They do it with mirrors (2006)

By Agatha Christie
You know, I’ve never read an Agatha Christie before. I know, I know, what have I been doing with myself? Reading Georgette Heyer and Dorothy Sayers instead, that’s what. But anyway, how did I like it? Not bad actually, and this book was even a Miss Marple adventure, who I’ve never been terribly interested in on the telly – she’s much more enjoyable in person. Maybe I’ll even like Poirot, if I read him instead of watch!! Anyway, it’s a good thing I liked Christie’s book, because I understand there’s a lot of others around and it’s always nice to know there’s a tidy stash of good books tucked away waiting to be read.

So what happens? The inherently mild-mannered, nosy Miss Marple leaves her intrigue-infested home town of St Mary Mead to visit an old friend, Carrie Louise Serrocold, who may be in trouble, according to the unspecified hunch of a mutual friend. Carrie Louise lives in a large mansion with her husband, two stepsons from a previous marriage, a daughter from a different previous marriage, a granddaughter, a grandson-in-law, a very efficient house-keeper/personal companion and about 200 juvenile delinquents and their attending physicians and psychiatrists - her husband has turned the family mansion into a school for recently released young offenders, but don’t worry, none of them are ever suspected of the murder. Wait – did I say there was a murder? Well there is, and Miss Marple figures out who did it!!

I think you could probably sum up this book as “charming”. I’m probably the last person on the planet to read it, but if by chance I’m wrong and that person is you, go on, give Miss Marple a go. You know you want to!!

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Menagerie Manor (2003)

By Gerald Durrell
I’ve always known about the existence of Gerald Durrell and had the impression that there was much to recommend him, but never got around to reading one of his books. A lifelong animal freak, this book is about the zoo he set up on the grounds of an old manor house (Jersey Zoological Park) in the Channel Islands, with the help of his wife, his mum, his staff and many very tolerant neighbours.

While by no means a work that puts any strain on the old brain cells, the book is nonetheless very enjoyable and contains lots of cute animal stories – I liked the one about the fat skunk, and another one about a young lion who decided he needed to learn how to roar but had to practice quietly in the back of his cage for a long time before showing it off. I did feel sorry for all the mice that inevitably were fed to various reptiles, and occasionally wondered how good the living conditions for the animals really were (the book was written in the 1960s), but it is still a very “feel-good” book. When I finished, I even wondered whether I should reconsider my intense dislike for the entire monkey family, so charming did the author make them sound.

I’m not going to rush out and read another one of Durrell’s books as I suspect you could overdose very easily, but it’s nice to know there’s a group of books out there that will be enjoyable reading at some stage.

Rating: 7 out of 10

The No.1 Ladies’ Detective Agency (2004)

By Alexander McCall Smith
The adventures of Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s only female private eye, are something of a literary phenomenon at the moment, from what I understand. There are at least four in this series so far, and I’m sure there will be more. The book describes the adventures of Mme Ramotswe, a smart, large woman who opens up her detective agency after her father dies. (Her father recommended that she buy her own business, but a detective agency was not what he had in mind).

I liked this book, although it’s not going on my list of all-time favourites. I will certainly keep the others in the series in mind for my next holiday or MS Readathon, whichever comes first. This is a gentle book, despite dealing with some fairly serious issues, not the dark, gritty kind of detective novel. Or even the smart, sassy kind of detective novel. Or the suave, world-weary kind of detective novel. Anyway, you get idea. Give Mme Ramotswe a go.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10