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Books - February 2026
Feb. 26th, 2026 04:46 pmI've read 10 books this month, which seems a little ridiculous...
The Shadow Puppet by Georges Simenon
Continuing my plan to read all the Maigret's in our library this year. A Parisian based mystery, where all is not as it seems.
Stories for Lovers edited by Lucy Evans
The latest edition in the British Library Women Writers series. These are short stories from the 1920s through to the 2000s. I enjoyed some of the stories, mostly the earlier ones.
Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
I've read a number of books by Jess Kidd, but this is her first crime mystery. It's set in 1954 in a seaside town in Kent. It wasn't a brilliant story, although by the end I'd enjoyed it. I suspect because I'm used to reading crime novels written in the 1950s it felt a bit out of time. A second in the series is due out later this year, so I'll probably read it at some time.
Death on the Downbeat by Sebastian Farr
A Shedunnit runner up this month, which had appealed for a while. I liked the idea of the orchestra conductor being shot in the middle of a concert and the story being told in epistolary fashion, with lots of musical references. But I didn't enjoy it.
The Edge of Darkness by Vaseem Khan
The next in the Persis Wadia series, I reserved a copy as soon as I knew the library were getting them. Persis, the first female inspector in the Indian police force, has been banished to the Naga Hills. A murder is committed and events tie in with both the current unrest (it's 1951) and previous times. It's a locked room mystery with an interesting cast of characters and a lot of action. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Fra Angelico by Christopher Lloyd
Mainly talking about the over 50 colour plates of his paintings, while also providing details about Fra Angelico's life. Not my preferred style of painting, but nonetheless very interesting.
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
I'd not come across Baldwin before, so it was interesting to read his very powerful essay on the plight of black people in America in the 1960s. What's alarming is that although some things have changed, 60 years on many attitudes haven't.
The Double Turn by Carol Carnac (E C R Lorac)
The latest British Library Crime Classics book, featuring Inspector Rivers. This one was written in 1956 and features some interesting characters and a lot of twists and turns. It also gives an idea of London at the time.
The Saint-Fiacre Affair by Georges Simenon
This time ends up back in the small town he grew up in and where there are people he still recognises. Very different from the one I read earlier in the month, although both date from the same time.
War with the Newts by Karel Capek
This took me a while to get into, although even at the beginning I knew I wanted to read it. Capek, a Czech, wrote this in 1936 as an allegory on the current political situation. Some of his observations of different national characteristics are hilarious, others terrifying. If you're looking for something a bit different to read this year, then I'd recommend this. A sea captain discovers a colony of newts in Sumatra who can be trained to do various things, and things take off from there.
The Shadow Puppet by Georges Simenon
Continuing my plan to read all the Maigret's in our library this year. A Parisian based mystery, where all is not as it seems.
Stories for Lovers edited by Lucy Evans
The latest edition in the British Library Women Writers series. These are short stories from the 1920s through to the 2000s. I enjoyed some of the stories, mostly the earlier ones.
Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd
I've read a number of books by Jess Kidd, but this is her first crime mystery. It's set in 1954 in a seaside town in Kent. It wasn't a brilliant story, although by the end I'd enjoyed it. I suspect because I'm used to reading crime novels written in the 1950s it felt a bit out of time. A second in the series is due out later this year, so I'll probably read it at some time.
Death on the Downbeat by Sebastian Farr
A Shedunnit runner up this month, which had appealed for a while. I liked the idea of the orchestra conductor being shot in the middle of a concert and the story being told in epistolary fashion, with lots of musical references. But I didn't enjoy it.
The Edge of Darkness by Vaseem Khan
The next in the Persis Wadia series, I reserved a copy as soon as I knew the library were getting them. Persis, the first female inspector in the Indian police force, has been banished to the Naga Hills. A murder is committed and events tie in with both the current unrest (it's 1951) and previous times. It's a locked room mystery with an interesting cast of characters and a lot of action. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Fra Angelico by Christopher Lloyd
Mainly talking about the over 50 colour plates of his paintings, while also providing details about Fra Angelico's life. Not my preferred style of painting, but nonetheless very interesting.
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
I'd not come across Baldwin before, so it was interesting to read his very powerful essay on the plight of black people in America in the 1960s. What's alarming is that although some things have changed, 60 years on many attitudes haven't.
The Double Turn by Carol Carnac (E C R Lorac)
The latest British Library Crime Classics book, featuring Inspector Rivers. This one was written in 1956 and features some interesting characters and a lot of twists and turns. It also gives an idea of London at the time.
The Saint-Fiacre Affair by Georges Simenon
This time ends up back in the small town he grew up in and where there are people he still recognises. Very different from the one I read earlier in the month, although both date from the same time.
War with the Newts by Karel Capek
This took me a while to get into, although even at the beginning I knew I wanted to read it. Capek, a Czech, wrote this in 1936 as an allegory on the current political situation. Some of his observations of different national characteristics are hilarious, others terrifying. If you're looking for something a bit different to read this year, then I'd recommend this. A sea captain discovers a colony of newts in Sumatra who can be trained to do various things, and things take off from there.
( bingo card )
