Random Jottings

Felixstowe Book Festival 2019

You know when summer is here as the Book Festivals start to proliferate. So many of them and in so many lovely places. I only wish I could visit them all. Perhaps one summer I should get in my car and drive off and do a Binge.  A thought....

One that is near me and with which I have been involved from the start, is the Felixstowe Festival. I love going there. Not only is the town delightful with a slightly old fashioned air about it (and I mean that in the nicest and most complimentary way) but the Festival itself is just fun. And it is friendly and has a lovely atmosphere.

I missed last year entirely - I was on my cruise, then in Australia and then just so busy but I was determined that I was not going to miss 2019. It has a great line up including James Runncie, Jane Thynne, Nicola Upson, Alison Weir to name but a few. Do visit their website for more information and, of course, if you wish to buy tickets. And I hope you will.

I am very much looking forward to the Runcie talk as the difference between Sidney Chambers in his books and the louche vicar of the tv series is so wildly different that I want to ask why?  The stories are gentle and nice and ditto Sidney, but turning him into a drunken womaniser is just plain weird.  We shall see.

I am introducing Duncan Barrett who has written a terrific book on the occupation of the Channel Islands during WW2. Simon and Schuster very kindly sent me a copy and I have spent most of the last two days reading it. It is marvellous and I hope to review it more fully soon. 

I am attending the talk by Jane Thynne, author of the Clara Vine series of books set in war time Berlin, and which I adore. I have “known” Jane as a facebook friend for some time now and it will be great to actually meet in person.

Then I will be meeting up with Guy Fraser-Sampson again who is a stalwart of the Festival and his books on Mapp and Lucia are a joy. More recently he has been engaged in writing detective stories and I do wonder what he will turn his hand to next...

And then on Sunday afternoon I have the pleasure of introducing Alison Weir. This will be her third appearance at the Festival talking about her novels on the lives of Henry VIII’s wives. She could not attend last year so we missed out on Jane Seymour, but this time we have Anne of Cleves. She is the wife that I have always found the most interesting. She survived Henry, was friends with Queen Mary and Princess Elizabeth and managed to Iive out her life in England and keep her head. Quite an achievement!  I read the book last week loved it.

So a weekend of books, chat and meeting up with friends. What could be better?

Do check out the website here:

https://felixstowebookfestival.co.uk/

 

 

Agatha Christie week

I had reached a reading hiatus last week when I was mooching around and could not settle to anything so when that happens to me I re-read. As I have just visited Agatha Christie’s house I decided to pull down a few titles from the tottering piles that I own and have had a good week catching up.

When you first read an Agatha you do not know who the murderer is and you NEVER guess (well some smarty pants might but I never have), the second time around you spot clues you missed the first time as you know Who Dun It and the third time and further reads will yield even more clues that you still did not notice and on it goes.

I decided to read Dead Man’s Folly. This is a Poirot story. Mrs Oliver (who I think we all know is Agatha herself) is asked to concoct a murder mystery game for a summer fete at Nasse House. The description of the house and the grounds is Greenway and this was why I wanted to have another look at it as I have now been at the scene of the crime. It goes without saying that the murder game takes a nasty turn and a body is found. The murdered girl is found in the Boathouse which I walked to and there are descriptions of the walks and the route the contestants have to take. Well I followed this round the grounds and it brought the book vividly to life.

I then read A Murder is Announced. I love this story and I loved the TV adaptation of it - it is a Miss Marple and the sublime Joan Hickson was in it. She is the best Miss Marple in my opinion. An advertisement announcing a Murder is put in the local paper and the village all arrive at the house expecting a Murder Game. We all know what will happen and it does.

There is one simply sublime line of dialogue in this which always makes me laughing.

Inspector to Miss Marple when discussing one of the suspects: “He is a Communist you know”

”oh dear” said Miss Marple “ he must be very lonely in Chipping Cleghorn”....

Perfect.

Taken at the Flood - another Poirot.  The Cload family have always relied on their rich uncle who has always promised that they will be his inheritors when he dies. They lead busy lives and are successful in their professions but there has been a lack of worry as they know that they are financially secure because of the Uncle.  He is killed in a raid in the war but before this happened he has suddenly and unexpectedly remarried a very young woman and she gets all his money. Well, it would be very handy if she dies but she is young and healthy and has a brother keeping an eye on her. But but but.....

