BOOK OF THE WEEK:

Have a look at THE VALE VINEYARD KILLER by Frances Lloyd- an enthralling murder mystery  packed with twists  which will shock the most stoic of readers:

The Vale vineyard tour is disrupted by a nasty discovery. The lifeless body of Bob Beacham, the site manager, is found in a huge fermentation tank. He suffocated to death.  It looks like a tragic accident. That’s until the paramedics find a deep gash on the back of his head. It’s time to call in Detective Jack Dawes.

At only 99p / 99c for a limited time it’s a steal.

Meet Arnold Landon, mild-mannered history buff turned amateur sleuth. Roy Lewis has created a great character, and injected more than enough ups and downs to keep us turning those pages, or OK, they’re eBooks, but you get my meaning.

FIVE utterly gripping novels in one great-value box set The Arnold Landon Mysteries Books 1 – 5. For only 99p/99c.

Anyone interested in AUDIO?  Here you are, then. Just one of Joffe’s AUDIO offerings this week.

Marsh Light by Joy Ellis.

Matt and Liz may have retired from the police for a quiet life, but when an old friend’s sister disappears without a trace, they find themselves at the centre of another mystery . . .   There’s no sign of foul play until another friend goes missing late one night on the misty marshes of the Lincolnshire Fens.

Discover a totally enthralling psychological thriller by bestselling author Joy Ellis, narrated by Matthew Lloyd Davies.

Such a pleasure to meet ALEX SPEARS:  MARKETING MANAGER who tells us:

‘I am the latest recruit to the Joffe Books team, joining a new and revamped marketing department at an exciting time of growth. I will be investigating how we can sell more books, understand our readers better and work with our authors to get their books into the hands of as many readers as possible, all over the world.’

As for 2022, a the Frost Team totally agree with Alex’s  priorities-  the first of which is to make  sure he can work the expresso machine…

‘I’m looking forward to getting up to speed with Joffe’s publishing philosophy and programme and immersing myself in their brilliant books. I’ve already worked out how to use the espresso machine and am looking forward to building on this promising early momentum.’  

And the question that people invariably ask. what are Alex’s favourite books?

‘I love books which experiment with form and genre, like Roberto Bolaño’s 2666 and Lanark by Alasdair Gray. But crime fiction was my first love! As I child I devoured the Point Crime series, before working my way through swathes of pulp and detective fiction, and in recent years have loved Don Winslow’s The Cartel Trilogy and Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad series.’

So there you have it, from Joffe Books for another week.  You can find out more here: Joffe Books

A drama about the lives of two of our greatest-ever war poets doesn’t exactly suggest a jolly evening out. And it isn’t. But forgoing frivolity is a small price to pay for this stunning adaption of Stephen MacDonald’s play, brilliantly performed by two actors from Bersted Arts.

Beautiful, profoundly moving, fascinating and compelling, director Jonathan Goodwin zooms in on the relationship between Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. Meeting while they were both patients at Craiglockhart, a place where soldiers whose mental health had been so crippled by the Great War were dispatched to recover, at this point Sassoon was already a published poet of some note. ‘Disappeared’ for being rather too voluble about the futility and outrageous cruelty of the war, he encouraged budding poet Owen during their short but intense time together at the hospital for the shell shocked. Here, while the relentless slaughter of young men continued on the battlefield, friendship and love grew swiftly; two souls made a pitch-perfect connection.

There are no hiding places for two actors in a 90 minute played-thru production. James Etheridge as Owen and Will Hackett as Sassoon have no need of them. Individually their performances are excellent; emotionally intelligent, fulsome and layered. Together they are electrifying. Sensitive and assured, there is as much poetry in Etheridge and Hackett’s elegant portrayals as there is to be found in the works of the men they play. Piercing hearts and tear ducts, the prolonged applause when the curtain fell was entirely deserved.

Aided by Stephen Hackshaw’s ambient and emotive score, Goodwin has done a magnificent job of pulling together a tremendous piece of theatre. He is also responsible for the effective set and lighting design

The tragedy, of course, is that while Sassoon and Owen’s poetry remains potent, as a race we persist in warfare. Still the blood-spilling lunacy continues. Which makes providing platforms for plays like Not About Heroes all the more important. Bravo to Arun Arts for programming this gem, and here’s hoping that other smart programmers will pick it up.

War as a central subject is undeniably bleak. The sheer quality of this production, however, will not fail to lift your heart.

