Kate Ellis's Playing with Bones is a crime story with supernatural overtones and very well done it is too. DI Joe Plantagenet is missing his girlfriend Maddy who has gone to London for a job interview. Then he gets a phone call to say a young girl's body has been found in Eborby (York) and he is suddenly too busy to worry about his private life. The victim has been strangled, one of her big toes removed and there is a Victorian doll with a similar injury by her side. The alley in which she is found is known as Singmass Close and it has an atmosphere all its own.
Gradually it emerges that there was a series of similar murders 50 years ago in the same place for which the killer was never identified. Has the same killer struck again? Or is someone copying his methods? Joe and his boss Emily have plenty of problems to solve with two more teenaged girls missing and an escaped prisoner on the run who may or may not be connected with the latest murder.
This fast moving plot will keep you guessing until the end. I loved it and finished it in less than 48 hours. I recommend it.
Showing posts with label York. Show all posts
Showing posts with label York. Show all posts
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Thursday, 12 March 2009
More people about today and journeys
One and a half more to be precise!
The bus journey home tonight was interesting as the bus driver - ex-tour guide - was trying to get a couple of us to guess his surname and talking about emperors and kings and statues in front of York Minster. It was when he said about the Roman Emperor who converted to Christianity that I realised he was talking about Constantine! Oddly enough, even though he was a bit full of himself - in a sort of proud of my knowledge sort of way - he had the same sort of face as a Roman Emperor.
From there the conversation digressed to all sorts of historical subjects including the different names places have been given over the centuries - e.g. York - Eboracum, Jorvik and the modern day York. We also took in why Harold lost the Battle of Hastings - too tired after the battle shortly before - was it Stamford Bridge?; whether it is better to worship the sun - giver of life - as the Romans did or Christ on the cross and a detour round surnames and family history - which was really where we started.
Coincidentally I finished reading Bloodline by Fiona Mountain last night which has tracing family history as its background. Good crime novel with an interesting background.
Never say we aren't intellectual in the wilds of Lincolnshire!
The bus journey home tonight was interesting as the bus driver - ex-tour guide - was trying to get a couple of us to guess his surname and talking about emperors and kings and statues in front of York Minster. It was when he said about the Roman Emperor who converted to Christianity that I realised he was talking about Constantine! Oddly enough, even though he was a bit full of himself - in a sort of proud of my knowledge sort of way - he had the same sort of face as a Roman Emperor.
From there the conversation digressed to all sorts of historical subjects including the different names places have been given over the centuries - e.g. York - Eboracum, Jorvik and the modern day York. We also took in why Harold lost the Battle of Hastings - too tired after the battle shortly before - was it Stamford Bridge?; whether it is better to worship the sun - giver of life - as the Romans did or Christ on the cross and a detour round surnames and family history - which was really where we started.
Coincidentally I finished reading Bloodline by Fiona Mountain last night which has tracing family history as its background. Good crime novel with an interesting background.
Never say we aren't intellectual in the wilds of Lincolnshire!
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