Thought Corridor

  Hello you, It's been a quiet few days here so luckily I've had plenty of time to catch up on some reading.  Huge thanks to Random House UK and Netgalley as always for allowing me to read an ARC. I was really excited to hear that a sequel to The Stranger Times was going to published ever since I first heard the news. The Stranger Times is one of my favourite books of recent years and it's one I would really recommend to anyone. It has hints of Pratchett, and Gaiman while still being a brilliant new take on the genre. I loved it from the very first pages. The characters are really engaging, I loved Vincent Bancroft in particular (reminded me of Bernard Black which is not a bad thing !). He's an interesting character, he can be very rude and brash yet there is a tenderness there somewhere and this is more apparent in the sequel This Charming Man, where we also find out more about his backstory. The first book dealt with supernatural entities and this one is no diff...

Hello you, The second book I'm going to review for the moment is The Dublin Railway Murder by Thomas Morris.  Now, as anyone who has ever read this blog of mine will know I have a particular interest in crime stories (obsession perhaps) there is no greater pleasure to me than a comfortable armchair, a cup of coffee at my elbow and a crime novel in hand. Heavenly ! I was initially attracted to this novel because of its title, I'm interested in Dublin (and fictional/real life murders). The fact that this book was set in the mid 1800's made it all the more perfect for me as this is an era with which I am fascinated. (Again, long time blog readers will know I'm a Sherlock Holmes fan). This is a locked room mystery essentially. Mr. Morris has meticulously researched this true crime story from archives and newspapers. While it is a true crime story it is paced just like a whodunnit. As the Irish police struggled to find the perpetrator of the murder of George Little detect...

 Hello you, I've finally been able to take a little break and update this blog. Things have been hectic here first with covid and the with the buisness...all quiet now, for a while at least so it seems like the perfect opportuntiy for me to review the two books I have recently finished. Huge thanks to the publishers and to Netgalley as always for giving me the opportunity to read and review. The first book is ' Index, A History of the' by  Dennis Duncan. Thank you to Netgalley publisher's Penguin Press UK - Allen Lane, for this review copy.    I chose this book because, like the author, I have a keen interest in language and literature and it was fascinating to see how Mr. Duncan charts the history of textual indexes from the earliest days of scrolls right up to the present technologically diverse world. (Due to my own interests I particually enjoyed the Sherlock Holmes references in Chapter 7). This book was very informative and the writer has a keen humour and it m...

Hello you, Today's blog will be another book review. Today is a short review of  Murder: The Biography by Kate Morgan. Huge thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins Uk for allowing me to read and review this one. As readers (assuming there are any) may already know I am a huge fan of detective stories and true crime. When I saw this book I knew I was going to have to read it.  It is a really engrossing read. It is very well researched and wonderfully written. The book was very informative and looked at a wide range of cases. The author provides an interesting look into the way that the law around murder cases evolves. The chapters really flow easily and the author uses modern cases along with older ones to discus the evolution of the laws. Definitely recommend this book to anyone with an interest in criminology or anyone who likes true crime.  That's all for now, take care of yourselves and until the next time. Rhi x

 Hello you, So, unsurprisingly today's post is another book review. (Look at me go, I'm finally remembering I have this blog and keeping it up to date...ish) Today's review is on The Killings at Kingfisher Hill. It is the New Hercule Poirot Mystery by Sophie Hannah. It's published by HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction. Huge thanks to them and Netgalley as always for letting me review this book. First things first, as you may have gathered by reading earlier posts, I am a huge fan of crime and detective fiction and have read many of the original Poirot stories by Agatha Christie. When I heard that Ms Hannah was writing the first in a new series of adventures starting the Belgian detective with his 'little grey cells' I was intrigued. I read the first book  The Monogram Murders a few years ago and really enjoyed it. If I am brutally honest though it did take a little while for the story to really grip me and I was missing Miss Lemon, Japp, and of course Hastings. But...

