The Call by Edith Ayrton Zangwill (1924)
Ursula Winfield is a bright young scientist who abandons her scientific work to become a top suffragette.
Her struggles to be accepted by the male-dominated scientific community and the horrors inflicted on suffragettes make for pretty compelling reading, but then the story focuses on Ursula’s stilted romance with Tony Balestier and I kind of lost interest.
Death at the Bar by Ngaio Marsh (1940)
An over-confident lawyer is killed by a poisoned dart in a bet gone wrong.
Very enjoyable.
Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh (1942)
Wealthy old bachelor Jonathan Royal invites a group of people (who have multiple reasons to hate each other) to his country house for a weekend party and then is shocked when someone ends up dead.
Suspenseful and good fun.
Doctor Sally by PG Wodehouse (1932)
Bill Bannister falls madly in love with beautiful Dr Sally Smith, but, thinking him a wealthy playboy, she isn’t interested.
The story is a bit thinner than most Wodehouses, but there were many very funny passages.
Fanny Burney’s Diary: A Selection from the Diary and Letters, ed by John Wain (1961)
A best-selling author as a young woman, Frances acted as a personal attendant to Queen Charlotte for five years, before marrying and having a child.
The entries in which she marvelled at the popularity of her novel and recounted everyone’s amazement at her genius got to be a bit tedious, but I really enjoyed the entries written while King George III was in crisis.
The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon (1931)
Inspector Maigret watches a man mail a large wad of cash to himself and, wanting to know why he’s behaving so suspiciously, follows him. After witnessing the man commit suicide, his investigation into the man’s true identity and circumstances leads him to a crime committed ten years earlier.
Simenon’s style (exclamation marks! ellipses…) takes a bit of getting used to, but the plot was strange enough to keep me interested.
The Parasites by Daphne du Maurier (1949)
Recounts the strange childhood and difficult adulthood of Maria, Niall and Celia, the grown children of a famous dancer mother and a famous singer father.
Really good characterization, but confusing narration – sometimes third person and sometimes first person, although it was unclear who the ‘I’ was that was speaking. I saw this recommended as a ‘hysterically funny’ book and I wouldn’t say that, but it had its moments.
Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon (1931)
On the trail of infamous criminal Pietr the Latvian, Inspector Maigret is determined not to lose him.
I found it a bit difficult to understand what was happening at times, but enjoyed it.
Surfeit of Lampreys by Ngaio Marsh (1940)
A large, eccentric family always living beyond their means, the Lampreys are counting on rich Uncle Gabriel to bail them out of financial trouble again. Unfortunately for him, Uncle Gabriel ends up murdered in the Lampreys’ house and Inspector Alleyn has to figure out who did it and why.
Engaging characters, a clever plot – I really liked this one.
We Need Your Art by Amie McNee (2025)
Pep talks and lots of good advice for all kinds of issues artists, makers and writers face. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone struggling with their creative life.