Books read and reading

Rattle his Bones by Carola Dunn - one of her Daisy Dalrymple series. Daisy is researching a series of articles about the Natural History Museum and is inadvertently one of the first people of the scene when one of the curators is murdered. The professional rivalries are extremely well done in my opinion. This series is growing on me.

Flights of Angels by Victoria Connelly - chick lit with angels - which could have been twee and sickly and is actually really well done. First published in German and made into a film in Germany and only recently available in English thanks to the e-book revolution which enables authors themselves to produce their own ebooks.

Death of a Sweep by M C Beaton - latest in the Hamish Macbeth series. Milly Davenport comes home from a shopping trip to find her husband dead and stuffed up the chimney and the sweep missing. Hamish eventually gets to the bottom of the mystery.

Ivory Dagger and The Brading Collection - both by Patricia Wentworth. Cosy mysteries in the classic detective story mould with Miss Silver imperturbably knitting, watching and listening.

How to Leave Twitter by Grace Dent. I thought it might enlighten me about why people join Twitter in the first place. Seems the reason is because everyone else has joined. I can see that people can like watching it - in a sort of car crash fascination way but apart from that it really isn't something I actually want to take part in. I might change my mind - but not yet.

Currently reading

Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell by M C Beaton. Agatha is married to James Lacey but things aren't as blissful as she had hoped.

The Devil's Sonata by Elizabeth Edmondson (AKA Elizabeth Aston and Elizabeth Pewsey) This is a story set in a Yorkshire girls' school located in a former abbey. Zuleika has come over from the USA to study a Grimoire discovered hidden in a pillar in the cloisters but she is unhappy about the atmosphere.

Mountjoy fans will be pleased to know that the rest of Elizabeth Pewsey's Mountjoy series will all be available in e-book format by the end of this month.

Books, books and more books

• Death in a Strange Country by Donna Leon - I am re-reading the Guido Brunetti books in series order as e-books. Unfortunately the first and the third are not yet available as e-books so having bought the first in paper back I'm trying to decide whether to do the same with the third book or wait for the ebook version. However I did enjoy this one - the second in the series. Some people don't like them because there isn't always a cut and dried solution to the murder and there isn't always a criminal brought to justice. This doesn't bother me as I enjoy reading the story anyway. Maybe the journey is preferable to the destination?




• The World the Flesh and the Bishop (Divine Comedy)by Elizabeth Pewsey - see previous posts - Just as good as ever - I always love the incident where Titus and Quinta rescue Lydia from the orgy! Unholy Harmonies is now available as an ebook

Currently reading

• The Forsyte Saga - John Galsworthy - up to book six which is the last of the novels which are purely about the Forsytes.



• Unholy Harmonies by Elizabeth Aston - see above and previous post



• Trollope by Victoria Glendinning - biography of the Victorian author. It shows how his experiences were translated into fiction as well as describing his life.

Royal Wedding and books

I wasn't going to watch the wedding but I wanted to see what 'the dress' was like so I ended up watching some of the guests arrive and then the service itself. I thought Catherine looked absolutely gorgeous - simple and elegant. The bridesmaids were well behaved as well and Philippa looked good too. I can't understand the people who say the dress was too plain - no one wants to look like a meringue with sparkles on their big day. It was nice too that the Royal School of Needlework did a lot of the work.

Books read

• Landed Gently by Alan Hunter - the fourth in the Gently series. Gently is invited to stay with the Chief Constable of Northshire over Christmas and enjoy some pike fishing. A man is found dead at the foot of a staircase at nearby Merely Hall on Christmas morning - did he fall or was he pushed?


• The Surprise Party by Sue Welfare - women's fiction with a bite. Liz and Suzie organise a surprise party for their parents' ruby wedding anniversary but there are surprises in store for everyone before the evening has finished.


• Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon - the first in the Guido Brunetti series. This is a re-read but even better the second time writing. Her writing is subtle and understated and I saw things that I missed the first time round.

Currently reading

• Them by Jon Ronson - conspiracy theorists he has known. So far they come over as misguided and all too human. New World Order and twelve foot lizards mix with more ordinary terrorists


• Death on the Downs by Simon Brett - second in the Fethering series


• The World the Flesh and the Bishop by Elizabeth Aston - this is a retitled ebook version of a book originally published as Divine Comedy.

Elizabeth Aston and Elizabeth Pewsey are the same person. As Elizabeth Pewsey she wrote the 6 Mountjoy novels - Children of Chance, Divine Comedy, Unholy Harmonies, Volcanic Airs, Unaccustomed Spirits and Brotherly Love. As Elizabeth Aston she has written 6 Pride and Prejudice sequels - Mr Darcy's Daughters (also titled The Way of the World), The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy, The True Darcy Spirit, The Second Mrs Darcy, The Darcy Connection, Mr Darcy's Dream. She also wrote a modern Jane Austen themed novel - Writing Jane Austen. I'd read all these before I realised it was Elizabeth Pewsey under another name.

She has also written as Elizabeth Edmondson - The Frozen Lake, Voyage of Innocence, The Villa in Italy, The Art of Love, Stones and Shadows - which is published this year and Devil's Sonata also due for publication this year. I have only read The Villa in Italy of her Elizabeth Edmondson novels and found it extremely good.