 Hello you ! Another book review today. I have just finished reading How Magicians Think Misdirection, Deception, and Why Magic Matters by Joshua Jay. Thanks to the Workman Publishing Company and Netgalley for letting me review this book.  The reason I chose this book is because I'm a big fan of magic, I cannot perform any tricks but I enjoy reading about the history. This book is very well written and comprises of several short essays. I'm a fan of Penn & Teller and Mr. Jay quotes Teller, along with various other magicians and it's really enjoyable to read. Mr. Jay is himself a magician with a clear love of the craft and it is interesting to read his essays. The book looks into how the magician performs their craft, takes us behind the curtain and examines the methods behind the tricks while not revealing the tricks. This book will not teach you how to perform magic (although there are tips in it) but it is a very interesting look at the psychology and history behind t...

 Hello you, Another book review (this lockdown has really given me time to catch up on some reading) Today's book review is on Stupid Things I Won't Do When I Get Old: A Highly Judgmental, Unapologetically Honest Accounting of All the Things Our Elders Are Doing Wrong. Written by Steven Petrow Huge thanks to Kensington Books/ Citadel and Netgalley for letting me review this title. The main reason I wanted to read this title in all honesty was the title. It is a humorous and poignant book about the joys and trepidations of growing older. It is a touching look at our elders and viewing ourselves through that prism of ageing. It is an easy book to read broken up into small chapters that cover a multitude of things. While it is an American centric book a lot of the topics covered are fairly universal. As someone in my 30's I'm a little way away from what the author defines as old but old age is a place we are all heading. This is a fun little guidebook of a sort on how to g...

 Hello you, This blog post is going to be on another book. It is Scotland Yard’s Casebook of Serious Crime: Seventy-Five Years of No-Nonsense Policing by Dick Kirby published by Pen & Sword. Huge thanks to them and Netgalley for allowing me to review this one. Dick Kirby is a former experienced Met detective and it's really interesting to hear his take on these cases. Several years ago I read another of his works,  Whitechapel's Sherlock Holmes:  The Casebook of Fred Wensley and really enjoyed that one.   In this book Mr. Kirby has chosen a number of cases, some well known others less so and walks us through the various methods used by the police in order to track down the criminals. He is a very engaging narrator and I really enjoyed this book, it is a very engrossing read and fairly easy to read. I would really recommend this book, and will definitely look into more by him. It is perfect for fans of true crime. 

Hello you, Another day, another book review ! I will get back to other topics in the coming weeks. For example I want to talk about my interest (obsession?) in Sherlock Holmes along with a post about an Irish Sketch comedy group. Speaking of Sherlock Holmes, todays review will be on American Sherlock: Murder, forensics, and the birth of crime scene investigation by Kate Winkler Dawson. Huge thanks to Icon Books and to Netgalley as always for letting me review this. I've been a huge fan of the Holmes books since I was roughly 11 years old. (More about that in a latter post) so naturally when I saw this title I knew I had to request to read it. I am very glad I did. While being a huge Holmes fan I must admit I had never heard of  Edward Oscar Heinrich, known as the ‘American Sherlock Holmes’, so I was very interested to know more. The book was fascinating. Part true crime, part history lesson, and part biography,  the writer presents us with years of research in a way ...

 Hello you, Today's post is another book review. This one was The Irish Assassins by Julie Kavanagh. If I'm honest I was unsure what to make of this book. I have an interest in history but know almost nothing of Irish history. I've been to Ireland once (I went to Cork as a teenager, lovely place and I kissed the Blarney Stone in nearby Blarney Castle). I have a desire to visit Dublin in the future, fingers crossed I can arrange that at some point ! The reasons for that desire will have to wait for another blog post. Anyway, I'm rambling, back to the review. The synopsis of this book appealed to me, I like reading about true crime and am always interested to read on cases that I am unfamiliar with. I had assumed this book would simply walk me through the murders that took place in Dublin in the 1880's. However, this book, which is part true crime and part Irish history lesson, which, while I liked, at times I found the socio-political landscape a little hard going an...