The Mirror Crack’d from Side to Side - one of her later novels and Miss Marple again. In this one we revisit Bassington Hall, the scene of an earlier murder the Body in the Library, only now it belongs to a film star and her director husband. They hold an open house and in the middle of the guests arriving one of them Mrs Babcock, who is involved with the local St Johns Brigade, drinks a cocktail and five minutes later is dead. She has no enemies and her death is a total mystery.  The first time I read this title and found out the solution I was taken aback at the audacity of Dame Agatha.

I read Halloween Party yesterday. Not one of her best. Now I am onto A Caribbean Mystery - a Miss Marple and enjoying it very much. I remember an updated version of it with Julia Mackenzie as Miss Marple (far and away the worst of the lot) and they put in a sex mad priest tortured by his feelings into the mix.  The only priest in the book is a chatty, genial Canon...

I call her Middle Period the time when she wrote her best books - Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, Evil under the Sun and my top favourite, Five Little Pigs which I think is wonderful, superbly plotted and I wave this in the face of anybody who says she cannot create real people.  The TV adaptation of this was spot on and excellent.

And my other favourite out of her stand alone books is Crooked House. Took my breath away when I first read it. It was made into a film a few years ago. Dire...................

I have a new book on the go now but will always return to Dame Agatha whenever I get stuck.

Random is Thirteen!

Callo- Callay O frabjus day!  I have had a reminder pop up to tell me that thirteen years ago today I started my blog.  I simply cannot believe it.

When I started I wondered if anybody would bother reading it or if anybody would be the slightest bit interested in anything I had to say.

Well, it turns out you did and you are and I am so grateful for all the hilarious comments and chat and feedback I have had from you all.  I am also grateful to all those wonderful publishers who send me books and respond to my begging emails asking for the entire back oeuvre of somebody I have just discovered.  You are all patient with me and never let me down.

When I checked I found one of my earliest posts was about the World Cup (why I ask myself?) and David Beckham who was in the team at the time.  We lost.

Thirteen years later we still haven’t won it.

We never will but if we do I will blog about it joyfully...... 

Happy Days.

Swallowtail Summer - Erica James

I am sure that most of my readers think I spend my days steeped in mystery and gore and, yes, I do read an enormous amount of crime fiction. I love it and have done every since I discovered Agatha Christie when I was twelve years old. But I do read other things as well and to prove it I am writing today about Erica James.

Now let me tell you how I started reading her books.  Look away now Erica if you read this, I did not buy them new. I found them in a charity shop. Yes I did and I paid about 50p for them.  Came home and read them and then, of course, did my usual and went on a binge read. I borrowed some from the library, but I did buy quite a few, paperbacks and/or for my Kindle. By the time I had reached the end of the list and was panting for more, a new one came out. Reader, I purchased it. Hardback. And I have done so ever since.

Swallowtail Summer was pre-ordered by me and I forgot when it was due to arrive to totally delighted when a knock  on the door and my lovely postman, who wears a path up to my door delivering, parcels and books, greeted me with "Here's another"

So I sat down and started to read and did not stop until I had finished it about four hours later. I Loved It.

Alastair Lucas is returning to his home Linston End.  He has been away recovering from the shock of losing his wife in a drowning accident.  He has a close circle of friends who have all lived nearby and holidayed together for many years. He has met somebody else and has come back to tell everyone that he is putting the house up for sale. Alastair is nervous about breaking the news as he knows how upset everyone will be.

"I've decided to sell Linston End. Valentina and I are going to buy somewhere else and build a new life together. His words threw them all into a stunned silence. "But you can't, It's your home. It's part of you. Part of all of us. You can't sell it"

As I read further I began to feel that all the characters had invested far too much in the house and were looking at it from a selfish point of view.  But then as the stories of each protagonist unfold the reader begins to understand how much it means to each of them individually.  Alastair has two close friends and one of them, Simon, reacts with anger and a wave of jealousy towards the woman who is the cause of all of this upheaval.

