Death of an Author - E C R Lorac. Recenctly enjoyed and reviewed
The Home - Penelope Mortimer. This novel is part of the British LIbrary Women Writer's series. Originally published in 1971 this "searing novel looks at the experience of a woman escaping a faithless marriage". I freely admit that when I see book described as "searing" my immediate reaction is not to bother. The word "inditement" is also usually attached to searing. I know this is my prejudice showing, no need to tell me....
This series is a mixed bag and has featured authors known and unknown to me and, as with the Classic Crime series, has brought back titles in the public eye that might otherwise have mouldered away in the archives. I have read some and really enjoyed them, but I shall be honest and say I think I will give this one a miss. However, ignore my prejudice if you can as Mortimer is an excellent writer and worth reading. It is just the subject matter of this that gives me pause.
The Black Spectacles - John Dickson Carr. Another Crime Classic who I have struggled with though aficioinados of the Golden Age rave about this particular writer so I am going to give it a go. Sounds intriguing. Deadly poisoned chocolate from Sodbury Cross's high street shop haunts a group of friends and relatives assembled to discuss the case. To prove a point about how the sweets could have been poisened under the nose of the shopkeeper, an elaborate memory game is staged. Unfortunately, during the test, the instigator one Marcus Chesney, is himself murdered.
So the game's afoot!
And the above quote leads me neatly to a lovely edition of The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle which dropped through my letter box last week. It is from the Oxford World's Classics by OUP. I have many of these editions on my shelves and love them all, well produced with good covers. This edition is published in May 2023.
As we all know, Holmes has been presumed dead at the Reichenbach Falls, and again, as we all know he was resurrected after a public outcry at the time. This title contains 13 cases, all of which I have read before and remember well from the peerless portrayal of Holmes by Jeremy Brett who, in my opinion, has never been bettered. I have this on my bedside table and am reading one a night before I go to bed. Enjoying them all over again. These are stories with a style that are unbeatable and I love them.
The Windors at War - Alexander Larman. A more apposite book at the moment would be harder to find with the current goings on, This covers the war years and behaviour of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. I read The Crown in Crisis by this author a year or so ago, review here, and regard it as one of the best books on the Abdication. This is awaiting my attention and I will review as soon as I can.
Finally feel after a pretty awful couple of months dealing with blocked drains, a flood, no hot water and electrical difficulties, happily now solved (fingers crossed) I feel I am getting my reading mojo back. During this time I have been reading light romances and cosy crimes and I wish to mention T Williams who has written a slew of such books. They are set in Italy and France and follow an identical pattern as do most romances. I am not being sneering here, I love a romantic novel and read a lot of them and I really enjoyed these as he has a light touch and wit and they all feature a labrador, different names each book, who is a delight and adds the humour to the writing. HIghly recommended. I think I have read the lot by now.
