One of the things I have come to love about Susan Hill's Serrailler series is the way that the books almost pretend to be detective novels in order to ask other questions of us. That may sound unfair, because they are very good detective novels in themselves, but is actually a compliment - Hill asks us about community, love, trust and loss and through her beautifully written characters makes us think about what we really mean by these things. A recurring theme, perhaps because of the nature of the detective novel, is death in its many forms and how we live with it - here while Simon grapples with a series of horrible murders of elderly ladies his sister Cat, in her role as hospice… Read more
Greyladies have dug out another of Noel Streatfeild's grown up books to offer us a little light reading treat. Reflecting as usual some of Streatfeild's fascinating experiences - here of the grandes dames of the theatrical world - we follow beautiful young Beverley, an orphan with a Joan of Arc approach to life, as she take her first governessing job in the house of a major theatrical star "of a certain age". Her children are well on the way to being ruined - alternately indulged and ignored, dressed to set off their mother, and already cutting years off their age so as not to call hers into question. Of course Beverley succeeds with fair play, routine and imagination to begin to win… Read more
If you want in depth micropscopic analysis of the Plantagenets, this probably isn't the book for you (but frankly if you thought you'd get that in one book you'd be a bit odd). If you want a good overview of what the up to date scholarship has to say in a rip roaring, page turning form which gives George R Martin a run for his money - well here's your book. I bought this with an eye to picking holes in the bits I know a bit about, and filling in gaps easily on the bits I don't. To be honest I was so engaged by the book I stopped trying to pick holes very early and surrendered myself to the fun. With short pacy chapters it is easily readable in bits after a hard day's work - and… Read more
