Read in 2022 - 15: To Sin By Silence

To Sin By Silence (A DI Ellis Yorkshire Crime Thriller Book 1)

by Oliver Davies

Here was yet another free ebook to entice the reader to buy more of the series, and once again, I guess the strategy has worked with me - I have not yet bought the next book(s) but am most likely going to do so.

A convicted paedophile is murdered shortly after ending his prison sentence. At the same time, a young man, friendly and kind with not a cruel bone in him, is accused of possessing child pornography. Coincidence? DI Ellis does not think so, and soon finds himself investigating both cases.

Things are not made easier by him being newly partnered with someone who seems to actively dislike and distrust him, nor by the fact that he knows the young man through their common hobby. Having to juggle family duties with a somewhat belligerent ex-wife and work does not help, either.

The evidence does not add up - has it been planted? Could a person be in two places at once, and show a completely different personality to various people? Is it a case of Jekyll & Hyde, or have they overlooked something (or someone)?

How the cases develop is rather gripping, and I really found myself looking forward to the next chapter. There was not much in terms of gruesome detail but more in the way of psychologically trying to get to the bottom of things, just the way I prefer it.

Places around Yorkshire, with a National Trust managed ruined abbey, flooding river and farmland, felt familiar, as did some of the characters such as the upright busybody who finds the murder victim at the start of the book.

In the end, I was not at all surprised at the outcome, but somehow the way the murder is described at the beginning through the eyes of the murderer did not completely add up for me with what came to light later. Still, I enjoyed the book and the main characters enough to want to read more.

The author's website is here; you can learn more about his books and even the various detectives he has created, as well as about himself.

The Rest of That Week

The day after my return from Berlin was Wednesday, the 1st of June. I only had a few hours working from home in the morning before I set off to Marbach around lunch time for a meeting with my client there. The German Literature Archive is my favourite work place - I love the location, the buildings, and everybody there is exceptionally nice and cooperative.

Usually, I take advantage of my Marbach visits to walk there for a while, but not today. I took the next possible train back to Ludwigsburg, left my heavy bag with the laptop at home and walked right back to the train station where a Covid testing centre is nearby.

Unlike at the beginning of the pandemic, we are now allowed to visit our loved ones in hospital, but everyone (regardless of how many times we've been vaccined and boostered) needs to produce an official negative test - even though I must say I am a lot more thorough when self-testing than the rather sloppy way the staff at those "official" test places go about it. But it is mandatory, and so we comply.

Test done and negative result obtained, I walked to the hospital and spent the rest of the afternoon there with my Mum (who was of course also visiting) and Dad.

With everything that had been going on, my Mum had not yet been to the palace grounds this year, and so we decided to have a little walk there after saying good-bye to Dad. His room at the hospital was on the 8th floor, overlooking the palace grounds, and the view was about the only thing he liked about his stay in hospital. He frequently saw the family of three storks nesting in the grounds fly past his window, and when we were there, he always pointed something or other out to us.

Thursday, the 2nd of June, no hospital visit was possible (long story and a case of organisational hiccup). After work, my Mum and I took a taxi to the small palace by the lake (often seen on my blog). There, an open evening at the winery was being held, called "Wine after Work", open meaning no registration or tickets were needed; one could just walk up, get whatever wine one fancied to try, find a seat and enjoy the relaxed atmosphere in beautiful evening light. We did exactly that, and for the first time in a long time Mum had the chance to be at this particularly beautiful spot, so close to home.

Friday, June 3, was the usual mix of work and household things. At about 4:00 pm, I was on my way to the test centre and then to hospital again. This time, all three of us met at my Dad's bed. My Mum went home on her own, while my sister and I took advantage of the beautiful evening and walked back through town. We decided to stop at the recently opened industrial area at the train station for a quick shandy, a bag of freshly made chips (very nice!) and a good chat.

It was also the day I picked my first handful of cherries from the tree at the side of my house, directly through my kitchen window.

I looked up older posts of mine to find out whether they were ever ripe so early in June; it looks like I always had my first batch of cherries some time in June, but never at the start of the month.

I started my weekend at O.K.'s only on Saturday, but it was still a long weekend with the Monday off (Pentecost). But that will be one of my next posts.

