Discovering Japanese crime fiction and other new authors

The Honjin Murders

Happy New Year! We live down a lovely farm track, a mile out of town. We regularly walk up to town and this short walk should only take 10 minutes, but often takes significantly longer because we chat with friends we meet who are making the same walk, or as they say in Italy "fare la passagiata". Recently we made friends with a lovely man and his dog who is a book lover like us, and from him we have learned about new authors. I had mentioned that I had discovered Japanese novels, and he told me about Japanese crime fiction. The next time I went into a bookshop, I discovered the Honjin Murders, written in 1973, by Seishi Yokomizo. It was brilliant, a really great locked-room mystery, with such an good twist at the end, and a Columbo-style detective. I love discovering new authors, and am really delighted with our informal walking book group.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives

Another book I have recently read is The Kamogawa Food Detectives, and again, I loved it. I do not know how they come up with their creative ideas. This one is about a secret restaurant, where people go to eat, but also to discover a recipe that they had previously experienced and want to recreate. It is not all about the food, but also about the experience that person had when they originally tasted it. This is about a father-daughter duo, with the daughter, conducting the original interview with the person looking for the recipe, and the chef taking that knowledge to rediscover the recipe, exactly as the requesting person wants it.

The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells

The last book I am going to post about is The Woodsmoke Women's Book of Spells. I was conflicted with this one. I really enjoyed it, but the author is from North Cornwall, and I am really proud of my adopted county, so I expected it to be more Cornish. However, it reminded me of books set in America, particularly those of Alice Hoffman. It talked about pancakes, which is not very Cornish. It did mention a couple of places in Cornwall, but it just didn't feel right. I would have preferred more Cornish context. Saying that, the plot was really good, with great descriptions of the location. It is about a woman who returns to the town where she used to live, after inheriting a house from her grandmother. There was conflict between her grandmother and her great aunt, because of a book of spells and the power of the mountains. The woman falls in love with a mysterious man, who her great aunt fears will break her heart by disappearing. It is a very magical story, and I think I am curious to read more.

So, that's it for now. Wishing you all a Happy New Year! Thank you for reading!

Time travel and opium

I am still experimenting with Japanese literature, and I am loving them. My latest discovery is "Tales from the Cafe", by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It was humorous but also really moving. The focus is a coffee shop in Tokyo, which not only sells great coffee, but also allows people to travel in time. Most people travel back in time to resolve something that occurred in the past, that they can't change without going back in time. There are strict rules. If you travel in time, you have to go to the cafe and sit in the right seat - this is problematic, because someone is already sitting in that seat and only leaves her position once a day, to go to the toilet. You have to accept the coffee that is poured for you, and most importantly, you have to return to the cafe before the coffee gets cold, otherwise you cannot return. There are four stories, each with their own purpose and journey. It is such a lovely read, full of warmth, love, and wonderful colourful characters.

I am really enjoying the Japanese books I am reading, but I was a bit disappointed to read a post on another social media site, which said that Japanese books about cats and books are written because they appeal to sentimental overseas readers, and not for a typical Japanese audience. I don't know if that is true, but I hope it isn't, because I think the Japanese would be missing out.

I have just discovered a series of books written by Philip Pullman, author of the Dark Materials series, back in 1985! I hadn't heard of the Sally Lockhart Mysteries before, but I found "The Ruby in the Smoke" in another charity shop, and I was gripped. I was 15 years old when this was written, and it is aimed at young adults. The theme of the book is the opium trade, and I am trying to remember if I would have found that topic interesting at that age. I am not sure I would have been interested then, but I definitely am now. It was fascinating to read the history of opium trading, and there were some wonderful descriptions of London in historical times, particularly the docks. Again, so many great characters, some very dark. I enjoyed this book so much, I have ordered the rest of the series, so I will be busy for a little while now!

More Japanese translations and French cuisine mixed with crime

Sorry. It has been too long again, but at least I have new books to write about...may there be many more!

