Archive Entries for 2023
Sunday December 31, 2023
Books in December
- The Janus Stone, The House at Sea's End, and A Room Full of Bones
by Elly Griffiths [Read by Jane McDowell]
Another three installments following the life and times of Dr Ruth Galloway, forensic archaeologist at North Norfolk University. Times have changed for our heroine - she is now the Mother of a little girl, which occupies most of her thoughts and hours either at work or home. Her friendship with Harry continues, engendering not a little gossip and rumour from their colleagues.
Rather like the Kathy Reichs books (although not actually very similar to them in style), all the plots inevitably involve old bones, and murder (ancient and modern):
In The Janus Stone, the bones of a child are found under a modern doorway during a dig prior to refurbishment; in The House at Sea's End, bones are revealed through coastal erosion of what was once a domestic garden; and, in A Room Full of Bones, there is a protest movement to repatriate indigenous ancestor bones removed from their original burial grounds in less enlightened times.
Of these particular stories, I liked The House at Sea's End the best - basically, I'm a sucker for anything involving the word "sea". The mystery dated from WW2 and gave a new perspective on the "Home Guard" - not quite as it was presented in Dad's Army! These days I think it's hard to really remember that these were men trained to protect England as a last stand - the threat of the invasion on that coastline was very real, which is pretty evident even in the TV comedy.
Posted on December 31, 2023 at 3:31 PM. Category: Books of the Month. | Comments (0)
Friday December 29, 2023
Christmas Jigsaw - it begins
Posted on December 29, 2023 at 6:40 PM. Category: Staying at Home. | Comments (0)
Monday December 4, 2023
ISIHAC in Dorking
I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue came to Dorking - the 80th series (!) Episodes 5 and 6 - broadcasting next Monday on BBC Radio 4 [...and we were there].
On the panel were Fred Macaulay, Milton Jones, Lucy Porter, and Omid Djalili, plus of course Jack Dee in the chair, and Colin Sell on the piano. Jon Naismith was his usual delightful self, managing the audience and the laser display board. Two episodes were recorded so we got to see both Samantha and Sven....
Another unexpected pleasure was meeting an old colleague whom I haven't seen since I retired - and he himself is now retired. It was good to have a short catch-up with him, and also to see someone (more local) from my dance class, where I was able to explain my mysterious disappearance from classes since last September when I injured my back. Since I have every appearance of having recovered now, I fear there are no more excuses not to return to the fray [... just in time for Christmas and the dreaded Frosty the Snowman routine].
Posted on December 4, 2023 at 11:35 PM. Category: Art and Culture. | Comments (0)
Thursday November 30, 2023
Books in November
- Queen & Country by Alan Judd [Read by John Telfer ]
This is a "Charles Thoroughgood novel", though I have not read any of the earlier ones. [I have to admit I was looking for A Fine Madness which was in a 2021 round-up of recommended reading - and which is a "faction" account of the death of Christopher Marlow - but failed to find it in audio book form so...]
Charles is now retired but called in to help the secret service put a stop to mysterious deaths of defectors in the UK. It's an excellent story in the more traditional spy genre providing thrills and interesting espionage capers in foreign lands. Here are the author's own words about it: "My aim was to produce a taut, focussed novel with contemporary reference and a little more physical action than I usually put in - as well as, of course, the underlying ethical questions for Charles which are made clear at the end. It was written during lockdown before - unfortunately - Ukraine.".
In the same interview, the author says he's a friend of Mick Herron with this delightful recommendation: "....a most original and amusing take on the spy genre, nothing to do with reality, of course - as Mick well knows - but that doesn't matter in the least. He writes well, they work, and they're deservedly very popular...". Judd also recommends - as do I - Andrew Taylor's Ashes of London series "... of espionage novels in that turbulent but (nowadays) curiously neglected period of English history...". - The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths [Read by Jane McDowell]
This is the first in an excellent series of mystery novels featuring Dr Ruth Galloway, a forensic archaeologist teaching at the University of North Norfolk. It was written in 2009, and the author has recently rounded off the stories after a total of 15 novels.
The plot is intriguing with our heroine demonstrating her high degree of professional skill in identifying some long-buried bones - and ending in a suitably high degree of jeopardy for a thrilling climax on the wild and inhospitable salt marshes of the area.
The characters are well-described, and the books have attracted a considerable fan base who are all invested in the outcome of Ruth's love life and her stop/start relationship with the local police inspector. That aspect is reminiscent of Andrew Taylor's Lydmouth stories, though Ruth and Harry do not develop their rather back to front relationship in quite the same way.
Rob was completely fascinated by the description of the local (non-fictional) archeology; he looked up all the info about the "Crossing Place" - Seahenge on Holme Beach - (and then went on to consume the entire series).
In the authors own words again: "[her husband] mentioned that prehistoric man had thought that marshland was sacred. Because it's neither land nor sea, but something in-between, they saw it as a kind of bridge to the afterlife. Neither land nor sea, neither life nor death. As he said these words the entire plot of The Crossing Places appeared, full formed, in my head."
- The Man Who Didn't Burn by Ian Moore
This is an excellent mystery story, set in the Loire valley, but with a less than picturesque murder to deal with. Juge d'instruction Matthieu Lombard is (in the way of policemen with tortured souls) still suffering acute depression after the death of his wife, but is called in from "sick leave" to apply his unique skills - or more cynically to act as a useful scapegoat. Despite the usual antagonistic figures in authority over him, he manages to pull himself together, uncover all the local secrets and solve the case.
The author lives in the Loire valley and is thus able to offer convincing insights into a local community as well as the French Judicial system. In addition to his writing, Moore currently runs a B&B - his previous novels have been more lighthearted and comedic (about a middle-aged man who runs a B&B in the Loire Valley...).
I can't help but draw - positive - comparisons with Peter May's series, set in France, with a mystery-solving university professor of Scottish/Italian descent. If you miss Enzo as much as I do, you will certainly enjoy this book. - The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves [Read by Janine Birkett]
Ann Cleeves has an admitted fascination with islands and closed communities and this is another great mystery story based around that format. In this case, the murder takes place during a school friends' reunion on an island, which can only be reached by a causeway at low tide. So as with many of her stories this is effectively a "locked room" mystery; yet she always executes them with such skill, that the killer is revealed without the need for any Poirot-style plot distortions or rabbits out of a hat. I rarely, if ever, guess the outcome, (in this case a very sad outcome in many ways), but all the evidence is always there for the reader. I refer again to the apparent simplicity at the end of "The Darkest Evening" where the killer says "how did you know it was me?" to which Vera replies "who else could it have been, pet?".
I have to say, I do like the fact that a lot of her books feature older or even retired people with a lot of life history and depth of character; speaking as one who may be stereotypically aged, they did not seem "stereotypically ageist" to me (as one reviewer complained). Of all her characters, I particularly like Vera Stanhope, who (unlike her TV persona*) is really fascinating, and never over-explained - you always want to know more, and there is always a lot more to know.
