Judith Nelson

To add to that - Nice pick. If you like that pace, Ruth Ware’s The Woman in Cabin 10 and Shari Lapena’s The Couple Next Door are tight twisty and and both come in mass-market paperbacks under twenty. Lucy Foley’s The Guest List is another quick, satisfying whodunit, and airport racks usually carry these lighter editions so they won’t weigh down your bag.

That grinding noise after a clean jar usually comes from either the jar bearing or the little drive coupling on the base. Unplug the unit and take the jar off and and spin the blade hub by hand. It should be smooth and quiet. Any gritty feel, side play, or dark oily residue around the shaft points to a failing bearing. Also make sure the blade stack is not kissing the bottom of the jar because a flattened gasket or loose locking ring can drop it enough to graze. Easy check. Now isolate the base. Do a quick tap of power with no jar, a blip. If it still makes the nasty sound, the coupling may be chewed up or the internal fan is rubbing its shroud. Inspect the top coupler for missing chunks, cracks, or a melted look. If it is damaged, it usually twists off the motor shaft with a firm grip and a cloth for protection, and on some designs the thread direction is reversed so try the other way if it will not budge. Replace the coupler and retest. If the base grinds even with a good coupler, the motor bearings are likely failing and repair often costs more than it is worth. If that is the case, stop using it.

I wrangle shared stuff for my family and the pattern is always the same: somebody upgrades brands, somebody pays late, someone "didn't see it." Keeping shared to a boring list with a hard cap was the only thing that stopped the bickering. Do a modest house fund and keep most food personal, or you'll start resenting the fastest eater.