In my own personal backlash against the influx of Scandinavian crime fiction I was determined to read more British thrillers this year and did relatively well. I may have been last to the party in discovering the brilliance of Mark Billingham but at least I discovered it. I took a tour of some M.C. Beaton cosy mysteries..
Nights of Awe
22 February 2012 by Leave a Comment
At the beginning of this year I had never read any Finnish literature, it’s nearly the end of February and I’ve now read two great Finnish books. The first was the great little novella, The Brothers….
The Redbreast
19 October 2011 by 2 Comments
The astonishing worldwide success of Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, and to a lesser extent Henning Mankell’s Wallander series, has opened the eyes of British readers to the appeal of Scandinavian crime writing. In the past couple of weeks Twitter friends have suggested books by Arnaldur Indridason, Asa Larsson and Jo Nesbo….
A Means Of Escape
3 October 2011 by 1 Comment
There’s always something a little bit thrilling about reading a book or watching a film where you recognise the setting. I got very excited when a film was released set on the street I grew up on – Red Road. I had that same flutter when I started Joanna Price’s A Means of Escape….
CWA Daggers Shortlists Announced
26 August 2011 by Leave a Comment
The Crime Writers’ Association has announced the shortlists for their prestigious Dagger awards. Nominees for the top prize – the Gold Dagger Award for the Best Crime Novel of the Year – are:
Agatha Christie – Early Surfer?
3 August 2011 by Leave a Comment
I’m fascinated by Agatha Christie, I think I’ve read all of her books, loved her autobiography and have a place in my heart for Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. It’s not just her books that fascinate me though – it’s her as a person, she seems to have been an astounding woman. Widely travelled, a fan of archaeology and a mysterious disappearance worthy of one of her own novels. This week it was revealed that it’s possibly on her travels with her first husband she became one of the first British people to surf standing up. I don’t know if that’s true, or if it can ever be proven but I hope it is true. It shows exactly how adventurous and ground-breaking she really was.