Agatha Raisin; Hiss and Hers

Next up - Agatha Raisin: Hiss and Hers.

The launch of  the 23rd Agatha Raisin novel and the 20th anniversary of the first will be held at Cotswold Bookstore on Saturday 29th September!

Marion is due to arrive at 10.30 am and we will try to hang on to her as long as possible.

However, you would be advised to get here as early as you can as we expect a crowd.

Double value

As promised and only a day late.

Here's David's dual window.

Two authors for the price of one on this Saturday morning from 10am (ish).

Ian Mathie with his fascinating African stories and Brent Ford with a Western and an unusual tale set during the war

Man in a Mud Hut - review

Did I say something about Photos? Sorry, that will have to wait. For now we have a book review for one of Ian Mathie's books - Man in a Mud Hut

Man in a Mud Hut by John Mathie

Paperback at £12.99

Mathie has created an unusual style of narrative, half storytelling, half fact which makes for an interesting and often disbelieving read. The true tale of a visiting UK government worker, Desmond, sent to Africa to check up on some erroneous accounts from one of the humanitarian projects, allows Mathie to act almost as tour guide for the reader, introducing you to life in rural Africa in the 1970s.

Witchcraft and the complex social nuances of the small West African community play centre stage in this book, leaving the supposedly more important tale of murder and corruption that Desmond was originally sent to investigate, in the wings. Once you realise that only the bare bones of the corruption story will be shared, you can sit back and enjoy the, sometimes sad but more often humorous, tales of village life – the description of the locust swarm remaining particularly vivid.

Having spent some time in rural Africa myself, I reminisced fondly over Mathie’s descriptions of the culture of haggling over everything and the pretence at bureaucracy that means getting anything done either takes forever, or a bribe, or both! Once you get used to the unusual writing style, for those readers not lucky enough to have experienced Africa, reading Man in a Mud Hut will give you a taste of the differences, and occasional similarities to western culture which make it such a wonderful place, although much of it may seem unbelievable!

For once, I didn't write the review.

My daughter Heather did!

For details of his other books, link to his own site http://www.ianmathie.com/

Ian and Brent

We have a showy display for Ian Mathie and Brent Ford inside the shop too, thanks to Ian providing the mask.

We'll ask his for its origins when he comes in.

Meanwhile, David is tweaking the window and adding a toy rifle to his Stetson and six-gun.

Photo tomorrow.

Just one more

Oh! And there was another photo from Saturday that I missed from the blog.

These young ladies from The States are Debbie Abel and Sharon Hutson.

Brent Ford and Ian Mathie

I arranged a hasty window on Sunday morning with some changes due once David fetches in his Stetson and his six-gun.

(He's been persuaded to leave the horse at home)

The new window contains books by our TWO authors coming this Saturday morning.

First it's Brent Ford with his Western, Orphan Train and his unusual novel set in the war years, Casualties of War.

Then we have Ian Mathie with four books of his experiences as a water engineer in the Africa of the 70s.

The titles are Supper with The President, Man in a Mud Hut, Dust of the Danakil and Bride Price.

This latter I have read and enjoyed.

Splintered Kingdom Success

 A hurried post as the home computer has a fault meaning I can only up-date the blog from work. On a Sunday, that means after work and a meal is waiting!

However, hopefully I can include a few photos of our James Aitcheson signing and report that it was an excellent day all round.

Over 30 books sold is a good result, for us. I hope it was for James.

 I may be able to include more photos later.













Here's David and Betty, pleased with their purchase and demolishing a honey cake each.