August and September - what I've been reading

I seem to have missed a month in my rush to finish the sixth Viking book! But here's the last two months' reading - quite a variety this time.

Nina Allen, A Granite Silence: This starts out more a book about writing a book, as it turns out, as the author, travelling to Aberdeen post-lockdown to research the book she intends to write, instead explores the true story of the murder of Helen Priestly in Aberdeen in 1934. It’s very detailed, which is a little unfortunate as some of the details are inaccurate and therefore slightly annoying. Some of the Doric speech doesn’t sit right either – ‘it were’ for ‘it was’, for example, sounding more like the north of England. Part of the way through we switch to a female journalist coming up to Aberdeen to cover the trial, which is briefly disorientating, and I couldn’t get a grip on the place in which she is staying – where is it? Who is the landlady, and how can she afford to spend a month in Italy? Then we jump again to Irma the dancer, then to Tam o’Shanter, then on again to someone called Pearl, grasshopper leaps with very little to guide us. Why did we need Tam o’Shanter rendered in London dialect? It’s hard to keep track of what time period we’re in. There’s quite an interesting biographical reflection on James Glaister the pathologist, but again it doesn’t really fit. I did like the description of a very sick man 'not sleeping so much as simmering’. I was surprised that in her modern review of the area she did not mention the significant bombing of Urquhart Road during the Second World War. Also, she says she was not able to find any trace of the Priestly parents, whereas they both seem to have their deaths registered in Scotland’s People – and she doesn’t seem to know that the court records will also be held by the national archives. Apparently this deconstruction of the narrative is Nina Allen’s usual style, and some people must like it as it did in fact win the Historical Dagger, but it’s really, really, not for me.

John Duncan, The Denburn: The start of a new police procedural series set in Aberdeen with links to Aberdeen’s history – not as many as I felt I had been promised, and some are inaccurate. The opening scene in the old Woolmanhill Hospital was promising but led to nothing, which was a shame partly because I’d really like something done about the building and this might have given it some prominence, and partly because it had great potential as a setting (maybe I should do something about that myself!). There’s a twin brother who pretty much goes nowhere, too. There are several odd misuses of words (regaling stories, rather than regaling people with stories, and the very common reign for rein when reining someone in). I don’t think the author ordered enough full stops and speech marks, as many are missing. Having said all that it was quite a good read and ultimately rather sad. I’ve certainly seen the city less convincingly portrayed in recent reads, and the police team has the capacity to develop quite well in future books.

Dale E. Lehman, The Wagesof Sin: this brings us in just at Dumas and Montufar’s wedding, but perish the thought we’d miss out on a bit of crime! The team are investigating several very different and apparently minor crimes, which in the end are cleverly brought together. I like the way the characters are developing, and though I’ve no idea whether Howard County is real or not, I find I can easily picture it. A very enjoyable series with distinctive plots.

Marsali Taylor, Death in aShetland Family: Lots of animal husbandry in this one but I like that kind of thing, and though I appreciate the descriptions of sailing and can feel the love the author has for the sea, it’s always convincing enough to make me slightly seasick. My failing, not hers. The animals, however …

Joel Hames, The Boatyard: I took a little while to get into this one and found the various bits of the police a little disjointed, but once it, and I, got going, it was a cracking plot and very enjoyable. It’s been a while since I read a book by Joel Hames but I must read more.

Carmen Radtke, Treacheryand Talismans: Another in this very cosy and comfortable series set in a small American town protected by benevolent witchcraft – protected to an extent, anyway, as we have yet another murder for Bex and her coven to solve. The series has really found its feet now and is thoroughly charming, not least because of the wonderful black cat at the heart of it.

T.E. Kinsey, A Quiet Life in the Country: This is well done with a sound background in social history and a keen sense of how to subvert it. It’s quite funny in places and the main characters are strong – others will no doubt grow. I would call it trad rather than cosy though it has a cheery, cosy air to it.

J.D. Kirk, Duty of Care: Great little novelette or thereabouts featuring young P.C. Tyler Neish, with Bob Hoon and Ben in side roles that are very important, particularly at the end. I do get a little tired of Hoon’s swearing but in this one he provides a very satisfactory conclusion to the business at hand, while Tyler gets to show just what a nice young man he actually is – nice, and also stubborn.

Paul Waters, Murder in MoonlitSquare: Very entertaining – our two investigators when an academic is found dead in a respectable Delhi hotel are the manager, fearing imprisonment and the closure of his hotel, and an elderly Irish nun, who has on occasion shared smoking time with him. Their mission is to protect the Pakistani pilgrim suspected of the murder, to prevent the hotel manager being imprisoned, to stop the hotel being shut down, to find the real murderer, and to save the face of Sister Agatha’s school class on the hockey pitch in the face of devastating opposition. Will they succeed?

A.K. Nairn, The Dance ofVipers: An excellent follow-up to the first in the series, but with more political intrigue and considerably more danger for our heroes, de Lisieux and Turnbull. We have wolves here as well as reivers, threats to the young King, escapes through privy floors, and lots in the way of death, injury and threats to anyone who comes close enough. There’s a good historical note at the back for those who want to know just how much is real and what has been made up. On to the next one!

Jodi Taylor, Lights,Camera, Mayhem: Lovely plot in this novella-sized St. Mary’s story, with the usual chaos and history flung together cunningly with a sizeable helping of hilarity and some real peril.

Peter May, The Black Loch: Once again I’m astonished at how many traumas one man can have in his childhood. I like the setting of these books, but the plots, though very well written, are just miserable. I prefer his French series, I think.

Ann Cleeves, The Dark Wives: I haven’t read many of the Vera books but I do enjoy them when I do. Some rather odd accounts of the Duke of Edinburgh Award here, and though Vera might have been surprised at finding a drama theatre in a school our school had one forty years ago at least. I loved the characters, but in the end did not find it as satisfying a read as many of her other books.

And a quick update - The Raven in Silver is drafted, wey hey! I'm waiting for the cover and will commence the edits shortly (possibly this afternoon ...)