A Barbie House

The Monday after my Dad had gone into hospital, May 30, saw me getting up very early - I had a train to catch at 6:30 for a business trip to Berlin. Having seen that my Dad was already much better on the Sunday, and knowing that my Mum and my sister were going to see him every day, there was no need for me to cancel the trip. And so I was on trains for many hours until I reached Berlin Ostbahnhof (East Station) at around 2:00 pm after half an hour's delay thanks to overcrowded trains and construction work going on along the route.

A walk of maybe 20 minutes along the river Spree and the remainder of the Berlin Wall (now all painted and decorated by various artists and called East Side Gallery) took me to the hotel that had been booked for me by the association of Data Protection Officers upon whose invitation I was here.

I had looked up the hotel's website before, and so the interior did not come as a surprise - still, it was unusual; definitely not your typical business hotel! Actually, it felt like being inside a Barbie house from the 1960s or 70s. Look at the pictures and see what I mean:

I had just about enough time to check in, put my things away and freshen up a bit before the meeting started. Several meeting rooms on the ground floor shared a foyer where everything was ready for coffee breaks; breakfast the next morning and lunch were in a seperate dining room.

The theme of the hotel is music - there are real vinyl records for decoration everywhere, record sleeves and concert posters on the walls, and each of the lifts has a different music playlist from one music genre, from jazz to blues to rock'n roll to heavy metal to disco to pop.

I took a few pictures in the foyer, but you can see many more on the hotel's website. The man next to the bubble gum machine is a colleague, kindly posing for me to show the size of the machine:

Everywhere was clean and tidy, the staff were friendly and the food nice. I slept well in the big comfy bed and was ready to continue the meeting the next day.

My trip home took a bit longer than planned, thanks to the ever-late German railway; it was around 10:30 pm that I arrived at my flat.

Here are a few more pictures of the hotel's outside and of what little I saw of Berlin:

View from my window

View from my floor of the hotel, from where the lifts are

The hotel, as seen from the river terrace

Looking one way along the river Spree...

...and looking the other way.

Walking back towards the train station, the TV tower at Alexanderplatz comes into view.

Maybe some of you remember how in 2019 I was also staying at a very unusual hotel, also in Berlin (and also with the same association); my post from that trip is here.

Second Week Back

My 2nd week back after our Black Forest Holiday was again filled with a mix of work and play, and the weather was just as mixed.

It was also a "short" week - not that it had less than seven days, but Thursday was a Bank Holiday in Germany (Ascension), and since both O.K. and I had taken the Friday off, we had a 4-day-weekend to spend at my place.

Monday, May 23 was uneventful; it rained on and off and I had a meeting with my volunteer group in the evening, so no time for an after-work walk anyway.

My team and I were booked for the pub quiz on Tuesday, May 24; after a last-minute cancellation from one team member and nobody else available at such short notice, there were only three of us playing. We still managed a full score in the 2nd half (and were the only team that night to achieve this!), but we were four points short in the 1st half and so did not walk home with a prize. It was our last chance before the summer break; the quiz will take up again in September. The three of us had a good evening nonetheless, with plenty to talk about; of course our late team member and friend Martin is still sorely missed.

It was mostly sunny, although not very warm, on Wednesday, May 25. My maternal Grandfather would have been 108 years old that day, and my Mum texted us in the morning to ask who was up for raising a glass of his favourite wine in the evening at my parents'. However, I had other plans, and so we postponed that glass of wine. I was meeting a friend at a beer garden and walked there after work, enjoying the walk in the evening light, the company of my friend and the falafel salad plus shandy. 

O.K. arrived at my place on Thursday, May 26, some time in the afternoon. We walked over to the recently opened up area at the train station (mentioned in my next-to-last post) for a snack and drink. It was busy but all in a pleasantly relaxed manner. I was suprised to see so many families with children there; it is not exactly a playground and prices are a bit on the steep side at the food and drinks stalls. We had our first ever Negroni, and although it tasted good, I doubt it will become our favourite drink.

To catch the rest of the beautiful evening light and sunset, we walked out of the city and on the fields before grabbing a pizza on the way home.

For Friday, May 27, an evening at my parents' was planned. The day was beautiful, and after a slice of quiche at a café in town around lunch time and visiting a few shops, we crossed the busy main road that cuts Ludwigsburg in half and walked in the palace grounds. The rain earlier in the week had been good for the gardens; everywhere was lush and green.

We chose the "long" route home via the deer park and still had enough time at my place for a quick coffee before going to my parents', where my Mum had ordered Chinese food for all of us.

Saturday, May 28, started well but ended rather dramatically. 

