Madeleine

The Scandal by Mari Hannah - 3rd in the Stone and Oliver crime series set in and around Newcastle-on-Tyne. It's not long before Christmas and DI Frankie Oliver is shocked to discover that a stabbing victim is a young man who was her childhood friend; his family lived opposite to Frankie's house, and after his journalist father was killed on assignment abroad, his mother started drinking heavily and he would seek solace with Frankie and her own parents, who still keep an eye on his mother now. A journalist himself, he was working on some sort of apparent cover-up at a local, very expensive old people's home, owned by a local dignitary. When the police discover that Alice, a former employee at the home, has also gone missing (it was thought she'd gone to live in the US) and her children haven't heard from her for over a year, they investigate further and find that Chris, the young journalist, had been in touch with her. Sensing a link, they start to look at the home and it's workers, and Stone's nephew Ben, who has journalistic ambitions of his own, sees this as a perfect opportunity to impress Stone and Oliver (whom he idolises), but inevitably puts himself in danger. This was another enjoyable instalment in an entertaining series, and at least two more are planned. 8/10

The Bronte Sisters film is called To Walk Invisible, and was shown in the UK a couple of Christmases ago. I enjoyed it, thought it was well cast and looked convincing (unlike some costume dramas where everyone looks too "modern"!).

Yes as Will says you do need to read the series in order, as the story arc does develop during the books. I've only read one novella so far - The Furthest Station - which could probably be read as a stand alone book.

It's absolutely chucking it down now, typically just as it's home time....

Total Eclipse of the Heart - Bonnie Tyler

Only You - Yazoo

thankfully I was in Devon last week where after a few unsettled days (and rain nearly the whole way down and when we got there) it was really nice, mid 20s with a breeze so very pleasant, apart from getting woken up by thunder early on Thursday morning, and Thursday night which was very hot, then home on Friday to rain most of the night and nearly all of Saturday. Much more manageable today but some underground train lines have never heard of air conditioning and are always hot, even on a cold wintry day So glad I missed the mini heatwave, last year was unbearable!

Rock the Casbah - the Clash

Glad you liked it!

My main one is on Amazon, with others on Waterstone's, book Depository and Wordery.

Wild wood - Paul Weller

Empire of the Sun - J G Ballard

I loved Shadow of the Wind, definitely a keeper, hope you like the rest of it.

Peter

Move any Mountain - The Shamen

sky

Decline and Fall - Evelyn Waugh

I was going to suggest Gamache as well, and Ann Cleeves is another good suggestion. No more books on Endeavour, and the author of Morse died last year. Just thought of another couple - P D James's Adam Dalgliesh series, or Susan Hill's Simon Serrailler books, although they can be a bit dry.

I've often wondered if proof readers are actually used now, my current read is also littered with mis prints and other errors, and it seems to be a regular thing now.

The Mountain of Adventure - Enid Blyton

I think the Cruellest Month is my favourite of the Gamache books so far.

revolution

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier

sea

The Vanishing Box by Elly Griffiths - latest in the Stephens and Mephisto series set in 1950s Brighton, it's now 1953 and Max Mephisto is headlining the variety show in the town, performing a double magic act with his daughter Ruby, who he didn't even know existed until a few years ago. Now she's engaged to his best friend, policeman Edgar Stephens, but when a young woman is murdered at theatrical digs, seemingly posed to mimic a scene from another act in the variety show, the two men find themselves once again involved with murder. Max's relationship with one of the showgirls ends in disaster, and there are also issues with the various personal relationships too, both among the theatre folk and the police, with ambitious young WPC Emma Holmes very much taking a leading role in this story. Another solid read from this reliable author, although not as enjoyable as her Ruth Galloway series, but still entertaining, and very evocative of Brighton during a snowy winter just before Christmas, with it's tales of stern theatrical landladies and a cast of colourful characters. 7/10