I only managed nine books that month, probably because we were away. J D Kirk makes only one appearance with The Big Man Upstairs ( this one was very good). I listened to two more books by J M Dalglish and I still didn't like the passive aggressive girlfriend or the voice of the narrator who incidentally cannot pronounce Hunstanton correctly. This seems to upset some (presumably Norfolk dwelling ) Audible reviewers very much indeed - and I don't blame them. Anyway the two I listened to in April were Kill Our Sins and Tell No Tales. As before competent, but somehow very very dull.
No Friend to This House wasn't exactly a re-read but I had already listened to it on Audible. I'm finding it quite interesting to compare the two experiences of listening and reading. I think I marginally preferred reading this one, but that's no reflection on Natalie's ability to read her own work. It just felt more cohesive to me reading it. Anyway it's very good. Up there with Stone Blind and a little way behind A Thousand Ships.
I listened to a couple of novellas while we were away, again re listens; Standing by the Wall by Mick Herron and When did you last see your father? by Jodi Taylor; short pieces adjacent to Slough House and St Mary's respectively.
Next up is a bit of a curiosity. Becoming Mrs Darcy Volume 1 by Julie B Grantham. This was a gift, as it's not the sort of thing I would buy for myself, being a Pride and Prejudice sequel. It was an easy read although I am yet to get around to Vol 2 which came with it. Basically I think Julie B just wanted to write a book about being presented at court and Elizabeth Darcy was a hook to hang it on. Although it looms large, I note that at the end of Vol 1 said presentation is yet to take place, although I've learned a lot about the rules for presentation dresses.
Also while I was away I re-read on my Kindle a book called Absolution by Caro Ramsay. It was the first in a detective series set in Glasgow and I had bought it because it was a Saturday Slaughters pick back in Orkney ages ago and there weren't enough physical copies in the library to go around. I have to say I enjoyed it much more the second time around, and had a lot more sympathy with the main character - as in, I wasn't quite so devastatingly disappointed when he failed to kill himself by swimming out to sea or when he missed being killed in a car crash a bit later on. I think the change is a reflection of the fact that deep down I'm a lot happier these days and have a correspondingly larger capacity for empathy.
Finally there was Madame Matisse by Sophie Haydock. I've no idea why I downloaded this on Borrowbox but I'm very glad I did. I loved it. It's the intertwined stories of three women who could be all be addressed at different times as Madame Matisse; the artist's wife, his daughter and Lydia Delectorskaya, a Russian emigree ( well refugee really) who became his muse, assistant and eventually caregiver. Showing how the lives of these three women unfolded was a great way to tell a story about some of the huge changes in Europe in the first half of the C20. Lydia's story really resonated with me as she originally came from Siberia and when she fled the Soviets she went initially to Harbin in China. I had a lecturer at University who had followed this exact same path so it gave me an insight into what part of her early life had been like. No Fun, would sum it up ( accurate if a little glib). I already knew that Matisse's daughter had been arrested imprisoned and tortured by the Gestapo for her involvement in the Resistance, but hadn't known that his estranged wife was also active in the movement. Well researched, readable and, although a book like this must always be partly speculation, it read as credible and was very well written. Definitely recommended.
It looks like May's reads will only total eight, winch is good news or bad news depending on how much you like book posts I suppose!
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