I have continued my discovery of Japanese translations, and I am still loving that genre. "The Cat Who Saved Books" by Sosuke Natsukawa is so beautiful and magical. It is about a small second-hand bookshop on the edge of a town, jam-packed with wonderful books from floor to ceiling. Rintaro Natsuki is the main character of this story, a young man, whose grandfather owned the bookshop but has recently passed away. Rintaro has no-one else, except for an aunt who lives far away. He wants to stay at the bookshop, and skips school to tend to it, but realises that he will have to close it. Suddenly, a talking cat called Tiger comes up to Rintaro and asks him for help. The cat needs someone who loves books to join him on three adventures to save books from people who have either kept them hidden away or damaged them or betrayed them. This book was so creative and unique, gentle, sympathetic, tender, thought-provoking....just lovely to read.

"The Goodbye Cat" is written by Hiro Arikawa, and it is the follow-up to "The Travelling Cat Chronicles", which I posted about in my last blog. This is a compilation of short stories, filled with love and warmth, about seven cats and the impact they have on the people they live with/visit, exploring the cycle of life from birth to death, and the afterlife, and emphasising the loyalty of a well-loved cat. 

The translations of both these books are brilliant, and I assume they capture the original intentions. I would love to be able to read and understand Japanese, just to see how they are in their mother tongue.

My husband has decided to randomly choose books, but picking a letter, going into a bookshop, and picking an author whose surname begins with that letter. This time, he chose R for James Runcie, who wrote the Grantchester Mysteries. My husband hasn't seen the television series, so this was completely new to him. I had watched it, and now having read some of the books, I think that they were well-cast. I am in the midst of the series, and I am still enjoying them, although the earlier ones are the best, in my opinion. "Sidney Chambers and The Shadow of Death" is the first in the Grantchester Mysteries, and introduces Sydney as an unconventional clergyman, who has the ability to solve crimes that the police cannot. He works closely with his friend Inspector Geordie Keating, where they discuss cases over a pint and a game of backgammon. In the first book, we are introduced to his best friend Amanda, where you wonder if there will be some romance, and this is teased throughout the earlier books. It covers his love of jazz music and his attendance at a jazz club, where there is an unexplained death. There are several, well-thought out mysteries in each book, and combined with the religious aspects of his work, it provides a good mystery with interesting back stories too. On the whole, it is quite gentle, but there are some shocking moments, particulary the story of the art forgery.

My next book "Let It Snow" is a clever collaboration between John Green, who I have posted about before, and two other authors - Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle, who I haven't read before. I like books like this because you know for sure that you are going to like one of the stories, but you have the prospect of discovering two new (to me) authors. This book is made up of three holiday romances, which feature three different teenagers who's lives are somewhat intertwined. Each story follows their lives as they end up in Gracetown, at Christmas, during a huge snow storm. The first story features a young girl who has been forced to leave her boyfriend on Christmas Eve, because her parents have been arrested in a very comical scene. On the train she meets a young man who is trying to call his girlfriend, but has no phone signal. On the train, there is a group of very excitable cheerleaders, and when the train gets stuck in Gracetown because of a snowstorm, the first girl ventures out to find some food, and gradually the others follow. It is quite complicated, as teenage lives can be, but their stories are carefully intertwined, and there are several comedic scenes, such as the team of cheerleaders demonstrating their winning moves in a waffle house managed by a group of teenage boys. The boys call a range of friends to come down and bring a game of Twister so that they can persuade the cheerleading team to play the game in the hope of becoming closer with them. There are all sorts of shenanigans, but eventually all the stories join up. It isn't complex or deep, but it is fun to read.

As you know, I do love a good detective story, and I was lucky to find two written by the same author, ML Longworth, in a charity shop. They are both set in Aix-en-Provence, and are part of a series starring a magistrate and an inspector, whose wives both provide insights to the cases, and who all love good French food. There are wonderful descriptions of wine and French food, and the detectives seem to spend endless time in their favourite cafe, eating pastries and drinking coffee, or dining in nice restaurants with many-coursed meals, while discussing their cases. Because they are finds rather than organised purchases, I am reading them out of sync, but it doesn't seem to matter. The first is called "The Vanishing Museum on the Rue Mistral" and focuses on a small museum in Aix, the contents of which, mysteriously disappear over a weekend, leaving a bench, a reception desk, and a fern. Coincidentally, a few weeks earlier, there had been a similar mysterious robbery from an elderly lady's apartment. There are some lovely characters, including the suspects, and it is a lovely, leisurely read, with lots of twists and turns.

