow]

FANKIDS APPRECIATION WEEK, DAY 4: FANTASTIC FOUR

HARRY, COLIN, ANDREW, and MARGO PEMBROKE are the children of Maxwell “Max” Pembroke and Ivy Anders (@kc-and-co). Colin and Andrew are identical twins and all four siblings are fans of quidditch… albeit to varying degrees. They generally have a good relationship and good natured arguing about the best quidditch team. They all agree that their dad is the best seeker, though, and that dogs are great.

SIDNEY, NIALL, LOUIS, and OLIVER BATTERSEA are the sons of Simon Battersea and Nilüfer Sultan (@endlessly-cursed). They generally have a pretty good relationship, although Sidney and Niall are closer to their mother while Louis and Oliver are closer to their father. For the Battersea boys, life takes some major turns… the most dramatic of which is their father being the last earl of Wexford despite having a possible heir. Despite the complications that come with being the sons of an earl, the boys get along fairly well and don’t let the possibilities of an earldom breed resentment towards Sidney.

DORA, DECLAN, VIOLET, and BREDAN O’DONNELL-LEE are the children of Sara O’Donnell and Barnaby Lee. They have an interesting dynamic, with Declan often feeling like the odd man out and like he’s not a good brother because he doesn’t connect with Dora, Violet, and Brendan as well as they do with each other. However, they’re O’Donnells and family is extremely important, so they’ve always got each other’s backs and Dora, Violet, and Brendan would be quick to tell Declan that he is a good brother, if he ever commented about being a bad brother.

IRIS, FELICITY, NORA, and LEO EASTERBROOK-WHITTEN are the children of Benedict Whitten and Poppy Easterbrook (@cursebreakerfarrier). They usually have a good relationship, although the girls definitely have their fair share of fights and Leo occasionally feels like his sisters are tormenting him. Their relationships become much better the older they get, with smoother sailing once they begin to start at Hogwarts.

↳ for @endlessly-cursed’s fankid appreciation event

[unfortunate-arrow]

𝐻𝒫 𝒲𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃 𝒜𝓅𝓅𝓇𝑒𝒸𝒾𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃 𝒲𝑒𝑒𝓀

Day Four: Mother's Daughter (Talk about a female fankid that you love) of @endlessly-cursed’s HP women appreciation week

Lucretia “Lucy” and Matilda “Mattie” Devlin → Two of William Devlin and Josie Edwards’s (@slytherindisaster) three daughters, Lucy and Mattie each take after one of their parents. Lucy has her mother’s passion for nature and creatures, while Mattie has her father’s creativity but channels it into both piano and painting. Both girls also have their parents’ reserved natures (Mattie is more outgoing, though) and are both twins. Lucy is an identical twin, while Mattie is a fraternal twin.

Catherine “Kate” O’Neill → One of Rory O’Neill and Ethel Malinda’s (@gaygryffindorgal) twin daughters, Kate is her father’s daughter. She’s quite similar in personality to him, without all the trauma. She’s passionate about quidditch, but has never loved playing the sport and instead follows her mother’s footsteps into journalism, focusing on writing about quidditch.

Theodora “Dora” O’Donnell-Lee → The eldest daughter of Sara O’Donnell and Barnaby Lee, Dora is her mother’s daughter coupled with her father’s passion for creatures. Perhaps one of the first fankids I have, Dora has had many different iterations over the past few years. She’s always remained soft and passionate about animals. She is the eldest of the O’Donnell cousins, having three younger siblings and six younger cousins. Dora can be quite protective of her younger siblings and cousins.

Flora MacKade → The only daughter of Finn MacKade and Scotty Rosier (@drinkyoursoupbitch), Flora is the second eldest MacKade cousin. She’s a fascinating combination of her mother and father and my only female character who goes on to play quidditch professionally. Flora is plays chaser on her quidditch teams and often keeps an eye on her younger brother and cousins.

Honorary Mentions:

Saoirse Lynch → Tadhg and Niamh’s younger daughter, Aisling’s sister

Margo Pembroke → Max and Ivy’s only daughter

Cecilia Kennedy → Edmund and Lottie’s younger daughter

Daphne Demiurgos-Kennedy → Minerva and Adonis’s only daughter

Reva Rovere-Parsons → Georgie and Angelo’s only daughter

Winifred O’Donnell, Keira Khanna-O’Donnell, Violet O’Donnell-Lee, Naomi O’Donnell → the four other girl O’Donnell cousins, daughters of Ryan and Penny, Cara and Rowan, Sara and Barnaby, Conor and Ruth

Maya Kingsley-Valdez → Camila and Jasper’s daughter

Nora Easterbrook-Whitten → Benedict and Poppy’s middle daughter

[unfortunate-arrow]

Happy FFWF 💙

How about a few fankid head canons about the Pembrokes, if you’d like?

— Harry refuses to answer to Henry. In fact, just before his first year, Max and Ivy had to explain to him that “yes, the professors will call out Henry Pembroke and you need to listen to him.”

— As establish, Harry’s middle name is after his late paternal grandfather. He’s actually quite proud to be sharing his name with Gareth Pembroke. Harry has always been fascinated by Max’s stories about Gareth.