OK here I stop. Here I leave you to buy the book and read it and see what happens.  In some way, Swallowtail Summer is akin to a murder mystery. A close knit group of people who all have links with a central character, all full of resentment and insecurity. It is like a house party where a body is likely to turn up in the Library with a dagger through the heart such is the seething cauldron of feeling throughout this book.

And Valentina? Charming, glamorous and manipulative. I disliked her intensely and if she had ended up a corpse I would not have minded in the slightest...

Just remember my comment re the death of Alastair's wife Orla. Was it a happy marriage? Was it an accident? Or something else.....

Erica James writes so beautifully and makes you want to go on and on reading until the end. I only left this book to make the odd cup of tea and could not wait find out what happened to everyone.  This is the kind of book, and I am sorry because I am going to say what I have said before, that will be read and enjoyed and sell and will never appear on a Posh Book Awards List.  It is the kind of book that will be glanced at in a bookshop and "Oh a woman's book" (I actually took somebody to task in Waterstone's in Colchester when a comment like this was made) and it makes me Very Cross.

Writers like Erica and others I have read and enjoyed, have an unerring eye for characters, for feelings, for how each individual would react and behave in a certain situation. This makes them real. Sometimes when I have been reading modern fiction I find it difficult to sympathise or engage with the people I come across in the pages - there is a lack of warmth and empathy about them that I find difficult to take. Yes, and I know this is a sweeping statement but I am rather fond of them and after 60+ years of reading I know what I enjoy and now avoid what I do not.

I enjoy Erica James immensely. This is her best yet.

Go buy.

The Strange Case of Harriet Hall by Moray Dalton

As an addition to my post on crime reading may I direct you to the link below where I review The Strange Case of Harriet Hall by Moray Dalton. A reprint by Dean Street Press and well worth your attention.

http://shinynewbooks.co.uk/the-strange-case-of-harriet-hall-by-moray-dalton/?fbclid=IwAR3k2MiROXNKPfKWZUKQR0Xol7E6n3IqjhdHazg0pAR85x1M5muUP5_-ho8

And if you like it there are others available on Amazon. They are listed in the review.

Reading round up - a Crime week

I really do not know where the time goes. I make up my mind to post a bit more regularly and then find with Easter and the family and grandchildren a week has gone by again. My apologies so I am doing a catch up.

I cannot say I have read anything earth shattering over the last week.No Booker, nothing of huge literary standards but all very enjoyable.   My last post was on Michael Gilbert, two more classics from the British Library, which I really liked.  There are a lot more to track down and this is why I am enjoying this series as it gives me authors to read which I had hitherto ignored.

I do love a good crime story as you know by now and a few years back I read Unwanted by Kristina Ohlsson, another scandi mystery writer and enjoyed it very much.  Good tight plotting and characterisation. Then I did not read any more, I am at a loss to know why, I have a feeling I just forgot her name which sounds a bit careless of me. Anyway, I read The Disappeared and suddenly realised Oh this is the writer who I liked. This story features Detective Inspector Alex Recht and investigator Frederika Bergman - there are five so far with these two central characters - the body of a young woman is discovered and turns out to be that of a missing student who vanished five years ago. Further investigation unearths more bodies and it is clear that somebody has been using it as a burying ground for years.

I then did my usual when I find an author I liked and binge read and got hold of The Chosen. A pre-school teacher is shot dead in front of parents and children at the Jewish School in Stockholm. A few hours later two Jewish boys go missing on their way to tennis practice.  Not a straightforward case as it gradually becomes clear that the deaths of these children have their roots in an incident in Israel some years earlier.

Both of these titles are intricate, sometimes a bit too intricate you have to concentrate, but the writing is excellent and I found them unputdownable. I have downloaded another two so more goodies to come.

I then turned to my To Be Read heap and fished out a Harry Hole story by Jo Nesbo - The Leopard.  I thought I had read all the Hole books but this one had passed me by and I was pleased to pick this up for £1 at a charity shop. Big, fat and, I have to admit, a bit grisly, it kept me occupied for a day.  I like Harry, he reminds me a bit of another Harry in the Michael Connelly books featuring Bosch, but as I said they are a bit grisly. The murders can be a bit visceral and described in some detail. 