Hello you, This post will focus on a review of Written in Bone Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind by Sue Black. Huge thanks to Skyhorse Publishing and Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. First things first, I'm a huge fan of Sue Black's work, absolutely loved her previous work All That Remains: A Life in Death. I'm also a huge fan of detective stories and true crime. When I read the synopsis of this book I knew I had to read it. It is sensational, incredibly well written, as I'd expect, and it's really engaging. The book is also very informative while not expecting you to have a scientific background to fully understand it. There are passages in the book that are graphic, certainly not for the faint hearted but personally I enjoy reading that level of detailed description. Dame Black is a fantastic narrator, her writing manages to be respectful while still maintaining an absorbing tone for the reader. If you have any interest in forensics the...

 Hello Friends,  The book I have just finished reading is  Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics. Huge thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me to review this title. The reason for my wanting to read this book in the first place is simple, I have long been fascinated by Mr. Hawking, loved his outlook on life and enjoyed reading his works over the years. I've read other biographies which have been interesting but none captured the man as much as this book does I feel.  Leonard Mlodinow worked closely with Mr. Hawking over a period of two decades and was a great friend and it is interesting to read his account of their time together. The two had previously collaborated on other works including The Grand Design  and A Briefer History of Time.  It is an interesting book, very enjoyable too. However, a t times I must admit the theoretical physics parts were a little heavy going for me as I have no knowledge whatsoev...

Hello friends. This book review will focus on My Mess Is A Bit Of A Life by Georgia Pritchett. The title and synopsis of this book really spoke to something in me. I myself have long suffered with moderate anxiety and depression. When I was first diagnosed in my mid twenties it came as absolutely no surprise. I had long suspected I had an anxiety issue since my early teenage years, at first I pushed it to the back of my mind, assumed it was teenage hormones playing havoc with my system but as I got older and it got worse I knew I had to talk to someone about it. Not to go too much into the boring details, but I couldn't share this with my parents or friends so I went to a doctor...the less said about that visit the better, if I'm honest.  Long story short, I have an anxiety issue. I have had it for over half my life at this point. I have read about the subject, always looking for someone else who feels like I do. Needing to make sense of the little monster in my mind. That'...

 Hello you, I adore the theatre. Love going to see plays, musicals, comedy shows, absolutely anything. There is nothing quite like it. When I was growing up my parents used to take me to the theatre in Swansea and then sometimes we'd travel up to London and see shows there too. This continued when I went to university, if there was something showing that I liked the sound of, and I could get tickets, then I'd be there. I think what I like best about the theatre (excluding the show you're actually going to see of course) is that moment in the start. Before the show begins, the orchestra starts and the lights dim. That gives me such a rush of endorphins ! It's wonderful. It's also something I really miss. Since moving to France I think the last thing I saw in the theatre was probably back in 2015. I went to see The Signalman and The Waiting Room.  These were two short plays but they were very atmospheric and I really enjoyed them. I'd love to remember all the date...

 Hello you, I had high ambitions with this little blog of mine, nothing serious of course, just somewhere I could come and write. Lay out feelings, ideas, anything really that crossed my mind, but as you know I am naturally forgetful by nature and I forget about the blog then remember it again and thus begins a stream of activity before the blog is once again forgotten about. And the cycle continues... Before I make another blog post with an actual topic instead of this rambling nonsense I think I'll note down some ideas that will feature in upcoming blog posts (unless I forget about the blog again). I know no one will ever read this blog, except me, but I like to imagine that somewhere out there, there is you, my dear reader, who ever you may be.  Potential topics Things I like (SH, FAH, Films, TV, Books) Places I'd like to visit Places I have visited Upcoming plans Ambitions/Things I want to do. This is no where near an extensive list, as I have said my brain does not functi...

 Something that just occurred to me (along with the fact that I haven’t posted anything on this blog of mine for quite some time, if you’ve seen other posts of mine you’ll know I’m scatterbrained) is that I have no explanation written as to why my blog is called Thought Corridor. Now, people who know me will know that I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. Holmes (I am going to do a blog about my long running love for this character on another day) has a memory technique that he uses, it is not unique to him of course, called a mind palace. The general idea with a mind palace is that a person is able to remember a long string of information by plotting it around a real or fictional place. That all sounds a little convoluted but in simple terms it means that if I had a random list of objects that I wanted to remember, then I would remember them by placing the objects in a room/rooms of my house. It doesn’t have to be a house it could be a street, shop or a theatre etc, as long as it’s a p...