* To be fair, her books are so rich in detail that, in a TV drama, they barely have the time to get through the plot never mind focussing on the characters. - The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett
The Fairway Players have moved on from the dramatic events described in The Appeal, and all their energies are now focussed on pantomime season and "Jack and the Beanstalk". For anyone who has taken part in local voluntary organisations, or on local committees, these novels (this one and The Appeal) will prove particularly hilarious. The character foibles, snobbery, and petty politics are all splendidly displayed in emails, text messages, and postings on social networks.
Anyone enamoured of the classic round-robin Christmas letter will curl up in delight at the perfect pastiche provided in the opening chapters; if you have already read The Appeal, you will appreciate the stretching of the truth behind the descriptions of the fantastic year the writers have had - but if not, it is all beautifully revealed by the recipients scathing reactions in their emails to one another.
This is an obvious stocking filler for Christmas, but also a lovely follow-on revisiting the characters we met in the Appeal.
[Though I did rather miss Issy, who does appear but only rather briefly].
As an aside - I have read these books on paper, and as an ebook, and I do think I prefer the traditional paper format. I also listened to The Appeal as an audio book, where I can only congratulate the publishers in doing an excellent job of distinguishing all the different media types (particularly post-it notes!) in audio form.
- Overboard by Sara Paretsky [read by Liza Ross]
It is a bit of a cliche that fictional dead bodies are discovered by dog-walkers - probably based in reality as, out of necessity, they are often out early in green spaces - and dogs do like a good mystery...
So our story begins mundanely enough with VI exercising her dogs, who immediately, and irritatingly, rush off to find the inevitable dead body - but no - wait - they have actually found an injured young woman wedged awkwardly between rocks on Lake Michigan. The authorities are duly informed, and after a great deal of difficulty (and a lot of red tape issues for VI) the girl is taken to hospital. She seems unable to provide her identity and, somewhat mysteriously, her injuries seem to include burns...
When the girl subsequently absconds from the hospital, and then VI herself appears to be being pursued by threatening individuals, (among others, the more dubious members of her own family, and even some members of the police), she feels bound to investigate.
This is another case of family greed, and coercion, including corruption in high places and real estate fraud. Good thing we have VI to sort it all out.... - Call the Dying, Death's Own Door, and Naked to the Hangman
by Andrew Taylor [Read by Philip Franks]
As ever, the murder mystery plots in these last three books are as excellent and sharply written as ever, and I will not describe the plots in any detail. However, looking back at these last three books, I realise I have been drawn much more into the social dramas of Lydmouth, and my interest in the characters (if it were not already quickened) has deepened. The characters have become far more three-dimensional than they were at first.
We were always privilege to Jill and Richard emotions and dilemmas, but over the series, the other more peripheral characters have become more fully rounded. I particularly liked the development of Richard's wife, who started out as an almost cardboard cut-out figure seen mostly through the eyes of her husband. We did experience her confusion over the emotional stalemate in her marriage, but mostly she existed only as a foil to demonstrate the difficulty of Richard's position and his increasingly conflicting emotions. By the fifth book we are made aware that Edith is no only an interesting and attractive woman in her own right, but that she has her own choices to make in life, with options other than to remain as an unappreciated fifties housewife and mother.
As to Richard and Jill - we move beyond the romance and yearning of unrealised passion, but in doing so the tawdry reality of an extra-marital affair is exposed. When Edith announces she is having a third child, a number of factors coincide, and Jill moves back to London - despite promises to the contrary, contact with Richard is broken. However, (of course), a year later or so, Jill is called back to act as editor of the Gazette, while her friends Charlotte and erstwhile editor Philip (who is the victim of a stroke) have their own stressed circumstances to contend with. Here we see another aspect of the post-war decline of the upper middle-classes in the shape of Charlotte, with her dwindling resources and social influence as a business woman in the community.
In the final book, we see a very different side to Richard. He served as a policeman in Palestine at the end of the forties, and his past has come back to haunt him; he is threatened, blackmailed, and finally suspected of murder. Previously solid and dependable, he is unable to defend himself, and becomes hopelessly withdrawn and distressed. Edith and Jill are forced into an uneasy alliance to help him overcome what is effectively a mental breakdown.
Posted on November 30, 2023 at 3:29 PM. Category: Books of the Month. | Comments (0)
Wednesday November 8, 2023
A Voyage Round My Father
Lyn and I went to Chichester to see this - mainly to see Rupert Everett of course. I think my sister is always sad to see heart-throbs (inevitably) showing signs of age, but I love the fact that Rupert Everett has continued to take a wide range of roles throughout his career and seems no less in demand now.
I've not seen the play before, and it puts a whole new perspective on Rumpole of the Bailey - who presumably always had egg on his tie as the model for the role was in fact blind. [Note to self about avoiding wobbly ladders].
Posted on November 8, 2023 at 9:36 PM. Category: Art and Culture. | Comments (0)
Tuesday October 31, 2023
Books in October
Posted on October 31, 2023 at 12:11 PM. Category: Books of the Month. | Comments (0)
Wednesday October 18, 2023
Alien at the Mere Pond
I spotted a pair of unusual (for us) geese on the pond, and since I seem to always get it wrong, and this time was no exception, I had to check they were Egyptian Geese. I think they are lovely but to my dismay I find that from 2019 they have been classified as an "Invasive Alien Species" - along with the Ruddy Duck - another of my favourites. This makes it an offence, amongst other things, to import, keep, sell, transport, breed or release into the environment. Who knew? [Well... I'm guessing people who are keeping them knew, as you can get a licence to continue to keep them until "the end of their natural lives"].
Posted on October 18, 2023 at 5:13 PM. Category: The Garden. | Comments (0)
Wednesday October 11, 2023
The Great Escaper
A charming true story, played out by two masters of the profession. A joy to see them - in one case in her last role and in the other case professed to be in his last role. [And probably true since he now seems to have taken up writing thrillers...]
Posted on October 11, 2023 at 9:53 PM. Category: Art and Culture. | Comments (0)
Monday October 9, 2023
The Creator
It had a very emotional, if formulaic, plot line, which left me largely unmoved. However, I was moved by the very graphic depictions of the war, more than reminiscent of Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s; I suppose that occurred when I was at an impressionable age but surely it must have been the overriding influence and inspiration. [Or are all wars alike in their ghastliness?]
Posted on October 9, 2023 at 11:48 PM. Category: Art and Culture. | Comments (0)
Saturday September 30, 2023
Books in September
Posted on September 30, 2023 at 3:53 PM. Category: Books of the Month. | Comments (0)
Wednesday September 27, 2023
Peter Pan Goes Wrong
We've seen a couple of the "goes wrong" plays - as well as the TV series it spawned - and I find them highly creative and enjoyable. The midweek matinee audience in Richmond (Surrey) attracted a lot of oldies like us who were very obliging in joining in the fun where required - or not required (o yes we were) - and really we DID love the crocodile (snap snap) ...
It's touring, and arrives at the Lyric in the West End from 23 November until January 2024..