Update: Good news! This production is set for a return to the stage in 2022. Watch this space…

If you are a regular to Frost you may have seen my face around here before. A few years back when we were living in Bangkok I kept you up to date with our adventures there. On our return to the UK 4 year’s ago, in the midst of a divorce, my musings were less exotic or sunny in both climate & temperamen, so I took a break.

This year I have been sharing my thoughts on the practice of meditation & mindfulness & waxing lyrical about all things yoga. Recently the wonderful team at Frost invited me to embrace a new role Wellness & Wellbeing editor – what an absolute honour, I leapt at the chance. Thank you.   So you’ll be seeing a little more of me from now on.

I hope to turn a spotlight on lots of different holistic approaches to practicing self-care to promote a genuine sense of wellbeing & health. I am a huge advocate of self-care & work closely with my clients to help them craft a self-care tool kit to help them thrive in life so I hope to share not just my favourite tips & techniques but also new things I’ve never heard about before.

Why am I so passionate about self-care? Well over a decade ago I was diagnosed with severe agitated depression & so began a long journey of self-discovery & self-development which also inspired me to embrace self-care & teach yoga & mindfulness so integral were they to my recovery.

More recently I was floored by horrendous menopause symptoms. I honestly thought I was going mad. Or had early onset dementia. Life was very frightening , chaotic . I was absolutely broken.

It was when I discovered it was the menopause that my self-care practices came into their own. I knew I had to slow down, turn inwards & do the work so that I could heal. My own practices & spiritual quests went up to another level. I combined this with a lot of hard work & of course a healthy dose of HRT & can now look back on the past 18 months & wouldn’t change a thing.

I could not have predicted the children and I would be where we are today: settled, happy, thriving, genuinely in love with life. I’ve learnt so much along the way which has changed the way I think, live, my teaching, indeed, my whole way of being. In a very subtle but no less profound way.

So I will  be taking time to shine the spotlight on the menopause.

It’s a subject that has  come a long way in this past year: there are more companies offering menopause solutions in the work place; it was recently announced that the cost of HRT prescriptions will be cut, making this treatment, which can be life saving for some women, more readily available & most of all we are talking about the menopause in a way we never have before.

1 in 10 working women walk away from or loose their jobs because of the menopause – what a staggering waste of this expertise & talent. 90% of peri-menopausal women are misdiagnosed with mental health issues (err hello!) & 10% of menopausal women experience mental health problems & suicidal thoughts (been there done that). It is estimated that 13m women in the UK are going through peri-menopause or menopause – that’s a lot of women out there struggling. If it’s not you, I’m pretty sure there is someone close to you that it does resonate with.

So I will be shining a light on this cause, using interviews with movers & shakers in the field of menopause & sharing my own journey in the hope I can inspire you that this often life changing transition can be the catalyst for creating the kind of life you have always dreamed of. After all I went from broken to better than ever & so can you.

And most of all I hope to inspire you to take your self-care seriously, whether you are menopausal or not. You deserve to be a priority in your life & to take some time to nurture & nourish yourself. It will help you to be a happier, healthier & more fun version of yourself & all those around you will benefit. How? You’re modelling the value & importance of self-care & it sets and example. 

I’m looking forward to this journey with you.  Can’t wait to begin. 

If you would like to practice yoga with Alex her YouTube channel offers free short classes for everyone & is available here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQlKZJ7MeyYc6lqkv6seISw

Alternatively all of her classes are streamed on live on Zoom, for more information message her at alex@alexbannard.com

Free resources are also available on her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AlexBannardYogaMindfulness

And her website is www.alexbannard.com

Alex is based on the edge of the stunning Cotswolds & has been sharing her love for all things yoga & mindfulness for almost a decade, not just in the UK but also around the world. Her mission is to help everyone discover a more mindful way of living & to encourage them to embrace regular self-care practices for a happier & healthier way of being.

I gasped when I received this handsome book, though book isn’t quite the right accolade – so what is? A commemorative study of the great man, might be better. Marking the 125th anniversary of William Morris’s death, this is the most wide-ranging, comprehensive – and beautifully– illustrated study of William Morris ever published and I say that from the bottom of my heart. Frost Magazine readers, I salivated. 

William Morris was something of a Renaissance man, with wide-ranging interests: he was a poet, writer, political and social activist, conservationist and businessman, as well as a brilliant and original designer and manufacturer, with his designs still being used as wallpaper. I know, because a friend with taste has Morris’ meticulous presence in every room. This book explores the balance between Morris’s various spheres of activity and influence, places his art in the context of its time and explores his ongoing and far-reaching legacy.

