I have spent most of this week either watching cricket or reading crime novels and seem to have got through rather a lot. Weather has been stifling so have stayed indoors in the cool only venturing out in the evening when it is such a nice time to sit in the garden and read. Was out there the other night until nearly 10pm with my Kindle paperwhite and my neighbour's cats sitting with me.
OK so here we go with my various reads.
As you know already I have been reading Robert Barnard. Apart from the ones I am borrowing from the library, most of them are on my Kindle and are published as e books by Endeavour Press who are rapidly becoming a favourite publisher as they are reissuing loads of books I read years ago as a teenager. The Bodies in the Attic is an intriguing story - man buys house and upstairs in the corner of the attic discovers the bones of a baby left there years before. In fact, it was in the summer when he visited his aunt who lived nearby and he realises he may know whoever committed the crime from among a gang of children he played with all those years ago. The Corpse at the Haworth Tandoori - again an intriguing slightly menacing story of a young drifter found beaten to death and dumped in the boot of a car at the back of the Tandoori (and yes there was one in Haworth last time I visited...). Seems this young man has been visiting a small commune in the Dales where a famous painter, old and irascible and with strange tastes, is living. Seems other have disappeared too after visiting him....
Not straightforward detective stories - shades of the Barbara Vine books written by Ruth Rendell under this name. Slightly edgy and creepy. I am really enjoying this author.
Another one Goes tonight - Peter Lovesey. This is the latest in the Inspector Diamond series. The author must be in his eighties by now and my fervent wish is for a long and happy life so that he can continue writing these terrific books which are so well plotted and also witty and amusing. Diamond is called in to investigate a car crash in which a police car is involved and while he is at the scene discovers an injured man hidden in the undergrowth who nobody has spotted. He calls for help and applies CPR hoping against hope the victim will survive. This saving of life gives Inspector Diamond an affinity with the accident victim and he is dismayed on investigating his life and his contacts that there are strong indications that the person he saved could be a serial killer. Lots of twists and turns, as per, and I have to say that the ending came as a total surprise. Great stuff.,
The Secrets of Wishtide - Kate Saunders. Loved this from page one. We are promised six Victorian detective novels, of which this is the first, published by those lovely peeps at Bloomsbury, 'The Laetitia Rodd Mysteries'. These stories will feature, and I quote 'the razor sharp crime solving widow of an archdeacon, Mrs Laetitia Rodd'. She has a barrister brother, Frederick, who introduces her to Sir James Calderstone, a wealthy industrialist, who asks Mrs Rodd to investigate the background of an 'unsuitable' woman his son intends to marry. So off she goes and, of course, soon discovers that the woman is indeed unsuitable and is lying in her teeth. She ends up murdered and Sir James' son is accused of killing her. Well we know he didn't and so does Laetitia but it is up to her to prove it and off she goes. Really enjoyed this story - it is amusing and charming with an immensely likeable heroine and great fun to read. already looking forward to he next one.
Curious Minds - Janet Evanovich with Phoef Sutton. Seems we are in James Patterson territory here with co-written books which I am not terribly happy with. This is a new series, yet another. Perhaps she has got fed up with Stephanie Plum and others. Half way through and I gave up. Fairly crappy.
Ended up the week reading Talking to the Sharks by Martin O'Brien. This is the latest Daniel Jacquot book and it is gripping and unputdownable. I have to admit an interest in this book as one of the characters is an opera lover and I had email correspondence with Martin re the arias he wanted to use and the singers. I am going to give this a full review all on its own but it is now up on Kindle so do nip over and buy. You know it makes sense....
And after all this death and destruction, I pulled down my battered old copy of An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott the other night and spent a happy two hours re-reading this gorgeous old favourite before I went to bed.
Au Reservoir
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