Book #88 The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, 3.5 stars I reckon. This gentle perambulation through small town America is charming enough but drags on for rather too long with little or nothing happening. Sara Lindqvist, a bookseller in Sweden, has corresponded with Amy in Broken Wheel, Iowa for several years. An invitation from Amy sees the young protagonist arrive in Hope, Iowa for a few weeks holiday - expecting to be met by Amy, or someone, for the brief journey to Broken Wheel. I half expected Robert Kincaid to turn up, given the State location. But no, Sara finds herself waiting for a non-event.

The inevitable book-shop for Broken Wheel is just over the horizon. The plot line is so often soporific (is something ever going to happen?!) There are likeable characters, some amusing moments, plenty of thumb twiddling leading to further procrastination on behalf of just about everyone living in Broken Wheel. So, what will happen to Sara as events unfold? Will she, Won't she? Was I really that bothered? Just glad that I finished it...

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Book #87 The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories

The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories by P.D. James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have always been a fan of P.D.James and her elegant writing about her poetry loving detective Adam Dalgliesh, wonderfully portrayed by Roy Marsden in a series of excellent TV broadcasts. This book contains four short stories two of which feature Dalgliesh, one as Detective Sergeant and the other as Detective Chief Superintendent. My favourite was The Twelve Clues of Christmas with DS Dalgleish in particularly perceptive mood, stitching clues together rather like Hercule Poirot. It's a little gem making this well worth the modest purchase price.

P.D.James died in November 2014 at the age of 94; a sad loss to the world of detective fiction. If you are a fan you should add The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories to your collection.

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Book #86 The Last Time I Saw Paris

The Last Time I Saw Paris by Lynn Sheene
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A romance, a drama that unfolds in occupied France during the 2nd World War. Lynne Sheene is a longtime Francophile (I count myself as one) and her research for this novel has been impeccable. I was able to follow the exploits of Claire Harris Stone through familiar streets of Paris, with ease. Claire flees a glamorous Manhattan lifestyle built on lies and follows her lover to Paris. Perhaps rather naive of events unfurling in Europe she finds herself in a city overrun by Nazi soldiers and, in exchange for false identity papers, Claire agrees to aid the French Resistance.

TLTISP is well written with a plot that contains many moments of suspense and after many incidents of despair leads to a satisfying conclusion. Another novel that evinces the courage of Parisians in the face of Nazi brutality, not quite as harrowing as The Nightingale, but an enjoyable read nevertheless.

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Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra

I have managed to purchase premium tickets to see the Brighton Philharmonic Orchestra in concert on Sunday 5th February at the Brighton Dome concert hall. The programme will include:

Mozart Symphony No.29 In A major K201 

Haydn Cello Concerto No.1 In C major

Mendelssohn Symphony No.4 In A major Op.90 (Italian)

Conductor and cellist Thomas Carroll will make a welcome return to Brighton exploring more late Classical and early Romantic music. Initially a student at the Yehudi Menuhin School, Thomas went on to study with Heinrich Schiff in Austria, becoming a highly sought-after soloist, chamber musician and, more recently, conductor. Thomas is Artistic Director of the Orpheus Sinfonia.

The Haydn Cello Concerto in D Major is one of my favourite works. It was written in 1783 for a cellist in the Prince of Esterhazy Orchestra and is a very relaxed and lyrical concerto.

Mendelssohn’s ‘Italian’ Symphony No.4 was written in 1833. He was on tour in Italy, aged 24, when he sketched out the work, completing it after a request for a symphony by the Royal Philharmonic Society in London.

An event to look forward to.

The Finest Piano Concerto

Since I was a child I have been passionate about classical music. I remember in my teenage years listening to 'Semprini Serenades' on a Sunday on the BBC Light radio programme (or wireless as it was then called). He introduced his programme with the words: "Old ones, new ones, loved ones, neglected ones".  He introduced me to 'The Warsaw Concerto' by Richard Addinsell, 'The Dream of Olwen' by Charles Williams, 'Cornish Rhapsody' by Hubert Bath - and so many more light classics. But his signature tune was taken from Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto and I fell in love with a piece of music that has stayed with me for sixty years.

I have listened to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No.2 for six decades and I never tire of hearing it. It is, quite simply, the best piano concerto ever composed. Over the years I have collected many recordings of this opus. But there is one, just one, that always reduces me to tears. I listened to it again, just today. How many times have I listened to this sublime recording since it was released in 1971? I have no idea. Vladimir Ashkenazy, more than any concert pianist I know, lives and breathes Rachmaninov. His performance with the London Symphony Orchestra under the baton of André Previn stands head and shoulders above any other recording I own - and I have many. Ashkenazy's playing is so full of emotion and the LSO provides the perfect accompaniment to his virtuoso performance. The quality of the Decca recording is astonishing, given its age.

The most beautiful, romantic piano concerto of all time. If you don't know it, take a listen. If you do, like me, listen again, and again. And enjoy something that is beyond perfect....

Book #85 An Equal Music

An Equal Music by Vikram Seth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A tour de force. Enthralling. Unequalled by anything I have read before that has music as a central theme. And such music; the music I love. J.S.Bach, The Art of Fugue, Schubert, String Quartets, the ‘Trout’ Quintet, Haydn String Quartets - all played by the renowned Maggiore Quartet of which the protagonist Michael plays second violin (occasionally the first). Michael, who walked out on love ten years ago in Vienna. Julia, a highly accomplished pianist was devastated by his desertion. A pianist with a secret…. Why did he disappear? So many years later a chance sighting on a bus. Julia is in London where Michael has been for the past decade, playing second fiddle, travelling the world with the Maggiore. He still loves her. Why did he walk away? Will love be rekindled? Lost again?

This is a beautiful story, a symphony of a novel with a passion for music that runs like a fugue throughout, a learned opus that reveals a comprehensive knowledge of musicianship such as variant tuning, the value of playing scales before rehearsals, a world populated by wonderful characters that resonates long after reading the last page.

A love story for the music lover about the power of music. If you love classical music you must read An Equal Music. My finest read of 2016.

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Allegro Moderato

How does an orchestra conductor interpret 'Allegro Moderato'? it means 'moderately quick' between 112 and 124 beats per minute. That sounds fairly straightforward. Or is it?

My favourite symphony is Rachmaninov's 2nd Symphony. Always has been; always will be. I have listened to so many performances of this great opus. Many delight, others leave me perplexed.