The second book, "The Secrets of the Bastide Blanche", follows the arrival of a controversial author, who was once very famous, particularly for his first novel, and then all of a sudden changed genre to romantic fiction. He has moved into a grand old house which hasn't been lived in for many, many years, with a plan to retire. However, his nights become disturbed by sinister presences, and although he hires a housekeeper, they both experience strange happenings. He befriends the young daughter of the detective who lives across from him, and soon the magistrate becomes involved. They question whether the author is losing his mind, and find out what happened previously in the house, leading it to become empty. It feels like it is going to be a ghost story, and they make, and there are, comparisons with Daphne Du Maurier's Rebecca. The unfolding of the story happens while a young editor interviews the author in a restaurant known for its food and wine, and the author tests the young man by seeing which wines he chooses for each course. It is quite different from the first book I read, but just as engaging and entertaining. I loved both books, but they did leave me wanting to head straight over to Provence for some leisurely dining in the beautiful scenery of Aix.

So, I am caught up now, and looking forward to reading more books over the Summer.

Apologies for the 3-year delay in posting - books, books, books!

My only excuse is that I have been busy with work, with life, and with reading. During this time, I have read a lot of books, and I am not going to comment on all of them. Some have been my usual re-reads, Alice Hoffman (Practical Magic), Sarah Addison Allen (Garden Spells), Laurie R King (Beekeeper's Apprentice), Elinor Brent-Dyer (Chalet School), Agatha Christie, etc, but I have also discovered new, fabulous authors! So many talented writers and so little time :-)

So where to start!?! I live in the South West of England, and WJ Burley writes wonderful detective stories set in Devon, Cornwall, and the Scilly Isles. I have read many over the past few years, and they are creative and beautifully written. I haven't read them all, but my favourite so far Wycliffe and the Cycle of Death, which is set in a bookshop, in Penzance, a lovely harbour town, near to where I live. There were so many twists and turns, and yet a gentleness due to Superintendent Wycliffe's quiet and pensive nature.

Another detective series I like is Inspector Morse, created by Colin Dexter. I have to admit, I am not a great fan of the books, as the couple I read were quite seedy. However, I found Morse's Greatest Mystery and Other Stories in a charity shop, and was totally blown away by it. I love short stories, and this collection is brilliant. Only a few stories are about Inspector Morse, and the Greatest Mystery is a lovely surprise. There are other stories, which are still about crime, but more about prisoners and their antics. One of the tales was absolutely brilliant. It was a pastiche of Sherlock Holmes, and it is done so well, that I had to double-check that it had not been written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was my favourite and had a great twist at the end....very unexpected and enjoyable! This has rekindled my interest in the Morse books, so watch this space.

So, if you have read my previous posts, you will know that I don't just read crime fiction; I have quite a varied taste, although I do focus on fiction. Recently, I have discovered Japanese translations, and they are so beautifully told, gentle and creative. The first I read was The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa, and translated by Philip Gabriel. I am in awe of translators. The translations of Asterix and Obelix were brilliant because the many jokes translated so well. Obviously, I can't read the original versions, but I am assuming the translations are true to the original. This one is poetic, as I imagine the original version is. I was sceptical at first. I love cats, adore them, but I wasn't sure if I would want to read a book from a cat's perspective, but I truly loved it and happily give copies of this book away as gifts, because it feels like I am spreading the love. This book is described as heart-breaking, but I would say it is heart-warming. There is so much kindness and gentle emotion throughout the book as the cat takes us on a journey through Japan, and introduces us to the beautiful Japanese culture and customs.

