PGMCC explores the Biblioverse in 2024: Sixth instalment

Books completed in 2024

Title; Author; Status; Start/end date; Number of pages

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett Reading 19/12/2023 - 15/01/2024 445 Pages
If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino 05/01/2024 - 27/01/2024 272 Pages
Relight my Fire by C. K. McDonnell 27/1/2024 - 01/02/2024 518 Pages
Berlin Game by Len Deighton 01/02/2024 - 07/02/2024 296 Pages
The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas 08/02/2024 - 12/02/2024 247 Pages
The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth 12/02/2024 - 27/02/2024 369 Pages
Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson 27/02/2024 - 05/03/2024 350 Pages
The Accordionist by Fred Vargas 05/03/2024 - 10/03/2024 249 Pages
Poor Things by Alistair Gray 11/03/2024 - 15/03/2024 336 Pages
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka 16/03/2024 - 27/03/2024 408 Pages
Leadership Magic by Grahame Pitts 28/03/2024 - 01/04/2024 129 Pages
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah 02/04/2024 - 06/04/2024 468 Pages
The Leaky Establishment by David Langford 07 /04/2024 - ? Pages
Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas and translated by David Bellos12/04/2014 - 18/04/2024 359 Pages
The Fog Horn (Short Story) by Ray Bradbury BB from jillmwo 14/04/2024 - 14/04/2024 6 Pages
Mexico Set by Len Deighton 19/04/2024 - 03/05/2024 364 Pages
Bunny McGarry Shorts by Caimh McDonnell 04/05/24 - 06/05/2024 288 Pages
Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey 07/05/2024 - 17/05/2024 532 Pages
Beyond the Light Horizon by Ken MacLeod 17/05/2024 - 01/06/2024 380 Pages
Have Mercy on Us All by Fred Vargas 02/06/2024 - 06/06/2024 371 Pages
2024 Hugo Awards Short Story short-list 07/06/2024 - 10/06/2024
- Answerless Journey 10 Pages
- Tasting the Future Delicacies Three Times 20 Pages
- Better Living Through Algorithms 13 Pages
- Children of the Mausoleum
- The Sound of Children Screaming
- How to Raise a Kraken

My voting:
1 Tasting the Future Delicacies Three Times
2 Better Living Through Algorithms
3 How to Raise a Kraken
4 The Sound of Children Screaming
5 Children of the Mausoleum
6 Answerless Journey

West Heart Kill by Dan McDorman 10/06/2024 - 19/06/2024 272 Pages
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry 19/06/2024 - 25/06/2024 225 Pages
Portable Magic by Emma Smith 26/06/2024 - 17/07/2024 297 Pages
A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson 17/07/2014 - 11/08/2024 294 Pages
The Hymn Tune Mystery by George A. Birmingham 11/08/2024 - 19/08/2025 359 Pages.
Babylon's Ashes by James S. A. Corey 21/08/2024 - 536 pages
Normal Rules Don't Apply by Kate Atkinson 06/09/2024 - 17/09/24 225 pages
Wild Justice by George A. Birmingham 17/09/2024 - 22/09/2024 457 Pages
Pretty Good Neighbor by Jeffrey Ford 20/09/2024 - 20/09/2024 10 Pages Short Story
Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand 22/09/2024 - 11/10/2024 364 Pages
The Wilding by Ian McDonald. 12/10/2024 - 16/10/2024 310 Pages
"The Key to Common Sense" by Grahame Pitts 16/10/2024 - 16/10/2024 71 Pages
How the World Made the West by Josephine Quinn 16/10/2024 - 411 Pages of text. 560 pages when notes and index are included.
Kala by Colin Walsh 21/10/2024 - 28/10/2024 418 Pages
Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway 24/10/2024 - 27/10/2024 310 Pages
"Room for the soul of the Wanderer: Commemorating Charles Robert Maturin" by Fergal O'Reilly 30/10/2024 - 31/10/2024 16 pages (Article in Green Book Issue 24)
After Dark by Haruki Murakami 30/10/2024 - 03/11/2024 201 Pages
Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand by Fred Vargas 03/11/2024 - 08/11/2024 402 Pages
Disobedient by Elizabeth Fremantle 08/11/2024 - 09/11/2024 352 Pages DNF Abandoned after 102 pages
Body of Truth by Marie Cassidy 09/11/2024 - 14/11/2024 438 Pages

Happy new thread, Peter!

Happy new thread!

Your threads are always lively, Peter! Glad to see this new one.

Happy New Thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread! I am looking forward to reports of your missions holidays, cheese and reading.

Happy New Trhead!

>2 haydninvienna: >3 Karlstar: >4 jillmwo: >5 clamairy: >6 Alexandra_book_life: >7 Sakerfalcon: >8 hfglen:
Thank you all for your good wishes for the new thread.

>4 jillmwo: I am glad you find my threads lively. I am very self-centred in my posts, so I am delighted that others find them of interest. My next post will be totally self-centred fan-boy boasting. I am not ashamed of that.

>7 Sakerfalcon: Regarding cheese, I do not have much more to report than what was in the fifth instalment of my thread. I do, however, intend reporting some of my adventures in France. My next post is one of those adventures; well, it is a report on a day and an event that I was very pleased with.

Reading reports? I appear to have edged towards minimal reports and reviews, unlike the massive tomes I used to write.

Totally self-absorbed fan-boy boasting.

Ian McDonald is on holiday in France not far from our secret base holiday home. He knows I frequent this area and he reached out to me suggesting we meet for a meal. Today we met for lunch and had a great time.

Ian is here with two friends and it turned out that one of his friends, whom I have never met before, asked if I knew a particular person. He asked this because we had discussed the university I attended and the subject I studied. When he mentioned the name of interest my response was, "He was my best friend at university." It turns out that the man asking the question is my college friend’s cousin.

So, a delightful day meeting one of my favourite authors and an introduction to a friend's cousin. That goes down as a great day in my book.

By the way, Ian's latest book, The Wilding, came out on 26th September of this year. My copy has been delivered to my home, so I will not get my hands on it until next week.

Reading report.

Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand is excellent. I am about half-way through and really enjoying it.

As jillmwo has indicated it is full of rabbit holes that one disappears into for hours. There are poets, painters, performers, philosophers, Egyptologists, etc... throughout the book and I must confess I had to look up a few of them to fill gaps in my knowledge.

This is a book that appears to have differing threads of stories, but as one progresses through the book the links between the stories start to emerge.

The book also includes many thought provoking discussions and ideas, such as the role of a muse in the work of artists of every type in affecting the resulting piece of art. jillmwo was correct in saying I would like this book. Her precisely targeted BB was skilfully set up and hit home with maximum effect. Thank you, Jill.

>11 pgmcc: Well, as clamairy had noted somewhere, Marissa_Doyle and Bookmarque were a bit ahead of us in making the recommendation.

I'm glad you had a good outing, lunching with Ian MacDonald. What did you study at university?

>10 pgmcc: Wow, nice! You not only know an author, but there's a connection. Very cool.

>12 jillmwo:
Geology.

In terms of the BB that hit me…you were the shooter, and in my own thread. The fact that Marissa_Doyle and Bookmarque hit you does not wash the blood from your hands.

>13 Karlstar:
I know. Real cool.

>14 pgmcc: Bwahaahaa....
Yes, I guess it was more than just the usual ricocheting bullet, wasn't it?

>10 pgmcc: So cool! I am very happy for you :)

>15 clamairy:
It was a calculated precision strike. The only thing missing was the video of the impact.

>16 Alexandra_book_life:
It was a delight. It really made my day.

>10 pgmcc: What a great day, and how cool to find a connection with your old friend! I look forward to your report on The wilding when you are able to clain your copy and read it.

>18 Sakerfalcon:
It was a great day made all the better by Ian having been the one to suggest meeting. The unexpected link to my college friend was icing on the cake. During Covid years we ended up not sending Christmas cards and I lost contact with my friend. I am now prompted to make contact again. It was totally my fault that we lost contact.

We just had an apéritif in the bar and headed back to our place. Venus was hanging low on the horizon. Beautiful.

I do not know how it happened. I came into town to meet my friends for a friendly drink. So far I have been in three bookshops and, shock of all shocks, have bought three books.

BTW I am having a green tea in Starbucks while I wait for the appointed meeting time. I was reminded of the opening pages of Snow Crash by the antics of what is obviously the local manager. In the book Stephenson poses the question “How do you spot the manager in a franchise outlet?” The answer he gives is, “They’re the one with the four-ring binder.”

It was actually a two-ring binder but it was still an effective identifying trait.

>21 pgmcc: Shocking indeed! :D

It's nice to think about Snow Crash, thanks for the reminder.

But what did you buy, if you don't mind sharing? :)

>21 pgmcc: See... You put your free time to excellent use.

>21 pgmcc: Were the books you bought the very BEST books?

>21 pgmcc: The real mystery here is how you bought only 3 books. I admire your restraint.

>21 pgmcc: Only 1 book per bookshop? That's a very low average, I am surprised.

This is the first time I am free to report the books I bought. When I posted >21 pgmcc: I was using my phone and I never like doing detailed work on such a small screen when my big pudgy fingers are hitting everything they shouldn't.


The first book I bought was The Great When by Alan Moore.

This book pounced on me as I was about to leave Books Upstairs without having spotted anything I wanted to buy. So far I have not read anything by Alan Moore, not even V for Vendetta. I have always meant to full that lacuna in my reading and when I read the blurb on the back of this book my interest was piqued. It is about a rare bookshop employee looking for stock and discovering a book that does not exist in this universe. I was hooked.

