Lightning Men by Thomas Mullen:

It’s not an easy read, and I don’t mean the writing, I mean the subject. Dark, gritty.

Part social history, part crime, and violent crime at that. Lightning Crime explores the complexity of relationships in the southern states of America in the 1950s, or perhaps in any chaotic unstable inner city ‘whenever’.

White officer Rakestraw joins Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith from Atlanta’s Negro Officer precinct to face the Klan, gangs and family. Working on many levels the story is never forgotten as it swirls in the relentlessness of the world as it was in Atlanta – back then.

Pub Abacus pb £8.99

Ultima by L.S. Hilton

The conclusion the the international bestselling phenomenon that began with Maestra, the premise seems to be, if you can’t beat them, kill ’em.

This is, as the previous two in the trilogy have been, dark, decadent and shocking. Incisive writing, a sharp humour, a driving plot – what could be better. And by the way, why not start thinking about who Judith Rashleigh really is, and is she really this killing machine? I’m not telling you.

pub: Zaffre hb £12.99 ebook £8.99

Here’s another that welcomes us into safe hands:

Insidious Intent by Val McDermid

Anything by McDermid is going to be good, and this is. A quiet night on a quiet road, but not for long. A car engulfed in flames, a burned body… DCI Carol Jordan and psychological profiler Tony Hill realise this is more than just an accident. The hunt begins for someone who believes he is untouchable, invisible and all the rest. More and more women are found, and more must be at risk. I see and hear the great Robson Green in the role, and know I’m going to be in for a bumpy ride, but probably get out safely at the end. Probably…

Pub: Sphere pb £7.99

Finally Mark Billingham – Love Like Blood. Such a cracker, but then his novels usually are.

DI Tom Thorne and DI Nicola Tanner investigate a series of brutal killings in London. – arghhh.

Nicola is personally involved when her partner is one of the victims, and Thorne puts himself in danger when he is drawn into the disturbing world in which families will do ANYTHING  to protect their honour. It is a world that seems real, and sadly probably is. Quite unputdownable, quite unbearable.

pub Sphere. pb £7.99

Milly Adams writes for Random House, as does her alter ego Margaret Graham.

I spent a fabulous weekend with my friend Maggie in Haworth, ages ago now, and stayed in the pub overlooking the graveyard, as yer do. And stormed across the moors, and imagined Heathcliff.

Ill Will, The Untold Story of Heathcliff by Michael Stewart is worth a read if you like gothic fiction. Stewart explores the untold story of this anti-hero, who does brooding like no-one else. Stewart captures the tone of Emily Bronte’s novel, which was so reflective of the bleak moor itself. Heathcliff has left Wuthering Heights, and travels across the moors to Liverpool in search of his past. He finds time time to save Emily, the less than ladylike daughter of a highwayman. Together they lie and steal, and cheat before Heathcliff is finally in a position to return to Wuthering Heights. I always felt that Heathcliff was understandable, he’d been dealt an outrageous hand. This is interesting. Well worth reading.

Ill will by Michael Steward. pub HQ hb.£12.99 ebook and audio.

Her Mother’s Secret by Rosanna Ley.

Yet again a novel which is partly set on the Cornish coast but not for long, for Colette heads to her home in Southern Brittany when her mother’s health begins to fail. Once there Colette’s ghosts of the past reveal themselves – here it  comes, the secret. Aaah. It is one she is determined to unravel at any cost. The sun is out, the tone lighter. Not a Heathcliff – lighter and feel good.

Pub. Quercus. pb. £7.99

Workhouse Angel by Holly Green

A saga which takes Angelina from the Workhouse to an adoptive family who are not the benevolent guardians one might wish for.  Then hope spring eternal when Angelina hears of a man  who visited the workhouse looking for his daughter. So perhaps Angelina isn’t an orphan after all.

This is the second in the Brownlee Workhouse series.

pub Ebury Press £5.99.

I have lost my Way by Gayle Forman

This is told over the course of a day from three different perspectives. I love this sort of book. It’s one I give my groups often, because it helps them imagine themselves deep into several personnas.

Around the time that Freya loses her voice while recording her debut album, Harun is making plans to run away from home to find the boy he loves, and Nathaniel is arriving in New York City after a tragedy leaves him isolated.

The three of them reveal the parts of them past when they collide in Central Park, and then find their way back to who they’re supposed to be.

Lovely jubbly. Great jacket, good premise. Give it a go.

pub Simon and Schuster UK pb £7.99

When we think of Switzerland we think of precision instruments – Swiss Army knives and expensive watches (Oh, and chocolate – I always think of chocolate). Well now you can add Rubis tweezers to the list.

Rubis is an old family firm, which originally made tweezers for prestigious watchmakers, including Rolex, who used them for placing the tiny rubies inside the watch mechanisms.  Naturally, the accuracy required for this work necessitated high quality tools, and Rubis tweezers have been hand-made, using a 45-step process by skilled employees, for many years.

So when Fides Baldesberger, the daughter of the original owner, turned her sights on the beauty business, she developed some of the best tweezers, scissors and manicure tools ever. Made of surgical steel, the tips of the high-quality tweezers close perfectly, and they have precise edges with arms of just the right tension and resistance.