— Space has always been something that has fascinated Harry. He loves looking at the stars and would be completely fascinated by Neil Armstrong walking on the moon in 1969.

— Colin does not cut his hair until the quidditch season is over during Hogwarts. It’s his little superstition and has never managed to convince Andrew to go along with him.

— He never lets Andrew forget that he is the older twin. He also enjoys making up absurd nicknames for Andrew as well, and also using the traditional “Andy” and “Drew.”

— Andrew hates nicknames. He doesn’t like being called “Andy,” “Drew,” or any of the irritating nicknames that Colin comes up with. He just wants to be called Andrew.

— He doesn’t have a quidditch superstition. He hasn’t found anything that he thinks helped him win, aside from skill. It’s actually something that he shares with Max.

— Margo prides herself on being the only in the family to follow their father’s footsteps and play seeker. Colin and Andrew always rebuff by saying they didn’t want to play seeker.

— She is a very interesting combination of her parents. She has Ivy’s warmth and friendly nature alongside Max’s aniexty and reserved nature.

— Margo is quite fond of pranking her brothers. She loves messing with them, especially when they get annoying or act too much like older brothers.

[revisitingstoneybrook]

#68 Jessi and the Bad Babysitter: Chapter 11

Margo fesses up and the subplot is over as quickly as it started.

Mallory isn't in school the next day, so Jessi goes to see her that afternoon. Mallory still feels like crap, but her mood is a lot better after seeing the doctor. They talk about the video they're doing for Dawn and Mallory wonders if it'll make Dawn homesick for Stoneybrook. Well if it does, that won’t last.

Mallory hopes it does make Dawn homesick because then she'll come back home sooner and help out the BSC! Oh my god, has Kristy's thought process invaded ALL of their minds?

Jessi remarks how she misses Dawn speaking up and giving her opinion at meetings and how passionate and self-righteous she was about things. Oh please, when did Dawn ever defy Kristy? She was a groveling buttkisser as much as the others. “It was as if there were an empty space where she used to be and I wanted that empty space filled.”

Inspired by what Dawn would do, Jessi finally asks Mallory if Margo's said anything about how she shoplifted. Needless to say, Mallory is shocked. Jessi tells her she saw her take a Troll ring from Pembroke's without paying and Mallory is in disbelief. She doesn't know if Margo told their parents and wants to know why Jessi didn't tell her sooner. Yeah, you and me both, Mallory. Jessi says she didn't want to make Margo mad and Mallory says she understands and doesn't get mad over it. Considering that’s the same method of thinking the BSC uses when confronted with dangerous situations or mysteries.

With a newfound energy, Mallory knocks on Margo's door and demands an audience with her. Margo tells her she's busy and Mallory tells her to get unbusy and come to her room in two minutes or else she's coming back for her. What is this...a BSC member being assertive instead of letting the kids walk all over her? Especially considering this is her sister! Let's see Kristy try and pull that with Karen.

Two minutes pass and Margo isn't there. Mallory opens her door to go back for her, only to find Margo standing in the hallway, looking nervous. Margo admits that she stole the ring and Mallory wants her to tell their mom. Margo says she can't and Mallory says she and Jessi will stand with her for moral support.

They head downstairs to the kitchen, where Mrs. Pike is cooking dinner And she’s not asking Mallory to do it, good on you, Mrs. Pike! Margo confesses to stealing the ring, along with two packs of gum and a toy dinosaur another time. She then bursts into tears. She says she did it because it was like a game, to see if she could get away with it and she always figured she could pay for them later. Oh and they were her “secret things.” Jessi then realizes that Margo was playing with her stolen toys all those times she was holed up in her room. The last horse finally crosses the finish line.

Mrs. Pike tells her they're going to go return the stuff now and Margo coughs up money from her piggy bank to pay for the gum since she already ate it. She wants Mallory and Jessi to come with her but since Mallory's sick, it's only Jessi going along for the ride. And...Mrs. Pike is out of the house...THEY NEED ANOTHER BABYSITTER! Mallory calls up Stacey, who says she can sit as long as Mrs. Pike is back by 6:30, when she has another sitting job to go to.

Wait. HOW THE HELL IS THIS ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WENDY JUST GOT REAMED FOR?! Babysitter is called for an emergency job without it being offered to the rest of the BSC first. And since it's Stacey, it's ok. This just proves my point that the BSC was hostile to Wendy from the get-go because she's an outsider.

They arrive at Pembroke's and go see the manager. Margo returns the ring and the dinosaur and pays for the gum. She starts crying again and the manager tells her she appreciates her courage. “You know, shoplifting hurts everyone. Stores have to make up for their losses by raising the price of everything. You've done the right thing. I'm sure you'll never shoplift again.”

Margo vows that she’ll never shoplift again. End scene.

[revisitingstoneybrook]

#68 Jessi and the Bad Babysitter: Chapter 8

The party store shopping trip, one of my favorite BSC chapters ever! Also we get introduced to the other subplot.