Having left Books Upstairs with my Alan Moore book I headed to Hodges Figgis. I was not inclined to buy any more books but I wanted to drop in as a matter of pure courtesy. Well, I bought nothing in Hodges Figgis.

My next stop was in Dubray Books. The shop was closing at 7pm and I entered the establishment at 6:45pm. I was not browsing the shelves with any particular interest until I spotted Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout. I had spotted this book in Books Upstairs but had passed on buying it. I had also noticed it in Hodges Figgis, but had passed on buying it. By the time I saw it in Dubray Books and reread the blurb I had decided to buy it.



Heading to the sales desk my eye was caught by the name Joel Dicker. I remembered this author wrote The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, a book I loved. I also have his The Enigma of Room 622 lined up for reading. Of course I had to pick it up.

>22 Alexandra_book_life:

I really enjoyed Snow Crash.

Book purchases listed in >27 pgmcc:.

>23 clamairy: That is what I strive to do. Buying books is a wonderful occupation which is only disrupted and tainted by the arrival of he monthly credit card bill. I learnt to take such setbacks in my stride.

>24 jillmwo: Hmmmm! A discussion thread on "the very BEST books" beckons.

>25 Sakerfalcon: I am delighted to know someone who understands me completely.

>26 Karlstar: I know. Shameful really.

>27 pgmcc: Nice selection. I did enjoy the few (three, I think) Elizabeth Strout books that I have read.

Catching up on your thread. Having coffee with Ian McDonald! Super cool! And connections to friends is fun, too. :)

>29 clamairy:
This will be the first of her books that I will be reading.

>30 catzteach: Yes indeed, super cool. And it was lunch; even superer coolerer.

>27 pgmcc: This was a really nice selection. I haven't read anything by Alan Moore either. I am hoping to remedy this somehow, some day ;)

For all you Green Man fans. Next books is coming soon.

>33 pgmcc: yay! i was just thinking of that series today - it seems to fit the autumn season for me. I hope 'soon' isn't too terribly long.

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes!

Would I recommend this book?
Yes!

To whom would I recommend it?
Anyone who likes a complex story with several storylines and multiple characters, and who is not averse to a little supernatural activity in a novel.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
I disappeared down many of the rabbit holes that his book puts in the path of the reader.

I have finished Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand, a book that I found very interesting and thought provoking. It is riddled with artistic allusions mainly in the worlds of painting and poetry. It is a book that will send the reader scurrying down rabbit holes and trying to determine which characters are real and which fictitious.

The story has three main strands which are eventually woven into the satisfying denouement. I love stories with storylines that appear disparate to start with but eventual come together to fill in the details of the story.

This book was a BB from jillmwo, although she tries to push the blame on to others*.

I started reading this book on 22nd September and finished it today, 11th October. This was quite a long time but the lengthy reading time is not due to anything in the book. I was very busy with other real life situations and I was also spending time in some of those rabbit holes.

*Evidence has been presented to this court that proves beyond reasonable doubt that jillmwo fired the fatal BB, so she must accept culpability and my gratitude for bringing such an enjoyable book to my attention.

Tomorrow I will start reading The Wilding by Ian McDonald.

Sorry, jillmwo, but you will have to wait a little longer to get my take on How the World Made the West.

>35 pgmcc: Nice work, Jill. I'm glad you enjoyed it, Peter. I plan to get to this one eventually. Don't worry, I won't blame it on you.

I finished The Wilding by Ian McDonald.

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes.

Would I recommend this book?
Yes.

To whom would I recommend this book?
Anyone who likes folk horror, even if the book does not want to be considered as fold horror.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
Review definitions of leadership.

This book follows a small group of teenagers on a school excursion with teachers and guides on a wild camping experience in an area of bogland and forest being rewilded. It is set in an area that was once used for commercial peat extraction and that is now being allowed to return to a wild state.

Ian McDonald always excels at describing the surroundings in his stories and this skill is used to great effect in describing the boglands and wooded areas in the story. His prose are excellent at capturing the unnerving experience of finding yourself in a wood, being totally disoriented, and starting to imagine all sorts of things happening around you. Every little sound triggers thoughts of beasts and spirits plotting your demise. I have been in that situation. I know what it's like. Ian captured it perfectly.

This was a book that I was creating opportunities to read. I did not want to put it down when I was reading and I wanted to get back to it when I was not reading. It was only events beyond my control that stopped my finishing it in one day.

>38 pgmcc: Now I need patience to wait for the paperback edition to come out! It sounds amazing.

>33 pgmcc: I have the others on my Kindle. Guess I should get to them. :)

>38 pgmcc: ooh, BB hit the bullseye!

Today I read a 71 page draft of a novel written by a friend. It was titled, "The Key to Common Sense", and involved the spirits of deceased people carrying out space exploration, the battle between Good and Evil, and the struggle to put things right in the world. I suggested he should continue with it. The characterisation was good, the humour gentle, and there was an underlying moral message about the concentration of wealth in the hands of a small group.

I have also started reading How The World Made The West. The Introduction is an interesting commentary on what is wrong with the notion that The West shares the values of the Romans and the Greeks. The story is a lot more complex than that. It also challenges the concept of discrete civilisations and questions the meaning of the word civilisation.

I am looking forward to delving into the detail in this book.

>41 pgmcc: Wishing your friend good luck with his book! :)

I've heard about How The World Made The West. looking forward to your thoughts on it.

Yesterday we visited our favourite restaurant, Chez Max, for lunch. It was delightful.

After that my wife wanted to go to a bookshop, so I was magnanimous enough to agree to accompany her there. 😊 To show how obliging I was I even bought a book, a book I had not realised existed and that I really, really needed.



The Lady Vanishes by Ethel Lina White. I love the Hitchcock 1930s version of the film* and it had not occurred to me that it was based on a book. As I walked through Hodges Figgis this book jumped off its shelf, grabbed me by the lapels, and threatened that if I did not buy it this very instant it would haunt me to the end of time. What else could I do.

While my wife spent about an hour reading through a book on antique furniture she did not buy anything. I suggested she buy the large tome on antique books but she said it was a bit superficial…and had a price tag of €142.99. My wife makes some good decisions.

*The recent remake is rather disappointing if you are familiar with the original screen adaptation.

How The World Made The West by Josephine Quinn.

For those of you wondering about How The World Made The West, I am really enjoying it. Quinn has a lovely conversational writing style and includes some humour in how she presents her findings and their supporting evidence. The book contains 123 pages of notes and citations, and a 22 page index.

I am finding myself writing notes, going back and reviewing parts I have already read to cement points in my mind (which is not really working), and thoroughly enjoying the relaxing experience of reading this book. One would think the book could be off putting, daunting, turgid, and boring. It is nothing at all like that.

Her underlying premise is that our perception of western culture being built primarily on Greek and Roman values is totally misguided and that it does not do justice to the multiple groups of people and interactions that are really responsible for developing the laws, government principles, and even technological advancement that has marked the existence of western culture. It also presents all the evidence that these source societies had developed all these principles etc. thousands of years before the Greeks and Romans every thought of them. For example, Babylonian mathematicians knew that the square of the hypotenuse of a right-angled triangle was equal to the sum of the squares of the shorter sides over a millennium before Pythagoras was born.

What I am saying is, This is a fascinating book and it is easy to read. It is well researched and all the evidence it is based on is laid out before the reader.

Now, if you do not mind I will get back to reading this book and broadening my mind.

>44 pgmcc: Okay, this was the magic persuasive statement: the multiple groups of people and interactions that are really responsible for developing the laws, government principles, and even technological advancement that has marked the existence of western culture.

However it is that you may be currently tracking your successful BBs, add one to your current score.

>44 pgmcc: This book sounds delightful. Enjoy!

>44 pgmcc: That sounds like a good one!

>45 jillmwo:
I am glad to be of service.

To be honest, I thought the bit that would get you would be the “…123 pages of notes and citations, and a 22 page index”.

>46 Alexandra_book_life: >47 Karlstar:
It certainly is.

>48 pgmcc:. I'm not immune to such points. But the brain rebels occasionally when faced with citations exceeding 500 in a particular voume. (I don't care if it's a book based on one's doctoral dissertation; sometimes I am perfectly willing to just take the idea expressed on faith!!)

Yesterday I dropped into a local Costa Coffee outlet for some green tea and a little reading time. I was about to leave when I spotted a neighbour having a cup of tea and a pastry, so I stopped to say "Hello!".

She too came to Costa for some reading time and she let me see the book she is reading. (The fact that it was in a bag with an elephant on it was a bonus. #thereisalwaysanelephant ) The book was Guilty by Definition and the author Susie Dent. Susie Dent has appeared as a presenter on a show called "Countdown"; it is a word game. Susie Dent is the genius lexicographer and etymologist on the show. She has published a few books on words and their etymology. This book is a murder mystery. It starts every chapter with the definition of an old word that has fallen into less than frequent use. I have to confess I am a bit smitten by this book and suspect I will engage with it in the not too distant future.

On our trip to Howth today I was amazed at how many jigsaw puzzle images presented themselves. This is just the type of picture that would have eaten up hours of my time in years gone by.

>51 pgmcc: A very tempting morsel, however, Amazon has the paperback for almost $30, too rich for my blood on an unknown author.

>52 pgmcc: I loved Howth. Wouldn't the rhododendron garden make a jigsaw puzzle to remember!