The first movement - the Largo - Rachmaninov calls for allegro moderato. Did he have in mind a number of beats per minute? Orchestral conductors over the years of performing and indeed recording this magnificent work seem to have different opinions. For me, moderately quick is the essence of that first movement.

I have many recordings of the 2nd Symphony. I listen to them all regularly. I have always favoured the 1973 recording by André Previn and the London Symphony Orchestra. Previn works his way through that first movement in 19:10. For me that is pretty damn well perfect and what I suspect Rachmaninov planned. A more recent recording in 2006 by Evgeny Svetlanov conducting the USSR State Symphony Orchestra achieves a remarkable 18:11 for that first movement, the last 16 bars taken at tremendous tempo. It is exciting.

I like the 2010 recording by Valerie Gergiev conducting the LSO. He slows the pace of the first movement to 22:33. The slower tempo is rich and nuanced. The recording is warm and slightly understated but for all that a beautiful interpretation. Allegro Moderato? Who can judge what is right?

On the other hand, Gennadi Rozhdestvensky conducted the LSO in 2005 in a recording where he decided to slow the tempo in the first Largo movement to 24:30. Why? it is almost dirge-like and I reckon that Rachmaninov would have winced if he had ever heard this. Allegro Moderato means 'moderately quick' Mr Rozhdestvensky. Why do you drag it out for more than 5 minutes beyond my expectations?

If you have no recording of this most significant opus by Rachmaninov my recommendations are obvious. For me it will always be the Previn, closely followed by the Svetlanov.

Book #84 Watching the Dark

Watching the Dark by Peter Robinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my first DCI Banks novel and it's Robinson's 20th! Well, I had to start somewhere. Having watched every episode of DCI Banks on television I started this book with preconceived ideas only to find that TV scriptwriters have their own ideas and embellish character backgrounds with gay abandon! I thought Annie Cabbot was married with a child! Anyway, I digress. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Watching the Dark; it can be read as a standalone. The plotting is meticulous with pitch-perfect characterisation (I couldn't help but visualise Stephen Tompkinson as our protagonist!). Banks is something of a maverick and is fanatical about his music. Unlike some reviewers I liked the numerous references to stuff he listens to even going as far as searching iTunes for one of the Bill Evans albums mentioned.

The plot here is slow to unravel and is very moving in parts, covering the dark issues of people trafficking and loan sharking. How is the murder of a DI linked to these events and even more so to the disappearance of an English girl six years ago in Estonia? Robinson handles all of this with deft precision and draws you into this labyrinthine procedural. I won't say more about the plot - others have done that. I do give this 5 stars unreservedly. One of my best reads this year.

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Book #83 The Devil's Prayer

The Devil's Prayer by Luke Gracias
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I approached The Devil’s Prayer with a great deal of anticipation. So many 5 Star reviews. “If you liked ‘The DaVinci Code you will love ‘The Devil’s Prayer’” said one. I loved ‘The DaVinci Code’ but I cannot say the same about ‘The Devil’s Prayer’. It starts so well: the suicide of a nun in Spain. Her daughter living in Australia recognises the nun from a news report as her mother, who disappeared suddenly, and without trace twelve years ago. She travels to Spain in search of answers. She discovers her mother’s ‘confession’, a betrayal, a deal with the Devil. A confession full of graphic detail about revenge taken against those who betrayed her. So far so good. The first half kept me swiftly page turning. The second half however became tedious. Well it did for me. Page after page, chapter after chapter recounting details of a 13th century conspiracy between the Mongols and the Papal Legate, that although it has a direct bearing on current events, became more of a history lesson that went into far too much detail and again, for me, became monotonous.

I expected so much from this book and when the ending did finally arrive, well, something of a damp squib. It has its moments. Enjoy the first half and be prepared to endure the second. Who knows - you might think differently….

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Book #82 Mission To Paris

Mission to Paris by Alan Furst
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book had languished on my TBR list for far too long. I had taken too much notice of poor reviews. I should have known better. I have long been a fan of Alan Furst although my last read was several years ago. Mission To Paris is a slow-burner. There are pages where nothing much seems to happen. But throughout there is a palpable sense of menace in the autumn of 1938 in Paris where the possibility of war appeared unavoidable.

Frederic Stahl, a Hollywood film star born in Vienna, travels from California to the boulevards of Paris. He is to star in a film Après La Guerre. He is ill-prepared for the circumstances that overtake him as he is drawn into a clandestine world of espionage and overt propaganda from the Nazi organisation and the chilling heart of the Third Reich. Will Stahl inadvertently become an agent of influence? Will he put himself in harm’s way as German operatives track him across Paris? To what end?

Furst’s knowledge of this period of history is second to none. His familiarity with Paris is comprehensive. His ability to instil a simple sentence with a whiff of something sinister is pitch-perfect.

If you are a fan of Alan Furst and you haven’t yet read Mission To Paris I would recommend that you do. I loved it.

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When You Are Old

How do you define 'Old'? I am older than I was and younger than I will be. As I grow 'older' I often find myself asking the question: "Why are you doing this?" I am asking myself now why I am writing this. It might have something to do with my re-reading of some of my favourite poems and one in particular: "When You Are Old" by W.B. Yeats....

When you are old and grey and full of sleep, 

And nodding by the fire, take down this book, 

And slowly read, and dream of the soft look 

Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;

There is melancholy here. I am 'old' and grey and often full of sleep and I do nod off by the fire. Is this just whimsy on my part or am I just out of step with getting older....

Book #81 Cold Kill

Cold Kill by P.J. Tracy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth, two detectives from the Minneapolis PD, are chasing around 'six ways to Sunday', aided by a bunch of computer geeks known as Monkeewrench, to solve a series of baffling homicides in Minnesota in a plot that really does stretch credulity about a decades-old conspiracy. Full of cheesy dialogue between these two protagonists who love junk food, sticky buns, a dog, a computer analyst Grace MacBride, to such an extent you just cannot help but love 'em! As conspiracy theories go this plot takes the biscuit. It's fast paced, daft in places and compelling enough to read in two days. I believe this is the latest in a series that feature Gino and Magozzi and you know what? I enjoyed it!

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Elizabeth Taylor in London

I have a recording of this wonderful poem, recited by Elizabeth Taylor. It features on the album ‘Elizabeth Taylor in London’. The musical score was composed by John Barry. 

Elizabeth Taylor in London was a CBS-TV television special broadcast on 6 October 1963.