Posted on September 27, 2023 at 12:13 PM. Category: Art and Culture. | Comments (0)
Friday September 15, 2023
A Haunting in Venice
I thought Brannagh had gone completely off-piste with a new Poirot story, but I then read that this is an adaptation of The Halloween Party. A fairly loose adaptation one has to say, "the names stay the same but the characters differ" - all I suspect mostly in aid of transferring the action from a boring English Country House setting to a much more exotic location in Venice. And as to "who dunnit"? Well, without spoilers I would say that any sleuths among you would ask a fundamental question: not so much "who benefits?", as who - assuming you do not believe in the paranormal - is the only person who could have arranged all this?
Interestingly, even though G's interest in Christie and Poirot is limited (though sufficient to tolerate accompanying me to see the film), his first comment was: "I may not know much about the characters but I cannot believe that Ariadne Oliver would ever have played such a mean trick on Poirot" - again, no spoiler there I think, but I firmly agree. True, Brannagh has changed Ariadne into a ruthless American hack - but even so....
Posted on September 15, 2023 at 3:11 PM. Category: Art and Culture. | Comments (0)
Thursday August 31, 2023
Books in August
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You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace
I was immediately grabbed this story from the first chapter, even though I am generally not so keen on the kind of psychological thriller where you know who dunnit at the outset. And initially it seemed clear that this was that kind of book. However, it soon developed into another kind of mystery altogether with a skillfully layered plot, and splendid characterisations.
Our heroine is Claire, (a deeply disturbed individual), whose murderous actions alongside her unfiltered critical observations of those around her provide the darkly comic elements of the book. We see many sides of Claire, including the poignantly awful memories of her mother, delivered in the form of "stories" she wrote as a child, and her fierce loyalty to her Father (who to be blunt should have had her sectioned at an early age but....). Claire directs her violence towards those she feels deserve it - those whom she "sees as ghosts" before they die; unfortunately, the shortcomings of her justice system are obvious when there seem to be a few extra corpses evident as collateral damage along the way. Despite all this, we are all rooting for Claire with her warped sense of morality; she is rather comparable to Highsmith's Ripley, or (as others have observed) Jennings' Villanelle. -
A Death in the Parish by Richard Coles [Read by Richard Coles]
Another solid offering from our favourite Reverend.
As I predicted he is already having trouble with one too many corpses "after all that dreadful business last year"; so again I wonder how he'll manage with the next book - unless Canon Clement moves parishes. Still, I'm getting ahead of myself.
In this story Daniel has acquired an assistant Chris, who is a born-again Evangelist who sees the world in black and white; he does not see it as his duty to, for example, visit the sick if they don't really accept Christ as their saviour - no point as they simply cannot then be saved, and will have to take the consequences. This is contrary to Daniel's take on his ministry where he is not only a committed Christian but also a kind and gentle social worker. This leads to interesting theological wrangles between the two, which I very much enjoyed reading, plus the dose of parish and Anglican politics, and church rituals, all described with the author's undeniable intelligence, wit, and good humour. I liked the mystery though I did pretty well guess the murderer immediately - maybe that was intentional - and the surprise deflating of Daniel's hopes in love brought a tear to the eye.
I've read a number of - mostly minor - criticisms from other readers which in the main do not apply for me. I think you get what you expect from these books - although I do agree with one reader who said that a subsequent book in a series should not reveal all about plot and murderer in previous books!
No - my only criticism - and it's a serious one in my opinion - relates to the audio book specifically. Coles chooses to read these books himself - I guess he feels as a broadcaster and entertainer that he's qualified to do so. However to put it bluntly he may read well but he does not read well enough. Sometimes I like an author reading their own work - they know how they wanted it to sound - but that is not the case here. An actor's delivery would be far preferable - narrating a book is a specialised skill - they do not act out every scene but almost imperceptibly (actually sometimes quite overtly) alter their voices according to who's speaking, and this is vital as Coles writes a lot of unattributed dialogue, which would be obvious on the page, but is not when read out. I enjoyed the heated discussions between Chris and Daniel, but they would have been much more comprehensible if I'd known which of them were speaking.
I've said before that I am often surprised at how much the narrator can make or break a book - and Richard does not break it, but he does not add to it. So.... for goodness sake, Richard, employ an actor. -
The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman [Read by Fiona Shaw]
There are several threads to this story: the Murder Club's usual cold case - the disappearance of a journalist investigating a fraud case; the death of a prison inmate imprisoned for said fraud case; and a blackmail attempt on Elizabeth who is required to kill a retired KGB agent. I would say that Richard has strayed into a rather less feasible plot line here - but that would be rather silly given the premise of a bunch of people in an old folks home creating a Thursday Murder Club. What I mean is that he is following in the (gigantic) footsteps of Agatha Christie, having staged murder plots that would be hard, or at best chancy, to succeed in carrying out in real life...
But it's all good clean gruesome fun.
I missed Lesley Manville as the narrator but Fiona Shaw did an excellent job. Not sure if the two do actually have similar speaking voices, but their choice of delivery in tone and cadence are comfortably similar in these books. - The Lover of the Grave, The Suffocating Night, and Where Roses Fade
by Andrew Taylor [Read by Philip Franks]
Another excellent set of mysteries, with the backdrop of the soap opera which is Richard and Jill's relationship.- A man is found at the "hanging tree" on a freezing winter night - an apparent suicide but with many obvious and unanswered questions. DI Richard Thornhill gets into difficulties while revisiting the area on the outskirts of a village near Lydmouth; he is rescued from potential hypothermia by Jill Francis who, luckily enough, is also investigating the scene as a journalist. Jill delivers Richard back to his wife Edith at home where she is able to properly revive him.
- An unscrupulous freelance reporter is found murdered at the Bathurst Arms. He was representing himself as sympathetic to a group of squatters being evicted from a nearby military camp when in fact he planned quite a different slant to his story, so initially his demise was linked to that. However, developments in the three-year old case of a missing girl make the picture altogether more complex. Meanwhile Richard and Jill finally acknowledge their feelings for one another.
- The double standards of attitudes to sexual activity during the 1950s is thoroughly scrutinized here. Violet is struggling to care for her new baby, Grace, while having to deal with the cruel attitude of her disapproving father. When Vi's "good time girl" best friend Mattie Harris is found dead floating the river, quite a number of Lydmouth's most prominent citizens seem anxious have it deemed an accident. ..... and Jill and Richard finally give in to their passion for each other.
Posted on August 31, 2023 at 10:24 AM. Category: Books of the Month. | Comments (0)
Monday July 31, 2023
Books in July
- The Mortal Sickness by Andrew Taylor [read by Philip Franks]
As I said last year I was so enamoured of the first Lydmouth book that I immediately wanted to move on to the second, but decided to wait until the summer as that's the season in which this is set.
So - at the height of summer, we see Jill Francis herself actually discovering a body in the church, which naturally brings her back into contact with police detective Richard Thornhill. As well as the murder of an apparently uninteresting woman, a valuable church artifact has gone missing, which seems unlikely to have been a straight forward robbery as it's too famous to sell. Despite the sunshine, there is still the gloomy veil of the post-war era enveloping Lydmouth, and we get to understand more about Thornhill's and Jill's (separate) home lives, as each starts to acknowledge his underlying feelings about the other.
