Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Alice Bell

Welcome back to the Decades Library. This is my ongoing quest to assemble a Library which features only the very best reading recommendations, the books recommended by authors, bloggers, publishers and journalists – booklovers all.

I started this challenge back in January 2021. Each week a guest joins me and I ask them to help curate my new Library. I want them to recommend some of their favourite books, the unmissable ones which they believe everyone should read. But I ask each of my guests to follow two simple rules when making their choices. Gotta have rules, without rules there is anarchy and if you have anarchy and books in the same place then someone may fold down the corner of a page. *shudders*

The two rules are thus:

1 – You Can Select Any Five Books
2 – You May Only Select One Book Per Decade From Five Consecutive Decades.

This week (spoiler) we are kicking off in the 1940’s and we end up with one of my favourite books of the 1980’s (it’s actually one of my favourite books EVER, but it was published in the 80’s)

This week I am delighted to be joined by Alice Bell, author of the upcoming new release: Grave Expectations. When I saw Alice was a deputy editor at Rock Paper Shotgun I gave serious consideration to making the library a multi-media experience and ask her to nominate her five decades selections for videogames too, but if Manic Miner didn’t represent the 1980s then I’d have a sad-face day.

So lets stick with books and hand over to Alice so we can see her selections:

Alice Bell grew up in South West England, in the sort of middle-of-nowhere where teenagers spend their weekends drinking Smirnoff Ice in a field that also has at least one horse in it.

She is the deputy editor of Rock Paper Shotgun, a popular PC gaming website, and in 2019 she was named one of the 100 most influential women in the UK games industry.

After spending several years in London, Alice now lives in Cork in Ireland. She has probably read more detective fiction and watched more episodes of Midsomer Murders than you.

Alice is on Twitter as @ABeeWords.
Grave Expectations publishes on 4 May 2023 and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0BLRKD54J/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

DECADES

1940s – I Capture The Castle by Dodie Smith

This pick hamstrung me a little, because it set, to within a few degrees, the other decades I could work with. But I couldn’t not choose it! It was the first book I thought of, and is always one of the answers I give to the ‘what is your favourite book ever?’ sort of questions. It’s the diary of a young girl who lives in a falling-down castle with her poor and eccentric family, and their lives are thrown into turmoil when some Americans who are a) handsome b) youngish and c) rich turn up – which is all anyone can hope from an American, isn’t it? It’s a wonderful book full of humour and pathos, and there was a decent film adaptation years back as well. I suppose if it came out now it would be classed as YA, but I really think of I Capture The Castle as timeless and ageless.

1950s – A Murder Is Announced by Agatha Christie

I had to get Agatha on my list somewhere, and luckily she’s prolific enough I could have got here in any of my decades or more. A Murder Is Announced really is one of her best, though. I’ve always favoured Marple over Poirot (which might be an unpopular opinion), partly because her adventures always seem that little bit more whimsical and strange. In this one a murder is, indeed, announced in a local paper, which confuses Letitia Blacklock, the owner of the house named in the appointment. Several of her friends turn up to see if one happens – who wouldn’t? I’d be there with great big bloody bells on – and, indeed, it does. It’s a real showcase of Christie’s wit as well as her prowess at crafting fiendishly difficult mysteries. The Queen of Crime indeed!

1960s – In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

True crime is an unstoppable monolith these days, and there’s a good argument that Capote’s In Cold Blood was the template for its modern incarnation (including, I should say, probable editorialising on the part of the creator when the facts didn’t work quite well enough for a good story). I have the morbid fascination with ‘orrible murderers that a lot of women my age have, and In Cold Blood is remarkable in how it chronicles the personality and psychology of two family annihilators who killed the Clutter family of Western Kansas, creating a holistic picture of them and their crime – most especially Perry Smith. But Capote also gives great detail on the victims themselves and the wider community. It’s a sad story told in great and elegant detail.

1970s – The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye was Morrison’s first novel, and it’s an extraordinary one, about the young life of Pecola Breedlove, an African American girl regarded as ugly because of the darkness of her skin – though it’s obviously about much more than that, too. It’s a short book, and largely told from the point of view of Claudia MacTeer, whose parents foster Pecola for a short time. I think it’s the book of Morrison’s that sticks out most to me because I read it when I wasn’t much older than the characters in it, so it really stuck with me. Although I think it sticks with anyone when you read it. The writing is so emotive, the story so artfully constructed – right down to the chapter titles.

1980s – Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett

This is not, technically, the first of The Witches books in Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, but in my heart it is, because it’s the first to feature the whole coven. It’s also, quite possibly, my favourite Discworld book, although that changes based on the time of year, how warm my toes are, etc. and so on. I think I get a lot of my own writing style and sense of humour from reading so much Pratchett in my formative years (she says, hopefully), and the witches were always the ones I enjoyed most. Wyrd Sisters is a version of Shakespear’s Macbeth from a sideways point of view and with extra magic, and it has what I think is the best opening of a Pratchett book. Right away he sets the scene and the tone in fantastic style. He’s an inimitable writer, really.

Any time I get to add a new Terry Pratchett book to my Decades Library it’s a great day, factor in the very welcome addition of Jane Marple too and Alice has absoultely smashed this out of the park. Huge thanks to Alice for making such great selections. All five books will be added to the Library shelves immediately.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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October 24

Marple: Twelve New Stories

A brand new collection of short stories featuring the Queen of Crime’s legendary detective Jane Marple, penned by twelve remarkable bestselling and acclaimed authors.

The first print run will be a true collector’s edition with a gold foiled design on the cover board

This collection of twelve original short stories, all featuring Jane Marple, will introduce the character to a whole new generation. Each author reimagines Agatha Christie’s Marple through their own unique perspective while staying true to the hallmarks of a traditional mystery.

Naomi Alderman
Leigh Bardugo
Alyssa Cole
Lucy Foley
Elly Griffiths
Natalie Haynes
Jean Kwok
Val McDermid
Karen M. McManus
Dreda Say Mitchell
Kate Mosse
Ruth Ware

Miss Marple was first introduced to readers in a story Christie wrote for The Royal Magazine in 1927 and made her first appearance in a full-length novel in 1930’s The Murder at the Vicarage. It has been 45 years since Agatha Christie’s last Marple novel, Sleeping Murder, was published posthumously in 1976, and this collection of ingenious new stories by twelve Christie devotees will be a timely reminder why Jane Marple remains the most famous fictional female detective of all time.