UPON WESTMINSTER BRIDGE by William Wordsworth

Earth has not anything to show more fair:

Dull would he be of soul who could pass by

A sight so touching in its majesty:

This City now doth like a garment wear

The beauty of the morning: silent, bare,

Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples lie

Open unto the fields, and to the sky,

All bright and glittering in the smokeless air.

Never did sun more beautifully steep

In his first splendour valley, rock, or hill;

Ne'er saw I, never felt, a calm so deep!

The river glideth at his own sweet will:

Dear God! the very houses seem asleep;

And all that mighty heart is lying still!

Fifty Thousand

For many bloggers out there this probably means little. For me, it is a significant achievement. My humble blog today reached 50,000 page-views. Thank you to all of you who take the time to visit. I know that I have become somewhat single-minded this year in posting little more than book reviews. I will try next year to expand my horizons, once again!

Book #80 The Nightingale

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Nightingale will linger long in my mind. I have ready many factual accounts about French resistance and the Maquis. I do not recall reading such a spellbinding fictional account such as this. It has left an indelible memory of the bravery and courage of two sisters, each involved in the 2nd World War in juxtaposed places. Each face the horrors of the Nazi occupation of France, endure deprivations that are heartbreaking, atrocities so inhumane as to leave one reeling with a profound sense of anger and loss. The final redemption is bitter-sweet and defines fear and love in a time of war. Other reviewers have explored the plot in greater detail. For me the story of Vianne and Isabelle is beautifully written and required a great deal of research by the author Kristin Hannah.

It is a remarkable novel - one of my best reads this year and highly recommended.

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Book #79 Last Voyage of the Valentina

Last Voyage of the Valentina by Santa Montefiore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Glorious. This great big canvas of a story that spans a period from the 2nd World War to the 70s, a romance, a mystery, a book about enduring love, a passion for the Amalfi Coast, an Italian family haunted by a secret, a British naval officer who meets Valentina in Incantellaria during the war and falls hopelessly in love and returns to England with his baby daughter, Alba, after the sudden death of her mother, the beautiful Valentina. The complex plot sees the hedonistic Alba, twenty six years later, determined to find out what happened to her mother all those years ago and to track down her Italian family. She leaves her father's houseboat (named after her mother, Valentina) where she lives, moored in Cheyne Walk, Chelsea and sets out on her quest....

There is so much more to this suspenseful story that blends the history of a wealthy English family with Alba's Italian ancestors. What will she discover in Italy, will she sort out her own love life with Fitz, will her father finally find redemption for what happened all those years ago?

Last Voyage of the Valentina is a fabulous read; my first book by Santa Montefiore. It won't be my last. I have The Italian Matchmaker near the top of my to-read pile!



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Book #78 Lily And The Octopus

Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book resonated so much with me. Edward and Lily. A man and his dog, but unlike anything else I have read in a story that explores grief. Profound, inconsolable grief. It is quirky, bizarre, original. Lily the dachshund is twelve, which is eighty-four in dog years. Edward is forty-two, which is two hundred and ninety-four in dog years. And therein lies a portent of what is to come. It is difficult to review this moving, heartbreaking story without spoilers. But read it you must. It moved me to tears and, yes, I sobbed. A grown man and I sobbed.

If you share your life with a dog, or any pet this is for you. Have the tissues handy…..

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Book #77 Lovely Bits of Old England

Lovely Bits of Old England: Selected Writings from The Telegraph by John Betjeman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have been dipping in and out of this for around three weeks, whilst reading other books. A selection of writings from John Betjeman published in The Telegraph in the 50s and 60s. These articles have become something of an historical eulogy; one might say that they have no relevance nowadays. Nevertheless, they are worth reading to understand Betjeman's love of architecture and his disdain for 'developers' in a country still recovering from the deprivations of the 2nd World War. He loved churches and on 30th May 1952 he wrote a wonderful article entitled "The Churches of England are Part of Our Life". He was a stalwart supporter of St. Pancras station and the St. Pancras hotel and I am sure he would be delighted to know that these great architectural edifices have been restored to their former glory.

His book reviews were often dismissive. In 1951 'The Catcher in the Rye' and 'The Day of The Triffids' were afforded a single paragraph in The Telegraph. In 1953 about 'Casino Royale' he says: "It suffers from falling apart two-thirds of the way through..." Rather amusing for a book that is still in print more than 60 years later!

John Betjeman will always be remembered for his passionate defence of Britain's Victorian heritage. He was knighted in 1969 and appointed Poet Laureate in 1972. He died in 1984.

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Book #76 Bath by Insight Guides

Bath by Insight Guides
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had read most of this guide before my wife and I enjoyed a long weekend in this beautiful city. We lived in Bristol when we were first married (more than 40 years ago) but never took the time then to explore Bath. This guide is an excellent companion for anyone considering a visit. It is well laid out, suggests and catalogues various tours to different parts of the city and provides practical information on how to get there, where to stay and where to eat and covers Bath's stunning architecture in considerable detail. It is well worth the cover price of £7.99 to help you enjoy one of Britain's most beautiful cities.

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Book #75 Conclave

Conclave by Robert Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The power of God. The ambition of men. This is a remarkable novel; in some respects it is almost audacious in scope as Robert Harris enters the secret world of the Conclave when a new Pope is to be appointed by the Roman Catholic cardinals in a world becoming increasingly secular. I found myself immersed in the papal conclave - St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Apostolic Palace, Casa Santa Marta, and the ambitions and rivalries amongst one hundred and eighteen cardinals from all over the globe. There is intrigue, there are those who worship God, others who perhaps worship the church more. The liberals, the traditionalists, the reformers. The overly ambitious… And in seventy-two hours one of them will become the most powerful spiritual figure on earth…

So, how do you create a thriller from such a scenario? How do you create a sense of deep foreboding that something is amiss? How do you rock the very foundation of the catholic church with an ending that leaves the reader numb with shock? Robert Harris achieves all of this, focusing the plot around Cardinal Lomeli, Dean of the College of Cardinals, whose task is to conduct the Conclave.

Out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks… Who could foresee the crisis coming….

A most intelligent thriller. One of the best that I have read this year. Highly recommended.

