I didn't bound out of bed with quite so much enthusiasm today, can't think why.
Besides taking and posting ridiculous numbers of photos (I know I should post less but I'm not a good self editor and I do like showing you where I've been) I managed to finish the book I was reading when I left home and finish two others.
Val McDermid - Beneath the Bleeding: The latest in a series of books about profiler Tony Hill and DI Carol Jordan (you know the series now filmed with Robson Greene). I've thoroughly enjoyed previous books in this series (the first two The Wire in the Blood and The Mermaids Singing were real "page turners")I'm unsure what to make of this, a bit of homegrown terrorism seemed a bit passe or perhaps too much like the news. I also had problems with just how Hill can go on the net and "suss" details out and work out peoples personality almost by looking at them.
There are the odd twist and turn but it doesn't strike me as a wow book. More of a yeah ok not bad book. Even so it zipped on a long at pace and I'll give it *** but for those of you knew to McDermid start at The Wire in the Blood (and avoid the Lindsay Duncan novels).
Patricia Highsmith - The Talented Mr Ripley: The story of how the totally amoral Tom Ripley insinuates himself into Richard Greenleaf's world and his impact on it. Told from Ripley's perspective Highsmith does a good job at making us empathise with someone who is a "nasty piece of work". A crime novel? yes! but also so a study of human character and morality. *****
Agatha Christie - Death on the Nile. Oh come on you know it Poirot on a boat down the Nile. A woman is killed and the obvious suspect has an airtight alibi. I have a problem rating this one, I've seen the film many times so its not as suspenseful as it may have been coming to it afresh. Still it is a much better book than the Murder on the Orient Express but not as good as her classic The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. We'll say ****
Curious really how Christie has dominated English crime and her contemporaries have vanished without trace.
3 comments:
Just been catching up on your last few posts, wonderful photos, the church interiors were beautiful as of course were all the wildlife ones, I loved the Blackcap. I have all the Agatha Christie novels in paperback and have read them more than once and loved them all, although I do prefer the ones set in this country, not sure why.
I have read Patricia Highsmith in the past but don't think I ever read 'Ripley' maybe I should remedy that.
Glad you had a wonderful time, you certainly knew when to pick it weather wise!
Hi SS
my friend Jan constantly complains that I always get good weather!
I'm new to Christie (although I've seen the films and adaptations). You're probably right about the British ones.
I've only read Stranger on a Train and The Talented Mr Ripley but enjoyed both.
More churches to come
I have all the Christie novels and have read them over and over again. We just love the series "Wire in The Blood." And that Robson Greene...swooning here, lol.
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