I received a review copy from the publishers (Harper Collins) via Netgalley

In 1989 Queen released an album called The Miracle. They were the only band I would really listen to at that time in my life and I remember it clearly. At the same time I was on an Agatha Christie reading marathon. I had borrowed an Agatha Christie novel from my favourite aunt and it sparked my love for Poirot, Jane Marple, Tommy and Tuppence and all the other characters that crop up over the dozens of books. I remember those years very fondly.

Spin forward to 2022 and I am listening to a brand new Queen song (which had been left off The Miracle album by the band in 1989) and I am reading twelve new Miss Marple stories. Pinch me – I may be dreaming! Never would I have thought either of these things would have been possible.

As much as I enjoyed the new Queen single, reading Marple was the better of the two experiences.

If there is an Agatha Christie fan in your family then this book is an essential read for them – casts an eye towards Christmas here. I had a good look at the hardback copy before I posted my review and it is absolutely stunning – under the dust jacket are all the signatures of the contributing authors (in gold) which almost makes me want to display that on my shelves rather than the cover depicted above.

I have never found a collection of short stories where I have enjoyed every single story. In this collection of twelve Marple tales there are some contributions I enjoyed more than others and there was only one where was irked by the outcome. That’s a fantastic return for me as I don’t normally enjoy a short story collection. But in the case of Marple the continuity of the central character negated my normal frustration. I find a collection of individual (random) stories being too “bitty” to fully embrace for any length of time.

I’ve no intention to run through each of the stories and break down my thoughts on each – this review would run out of control if I tried that. What I will say is Jane Marple finds herself overseas in the theatres of USA, on a cruise ship and she frequently nips around the UK visiting friends and relatives or dining at University tables. Everywhere she goes those “twinkling blue eyes” see problems, upset and (most importantly) to the truth behind some shocking incidents. This is what we all wanted to see in these stories and fans will not be disappointed.

Not every case involves a murder, I did wonder if that would be the case, and it was pleasing to see not all the authors bumped off a character. Each story gives a good demonstration of the famous Jane Marple observation powers and more than once she will place herself in danger when a murderer realises this seemingly harmless old woman could expose their cleverly concealed criminal activites.

There is fun to be found in Marple – the idea of a second Murder at the Vicarage made me laugh out loud. The determination of Miss Marple and her friends to indulge in many a sherry (why not?) crops up in more than one tale. And there were many mentions of the nephew Raymond who seems to delight or frustrate in equal measure. While I am not sure if Marple would be a great introduction to the character – there are quite a few nods to the source material – for existing fans the opportuinty to read new stories featuring Jane Marple is an unexpected delight and I am extremely grateful to all the contributing authors for making that possible.

Marple is available in Hardback, Digital and Audiobook format. You can order a copy here: https://www.waterstones.com/book/marple-twelve-new-stories/agatha-christie/naomi-alderman/9780008467319

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October 7

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Decima Blake

Time to add some new books to the Decades Library. I’ve had a sneaky look at the titles Decima has selected and you’re in for a real treat.

First up I will do the weekly recap…I am assembling the Ultimate Library. I started this project back in January 2021 and since then over fifty authors, bloggers, publishers and journalists have each nominated books which they believe should be added to a library which contains nothing but the very best books.

I call this project my Decades Library because of the second rule I impose upon my guest curators when they select the books they want to add to the library.

1 – You Can Select ANY Five Books
2 – You May Only Select One Book Per Decade From Five Consecutive Decades.

Five Books, Five Decades – a Decades Library.

Making their selections this week is Decima Blake. I read Decima’s latest thriller Hingston: Smoke and Mispers earlier this year. I loved the blend of modern detective fiction with links to an ancient Egyptian story and I was delighted when Decima agreed to take part in Decades. What books would have helped influence that creepy mystery?

In order to find out I will pass control of Decades to Decima Blake and let her whisk you back to 1908.

Decima Blake writes the genre-bending DS Hingston series, which blends modern day police procedure with historical fiction and a touch of spookiness. She conducts extensive research to bring realism and less common themes into her work. In Hingston: Smoke and Mispers, published in January 2022, Ancient Egyptian history becomes integral to the plot, taking Hingston and the Murder Squad into uncharted territory where warped interpretations and dark practices lead to a series of deaths. With a professional background in safeguarding and investigation, Decima’s fascination with detective fiction has extended to children’s literature. Quite the opposite of Hingston, Detective Dachshund of Battersea Police is not only a dog – he has a reputation for trying hard, but not being particularly effective. This determined wire-haired dachshund made his debut in April 2022 in Detective Dachshund and the Fluffy Thief, a slapstick story with a twist, written in rhyme and hand illustrated. Examples of Decima’s artwork can be seen on her gallery page of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators website, and on Instagram @detectivedachs. For all things Hingston related, including photography of the locations that feature in the series, head over to @decimablake on Instagram and Twitter.

DECADES

1908: The Roly-Poly Pudding by Beatrix Potter

An attempted child murder under the floorboards of the family home. This was my first introduction to crime fiction, aged three. Naughty Tom Kitten is only just saved from the clutches of two villainous squatters, Samuel Whiskers and his wife, Anna Maria. These two large rats sought to eat him as the furry filling of a roly-poly pudding. Without a shred of morality, they went so far as to steal the very ingredients and rolling pin from Tom Kitten’s mother, Tabitha Twitchit. The negative impact on Tom Kitten is revealed to be life-changing (he should otherwise have benefited from a very good living as a rat-catcher, like his sisters), whilst the two offenders escape justice. A beautifully illustrated, memorable short story that warns of the potential pitfalls of childhood disobedience, and most importantly, the dangers that can be very close to home in the form of both male and female offenders. Revisiting this story now, having since worked in child safeguarding, I consider Beatrix Potter’s wisdom and method of delivery to be commendable.

1915: The Pavilion by E. Nesbit

A few years ago, whilst browsing in Waterstones, I spotted “E. Nesbit Horror Stories”. The name felt oddly out of place to me who knew no better. To my surprise and delight, this was a collection of short stories written for adults by the author of Five Children and It. I am a fan of M. R. James and his short stories (as you will read shortly), and for me, The Pavilion by E. Nesbit is on a par with the best of his. As such, it’s amongst my all-time favourites for its power to draw the reader into a vivid, unsettling tale. E. Nesbit’s summertime story entertains with the romance and bravado of young adulthood as enjoyed by the gentry of the 1860s, amongst which murderous intent lurks and a dark legend involving the estate’s pavilion is put to the test. The dreadful outcome delivered to Amelia, Ernestine, Eugene and Frederick should entertain any avid reader of spooky, gothic tales. First published in 1915 in The Strand Magazine, this short story reached the format of a book many decades later, and so I openly acknowledge my rule flexing.

