Vera does high tension without blood and gore
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Vera does high tension without blood and gore

COMPARISONS are inevitable when books are transported from page to screen. Especially between the leading characters as they are read and as they are seen. An author’s descriptions enable us to build our personal bank of images as we move through the chapters. Fleshing out the bare bones we are given at the start until…

So why not turn the damned things off?
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So why not turn the damned things off?

THERE can be no excuse or support for the extreme racial abuse that is incessantly directed at footballer Marcus Rashford, MBE. No justification or excuses can be made for such base, thuggish and uncivilised behaviour by one human being against another. And even more so when the puny and unsustainable reason seems to be that…

Back stories reveal spooks’ messy histories
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Back stories reveal spooks’ messy histories

CONSIDERING his prolific output and the frequency of publication, crime writer supreme Mick Herron remained off my radar for an inexplicably long time. Years, in fact. During which time he published numerous much-praised books and won several prestigious awards. How I managed to miss him – or perhaps simply ignore him – I have no…

Thanks doc, but next time I’ll treat myself
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Thanks doc, but next time I’ll treat myself

THERE is no denying it; the cure can be worse than the affliction. The treatment recommended, whether by professionals or fringe-dwelling lifestyle “experts”, can sometimes create more agony than the existing condition. So says one who is enjoying their first pain-free day for some while; one who has at last emerged from the inhibiting effects…

Restaurant reviews too tough to digest
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Restaurant reviews too tough to digest

DINERS everywhere are champing at the bit. No more heavy dependence on takeaways and ready meals. No more huddling outdoors beneath heaters and umbrellas to “enjoy” a meal with family and friends. We can venture inside our favourite restaurants to escape the British summer’s Atlantic gales; seated at table, a menu to peruse, staff to…