Books etc

Currently I am on the last one of Veronica Heley's Ellie Quicke series - which I read for the first time a while back. I decided to go back to the beginning and read them all again - whereupon you find things - amusing or interesting - that you'd not noticed before. It's really good the way the characters develop as well over the years. These books are in the cosy sub genre of crime writing, but deal with some very modern crimes - child abuse (Murder of Innocence); attack by dangerous dog (Murder in the Park); financial shenanigans (Murder by Committee); food poisoning (Murder by Bicycle); identity theft (Murder of Identity); suicide (Murder by Suicide); honour killing (Murder in the Garden); drugs (Murder at the Altar); rip off builders and tradesmen (Murder by Accident). Throughout the series there is the issue of how to manage the care of elderly relatives and how to say no to adult children, no to speak of childcare issues where mothers work full time. There are well written believable characters dealing with everyday issues and crime. This author deserves to be better known in my opinion.

I am also reading 'Escape' by Carolyn Jessop. I'm not a fan of the misery memoir category which is so popular at the moment but this is gripping stuff. Carolyn was married for 15 years to Merrill Jessop and a member of the fundamentalist sect of the Latter Day Saints - Mormons. This is the polygamous bit of the church. It's all arranged marriages with men having several wives - chosen for them by the elders of the church. Women have no say in their lives and are treated as property. They have to obey their husbands, there is no contraception so people end up with loads of children. Carolyn at the time I've got to in the book is one of 6 wives and between them they have 34 children. The set up works if the wives get on, but frequently they are rivals and bullying is rife. The women are always married off at between 18 and 20. Sometimes they do get to go to college - Carolyn went - but had to take some of her stepdaughters with her as chaperones. This is happening today in America - supposedly the most civilised country in the world. Women are still being forced into Stepford Wife roles. Words fail me really. Carolyn did escape but even knowing that I am compelled to read on . . . .