The Pavilion is available to read through the online archive:

https://archive.org/details/1915thepavilionenesbitinstrandmagnov/page/n9/mode/2up

1925: The Haunted Dolls’ House by M. R. James

As those familiar with M. R. James’ short stories will know, many feature a bachelor whose scholarly wits and firmly-held beliefs are tested by a threatening supernatural entity in an isolated, unwelcoming location. I love M. R. James’ depictions of historic buildings and remote landscapes, and how he builds suspense by introducing doubts into the mind of the victim, notching up the anxiety level before something terrible strikes. There is an intimacy to his stories which absorbs me in the unnerving experiences of complete strangers, as my mind too, runs away with itself. The Haunted Dolls’ House, which was first published in A Warning to the Curious and Other Ghost Stories, is noticeably different. A married antiques dealer sells the dolls’ house to another dealer. “Thank God for that!”, says the first dealer’s wife, and the story begins. I like the way M. R. James chose to haunt the antique dolls’ house with a miniature tale that could have made a story in its own right, so that it is instead viewed remotely, from the ‘modern’ day. I do wonder whether the concept of a time capsule was M. R. James’ inspiration, used to acknowledge the thirty years that had passed since he published his first ghost story in The National Review in 1895. Certainly, I believe The Haunted Dolls’ House draws attention to the change of the times and you might find yourself contemplating, which is more disturbing, the supernatural or the natural?

1939: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

One of my two favourite Agatha Christie novels is And Then There Were None. It is likely that the fantastic 1980s film, Clue, had primed me to enjoy this story. Both involve a group of strangers brought together by the organiser of an exclusive event. Quite soon, the guests find themselves trapped within the confines of the estate, but only after they realise someone is systematically bumping them off. Personal secrets, suspicion and fear all come into play. Unlike the black comedy that is Clue, And Then There Were None is a serious whodunnit, famous for both its timelessly appealing storyline and its elegant, isolated setting that was inspired by the stunning Burgh Island in South Devon. I believe this particular Agatha Christie mystery gives readers a superb thrill in trying to fathom out who’s the murderer and who will be the next victim. Agatha Christie’s masterful words really do get you thinking. So, however many dramatised versions you may have watched, you must read the book!

1946: Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson

Beautiful scenery, exploration and adventure! If Moominland existed, I probably would be writing this from the beach where Moomintroll collected pearls. When you read the Moomins stories as a child, it feels like you are witnessing an excitingly dangerous form of homeschooling. There’s so much time to appreciate the world around you, your family and friends. Tove Jansson’s Comet in Moominland was the first book I chose from a school library that had a spine thick enough to display its title. I was eight-years-old at the time, and my new school in a new county was more stress-inducing than the fear of an impending comet strike. The escapism this book gave me was perfect because it was also educational. I love this book even more today for its character depth, captivating imagery and the seemingly effortless way in which Tove Jansson packages up the challenges life may throw at you and makes them both understandable and, most importantly, conquerable.

From Beatrix Potter to M.R. James and then to Tove Jansson, this is a sweeping run through wonderful books – but the opportunity to add And Then There Were None to the Decades Library was special. If nobody had added it then I would have had to use one of my own selections to get it in the mix. Thanks Decima.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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July 17

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Derek Farrell

It is a thrill to welcome Derek Farrell back to Grab This Book, particularly as I can welcome Derek in his latest publication week. The new Danny Bird novel, Death at Dukes Halt, released yesterday and the book with accompanying (very cool) merch is available from the Fahrenheit Press website.

Full introduction and purchase links in a second, first a quick introduction to the challenge I set Mr Farrell.

This is Decades. I am inviting book lovers to join me and asking them to help me assemble the best library of books. I began this quest back in January and I had no books on my library shelves. Each week I invite a guest to join me and they are asked to select five of their favourite books to be added to my Ulitmate Library.

Now picking five books is a little too easy so I add a second rule which governs the choices each guest makes. They can only select one book per decade over five consecutive decades. I am told this leads to some angst.

So it is time to hand you over to Derek to introduce his selections. One of my all-time favourite reads is in the mix today, can you guess which?

Derek Farrell is the author of the Danny Bird mysteries ‘Death of a Diva’ ‘Death of a Nobody,’ ‘Death of a Devil,’ ‘Death of an Angel,’ and ‘Death at Dukes Halt,’ as well as the novellas ‘Death of a Sinner,’ and ‘What goes around.’

Derek is married and lives with his husband in West Sussex. They have no cats dogs goats or children, though they do have every Kylie Minogue record ever recorded. Twice.

He can be reached on twitter @derekifarrell or via his website www.derekfarrell.co.uk

His books can be purchased directly from the publisher here https://fahrenheit-press.myshopify.com/search?type=product&q=derek+farrell

Or from Amazon here https://www.amazon.co.uk/Derek-Farrell/e/B06XJ9C6XB?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1603393406&sr=8-1

DECADES

Thanks so much for having me on this feature. I’m honoured to have my submissions joining those of so many amazing contributors before me.

I have always loved libraries and in fact my first book ‘Death of a Diva’ was dedicated to my dad, who took me to the library and gave me a universe to play in. Public Libraries are what made it possible for a kid like me to read any- and everything I wanted, to find the stuff I loved, and to dream of being a writer.

But it was my dad who showed me that reading is a joyful activity, and should always be joyful. “Read the classics, if you want to,” he told me once. “Or don’t, if you don’t want to. The key thing is to love what you read.”

My choices are below, and I hope they inspire some of your readers to find some new loves.

60s – The Jewel in the Skull by Michael Moorcock (1967)

What’s it about: In a post-nuclear holocaust future, where science and sorcery co-exist. the Dark Empire of Granbretan  is expanding across Europe. Baron Meliadus, an emissary of the empire, is sent to the castle of Count Brass to try to persuade him to side with the empire against the other European courts. While in the castle, he begins to court the Count’s daughter, Yisselda, but she refuses to elope with him. Meliadus attempts to kidnap her, but is defeated by Count Brass and swears an oath on the legendary Runestaff to gain power over Count Brass, gain Yisselda and destroy their lands.