A pioneer of the Arts & Crafts Movement, William Morris (1834–1896) is one of the most influential designers of all time. Morris turned the tide of Victorian England against an increasingly industrialized manufacturing process towards a rediscovered respect for the skill of the maker. Morris’s whole approach still resonates today.

Published to mark the 125th anniversary of Morris’s death, this book includes contributions from a wide range of Morris experts, with chapters on painting, church decoration and stained glass, interior decoration, furniture, tiles and tableware, wallpaper, textiles, calligraphy and publishing. Additional materials include a contextualized chronology of Morris’s life and a list of public collections around the world where examples of Morris’s work may be seen today. This study is a comprehensive, fully illustrated exploration of a great thinker and artist, and essential reading for anyone interested in the history of design.

Anna Mason is a leading authority on the Arts & Crafts Movement. From 2009 to 2016 she was curator at the William Morris Gallery, London, and from 2019 to 2020 was curator of the Morris-designed Red House (National Trust). She was lead curator of the exhibition ‘May Morris: Art and Life’ held at the gallery in 2017, and co-author of the accompanying book May Morris: Arts & Crafts Designer (published by Thames & Hudson with the William Morris Gallery and the V&A).

Frost Magazine cannot recommend this extraordinarily special appreciation of William Morris too highly. Is it too much to say it is a work of art in itself? I think not.

Thames & Hudson / V&A £50 hardback available from the V&A shop, of course.  www.vam.ac.uk

Thames and Hudson is one of the largest independent #English-language publishers of titles in the areas of art, design, architecture, fashion and photography. Still family owned the group employs 130 staff in London, and a further 65 around the world.  www.thamesandhudson.com

The V&A is the world’s leading museum of art, design and performance with collections unrivalled in their csope and diversity. It was established to make works of art available to all and to inspire British designers and manufacturers. Today, the V&A’s collections, which span more than 5000 years, (yes, really) of human creativity in virtually every medium and from many parts of the world continue to intrigue, inspire and inform.

 www.vam.ac.uk

It is no secret that at Frost Magazine, we are great fans of Delicario. In fact, having read previous reviews here, I had already bought several of their delicious offerings myself, and even some destined as gifts.

So, imagine my unalloyed glee, when I received three new items to try.

Now, if you can remember the 1970s, you may well recall that food of all sophisticates, known as Rum Baba, or in the more pretentious restaurants, Rhum Baba. These were soggy cricket ball sized sponge soaked in poor quality rum and topped with whipped cream and a glace cherry.

Whilst the twenty-year-old me would be licking his lips, I have to say that I was somewhat less enamoured, and like my flares and platform shoes, felt that perhaps they were best remembered with a wry smile  or as a fond memory.

Of course, I should have had more faith in Delicario, these were nothing like the soggy offerings of yesteryear. The Babas are the size of a small profiterole, and are so rich that two or three would make an ample dessert. OK so I forced myself to eat four, but they were so delicious who was counting? The quality of the rum is also much higher than I recall. Readers, these are lip smacking. We added a splash of double cream, but a vanilla ice cream would also have worked well, and I did not feel the loss of the glace cherry.

These are an indulgent must, for those times that you wish to spoil yourself or others, and I have already ordered more for Christmas, (though my wife may need to hide them) and another couple of jars that I intend to give as birthday and Christmas presents.

The babas are a sticky alcoholic dessert eaten in Naples since the 19^th Century stacked in a jar and soaked in Jamaican Rum.

Even just writing about them, makes me think that perhaps I should order more and at £16.50 per jar I might just do that – here:    info@delicario.com

Delcario Rose Petal Preserve is something I would never have picked up for myself but oh what a mistake that would have been. I felt how I imagine the gods felt, on discovering Ambrosia on Mount Olympus. This is an amazing preserve and a real find for those foodies who are searching for something new.

The petals of organic miniature De la Rosa flowers growing on the Almeria coast of southern Spain are hand-picked for the preparation of this unique jam. A jam  with an exceptional rose aroma and deep colour naturally infused from the petals as they gently simmer with sugar. It’s an incredible kitchen companion for creating cakes, ice cream and even adds a special touch to gin and tonic.