>53 MrsLee:
It is much cheaper in the UK Amazon; £7 for Kindle and £10 for paperback. Perhaps it was not published in US and hence you would be charged more for transport. $30 is a lot.

>54 haydninvienna:
Definitely. We did not visit the castle grounds on this occasion; we were in too big a hurry to get the fresh fish refrigerated.

>51 pgmcc: Like MrsLee, I am very interested in Suzie Dent's book. My husband and I encountered her on some British television show and we both noticed the expertise. But I'm also with Lee in that I'll wait until mid-2025 to read it at a more reasonable US price point.

>56 jillmwo: & >53 MrsLee:
I was looking at Ian McDonald's latest book, The Wilding, on the US Amazon and saw it was selling at $40. It is £19.65 on the UK site. I can only conclude there is not US edition for these books at this stage and that you are being charged the big prices for hidden transport costs. Hopefully the prices will come down soon.

>57 pgmcc: I very much miss The Book Depository. We used to be able to find books from abroad for reasonable prices there. Amazon gobbled them up though.

>57 pgmcc: and >58 MrsLee: Just for the record, I have just checked what it costs for shipping when I order from one of pgmcc's favorite bookshop haunts in Dublin (the wonderful Kenny's). They're wonderful people and I value knowing them as a source, but they regularly charge me $11.50 when sending me something from overseas. (They don't price-gouge. it's been the same fee for a fairly long time.) It's possible that the AMZ price at the moment of $29 and change isn't unreasonable, but if I were to order from Kenny's, they'd be stacking that 11.50 on my bill and we'd be up to $40 and change. So, like Lee, I really do miss The Book Depository and I cherish the bookmarks received from them when they were operational. (I also cherish all the nice bookmarks from Kennys. So don't let them go out of business, Peter. I will personally blame you so keep buying lots and lots of books from the nice gentlemen.)

>59 jillmwo: & >58 MrsLee:
Having worked in the industry I have some insight into the costs of shipping goods across the Atlantic from Ireland. Two events had significant impact on the costs. Firstly, the then president of the USA, D. Trump, withdrew the US from the Universal Postal Union (UPU), the body established by the United Nations to establish postal charges between countries worldwide. Once out of the UPU, the USPS self-declared the charges they would impose for items arriving in the country for them to deliver. These USPS self-declared rates were much higher than the negotiated UPU rates.
The other major event was Covid. When Covid arrived and people stopped travelling there was a major drop in the volume of air traffic. This meant that the cost of airfreight went, if you excuse the pun, sky-high, as a lot of cargo was looking to get onto very fee aircraft. It was costing more to fly items to the US than customers were paying for the service. Surcharges had to be imposed.

As you know, price increases work like a ratchet; prices go up but seldom come down. While post-Covid price reductions were effected the prices never came near the lower pre-Covid rates.

By the way, two little points of clarification. One, Kenny’s is in Galway, way over the other side of the country. Secondly, there are nice ladies in Kenny’s too. I believe the head of the family business was a lady for some time.

In teems of Kenny’s continued existence, they have shown great business acumen and established a very strong online business shipping books around the world. They are very strong business wise, so I think they will be in business for quite some time.

>60 pgmcc: I didn't know that Trump had done that. *Heavy Sigh* Oh, and I accept the correction as to where Kennys is situated (Galway) and that they are an equal opportunity employer... ;>)

https://www.rte.ie/news/connacht/2024/1021/1476517-kennys-bookshop/

Kenny’s, longest running online bookshop.

>jillmwo, I think you will be interested in this article.

I have started reading Kala by Colin Walsh. This is for our book club meeting on October 31st.

I have a dilemma. I want to read this book before the scheduled meeting. That is why I have started reading it now while I am still reading How the World Made the West. My dilemma is that the new George Smiley novel, written by Nick Harkaway is due for release on 24th October. In the US it is due out on 2nd October. So, I want to finish Kala before Karla's Choice arrives on Thursday. Wish me fast reading.

>52 pgmcc: Yes, this would make a killer puzzle. I would be tearing my hair out over the water and the sky.

Just catching up on threads. Glad you've read some good things, and are liberally spraying bullets around as usual.

I didn't know that about the UPU and the USPS. *sigh* They screw up almost everything I get from overseas. :o(

>58 MrsLee: I too miss The Book Depository. I'm glad that Blackwell's is still around. They have the Susie Dent book for $13.16, delivered. The hardback edition is $20.02, or $7.97 less than Amazon, (it's actually even cheaper once you add sales tax to the Amazon price as Blackwell's does not collect tax on sales to the USA).

I have just pre-ordered the Kindle version of "The Green Man's War"*, the new book in The Green Man series by Juliet E McKenna. It is due for publication on 15th November.

I checked Amazon(dot)com but the novel does not appear to be available there yet, although I am told by the publisher that it can be pre-ordered from Barnes & Noble.



*Touchstone does not appear to be operational yet.

>64 clamairy:
Yes, sky and sea is always very frustrating in jigsaws, but immensely satisfying when you have it all completed, except for the one piece that is missing in the middle of the ocean. :-)

I am pleased with my reading this year. It has been a mixture of my favourite reliable authors, book bullets from here, recommendations from friends, and random books received through the twelve month book gift I received. The urge to classify titles I have read this year by these categories is there. Will I do it? Watch this space. :-)

I was wondering how much publicity the withdrawal from the UPU treaty received in the US. I suspected not a lot, and thought that even if it did hit the news headlines it probably would not mean a lot to people until it affected something they were expecting to receive. I think there were reciprocal increases in the charges other countries levied on the USPS for postal items from the US for delivery in those countries. That would affect the price of postage from the US to those countries. I am aware that the cost of posting from the States to here has become daunting.

An interesting point is that companies involved in delivery services in the US try to offer their services to foreign postal organisations for delivery in the US as an alternative to the USPS. Very often they offer a much cheaper service, but postal organisations are reluctant to enter contracts with such non-postal organisations for a number of reasons. One of these is security. Postal workers, i.e. everyone in a postal organisation, be they delivery person, sorting operative, accountant, middle management, of Chief Executive Officer, is vetted* by the police. Police vetting is not a requirement for private delivery companies.

Another reason is quality of service, i.e. how long it takes to deliver an item. Postal organisations, i.e. the organisations appointed to be the Universal Service Provider (USP)**, are usually regulated with agreed standards for delivery. Private companies are not going to be subjected to a regulator measuring their quality of service.

Continuity is another reason. A countries official postal organisation is likely to continue operating while a private delivery company could be subjected to various financial or competitive challenges that threaten its existence, hence threatening their continuity of service and thus presenting a risk to the delivery of items handed over to them for delivery.

There are other fears and prejudices, but the above ones are significant enough to make postal organisations reluctant to entrust delivery of their parcels to private enterprises in other countries.

Sorry for the rant, but it just slipped out. I have spent many years acquiring such information and it just wants to get our. :-)

*Vetting by the police sounds very grand. Basically the name of someone who is about to be hired by a postal organisation is submitted to the police for vetting. The police check the name against their records and respond that the person is either "Known to the police" or not. "Known to the police" implies they are known for some nefarious activity on the candidate's part. So, if the candidate is a serial killer who has never come to the attention of the police for any illegal activity they will receive a clean bill of health from the vetting process.

**USP is basically a state's official postal organisation.

>65 ScoLgo:
The Book Depository was great before it was taken over by Amazon. The big thing I noticed after the takeover was a significant change in the time it took for a title to arrive. Pre-acquisition The Book Depository orders arrived very quickly. After the takeover orders took weeks to arrive. I think this was deliberate on the part of Amazon to make people less interested in ordering from The Book Depository. The other thing that happened is price increases. The Book Depository books were often cheaper than on Amazon. This reversed after the takeover.

How I came across the books I have read so far in 2024.

Hogfather by Terry Pratchett
This is a book I have been meaning to read for a long time. I believe I was prompted to start reading by a read that was progressing in The Green Dragon, I cannot however identify where that conversation was happening. My mind tells me BookMarque may have been involved in the conversation.

If on a Winter's Night a Traveller by Italo Calvino 05/01/2024 - 27/01/2024 272 Pages
This is a book I first spotted in 1979 and have intended to read it since then. When looking for my next read I stumbled across it in my Kindle and tried a couple of pages. I was hooked instantly.

Relight my Fire by C. K. McDonnell 27/1/2024 - 01/02/2024 518 Pages
One of my reliable favourite writers.

Berlin Game by Len Deighton 01/02/2024 - 07/02/2024 296 Pages
A new reliable favourite writer. I was hooked by Deighton went I read Winter. This is the second Deighton book I have read. It is the first in his Game, Set & Match trilogy.

The Chalk Circle Man by Fred Vargas 08/02/2024 - 12/02/2024 247 Pages
Vargas is an author I became aware of through the online book club I am in. She has become another of my reliable favourite authors. I am working through her Commisaire Adamsberg novels in publication sequence.

The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth 12/02/2024 - 27/02/2024 369 Pages
A book from my 12 monthly books gift.

Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson 27/02/2024 - 05/03/2024 350 Pages
A book bullet from jillmwo.

The Accordionist by Fred Vargas 05/03/2024 - 10/03/2024 249 Pages
Reliable favourite author.

Poor Things by Alistair Gray 11/03/2024 - 15/03/2024 336 Pages
A book I have had on my shelves for a few years and which I have been intending to read. I was prompted to actually read it by the release of the film based on the book. I wanted to read the book before seeing the film. I have read the book but not managed to see the film yet.