The next book I found was What you are looking for is in the library by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts. This one focuses on a very special librarian, and a community which has a special attachment to a particular brand of biscuits, and needs the help of the librarian to solve their life problems, through the choice of books she issues to them, along with a little hand-made, felted gift. Each chapter introduces a member of the community, who is looking for something, but is not sure what, and they are directed to a large, rather intimidating, librarian, who surprises them with the book choices she gives them. This is such a lovely story, so inspiring, and makes me proud to be a librarian. I wish I could be as magic as her! Incidentally, the biscuits they are fans of are the Honeydome Cookies by Kuremiyado - I don't know if they actually exist, but someone has posted this recipe, in case you want to give them a go - in the book, they are described as "half-moon shaped cookie with a soft, honey flavored center".

The last book I am going to talk about today is The Book of Beginnings by Sally Page. My sister bought this for me as a gift and it was so beautiful. I have bookmarked so many wonderful quotes! The book is about a young woman who is taking care of her uncle's stationery shop. I don't know about you but I love stationery, and a shop full of pens, pencils, and paper, would be a fabulous place to work. This book has inspired me to write again, using a fountain pen, because she adds new stock to the shop, and encourages potential customers to try writing with a fountain pen and she collects what they write. She makes friends with a female vicar and an elderly customer, and discovers Highgate Cemetery, which is a place close to my heart - if you ever get the chance to visit, do go; it is full of the most incredible people. Anyway, together with her new friends, the main character moves forward with her life and helps them to find themselves too. It is such a beautiful story. The author created a fountain pen shop, PLOOMS, and I was tempted to buy a pen from them, but then I decided to do some research, and found a lovely company in Wales, and I bought a lovely, chunky fountain pen, which inspires me to write, rather than type, and I chose some gorgeous ink colours - magenta, forest green, and turquoise! I like this book because it encourages you to handwrite - there is one sentence, which describes how she learned to write by using exercise books and practising her letters, as a child - it reminded me of my own schooldays. And best of all, this book encourages you to reach out, make contact, stay in touch - "'Dear' is a good place to start" - absolutely, a small word, straight from the heart..."dear" - full of love and care.

And, on that note, I will sign off for now, but I hope to post again soon, Dear Readers. Stay in touch.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R King

Happy New Year to you all! So, a couple of months ago, a lovely friend in America introduced me to a fabulous series of books – the Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes mysteries. The first is The Beekeeper’s Apprentice, and it is just amazing; beyond brilliant, in fact! Written by Laurie R King, the story behind this series, is that the author received a mysterious package, containing a series of journals and other gifts.

The journals were written by an orphan called Mary Russell, and they start when she is 15 years old, after the sudden death of her family, and her first encounter with the retired Sherlock Holmes, who is living in Sussex with his housekeeper, while tending his bees. They meet on the Sussex downs, and despite their age difference, they form a professional friendship, with Holmes becoming Mary’s mentor, and Russell becoming Sherlock’s apprentice. He teaches her his skills and tests her abilities, and together they become a team and solve complex crimes together. I am not doing these books justice. The first was so good, I had to immediately get the next two, and I have almost finished those now, so am ready for the next instalments. The second book is a collection of short stories, and provide some background information to give a better picture of Mary Russell’s history.

There are some incredibly powerful insights into World War I and what the soldiers endured in the trenches, but I also had not appreciated the impact that war had on women. Not only did many lose the prospect of being a wife and a mother, because many men either did not return from the war or were too badly injured or traumatised to become husbands and fathers. Furthermore, while the war was on, women took on traditionally-male roles, such as farming the land, flying planes across the country, and keeping the home-fires burning so that returning soldiers would have something to come home to. However, once they were home, they took back those jobs, and the women were left with fewer options. I found this all so thought-provoking!

The development of Mary and Sherlock’s personal relationship is also described in one of the short stories, culminating in their marriage, when she is of age. It is beautifully done, with no improprieties. Their relationship is complex, and they are clearly dependent on each other. I am so delighted to be reading this series of books, as they are such a pleasure to read. The books are so well-written, informative, suspenseful, sensitive, and unexpected. I am very grateful for the introduction!