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Book #74 Moriarty

Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sherlock Holmes stories are somewhat akin to Marmite. You love them or hate them. I am in the former category. But now, Sherlock Holmes is dead and darkness falls. In the capable hands of Anthony Horowitz the late Victorian era once again becomes alive, the streets of London redolent with mist and fog, Hackney and Brougham cabs and the eerie cry of "The game's afoot" - but not uttered by our famous consultative detective. Holmes and Moriarty have fallen to their deaths at the Reichenbach Falls; well, they have, haven't they? Is everything what it seems? What is the Pinkerton agent, Frederick Chase, doing in Meiringen? Does he want to confirm the death of Moriarty? And who is the master criminal who has journeyed from New York to London, determined to take over Moriarty's criminal empire? You might think you know, but do you? How does Chase meet Inspector Athelney Jones from Scotland Yard in Meiringen? Why is he there? Will they work together to run this new master criminal to earth? And will you, like me, have the wind completely blown from your sails in the final quarter of the story when everything you thought you knew is completely turned on its head?!

Moriarty is a master class in crime fiction. Horowitz has managed once again to capture Conan Doyle's narrative style (as he did in The House of Silk) with brilliant plotting. It will leave your head spinning.

Highly recommended.

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Book #73 The Night Stalker

The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Robert Bryndza does it again! I don't usually 'binge' read series but having enjoyed #1 so much, The Girl In The Ice, I did move straight on to The Night Stalker as I was so taken with DCI Erika Foster. In my earlier review I likened her to Helen Grace; that similar damaged past, a dislike of internal politics, superiors who are continually on her case despite the fact that she uses her intuition with remarkable insight. Once again Erika is pitched against a devious serial killer, who earns the moniker Night Owl for fairly obvious reasons. Her team of DIs Paterson and Moss resolutely stand by her even when her actions once again are met with questionable action 'from above' including Superintendent Marsh and ACC Oakley. you are familiar with the term 'wanker'? Yeah, that's Oakley. How did he reach such high office?

The prose is edgy, the pace is quickened with short chapters when required. The protagonists are believable, the police procedures are spot on, the locations are often sinister. I found myself completely immersed in this terrific thriller that really does have everything including a finish that left me breathless!

I loved it!

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Book #72 The Girl In The Ice

The Girl In The Ice by Robert Bryndza
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So pleased that other Goodreaders recommended this. Wow! Helen Grace has a rival in DCI Erika Foster. There are similarities in their background. Both have suffered trauma in their earlier careers with the police. Both take on the establishment, despise internal politics and at times evince a level of insubordination against superiors. I am left to wonder how Chief Superintendent Marsh ever achieved such a high level of rank given his propensity to often ignore the obvious.

Erika will fight her corner to follow the evidence in a case of alarming developments. Her team love her and will do everything to support her in this cracking serial killer thriller. It has everything; short chapters when required to rack up the tension, great dialogue, believable characters and locations. And the feisty DCI Erika Foster.

I loved this debut novel in the series by Robert Bryndza. Raced through it, couldn't put it down.

Highly recommended.

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Book #71 My Husband's Son

My Husband's Son by Deborah O'Connor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Overall this is a taut read, but for me it was marred by Heidi, the main protagonist, who continually does things beyond stupid. One cannot of course overlook the fact that her daughter Lauren was murdered six years ago when just a youngster. Her husband Jason's son was kidnapped a year later and he and his first wife split up. Heidi and Jason's marriage is fragile, haunted with memories of their loss. And then Heidi meets a boy she's certain is Jason's long-missing son - but Jason is equally convinced it is not him. Heidi sets out on a quest determined to prove otherwise....

Jo Spain said: "An ending that left my head spinning...". I beg to differ. For me it was all too predictable given the events of the last 60 pages or so.

I give it 3.5 stars.

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Book #70 Cold Earth

Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, there it is. I managed to make it last for four days. Had to finish it, disappointed that it's over. I love Shetland - these wild, Northern Isles where I followed in Jimmy Perez's footsteps in May this year. Ann Cleeves has made them her own. She understands the Shetlanders and their way of life. And how they will react to a murder in their community. This number 7 in the series is another gem - a beautifully crafted slow-burner that sees DI Jimmy Perez and DCI Willow Reeves together once again, investigating the crime. Is romance in the air or is it too soon following the murder of Fran? How is Cassie coping? Why is there no mention of Sergeant 'Tosh'? Will there be another murder? If you are a Shetland fan you will have to read it and find out.

I loved it.

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Book #69 The Woman Next Door

The Woman Next Door by Cass Green
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You can choose your friends but you cannot choose your family. Same goes for neighbours I guess. I certainly wouldn't want to suffer Hester as the woman next door. Come to that, I wouldn't be too thrilled to live next door to Melissa! We have had The Couple Next Door; now we have Cass Green's The Woman Next Door and this really is a killer read! Two women, two dark secrets and the almost perfect murder. Almost? On page #76 it really kicks off! "The rest of my sentence is whisked away in an out-breath that seems to go on and on. I am aware of the thud and whoosh of my own blood...." What has happened was not at all what I was expecting and it really did take my breath away, with something of an hysterical laugh. Now it's fasten your seatbelt time and hunker down for a race through a terrific psychological thriller with an ending that left me gasping! Never expected that!

Brilliant!

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Book #68 Close Your Eyes

Close Your Eyes by Michael Robotham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This enters my top three reads of 2016. That overused cliché 'Impossible to put down' - that covers it! I wish I had come across earlier books by Michael Robotham as, having read Close Your Eyes, I cannot see any point in going back in time. Too much happens here, with reference to previous events in Joe O'Loughlin's life, a forensic psychologist, that I cannot look back. But, this reads as a terrific standalone, serial killer thriller. The last 100 pages had me unable to read quickly enough, the tension was almost unbearable. I had to finish this brilliant story that kept me going into the wee small hours. Stunning! Don't take my word for it. Grab a copy and get stuck in. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

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Book #67 The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland

The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland by Julia Stuart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sheer delight. This beautifully written story about Brodie McBride, his wife Elspeth and young daughter Maggie and a cast of other wonderful characters in this poignant story of love, loss, anguish, humour and some truly laugh-out-loud moments. The conversations between Maggie and her mum and dad often had me creased up with laughter. Brodie thinks his marriage is floundering; he's on a quest to track down the pearl that will complete a necklace for Elspeth; this he believes will save his marriage. But his quest remains one of disappointment until Maggie takes events into her own hands and.... oh dear, things go completely pear-shaped as the McBrides find themselves at the centre of an international commotion that will change everyone's lives forever. I yearned for a positive outcome as the pages rushed by. Is there one? Read this delightful, funny, touching story and find out!