The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka 16/03/2024 - 27/03/2024 408 Pages
A recommendation from one of the friends I meet on a Tuesday evening for a few pints.

Leadership Magic by Grahame Pitts
A book written by a friend. He sent me a copy to read.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Recommended by someone who visits the same secret training base holiday village in France.

The Leaky Establishment by David Langford
A book I have been meaning to read for a long time.

Seeking Whom He May Devour by Fred Vargas
Reliable favourite author.

The Fog Horn (Short Story) by Ray Bradbury
BB from jillmwo

Mexico Set by Len Deighton
Reliable favourite author. Second book in Deighton’s Game, Set & Match trilogy.

Bunny McGarry Shorts by Caimh McDonnell
Reliable favourite author.

Nemesis Games by James S. A. Corey
Next book in the nine-book series “The Expanse” which I have been reading.

Beyond the Light Horizon by Ken MacLeod
Reliable favourite author. The third book in Ken’s The Lightspeed Trilogy .

Have Mercy on Us All by Fred Vargas
Reliable favourite author.

2024 Hugo Awards Short Story short-list
- Answerless Journey 10 Pages
- Tasting the Future Delicacies Three Times 20 Pages
- Better Living Through Algorithms 13 Pages
- Children of the Mausoleum
- The Sound of Children Screaming
- How to Raise a Kraken
Read to enable my voting knowledgeably for the Hugo Awards.

My voting:
1 Tasting the Future Delicacies Three Times
2 Better Living Through Algorithms
3 How to Raise a Kraken
4 The Sound of Children Screaming
5 Children of the Mausoleum
6 Answerless Journey

West Heart Kill by Dan McDorman
A book from my 12 monthly books gift.

The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
Reliable favourite author.

Portable Magic by Emma Smith
Book Bullet from, you guessed it, jillmwo.

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson
Book club read.

The Hymn Tune Mystery by George A. Birmingham
Reliable favourite author.

Babylon's Ashes by James S. A. Corey
Next book in the nine-book series “The Expanse” which I have been reading.

Normal Rules Don't Apply by Kate Atkinson
Reliable favourite author.

Wild Justice by George A. Birmingham
Reliable favourite author.

"Pretty Good Neighbour" by Jeffrey Ford
Mentioned somewhere on LT and I was prompted to read it.

Mortal Love by Elizabeth Hand
Book Bullet from jillmwo; who else?

The Wilding by Ian McDonald
Reliable favourite author.

"The Key to Common Sense" by Grahame Pitts
Early draft of a novel written by a friend and sent to me for comment.

How the World Made the West by Josephine Quinn
Discovered during a bookshop browse.

Kala by Colin Walsh
Book club read.

My goodness! When you muttered something about categorizing your reading thus far this year, I hadn't realized what you'd intended. I guess there really were a few book darts that hit you!

>67 pgmcc: If the change got any publicity here, I completely missed that. I try to pay attention to such things.

We are definitely watching this space! >69 pgmcc: is quite the list.

Statistics from >69 pgmcc:

It appears my good reading year is primarily due to reliable favourite authors, books I have been meaning to read for a long time, and, who would have guessed it, Book Bullets from jillmwo. Thank you Jill.

Reliable favourite author 15
Meaning to read for a long time 4
Book Bullet from jillmwo 4
Mystery book gift 2
Verbal recommendation from a friend 2
Written by friend 2
Series I have been reading 2
Book Club read 2
Mention on LT 1
Discovered in bookshop 1

I will have to redress the absence of Book Bullets from other people.

Speaking of flying targets, were you aware that one of your favorite authors --Nick Harkaway-- has a new one out? He's building on the legacy left by John Le Carre and the new book is called Karla's Choice. So a spy novel, something you can hand off to any lurking protege whose skills may need honing.

>73 jillmwo:
Thank you for this. The release date for Karla's Choice in the USA was yesterday. It is not released here until tomorrow, in approximately 3.5 hours. The Kindle version will be downloaded during the night. The hardback will be delivered at some time during tomorrow.

I ordered both versions as my wife is a keen John Le Carré fan and she will want to read it as soon as possible.

The story is set after the events of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and before those of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Nick also has a novel coming out in his Titanium Noir series on 10th April, 2024. It is called "Sleeper Beach".

Did you know that there is a new Benjamin Stevenson book coming out tomorrow. Well, that is the release date here. It is called, Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret. The Kindle version should be arriving on my Kindle during the night.

I probably know about the Benjamin Stevenson book because you mentioned it. You are the original BB shooter for these books.

E.T.A.
Yes indeed, it was you who brought the Benjamin Stevenson book to my attention.

https://www.librarything.com/topic/363316#8637578

>72 pgmcc: "I will have to redress the absence of Book Bullets from other people."

I think you've been shot by several (perhaps many) other people*, but for some reason the Jill Bullets lodge themselves more fully in your memory.

*sakerfalcon, for one.

>72 pgmcc: and >75 clamairy: It is because jillmwo is both imperative and insightful when she aims at targets, and let's face it pgmcc, you are an easy target. ;)

>76 MrsLee: You got it in one! The man does sit up and beg for it at times.

>75 clamairy: Quite right. There are other people who should be noted!!

>74 pgmcc: Seriously, the regional divisions of markets is odd. As you note, some things hit the US on Tuesday and Europe on Thursday. For me, the Benjamin Stevenson materialized on the Kindle yesterday (Tuesday).

Public service announcement:
My copy of Karla’s Choice has arrived. All other reading likely to be put on hold. Service will resume as soon as I have read Karla’s Choice.

>75 clamairy:
I have checked my BB records. There are 93 BBs recorded. I only have attributions for 64 of them so far. Of those 64 the ranking by number of hits by shooters is as follows:

jillmwo
sakerfalcon
MrsLee
-pilgrim-
haydninvienna
John Kenny
Clamairy
Meredy
Jim53
Fuzzi
Andrew Ty
hfglen
Verona
Scolgo
NorthernStar
Catzteach

I am working my way through the unattributed and seeking evidence to put names on the guilty parties.

ETA: I know that at least one BB is the work of Busifer, but I have not attributed it to date.

I am about 12% into Karla's Choice and am really enjoying it. Nick has definitely demonstrated that he is a worthy candidate for following his father's footsteps into the world of George Smiley. The book gets a big thumbs-up from me. Well done, Nick.

>79 pgmcc: Scolgo is another person who will shoot you between the eyes in your own thread. LOL They've all been great suggestions though!

I have finished Karla’s Choice and found it to be excellent. It is well written, feels like the Cold War story it is meant to be, fits well into the Le Carré family of books, and, in my opinion, contains a few little sparks of Nick Harkaway humour. Much recommended.

Karla’s Choice by Nick Harkaway (2024 Penguin Viking pp310)

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes.
Would I recommend this book?
Strongly.
To whom would I recommend it?
Anyone who enjoys a well written novel and is interested in stories of espionage and the Cold War.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
I referred to a few maps of the countries and cities involved. I also looked up the details of some authors and poets that were mentioned along the way. I also took note of some quotable quotes from the book; some quotes that were humorous, some that were wise and instructive.

Nick Harkaway took on a daunting task, to write a book in his late father’s literary universe and to emulate his father’s style of storytelling and writing. This was a task that he was asked to carry out; not an arrogant impulse or a desire to use his father’s legacy for his own promotion and benefit.

My opinion has been, and continues to be, that Nick Harkaway was the only person who could have written this book. He grew up with the atmosphere of John Le Carré’s books around him; he was very close to his father and travelled to many places with him that would boost his knowledge of the world George Smiley moved in; and he was reluctant to take on the job. In addition, he is a skilled writer who has demonstrated his ability to write in different styles and genres. I do not believe anyone else is better qualified to write a George Smiley story than Nick Harkaway, and the proof of the pudding is Karla’s Choice.

Reading this novel I found myself having the same sensations as when I read The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and the rest of the George Smiley novels. There was not an iota of evidence that this book was not written by John Le Carré.

A quick update on my Pre-ordered books.

The Green Man's War by Juliet E. McKenna Release date: 15th November 2024

The City and its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami Release date: 19th November 2024

"Fortunate Son" by Caimh McDonnell Release date: 20th November 2024

"Sleeper Beach" by Nick Harkaway Release date: 10th April 2025

A healthy pipeline.

I am currently reading this month's book club read, Kala by Colin Walsh. It is about a group of six friends in a provincial town in Ireland. The story jumps back and forth between the time they are all 15 to 16 and when they are 30 to 31. We see things from each of the friends' point of view with separate chapters dedicated to each individual.

The book is well written and the characters are well drawn. There is mystery and intrigue; teenaged angst and thirty-something's self-doubt and regrets.

This all sounds well and good, so why am I finding it a drag and not making time to pick it up and read it? My thoughts on this are as follows:

- The author has tried to pull every type of gripe that people have about living in Ireland and, in particular, living in small town Ireland.
- Every family group is dysfunctional in some way or other.
- There are multiple questions being asked: What happened to Kala? Why is there such bad blood between Joe and Helen when they return to their home town? Why does Joe's mother not like Kala's family? What happened to Kala's parents? Why is Helen so angry about things?
- There is a missing person; teenaged suicide; a local gang of thugs; kidnapping; a dead body; a happy family that turns out not to be so happy; broken homes; damaged homes; illegal activities; intimidation;... I am getting tired with every chapter bringing up a new problem for the people living in this small town.