Since this is the “We Hate Mallory” book, Chapter 8 opens up with Jessi yelling at Mallory, who's refusing to come on the trip to the party store the following Saturday. She says she's too tired and Vanessa makes a crack about how it's a shame they aren't putting on Sleeping Beauty because Mallory could play the lead. Except she isn't a beauty, Vanessa! And neither are you, with your half-curly, half-braided-and-tied-with-a-rainbow-bow hair. I'm surprised Claudia hasn't tried that style out yet.

Vanessa continues teasing her sister and says she can play Sleepy instead. Since we're assigning BSC members as dwarfs, why not make Mary Anne Weepy and Kristy Bossy? This practically writes itself! Mallory asks Vanessa to help keep an eye on the little kids. Jessi snips at Mallory that's supposed to be her job and Mallory says it's not her fault she's so tired. Jessi once again shows a lack of compassion for her best friend:

“I was torn. Normally I'm sympathetic when someone is sick. But I couldn't tell if she was really sick. There was nothing sick about her except this constant tiredness, which was started to sound like an excuse to do nothing but lie around. Only, that wasn't like Mallory. She isn't a lie-around person.”

Ok, she accuses Mallory of faking it, then says Mallory wouldn't do that. Make up your fucking mind, Jessi! Something is obviously wrong (as all the blatant foreshadowing hints towards the next book, when she ends up with mono) and Jessi and the BSC spend their time complaining about Mallory. *~The Best Friends You'll Ever Have!~*

Mary Anne suggests canceling the trip, since they have a lot of kids to watch over. Nicky, Margo, Vanessa, Buddy, and Suzi? 5 kids = 2 sitters = Mary Anne and Jessi. There, I solved your problem. Mallory once again volunteers Vanessa as an extra babysitter and that shuts everyone up. Jessi says Vanessa's at a funny age where she needs a babysitter, but is still old enough to help. Why does this never come up with the triplets? I’m guessing 9 = mature enough to help babysit and 10 = useless.

Anyway, they're off to Pembroke's Party Store to buy props and costumes and I really like this chapter - it was so fun to read, I’d read it over and over when reading the book. Mary Anne takes $30 of BSC money out of her wallet and hands half of it to Jessi, before splitting up and taking Buddy and Nicky with her. Geez, either they limited the amount of pizza parties they were having or Charlie took a cut in his “salary!”

So Jessi and the girls pick up some green crepe paper for Swamp Thing, an apple-shaped bank, pointy ears for all the zorbs and an inflatable palm tree since the Zorbs live in a rain forest. The kids, who brought along extra money, also get stuff for their costumes - Suzi gets a witch hat, Vanessa picks out a hat since she's going to play the woodsman (you mean a lumberjack? Does she put on women's clothing and hang around in bars?) and Margo gets a big red nose to wear as Sneezy.

The next aisle they cross into is the party favor aisle, and the girls squee over all the Trolls, Vanessa in particular. God, I used to LOVE Trolls. My mom thought they were hideous but I couldn't get enough of them. I had dolls, books, necklaces, the whole thing. And I still have them stashed away somewhere, unlike most of my BSC books :(

Anyway, Jessi notices Margo in front of a display of Troll rings, glancing in both directions. Someone's got sticky fingers!

No, not that kind.

Jessi sees Margo take a Troll ring out of one of the displays and stick it in her pocket. Jessi is totally shocked and is scrambling to think of an excuse for her because she can't grasp the fact that she just saw Margo shoplift. Jessi tells herself that Margo is buying it as a surprise for Vanessa but still makes sure to keep a close eye on her anyway for the rest of the time. Way to reach there, Jessi.

They hurry into the next aisle, which has all sorts of stuff for theme parties. Whoa, mind, meet gutter. But no, this is G-rated parties. And Snow White happens to be one of them, so they get a Snow White wig, cardboard animals, an axe and scary witch fingernails. They meet up with the other group and Buddy found a Captain Planet costume for $10! If only costumes were still that cheap. Buddy uses the extra money Mrs. Barrett gave him and Suzi for costumes, so the BSC money is safe. They also found rings and whistles for the Zorbs and a blue cloak for Snow White.

Jessi keeps her eye on Margo until they leave the party store and to her relief, Margo doesn't take anything else. However, Jessi notices Margo didn't pay for anything and spends the whole ride home angsting about how to handle this. She obviously doesn't want to humiliate her in front of everyone, so decides to talk to her when they get home. At the Pikes' house, she grabs Margo and asks her about the ring. Margo plays dumb but Jessi sees through it. Jessi then asks Margo to tell her parents what she did. Um...if she was hesitant to admit it to you, she's never going to tell them, Jessi.

Margo promises to tell her parents about it and Jessi leaves it at that, hoping that she'll follow through. She goes to pay a visit to Mallory, who's lying in bed (that lazy bitch). Jessi, keeping her promise to Margo that she'd remain quiet, doesn't tell Mallory what she did. Which also strikes me as ridiculous; that's like when they won't tell parents stuff because “I don't want to worry them! They'll get mad!” Keeping quiet is just going to keep you feeling weird and uncomfortable!