Finally, an update and some book reviews

I am shocked to see how long it is since we last posted. I know that you have been viewing our web-site, and I am so pleased that you, do, but I am sorry for being so hopeless at updating it. The reasons are, that I work full-time, our house in Cornwall is a lifelong project and needs loads doing to it, we are trying to reduce our use of plastics, and therefore, we are doing lots more cooking from scratch, and in my spare time, I love to read books. So, where is the time to blog!?! But I do also enjoy blogging, so here we finally are. I should say, that one day, we would still like to open Pilchard Books, but at the moment, we are happy doing what we are doing, and exploring the options open to us.

We live on the outskirts of a fantastic town, called St Just, about 9 miles from Penzance, (the best train station to come in to), in Cornwall, UK. It is the most wonderful community, with amazing people, fabulously, useful shops, heavenly cafes, and just so much to do! In July, we made a 13ft Snow White out of willow/withies, and paper, for our local festival, Lafrowda, to promote Pendeen Pantomime. Anyway, I am digressing…in our lovely town, there is a post office, which also sells second-hand books for 20p (money going to Cancer Research). I always find treasures in that pile of books, and one of those treasures helped me discover a new author, who I hadn’t read before: Susan Wittig Albert (https://susanalbert.com/), a best-selling author in America, but not one I had heard of in the UK, which, if you read the rest of this post, you may find truly surprising!

So I started off with “The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree”, (one of a series of 5 books), and I loved it. It isn’t deep, but it is engaging, entertaining, and educational. It is set in the 1930s, in a small town called Darling, and is about the members of a gardening club, The Darling Dahlias, who unravel the story behind the mysterious death of a local blond bombshell. Being a small town, there are lots of rumours, leading to speculation and drama. The story is full of wonderful characters, and at the start of the book, there is a brief biography for each one. For example, Miss Dorothy Rogers, is Darling’s librarian. She knows the Latin name of every plant and insists that all the garden club members know them too! The author writes really well, and clearly researches her topic, because there are useful details about gardening, and at the back of the book there is a section called “Makin’ do: 12 ways to stretch whatever we have”, which is full of useful advice, still relevant in today’s society. For example, “Save old letters and envelopes and use the backs or notes and lists. But be careful not to use a letter you don’t want someone else to read.” Finally, there are recipes, along with interesting facts, from food that is described in the book, for example, Florabelle’s Soda Bread, and Euphoria;s Peanut Butter Meringue Pie. The author seems to include recipes in all her books, some more appetising than others 😊

Once I had finished that book, I was intrigued to know more about this author. I soon found that she has written lots of books. Two series are along the same lines as the first Darling Dahlias book, set in small American towns, with lots of gossipy and earnest characters. But she has also written a series of books which feature Beatrix Potter as a character, and not only in her capacity as an author, but also as a sleuth! Now, being a huge fan of Beatrix Potter, I was a little concerned about an American author turning the most wonderful Beatrix Potter into a detective, so I ordered just one of The Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series of 8 books. I started off with “The Tale of Briar Bank”, and it was absolutely charming, and so clever. The author portrays Beatrix Potter, just as one might imagine her, describing her life in the Lake District, the challenges she faces with her family, and being a new farmer in a man’s world, and her growing romance with Will Heelis, whom she eventually married in real-life, I believe. It is so well-researched, it is difficult to tell what it fact and what is fiction. I really love this series of books, because it not only presents such a brilliant picture of what it was like in the Lake District at that time, but it also integrates Beatrix Potter’s characters so well, alongside new animal characters. So, you have wonderful human characters, along with the original Beatrix Potter animals who meet new ones created by Susan Wittig Albert. Beatrix Potter is still a successful author, but is also a very well-respected part of the community, with many friends and admirers. In these stories, she has a knack of being very perceptive and manages to resolve any issues between other characters in the book. And this proves very useful, because in this series, there are many problems which need a calm and fair person to find a resolution. But, on top of the usual village goings-on, there is also a mystery to be solved, and in this book, someone is killed, and treasure is involved. Beatrix Potter does solve the mystery, along with Brock the Badger, and Rascal, a Jack Rascal Terrier, and in the two books I have read of this series, the answer is not at all what I thought! 