I felt I was well into the book and that I could finish it quickly. When I checked my reading progress I was only 26% into the book. I have now reached 51% but it has taken some dedicated reading to get there. I do not know if I have the stamina to ready the same again. Especially as we all know this book will not have any happy endings. The book started with great promise but now I am getting weary. The story is taking too long to go where it is going.

I will plod on, but I cannot see my recommending this book to anybody. I think the author has tried to do too much and has taken too long to do it. 418 pages for a 250 page story.

Ugh, that sounds like a slog and probably not something I'd stick with if I didn't have to.

>85 pgmcc: Every once in a while, a reader hits one like that. (Sorry it was such a disappointment.)

>69 pgmcc: This is a fascinating analysis! It's always interesting to see what draws a reader to a particular book.

>85 pgmcc: I have looked at this a few times and it's never tempted me to buy it. Seems like I was right. Thanks for the anti-book-bullet. I find those as useful as the normal kind.

>83 pgmcc: I like your review of Karla's Choice, I'm very tempted.

>89 Karlstar:
Thank you. I hope you enjoy it if you read it.

>88 Sakerfalcon:
I think I will try to add my motivations for each book I read from here on. Let’s see if I do.

Kala is a good book from many angles, structure, characterisation, etc…, but I found it just too long and it dwelt too much on the downsides of life. If I recommended it to anyone they would be wondering what a depressing person I must be. :-).

I have just started reading After Dark by Haruki Murakami. About 1.25 chapters in and loving it.

Why did I decide to read this book?

I have just finished Kala which was quite intense and not enjoyable, and Karla’s Choice which was intense and a total joy. I have been reading How The World Made The West which is interesting intellectually, but is getting a bit heavy. I needed something short and spotted my unread Murakami books. His work is always thoughtful and fun. They can be intense too. The book’s length and my experience of other Murakami books that persuaded me to pick this book for my next read. I am having no regrets.

Today is the two hundred anniversary of Charles Robert Maturin’s passing. He was the author of Melmoth the Wanderer, a marvellous, if somewhat immense, book.

I am off to drinks in The Swan Bar on York Street with The Swan River Press to mark the occasion. York Street is where Maturin lived.

>90 pgmcc: Do I need to read any previous books first?

>93 pgmcc: That's some great book related history! Enjoy.

>93 pgmcc: Your continued devotion to Maturin is noted. Not necessarily persuaded that this makes you even more of a charming Irishman, but I think I'll give you the benefit of the doubt.

>95 jillmwo:
You say the nicest things.

>93 pgmcc: What a wonderful tradition. I hope you raised multiple glasses in his honor.

Following on from my >93 pgmcc: post I have written a note on the commemoration of Charles Robert Maturin.

Charles Robert Maturin’s: Marking the 200th anniversary of his passing.

On 30th October, 1824, Charles Robert Maturin died. He was the author of the novel Melmoth the Wanderer and the play "Bertram: a tragedy" amongst other works. These are significant Gothic pieces that influenced subsequent writers, in particular, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker, and Maturin’s grandnephew, Oscar Wilde.

The Swan River Press, the only publisher in Ireland dedicated entirely to literature of the fantastic, the weird and the Gothic, arranged a memorial event on the occasion of Maturin’s 200th anniversary. This was a simple affair comprised of an assembly at The Swan Bar on York Street, the street where Maturin lived, followed by a tour of sites significant in Maturin’s life. The total gathering comprised the owner, and manager of The Swan River Press, Brian J. Showers; Fergal O'Reilly, who works in The National Library of Ireland (NLI), where he has researched and assembled lots of information on Maturin’s life and works; Caoimhe Lavelle, from RTE Lyric FM’s Culture File, who has recorded interviews with The Swan River Press for broadcast on national radio; myself, Peter McClean, a simple reader and consumer of Maturin’s work and life story.

On this mild winter’s night we assembled in The Swan Bar (see image below) at 7pm and had a drink while discussing Maturin’s life, works, death, and current whereabouts amongst other things Gothic and the like. We then walked, amidst the sound and sights of illegal fireworks exploding in the sky above us to celebrate Halloween, to the other end of York Street to the location of Maturin’s residence. Given that 200 years have passed since the time when Maturin walked the streets of Dublin there have been changes, not only to buildings, but also to Maturin’s final resting place. More of that later.



York Street in the 1820s was lined by what would come to be known as tenements. These buildings survived into the 1980s. The buildings on the north side of York Street where Maturin’s home was located have been demolished and have been replaced by a modern extension to The Royal College of Surgeons. At this location a postcard with the only known image of Maturin was mounted on a railing post and photographs taken.


Fergal, Caoime & Brian appear in the rather grainy image above.

We retraced our steps along York Street towards Aungier Street where the Church of Ireland’s St. Peter’s church was located. St. Peter’s is where Maturin was curate and where he was buried when he died. Like his home, St. Peter’s, and its graveyard, no longer exist. In their place is a YMCA Community Hub. The demolition of the church and removal of the graveyard happened as recently as the 1980s.

As at The College of Surgeons, so too at the YMCA, an image was mounted and photos taken.



When St. Peter’s was demolished the bones in the graveyard were removed to the crypt of St. Luke’s a short distance away. Unfortunately, St. Luke’s was the victim of a fire after which the human remains in the crypt were buried in other graveyards. Records of whose remains went where have not been found. There is a group grave for people of Huguenot descent, which includes Maturin, but his name is not in the list of names at this grave. Other locations where Maturin might be resting have not been identified to date.

Maturin received little recognition in Ireland for his work but his writings were translated into French and are thought of highly across Europe and are referenced in many works of the time and since. Unlike his literary descendants Maturin is hardly known in his home town of Dublin. There are not plaques commemorating his life; there is not statue or bust in the park near his home; there is no festival that marks his achievements; and we do not even know where his remains reside. This is very ironic as Maturin noted when referring to his lack of local recognition,

”In my own country there is no memorial of me, but they will at least have my grave.”

We don’t even have that.

>94 Karlstar:
I would suggest reading The Spy Who Came In From The Cold first. Karla's Choice is set after the events of it and before those of Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy. The first book in which George Smiley appears is Call for the Dead, Le Carré's first novel, but it is not necessary to read it before Karla's Choice.

>98 pgmcc:. That's a lovely piece of prose commemorating Maturin, Peter. I'm sure you've written about this elsewhere here in the Pub, so forgive me if I ask you to repeat yourself. But was there a particular reason that Maturin seems to have been unsuccessful in his Church career? You mention that he died as a curate (not a particularly lucrative level of clergy service.) which would seem to suggest a lack of professional opportunity. Were there other factors at play that held him from rising in the Church?

>100 jillmwo:
There are two schools of thought on this subject, though in my opinion one of them is a prejudiced organisation defending itself.

It appears Maturin was writing his fiction and dramas under a penname to hide the supernatural/Gothic nature of his tales from his superiors in the Church of Ireland whom he believed would not approve. When his play Bertram: a tragedy was a runaway success he had to give his real name to receive payment, reputedly payment of £1,000, which was no miserly sum at the time. (What happened the £1,000 is another tale which I will relate at another stage. Needless to say the luckless Maturin did not benefit much from receipt of this not insignificant fortune.)

Well, having revealed his real name his writing came to the attention of his superiors and it was at this stage his career progression in the Church of Ireland came to a halt.

The other explanation put forward is quite different. Maturin, who was reputedly a staunch Calvinist who liked dancing, liked parties, liked singing, wanted to be an actor, and married the most renowned singer of the the age in Dublin*, was posted to the rural parish of Loughrea. Both he and his wife had relatives who held high positions in the Church of Ireland. Being bored with rural life Maturin apparently used his and his wife's family connections to obtain reassignment to the well-to-do parish of St. Peter's in Dublin. The story goes that his superiors resented his use of family influence to get back to Dublin and that this was the reason he was by-passed at every opportunity of promotion.

I do not think either story shines a good light on the Church of Ireland superiors who stymied Maturin's career progression within the church. Ironically, by keeping him at the curate level on an annual salary of £10 drove him into financial difficulties which forced him to invest more time in his literary exploits to earn money to keep his family in food, clothing an accommodation.

*The contradictions between his being a staunch Calvinist and his liking the pursuits that would have been regarded as abhorrent to a staunch Calvinist has not escaped my attention and give rise to views I have regarding Maturin's real motivations and beliefs, motivations and beliefs that I have argued with Maturin scholars who are adamant that he was a true Calvinist. That will take a whole other day's discussion.

Regarding the £1,000 from his successful play in Drury Lane, London: Receipt of the money coincided with two events. Firstly, his father who held a good position in the post office was erroneously accused of theft. This led to his dismissal and I believe some prison time before he was exonerated and the real culprit was exposed. However, in the meantime the job of providing for Maturin's mother, siblings and his own family fell to him. This put a drain on his £1,000 fee.

The other event was a friend, not identified to date but some believe it could have been his brother, requested and received a significant loan from Maturin. This money was never returned, thus plunging Maturin into an impecunious position and, like his lack of progress in the church, leaving him even more dependent on his Gothic writing.

I hope this answers your question satisfactorily.

>101 pgmcc: I think it's fascinating when one looks at the 18th and 19th centuries and sees how people (not just those in the clerical professions) had to cobble together livable incomes. Thank you for the write-up.

>98 pgmcc: Sounds like a great time and thanks for the write-up!

On my way to meet for the Charles Robert Maturin commemoration meeting I happened to drop into a bookshop. (Hodges Figgis, haydninvienna in case you were wondering.) I cannot imagine how that happened, but it did. (Ancillary to my main point, I bumped into two friends while there; one as I entered the shop as she was leaving, and the other as I went to pay for a book. That friend works in the shop.)