A serial killer is on the loose (I must say the number of serial killers around in books these days is a bit worrying) and kills in a pretty revolting manner. I will not go into detail.  Harry Hole is hiding out in Hong Kong drinking himself into oblivion and trying to get away from his memories of his last case (The Snowman).  His old boss sends somebody to bring him back to help solve the murders.  Harry immediately comes up against Bellman, an old adversary, who is trying to merge police forces and head them up and politics starts to get in the way of the investigation.

Note:  this happens in so many detective stories I am sometimes surprised anything gets solved at all.

The Moor - L J Ross.  This is No 12 in the series featuring the rather gorgeous DI Ryan. The novels are set in the North of England and they are well plotted and fairly rattle along.  At the end of each story there is a cliff hanger so you have to get the next one to find out what happens. As the author writes them pretty quickly you do not have to hang around too long which is just as well.  I have downloaded all of these onto my Kindle as they are published and then settle down with a cuppa and do not move until I have read the latest.  If you read these, and I do hope you will, I think it is best if you read them in order as they are linked.

Cruel Acts - Jane Casey. The latest in the Maeve Kerrigan series which I have read since they started. There has been a gap since the last one as I gather the author moved publishers but it was worth the wait.

Leo Stone is a ruthless killer – or the victim of a miscarriage of justice. A year ago, he was convicted of the murder of two women and sentenced to life in prison. But now he’s free, and according to him, he's innocent. DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent are determined to put Stone back behind bars where he belongs, but the more Maeve finds out, the less convinced she is of his guilt.  Then another woman disappears in similar circumstances. Is there a copycat killer, or have they been wrong about Stone from the start?

The thing I love about these books, apart from the excellent writing and the plotting, is the relationship between Maeve and Josh. From book One they have butted heads and argued and fought but they have each other's backs and, quite frankly, it is clear that there are strong feelings there. Jane Casey is teasing her readers but they are getting closer and closer and I cannot wait to see what happens.

I also read the latest Stephanie Plum book by Janet Evanovich about which nothing needs to be said because they are all the same and I love them.

ok that is it for now. I will try and get back a bit quicker next time.

 

The British Library Classic Crime - Michael Gilbert

I am delighted to say that the books being rediscovered and reprinted by the wonderful British Library keep on coming. So many of the author's names are familiar to me from my days working in the library system when I used to shelve yards of books. I remember Michael Gilbert well and can even visualise the covers of some of the titles. Odd how things stick with you.

Three of the Gilbert stories arrived on my doorstep. I have read two and rather than wait until the third decided to post about them now as I am not sure when I will get round to the last one of the trio.

Smallbone Deceased.

Horniman, Birley and Craine is a highly respected legal firm with clients drawn from the highest in the land. Therefore, when a deed box is opened to reveal a corpse, the threat of a scandal promises to cause them severe problems, particularly as it soon becomes clear that this is an inside job.

I found myself immediately delighted with the wit and style with which this book is written. "It was commonly believed in the office that once, just before the turn of the present century, one of Abel Horniman's leases had the signature eaten off by a mouse, a mishap which gave rise to expensive litigation in the Chancery Division. Accordingly, he sat down and devised the Horniman dust proof, moisture proof, air proof and, indeed, mouse proof deedbox"

An investigation into the books of the firm uncovers irregularities which is is likely that Smallbone discovered and made his removal a matter of urgency.

The policeman in charge of this investigation is Inspector Hazelrigg and he is assisted by Henry Bohun, an acquaintance of his who just happens to have started working at the firm and is very pleased to be his Watson. Another murder takes place, as in all good mysteries and the list of suspects narrows to just a few partners/employees.  I have to say that I usually guess the identity of the murderer in detective stories as I have read so many, but this time I did not and was totally surprised when the culprit was unmasked.

 

Death has Deep Roots

I just finished this yesterday, in fact sat up late to finish it.  Victoria Lamartine, a hotel worker and ex French Resistance fighter is the only suspect for the murder of her supposed lover Major Eric Thoseby, who once escaped from the clutches of the Gestapo. They arrange to meet at the hotel where she works and she is discovered standing over his body and a knife covered in her fingerprints shoved down the side of a chair.