The second book I read in this series, is The Tale of Hawthorn House, another mystery, about an abandoned baby, and the sad demise of a farmer. The villagers, suspect fairy-folk involvement, but Beatrix Potter, despite having such a wonderfully creative mind, figures out what really happened, and ensures that everything becomes right with the world again. In this book, you are reminded of the story of poor Jemima Puddleduck, who just wanted to raise ducklings, but everyone thought she was too fickle to remember to look after them. In this book, the story continues, and you find out what happens next to Jemima. There is quite a troubling section about badger baiting, which I didn’t like, because it explained it quite thoroughly, but it did also make me understand quite a bit, so I found that very educational. Once again, at the end of each book, there are useful additions, including a list of resources, which the author used to inform the book, recipes from food mentioned, and a glossary to explain the dialect. I am not from the Lake District, so I don’t know how accurate it is. If you like Beatrix Potter, then I think you might like this series. The books are so well-written, magical, informative, and I really treasure them. I have managed to track down another two, which I will read once I have

finished a book from another series by Susan Wittig Albert, about a lawyer turned herbalist, who solves crimes. Wormwood is set in a Shaker community, and I am learning so much about what is involved in this religion. I know they had a unique style with regards to the furniture they built, but I didn’t know that Shaker comes from dancing and singing, which was part of their religion. There are really interesting facts about herbs, which are actually making me want to take a herbalist course, and recipes, although I am not too convinced by Vinegar Pie.

At 79 years of age, Susan Wittig Albert is still going strong, and has another book published this year – “A Plain Vanilla Murder”. The common themes to all of her books are that they involve natural history in some way, they have strong female and feminine leads, they contain recipes and other, useful supporting material, and they are just a very good read. Let me know what you think!  

Piranha To Scurfy And Other Stories - Ruth Rendell

I love short stories, and I enjoy crime fiction, but I have never read any books by Ruth Rendell. I had seen her characters come to life on the television, but never read their original stories. This collection of short stories, Piranha To Scurfy And Other Stories, was a great surprise, and I enjoyed them immensely. The macabre twist of the first story, the title cleverly reflecting a volume from the Encyclopaedia Britannica, and the disturbing nature, but satisfying ending of The Wink. The High Mysterious Union really reminded me of the Wicker Man, with its 'loving' community, and the Myth was wonderfully creative, with the idea of the Garden of Eden being in Wiltshire.

Book or film - Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

So, which is better, the book or the film. Personally, I love them both. I love reading Agatha Christie's books. She had four series - Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence, and the stories with no leading person. Agatha Christie is such an amazing person besides being such a creative author. She lead a very exciting life, learning to surf, accompanying her husband on archaeological digs, and she shares her experiences in her books. She is total genius, and it is so interesting reading her books through her whole history of writing, because you can see the changes in time and lifestyle, the decadence of the twenties, through the austerity of wartime, followed by the new freedoms discovered in the 50s. And her ideas for murder, so creative, and while the Poirot and Miss Marple, have a certain light-heartedness, the ones without a leading character, are altogether rather sinister, and sometimes quite macabre.

I have seen five films, and I like all of them, although The Mirror Crack'd with Elizabeth Burton, Rock Hudson, and Tony Curtis, was a bit too showy for me. I think I like the films, because they introduce me to a time which I will never experience. Death on the Nile and Murder on the Orient Express are both so decadent, and beautifully shot. I cannot imagine travelling through Egypt or Europe at such an elegant pace, drinking cocktails, admiring the scenery without the crowds, and experiencing it all without social media. I do love my gadgets, but I would also like to travel in a slower world. And the actors chosen for the roles are superb. Peter Ustinov and Albert Finney as Poirot, Bette Davies as a cantankerous old spinster, and Angela Lansbury in several different roles...just divine. I find that often, films with many famous actors, can detract from the story, but the casting choices hugely enhance these productions.

The story told in Death on the Nile is just fabulous, and only slightly different in the film, which loses three of the book's characters, or rather integrates them with the remaining ones. Nothing is lost. It is almost as though the book is being read to you, enhanced by the most beautiful scenery following alongside. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about a couple on their honeymoon, being tormented by a former lover. The plot is laid as each character's juicy background and potential motive, is described and you just get engrossed in all the connections and scandal, and the varying characters of all the people participating in this exotic trip. And, while we know there will be a murder, it doesn't actually occur until almost half way through the book. I won't spoil it, but it is a jolly fine read, and quite unputdownable!