Keen to test these mean machines, I searched for a stray hair on my chin (sadly, it wasn’t too difficult) and honed in on it. Normally I find this a deeply frustrating experience, which involves stabbing repeatedly at where the hair seems to be, but missing, catching skin, stomping around the bedroom and eventually giving up.  Somewhat sceptical, I aimed at my hair with the Rubis tweezers, grabbed hold straight away and pulled – to my amazement they had hit home and the hair was gone – painless and quick. Was it a fluke? I tried again, and a second stray hair was no more.

But don’t take my word for it – top make-up companies love them too. Bobbi Brown, Estée Lauder and MAC all swear by Rubis. Bobbi Brown refers to them as ‘the Ferrari of cosmetic tweezers’ and Vogue called them the ‘best of the best’.

At around £20-30 a pair, you can certainly buy cheaper tweezers, but these will last and last and take the pain and distress out of a necessary little job – treat yourself.

https://www.rubis.ch/ch-en/cosmetic-tweezers.html

By Dr K Thompson, author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q

http://faitobooks.co,uk

The Old Religion by Martyn Waites.

Another book set in Cornwall. This time in a village which is the sort of place people come to hide. Tom Killgannon is an ex-undercover cop and in the Witness Protection Programme has done just that. Some people would like to find him, but he has a chance here.

But then Lila, a teenage runaway comes along. This is unputdownable. Does he  help her and risk his own security? Dark, fast, hide behind the sofa or chew your nails. Your choice.

The Old Religion by Martyn Waites. pub Bonnier Zaffre. hb £12.99

Death Notice Zhou Haohui

Sergeant Zheng Haoming of the Chengdu Police Dept has been haunted by a case for years. But is the ruthless killer back?

But why, after so long? Can modern police techniques catch the killer when mere mortals failed? The first in a trilogy. Cat and mouse police procedural. I liked it. Enjoy.

Death Notice by Zhou Haohui pub Head of Zeus hb £18.99

Resort to Murder. by TP Fieldon. I include this because it is a great comfort read, all his are. We love him. So cool down, let the adrenaline disappear, to be replaced by a softer reaction as you enjoy the a gentle humour.

Set again in the West Country, this time Devon, with its golden sands, and old seaside towns, Miss Dimont, such a character, an eccentric, and boon in this hectic world stumbles upon a crime scene. She drives the local ‘cops’ mad – think Father Brown, and relax as the crime is solved.

Resort to Murder A Miss Dimont Mystery by TP Fielden. pub HQ. pb £8.99/ebook £7.99

A Family Recipe by Veronica Henry. A feelgood story from Henry – food, family and friends, what could be better.

Laura Griffin is preparing for an empty nest and though wondering how the change will work ,she’s looking forward to a calmer time with husband Dom.

But along ‘it’ comes, that secret that is so beloved of authors. To cope Laura turns to her grandma’s recipe box and starts to carve her own path but along the way she finds she needs people as much as they realise they need her. Enjoy. Eat. Forget the calories.

A Family Recipe by Veronica Henry. pub Orion.  pb £7.99.

Frost had a treat at the Flexmore Barn, Flexmore Farm Bottrells Lane, Chalfont St Giles HP8 4EQ. Not only did we have coffee out of bone china cups and a good chat with the exhibitors but oh, dear reader, we bought… Of course we did.

At the entrance to the barn Zoe, one of the exhibitors added three strips of material to a rope line to show that they had another 3 viewers, so a glorified bunting keeps tabs on numbers. First stop, Zoe Albright’s fused glass. She is to exhibit again in November and I do think I could pick up some really classy fused glass Christmas decorations. I thought them clean, evocative and understated, and especially with light shining through them, they are works of art.

Continuing on the glass theme Mary Joliffe’s glass panels were striking. Mary creates traditional and contemporary panels for the home and garden, specialising in individual commissions.

There was Carolyn Worrall’s calligraphy, some framed, and obviously with a narrative and Carol Saunders with her quirky ceramics, Georgina Peachey Saunders exhibited her mixed media and collage, inspired by the natural environment, and Bronwen Corrall was there with her domestic hand thrown and wheel-thrown ceramics.

Heidi Fenn was there with her felt creations and Sarah Rupesinghe  with her pastels of pets wildlife and portraits, + paintings in mixed media. Intriguing handmade horseshoe themed gifts, from Nicholas Selby, were quite unique and so too Sheila Sather’s work, –  objects from nature, dried them and arranged to draw attention to their uniqueness. Such a variety of high class art and craft.

Finally Sharon Bennett, one of Frost’s favourite artists was also exhibiting. Sharon creates one of her works a month, and uses a combination of acrylic palette knife and collage. Margaret and Dick Graham are collectors of her work, and yes, we came home with another, of course we did.

Dartmouth at night by Sharon Bennett

The Bucks Arts week is on until 24th June, and this particular exhibition is very well worth a visit. Not just because of the exhibits, but also the exhibitors who are fun, friendly and willing to talk about their work. Their enthusiasm lights up the barn, which is a truly great venue. Do go.