Lady in Waiting: My Extraordinary Life in the Shadow of the Crown by Anne Glenconner

“Instead of the bronzed gods we were expecting, they were all so frightfully pale because it was the beginning of the season.”

When I saw Lady Glenconner on Graham Norton I knew this was a book I had to invest in. She seemed so effervescent and entertaining. I longed to hear more juicy stories of her time with the most interesting of modern royals, Princess Margaret. Let's face it she's definitely the most exciting character on The Crown.

There is something otherworldly about this tale and I think therein lies much of its charm. The relationship of Anne with her husband just seemed so foreign  to me but compelling nonetheless to read about.

Perhaps one of the most unforgettable aspects of the book was the amount of tragedy this woman had to endure.It doesn't matter where you stand on the social sphere, we are all fallible and human.The death of one son to AIDS and one to a motorbike accident are truly horrific and you can't help but admire her tenacity.

I had an overwhelming desire, after reading this, to find some way to holiday in Mustique in full Princess Margaret kaftan gloriousness. That was in those days when travel was an option, lets hope they return soon.

 5 out of 5:  sometimes its hard when you have such stunning friends.

Beating About the Bush (Agatha Raisin #30) by M.C. Beaton

“Agatha stole a glance towards Toni. She really was a very pretty young thing, she mused. Blonde hair, blue eyes and a trim figure.”

As usual, Agatha is jealous of Toni but she is about to make the acquaintance of a rather interesting donkey. You heard me correctly. Agatha and the donkey will make national news and of course there's a rather meaty mystery involving a factory involved also.
My feelings for Sir Charles Fraith ebbed and flowed just as much as Agatha's in this one.
A severed leg, an ornery donkey and a battery factory that might just be up to something dodgy, sounds like just the kind of setting for murder, mayhem and reading till the wee hours.
Unfortunately I finished this way too quickly and now I have to wait until the next story is released which is later this year. M.C.Beaton is a legend and I love her creation.

 5 out of 5 legs in a bush are always a surprise.

Agatha Raisin and the Dead Ringer (Agatha Raisin #29) by M.C. Beaton

“And there were no bell ringers more dedicated than Mavis and Millicent Dupin. They dressed alike in twinsets:  baggy tweed skirts and brogues.”

Bell ringers, it would appear, are a strange breed. Given that they're dragging heavy ropes up and down in rhythmic patterns and enduring loud noises, I imagine things might get a little strange. The impending visit of the rather good looking new bishop's visit sets the bellringers in a frenzy and when one turns up dead, you just now our delightful detective will be back on the case.

The bishop himself has a back story - a former fiancee went missing - could he be the killer? An increasing body count will have Agatha and her friends busy detecting and this reader happily ensconced in the outcome.

5 out of 5 - ding dong.

Becoming Strangers by Louise Dean

“Year after year a fresh crop of cells emerged, excisions followed and he lived. The knife-and-forking of his body seemed to give a perverse impetus to his will to survive.”

Thoroughly enjoyed this tale of a holiday that isn't quite what its cracked up to be. An old couple is sent to an exclusive resort by their children for a much needed break and yet things aren't quite what they seem. A dying man and his wife's holiday is not the delightful last hurrah it could be. 

An attempted rape is entirely not what it seems and all around an air of deceipt and evasion acts in stark contrast to the beautiful surrounds.

Personally I found the writing engaging and in between the sensation of the summer sun, I could feel that sense that one has sometimes of a holiday as a relationship solution that never delivers. I was transported to my own recent travels with the former source of woe and the way that even the delights of travel can be tainted by the wrong company. The author excruciatingly realises that strange juxtaposition of confinement and freedom that a resort can create.

5 out of 5 : right now I wish I was isolated somewhere tropical.

Agatha Raisin and the Witches' Tree (Agatha Raisin #28) by M.C. Beaton

"To hell with both of them, she thought, as she settled down in front of the fire in her cottage with a large gin and tonic in one hand and a cigarette in the other."

A creepy start to this cosy cottage murder mystery when an old lady is found swinging from the 'witches tree'. Charles is his unreliable best in this one, where a coven plays a major role in the proceedings, mind you that won't stop hi from having a roll in the hay with the eponymous Agatha. Eerie as ever, the body count mounts and the intrigue builds and as always our favourite detective's life is endangered.

Agatha also brings her extensive public relations talents to bear to help Sir Charles with his financial woes. Perhaps this wasn't the best of the series, and yet it remains a delightful outing for this fan.

5 our of 5 scary witches might not be the worst problem.

Me by Elton John

“Donatella had always had a cocaine problem. Everyone knew, except Gianni. He was incredibly naive about drugs.”

Elton John has had an amazing career and he is one of those over the top characters that its hard to believe have lasted so long. If, like me, you loved the biopic Rocketman, then you will adore hearing the stories of a life lived extra large from the man himself.

This autobiography is easy to read and chatty in style, something which means the more poignant moments can cut much deeper. It demonstrates much like the fictional characters in all those versions of A Star is Born, how stardom is an industry and the face of it will be driven by whatever means necessary to appear, including feeding more drugs to someone who has overdosed, rather than treating their addiction.

Broken hearts, great songs and partying almost to death, there is so much to lose yourself in here and isn’t that exactly what we seek from a celebrity autobiography? In the end, Reg Dwight does alright.

5 out of 5 lives lived large are always tantalising.

Identity Crisis by Ben Elton

“They were a team now, him in his perfect dinner jacket, her in a seriously fabulous dress, dining at a billionaire’s restaurant, drinking champagne and drifting towards having sex in a suite that overlooked Lake Geneva. She was a freakin’ Bond girl.”

What a difference a few weeks make. Remember the confusion around gender that seemed to have the knickers of baby boomers, including one of my ancient relatives, in a twist? When men were terrified of being silenced by cancel culture for saying something deemed offensive and they couldn’t understand why. Ah those were the days. 

Ben Elton has always been a hilarious writer and yet this one just left me a little cold. Older men trying to come to grips with the concept of gender fluidity without having a heart attack; such a setting seems so remote. The notion of course is simple really. People are people and how they feel about themselves is their real human right. The idea of feminine or masculine is so often a construct of our environment. I get that here Elton is making fun to both acclimatise and entertain his readers and I don’t think I’m the target audience.

As a story there are moment of fun. Although, having watched Benedict Cumberbatch in Brexit, last week made me realise how close to the truth much of the novel becomes. The manipulation of the public through rage and emotional appeals expressed within the leave campaign aligns strongly to Malika’s tale in the book.

Perhaps I would enjoy this book more in less uncertain times. Perhaps the world we know today is a product of the age of outrage and the lack of trust in institutions. When this all boils over I might enjoy this one more.

 4 out of 5 – murder mystery + social satire, doesn’t equal upbeat times.