For her part, Jill has outstayed her welcome with Charlotte and Philip, and is relieved to find an ally in the vicar's wife, who is able to offer her a cottage to rent. -
A Heart Full of Headstones by Ian Rankin [Read by James Macpherson]
Past cases of police corruption are being investigated after one corrupt cop threatens to tell all - and then mysteriously disappears. Siobhan Clarke is the unwilling investigator in a case where all roads lead to Rebus. Working against Rebus are many who have an axe to grind, and would like to see him finally brought to book - or at the very least "go down with them".
The story starts and ends with Rebus, unwell and in the dock (literally), facing charges that could put him in prison for the rest of his life. So we end on a cliff-hanger. I can't believe the next book will see Siobhan as a prison visitor, and Rebus solving crimes from his cell - but then Rankin is an inventive author - always full of surprises.
While I salute Rankin for avoiding turning Rebus, Siobhan, and Malcolm Fox into a cosy gang, the result is that I do find it hard to keep any clear or consistent picture of each of them in my head. The one thing that emerges is that none of the three is a team player - all very much lone wolves. Rebus and Siobhan did seem to have an underlying loyal friendship, but looking back, it was always based on their chain of command, with Rebus being the "boss". Over time, Siobhan has become more cynical of his continual and undisguised exploitation of their friendship. And neither of them seem able to accept or trust Malcolm - who I always felt was one of the "Good Guys". I know in real life, people are never one-dimensionally uncomplicated, but I think friendship transcends that - especially if you accept the fact that "there is never anything so bad that your friend won't do it to you". -
The Royal Secret by Andrew Taylor [Read by Leighton Pugh]
I'm listening to this book out of sequence, as I read the subsequent one last February. Our two protagonists have developed their friendship as companions, with visits to musical evenings and the theatre. However, a small rift occurs due to a social misunderstanding at one such event, leading to misdirected jealousies. So they cease to see quite so much of each other, and the plot follows each of their separate paths - which of course inevitably end up crossing at regular intervals.
The secret of the title is based on communications between Charles II and his sister at the court of Louis XIV, and which led to the Treaty of Dover. As well as the official treaty, offering English military support to France, there was a secret element which stated that Charles would (in exchange for money) convert to the Roman Catholic Church "at some future date", and return England to Catholicism. Needless to say this was never enacted, and only became public a century later.
The book covers interesting details about the 17th century fashion for gentlemen of substance to keep exotic animals - in this case a lion - with clearly no idea of how they should be looked after. [Poor lion...]
I note there had been a menagerie at the Tower of London from medieval times, with animal welfare seemingly reaching an all-time low in the 1700s. Although welfare improved through the next century, a few accidents finally confirmed the impracticality of humanely keeping wild beasts there, and in the 1830s the animals were removed to the new London Zoo at Regent's Park.
Posted on July 31, 2023 at 2:47 PM. Category: Books of the Month. | Comments (0)
Thursday July 20, 2023
Robin Hood
So it's a fun show with good reviews - the Guardian labelling it a "must see".
I loved the special effects where arrows were (apparently!) shot onto the stage, using I assume a simple trick involving distraction and "Strongbow" sound effects. I particularly loved the various iterations of male Robins (*see note) who took to the stage imagining it to be their show - only to be rebuffed by the actual band of "merry women" as they were in this story. I loved Errol Flynn (he just WAS Errol Flynn), and I took a few moments to recognise Russell Crowe (accent thoroughly made fun of) even though I'm quite keen on his film, - but I did not know Michael Praed as Robin at all. [Later I watched the TV series which I found a bit magical/mystical but also quite clever - and Ray Winstone is lovely!].
Personally, while I enjoyed the play a lot, I had a few problems with it. I felt it could not make up its mind if it were a musical or not, (and if it were, I thought the music was a bit dirgy), and it could not decide if it were a comedy or had serious gender or ecological points to make. However, to be fair to them all, the biggest problem they had with me, was that they publicised it as being "by the same team who produced The Grinning Man". I found the latter to be such an unexpectedly excellent musical that anything suggesting it was as good as that was almost bound to be a disappointment.
* Note: if you are interested in Robins, take a look at this website which provides an excellent summary and analysis. As I am "of that generation" that fondly remember Richard Greene "riding through the glen", I easily see the truth of Greene being less an action figure like Flynn and more a squadron leader - he was well into his forties and quite chunky towards the end of the series.
Posted on July 20, 2023 at 7:10 PM. Category: Art and Culture. | Comments (0)
Friday June 30, 2023
Books in June
-
Grave Expectations by Alice Bell
I loved this light-hearted mystery thriller.
Though serious enough, especially in some of the less prominent descriptions of living on the breadline, it has comic overtones (I note some describe as "hilarious") populated by a delightful set of characters. True, a certain amount of suspension of disbelief is definitely required, and some of the peripheral characters may be considered slightly two dimensional but this is outweighed by the overall enjoyable nature of the story.
Personally I loved the fact that, as well as London, the book is set in Brighton - a town (or city as it is now) very dear to my heart, and a highly suitable backdrop for a misfit group of would-be sleuths. The main protagonist Claire is flawed personality but very appealing, who earns a meagre living as a medium - and is thus regarded generally as a charlatan. During a one-off engagement at a country house, she teams up with a few members of the - mainly sceptical - family, to investigate a death. And, no, it's not as simple as asking a ghost what happened, though you would think....
By the end of the book our heroes have (along with Claire's "spirit guide") firmly developed into a "gang" and I confidently hope and expect we will see more of them in future books. - The Angel's Mark, The Serpent's Mark:, The Saracen's Mark, and The Heretic's Mark
by S.W. Perry [read by Kris Dyer]
Once again - no doubt attracted by the medieval illustration on the book cover (reminiscent of the SJ Parris books) I decided to try the Jackdaw Mysteries albeit with very low expectations - I think having been so scarred by E M Powell's "Stanton and Barling" books, I am permanently suspicious of book blurbs saying things like: "would appeal to fans of the Shardlake novels".
Anyway - enough negativity. These books are brilliant. The historical detail is a delight, and the mysteries are excellent. Everything a fan of the Shardlake series would want (assuming they can't have any more by Sansom).
As an aside - I live close to Nonsuch (which features in the books) and was driven to look up its history, as well as looking at maps, old and new.. Nothing left of the palace now, of course - except the name, which is still much used: eg for the park, school, and various local social groups.
Posted on June 30, 2023 at 3:25 PM. Category: Books of the Month.
Wednesday May 31, 2023
Books in May
- The Detective by Ajay Chowdhury
Another excellent mystery plot from Ajay Chowdhury, investigated by Kamil with his diverse set of friends. Happily for me, Kamil is now where I feel he belongs... that is: in the police force, rather than operating as a talented hanger-on. Some other readers found his swift acceleration through the Met a bit implausible, but I found I could accept it better than the Famous Five type of investigations that preceded it.
The story line itself is very topical, involving a kind of advanced (and as written: fantasy - but who knows?) recognition software; however the twist is that this software is combined with what I will term "AI" giving it some rudimentary, but nonetheless sinister, deductive and predictive abilities - shades of "The Capture" combined with "Minority Report".