In order to achieve these ends, he sends a newly-captured Rebel – Duke Dorian Hawkmoon Von Koln – to the castle, and to ensure Hawkmoon does not betray him, he uses dark sorcery to embed a black jewel in the middle of Hawkmoon’s skull, the jewel acting as a camera that will transmit everything Hawkmoon sees and hears back to Meliadus…

Why it should be in the Library: I discovered these books in the early 80s, having never been much of a sci-fi or fantasy fan. I’m still not a huge reader of those genres, but I spent a summer reading this seies (“The High History of the Runestaff”). The stories, the characters and the feeling of just HAVING to know what happens next, has never left me. This book taught me that regardless of genre, a great story is a great story, and these are great great stories.

70s – Curtain by Agatha Christie (1975 – or was it?)

What’s it about? The novel features Hercule Poirot and Arthur Hastings in their final appearances in Christie’s works. It is a country house novel, with all the characters and the murder set in one house. Not only does the novel return the characters to the setting of her first, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, but it reunites Poirot and Hastings, who last appeared together in Dumb Witness in 1937 as they hunt for a serial killer who has already gotten away with murder five times. But this time, Porot is determined that justice will be served.

Christie actually wrote this book in the middle of the Blitz as bombs rained down around her. A sign of how deeply a writer can become enmeshed with their characters is that instead of worrying about her own safety, she began to worry about what would happen to Poirot if she were to be killed in a bombing.

So she wrote the final Poirot novel, which was delivered with instructions that it was to be published only after she had died. The manuscript was then then kept in a safe (with a copy in a similar safe at her New York publishers) for over thirty years.

Why Should it be in the Library? Because whatever your feelings about Christie’s work, her impact on the crime genre is unarguable, and Curtain is a wonderful mystery novel, the clues woven seamlessly through an admittedly somewhat contrived scenario. Poirot has always been an old man, but here he’s close to decrepit, wheelchair-bound at times, and raging at the cruelty of time that can decay a body but leave his little grey cells as vital as they ever were. Plus, the ending <no spoilers> is a genuine GASP moment that stays with anyone who knows Poirot long after the book.

80s – Blue Heaven by Joe Keenan (1988)

What’s it about? Philip Cavanaugh is surprised to hear that his best friend Gilbert is engaged to be married to Moira. There are two reasons for his surprise: Gilbert loathes Moira with every fibre of his being. But more importantly, Gilbert is flamingly gay.

Gilbert finally confides in Phillip that the entire marriage is a sham designed to maximise the cash gifts from the family of his new Italian-American stepfather, and by the time the trio realise that said family are the Mafia, and that their little attempted fraud may well end up with the three of them wearing concrete overcoats and taking a dip in the East River, they are in too deep to walk away.

Joe Keenan wrote three novels featuring Gilbert and Phillip as well as a rather sweet Broadway musical before becoming a writer and Executive Producer for Fraser and working on Desperate Housewives and Glee.

Why Should it be in the Library? Because it’s quite simply one of the funniest and best plotted / paced / written books of all time. I read it they year it was first published and it has never been off my bookshelves since.

90s – The Burglar in the Library (1997)

What’s it about? For Bernie Rhodenbarr, bookseller and compulsive burglar, a weekend at a country bed & breakfast inn takes an unexpected twist when a valuable book is stolen and dead body turns up in the library.

Why Should it be in the Library? In the early 2000s I attended a crime fiction course at City Lit in London. On the first night we each had to declare our favourite crime writer. I, of course, made my case for Agatha Christie. But a woman who would eventually become a dear friend and mentor to me talked about this guy called Lawrence Block – an American who had written dozens of books and won dozens of prizes. Block’s not James Joyce. His career was not built on groundbreaking origination, but on consistently and conscientiously producing excellent work within a genre he clearly loves. This has to necessitate, at times, playing with the tropes of that genre, and here we find Bernie in basically a Golden Age country house mystery. Every character is not only a suspect, but suspicious; everyone has both a motive and an alibi; and circumstances conspire to ensure that the murderer must be one of the people trapped in the inn.

Block is normally recognised for his darker Matt Scudder novels, but I think that the Bernie the Burglar books more openly reflect his sheer joy in the genre. This one’s playful but fiendishly well plotted, and I’m putting this one in to the library because it’s a book that has given me much joy by a writer whose work I admire greatly. And really, if you can’t love the books in your library, what’s the point in having a library?

00s – The Lost Army of Cambyses by Paul Sussman (2002)

What’s it about? 523 BC: the Persian pharaoh Cambyses dispatches an army across Egypt’s western desert to destroy the oracle at Siwa. Legend has it that somewhere in the middle of the Great Dune Sea his army is overwhelmed by a sandstorm and lost forever.

Two and a half millennia later, a mutilated corpse is washed up on the banks of the Nile at Luxor, an antiques dealer is savagely murdered in Cairo, and a British archaeologist is found dead at the ancient necropolis of Saqqara.

The incidents appear unconnected, but Inspector Yusuf Khalifa of the Luxor police is not so sure.

And so he begins an investigation that will lead him into the forbidding, barren heart of the western desert, and the answer to one of the greatest mysteries of the ancient world…

Why Should it be in the Library? Because it’s a brilliant thriller nobody’s ever heard of from a writer who was taken from us tragically early. Paul Sussman was an archaeologist, a journalist and an author whose Middle-Eastern set thrillers mixed high octane page turners with genuine humanity, and confronted the heart-breaking complexities of the region while never losing sight of their primary function: To keep you turning those pages.

He died of a ruptured aneyurism just weeks before his 46th birthday, and days before his final novel “The Labyrinth of Osiris” was published. That book, in particular, is one of the best and most heartbreaking thrillers I’ve ever read.

Sussman’s work is pacy, tight, thrilling, and human. It carries a vast amount of historical research so lightly that the reader doesn’t even know how much they’re learning as they read these hugely enjoyable books. And his tragically early death is a reminder to each and every one of us to strive every day to live the best life possible, and to write the best book we possibly can.

Huge thanks to Derek for adding a great mix of titles to my Library. I know each week someone’s TBR grows thanks to the recommendations of my guests – I hope that you will also add Death at Dukes Halt to your shopping this week.

DECADES WILL RETURN

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July 3

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Sara Sheridan

Welcome to the Decades challenge. It didn’t begin life as a challenge but as each week goes by I am becoming increasingly aware of the scale of the task I have started.