When Victoria discoveres that her Counsel has based their defence on the fact that she was seduced and abandoned by the victim and leniency should be offered, she changes her lawyers as she is deterimined to plead Not Guilty with no extenuating circumstances.

Now I love court room scenes and there are plenty in this story. I love the elegantly phrased opening statements "I will now run briefly through the course of events reminding you first that the facts which I shall set out are not simply my version of my opinion of what hppened................if I make any statement that is not supported I feel confident tht eminent counsel for the defence will be the first to draw you attention to my oversight.  Mr Summers inclined his head graciously"

Wonderful stuff.   The ins and outs of the motive and its discovery lead back to war time France and it all gets a bit convoluted towards the end and I had to concentrate like mad to keep abreast of what was going on but it was worth it.  As with Smallbone Deceased written in an ironic and slightly sardonic style which I really enjoyed.

Another two gems.  Thank you British Library!

 

Random at Greenway - the home of Agatha Christie

I have wanted to visit Greenway for a long time. I hesitate to say it was on my bucket list as I have no intention of kicking the bucket just yet, but it was certainly on A List.  There are various ways to get there but I decided to drive. I ignored the fact that I think my satnav seems to be suffering from a nervous breakdown whenever we arrive at a destination and we set off. It appeared to be a 25 minute drive.  It took us an hour. I am slightly puzzled at my relationship with Hildegarde (I am calling her that as the satnav is of German origin and pronounces names in a most peculiar manner) as she seems to have a habit of telling me to take a turn up a street just as I sail past. When we are lost and she needs to ‘calibrate’ the route she takes her time and leaves me driving I know not where and swearing madly.  

I will draw a veil over the drive except to say that I now now the surrounding countryside on the way to Greenways very well indeed. And, quite frankly, even if we had taken the straightest route we would still have gone down a long windy curly hair raising narrow road to get there. Meeting something coming the other way tested my driving skills to the limit.

Well we arrived and yes it was worth it.  The house overlooks the River Dart and the views are wonderful. It was a lovely day, the sun had come out, a slight breeze so walking was a pleasure and I just loved it all. I had wanted to go for so long that I had wondered if I might feel a bit of a let down but not so.

The house is a comfortable homely sort of place. It feels like a home and that is not always the case when you visit a National Trust property. You cannot imagine kicking off your shoes and collapsing on a sofa. You could here. The cupboards full of china and knick knacks she and her husband Max collected added to this. Yes, there was fine china around, but also a lot of stuff that was probably bought because they liked it. I recognised a few cups and saucers in there as I had some the same. It all added to the ambience.  But I will let the pictures below give you an idea...

The view coming up the hill from the river. Such a familiar frontage from those of us who have watched the Poirot series with David  Suchet.

 

River Dart and the pleasure boat coming up the river

Here I am sitting on the wall of hte Battery. It was here that Amyas Crale painted his portrait of Elsa Greer and then died of poison. This was in my favourite Agatha Five Little Pigs.

And here is the river from the Boat house where the body of Marlene was found in Dead Man’s Folly

 

And some photos of the glorious grounds.  I walked down to the Boathouse and the Battery and back. It took me an hour with rests on the way but so glad I did it.

A glorious place to visit. I would go again next week if I could but it is a long long drive to Torquay........

 

Random in Torquay

 

Whenever my friend and I drive off on holiday we have awful journeys. Road works, diversions etc. This time we set off in optimistic mood and all was going beautifully. Perhaps we are going to be lucky this time I thought. NOT so. Trouble began at the A303 at Stonehenge. The dual carriageway turned into a single one and we had a tailback. Then we cleared that and it went back to a dual carriageway. Ten minutes later turned back into a single lane and so it continued. I had heard horror stories about the A303 and now I know they are true. I will be plotting an alterntive route home.

The four hour journey turned into six and then down came the rain and the wind and the sleet and it was horrid. My satnav which seems to cope most of the time seems to suffer a brain fade when we get to our final destination and needs to navigate through a town. The nice voice kept telling me to turn up roads which were (a) not marked so I missed them or (b) told us when to turn after we had passed them. We eventually got to our destination and got out the car to be hit by a wind which Emily Bronte would have approved of. My friend, who is slightly dodgy on her feet and walks with a stick, was nearly blown over.  It was not a good arrival, both of us bad tempered, wet and fed up.