I am warming to Kamil and his friends, though the cast of suspects were pretty unappealing, such that it didn't really matter to me which of them dunnit! What held most appeal for me personally was the sub plot, where Anjoli takes it upon herself to find out the identity of three historical bodies found near the site of the modern day killing. I won't say how she does this (much luck and co-incidence of course - but that's what stories are all about, after all), but naturally the AI software has some part to play, and the result of her efforts has an unexpected link the live investigation.
Looking forward to Kamil's next outing...
- The Unexpected Return of Josephine Fox, Treachery at Hursley Park House, and
A Conflict of Interests by Claire Gradidge [Read by Lucy Price-Lewis]
I stumbled across Treachery at Hursley Park House in the local library on the "hot to trot" shelves - and it was irresistible due only to the title. My erstwhile employer runs their research labs there, so I'm pretty familiar with the building, and found it amazing that someone had actually written a mystery series set there. I'd not heard of it before, and had expectations of its being pulp detective fiction. Well! how arrogant am I? It's an outstanding series, and definitely plays to my taste in the genre. I quickly moved on to read the third in the series then went back and listened to the first.- The action starts in 1941, when (illegitimate) Jo Fox returns to her home town of Romsey, searching for her father. She is disconcerted to re-encounter an old school friend, Bram, - now a local solicitor and coroner - because she had last seen him during a brief impetuous romantic interlude while sheltering from an air raid in London. They are drawn together to investigate the death of a young girl whose body was wrongly included with others killed in an explosion at the local pub.
- In 1942, Jo is is seconded to Hursley House with a code name and a mission to uncover the network responsible for information leaks to the enemy.
- By 1944, Jo is back working in the coroner's office in Romsey when Bram is hospitalised with an infection caused by his severe wounds from WW1. Added to this her estranged husband reappears in her life, and after her initial relief when he disappears again, she is distressed to find he is somehow involved when a burning car is discovered with a body inside.
- The Windsor Knot, A Three Dog Problem, and Murder Most Royal
by S J Bennett [Read by Samantha Bond]
Somewhat against my better judgement, I listened to the next two books in the "Queen Elizabeth Investigates" series. They are well-written and fun to listen to - but seem somehow disrespectful now that both Her Majesty and Prince Philip are no longer with us - not sure why - just a personal reaction.
I see there is now a fourth in the series A Death in Diamonds where the action is moved back in time to 1957 - which I imagine makes things somewhat easier for both writer and reader.
Posted on May 31, 2023 at 2:56 PM. Category: Books of the Month.
Thursday May 4, 2023
Richard III at the Rose
Here's the blurb: Following her acclaimed production of Richard II at Shakespeare's Globe, Adjoa Andoh now follows the rise of Richard, Duke of Gloucester, in this powerhouse Rose Original Production full of songs, dancing and a dash of murder.
Original score from Yeofi Andoh, inspired by traditional folk music, this staging sets kingdoms and castles amongst May Day parades and Morris dancing in a rural Cotswold setting. ... and actually I felt it did all that quite well.
I've just read a rather cutting review from Time Out, which makes some good points but in an unnecessarily unkind manner I felt. I mean there's no need to patronise Adjoa Andoh by being "kind" I suppose, but in summary, I'd say that some parts of the staging worked well and others less so. And while I don't much like the casting of female or black actors in pretty traditional white male roles "just for the sake of it", this version had a lot to say, realigning the prejudices aimed at Richard's deformity - not to mention that Andoh herself was brilliant in the role.
Sorry I missed her Richard II, though.
Posted on May 4, 2023 at 8:31 PM. Category: Art and Culture.
Sunday April 30, 2023
Books in April
-
Death Under a Little Sky by Stig Abell
I enjoyed this book a great deal. It's a debut crime novel, but Stig Abell, as a journalist, is already an experienced and proven skilled writer. Thus it's no surprise that the story is well-plotted, and progresses at a good pace. I found the premise of the book a bit of a stretch - almost a dream scenario of inheriting a property with a small income attached - but the lifestyle is painted very realistically. The property is somewhat remote, and lacks 21st century home comforts, being essentially "off-grid". This in turn is a good plot device enabling the author to create a backdrop harking back to the Golden Age of detective fiction - a world where communication is not a trivial matter, and help cannot be summoned at the touch of a button. That said, looking to future novels in the series, I'm not sure how long Jake can realistically remain without any means of communication at all; despite embracing the back-to nature existence and the lack of network coverage, he did have the means to charge a mobile phone (though he never seemed to do so!).
One thing I did not enjoy quite so much was the descriptions of the relationship as it developed between Jake and Livia. In particular, I was not convinced by Livia's attitude to their sexual encounters, which seemed to be a direct translation of male attitudes and unconvincing words put into a female's mouth. This may be due to my age or gender, (or both) but I think more subtlety was required. At the same time, exploring men's attitudes and lust for attractive young women - especially including Jake's own reactions - added an excellent perspective on, and dimension to, the plot. However, (and this was surprising for me since I am a plot-driven reader rather than appreciating beautiful prose), it is the glorious descriptions of the environment that captivated me most in this book. Because of the situation into which Abell has put his protagonist, the wonderful descriptions of the very English woods and countryside took me straight back to the childhood experience of emerging from an ex-army canvas tent at 6am to the sound of a wood pigeon, and with the prospect of a wash in clean but cold water... (Girl Guides circa 1967....).
Apparently this is the first of a potential series, so I am looking forward to finding out how Jake progresses. - To Die but Once, The American Agent, The Consequences of Fear, and A Sunlit Weapon
by Jacqueline Winspear [read by Julie Teal]
I had a rather solid catch-up on Winspear's books this month, and managed to get her through 1940 towards the end of 1942. There's a lot going on in Maisie's life - she is finally finding herself with feelings of love towards her American friend, Mark, as well as setting out to adopt an orphan evacuee (which is complex since she would be a "single Mother" and this does not fit with the social mores of the time).
As usual, historical themes and politics are addressed in each book:
An apprentice lad working on a 'hush-hush' government contract turns up dead - but is the camouflage paint they have been working with altogether safe?.
An American correspondent reporting on the war in Europe, is found murdered in her London digs, but news of her death is concealed by British authorities. The importance of wartime propaganda aimed at drawing the Americans into the war cannot be compromised.
A message runner for a government office, witnesses an argument that ends in murder. Maisie thinks she spots the killer in a Special Operations training facility.... but he is engaged in vital war work, and the authorities seem unwilling to investgate.
A female ferry pilot, is delivering a Spitfire when she has the unnerving experience of someone shooting at her aircraft. A few days later, another ferry pilot is shot down and killed. Maisie wants to find out why someone appears to want to take down much needed pilots, but as her investigations progress she is drawn into an obvious case of prejudice against a black American serviceman, as well as facing similar issues at the school attended by her newly adopted daughter.
Posted on April 30, 2023 at 2:13 PM. Category: Books of the Month.
