Have finally caught up with Susan Hill's detective Simon Serrailler, having read two of the four titles so far published. They are good in a slightly old-fashioned way, very readable and its not too obvious to work out who dunnit. Also there are lots of nice interesting sub-plots about people not obviously connected to the main story, but with a lot to add to the book. I used to read at lot of detective stories at one time, but almost stopped as I found some of the more recently published ones dwelling a bit too much on the violence inflicted on the victim, and less on the solving of the crime.
I recently finished Katie Fforde's Going Dutch -I really enjoy these books of hers, escapism at its best - fast-paced, light romances but with some humour and often presenting characters who deal with life's problems in ways which are only too human and recognisable. this one was well up to her usual standard, I thought, and as I haven't read a Katie Fforde for a while, all the more enjoyable for that. I'm not sure that I like the newer covers, especially on the paperbacks, as they make the books look a bit more chick-lit than they actually are, but doubtless the publishers have done it to try and gain a foothold in that market for Katie. I find that I get a bit annoyed by publishers changing jackets, as when browsing round a public library (or bookshop) it is possible to pick up a "new" book that I read years ago when it was first published, and only on getting into to it when at home finding that fact out. I know I'm not the only person to feel that annoyance, as many of the readers in the libraries I worked in made the same comment.
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