O.K. and I met my sister for breakfast at a café in town and then walked with her to the allotment; O.K. had not seen it yet, and we were duly impressed by what she and a friend had done so far. Even in the short time since my previous visit the week before, things had grown, and all looked well.

At home, we had a snack and a rest before setting off on a walk along the top of the vineyards next to the river, and back into town via the deer park once more. 

"My" pub is in the sunniest corner of the market square, and we were both ready for a drink by the time we arrived there: 

From there, it was only a short walk to my place. We had settled down for the evening and were just watching a film when my Mum texted my sister and I that she was worried about our Dad; he had been even less mobile than usual all day, hardly able to move at all, and not wanted any food. We urged her to call an ambulance, and once she had confirmed she had done that, I left O.K. at my place and walked over to my parents' as quickly as I could.

The paramedics had arrived a little before me and were in the process of carrying my Dad down the narrow flight of stairs (three floors from the ground up), but he was unable to right himself in the chair and kept sliding down. It was decided that different equipment was needed, and one of the paramedics radioed for it. While we were waiting on the stairs (no way we could move back into the flat, or further down the stairs like that), I kept holding my Dad's hand and talking to him. He was shaking and breathing very hard and did not fully understand what was going on; he was very scared and squeezed my hand with what little strength he still had. My Mum later showed me the bruising she had from where my Dad had clung to her before he was moved into the chair.

Once the next ambulance came with the equipment needed, the paramedics were able to shift my Dad more easily, and he was soon inside the ambulance and on his way to hospital. We were told that it would be of no use for us going there too, and so we stayed with our Mum until around 11:00 pm. She had been given a number to call, and we learned that my Dad had developed a sepsis and high fever but was now being treated, and we could come at 3:00 pm the next day.

So, Sunday, May 29, saw us gathering at the hospital, where my Dad looked a different person already - he was alert and talking, knew where he was and what had happened. I won't go into all the medical detail here, but he is still in hospital as we speak; a minor operation was carried out last Friday, and he is being cared for very well. We don't know yet when he will be home; he receives much better treatment there with all the equipment than what my Mum can do at home, and much as he would of course like to be home, he understands that.

Read in 2022 - 14: The Yorkshire Dipper

The Yorkshire Dipper by Maria Frankland is (in the author's own words) a gritty psychological thriller. 

In summary, it is about women drowning in a river near a pub after they have been out drinking. At first, the police dismiss the deaths as sad accidents, since the river banks are notoriously slippery and unsafe at night, especially for someone under the influence. But when the death toll rises and a particularly persistent journalist finds out that the victims had something in common, the enquiry turns into a murder investigation. More lives are lost before the truth finally comes to light.

Each of the women who lose their lives are introduced in their own chapter, an unusual feature in murder mysteries.

The journalist who gets her teeth into the first cases and resolves not to stop until she finds out who is behind those deaths is a young woman getting ready for her wedding, while her fiancé is part of the same police unit tasked with looking into the "accidents". 

I like the way the author describes how the relationship of the couple is influenced by their work, and vice versa; I also like how she writes about the young woman looking forward to her wedding and juggling the preparations with her freelance work and family life.

Then, a drastic turn of events about half way through the book unexpectedly cuts the story in two parts, while the truth behind the drownings does not come all that unexpected; I guessed relatively early on who was involved.

There is a sequel which I might want to get. I like the author's approach and what she says about herself and her writing on her homepage, and of course I like the Yorkshire setting, which was what got me interested in the book in the first place.

First Week Back

My first week back after our Black Forest Holiday was filled with lots of different activities and events, quite typical for me - and it actually felt pretty much like pre-pandemic times.

Some of what happened during that week deserves a post on its own, but I do not have enough time for that right now; I am still catching up here, talking about the week from May 16 to 22.

The photos for this post start on May 15, the Sunday that marked the end of our holiday and saw me traveling home from O.K.'s early in the afternoon. It was a beautiful sunny day, and after I had finished unpacking, started the washing machine and so on, I went for a sunset walk on the fields:

Monday, May 16, was uneventful; it mainly consisted of work and a walk on my own afterwards.

On Tuesday, May 17, my sister and I met up with our Mum at the Ludwigsburger Brautage - "Ludwigsburg Brew Days", an inner city fest dedicated to beer. Funnily enough, neither of us had beer. Instead, I started with an Aperol Spritz and then moved on to white wine. My sister and I were happy to have our beloved Dinnede - the special food we usually only get at our Christmas Market, as seen in this post about the last one in 2019, before everything stopped because of the pandemic.