Yes, I bought a book, which brings me to the point of this post.



As most of you know I quite like Kate Atkinson's writing. I only recently became aware of the Jackson Brodie series of novels, so when I happened across this book and it realised it is the first book in the series I had no choice; I had to buy it. Case Histories by Kate Atkinson.

Our book club meeting was last evening. The book for November is Disobedient by Elizabeth Freemantle. I got the Kindle version.


The books for December are:
Held by Anne Michaels and Elizabeth and her German Garden by Elizabeth von Arnim. I acquired the Kindle version of these too.

Is there any cultural or social event in Dublin that doesn't entail you walking into a bookstore? Is there one on every block of the city? Or do you just not visit those parts of the city that lack a sufficient number?

>105 jillmwo:
You have to adjust your mental image of Ireland to accommodate the scale. The population of Ireland is equal to, or less than, the population of many cities in the World. Dublin itself is relatively small. It only takes a few bookshops to provide easily accessible biblio-relief to a bibliophile such as myself. The shops I frequent include Books Upstairs, Hodges Figgis, Chapters, Dubray's, The Secret Book and Record Shop, and Eason's. With judicious route planning and travelling to the city centre a little earlier than is strictly necessary for any appointment I can, by pure happenstance, i.e. deliberately on purpose, find myself passing one, if not two, or even three, of these establishments on my way to my meeting.

There are one or two bookshops in some of the areas surrounding the centre of the city and these can provide useful calling points for the occasions I venture into such territory.

>105 jillmwo: Of course you realize that a bookstore is the perfect cover for clandestine meetings.

>107 MrsLee: , my cover. Stop giving secrets away.

What impresses me is that the man (whether for clandestine purposes or not) approaches his activities in such strategic fashion -- With judicious route planning and travelling to the city centre a little earlier than is strictly necessary. I feel as if I ought to be taking note. (Although in the early days of our marriage, Patrick and I on a Friday night in New York, would hit up either the Strand or Forbidden Planet on a Friday night. One or the other would satisfy any need for what Peter calls biblo-relief.)

>109 jillmwo:
The training inculcates that behaviour into one's being until it becomes reflexive. One carries out these tasks without giving them a conscious thought.

>99 pgmcc: Add The Spy Who Came in from the Cold to your BB list, I just purchased the ebook version for my Nook.

>111 Karlstar:
I hope you enjoy it. I felt it had everything a spy novel should have.

Just happened to see something on Twitter and wondered in passing if you had the Dublin Book Festival on your calendar for next week? This particular panel might be of interest: https://x.com/booksirelandmag/status/1852638235488399579

>113 jillmwo:

I have never attended any events of the Dublin Book Festival. It was always in a location that was too awkward for me to attend, or at times when I was not available. I had not realised it was on next week*, and I see they have a much more central venue, Dublin Castle. One of my friends, the chair of our book club, attends regularly, but her father is in and out of hospital these days so she is not likely to be attending.

Unfortunately I have a number of things happening next week that are likely to prevent my attending any of the events. I had a look at the programme after seeing your post and there are some good events. The event on organising literary festivals does look interesting. The book festival usually avoids any genre literature (in fact there would be a number of the people who attend the festival who would consider the term "genre literature" to be an oxymoron.) but I see this year they have a panel about writing cross-genre fiction. That would be an interesting discussion to attend.

There are some interesting people attending. I am a great fan of Kevin Barry's writing and he is celebrating the tenth edition of "Winter Papers", an annual arts anthology which he co-edits (with his wife). The event is an interview which is being recorded for a cultural radio programme. I attended just such an event for an earlier edition of "Winter Papers" and it was excellent. Kevin Barry is not only a wonderful writer, but is a very amusing conversationalist, and when he reads from his books he shows himself to be a great character actor.

*It was always earlier in the year. I recall it happening while the days were sunny and long. Not cold, miserable and dark.

I must correct myself. In my previous post I was confusing the Dublin Book Festival with the Dalkey Book Festival. I have attended a number of events of the Dublin Book Festival in previous years. My comments on next week remain valid.

>115 pgmcc: You're a very busy man. But generally well read, insofar as I can tell from a distance.

>116 jillmwo:
As I say about performance at interviews, "It is not important to know what you are talking about. It is important to appear to know what you are talking about."

Can you trust perceptions from afar?

:-)

I have just finished After Dark by Haruki Murakami. It is another Murakami story where he examines the edge of reality and the duality of life. He presents the events of a night and how these events involve some of the individuals who work through the night for one reason or another. Murakami incorporates some surreal elements to show the difference between night and day, and to an extent, between the person we are outwardly and who we are internally.

As in several of his works, Murakami highlights the abuse of women.

Would I read another novel by this author?
Yes.

Would I recommend this book, and if so, to whom?
Only to people who already like Murakami. I think a reader has to be familiar with Murakami's stretching the boundaries of the natural in his books before being happy with After Dark.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
It had me pondering how people relate to one another and how everyone is vulnerable to events that can change their lives.

I finished After Dark at 00:12 on 3rd November, appropriately after dark. Rather than looking for my next read immediately I chose to do the Wordle, Quordle and Connections puzzles before dozing off to sleep.

Having been roused at 06:30 by George (the cat) wanting his breakfast I found myself pondering the matter of my next read. To give me some inspiration I looked at the display of recently added books on my LT home page. As it happens I had acquired the fifth Commissaire Adamsberg book in Kindle format last evening. This led me to conclude that I should get back to my Vargas mysteries. The next one for me to read is the fourth in that series; Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand.



By the way, I am still reading How The World Made The West. While it is still interesting and, in ancient history circles, controversial, it is not quite as exciting as a murder mystery or a surreal Japanese tale of life in the city centre in the wee small hours.

Chapter 6 of How the World Made the West is entitled "Alphabet City" and it describes the socio-economic conditions leading to the first state-sponsored development of an alphabet. The city in question is Ugarit.

While the development of an alphabet is a key element of this chapter it also discusses how men and women were treated equally in relation to a major annual ceremony of atonement; how the state promoted good treatment of foreigners who visit or are living in the city; the way that Ugarit was on the edge of its overlords' empire and it strove for individualism by using its own language and script for official records; how being at the end of communications routes Ugarit it and interfacing with many people from different lands, the city became a hotbed of change and innovation as it adopted and moulded the customs and practices of other countries.

"Contrary to the logic of 'civilisations' as self-contained bastions of self-improvement, it is people on the periphery, less set in their ways and with more to gain, who most easily make change."

This quote is significant in the context of Quinn's argument that "civilisation theory" is fundamentally incorrect, and that several of the accepted "civilisations" in the literature, never really existed and were coined as a convenient means of explaining some diverse observations.

>119 pgmcc: After dark is not one of my favourite Murakami novels. I think you are right to say it's one for fans only. I am waiting eagerly for his new book to be released later this month.

Wash this blood clean from my hand is a good one. I especially enjoyed the dynamics between the French and the Canadian police officers.

>121 Sakerfalcon:
There is a lot I like about After Dark but without having read Murakami before reading this book I might have wondered about reading more of his books. Like yourself, it is not one of my favourites, but I am still glad I read it and I enjoyed some of the introspection and life comparisons made in the book. The idea of everyone's duality was interesting; the person you know and the person you don't, even to yourself. :-)

I am only 8% into Wash this blood clean from my hand and the characters are still in Paris. Even at this point I am enjoying the story. So far there has been a lot of humour regarding the interactions between Adamsberg and Danglard. Poor Danglard; he just does not know how to take Adamsberg. I think commentators today might say Danglard is on the spectrum. Adamsberg appears to be on a totally different spectrum. :-)

My reading is taking three forms at the moment. Fiction-wise I am reading Fred Vargas's Wash this blood clean from my hand. Non-fiction-wise I am reading How the World made the West and articles in The Green Book, a journal that contains "Writings on Irish Gothic, Supernatural and Fantastic Literature" which is published by The Swan River Press. Issue #24 marked the 200th anniversary of Charles Robert Maturin with a lengthy article about Maturin by Fergal O'Reilly of the National Library of Ireland. The article is titled, "Room for the Soul of the Wanderer" and is a wonderful overview of the man's life, works, and the mystery of what has happened to his mortal remains.



How am I reading three things at once?

That is a question I have been asking myself and I am striving to introduce some discipline to my reading so that I do not end up abandoning any of the three reading strands. The approach I am attempting to introduce is:

- In the morning when George, the cat, wakes me to feed him I will feed him and then read a chapter of the ancient history book, How the World Made the West, while he eats. This morning I got so absorbed in the content I read two chapters.

- At other times I will read the Fred Vargas book.

- Early evening I will read a couple of entries in The Green Book.

So far so good. Let's see if this regime lasts more than the three days it has been practiced so far.

By the way, the most reliable aspect of this is George waking me. He has been known to start the process at 3am. The earlies I have succumbed has been 5am. This morning I managed to hold out until 6am. Luxury! Sheer luxury!

>123 pgmcc: What a sound practice you've established. With George there keeping you accountable. I feel as if we ought to address you as sensei or by some other title of that ilk. Jedi master, perhaps? Maybe its George who is the Jedi master. ;>)

>120 pgmcc: Interesting! Which civilizations didn't actually exist?

I was surprised to discover recently the the 'Cimmerian' civilization from the Conan novels was an actual group of people.

