• The Man Who Didn't Burn by Ian Moore
  This is an excellent mystery story, set in the Loire valley, but with a less than picturesque murder to deal with. Juge d'instruction Matthieu Lombard is (in the way of policemen with tortured souls) still suffering acute depression after the death of his wife, but is called in from "sick leave" to apply his unique skills - or more cynically to act as a useful scapegoat. Despite the usual antagonistic figures in authority over him, he manages to pull himself together, uncover all the local secrets and solve the case.
  The author lives in the Loire valley and is thus able to offer convincing insights into a local community as well as the French Judicial system. In addition to his writing, Moore currently runs a B&B - his previous novels have been more lighthearted and comedic (about a middle-aged man who runs a B&B in the Loire Valley...).
  
  I can't help but draw - positive - comparisons with Peter May's series, set in France, with a mystery-solving university professor of Scottish/Italian descent. If you miss Enzo as much as I do, you will certainly enjoy this book.


• The Rising Tide by Ann Cleeves [Read by Janine Birkett]
  Ann Cleeves has an admitted fascination with islands and closed communities and this is another great mystery story based around that format. In this case, the murder takes place during a school friends' reunion on an island, which can only be reached by a causeway at low tide. So as with many of her stories this is effectively a "locked room" mystery; yet she always executes them with such skill, that the killer is revealed without the need for any Poirot-style plot distortions or rabbits out of a hat. I rarely, if ever, guess the outcome, (in this case a very sad outcome in many ways), but all the evidence is always there for the reader. I refer again to the apparent simplicity at the end of "The Darkest Evening" where the killer says "how did you know it was me?" to which Vera replies "who else could it have been, pet?".
  I have to say, I do like the fact that a lot of her books feature older or even retired people with a lot of life history and depth of character; speaking as one who may be stereotypically aged, they did not seem "stereotypically ageist" to me (as one reviewer complained). Of all her characters, I particularly like Vera Stanhope, who (unlike her TV persona*) is really fascinating, and never over-explained - you always want to know more, and there is always a lot more to know.
  * To be fair, her books are so rich in detail that, in a TV drama, they barely have the time to get through the plot never mind focussing on the characters.


• The Christmas Appeal by Janice Hallett
  The Fairway Players have moved on from the dramatic events described in The Appeal, and all their energies are now focussed on pantomime season and "Jack and the Beanstalk". For anyone who has taken part in local voluntary organisations, or on local committees, these novels (this one and The Appeal) will prove particularly hilarious. The character foibles, snobbery, and petty politics are all splendidly displayed in emails, text messages, and postings on social networks.
  Anyone enamoured of the classic round-robin Christmas letter will curl up in delight at the perfect pastiche provided in the opening chapters; if you have already read The Appeal, you will appreciate the stretching of the truth behind the descriptions of the fantastic year the writers have had - but if not, it is all beautifully revealed by the recipients scathing reactions in their emails to one another.
  This is an obvious stocking filler for Christmas, but also a lovely follow-on revisiting the characters we met in the Appeal.
  [Though I did rather miss Issy, who does appear but only rather briefly].
  As an aside - I have read these books on paper, and as an ebook, and I do think I prefer the traditional paper format. I also listened to The Appeal as an audio book, where I can only congratulate the publishers in doing an excellent job of distinguishing all the different media types (particularly post-it notes!) in audio form.
  

Posted by Christina at 12:11 pm | Category: Art and Culture, Books of the Month | Permalink

I spotted a pair of unusual (for us) geese on the pond, and since I seem to always get it wrong, and this time was no exception, I had to check they were Egyptian Geese. I think they are lovely but to my dismay I find that from 2019 they have been classified as an "Invasive Alien Species" - along with the Ruddy Duck - another of my favourites. This makes it an offence, amongst other things, to import, keep, sell, transport, breed or release into the environment. Who knew? [Well... I'm guessing people who are keeping them knew, as you can get a licence to continue to keep them until "the end of their natural lives"].

Posted by Christina at 5:13 pm | Category: Days Out, The Garden | Permalink

A charming true story, played out by two masters of the profession. A joy to see them - in one case in her last role and in the other case professed to be in his last role. [And probably true since he now seems to have taken up writing thrillers...]

Posted by Christina at 9:53 pm | Category: Art and Culture | Permalink

It had a very emotional, if formulaic, plot line, which left me largely unmoved. However, I was moved by the very graphic depictions of the war, more than reminiscent of Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s; I suppose that occurred when I was at an impressionable age but surely it must have been the overriding influence and inspiration. [Or are all wars alike in their ghastliness?]

Posted by Christina at 11:48 pm | Category: Art and Culture | Permalink