Michael Crichton, writing as John Lange

I am a huge fan of Michael Crichton, although I preferred his older books (Andromeda Strain, Timeline, The First Great Train Robbery, Congo, Jurassic Park, Sphere) to his newer ones (Rising Son, Disclosure). I suppose it was the fantasy and creative elements of the early ones; they really challenged the imagination. I remember the twist in Jurassic Park (the book, not the film), which was so fantastic. I was such a fan, that I even read his autobiography, Travels, which was so brilliant, that bizarrely, I left a few pages unread, because I didn't want it to end. Michael Crichton seems to have been a remarkable man. So, you can imagine my delight, when I discovered that he had also written under a pseudonym! John Lange, recently republished by Hard Case Crime, and written in the late 60s early 70s, when he was a student at Harvard Medical School. He wrote eight books in six years. I have just read two of them, and although slightly raw in places, they were both fantastic, and as exciting and creative as all of his books. They were both proper action adventure stories, with a tiny little bit of romance thrown in.

Easy Go is about an illegal archaeological dig, looking for the last tomb, and it is brilliant, from the fabulous characters to the history and knowledge conveyed about the tombs in Egypt, to the amazing twist at the end.

Grave Descend is set in Jamaica, and focuses on a diver, who is recruited to bring up some treasure from a boat that has recently sunk. It is a complicated story, involving wartime treasure transported by boat to Jamaica, followed by the Sicilian mafia. I can't tell you what happens to the treasure, but it is a very exciting finish. I particularly liked reading about the diving at night experience, and also the walk through the jungle area. Great descriptions in both books, making me gasp when there was a scare! If you are a fan of Samuel Johnson (often referred to as Dr Johnson), there are some nice quotes throughout the book too.

The books are a little bit sexist perhaps, particularly the front covers, but that is understandable, given when they were written. Both of these books are real page turners, easy to read, interesting, and full of adventure, quite in the style of James Bond, but with the heroes a little more rugged, like Indiana Jones. I can't wait to read the rest of them now. Are there any other Michael Crichton fans out there? Which ones are your favourites?

Geek fact of the day: One of my favourite films is Hackers (great film, great soundtrack), and one of the characters is called Zero Cool, which is also the name of one of the books in this series!

Hawthorn & Child - Keith Ridgway

I am not sure why some people imagine that gratuitous sex and violence is gritty and modern.  Sex, as out ancestors will confirm, did not begin in the '60s, nor was it the brainchild of D.H.Lawrence.  Violence too is not that new; and it is not long since public executions - sudden or protracted - would have provided death for the pleasure of large, public gatherings.  Sex and violence, nonetheless - along with seemingly unnecessary obscurity - seem to be the hallmark of Keith Ridgway's Hawthorn & Child.  I don't object to either - sex and violence sometimes suit the plot; it felt, however, that Ridgway was 'grittying up' an otherwise pleasant novel when their spontaneous introduction arrived; I am moving on to Michael Ende's Momo.  Having said that accolades from Ian Rankin, the Observer, the Irish Examiner and Zadie Smith all attest to Hawthorn & Child's quality; so, if you have different tastes to me, you may well enjoy the book.

The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Donna Tartt was a stolen recommendations and "The Secret History" was the first of her works that I found. The front cover is influenced with the strapline "International bestseller", something that usually I find to be a turn-off. Having said that, The Secret History is in many ways, the perfect read, a compelling, page-turning read with thinking that is impressive, and sometimes profound. It is Crime and Punishment on a remote US campus, our leads doing the wrong things for right(ish) reasons. It is frequently tempting to support what they choose to do.

In some places plot development, as with character changes are convenient, rather than convincing. Further as a man who likes wine, whisky, and cigarettes, the pathological consumption of these throughout the novel disturbed my usually pleasurable (mis)habits.

These failings aside, however, I no longer feel compelled to complete a book once I start it, and that I completed The Secret History means that overall it is a book that I, in my turn, would recommend.