We bumped into a mutual friend there and spent a very pleasant evening out, not returning home late because my sister and I of course had to work the next day.

On Wednesday, May 18, I finally had a hair cut after work. My hairdresser is also my neighbour and something of a friend; we've known each other for many years, and there is always plenty to chat. 

Later, my sister and I went for a walk together after she showed me "her" garden - an allotment she shares with her neighbours, and definitely something worth its own post if she agrees.

Thursday, May 19, was sunny but very humid and hot. I did not even feel like a walk! Unsurprisingly, the night brought a thunderstorm.

On the Friday (May 20), the sun was back, and I wrapped up work early enough to attend the opening of the grounds of a former factory adjoining Ludwigsburg's train station. That area has been abandoned for some time since the factory closed, but a while ago the city of Ludwigsburg acquired part of the land and intends to create a space for everyone, with offices, shops and restaurants as well as places for cultural events, community meetings and so on.

To start with, a doorway has been opened between the station and the area; chairs and tables have been set up, bunting strung and food trucks brought in. Two of my colleagues of my volunteer work were there, too, and we listened to the speeches, had something to eat and drink and a good look round. See if you can spot me in the picture:

Saturday and Sunday were "alone" weekends for O.K. and myself. I needed the time at home to catch up with things after having been away for two weeks, and O.K. had an engagement with the village band to play at the next village.

I took advantage of being here for the weekend and on Saturday, May 21, accompanied another of my volunteer colleagues to a workshop run by the city for citizens, "Zukunftswerkstatt". Zukunft means future, and the workshop was looking at various aspects of how things need to (and can) change in our city to make it more sustainable, environment and family friendly, and so on.

It was held in a building which used to be the oldest public baths in our town, with a large swimming pool in the middle and individual bath tubs in other rooms, quite popular during the times when many people did not have bathrooms at their homes.

When my sister and I were kids, we often came here to swim (and splash about) with our Grandma, but neither of us have been inside the building since it closed down years ago. I love how they have kept it still very recognisable, but all is clean and freshly painted now, with beautiful lighting and a clever use of space:

This was in the afternoon, leaving me with plenty of time for an evening walk across the fields to Benningen. Sunset was beautiful:

On Sunday, May 22, I was back at my sister's garden. I did a tiny bit of gardening (I don't know much about it, and she and a friend had almost finished what they meant to do that day anyway), and so I was mostly there to have fun :-D

Let me finish this quick breeze through that week with an image of Fred Fox surrounded by flowers:

Read in 2022 - 13: Murder in the Manor

Murder in the Manor (A Lacey Doyle Cozy Mystery—Book 1)

by Fiona Grace

Here was another free first ebook to get readers interested in a series, and it worked with me; I can imagine downloading more of the Lacey Doyle books.

The set up is your classic scenario of a person undergoing a drastic change in her life and becoming involved in a mystery. All the ingredients are there: A divorce triggering the changes, a complete change of scene and job (from New York City to a picturesque English village; from hectic business life to self-employed); from stylish but soul-less apartment to quaint cottage. Of course, the other typical ingredients - a budding romance, new friends (and enemies), a mystery from the main character's childhood emerging and showing a connection with the current situation - are all there, too.

The reader keeps guessing, red herrings are thrown in, but of course in the end Lacey manages to solve the murder that is attributed to her as the newcomer in the village.

Being an American moving to England, Lacey comes across many a difference in language and way of life; some of it seems very stereotype, but it's not so bad as to bother me.

The writing is alright; the only thing that I found a little annoying was the over-frequent use of Lacey's name. For instance, instead of writing "Lacey drove to the village to have a good look around. She spotted a café on the main road and went there for a coffee and a croissant" the author would write "Lacey drove to the village to have a good look around. Lacey spotted a café on the main road, and Lacey went there for a coffee and a croissant." I mean, come on - we know that Lacey is the main character, and when within the same paragraph or even sentence the author uses "she", we usually understand who is meant.

But apart from that I really enjoyed the book and how Lacey (!) goes about this new chapter in her life. There are enough loose threads at the end of the book to make me interested in the next one, and I actually liked the fact that the murder happens not right at the start - my kindle showed I was 35 % into the book by then.

You can find out more about the author and her books on her website. The header picture on that site and the cover of the book show, if I am not very much mistaken, Whitby Harbour by the way.