The Shadows in the Street: Simon Serrailler Book 5 by Susan Hill

This is an absorbing mystery with many layers to the plot but there the victim who is recovering from an attack conveniently remaining unable to speak until the plot has almost run its course is a bit far-fetched

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot Series Book 1) by Agatha Christie

 

 I do love an Agatha Christie as I never can work out "whodunit" until the big revel. 

Meadowland: the private life of an English field by John Lewis-Stempel

I loved this book where John Lewis-Stempel charts a year in the life of a field on his farm on the Herefordshire. It is amazing how much goes on at all levels of flora and fauna. He weaves nature, folklore, geography, history and meteorology with vivid and beautiful description. 

Aunts Aren't Gentlemen: (Jeeves & Wooster) by P.G. Wodehouse

 

 I love Jeeves and Wooster - it makes me laugh out loud!  I did enjoy this one (the last) but it it wasn't as funny as some of the earlier ones. 

The Vows of Silence: Simon Serrailler Book 4 by Susan Hill

I am really enjoying this series, although it is starting to feel a little formulaic.  The most enjoyable bits of the book are the interpersonal relationships.

Children Act by Ian Mcewan

This is a well thought out and structured novel. The novel is short but has some vivid characters and scenes. Many of the issues are not new but you can imagine such things really going on. My enjoyment of this book slowly crept up slowly and by the end I decided how much I had enjoyed it.  

Casino Royale by Ian Flemming

The first novel in the James Bond series and even though I love the films I had never read any of the books before.  The novel itself is short but enjoyable. It is very similar to the Daniel Craig film and it was hard to read without picturing the film, especially because the film people stuck close to the novel in their adaptation.