Now I confess that I have yet to try it in a gin and tonic, (marvel at my restraint), but I can vouch that this is a soft spread preserve with a rose scented floral taste that is utterly delicious on freshly baked bread and scones, and even as a very special breakfast toast. This will undoubtedly be making an appearance at my Christmas breakfast and at £4.80. makes rather a nice stocking filler.

Finally, I tried the Delicario Gianduia Tart (see how I suffer for my art?). It is described as an indulgent shortcrust pastry tart par excellence, filled with one of the most prestigious symbols of traditional Italian chocolate called Gianduia. Gianduia is a rich hazelnut chocolate paste named after the carnival marionette from Piedmont where hazelnut sweets originate.

The pastry was buttery and crisp, just as it should be, and the filling meltingly rich. So rich in fact, that a small piece per person is ample (even for me) and I would recommend some double cream to drizzle over it.

This is undoubtedly artisan baking at its best, using first rate ingredients from an award-winning Venetian bakery and if you aren’t as honest as me, you might even try to pass it off as homemade and delight in the compliments. Indulgent, perhaps but delicious undoubtedly and at £7.30. why make it yourself when you can have it delivered?

And… And… If I may just draw your attention to Delicario’s extraordinarily good hampers. Our editor Margaret Graham swears by them. Well, actually she swears rather a lot, but let’s ignore that. She thinks Delicario hampers are just the ticket for Christmas. All available from info@delicario.com

Continental Celebration                 Courmet Reunion Hamper                           Royal Hamper

info@delicario.com

Joffe is delighted to share ANGEL’S FINAL PROBLEM? a brand-new mystery in Roger Silverwood‘s bestselling series:   meet Detective Inspector Michael Angel. An old-school policeman who sometimes rubs his colleagues up the wrong way. He’s got his flaws, but he never gives up on a case and he always gets results . . . until now?
Has Bromersley’s maverick DI finally gone too far?   Find out in ANGEL’S FINAL PROBLEM? Half price for launch, only 99p / 99c for a limited time — don’t miss out.

In FORBIDDEN DESIRE  by MAXINE BARRY,  Electra Stapleton has no time for romance. She is totally dedicated to her career as a world-class orchid grower. But nothing  prepared her for the utterly gorgeous Haldane Fox entering her life.    Little does she know, Fox is a man on a mission. He is determined to retrieve his father’s priceless stolen orchid — an orchid that Electra believes her own father grew himself. . .   £1.99/$2.99

AND WHAT ABOUT THIS FOUR BOOK BOX SET  by MAXINE BARRY  –  Read Oxford mysteries and romantic suspense for a very reasonable price. 99p/99c

Halloween News Flash

A Halloween without some good, thrilling reads isn’t really Halloween, is it? So this weekend, put on your scariest mask and settle down with Detective Mike Nash.

Detective Mike Nash thought that moving back to Yorkshire from London would give him a quieter life. Little did he know . . .   Two skeletons are discovered in Lamentation Tarn, a mountain lake.     Detective Mike Nash and his talented team have little evidence to work with, until a surprising discovery prompts them to contact law enforcement agencies in Eastern Europe.

WHAT LIES BENEATH is the first novel in Bill Kitson’s Detective Mike Nash series. CUT-THROAT, book 13 in the series, is now on pre-order — hurry hurry.

Joffe tells Frost Magazine that it is no secret they love crime fiction and  know you do too. Therefore, they’re delighted to let us know about a brand-new award: The Crime Fiction Lover Awards 2021  

Nominations are open now and anyone anywhere can submit their favourite books and authors of the year

Nominations close at noon on 10 November 2021. You can nominate using this form:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf9FOJBODHSHFGaaw-ihjNfAoyC2NHgyq4YI_YIVpOAhaRH5A/viewform

If you don’t have a nomination in mind for each category, worry not, you can just skip to the next one. More information about the awards can be read:  here.

Di Castle’s latest poetry book takes a gently humorous look at life, love and leaving over the last twenty years. Not content with focussing on the personal: family birthdays, weddings and funerals, Castle takes takes a flanking look at landmark events in our country .

It’s Just my Age struck a chord, and will with many people, and not just this poem,there’s a cornucopia on offer here, with Denise A Horn’s illustrations capturing  the flavour of the poem perfectly.

Christmas is coming, Margaret Graham is getting fat and will be fatter still after all the eats and excitement, and trust me, I will be prying into this review copy along the way, for a giggle, or perhaps a thought provoking moment.

Should I Wear Floral by Di Castle is a perfect stocking filler for a friend, or how about a piece of sanity for yourself.

Available here