Full Metal Wheelbarrow

The Ruby in the Smoke by Philip Pullman. 209 pages.

When Sally Lockhart's father dies in a shipwreck, she's sent to live with an unpleasant aunt. But Sally is no Jane Eyre - she has been brought up to be bold and self-sufficient and carries a pistol in her handbag. And she isn't convinced by the account of her father's death she's been handed, so she sets out to find out the truth, unaware that she may get a great deal more than she bargained for….

I saw the tv adaptation of this with Billie Piper and was curious to see how much they'd changed from the book - and the answer seems to be "not very much at all". I've rarely seen a book and its televised version so close together. I very much enjoyed both and will be looking for a copy of the second book.

The Kalahari Typing School For Men by Alexander McCall Smith

The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency books (of which this is the fourth) are marketed as detective stories, but, I have just realised, they aren't really. The mysteries are usually fairly small and resolved without much difficulty. The emphasis is more on the character and behaviour of the people involved, with a bit of gentle philosophical rumination thrown in. Not that this is a bad thing. Reading these books is like visiting friends, and this was another enjoyable trip to see Mma Ramotswe, Mr J.L. B. Matekoni, Mma Makutsi and their friends, acquaintances and clients.

I really enjoy the language of these books - it's not quite poetic, but there's a certain shape to it that's instantly recognisable and slides you easily into the city  of Gaborone and makes it seem like home. A lovely relaxing read that's the literary equivalent of a nice soak in a warm bath.

Taking a leaf from edith_jones' book and posting my 50 book challenge reviews to my own journal as well...

The Coroner's Lunch by Colin Cotterill
A nicely unusual mystery, set in 1976 in the newly communist state of Laos. Dr Siri Paiboun was hoping for an honourable retirement at the age of seventy-two after years of working for the revolution, but instead he is made chief coroner for the new state. When three dead Vietnamese surface (literally), Siri's life becomes more interesting than he could really have wished. There are supernatural elements in this book, that you wouldn't necessarily expect from the blurb, but I thought they blended in nicely and I enjoyed this book immensely. The characters are enjoyably witty, but there are moments which are very moving too. I'm greatly looking forward to reading the sequel.