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A Devilish Visit to Peckham Rye
The photo on the front of my 1966 Penguin edition of The Ballad of Peckham Rye is by Robert Croxford. Dougal Douglas was born with horns on his head, like a goat, but they fell off in a fight – or maybe they were surgically removed. You never know if Dougal is telling the truth, but he…
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Ninepins – a Tale about Mothers and Daughters
I loved Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton, so I was delighted when she sent me a copy of her new novel, Ninepins (published by Sandstone Press), which is very different, but very enjoyable – and far more thought provoking. Set in the Cambridge Fens, it revolves around problems of family life and relationships between…
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Machines and Murder Mysteries
Another trip to Paris in the company of Chief Superintendent Maigret and an English honeymoon with Lord Peter Wimsey and Harriet Vane offered unexpected reading joys when I popped into the library to take some books back. Having tried (and failed) to find anything by Georges Simenon (with the exception of The Hotel Majestic, reviewed…
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What Were Your Favourite Childhood Books?
Can you name at least one book that you read as a child (ie 11 or under) that still exists in your memory as a perfect story? That was the challenge issued to me by my friend Phillipa Ashley (a prize-winning novelist – you’ll find her at http://phillipa-ashley.com/) way back in June 2010 when I’d only just…
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Chained Books – Power or Protection?
“In most old libraries the books are chained to the shelves to prevent them from being damaged by people. In the Library of Unseen University, it’s more or less the other way around.” So says novelist Terry Pratchett in Sourcery, and I’m inclined to think if it’s good enough for Discworld, then it’s good enough for…
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The Book Trunk 