So dinner and bed.

Next day the sun shone and the wind had died down and all looked so much better. Here are pics of where we are staying.

I actually was able to sit out in the sun and look out at the view which was gorgeous

Today was windy and cool again but we went for a walk and watched the sea crashing in. I love the sea in all shapes and forms.

Tomorrow we go to Greenaway, the home of Agatha Christie and I am really looking forward to that. Photos will be taken that I can guarantee.

Recently Received and current reading

I am in the throes of watching IPL cricket at the moment, also tennis from Miami and find I am in danger of falling behind with the blog and posts. So I am doing one of my catch ups to let everyone know of recent purchases, books received and current reading.

The Gentle Art of Tramping by Stephen Graham. Publisjed by Bloomsbury and a little pocket book to pop into your, er, pocket. It was first published in 1924 but the joy of tramping/walking/hiking is as relevant now as then. It is full of widsom and joy though I did blink at the following advice: "In a snake swarming country it is as well to avoid caves, especially those with many ledges.  Sleeping against walls has its dangers not only from snakes but from scorpions. In tarantula country a sleeping bag or hammock is preferable to a bed spread on the ground"

I suggest that all readers take note.

The Five by Hallie Rubenhold. This is the story of the untold lives of the women killed by Jack the Ripper. They have been dismissed as Victorian prostitutes and not much notice taken of the - the only reason we know of them is because of their ghastly end. They came from London, Wolverhampton, Wales and Sweden.  The blurb reminds us tht they were never 'Just Prostitutes. They were daughters, wives, mothers, sisters and lovers. They were women. They were human beings"

I am looking forward to reading this one.

The Gown - Jennifer Robson.  Really enjoyed this book and read it straight through in one sitting. Set in 1947 when England was recovering from the War and life was bleak and hard it creates the atmosphere perfectly. I was a child of the fifties and things were still pretty basic then so I do have a vague idea of just how dull and grey life was. then came the engagement of Princess Elizabeth to Prince Philip and, just as we still do today, the country went potty at the thought of a Royal Wedding.

The story revolves around two people who are both embroiderers at Norman Hartnell the popular designer of the day. Miriam has escaped from the camps in Germany and is frightened, friendless and alone. She becomes friends with Anne, another survivor of the war and the Blitz and they become friends. they are both chosen to work on the intricate embroidery of the wedding dress. If you pull up a photo of the dress you will see just how elaborate it was. the descriptions of the work, how the materials were prepared and the hours of work involved form a fascinating part of this story.

Part of the narrative is set in 2014 when Anne’s granddaughter, who emigrated to Canada, is left some of the embroidery as a memento. Nobody in the family knew of her connection with the wedding as she had never spoken of her ife in London, having a secret to hide. She decides to go to London to see if she can trace her grandmother’s early life. I will say no more but do read and enjoy. It is the kind of book that is readable and engaging and will never feature on any award list and can be dismissed by the litterati. But that does not matter at all.

Moray Dalton - various. If you log onto Amazon and check this author out you will find several books that have been reprinted recently by this author. The author wrote two well-received early novels, Olive in Italy (1909), and The Sword of Love (1920). However, her career in crime fiction did not begin until 1924, after which Moray Dalton published twenty-nine mysteries, the last in 1951. The majority of these feature her recurring sleuths, Scotland Yard inspector Hugh Collier and private inquiry agent Hermann Glide.

These are available as e-books or paperbacks and are published by Dean Street Press. They are engaging and enjoyable and now I have to add this writer to my list of Books to Track Down. I can tell you now they are very hard to get hold of and those that I have traced very expensive so I am hoping that Dean Street Press continue to republish some more.

I have recentlyl read the latest David Baldacci which was so enthralling I have already forgotten what it was about. Ditto the latest Stephanie Plum by Janet Evanovitch. I enjoyed it but it was exactly the same as the previouos twenty and, as with Baldacci, I have already forgotten the stroy. But great fun. Don't get me wrong.

I have also tracked down a rather nice edition of Dombey and Son and that is going to be my next Dickens.

I am off to Torquay in ten days and am going to visit the home of Agatha Christie. Sooo excited at the thought of this and will be posting photos and burbling.