[HPFGU-Catalogue] Re: Catching up..

[Barry Arrowsmith]

> Oh yes, I forgot about Bellwether, I enjoyed that one too. Will
> try 'Doomsday Book'.
>
> Speaking of Oxford, has anyone read 'An Instance of the Fingerpost'
> by Ian Pears? It's quite dense, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact
> I'd rate it as the best thing I've read in the last couple of years
> (not counting classics). It's not very light-hearted, though.
>

Very different to his other books (whodunnits set in the art world),  
much darker.
Doomsday Book isn't a bundle of laughs either - lots of deaths,  
mostly from disease.

One book that I've never understood why it's not in the top 10 of  
everyone's list of books to talk about - Flicker by Theodore Roszak.  
Weird conjunction of medieval heresy, history of film and detective  
story.

Recommend John Lawton - a series of 4 sort of police procedural books  
not far off Le Carre for quality (some whisper that they're better,  
at least when compared to his later ones):
Blackout - set in 1944
Old Flames - set against the background of Kruschev & Bulganin's  
visit in '56, with 'Buster' Crabbe mystery thrown in, plus Suez
Blue Rondo - '59, Kray twins as inspiration
A Little White Death - 1963, Profumo affair and Philby as inspirations.

Very evocative of the times which they describe. Well, the last three  
are, in '44
I wasn't taking much notice of what was going on around me.
Best read in chronological order -  previous action and characters  
carried over into later books.