April’s over and I’m one year older. Doesn’t feel like it though, as it’s been a good month, both for reading and for life in general. I visited Stockholm for the first time – lovely, if a bit on the pricey side – and survived a stinker of a cold, so all in all, and I got to see an elephant and its baby having a wonderful time having a bath at Whipsnade Zoo. Yup, it’s win-win-win!

And I read a good bundle of books – eleven in total. So as that’s what you’re here for, let’s take a look at them.

Beware Your Neighbour by Miles Burton – a really interesting mystery. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again – not a humdrum writer at all.

Vera Wong’s Guide To Snooping (On A Dead Man) by Jesse Sutanto – the characters are as wonderfully charming as they were in the first book, but I found the plot in this one a bit disappointing.

Bertie And The Crime Of Passion by Peter Lovesey – a wonderful Golden Age style mystery, one of the best takes on the “sleuth who’s not as good as he thinks he is” plot.

Murder By The Clock by Rufus King – interesting classic age mystery, but strangely detached. Interesting lead though, but the plot is… odd.

Nightshade by Paul Doherty – first-rate historical mystery, with a very locked room. The book that switched me on to Paul Doherty, one of the very finest and most overlooked crime writers out there.

When The Devil Was Sick by Carol Carnac – very interesting classic mystery by the author also known as E C R Lorac. More than deserving of a reprint.

Lewker In Norway by Glyn Carr – my penultimate Lewker read and a throwback to his early adventures as a spy. A rubbish mystery but lots of fun.

The Darkest Sin by D V Bishop – a beautiful historical mystery with strong central characters and a wonderfully crafted setting.

The Secret Of Terror Castle by Robert Arthur – the first Three Investigators mystery and a key book in my development as a crime afficionado. And it’s still an absolute cracker…

This Is Not A Game by Kelly Mullen – despite the title, it’s a cosy mystery. Perfectly fine, but I was hoping for more.

The Dog Sitter Detective by Antony Johnston – and the month finishes on a high with a superb start to a series that I’ve already visited later down the road. A proper mystery (with clues) and a wonderful lead in Gwinny Tuffel.

And the Puzzly goes to… well, it’s an easy one. The book I enjoyed the most this month, the one that I kept putting down after every chapter to think about whodunnit – well, it’s two out of two for Antony Johnston. I’ve said it before, don’t be put off by the cosy trappings, this is an excellent mystery series and I’ll be taking a look at Bok Two very very soon…