Friday March 31, 2023
Books in March
-
The Murder Book by Mark Billingham [read by Mark Billingham]
We are set firmly back in the present with this book, which sees the return of Thorne's bête noire - or nemesis. Personally.I'm not fond of bête noires, and this includes Stuart Nicklin, "the most dangerous psychopath [Thorne] has ever put behind bars". However, many other aspects of this thriller/mystery plot are so excellent that I can put my natural prejudices aside. Keeps you guessing right to the end...
As an aside to the real detective story, I admit I am very interested in the soap opera that is Thorne's domestic life. So I was pleased to find the (lovely) Helen and her son Archie make a reappearance - I was a bit worried about Archie as Thorne seemed to have gone from full surrogate to total absentee father - anyway, contact is renewed. Helen seems to be the only sensible woman Thorne has ever met as far as I can see, and is clearly a solid friend not to be discarded lightly (either by Thorne or by the author). In addition, with one mighty bound, Mark has neutralised my objection to the apparent ease with which Thorne finds himself in improbable relationships with beautiful and intelligent women.... you'll have to read it to find out how. - The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L. Sayers [read by Ian Carmichael]
I was encouraged to read this novel from 1934 after listening to one of the podcasts from SheDunnit which pointed out to me that it's critically acclaimed as her "her greatest literary achievement"; she spent a long time with the research for the background to this bellringing puzzle and the Campanological Society of Great Britain felt that her handling of the bell ringing plot was so masterly that they invited her to become their vice president.
I have heard the radio dramatisation with Ian Carmichael as well as seeing a TV adaptation in 1974, but I never really fully appreciated the subject matter so felt that revisiting the text might be of interest. The title refers to the nine strokes of a church bell to announce the death of a man - a point which again (almost unbelievably) passed my younger self by.
And so to the plot: storm-bound over the New Year at a Fenland rectory, Lord Peter Wimsey willingly steps in to take the place of a bellringer who has the flu (as you do) and lend a hand in the ringing of a New Year's Eve peal of the church bells.
Some months later, a handless, disfigured corpse is discovered in a fresh grave in the churchyard. Lord Peter receives a plea for help from the rector and embarks on one of his most complicated investigations - for this is not the first crime the village has experienced. Fifteen years ago the Wilbraham Emeralds were stolen, and they are still missing. Can there be any link?
[Well of course there can!] -
Murder Before Evensong by Richard Coles
A Christmas gift from George, which I devoured and then passed around any of my fellow cosy crime enthusiasts who had not already read it! And I would say it is surely the definition of cosy crime, with a local village setting, and a crime-solving vicar? However, Coles makes a sincere effort at realism in his setting, and tries to make it clear that someone dying, and worse, being murdered, is no trivial matter in a small community, and not something to be treated lightly (or cosily). However, if this is to be a "Canon Clement Mystery Series" I'm not sure how long he can continue to do so as dead bodies are likely to abound beyond the plausible unless Clement is reduced to unravelling more trivial mysteries - we'll have to see.
One of my friends observed that all his female characters were described rather caustically - which I have to say I did not really notice in quite that way. It is true that the "church ladies" were in some ways rather figures of fun or even overtly unpleasant, but I suppose I did not feel much affinity with them, and didn't see them as representative of "women" in general. It seemed to me he was just describing in a humorous manner the factions that arise in local or volunteer organisations - which might be unkind, but to me no more than in Agatha Christie's "Murder at the Vicarage" which is narrated by the vicar poking fun at his parishioners in much the same vein.
So.. was it any good? The plot was a bit convoluted - but sound - and Coles wit and obvious intellect, both of which I very much enjoy, were definitely to the fore - and I did really enjoy his diversions into interesting aspects of church ritual, church politics, and points of theology which he would have liked to take up with his bishop (but didn't...).
So - yes - it was good and I'm looking forward to the next installment. -
The Blue Movie Murders by Ellery Queen
A vintage volume that was another Christmas gift.
Although a supposed golden-age thriller enthusiast, there are many famous authors I have never dipped into, and although I have read a number of the short stories as part of crime anthologies, Ellery Queen is one of them - or are one of them, since it's the pseudonym of two writers Frederic Dannay (1905-1982) and Manfred Bennington Lee (1905-1971).
Anyway, this was excellent, with a good plot and an interesting writing style. However this novel, published in 1972, was probably their last. It was ghost written (as many of them were) by Edward Hoch, and edited and supervised by Dannay since Lee had died in 1971.
Being written in the seventies, I guess it needs to come with the usual "good taste" warning that it "reflects language and attitudes of the time" which may now be deemed offensive. [However, it stands up pretty well against, for example, The Eiger Sanction from 1975, which I viewed recently; I was genuinely horrified by the casual sexism and homophobia displayed in such a mainstream piece of entertainment!]. -
Death of a Dreamer and Death of a Maid by M C Beaton [Read by Graeme Malcolm]
I read the first Agatha Raisin book as I was intrigued by the title, and then quickly fell for Agatha herself. While I was aware of the pre-existing series, I had only ever read a short story featuring Hamish McBeth. Beaton herself put me off going any further as she clearly loathed the TV series - which I loved; her major objection was the casting of Robert Carlyle - and to be fair he is not Hamish who is a huge red-headed Highlander - but other than that I thought the series was very true to the rather quirky spirit of the rural society described in the books.
Anyway - time to try a couple of "Death of a ..." - and I found them charming enough. However, Hamish does not really speak to me as Agatha did, so I doubt I will try any more. [Having said that, I doubt I will be reading any more of Agatha now that the original author is no longer with us].
.
- A Death in the East, and The Shadows of Men by Abir Mukherjee
[Read by Simon Bubb and Mikhail Sen]Time to move on with this excellent series.
It's 1922 and Captain Sam Wyndham (ex policeman relocated from Scotland Yard), is facing up to the fact that he can no longer deal with his opium addiction. He has travelled to a remote ashram where he endures a gruelling regime to achieve a cure. While there he believes he sees a face he recognises from 1905 when he was a newly qualified PC in England. After a man is murdered - possibly in mistake for Wyndham - he calls on his friend and colleague Sergeant Surendranath Banerjee to travel up country to assist in solving the case (and perhaps help save his life).
In his stories, the author addresses (or at least describes) the many social injustices inherent in the times, and had expressed the view that his two protagonists could not continue as a conventional "Morse and Lewis" type pairing, and that the younger man was obviously going to be influenced by and ultimately involved in the pressure for social change in India. So it starts mildly - Sam is taken to task over his continued use of the almost derogatory nickname Surrender-not despite the supposed true friendship between the two - and then in The Shadows of Men Suren gets his own voice. The pair are split up and so control of the narrative alternates between the two as the plot unfolds. At the end of the book, the ridiculous accusation of murder levelled at Suren is rescinded, but despite the fact he has no need to be on the run any longer, he has chosen not to return to India.
I think the author is taking a break from this series for a while and plans a couple of stand-alone novels, but I hope he returns to Sam and Suren - I want to hear what happens next....
Craddock and Co
Turn of the Century (yes, ok, I mean 1899 not 1999) tongue-in-cheek drama by Chris Thompson, starring Martin Jarvis and Emma Tate:
Lucy joins her uncle Charles working at his London book shop, but discovers he has a secret profession as a private investigator. [First broadcast on BBC Radio 5 in October 1993]- The Crompton Canvas - an Earl is assaulted and a painting stolen; it's up to Victorian bookseller-cum-detective Charles Craddock and his niece, Lucy, to solve the crime.