In January I asked myself the question “Which books would be added to the Ultimate Library? If I were to build a brand-new Library and start with no books, which titles should I add to the empty shelves to get the very best selection available for the Library visitors?”

I knew this was not something I could undertake alone so I have been inviting authors, bloggers, journalists and publishers to join me and help me decide which books should be added to the Library. Each guest is asked to nominate five of their favourite books to add to my Ultimate Library. But there is a small catch – my guests can only select one book per decade over five consecutive decades.

So while my challenge is to get the best books. My guests have the harder challenge – they have to decide which 50-year span they want to choose from and then work out which book best represents each decade within those 50 years. I am told this is a “frustrating” process.

This week I am delighted to welcome Sara Sheridan to Grab This Book.

Sara Sheridan writes history – both fiction and nonfiction. Her Mirabelle Bevan murder mystery series is set in the 50s and she also writes in the late Georgian/early Victorian period – her latest novel The Fair Botanists is out in August and is an intrigue set in 1820s Edinburgh. She remapped Scotland according to women’s history in Where are the Women. You can find her on twitter @sarasheridan where she posts historical research, writing snippets and ice cream tips. Sara’s own books and reading picks are available on her curated page at: https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/sarasheridan

DECADES

4.50 From Paddington by Agatha Christie 1950s I mean there had to be a Miss Marple, right? Long term role model and Queen of Mystery. Right on brand for me and I’m obsessed with the 50s (among other things)

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark 1960s I’m so conflicted about Muriel. Gawd. She was unbelievably uncomfortable in her own skin and was super-mean to her son but I love this book, which speaks so much of mid century Edinburgh where I was brought up.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 1970s and a book which racists keep trying to ban. Morrison’s first novel and so ahead of the game. An absolute must-read.

Water Music by TC Boyle 1980s The single most rambunctious, dirty, tough historical novel I’ve read. I recommend this book to everybody who is interested in British culture. It’s all about where we came from.

The Morning Gift by Eva Ibbotson 1990s Never mind the Queen, God Save Eva Ibbotson. All her adult fiction is gorgeous, good hearted and full of love. The. Best.

My thanks to Sara for these fabulous selections. Some new reading for me in these selections and but some old favourites too. The best moments for me are when I first read the five choices my new guests have made and I nod and smile my way down the list. Opening with Agatha Christie got the smile in place from the outset.

You can visit the Decades Library and see all the selections which have been made thus far by clicking here: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=5113

DECADES WILL RETURN

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May 21

Decades: Compiling the Ultimate Library with Danny Marshall

I never fail to be surprised by the selections made by my Decades guests. Until I recieve the email with their choices they give nothing away about the books which they may choose. However, when I first asked Danny Marshall if he would like to take on my Decades Challenge I had no idea that he would introduce three of fiction’s most famous characters to the Library.

For new readers a quick Decades recap. I am inviting guests to nominate books which they believe should be included in the Ultimate Library. Or to put it another way: if I had to fill a new library with the best books out there, but I was starting with zero books on the shelves, which books should be added? I cannot make these tough choices so my guests are invited to add their favourite books.

There are just two rules governing their choices:

1 – Pick ANY Five Books
2 – You Can Only Choose One Book Per Decade Over Five Consecutive Decades

Now I hand you over to Danny to introduce himself and share his choices

DECADES

I’m D.L. Marshall – better known as Danny (but unfortunately that’s not a very authorly name) – and my debut novel Anthrax Island was published recently. Described by some as Alistair MacLean meets Agatha Christie, it’s a claustrophobic locked-room mystery (in the literal sense) meets adventure thriller.

Anthrax Island is a real place off remote north-western Scotland, having received its sinister moniker in the tabloids when top-secret files were declassified. Its real name is Gruinard, and it was used by the Ministry Of Defence during the second world war to test biological weapons, leaving it a lethally contaminated no-go zone for decades. The government finally (and begrudgingly) cleaned it up in the Eighties, declaring it anthrax-free in the Nineties, though given the extreme hardiness of anthrax spores some people remain unconvinced!

The premise of the novel is that a team of scientists have returned to the island due to a resurgence of bacteria. Their only technician is dead, a victim of anthrax poisoning, and their base has suffered a malfunction. Enter our hero Tyler, a replacement technician flown out to fix the base. He quickly discovers sabotage, and works out his predecessor was murdered. Soon after, another team member is murdered inside a sealed room in the base with Tyler right outside the door – but when he enters seconds later the killer has vanished. Now with a storm closing in, the radios destroyed, and the bodies piling up, it seems they’re trapped on the island with a far more dangerous killer than anthrax…

I’m honoured to take part in decades, having read previous entries with great interest! There have already been some absolute belters already added to the library, so I hope I can do it justice. Though there were some difficult choices – I could talk for hours about the ones I left out – I had great fun picking my entries. I could have chosen any number of crime and espionage thrillers from the mid-to-late Twentieth century, but I decided to take my fifty years a little earlier to encompass some of my very favourite and most re-read novels of all time. They’re also all novels that have influenced my writing a great deal, and all feature in Anthrax island in some way.

1890s

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897)

Does any other single word in the world of fiction evoke such an emotional response? How many other book titles are so well known? I think you could make a case for it being the most influential book of all time; fiction, films, pop culture, it’s a staggering legacy. Stoker didn’t invent vampires, horror, or gothic fiction, but he did weave them all into a fantastically modern narrative that popularised all the right elements. It’s a story of an ancient evil assaulting the modern world that we’ve loved ever since, from Lovecraft to Carpenter. I only found out fairly recently that it wasn’t a huge success in Stoker’s lifetime – it did okay and was well received (Arthur Conan Doyle wrote a glowing letter to Stoker), but he died poor. It wasn’t until the landmark copycat film Nosferatu in the Twenties – and the subsequent legal dispute – that the book took off, and since the first Hollywood Dracula film a few years later the book has never been out of print.

