The Taxidermist's Daughter by Kate Mosse

I read this October 2016

I had this on my guilty shelf since the summer...
Strange goings on in the marshes.  A taxidermist who turns to drink, a huge conspiracy, a raped girl sent to an asylum who exacts revenge. What's not to like?

Death in Devon by Ian Sansom

I read this October 2016, a Kindle recommendation.
Another in the County series. 
The People's Professor visits a boys school, and uncovers occult goings on!
an enjoyable read

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers

I read this in October 2016
another charity shop find!
A lighthearted read when I was off work sick.
Simliar to the film, bt has much more in it...

Recommended convalescence read

The Soul of Discretion by Susan Hill

I read this in Otcober 2016.  A charity shop find!
another in the Simon Serrailler crime series. 
Another really good book form Susan Hill, beautifully written and building up slowly but surely to an intense cliffhanger ending.
Simon is undercover trying to smash a pedophile ring.  Meanwhile, his father rapes a fellow freemasons wife, and pisses off to France...
His brother in law has died and his sister is having to cope with 3 children , the closure of the Hospice she works for and loss of income
His girlfriend's husband has died and things are chaging between them...
My goodness, evrything is in this novel!
Throughly enjoyed it!
10./10

Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan

I read this August 2016 as it is the October book for Book Club.  I have a bit of a love / hate relationship with Ian McEwen books, some are dire some are good.
This book is set in London/Cambridge in the days of the Cold War and the miners strike and the 3 day week.  early 1970's bleak Britian...
Serena a clergyman's daughter, maths graduate, avud reader is groomed by an older man to work for MI5. 
Unusually I didn't hate Serena.....she did seem somewhat plausible....
Serena is send to recruit an author, she seems to fall in love with every officious, self ecentred male figure she comes across.
It was a book in 4 parts for me, the first quarter I didn't mind, second and third I found a bit tedious at times, trying to move the plot along in my mind, but the writing and asides seemed to hold everything up for me, the fourth quarter was Ok again (was I just glad to have got through it? )   It turms out that the author is writing this book from Serena's standpoint as he sees it.  I quite liked that idea...

H

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

I read this August 2016.
I found a cipy in a charity shop.  I had wanted to read it for a while, I have seen the film.

I enjoyed this book, plot line is a married couple, new yourk yuppie types, loose their jobs, go to live in the South where Nick grew up and wher his family are.  Wife is Amazing Amy ( a set of cheildren's books her parents wrote) , talented, spoilt, obssesive.
One day Nick comes home to find his wife missing.  Signs of  a struugle, looks like murder or kidnap.
Story reloved round the search and also the story form Amy's piont of view...
Very good, complicated plot.
The only thing I would say is the chapters written in the Nick's voice sometimes , only sometimes, don't sound enough like a man's writing them.
But I really enjoyed both the book and the film
9/10

The Children Act by Ian McKewan

I read this in August 2016.
Dire!
'Story' is about a judge who has to make a decision about giving life saving treatment to a Jehovah's Witness minor. Starts with the judges husband asking permission to have an affair and gets worse.