- The Play's the Thing - Charles and Lucy investigate some mysterious backstage dramas at a London theatre.
- My Dear Isabelle - the reappearance of an old flame prompts a trip to France for Charles and niece Lucy.
Posted on March 31, 2023 at 12:13 PM. Category: Books of the Month.
Tuesday February 28, 2023
Books in February
- I Will Find You by Harlan Coben
Harlan Coben has an excellent track record writing best sellers, so really it is almost superfluous to say how thrilling his books are, with dramatic twists and turns throughout. I've read several of his stand-alone novels and this is another star performance. I should say I have liked some of his books more than others - specifically: I'm personally less keen on his basketball themed series since I find that subject a bit esoteric (much I suspect as the Americans in general regard cricket). However, I really enjoyed this book; I found it pacy an hard to put down (no basketball in sight).
It's worth warning that the plot is written from the point of view a man jailed for the violent murder of his own child some years before. He is mentally too numb to protest his innocence, and so traumatised by the situation that he has accepted his prison sentence with a burden of guilt for not being able to protect his son. But then he is shown a photograph... which changes everything...
The mystery part of the plot is skillfully executed, allowing the reader to piece together the solution -possibly slightly ahead of the protagonist - at the pace the author intends. And finally, if, like me, you enjoy a well-rounded ending - I would say happy ending but that's always less easy with this underlying subject matter - then you will be well-satisfied here.
If this is your first Coben thriller, then it's a great place to start - and if not, you'll find it well up to his excellent standard.
- Eight Detectives by Alex Pavesi [read by Emilia Fox]
I was absolutely delighted by the basic premise of this book.
Grant McAllister, was a renowned professor of mathematics and writer 30 years ago, but is now living in seclusion on a remote Mediterranean island. He developed a theory that all detective fiction could be expressed as a mathematical formula based on "n" detectives, and "n" suspects, which can be applied to all stories, barring those where "n" tends towards 1 - which are special cases. He wrote a series of seven stories illustrating the various combinations of "n" - and these short stories form the basis of this book.
Our story is taken up when Grant is approached by Julia, a young editor, who apparently wants to republish his book. She works through each story with the author (and with us), pointing out apparently intentional anomalies and discussing their relevance, each in some detail... but Julia has her own agenda for this project, and nothing is as it seems.
The stories are presented with multiple alternative endings, which some readers said they found confusing. However, as I said, I loved all this, and I found the overarching mystery quite compelling.
[Note that this book is also published under the title The Eighth Detective.] -
The Shadows of London by Andrew Taylor
The is the latest in the Ashes of London series, and if you have not encountered it before, you are in for a treat.
I came upon this author and the Marwood-Lovett novels by a chance reading of a review in the Guardian - and what a terrific find they are. Taylor's ideas for the mysteries are excellent, always including fascinating historical insights, and all executed with the aplomb of a brilliant historian and writer. They are set in the era of Charles II after the Restoration, which provides an interesting political landscape. I know a little of this period, having studied it at school, and it is tempting to imagine that life in the 17th century is in some way modern though only a mere century or so after the Tudors - an age of enlightenment, scientific discovery, and elegance in both dress and manners. However Taylor really highlights many other less appealing aspects life with a need for constant wariness against casual assault and robbery, or offending the wrong person in a time of heavy dependence on patronage; add to that: primitive medical treatments, and a general level of poor hygiene, which, despite the huge rebuilding programme in London after the Great Fire, was not really addressed until two centuries later with the creation of the London sewer network.
This story involves a "simple" murder of "no-one in particular", but it affects Cat's business enterprises so negatively, and she is forced unwillingly to involve James to represent her interests in an attempt to resolve the matter. The many threads that his enquiry throws up lead to a political conspiracy involving the King himself - and needless to say, with Taylor, it has some basis in historical fact.
In addition to the story-lines, I am strong drawn to the depiction of protagonists with their, in one way loose, bonds of friendship and yet deep underlying connection and mutual dependence. So far, Taylor has managed to walk a difficult tightrope of maintaining that unspoken relationship without turning them into Tommy and Tuppence - but their relationship is shifting and developing with every book, so who knows what the next book will bring. (I, for one, can't wait!).
If you enjoy skillfully written historical mysteries you will love this series.
Posted on February 28, 2023 at 9:32 AM. Category: Books of the Month.
Sunday February 26, 2023
Unravel 2023
A pleasing day in Farnham, where I met up with a few Guild friends, and we did show and tell on our purchases.
I was also delighted to find Black Isle Yarns who - seriously - could not have been more helpful in aiding me in my search for a white (ish) tweed to use for a long-planned pom-pom sweater (planned since about 1968...!). I wish they were located more handily, but seeing the photos on their website, maybe I wish it were I that were located more handily ...
Of course, I'd planned to buy nothing, but was seduced by some delicious yarn from Zakami. No idea how I shall use it - so far squishing and stroking it seem ideal.
Posted on February 26, 2023 at 7:46 PM. Category: Knitting and Crochet.
Thursday February 23, 2023
The Mirror Cracked
This is an adaptation by Rachel Wagstaff performed by the Original Theatre Company at the Rose theatre - its penultimate venue after a six-month tour.
Stars Susie Blake, and Sophie Ward
Slightly damning with faint praise - this was an "adequate" production - nothing wrong with it - told the story - well acted - but failed to stir my emotions (and it is a very emotional story). To be fair, I have seen a lot of dramatisations of this in my time, and maybe there is only so much you can do with a plot.
Afterwards, I did feel bound to go home and watch once more the Joan Hickson version from the 1990s - which I consider to be yardstick - followed by the more modern "Marple" with Geraldine McEwan and Julia McKenzie. I have younger friends who prefer the latter; they are indeed lighter (both literally in the filming as well as in the tone) portraying everything in a kind of colour supplement version of the 1950s, and they certainly have their own unique appeal. Give that this type of murder mystery is truly a weird kind of fantasy in the first place, I have no valid objections - nor indeed to any of the modern interpretation of Christie's stories - she herself tinkered with many versions of her own stories for stage and screen.
However, those Miss Marples from the 90s featured actresses just old enough to really live inside the characters they were playing - a generation seen in my aunts and uncles that I can say with a tear in my eye which is now lost to us. Not only did Joan excel in what must have been the starring role she was born for (having been a stalwart of almost every British black and white movie throughout the era), but who could suggest a better Dolly than Gwen Watford? And what can I say about the truly moving relationship seen in "A Murder is Announced" with Joan Sims and Paola Dionisotti?
So maybe that was it - I did not warm to the portrayals of Miss Marple and Dolly in this production. Simple as that.
Posted on February 23, 2023 at 11:48 PM. Category: Art and Culture.
Wednesday February 15, 2023
Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of)
They promised delightfully irreverent - and fully delivered.
A cast of five women play all the parts - including their long-suffering servants - and yet remain weirdly faithful to the book whilst weaving in topically hilarious references.