I loved this book.

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Book #66 The Night is Darkening Round Me

The Night is Darkening Round Me by Emily Brontë
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Emily Brontë was just 30 years of ages when she died in 1848 from tuberculosis. She died just a year after the publication of her one and only novel Wuthering Heights. Although best known for her novel, Emily was also an accomplished poet although her work does seem to manifest a predilection with death. This selection of her poetry was published in 2015 by Penguin Classics to commemorate its 80th anniversary, one of 80 such publications and most of which are available for just 80p. This collection illustrates Brontë’s most passionate, powerful poems on death, nature’s beauty and the passage of time. Reading them aloud gives this poetry a new dynamic - follow the syntax and punctuation and you might surprise yourself how much this increases the enjoyment. Try it….


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Book #65 How To Find Love in a Bookshop

How to Find Love in a Book Shop by Veronica Henry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The title could be an entry from a do-it-yourself manual. I fell in love with this beautifully written story. The story about Nightingale Books set in the romantic setting of Peasebrook in the Cotswolds, with a cast of lovable characters. Julius Nightingale's life has been an indulgence of books, in a shop loved by everyone who enters. They come to see Julius, this charming man who will help them choose the book most suitable for their taste and pass the time of day. His sudden death leaves a huge gap in so many lives and Sarah will secretly grieve his passing. His daughter Emilia returns to her hometown to rescue the family business, this wonderful business for book-lovers. Who wouldn't want to step into her shoes? Many customers have their own stories to tell and these are interwoven in the plot that at times is so sad it had my bottom lip quivering. Yes, and I'm a bloke, and it had that affect on me. Perhaps I am an incurable romantic!

I have read a number of books recently about bookshops, people who run them and own them. This has been the best by far. Veronica Henry has created a rich story that I became totally immersed in. It is a touching, warm-hearted read, it contains joy, sadness and redemption. Enter into the world of Nightingale Books, curl up with a cup of tea or hot chocolate, join these great characters in the cosy town of Peasebrook.

I would love to spend Christmas there....

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Book #64 The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts

The Little Bookshop of Lonely Hearts: A feel-good funny summer romance by Annie Darling
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The dithering Posy Morland inherits the bookshop where she has spent her working life, from the deceased owner, Lavinia. So far, so good. I like books about books, about bookshops, about people who work in or own bookshops. But when Posy has to join the real world and run her own business, under the watchful eye and interference from Lavinia's grandson, the infuriating Sebastian, she spends half her time bursting into tears and sitting around moping. It began to get irritating. At times I wanted to put this woman in a sack and give her a good shake - for heaven's sake just get on with it! It's not bad. It has an all too obvious ending, some of the dialogue grates and 'happy ever after' is a long time coming. I am relieved that it's over!

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Book #63 No Way Back

No Way Back by M.J. Arlidge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The perfect prequel. For fans of DI Helen Grace this is a must read. It dots the Is and crosses the Ts. Why did Grace become a copper? What happened to her after her sister Marianne was incarcerated in Holloway prison for the murder of both of their parents? How did Grace as a teenager survive the horrors of a child care home from hell? Read all in 54 thrilling pages. Read all in about an hour. It's classic M.J.Arlidge. It fills in the gaps. Helen Grace fans - you must read this!

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Book #62 Hide and Seek

Hide and Seek by M.J. Arlidge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fans of M.J.Arlidge are in for a real treat, although I reckon we have been with all of the DI Helen Grace series so far. Remarkably it continues to get better. You will recall that in 'Little Boy Blue' Helen has been well and truly stitched up and in 'Hide and Seek' our feisty DI is on remand in the notorious Holloway prison, charged with three counts of murder. Coppers in prison are treated much the same as paedophiles and child rapists and Holloway proves to be no exception. This story is dark, disturbing and full of malice. Arlidge uses those trademark, very-short chapters to wrack up the tension and this really is as tense as it gets. There is a ruthless, serial-killer at large in the prison and Helen, despite her predicament, is determined to find the culprit whilst her bagman Charlie continues to work on proving Helen's innocence. This is superbly written, breathtaking stuff. The last ten chapters or so had me holding my breath, seriously.

I would add that it is essential to have read the forerunners to 'Hide and Seek' - well, at least 'Little Boy Blue' - as there are so many threads that you need to be aware of. This is essential reading for DI Helen Grace fans.

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Book #61 Portraits of the Dead

Portraits of the Dead by John Nicholl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is John Nicholl’s third book, so I have missed the first two, but it’s of no matter as this is a fast-paced standalone serial killer thriller. I am rather sorry to hear that this is a standalone as it introduces one of the most likeable and believable coppers in DI Gareth Gravel. His bagman is the equally likeable DS Clive Rankin (no relation of Rebus!). These two detectives are fallible, they get taken in but they work doggedly on in pursuit of the most diabolical serial killer I can ever recall. His deeds border on the hysterical; he is a monster of depravity. There are scenes that will make your blood run cold and catch your breath.

Portraits of the Dead is a real page turner; it kept me enthralled until 1:00am this morning. If you enjoy serial killer thrillers, don’t miss this.

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Book #60 Nothing Short of Dying

Nothing Short of Dying by Erik Storey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

One hell of a protagonist! Clyde Barr has seen more action in his lifetime than most mercenaries and a comparison with Jack Reacher is unavoidable. Is it just a coincidence that his name is a diminutive form of Clyde Barrow?! Nothing Short of Dying is a compulsive, fast paced read, a race against the clock as Barr sets out to save his sister Jen. Barr is a loner with lethal skills. He doesn't care much for people, dislikes crowds, dislikes townships, prefers the call of the wilds. He's been a hunter, adventurer, soldier of fortune and most recently, unjustly imprisoned convict. His sister is in serious trouble, her life is is in danger and time for her is running out. Barr has no idea how much time he has, where Jen is located or even who has taken her. Nothing short of dying will stop him from saving her. It's a rollercoaster ride in which he will need all his skills to combat a crew of serious villains who have his sister.....

