Page 4 - Ickford Informer Newsletter Spring Issue March 2021

Book Reviews by Jo Tiddy

ND HELLOOOO! After a brief hiatus, where I have resorted to rereading every
book in the house, Book Reviews is back. It’s been tricky getting hold of new copy
A as my source of literature is currently closed, and thus my ability to get my hands
on shiny new paperbacks has been somewhat restricted. However, we hope for better
days, and there are some absolute corkers hitting the shelves at the moment.

If you have not encountered Mick Herron yet, then I
urge you to put down whatever you’re doing and pick
up his series of spy thrillers. Many of us struggle
The latest, Slough House, has just been to make complaints to
published (in hardback) but the whole series is
excellent. The first is Slow Horses, where we are Thames Water re: toilets
introduced to the world of modern espionage. Slough
House is a nondescript office block, (not a House, not fl ushing, fl ooding etc.
and not in Slough!) where disgraced spooks go to lick
their wounds and attempt to redeem themselves. Contact details below.
The monstrous Jackson Lamb is nominally in charge
of this bunch of misfits, all of whom have been So could everyone
banished from head office for crimes ranging from report any issues.
drunkenness to incompetence.
They don’t run ops, they push paper. When a Thames Water says
young man is abducted and his kidnappers threaten
to execute him live on-line, the “slow horses” have “We’re looking into why our
an opportunity to prove that they are not completely email address isn’t visible
useless. Blackly comic and tense, skewering modern on our website. I do agree
politics, this is a marvellous introduction to the series, our email address should be
and is soon to be a television series.. visible on our website.

I’ve raised this with our
The Costa Prize was won this year by Monique
Roffey, a Trinidadian born British writer. The Website and Customer
Mermaid of Black Conch weaves a visceral tale of Correspondence Team to
a woman cursed to live as a mermaid, who is drawn investigate this further. That
to a local fisherman, David, when she hears his being said should anyone need
song. Their secret relationship is threatened by the to contact via email our email
arrival of an American father and son, taking part address is:”
in a fishing competition. Caught and displayed as a
trophy, she is rescued by David and thus begins a customer.feedback@thameswater.co.uk
gradual transformation back into the woman she once
was. Helped by Miss Rain, the only white person on “However, it is important to
the island, Aycayia finds her place in the world again. note, that it can taken 10
Melding Caribbean myth and mermaid legends,
the book weaves a fantastical tale, with themes working days to respond to
exploring love, family and loss, and tying in echoes any written correspondence,
of the colonial history of the West Indies. A complex so any emergencies should
narrative, beautifully written, this would be a great be reported to our Customer
choice for a book club as there is much to unravel Contact Centre (CCC) on:”
and discuss. Out now in paperback.
0800 3169800
A new series for children arrives in March. Peril at
the Bakeoff by Ruth Quayle (illustrated by Martha To view the Thames Water
Kissi,) is the first in the Muddlemoor Mysteries series. complaints procedure, visit:
Pip, Tom and Joe are staying with their granny for
the summer holidays. When granny’s precious cake https://www.thameswater.co.uk/
recipe goes missing just days before the Great about-us/performance/customer-
Village Bake-off, the cousins are on the hunt for the
thief. Told with Ruth’s trademark humour, this is an commitment
excellent book for primary school age kids. v

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