Hopefully you can still catch it at one of the venues on tour.
Posted on February 15, 2023 at 7:59 PM. Category: Art and Culture.
Tuesday January 31, 2023
Books in January
- The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett
Another deliciously layered mystery from Janice Hallett, and if you have enjoyed her innovative way of presenting her previous stories, you will love it.
Rather like "The Appeal", the story is presented as a series of emails, Whats App messages, letters, news clippings - and phone recordings, transcribed by a faithful assistant, Ellie, whom we can also thank for the excellently curated presentation of the materials. The dossier was originally compiled by Amanda, a true-crime journalist who has decided to write her next story focusing on several grizzly murders which took place decades ago. The murders were centred around a small group dabbling in the occult, and convinced they were saving the world from the anti-Christ; the perpetrator was instantly taken into custody at the time, and is now (thankfully) incarcerated in secure institution. After the group was disbanded, a baby was taken into care, and, seeing her way into the story, Amanda starts her mission to locate the surviving members of the group, and, most importantly, "the baby" - a mission which she pursues obsessively and ruthlessly, without any apparent ethical or moral considerations. If all that were not difficult enough, Amanda is forced by her publishers to work with Oliver, an old colleague - perhaps nemesis even - upon whom, it becomes clear, she is intent on meting out some kind of personal revenge.
Seen through their communications, Amanda is a classic and intentionally obvious "unreliable narrator", and Oliver seems to steadily disintegrate to a state of nervous breakdown - but in contrast, Ellie is a delight, and provides a much-needed stable and realistic viewpoint, while she doggedly researches and transcribes the material Amanda provides her with.
Once again I did enjoy the author indulging her ability at pastiche in reproducing sections of other (fictional) blockbuster novels of differing genres inspired by the murders, as well as a hitherto unproduced screenplay.
This is a much darker story than Hallett's previous books, and I felt a constant sense of anxiety, although I am not sure of its source as it was not concern for the characters, who are for the most part not very sympathetic. Although we don't like Amanda, the story is compelling with a terrifically tense and unexpectedly twisty ending - and most of all, we do love Ellie. - So Shall You Reap Donna Leon
This is another wonderful treasure from Donna Leon. It centres around a cold case - a scenario increasingly popular in modern crime stories - although it is triggered by a murder very much in the present.It weaves together a number of strands of thought-provoking material examining hate crime and attitudes to prejudice, as well as how well or little we know about those we work with every day. Through attention to detail, the police team gradually unravels the secrets of both present and past. All too often in this series, it seems that even though the police "solve the crime" they cannot bring the criminals to justice in the conventional way, and at best some compromise has to be made. However, in this case, despite the powerful figures involved, you are left with no doubt that those responsible will face prosecution.
Leon displays an admirable economy of style in her writing, where every sentence vividly conveys the essence of her meaning without being overly wordy, and her characters come to life with real depth without needing to explain every last detail of personality - or physical appearance... [Here I should say for those familiar with this book series, Signorina Elettra is an exception as we are treated to full descriptions of her wonderful clothes, mostly I think as they are so much appreciated by Brunetti]. I was interested to note that this is the first "post-pandemic" (if we can say that) book I have read and Covid is referenced I think in a rather clever way, with Brunetti casually finding that he has a face mask left as a kind of relic in his pocket, and not feeling the need to wear it - still present, but not centre stage.
The Brunetti series has been with us for over 30 years now, and I'm tempted to describe them as "gentle" although that has come to mean "lightweight", which these books are definitely not. Leon consciously avoids political controversy, even though there are many examples of the more localised political machinations within the Italian police; in fact this particular story more or less opens with one such "accommodation" between departments. Overall, if her plots have any underlying themes, they are overwhelmingly towards issues with the environment - and you do not have to look very far to be faced with these concerns in Venice, where the books are set. However, do not think that Leon engages in clumsy eco-crusades in her writing - they are mystery stories full of interesting characters where these - often very serious - issues simply provide the backdrop.
Brunetti himself is an interesting protagonist to have gained such a mainstream following over the years, as he is somewhat intellectual, loving opera and often to be found reading ancient philosophers. He has a happy home life - not presented as unrealistically idyllic - with his wife and children providing robust exchanges during their meals together, and insights which would otherwise bypass Brunetti.
Despite the fact that their working day is interspersed with regular visits to local cafes for brief coffees, (and Brunetti generally returns home for lunch), you never feel that the detectives are anything less than dedicated and conscientious workers. Transport in Venice is by vaporetto - but there is also much walking, often seen as a pleasing alternative by Brunetti, during which he never fails to admire and appreciate the architecture and beauty of his home city. But I think it is his basic sense of sanity and decency in a rather less than sane environment, that instills such trust in the reader. It's not necessary to read the books in order; although Brunetti's family and the age of his children do develop through the stories, it is easy enough to place the stories within the chronology.
So... if you have never read any Leon books before - start now! -
Real Tigers by Mick Herron [Read by Seán Barrett]
Another gripping tale, which is the third in the Slough House series.
In their efforts to rescue one of their own, our Slow Horses are thrown into real field work in which they are for the most part barely competent. This includes both Lamb and Ho, the latter proving himself wholly incompetent though surprisingly willing. This story has even more deeply political overtones, and the cynical asides - sometimes presented in the minds of the characters and sometimes not - are satirical genius.
I have now watched the Apple TV versions of the first two books and as dramatisations they are well up to the standards of the books. The cast is terrific and, even though I always visualise Charles Grey playing a slobby version of Mycroft Holmes, Gary Oldman works well as Lamb. I'm not sure they've quite nailed Roddie Ho - the actor is perfect but we cannot be privilege to the inner working of his mind in quite the same way on the screen, so while he seems crass enough, he's less overtly preposterous.
[Note that I had great difficulty in finding any on-line links or references to this ISIS audio recording by Seán Barrett - even seems to have gone from the library site from which I obtained it - hence the link to a US site]. 
Marple: Three New Stories
Three new stories featuring Agatha Christie's heroine, reimagined by contemporary mystery writers for a new generation: a murder, a theft and a mystery where nothing is quite what it seems.
Twelve new stories in total have been published to mark 45 years since the publication of Agatha Christie's last Miss Marple novel.
The ones broadcast here are:
- Murder at the Villa Rosa by Elly Griffiths [Read by John Heffernan].
- Miss Marple's Christmas by Ruth Ware [Read by Georgie Glen].
- The Unravelling by Natalie Haynes [Read by Monica Dolan].
Just William
The Great Performer by Richmal Crompton
Some further Richmal Crompton stories brilliantly read as ever by Martin Jarvis - really make you laugh out loud.- William Joins the Carol Singers
- William - Only Just in Time
- William the Great Actor
- William's Midnight Adventure
- William Goes Shopping
Posted on January 31, 2023 at 12:50 PM. Category: Books of the Month.
Friday January 6, 2023
Christmas Jigsaw - "A"
George fits the last piece to the Mike Wilks jigsaw: "A".
We completed it a little quicker than "S" as it's only 1000 pieces.
Posted on January 6, 2023 at 6:58 PM. Category: Staying at Home.