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Book #59 Out Of Bounds

Out of Bounds by Val McDermid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am always enthralled with Val McDermid. I have read most of the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan novels and some of the stand-alone. I came across Out Of Bounds at a local bookstore and bought a copy of her latest book. The chief protagonist is the feisty DCI Karen Pirie, a polis (love that Scottish word) attached to Police Scotland. She heads up the Historical Case Unit (HCU) and is an expert at solving the unsolvable. I had no idea though that Out Of Bounds is the fourth in the Pirie series and there are events referred to in her past life that are no doubt covered in the earlier books. Nevertheless, this latest can be enjoyably read as a stand-alone. I must though find out what happened to her partner - “the love of her life” - Phil, who moved from the HCU to become DCI Jimmy Hutton’s bagman, his trusted lieutenant in the quaintly named Murder Prevention Team. He had been fascinated by his job and never imagined it would be the death of him. And then it was. How so I wonder?

So, Out Of Bounds - When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car, a routine DNA test could be the key to unlocking the mystery of a twenty-year-old murder inquiry. McDermid is the master in plotting events that occurred years ago, avoiding the possible continuity traps and getting the details right. She cleverly interweaves this investigation to another case as Pirie pieces together decades-old evidence. And familial DNA plays a significant rôle in this exciting and brilliant story.

Each time I read a Val McDermid I find myself saying “this is the best so far”. Well, here it is: “this is the best so far!” Highly recommended.

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Book #58 Children of Time

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Once in a decade or so a book comes along that grabs me by the cojones, gets my rapt attention and fills me with awe. I have woken with night sweats thinking about giant spiders that have the UNDERSTANDING. And all because Adrian Tchaikovsky has an imagination that is boundless, who tells a story that spans millennia, a story that makes you believe it is…. feasible. How can we predict where the human race will be in 2,000 years time…..?

The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home. Following their ancestors’ star maps they discovered the greatest treasure of a past age - a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But, oh dear. Something has gone terrifyingly wrong. The terraforming project included the seeding of life on this new Eden with a nanovirus, designed to accelerate the evolutionary process. But it picked on the wrong species as our travellers were to find out, humans who had travelled for centuries in suspension chambers and awoken at strategic times. The ‘Gilgamesh’ space cargo-ship (the cargo being the last remnants of the human race) has been travelling for 2,000+ years at just below the speed of light (nice touch - avoids the argument about travelling at warp factors!) when this new Eden approaches….

Children of Time is 600 pages of extraordinary science fiction with believable characters and some surprisingly likeable aliens. Give them names like Portia and Fabian and you cannot help but develop a certain empathy with them…

Not at all surprising then that Adrian Tchaikovsky has been awarded the 30th Arthur C Clarke Award for best SF. Highly recommended.

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Book #57 No Other Darkness

No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The 2nd in the DI Marnie Rome series by Sarah Hilary, read back-to-back with the 1st. I feel like I have binged on murder and mayhem for the past week or so. No Other Darkness is a particularly harrowing story. Anything concerning the deaths of young children is bound to be. In this account the way that Archie and his brother Fred died is dreadful and the plot is full of despair and anguish, following the discovery of their frail, desiccated bodies. There are characters to pity, few to like, although Hilary does produce great emotion amongst the protagonists. Hilary is certainly the magician with metaphors as they roll off the pages aplenty.

I recommend reading these books in order as there are key threads that run from the 1st through the 2nd. I have decided though to shelve the 3rd volume for a reading at a later date. I feel like a change of genre….

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Book #56 Someone Else's Skin

Someone Else's Skin by Sarah Hilary
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Funny how things work out sometimes. I was browsing new paperbacks in Asda, liked the look of and purchased ‘Tastes Like Fear’ by Sarah Hilary, only to find out that this was number 3 in her crime series featuring D.I. Marnie Rome. Reading some of the cover notes seemed to indicate that I needed to read numbers 1 and 2 first. I went ahead and bought the Kindle version of ‘Someone Else’s Skin’, number 1 in the series. This work won the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2015, a very worthy and superbly disturbing debut novel.

DS Marnie Rome is 28 when her parents are murdered by their 14-year-old foster son, Stephen and the story opens as Rome arrives at her former home to see it turned into a crime scene, an officer leaving the building bearing the murder weapon: "Mum's bread knife, its steel teeth full of tattered red skin." She is kept outside by her boss, who lowers her, keening, to the pavement. Five years on, Rome is a successful, trusted DI, her foster brother locked up, her own shadows locked deep inside, when she's landed with a case that will bring her face to face with her "worst fear: the stigma of victimhood”….

This is a fantastic entry to the thriller scene, which seems to be densely populated at the moment. Deftly written, unobtrusively, subtly drawing readers into the cold, wet world of London, where "the sky's empty, grey, as if someone has dragged a tarpaulin across it", where "the rain kept coming, as if someone had unplugged the sky, sheets of the stuff, thick and chilly”. It is a corker: twisty, tricksy and, on occasion, seriously scary. There is a moment when I found it almost impossible to keep reading, the scene Hilary has created is so upsetting, but almost impossible not to, the story is so hell-for-leather compelling.

This is an extraordinarily good debut, utterly creepy, without being gratuitous, and an exciting start to this series. I’m off to download number 2….

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Book #55 Perfect Daughter

Perfect Daughter by Amanda Prowse
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Perfect Daughter by Amanda Prowse is pretty much the perfect read. It is the first book by her that I have read; I was drawn to the perfect cover. I am a sucker for great covers and this has a beaut. Hard to categorise - to refer to this as Chick-lit would be demeaning. It is much more than that. It has wonderful characters and a very addictive story.

Jacks Morgan lives in Weston-super-Mare with her chaotic family – husband Pete, children Martha and Jonty and her mother, Ida. Her mundane life is not exactly what she anticipated when she was younger and she can’t help but look back on all her dreams and wonder what if… how life would be if things had worked out differently. Jacks’ dreams were put on hold long ago and unwittingly perhaps she lives her life vicariously through her daughter, Martha - wanting her to enjoy the successful life that she hasn’t. Jacks wants nothing more than the best future for her daughter instead of allowing her to lead her own life. Her husband Pete thinks differently. Jacks is also carer to her own mum who has Alzheimer’s. And it is this theme that Prowse handles with such dexterity. And events from 19 years ago finally catch up with the family with devastating consequences.

Perfect Daughter is deeply moving, laced with humour, at times heartbreaking and superbly written.

