I have joined Cambridge University Library’s Really Popular Book Club, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, was September’s chosen book. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to attend the Zoom meeting to discuss it. I have an unexpected journey to undertake at the same time the meeting is due to happen.
The story starts when Harold Fry receives a letter sent on behalf of a former work colleague, Queenie Hennessy. Harold hasn’t heard from Queenie in twenty years, the letter is from a hospice in Berwick on Tweed. The letter written on Queenie’s behalf, informs Harold that Queenie is suffering from terminal cancer and has very little time left. Harold writes a reply and sets out to post the letter he hesitates at the post box and then at the next one. He decides instead to walk to Berwick on Tweed to see Queenie in person.
Harold’s journey is a remarkable one, not only for the people he meets on the way some of whom and a dog walk with him but also as an examination of his past, his personality, relationships and regrets. The walk north from Kingsbridge in Devon, without preparation, proper hiking equipment a map or compass, is physically arduous, as Harold discovers. Yachting shoes are not ideally suited for a long hike, in all weathers. It was a companion walking with Harold that coined the title The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
As Harold walks, the back story of his life, his marriage to Maureen, his childhood and his relationship with his son David, is slowly revealed. We are drawn into an emotional journey as Harold reflects on these things. It is as much a journey of self discovery for Harold as a physical journey. For myself as the reader I found it incredibly moving and like all really good books The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, will inhabit my thinking for a long time.
Laurel’s first day in her new home, wasn’t exactly ideal. The sudden death of a yet to be acquainted with neighbour can be unsettling, even for someone with Laurel’s experience. Her career had been in end of life care. As the story moves on Laurel begins to question her choice of Elderwick for her new home. However, despite the machinations of a property developer and a pocketed councillor, intent on contentiously bringing new homes and a leisure facility to the village, there are the redeeming features of an excellent village bakery, The Plump Tart, The Pleasant Pheasant Cafe and the Snooty Fox, the village pub.
It isn’t long before murders blight the ideal appearance of the village, whose history has also been darkened by that of the area’s leading family, the Hartfields, owners of Elderwick Hall, the site of the new development. Marcus Hartfield the present occupant of Elderwick Hall is the development’s prime mover.
The story is inhabited by a variety of interesting, colourful, characters both human and animal. A Little Bird Told Me, realistically details the conflicts and friendships within a small village community. However, at its core this is a crime story albeit a cosy one. The revelation at the book’s end is surprising which is as it should be.
For me it was a quick but absorbing read, well done, Ms Gray.
From left to right Guy Makey, Rosie Andrews and Angela Makey (photo credit Niche Comics)
Cathy Cade and I recently attended an event at Huntingdon’s, Niche Comics Bookshop as part of the celebrations for Independent Bookshop week. I wasn’t intending to buy any books so of course I came away with two.
The Bookshop is a seventeenth building with all the quirkiness and eccentricities of something that old, the low height of the doorway into the garden is a particular problem for unwary people taller than about four foot eight.
It was in the garden that we were introduced to Rosie Andrews launching her new book The Puzzle Wood. Rosie had started life in Liverpool a child in a very large family, the third of twelve children. After she graduated from Cambridge University with a history degree, Rosie became an English teacher. Her first book The Leviathan was a best seller.
Rosie Andrews signing books in the garden.(photo credit Niche Comics)
During the question and answer session Rosie mentioned that she had been a member of a writing group near St Ives, it was there she met local author Alison Bruce, a smashing lady not only connected to Niche Comics but also someone I have met on several occasions.
My first purchase of the evening
The mystery £5 package
And this is what was inside
With wine, tea and homemade cakes on offer, not to mention cracking deals on books it was a really wonderful evening. Thank you Angela, Adam and Guy.
The Janus Stone was the purchase I made at Elly Griffiths book launch at Manea Village Hall, hosted by Niche Comics Bookshop.
Ruth Galloway’s second outing sees her conducting an archaeological survey before new flats are built on the site of a soon to be demolished Victorian house in Norwich. The house had been at one time a family home and during the 1950s a Catholic children’s home. Two children went missing from the children’s home and were never found. However, it is when a headless child’s skeleton is discovered that a murder investigation ensues; DCI Harry Nelson leads the enquiry. Ruth works with Harry to uncover the history of the skeleton and solve the events leading to the death of the child. The enquiry delves into the mystery of the missing children and the history of the soon to be demolished house.
However Ruth has problems of her own these problems complicate her relationship with Harry and exposes her to feelings about herself she hadn’t previously known. The complicated relationship between Ruth, Harry, Ruth’s colleagues and friends provides an interesting twisty plot. The story is set in Norwich and in the North Norfolk coastal salt marshes. I was engaged from start to finish, I really enjoyed this book.
I didn’t find out about this event organised by indiebookfair.com until it was too late to hire a stand for our Whittlesey Wordsmith’s writing group. However I thought it would be a good plan to visit and see what the event had to offer. I had no intention at all to buy books, I have according to my lovely wife, more than enough as it is.
Indie authors are those that often self publish their own books either individually or cooperatively with other authors. It is a great community and they, like all the authors I have met are encouraging and supportive.
A bit of a lull so I could get a photo
The hall was nicely laid out and there certainly wasn’t any space for more stalls, it was fully booked. The public seemed to like it too it was getting quite crowded as I walked around. It was a really interesting event and a chance to amble round and meet other local authors. The exhibitors catered for just about every genre, from children’s stories, to puzzle books for elderly dementia sufferers and just about any subject in between.
