Here a couple of the books I’ve been reading recently.
Dead in the Water / Carola Dunn
I enjoy murder mysteries, particularly British murder mysteries. I’m always on the lookout for a new series to delve into, so I thought I would give this period piece a try. Set in the 1920s, it features a plucky young aristocrat heroine named Daisy, who is determined to make her own future, and who solves crimes with her policeman fiancé. In this instalment, an unpopular university student is murdered during a rowing competition, and as usual an innocent man is initially accused of the crime (aren’t they always?). Charming and light, Dead in the Water was an ideal read for my commute – not so absorbing that I risked missing my station, but entertaining enough to help pass the time. I think I’ll pick up another title in this series, of which there are apparently quite a number.
Somewhere a Cat is Waiting / Derek Tangye
I found this classic at a used book store (I am a sucker for used book stores, I love the idea of giving pre-loved books a new lease on life), and I absolutely adored it. Derek and Jeannie Tangye left their city lives and moved to the Cornwall coast, where they became flower farmers. This particular memoir tells the stories of the different cats who have shared their lives with the Tangyes. Initially a cat hater, Derek is slowly transformed into a devoted and thoughtful cat lover who lovingly recounts the colourful personalities of his different feline companions. As a fellow cat lover, I devoured this charming, thoughtful memoir, and I’m on the lookout for more books by the late Derek Tangye.
Another murder mystery, but this one is set in Quebec. The first in a series, Still Life introduces Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his colleagues from the Surete du Quebec, who investigate a murder in a rural Quebec village. I did rather enjoy this novel, and I’m eager to discover more books in the series, which I understand feature many of the same characters from novel to novel. I would like to explore more Canadian literature (unfortunately I think the high school experience leaves many of us with an unpleasant feeling towards Canadian authors), particularly popular fiction set in regions of the country I am less familiar with. Again, not necessarily a particularly ground-breaking novel, but certainly enjoyable.