I’ve just looked at my shelves and I currently own seven copies of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the latest being a graphic novel my partner bought for me to read with my son. The particular reason I love it may be down to my final year of primary school, when we had a week’s residential in Whitby. The teachers wouldn’t take a bunch of ten year olds in ‘The Dracula Experience’ but we spent our money in the gift shop, then sat up at night in our shared room, telling ghost stories while looking out of the window at the ruins of the abbey across the harbour. As a Yorkshireman I love that Whitby section, and the newspaper reports of the wild dog roaming the North Yorkshire moors, but actually my favourite is the opening – Harker’s dangerous voyage through the Carpathian Mountains to meet his mysterious host. The wolves, the warnings from locals, the superstitious coachman, all now absolute staples of horror films. The opening of Anthrax Island was written as a homage. Bonus points if you can spot which character from Anthrax Island is named for something in Dracula…

1900s

Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Hound of the Baskervilles (1901-1902)

Another of the most famous books ever written! Spoilers (although it’s a century old, where have you been?) When first serialised it brought Holmes back from the dead, since he was killed at the Reichenbach Falls in 1893’s ‘The Final Problem’. Conan Doyle was adamant Holmes wouldn’t return, so when public opinion forced him to write another story he stubbornly set it before his death. However, the success of Baskervilles was such that he finally relented and truly resurrected Holmes.

I have seven copies of Dracula but I have ten copies of The Hound of the Baskervilles! I’ve read it at least once a year since I was a kid. Apart from being my favourite book of all time, it is – in the opinion of Sherlock scholars – the best Holmes novel. I love stories that tread the line between crime and horror, and for me this is the epitome. Ghostly lights on the moor, an ancient creaking hall, and a bloodthirsty spectral hound. Dartmoor is itself also a character, beautifully described in vivid autumnal shades, leaf-strewn deeply rutted lanes, and tumbling streams. But at night the moors take on another character, creeping shadowy figures and drifting lights, bogs that can swallow unwary ponies whole, the howling wind and howling… other things… echoing down through the yews at the back of the hall. I live in the Yorkshire Pennines, minutes from the moors, and can well imagine Sir Charles Baskerville standing at his gate, smoking his cigar and straining his eyes into that blackness. And something looking back.

My favourite scenes are those which show Watson’s journey to the hall and the various soldiers on horseback at crossroads and the railway station, rifles at the ready, on the lookout for the convict escaped from Dartmoor prison. It’s wonderfully echoed in the best Harry Potter film – The Prisoner of Azkaban – a film about a Barghest, a giant dog of legend, featuring Dementors scouring the moors for an escaped convict.

It’s no coincidence I’ve just finished writing a novel set on Dartmoor (which may feature a cameo from Baskerville Hall)!

1910s

John Buchan’s The 39 Steps (1915)

This might be the last one where I share the number of copies I own, as I’ve only got four of this! The 39 Steps set the blueprint for all adventure thrillers, and specifically the device of the everyday innocent man on the run from baddies and the authorities alike, which is now used so regularly we forget that in 1915 it would have blown peoples’ minds. This was a time when the police and authorities were to be trusted implicitly, good and bad was usually fairly black and white, so while the patriotism and sense of derring-do can seem a bit dated, to have a hero on the run from the law must have been pretty exciting at the time. Hitchcock filmed it in 1935 and went on to use the trope several more times, including in one of my favourite films, North By Northwest. However, my favourite film adaptation of The 39 Steps is the ‘70s version that leaves Robert Powell hanging from the hands of Big Ben (Yes I know Big Ben is the bell, don’t @ me).

The MacGuffin is some kind of secret plans for Britain’s entry into the first world war, stolen by German agents operating in England – which is interesting when you remember this was published in 1915, at the start of the first world war. It wasn’t a historical novel, it was really happening at the time! The scene escaping from the train across the moors sticks in mind the most (is there a moors theme developing?).

I was lucky enough to see the four-actor play in London a few years ago. It closed in 2015 but I’d highly recommend seeing it if you ever get the chance somewhere.

1920s

Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Affair At Styles (1921)

Okay, I’ll admit it – this is not my favourite Agatha Christie novel – but it’s my choice for the Twenties as it warrants its place in the library by virtue of its significance. This is Agatha Christie’s first published novel, and thus it is also the first appearance of one of the most famous detectives of all time, Hercule Poirot. I don’t think I need to explain any more!

It features all the very best elements of a whodunnit – a sprawling, isolated country house filled with an untrustworthy cast, twists and reveals, red herrings, and of course, a dead body with a contested will. Christie set her own template for her future books here, being very fair with readers, providing all the clues you need to solve the crime (though you rarely do).

It’s beautifully fitting that Agatha Christie had Poirot return to Styles in her final novel (before her death, anyway) – Curtain.

Sidenote, if you’re ever in Devon and on Dartmoor, after visiting the infamous prison (hopefully no escaped convicts) and the Princetown visitors’ centre (with its huge Hound of the Baskervilles sculpture) take a trip to Agatha Christie’s house at Greenway, upriver from Dartmouth. And if you’re ever in London, go see The Mousetrap. Great fun.

1930s

John Dickson Carr’s The Hollow Man (1935)

Calling all Jonathan Creek fans, this is nothing whatsoever to do with Kevin Bacon’s updated take on The Invisible Man, it’s another whodunnit that treads the line between horror and crime. But this is also an ingenious howdunnit, a true locked-room murder mystery – the best, in fact, and one of my very favourite books ever.

A mysterious and macabre-looking stranger barges into a room in a house, in full view of witnesses, to kill a man – yet when the door is opened the killer and weapon has vanished, leaving only his dying victim, who claims his brother (long thought dead) was responsible. Minutes later the brother is found dead in the middle of a nearby street, with the gun in question – himself killed impossibly, surrounded by unbroken snow.

The book is considered the finest example of locked-room mystery, and contains a fantastic section in the middle where the narrator breaks the fourth wall and sets off on a monologue to explain every single scenario by which an ‘impossible crime’ can be carried out – and thoroughly debunks each in turn relative to what happened here. It’s a wonderfully bold move. And just like Agatha Christie, Carr plays fair – the reader has all the clues, but I challenge you to work it out.

This book has been a huge influence on me, it’s not a surprise that my own debut – and the sequel out later this year – are at their cores impossible crime locked-room murder mysteries.

I am absolutely delighted Sherlock Holmes has finally landed in my Library. My thanks to Danny for making these wonderful choices. I have Anthrax Island on my Kindle and am going to be scouring every page for the Dracula reference.