>124 jillmwo:
Of course George is The Master.
All praise to my Feline Master.

Thank you for the compliments.

>125 Karlstar:
I am on the bus or I would check the name of the culprit who thought up the idea of the Minoan civilisation. Quinn does an excellent job of describing how this well connected and privileged man got into a position of being regarded as authoritative on the subject. He had observations of pottery and other items of a particular type from a specific source and arbitrarily decided these settlements were of a common civilisation. Quinn’s contention is that there is more evidence that these settlements were independent entities and that the presence of the various items was due to healthy trading between cities/states rather than their all belonging to a single entity called a civilisation. Apparently this person was the first to come up with the idea of the Minoan civilisation, as well as a couple of others, and successive researchers just followed his lead.

Quinn would argue that civilisation theory is a misguided way to think of groups in ancient times and that it misleads people into ignoring the importance of localised power and industry. She argues that common practices and artefacts in multiple sites is more due to each settlement/state/kingdom interacting with others rather than them all being part of single group.

>127 pgmcc: I might have to look up that book. Those are themes we’ve been discussing in the history class I’m taking.

I went into the city centre today to meet a former colleague for a coffee. He is quite the Science Fiction fan and we had a lot of good conversation about books and screen adaptations as well as what has happened to other colleagues since I left the organisation. Given our shared interest in books we followed up our coffee with a trip to Chapters bookshop and had a browse. (jillmwo, this was an impulse act rather than the result of forward planning. My friend happened to mention that he had visited Chapters before meeting me which put the idea into my head.) Our visit to Chapters produced no purchases but LT did save me €7 as I spotted a Fred Vargas book I thought I did not have but a quick check on LT identified it as a physical book I had acquired in February of this year.

My friend headed for his bus and I went into Eason's bookshop to see if they had any of the Vargas books that are not in my library yet. Unfortunately they had no books by Fred Vargas in their Crime section. A shocking oversight on their part.

What they did have was Body of Truth, the first novel written by Marie Cassidy, Ireland's former State Pathologist. She retired a few years ago, wrote her autobiography (Beyond the Tape: The Life and Many Deaths of a State Pathologist), and then turned to writing fiction using her professional knowledge and experience to produce a murder mystery.



Marie Cassidy has been a strong person who has been a calm, industrious and highly respected public servant for many years and I have always been very impressed with how she operated and the things she said during any public interview or discussion. I have her autobiography and am looking forward to reading it. Since I noticed she had dipped her toe into murder mystery I have intended to pick this novel up. On seeing it I decided to pick it up.

There is a funny story about Marie Cassidy. I may have told it before but it is a story worth repeating in case some people will not have read it previously.

The story requires a little bit of context. It has been the habit news outlets in Southern Ireland to report news of deaths with phrases like this.

"The scene has been preserved for forensic examination and the State Pathologist, Marie Cassidy, is on her way to examine the body."

This format has preceded the appointment of Marie Cassidy and her predecessor, John Harbison, would have had his name given out when he was attending a death scene. I think they have stopped do it now because I seldom hear the name of the current State Pathologist.

The point of this is that up until Marie Cassidy retired everybody in Ireland would know the name of the State Pathologist. By the way, Marie Cassidy is Scottish and has a lovely Scottish accent.

Now for the story.

In 2007 I was on a six month assignment managing a team at a large financial organisation. One of the team members was a contractor from Scotland. On Monday mornings he would fly in from Scotland and would return home of Friday evenings. He and I became good friends and we had many cups of coffee and interesting conversations.

On several occasions he expressed surprise that everyone in Ireland knew the name of the State Pathologist. He said he was amazed that her name came up every day, either on the radio or TV news, in the papers, or in other situations. This was of particular interest to him as he and his wife had been to college with Marie Cassidy.

We will call this contractor John, because John was his name. John had been telling his wife how well known Marie Cassidy was in Ireland and his wife found this very had to believe. He told her Marie Cassidy's name came up every day in Ireland on some broadcast media or in the paper. His wife refused to believe him.

Well, for one weekend his wife came to Dublin rather than his going home. She flew over on the Thursday evening and while he was at work on the Friday she went shopping and sightseeing.

On Friday evening John met with his wife to go for a meal and then to the Gaiety Theatre to watch a modern version of The Playboy of the Western World by John Synge. During dinner his wife told him she had read the papers, watched some TV news, listened to the radio and had not heard Marie Cassidy's name mentioned and that he was talking nonsense when he said she was mentioned as often as he said.

John took this on the chin.

Later that evening they were sitting watching the play. Now, this play involves a man murdering his father by hitting him over the head with a spade. This is not shown in the play but it is mentioned. There is a scene where the main character comes into a public house (pub) and tells everyone there that he has just killed his father. When he says this one of the characters in the bas shouts out, "Call Marie Cassidy".

John felt very smug at this point.



:-)

>104 pgmcc: Ha! I have been raving in here about the Jackson Brodie series for well over a decade, Peter... Just saying.

I enjoyed Elizabeth and Her German Garden, but I was reading it at a rough point, and really do not remember much about it except that she could afford to have an actual gardener on staff. I was very envious.

>129 pgmcc:. The story is good, but (because I am easily distracted) this is the line that I'm kicking around in my head: "The scene has been preserved for forensic examination and the State Pathologist, Marie Cassidy, is on her way to examine the body". Now maybe I've lived in too many crime-ridden environments, but wouldn't one usually just ASSUME the forensic team would be en route? Based on how it's couched in your post, I take it that this was something stated on the television news more than in the printed newspaper. Now and again, they'd have needed to fill out a spare five or eight seconds on air. (I do rather like the idea that this little squib of text would be a normal element added to a news story. It's charming in its way. )

I have just finished Wash This Blood Clean From My Hand by Fred Vargas.

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes.

Would I recommend this book to anyone?
Yes.

To whom would I recommend this book?
Anyone interested in murder mysteries with the detective having character flaws.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
It had me checking maps of France and Canada.

>130 clamairy:
My way into Katie Atkinson's writing was via Transcription, a book about spying during WWII. After that I read Emotionally Weird and Normal Rules Don't Apply. I recall your posts mentioning Jackson Brodie novels but I had not twigged the link to Katie Atkinson. :-)

Your having enjoyed Elizabeth and Her German Garden is reassuring. I will let you know how I get on with it. I am starting Disobedient which is the book for the November book club meeting.

>131 jillmwo:
You are correct that the format of words is used on broadcast media, radio & TV. There are variations depending on the time of the broadcast and the progress at the scene. Often the first mention of the crime will have, "The State Pathologist, Marie Cassidy has been informed." The next will have the wording in >129 pgmcc:. Following that will be, "...and the State Pathologist, Marie Cassidy, is at the scene." We then have "...has been at the scene and will be carrying out a post-mortem tomorrow."

Since Marie Cassidy retired the news has not always mentioned the State Pathologist's name in reports. I do not know if this is a request from the current holder of the role, a change in news reporting, or simply the result of the news scripters having been so used to Marie Cassidy that they have not caught on to her replacement's name.

By the way, the six most senior roles in the State Pathologist's department are all held by women.

After retiring as State Pathologist, Marie Cassidy has written her autobiography, which is on my bookshelf, and, as mentioned earlier, a murder mystery. She has also taken part in one of those reality shows where famous people are teamed up with a professional dancer and the compete over a number of weeks in a dancing competition. I think she was eliminated on the third week.

She is a fascinating person and is held in very high regard in Ireland. I was fascinated watching a three part documentary about her career.

As you say, one would always assume the forensic team would be on sight. I suspect your assumption that the reporter wants to have a bigger slot is part of the reason for including this information and showing a white tent at the scene with the forensic team wandering about in white hooded coveralls, masks and with plastic over their shoes.

This is this month's book club book. I am about 10% into it and am not feeling the love.

>121 Sakerfalcon:
I enjoyed Wash this blood clean from my hand. There were a few issues I had with it.

Adamsberg is a bit of a jerk. In the last book he messed up his relationship with Camille. In this book he is not repairing the damage in any way. As his captain said, Adamsberg is stupid.

The book was longer than I expected. When they were in Canada I thought it was obvious that it was a set up by the judge to get rid of Adamsberg. I could see he was going to be framed for the girl's murder. When I looked at my progress through the book I felt it was going to be onerous to go through the framing and its consequences.

All that being said, I enjoyed the book and will soon be reading the next one in the series.

I am 29% through Disobedient and am already skimming rather than reading. I suspect I will abandon it soon. The characters are not compelling. They are pretty one dimensional. The book is promoted as a great feminist story, but it has no flare and the telling is pretty flat. There is not really anything new or interesting about the story.

Several historical and factual errors do not encourage confidence in the author. Examples include, gulls being described as having talons, a puppet show held in 1599 being described as to make it appear to be a Punch & Judy show when the first appearance of the character Punch is based on did not appear until 1620.

I think I am firing another anti-book bullet. This is a book club read and I fear being attacked for not liking a book that is described as a feminist book. I am sorry, but calling a book feminist does not guarantee that it is good.

I have abandoned Disobedient and am giving Marie Cassidy's Body of Truth a shot.

>137 pgmcc: and >138 pgmcc: I'm laughing but you're one tough cookie. Categorizing a book as a DNF when you are only about a third of the way in and that third having been read in less than a 16 hour time frame. (Any chance you were just not in the right mood for it? Are you sure it's the quality of the writing? I'm not saying your assessment is off. I'm simply wondering because mood and stress factor into our enjoyment of something.)

