Less regular than usual

While I know that I am not the most prolific and regular of bloggers I have a feeling that service may get even more sporadic over the next 2 months.

But I do have a good reason as I am heavily involved in the planning and running of the first Norwich Crime Festival, as well as being in charge of creating the online content.

Crime isn't a genre I generally read a lot of but I am quickly learning that I might have dismissed it too quickly. I'm never going to be a fan of the gritty, violent books. Or those based on pathology but thrillers and historical crime is certainly growing on me.

Anyhow the Norwich Crime Festival runs from March 21st through until March 31st and all of the details can be found here on the official website.

World Book Night Challenge 18/25

Dissolution - C J Sansom

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one at all. I like historical fiction but dislike crime fiction - which stall would this fall in to?

To my great delight I found this brilliant. I've read a lot of fiction set in Elizabethan age but not so much from the time of Henry VIII and this made a great introduction.

Set at the time of the Dissolution Mathew Shardlake, a favourite of Cromwell, is sent to investigate the murderous happenings at one of the Monasteries that is about to be closed down. Sadly he doesn't prevent more deaths from happening but the way the story unfolds is gripping, the twists and turns keep the story moving without creating too much confusion and each time I thought I guessed 'who dunnit' more story unravelled.

I think that what I liked the most is the growth of the main characters, Shardlake and his apprentice. During the course of the story they learn more about the world around them and about themselves and in many ways I found their development just as gripping as the main plot.

This was a really pleasant surprise from the list, one I'd left until late on because I thought I'd find it a struggle but in the end one I raced through. Oh and I've treated myself to the sequel to read very soon.