If you want to get your hands on Anthrax Island then here is a handy link: https://www.waterstones.com/book/anthrax-island/d-l-marshall/9781800322752

You can see all the previous curators and their selections here: https://grabthisbook.net/?p=5113

DECADES WILL RETURN

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November 5

The Decagon House Murders – Yukito Ayatsuji

The members of a university mystery club decide to visit an island which was the site of a grisly, unsolved multiple murder the year before. They’re looking forward to investigating the crime, putting their passion for solving mysteries to practical use, but before long there is a fresh murder, and soon the club-members realise they are being picked off one-by-one. The remaining amateur sleuths will have to use all of their murder-mystery expertise to find the killer before they end up dead too.

This is a playful, loving and fiendishly plotted homage to the best of golden age crime. It will delight any mystery fan looking to put their little grey cells to use.

I received a review copy from the publishers through Netgalley.

Yukito Ayatsuji is taking one of the most famous murder mystery stories and putting a new spin on events. A group of friends – students at a university mystery club – are all planning on spending a few days staying on a small island. The island has a dark past as the previous year the couple that lived on the island, and members of their staff, were murdered. One employee remains missing to this day and it is generally accepted that he was the killer and has fled to freedom.

One of the students knows the new owner of the island and manages to negotiate for the members of the mystery club to stay for a few days in the intriguingly named Decagon House – a smaller building away from the main residence where the murders occurred. Pleasingly for map fans there is a map of Decagon House inside the book and you can see it is a 10 sided building with a room on each of the walls. The rooms taken by each of the students is shown on the map and if you are playing amatur sleuth it is a helpful guide when you try to work out who may have been close to any given room at any time. Handy when the murders begin.

Murders? Yes indeed. I said this was a new spin on a famous murder story – take a collective of people, pop them on an island and let the murders commence. It is Yukito Ayatsuji’s take on Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None and it is a fun read. First the students…fewer than the 10 guests that Christie had on her island and because they are all members of the same club they know each other before proceeding begin. Each of the students has their club name – the surname of a famous mystery writer, Christie (nod), Poe etc. Slightly different from the original source material is that there are several scenes which also take place off the island. An independent investigator is asking questions and conducting his own review of the murders on the island the previous year.

The narrative is split – students on the island being picked off one by one with a variety of causes of death. The mainland where the truth about the murders the previous year is slowly being discovered. Will the two plot threads come together? Well possibly. Will they come together while all the students are still alive? Certainly not – the body count is high.

The Decagon House Murders was my first expereince of a Japanese murder story. There are some distintive language styles in Japanese to English so I read with more care than usual but the translator has done a terrific job and there was never any point where I wasn’t getting a great story. I am aluding to the naming style of family name before forename which was explained before the story began and it does help to understand this as characters are introduced.

I consider And Then There Were None to be the best of the Christie collection and I enjoyed this spin on the original. Look out for this when it is published next month I really enjoyed the time I spent with this one.

The Decagon House Murders will be published on 3 December 2020 by Pushkin Vertigo. It will be available in paperback and digital format and you can order a copy here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Decagon-House-Murders-Yukito-Ayatsuji/dp/1782276343/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&qid=1604509887&refinements=p_27%3AYukito+Ayatsuji&s=books&sr=1-2&text=Yukito+Ayatsuji

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November 1

The Mystery of Three Quarters (New Hercule Poirot Mystery) – Sophie Hannah

The world’s most beloved detective, Hercule Poirot – the legendary star of Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and most recently The Monogram Murders and Closed Casket—returns in a stylish, diabolically clever mystery set in 1930’s London.

Returning home after lunch one day, Hercule Poirot finds an angry woman waiting outside his front door. She demands to know why Poirot has sent her a letter accusing her of the murder of Barnabas Pandy, a man she has neither heard of nor ever met.

Poirot has also never heard of a Barnabas Pandy, and has accused nobody of murder. Shaken, he goes inside, only to find that he has a visitor waiting for him — a man who also claims also to have received a letter from Poirot that morning, accusing him of the murder of Barnabas Pandy.

Poirot wonders how many more letters of this sort have been sent in his name. Who sent them, and why? More importantly, who is Barnabas Pandy, is he dead, and, if so, was he murdered? And can Poirot find out the answers without putting more lives in danger?

My thanks to the publishers for my review copy which I received through Netgalley.

Happy oh happy day. Hercule Poirot is back for a third outing under the care of Sophie Hannah.

Over 20 years ago I read, what I had assumed to be, the last Poirot novel. I had worked my way through all the Poirot novels and short story collections and knew that when I finally finished Dead Man’s Folly I would be done. Sadly I found I had left one of my least favourite Poirot stories to the end and this only increased my disappointment.

Spin forward to 2014 and Sophie Hannah brings Poirot back in a whole new adventure – The Monogram Murders. I had to read it. I did read it. I loved having a whole new Hercule Poirot murder story to enjoy…would there be more books to follow?

Yes!

2016 saw Sophie Hannah release Closed Casket and 2018 brings us The Mystery of Three Quarters (by far the most intriguing title to date). Poirot is accused of writing to a number of people and suggesting that one Barnabas Pandy was murdered. Furthermore the recipient of these letters are accused of murdering Pandy.

When first confronted with one of the letters he sent Poirot is perplexed – he has never heard of Barnabus Pandy. Has no idea who the recipient of the letter is either and most certainly does not know if Barnabus Pandy was murdered. But of course Poirot must now find out!

Who would dare bring the attention of the world’s greatest detective to an accidental death? Who would presume they could send out letters in Poirot’s name and not expect him to uncover the truth behind the death of poor Mr Pandy? And why is M. Poirot being force-fed cake every time he visits a local tearoom?

Sophie Hannah takes on all these questions and breathes new life into the much loved Belgian detective. She captures Poirot magnificently and fans of the series can delight in the knowledge that our favourite character is being well cared for in his new adventures.

The mystery is nicely played out and there are plenty of clues and red herrings to keep readers on their toes. A cast of quirky, eccentric supporting characters give us plenty of options to ponder when we try to work out if there is a killer in their midst. Poirot manipulates and questions everyone as he digs to uncover secrets and possible motives and it is remarkably easy to become engrossed back into his world.

More Poirot would be very welcome but, for now, The Mystery of Three Quarters is a very pleasing addition to the collection.

The Mystery of Three Quarters is published by Harper Collins and is available in Hardback, digital and audiobook.

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July 27

Guest Post – A.K. Benedict: Serial Heroes

Earlier this year I was thrilled to have the chance to interview A.K. Benedict about her new novel Jonathan Dark Or The Evidence of Ghosts and also her Torchwood audio play The Victorian Age. A crime story (with ghosts) and also a play starring Captain Jack Harkness? A.K. Benedict seemed to have found my entertainment wish list and written everything I liked.

