Reviews

‘an intriguing read . . . keeps the reader guessing . . . a lot to enjoy in this romp through the Cambridge Commons . . . a strong sense of place and a narrative style that is both energetic and engaging.’ [Dead Letters]

- Margaret Murphy, SHERLOCK

Thin Ice by Quentin Bates

Posted on Mar 22, 2016 in Iceland, Quentin Bates, Thin Ice | 2 Comments

Icelandic crime is big at the moment, what with Trapped reaching its tense conclusion on BBC 4 the Saturday before last. But I have been a fan of Icelandic crime for quite a while – ever since I read Quentin Bates’s first novel, Frozen Out, published around five years ago. I’ve read everything he’s written since […]

Ebooks or print? All or nothing?

Posted on Mar 16, 2016 in Agatha Christie, e-readers, Uncategorized | 16 Comments

Something that has surprised me a little bit recently: a couple of old friends who’ve told me that they have gone over entirely to ebooks. One is my dear friend, Pauline, whom I’ve known since we  were eleven. Books and magazines were and are an important part of our friendship (Pauline is my most loyal […]

Should crime novels be mixed in with other books?

Or should they have their own section in book shops? Waterstones in Sheffield has recently reordered their shelves to slot the crime in with the other fiction – and I don’t like it. Hatchards on St Pancras station have done it too. I can appreciate the argument in favour: it is all literature and perhaps […]