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Book #54 The Gathering

The Gathering by Anne Enright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Faversham last week I paid a visit to the delightful ‘Past Sentence’ second-hand book shop. I do not need any more books; I was just browsing. But then I spotted this book cover that announced:”Winner of The Man Booker Prize 2007”. £2.00 later and The Gathering by Anne Enright was mine. Enright writes with great agility - witty, sometimes hallucinogenic, often dark and lyrical. Whilst the plot is fairly simple she weaves complexities into events with great skill. Our protagonist, Veronica Hegarty, loses her already lost, lovely alcoholic brother Liam. His funeral drags her back into the gathered ranks of her rambling Irish family - the dysfunctional, drinking, blue-eyed Hegartys. It is the kind of story that I associate with John Banville - it’s Irish, it combines the exalted with the profane, it contains humour amongst beautiful prose, moves from tenderness to anger in a heartbeat - and, without giving away too much, I can honestly say it’s a darned good read.

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Book #53 The Dog Who Dared To Dream

The Dog Who Dared to Dream by Sun-mi Hwang
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Dog Who Dared to Dream has been translated from the original Korean work from popular author Sun-mi Hwang, who is well known in her homeland for her touching animal tales. It straddles the line between adult and children's fiction and is hard to place into any particular category. The wording throughout the book is childlike and simple, but the content and underlying message are quite deep. Because much of the book is about death and loss, it can be an emotionally draining read. The translation itself is patchy in places and sometimes exchanges between characters felt stilted and awkward. Perhaps the cadence of the original Korean has been somewhat lost in translation. It is reasonable to say that the ending is uplifting and liable to bring a tear to the eye.

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Book #52 Sicily Travel Guide: Traveling, activities, sightseeing, food and wine

Sicily Travel Guide: Traveling, activities, sightseeing, food and wine by Alex Pitt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Alex Pitt has visited Sicily many times; he clearly loves the place and his enthusiasm for the island is infectious. This is more of a travelogue than a guide but certainly whets the appetite if you are considering a visit. It provides sufficient information on culture, history, food, wine (tasting), restaurants and accommodation to make investment in a more comprehensive guide an appropriate purchase.

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Book #51 A Buzz in the Meadow

A Buzz in the Meadow by Dave Goulson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Buzz in the Meadow is a captivating look at our natural world through the eyes of Dave Goulson, who I know better as the founder of the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, that august body, of which I am a member. In 2003 DG bought a derelict farm in the heart of rural France, together with 33 acres of surrounding meadow. Over the course of a decade he created a place for his beloved bumblebees to thrive along with myriad insects of every kind. A significant part of the book contains his own research, alongside that of other scientists, into the threat posed by the use of neonicotinoids as pesticides and their devastating affect on bee populations around the world, something that the giant, multi-national manufacturer of agrochemicals, Bayer, widely disputes. Only to be expected as they resolutely defend a US$4 billion market. Well, neonicotinoid pesticides do cause harm to bees and I urge everyone to read this book. It is inspiring and should encourage everyone to cherish what we have. It illustrates what wonders we stand to lose if we do not change our ways. Biodiversity matters, in all shapes and forms and DG's farm, Chez Nauche, is an island where nature can thrive; places like this though are too few and far between. A Buzz in the Meadow provides a real insight to our natural world and a call to arms for nature-lovers everywhere.

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Book #50 The Good Liar

The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In Nicholas Searle’s debut novel, two elderly people meet on a dating site. Each one has a hidden agenda…. Roy has been a con man for most of his life, and now in his 80s, he’s looking for one last score by targeting wealthy women he meets online. On the surface, Betty seems like an easy mark, but oblique references suggest from early on that she may be playing her own game with Roy. A different take on plot structure, this is a life told back to front; Searle includes flashbacks to Roy’s past, illustrating other cons and, slowly, explaining how he became the manipulator he is. This is a man who has lied all his life. Betty’s motives are a bit more shadowy…. The plot twist is complex and rooted in World War II. A gruff sociopath and a woman with a troubled history. Shades of Le Carré and Highsmith are here although Searle’s characters fail to inspire much deep interest or sympathy. The truth however is interesting and unexpected in this darkly humorous story.

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Book #49 The Couple Next Door

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is as good as it gets. It's better than it gets, if that's possible. The Couple Next Door is a white-knuckle, helter-skelter ride through one of the best psychological thrillers I have ever read. Hurtles along at breakneck speed, no time to catch your breath. Surprises at the turn of every page, truly unputdownable - which, coming from me, says a great deal. So many times I found myself saying "Oh f**k, NO!" So full of twists and turns. On page 281 I said out loud "I KNEW IT!" but I didn't know enough! Not saying anything about the plot apart from the obvious - about a baby taken from her home whilst her parents are dining with next door neighbours. Yeah, right...

Do not miss this! I loved it!

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Book #48 The Woman in Cabin 10

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Oh dear. After Ruth Ware’s In A Dark, Dark Wood I found The Woman in Cabin 10 underwhelming to say the least. Who would send a neurotic, paranoid woman for a week-long jaunt on the new miniature cruise ship Aurora, to ‘network’ with high profile passengers and, as a travel writer, report back to her employer Velocity, the magazine where she’s toiled for years. Laura “Lo” Blacklock thinks stepping in for her pregnant boss will give her a leg-up at the magazine. Really? The ship is headed for a tour of the Norwegian fjords organised by owner Lord Richard Bullmer. And then Lo is completed distracted by her certainty that she heard the unmistakable sound of a body hitting the water from the adjacent cabin. No one, unsurprisingly, believes her, or buys her story of a mysterious woman she saw lurking on the ship hours earlier. The plot really stretches credulity and there were so many times I wanted to shove Lo in a sack and give her a good shake. Her increasing hysteria, her alcohol consumption, the number of times she starts to speak, says “I….” and nothing else…. Just became irritating.

Not for me.

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Book #47 Silent Scream

Silent Scream by Angela Marsons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am on something of a roll; this is another cracking read, the first in the D.I. Kim Stone series that apparently sold more than 1.5 million e-read copies before being published in print. And this is it. If you like your thrillers full of menace, that take you into dark places - grab yourself a copy. Stone is not the most likeable of detectives; in some respects she puts me in mind of D.I. Helen Grace. Suffered an appalling childhood and still carries those mental scars - it explains her temperament, feisty, short-tempered, determined - does not suffer fools gladly. And she comes across several in this fast-paced story that kicks off with a headmistress found brutally strangled, which embroils Stone in a hunt for a ruthless, twisted individual whose killing spree spans decades....

It's a superb debut...

