SPARKS

[Spyke]

I'm reading We Are The Martians: The Legacy of Nigel Kneale. It's a collection of essays about the scriptwriter, who's most well known for devising the Quatermass TV serials in the 1950s. Through these in particular he's been influential in the world of TV drama, and his other works explored folk horror, ghost sightings, reality TV (in the 60s!) and dystopias. The essays in this book celebrate Kneale's imagination and skill at crafting stories, and also place his work in a wider context. It's a decent read if you like that sort of thing!
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"but we can hear what others can't hear..."

[Alex Robertson]

The Killer In The Choir by Simon Brett, one of his Fethering mysteries…an easy read, but complicated enough to rival any Agatha Christie. Always a satisfying plot…but all Simon Brett’s books are like that.

[Alex Robertson]

The Rebel’s Mark another in the SW. Perry series, this time the action moves to medieval Ireland and Elizabeth the first trying to subjugate the nation

[Alex Robertson]

Just finished Murder In An Irish Bookshop by Charlene O’Connor so it’s a trip to the library tomorrow.
I’ve an idea what I’ll be getting (pending availability) it’s a problem when you start reading a series of books but not a bad problem.

[Alex Robertson]

Carlene O’Connor, S.W. Perry and Simon Brett were my choices. I’ve reviewed other books in the series by all three authors so have nothing new to report except to recommend them.

[Alex Robertson]

Knife Edge by Simon Mayo (yes, broadcaster, presenter and Sparks fan)
Just started it and it seems fairly well constructed so far. The premise is interesting…7 murders in one day and an investigative journalist being drawn in as the victims are all colleagues…not his first book but I think his first thriller.
I think I’m going to enjoy this one a great deal.

[Alex Robertson]

Well Simon Mayo’s thriller was ok…fairly formulaic but I enjoyed the read and the twists.
The Whisper Man by Alex North is my next book of choice.

[Crabby]

I read Ulysses because Ron Mael dared me to.. 😂
I loved it, its a magnificent work of art.... Now, in the vain hope that either of the Mael boys read this Forum, l would shout out to Ron.... Read Finnegans Wake if you think you're a big boy!!!!
Joyce's final novel.....
I'm on page 4 and already l've entered a parallel universe....... God help me, l may never recover.. 😱

[Alex Robertson]

Time for a library visit…finished The Whisper Man
Was alright but a few “unresolved” pieces in there.
Also finished The Inspector And Mrs Jeffries by Emily Brightwell, formulaic cosy (Victorian) murder mystery, an easy read and not too gruesome. I’ll probably read more in the series.
Still not tempted to give Ulysses another go though!

[Crabby]

You really need to be in the mood for Ulysses but Finnegans Wake?? Is anyone here old enough to remember Stanley Unwin? (sadly l am!)..... It's as if Stanley wrote a novel...... 😂

[Alex Robertson]

There is a scene from It Ain’t Half Hot Mum,brought to mind by the recent death of John Clegg, which sort of ties in.
Bearing in mind it’s been a couple of decades since I saw the show, I’ll be paraphrasing slightly.

Battery sergeant major Williams (Windsor Davies) picking up a book,that Gunner Graham (John Clegg) has just put down , “Wot’s this you’re reading’ then?”
Double take at the title, “Oh that’s typical that is, sums you up perfectly ‘USELESS’ ! Only Ladidah Gunner Graham would read a book called ‘USELESS’!
“Er, I think you’ll find it’s called ‘ULYSSES’ sir!”
The retort sets BSM Williams into a tight lipped impersonation of the answer before he goes into an apoplectic rant!

[Crabby]

😂😂😂

[J. Prufrock]

I got my dose of weirdness reading an English translation of Walking Practice (Dolki Min, 2022). The protagonist is a shapeshifting alien stranded on Earth, learning to pass as human while hunting actual humans for food (warning for the squeamish - the alien's preferred hunting method is to pose as an attractive human, set up casual sexual encounters via 'dating' apps, and strike when each partner is ...least expecting to be murdered by a shapeshifting alien.) The alien muses about human gender and sexuality in the course of events; there's a twist at the end but I won't spoil that.

[Alex Robertson]

Just started The DogSitter Detective Takes The Lead by Antony Johnston, about an out of work actress who supplements her income by dog-sitting who solves murders as a sideline, again a light hearted murder mystery and again, I’ve missed the first one in the series. Easy reading for those who like things none too grisly.

[J. Prufrock]

No actual cats are harmed in the plot of The Dead Cat Tail Assassins (P. Djeli Clark, 2024.) Having got that out of the way, I found this book, as the author notes in the end-of-book acknowledgements, "as fun as you can get with undead assassins and death gods." The protagonist - a member of a guild of professional assassins - deals with a questionable murder contract while also questioning why she's suddenly getting flashback memories of her mortal life and why everyone calls her 'Eveen the Eviscerator' when she only did that to one guy. 213 pages pack in plenty of action, a bit of legal drama about the contract, and a very darkly funny final paragraph.

[Alex Robertson]

The McMasters Guide To Homicide…MURDER YOUR EMPLOYER by Rupert Holmes (yes the guy who produced Big Beat whilst enjoying Pina Colada and getting caught in the rain)
Supposedly from the memoirs of the Dean of the academy, it’s an interesting premise, an academy that has graduates becoming prolific in committing the perfect murder and getting away with it. Lots of clever little jokes scattered throughout so far. I did read Swing by him some years back and thoroughly enjoyed that and this is shaping up to be just as good, if not better.

[Crabby]

James Joyce.... "Dubliners"
A great collection of short stories..... From a man who went on to write really avant garde stuff these stories are absolutely beautifully written and a joy to read..... Highly recommended.
(now, back to Finnegans Wake..... I should have it finished by January 2025....😂)

[J. Prufrock]

I took a little manga break; rather than binge one title all at once I generally read a volume every month or two. I got a Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service after avoiding it over the summer; even now with the darker evenings making its creepiness seem more appropriate, I also picked up another Fox & Little Tanuki (which might have been a bit too cute and sweet if I wasn't alternating it with KCDS) and also started Otherworldly Izakaya Nobu - very cozy although the emphasis on food tends to make me want the dishes depicted and I have no izakaya, otherworldly or otherwise, in my town.

[Alex Robertson]

The Rupert Holmes book was real fun, I’d recommend it to anyone who loves twisted-plot thrillers. I followed it up with another Victorian Murder Mystery by Emily Brightwell The Ghost And Mrs Jeffries satisfying and cosy as was the other book of hers that I read.
As I usually walk to the library, my visits have been curtailed by this spell of persistent heavy downpours. So no new books to recommend as yet.

[Alex Robertson]

Whatever Gets You Through The Night by Charlie Higson ( yes he of The Fast Show) a good old thriller, lots of twists and turns set on Corfu where the hero is employed loved to rescue a 15 year old girl held in a suspected paedophile’s “tennis school”.
There are gangland turf wars and drug czars all thrown into the mix. If you like a roller coaster read, this is the one for you!