At the same time, I'm really quite interested by the Marie Cassidy book. So stick w/ that one.

>139 jillmwo:
I take your point, but I challenged myself with those very points before finally closing the book. It is flat. Nothing stirring interest. No amazing turns of phrase or inspired observations.

You once suggested I was not the demographic a particular book was aimed at. I considered this with regards to Disobedient. There could be an element of that in this case, but even if I were the target reader I would still be annoyed by the inaccuracies, errors and wooden characters.

Marie Cassidy’s book on the other hand is engaging, multifaceted, and interesting. For the record, it is strongly feminist. I will have no difficulty sticking with it.

By the way, reading a third of a book is ample opportunity to decide if it is worth continuing with it or not. I have been burnt before by books that were not working for me and yet I gave them a chance to get better, and they never did. There are plenty of good books out there to enjoy with my time rather than waste it on dull texts.

>139 jillmwo: >140 pgmcc: I rarely DNF books, but 1/3 of the way through the book seems sufficient. I would say I usually give a book 1/4 to 1/3, more than that I would wonder why I kept going.

>141 Karlstar: To quote Dr Johnson: "I have, indeed, not read it all. But when I take up the end of a web, and find it packthread, I do not expect, by looking further, to find embroidery."

I agree that 1/3 is plenty. I've been known to bail after 20 pages or so, but I believe my tolerance is lower than Peter's. Or perhaps my I'm more of a pessimist, and don't expect a book I'm not enjoying to improve.

>142 haydninvienna: Brilliant!

>136 pgmcc: That book is the start where more of the backgound characters begin to have more of an impact on proceedings so think that may account for some of the extra length. Personally I don't read these books because the mystery element is twisty and thought-provoking, I read them to spend time with characters I've grown to enjoy the company of over the years.

>144 AHS-Wolfy:
That is as good a reason as any. I think that is the reason I continue to read The Expanse series.

I am enjoying Marie Cassidy's Body of Truth. It is about a person working as an assistant pathologist in the State Pathologist's office. She is Scottish, just like the author.

Cassidy has used her professional knowledge and experience to write about a murder investigation with detail of the crime scene, injuries to the body, and, as one might assume given the author's career up until recently, the post-mortem.

Of interest to me was the location where the body was found; beside the lake in the grounds of Farmleigh House, the State Guesthouse where visiting dignitaries reside when they visit Ireland. The first guest in the house after it was prepared as the state guesthouse was the Japanese emperor. Barack Obama, of the O'Bama clan as he quipped when he was here, stayed there during his visit.

My wife and I visited the grounds of Farmleigh House only a few weeks ago. I plan a post in the near future to outline that experience.

A few weeks ago my wife and I spent a few hours in the grounds of Farmleigh House, the State Guesthouse. The image below presents a map of the grounds.



The house is an impressive building with a beautiful view over the grounds.



We visited The Boathouse café located, appropriately, by the lake.





The grounds feature beautiful trees, some farm animals, and, which was a surprise to us, alpacas.





After lunch (for my wife, soup; for me, a ham and cheese croissant) we wandered into the former stables and barn to look at two art exhibitions. That was very civilised.

On our way to the stables we passed the house and saw the conservatory.



On our return to the car park I took a picture of the clock tower that is at the edge of the grounds.



From the information sign at the car park:

Farmleigh House was built mainly in the 1880, by Edward Cecil Guinness, the great-grandson of Arthur Guinness, founder of the famous brewery. The design by J.F. Fuller incorporated a much smaller Georgian structure, which he bought in 1873.

Farmleigh was purchased by the Office of Public Works (OPW)* on behalf of the Government in June 1999 and developed in order to provide accommodation for visiting dignitaries and guests of the nation, for high level Government meetings and for enjoyment by the public.

Farmleigh remains a unique representation of its heyday, the Edwardian period, when wealthy industrialists had replaced landowners as the builders of large mansions in Ireland. The historic gardens are a collection of Victorian/Edwardian features including a conservatory, fountain, lake, walled and sunken gardens. Lady Iveagh and Lanning Roper carried out ornamental plantings in the 1960s/1970s.



* The OPW is the state organisation that looks after government owned properties and carries out conservation and maintenance activities.

>146 pgmcc: Well, I've gone and ordered the Marie Cassidy book. It shall be some weeks before it arrives. (Slow boat over, I suspect, or an effort to minimize shipping costs.) But the Farmleigh location is quite striking and I just could not resist. For all the BBs you claim I've hit you with, you're certainly sending back a volley in my direction.

>148 jillmwo:
(Slow boat over, I suspect, or an effort to minimize shipping costs.)

I would suggest both.

For all the BBs you claim I've hit you with, you're certainly sending back a volley in my direction.

One tries. I have been told I am very trying. Praise indeed.

>147 pgmcc: Lovely photos. I have to say that I am totally smitten with the conservatory.

>147 pgmcc: Gorgeous! Given its current use, I take it one cannot wander around inside the house?

>151 Sakerfalcon:
One may not wander, but there are tours for members of the public. We attended a book launch there some years ago. The place is amazing. We were given a limited tour and one of the fascinating rooms is the library. We hope to tour the house again soon.

>151 Sakerfalcon:
The book launch mentioned in >152 pgmcc: was for Heritage Trees of Ireland.



Apologies for the grainy nature of the phone pictures below.

It was held in a room adjacent to the conservatory. As you look at the dais in the picture below the conservatory is to the right. The drinks reception included mingling in the conservatory.



The lady in the cardigan over a red dress at the top table was the editor of the publisher, Collins Press. She is a friend of ours and the source of our invitation to the event.

The book records trees of great age, one up to 700 years old, growing in Ireland. Given the nature of the subject matter many of the trees were growing (I understand several of them fell foul of severe storms in years since 2013) on the grounds of old stately homes still in the hands of the original families, some going back to the time of Cromwell. Other guests included the owners of the estates where these trees were growing. It was an eye opener for me to meet people of a class that I did not realise still existed in Ireland. It felt like I was in an Agatha Christie novel with aristocratic people with marbles in their mouths and upper-class English accents.

My wife and I are in the picture below indicated by the red outline. It is from that position that I took the picture of the dais.



When we arrived in the car park the sky was beautiful. The grainy picture does not do it justice but I think it gives an idea of what I mean.

I found on-line pictures of the library and the conservatory.

>154 pgmcc: and above. Loving the photos, thank you for sharing. I have no clever comments at this time, just wanted you to know I appreciate your posts.

>155 MrsLee:
I am delighted you like them. Your description of your drive home from your visit to your grandson created great images in my mind.

>154 pgmcc: What a wonderful place! I was so happy to see the photos and learn about it.

>153 pgmcc: Wonderful account but I laughed at your sense of being in an Agatha Christie novel with "aristocratic people with marbles in their mouths and upper-class English accents."

And how I envy anyone who has ever had the wherewithal allowing a personal library like that in their home.

>158 jillmwo:
Well, it was the Guinness family. They had a bob or two to spare. It was not the only estate they owned. I was at a meeting with Desmond Guinness in attendance. When we were asked to give our addresses he gave his address as, “Leixlip Castle”.

>157 Alexandra_book_life:
I am glad they brought some pleasure.

>154 pgmcc: I imagine back in the day there were more plants and less space for entertaining in the conservatory, but maybe not...

Good lord, that library!

>161 clamairy: It seems it is a very serious research rare book library. I just downloaded and reviewed the rules for gaining access and use of the materials. I'm no expert, but it seems to me that you have to be seriously immersed in the world and work of rare books and bindings to gain any access to that collection.

>161 clamairy:
I will ask about the use of the conservatory when I go on a tour. They may not know, but then again they might.

>162 jillmwo:
I know that the people at Marsh’s Library, the second oldest lending library in Europe, have some relationship with the library at Farmleigh. They are very much into rare books, their preservation, and the analysis of their content, history and readership. Marsh’s recorded who accessed their books and when. It was this process that enabled them to itemise the books Bram Stoker read before writing Dracula.

One of the places in Dublin that I regret not visiting is Marsh's Library. Maybe I'll get back there some day (whoops, there goes another flying pig) ...

>147 pgmcc: >153 pgmcc: Very nice place and great pictures, thank you.

>153 pgmcc:, >154 pgmcc: That looks lovely! Oh to be able to live somewhere like that! When you first posted about it I thought it sounds like the setting for a Molly Keane novel (although the families in her novels tend to be on the decline and the houses crumbling). Your description of some of the guests makes me think I was right.

I have finished Body of Truth by Marie Cassidy.

Would I read another book by this author?
Yes.

Would I recommend it, and if so, to whom?
Yes. I would recommend it to anyone interested in murder mysteries and who is happy to read detail of post-mortems.

Did this book inspire me to do anything?
No.

Marie Cassidy's professional career, which culminated with her being the Irish State Pathologist, has informed her writing. The story in Body of Truth includes pathological knowhow, but also includes descriptions of how the Guards (the Irish police force) work with the State Pathologist and includes delineation of the roles of the pathologist, the guards and the forensic scientists. Of course, the main character in this book ignores all those delineations, which is key to making the story work.

I have given this book 3.5 stars out of 5. The 3 is for being a good book. The .5 is for educating me on some of the work of a pathologist.

>165 haydninvienna:
I hope that flying pig comes home to roost. I will be here with a pint of Guinness ready for you. We can visit Marsh's Library together.

>166 Karlstar:
It is. I am glad you liked the pictures.

>167 Sakerfalcon:
I know what you mean. :-)

I think it is time to start a new thread.