When I decided I would try to run this third series of my Serial Heroes features I thought it was a perfect opportunity to invite A.K. Benedict back to Grab This Book. If she writes stories I love then perhaps we also read the same authors too? It turns out that in this case we do…

I first found Agatha Christie while trying to murder my friends. It was a 10^th birthday party and, being a macabre child, insisted on Murder in the Dark instead of the passé Pass the Parcel. Everyone took a piece of paper from a beige Tupperware bowl. Most were blank but on one was the word ‘Murderer’, on another ‘Detective’. I was the designated murderer.

Lights off, everyone scattered, stumbling about the house in the dark. I located my first victim easily using my keen olfactory sense. She was sitting on the stairs eating Opal Fruits. I whispered ‘You’re Dead’ in her ear then ruined it by saying, ‘Sorry.’ I then went upstairs, fake-slaughtering a few nine year olds along the way, and into my friend’s mum’s bedroom. I felt my way around the room and found a large bookshelf. Running my fingers across the books, I could feel many slim paperbacks with cracked spines and tears on the covers. These books had been read many times. I had to know what they were. I turned on the lights.

Wedged tight on the shelf was, it turns out, every one of Agatha Christie’s books. I pulled out The ABC Murders, sat on the bed and started to read. I was gripped immediately. I completely forgot that I was supposed to kill the rest of the party-goers and was found on the floor, reading, by several friends, furious at not being murdered.

My friend’s mum, however, knew a budding crime fan when she saw one and lent me the book. I read it overnight and took it back the next morning. She gave me another one. And another one the next day. I spent the summer holidays of 1988 reading one Christie a day, sitting under a tree and eating mint-flavoured Clubs. It was brilliant. I loved Miss Marple, Poirot and Harley Quin. I wanted to play Murder in the Dark with them at my party.

I went on to love all kinds of crime fiction but it all comes back to Christie. Every year, I read all of her books again. Each time I’m drawn in by the conversational tone that belies the darkness, the humour and the crisply written settings and characters. Christie twists me round her crooked finger: she hooks, hoodwinks and hustles better than any other writer I’ve read. I even named my dog after my favourite Marple – Dame Margaret Rutherford.

While I have favourites (The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, 4.50 from Paddington, And Then There Were None, The Crooked House), I am still most fond of The ABC Murders. I live near Bexhill where poor Betty Barnard is killed in the novel and always think of her as I walk on the beach. I love visiting places that resonate with Christie connections: I can’t go to Paddington without wondering if I’ll see something untoward from the train. There are two places where I feel most connected to her: Greenway, her holiday home now a National Trust property, and The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate. Christie was found at the hotel following her infamous disappearance. It’s a thrill to get lost, as I did this morning, in The Old Swan’s corridors and pass the bedroom marked AGATHA.

I’m now sitting on The Old Swan’s lawn at the annual Theakston’s Crime Festival, about to read a new Hercule Poirot book by Sophie Hannah. The Monogram Murders is dedicated to Agatha Christie and, even a few pages in, is a brilliant way continuation of her characters long after her death.

A.K. Benedict’s books can be ordered by clicking through this link.

Alternatively visit her rather fabulous website at http://www.akbenedict.com/

A.K. Benedict is also on Twitter at: @ak_benedict

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August 18

In A Dark, Dark Wood – Ruth Ware

Someone’s getting married.

Someone’s getting murdered.

In a dark, dark wood

Nora hasn’t seen Clare for ten years. Not since Nora walked out of school one day and never went back.

There was a dark, dark house

Until, out of the blue, an invitation to Clare’s hen do arrives. Is this a chance for Nora to finally put her past behind her?

And in the dark, dark house there was a dark, dark room

But something goes wrong. Very wrong.

And in the dark, dark room….

Some things can’t stay secret for ever.

Thanks to Harvill Secker for my review copy which I received through Netgalley

A male blogger reviewing a Hen Night book. Tricky! I asked my wife about her Hen Nights (plural). Great fun apparently (though I do recall picking broken glass from the soles of her feet) but seemingly it can be awkward bringing random strangers together who have little in common – other than the fact they all know the bride.

Between finishing In A Dark, Dark Wood and writing this review I also saw a comedian at the Edinburgh Fringe*. He had been a barman for many years and had an interesting view on group dynamics. He believed that Stag Parties have an Alpha who the group will blindly follow – Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. Hen Parties he compared to Game Of Thrones, anyone can betray anyone else in the blink of an eye.

In a Dark, Dark Wood did read just like he described. A Hen Party where you do not feel any alliance is truly believable and (through clever use of jumping the reader forward in time to events after the hen weekend) we know that something has gone very, very wrong.

The lead voice in the story is that of Nora, a writer who lives a private and quiet life. Out of the blue she receives an invitation to a hen party for one of her oldest friends. However, she has not seen this friend for many years and the invitation is very unexpected. Persuaded by a mutual friend from their University days (who also has an invitation) Nora agrees to travel to a remote area of Northumberland in deep, dark Autumn to spend the weekend in the company of strangers. This may not be the best decision she makes all year!

The remote setting and the oddly assembled cast of characters was very reminiscent of an Agatha Christie novel ripped forward into a 21^st Century setting. You know that the ‘bad guy’ is likely to be one of the guests (but perhaps not) and you know that the ‘nice’ people are most at risk (unless the irritating one is). Beautifully complicated dynamics.

It was impossible for me not to make judgement on each of the characters, some I liked, others I did not and one person irritated the Hell out of me. Knowing that events were soon to spiral out of control I did find myself willing the nicer people to be spared from future horrors.

As the story unfolded (and Nora’s discomfort increased) I became increasingly engrossed in the book. The writing was top quality and I have to applaud Ruth Ware for transporting me from poolside in sunny Ibiza to a bleak Northumberland wood on a chilly and dark night.

In A Dark, Dark Wood is a cracking read and comes highly recommended. Definitely one to add to the shopping basket next time you are in the market for a slick and thrilling tale.

In A Dark, Dark Wood is published by Harvill Secker and is available in Hardback and digital format now.

Ruth Ware is on Twitter: @RuthWareWriter and at www.ruthware.com

*The comedian I have quoted is Chris Betts – he is well worth tracking down at comedy clubs/festivals. He also collects graffiti from toilet walls.

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