Even the stage was used
Browsing
A particular highlight for me was meeting Carol Carman; Carol had been the sound engineer for Dennis of Grunty Fen’s, broadcast on Radio Cambridgeshire, working with the late Pete Sayers, (Dennis) and Christopher South. The programmes, were broadcast on Radio Cambridgeshire every Sunday morning, they were what the wireless was made for. Christopher South would interview Dennis learning more about the wild world and community that is Grunty Fen. Christopher South has written four books about this intriguing community. I bought number 3 in the series from Carol.
Carol Carman with her books and those from Grunty Fen.
Close to Carol’s stall was a remarkably dressed lady M T McGuire a science fiction author, one of the panellists on the author panels I attended later in the day I didn’t catch her forename, which I know isn’t M..
M T McGuire
Niche Comics Bookshop had a stall in one corner with Angela presiding and Gill Ashby, author of the Bright Old Sparks Books in attendance.
Gill Ashby, author of Bright Old Sparks on the Niche Comics Book Shop stand.
It was great wandering around chatting to the authors and despite my resolve not to buy any books I came away with 3 in total.
I am, as I am sure regular readers of my blog know, a Peter Lovesey fan. I am not sure if I have read all of Lovesey’s Peter Diamond books but if I haven’t, there can’t be many I’ve missed. The focus of this story is a half marathon race, ‘The Other Half’, which takes place in and around the city of Bath. Maeve Kelly’s accident with a Toby Jug prompts a series of events leading up to and intertwined with the race.
However, it is the disappearance of another female runner during the race that starts Peter Diamond’s hunt for initially her, in Bath’s underground quarries and then for a murderer. The plot is multilayered the setting in Bath as in most of Lovesey’s novels fascinating. I seem to learn something new about the city every time I read another of his books; if Mr Lovesey doesn’t help Bath with tourism then I would be very surprised.
The story involves modern slavery, people trafficking and a wealthy Russian couple, it is full of the unexpected, with twists and turns until the final conclusion reveals the remaining answers to the reader.
Sometimes I find I need to read a little of a book to find its rhythm, usually once found, the read becomes easy and the book becomes a real pleasure, this was the case for me with Death at the Auction.
The story is set in the Georgian town of Stamford, the action starts in the sales room of one of its auctioneers.
Grant’s, is a family-owned business; Felicia Grant is the unfortunate auctioneer confronted with the last-minute addition to the auction, the lot of a cupboard. However, it is the cupboard’s contents which start the search for a murderer.
Felicia finds herself drawn into the investigation. Initially she is at odds with the local police in the shape of Detective Sergeant Pettifer and Detective Inspector Heavenly but as the body count increases she eventually finds herself collaborating with them.
Stamford is somewhere local and to a degree familiar, a place I keep meaning to visit more often and for longer. It is an ideal setting for this book.
The story is well crafted and an excellent who dunnit, the outcome is unpredictable.
While building a snowman with her two children, Harriet Smith finds the body of a man in a snow filled ditch near her isolated cottage. To be precise it was Barnie the family dog who found it.
What follows is the hunt for the identity of the body, why and how it came to be where it was found. In a way the story resembles peeling an onion as each layer is removed another lurks beneath it. Peeling this onion to reveal a murder are Detective Inspector Samantha Freeman and Detective Sergeant Jenny Newcombe.
The plot twists and turns, complicated by not only family jealousies, deceit, abuse and violence but the problem of juvenile delinquents.
The characters are well drawn the scenes well described, I read this book quickly, a real page turner. I found it to be an unusual and enjoyable read.
May Morrigan lives in her large Blackheath Home with her very elderly mother (Minty) and friend Fletcher, also known as Barbara Bouvier, the other two members of the household are May’s two miniature dachshunds, Bess and George. That is the straightforward part of the book.
The story starts at May’s bookshop when a mysterious text message appears on the phones of everyone in the bookshop. The action is non-stop from that point forward, weaving in and out of unconvential lifestyles and relationships.
Murders follow the receipt of cryptic text messages, which prompts May and her friends to try to track down the murderer.
The scenes are wonderfully set and the descriptions paint vivid pictures of the action. The characters particularly the lusty Minty are interesting and far from run of the mill.
This is the most unusual, funniest book I have read in a long time and one of the most enjoyable ever.
I am not normally tempted by historical novels; those more historical than the 1930s, that is but it was the promise of a murder mystery that swung the balance. The story is set in the early eighteenth century West Country and mainly in Bristol.
Miss Coronation Amesbury leaves her village in Wiltshire to seek her fortune in Bristol. The coach journey alone in atrocious weather is an adventure in its self. Her arrival in this bustling port city following a difficult overnight stay in Bath is not an easy one for her and a great shock after village life.
The recent horrendous murder of several young boys haunts Bristol. We follow Coronation as she looks for work in what she hopes will be her new home and her search for the perpetrator of these horrendous crimes.
The time, place and the events are beautifully painted we can see it all in our minds eye, a warts and all view of a bustling Bristol with its busy port during the era of slave trading. The story is well told and I found myself neglecting important tasks to finish the book, I struggled to put it down until I read those two final words, “The End”.
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