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Book #46 The Night Book

The Night Book by Richard Madeley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! This is a humdinger of a story! I had no idea that Richard Madeley is an accomplished writer. Actually, I had no idea that he had written anything. So, to come across The Night Book purely by chance was an unexpected delight. This is a really exciting read, one of my best this year. It is set around a spate of mysterious drownings in the beautiful Lake District during the notoriously dry summer of 1976. I remember it well. Where we lived at the time we had to suffer the real worry of standpipes in the street from which to obtain our water. The plot’s background was therefore very realistic with a unique storyline and great characters. Seb Richmond has moved from London to work for Lake District FM as a ‘live’ news reporter. He has been dumped by his erstwhile girlfriend in London; she says 300 miles is too far a distance over which to continue a relationship. Seb is understandably distraught - he hasn’t been dumped before. But then he meets the stunningly beautiful Meriel Kidd (married to the very rich control freak Cameron Bruton) and - hang on to your hats - here we go on a rollercoaster ride of mystery and revenge that kept me awake into the early hours. This is so, so good. Far too good to miss. Highly recommended!

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Book #45 The Darkest Secret

The Darkest Secret by Alex Marwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a dark, twisty thriller, filled with loathsome people. I have seldom before come across such a cast of characters with no redeeming qualities, save perhaps Camille (Mila) and Ruby. I first came across Alex Marwood’s work when I read The Wicked Girls back in 2012 and I started this read with a great deal of anticipation. I was not disappointed with this story of very rich people, a missing twin and an ill-fated weekend. When 3-year-old Coco Jackson disappeared from a huge, expensive mansion in one of Britain’s classiest neighbourhoods, she left behind an enduring modern mystery. The story shifts from the weekend Coco vanished in 2004 to the present. We are faced with a boatload of characters at both ends of the time-scale. You would not want to party with this lot given their toxic relationships and family secrets. Beautifully structured, suspenseful and chilling, a mystery revealed from multiple viewpoints and a triple whammy at the end. Pure class. I loved it.

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Book #44 The Fire Child

The Fire Child by S.K. Tremayne
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Another atmospheric read from S.K. Tremayne, following on from The Ice Twins. But this one? Well, it doesn't quite work for me. Does the supernatural play a part in this tale? Are there ghosts here or are they just in the imagination? Some of the plot stretches credulity for me, particularly when the crucial piece of information is revealed.

I was gripped by large chunks of the book but I was disappointed with the ending, which really didn't match the build up. Nothing about the plot or characters from me - other reviewers have done that. I have read better, I have read worse. Overall this rates 3.5 Stars from me.

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Book #43 Pathlands

Pathlands: 21 Tranquil Walks Among the Villages of Britain by Peter Owen Jones
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Peter Owen Jones has always expressed a deep love for the countryside and the natural world and in Pathlands he follows his heart into the intimate land of footpaths that crisscross Britain. Peter is an Anglican clergyman and lives on the edge of the Sussex Downs.

I have lots of walking books. All of them have been bought with a half-baked intention of actually doing the walks described within them - something I have only ever partially succeeded in.

Jones is something of an existentialist, determining his own development through 21 tranquil walks among the villages of Britain. For each walk, we get Jones' description of it, how it was for him on that particular day, the sights and sounds and smells, the people he meets and doesn't meet, the churches he finds (mostly locked), the birdsong and its absence, the reflections and memories all of this provokes. Jones has a map, he has a plan. The one is needed all the more as the other drifts away from reality. Paths marked on maps aren't always visible on the ground. Paths on the ground aren't always mapped. Jones' response to this is to take a best-guess approach and strike out in roughly the right direction. He'll ask passers-by, he'll study the map – but he'll also climb fences, stumble through ditches and (one feels, quite often) just hope for the best. He uses beautiful expression and does not over-romanticise with a tinge of gentle humour here and there: Brokering peace terms with a goose is always more pleasurable than dealing with a dog in the same mood. Geese don't have teeth. And some lovely turns of phrase when talking about simple things. He tells of an old plough rotting in the corner of a field: it might have been the end of the day, or it started to rain heavily, or maybe it has sheared a bolt and the farmer thought 'I'll just leave it there overnight' and something cropped up the next day which became a week which became a year which became a quarter of a century, and there it remains, like a name in an old address book.

Beautiful description, and philosophical reflection: the natural world is not subject to clocks, to minutes, to weeks. The sparrows are not counting their kings; nor does the mountain measure its standing in metres. The yew is more surely an emblem of patience than of time.

I'm unlikely to walk any of these paths - I don’t have to, but I will think about Jones’ approach when I find myself out on a walk elsewhere….

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Book #42 The Malice of Waves

The Malice of Waves by Mark Douglas-Home
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third volume in The Sea Detective series by Mark Douglas-Home, featuring oceanographer Dr. Caladh McGill, who uses his knowledge of tides, winds and currents to solve mysteries no one else can. This latest episode takes place in the isolated but bleakly beautiful Eilean Dubh an island located across The Sound from the smaller Priest's Island and between Harris and North Uist in the Outer Hebrides. The places are fictional although there are Scottish Islands with similar names. The location is a major factor in creating a bleak atmosphere amongst the closeknit and insular community that lives here. Five years ago, fourteen-year-old Max Wheeler disappeared from Priest's Island. Neither the police nor the private investigations since have shed any light on what happened the night he went missing, presumed dead. Cal McGill is hired by the boy's inconsolable father to carry out his own investigation as to what might have happened. He faces resentment from the locals who have lived under a cloud of suspicion for five years. Are they hiding a murderer on Eilean Dubh?

This is another good read, perhaps not quite as absorbing as the first two in the series, but certainly worthy of four stars. I enjoyed it.

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Book #41 Black Rabbit Hall

Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. The debut novel from Eve Chase is so beautifully written, she so puts me in mind of Daphne du Maurier - shades of Rebecca and Manderley here in the house nicknamed Black Rabbit Hall, set in Cornwall and full of original characters, the plot absorbed me completely with its underlying tone of menace about what really happened in the late 60s, as decades later Lorna winds her way through the countryside in search of a wedding venue and is inexorably drawn into questions surrounding her own past, a past intertwined with the Alton family who spend every blissful summer in the 60s at their family's Cornish home, four children enjoying endless days without an adult in sight. Until the storm brings tragedy that not all will survive. Page after page left me breathless with anticipation, eager to read on and yet not wanting it to end. Full of twists and turns that will keep you guessing until the very last page. It really did hold me spellbound. Highly recommended.

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