IT’S baffling: why marketing people spend so much on campaigns doomed to miss the target. So much time, brainpower, effort and materials wasted. To say nothing of the waste incurred in printing and distribution. Plus the waste of so much money. Wasted not only by the marketers themselves but also by the poor sods who pay for these useless campaigns. Mountains of junk mail, so much of which ends up as litter. Discarded as unwanted and unread. Maybe the mere act of designing and printing this multi-coloured mass of pleas to buy (or sell) is considered sufficient. It’s akin to… Continue reading
Books
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The past few weeks have been something of a Nordic escape – a binge into a series of crime novels written by Jorn Lier Horst. By my reckoning he’s the new Henning Mankell. He makes a worthy successor to that supreme leader of the Nordic Noir brigade who started really… Continue reading
Twin terror Twins have long provided fertile ground for authors. Especially those who use such relationships to weave tales of murder and mystery. So much intrigue can flow around those whose lives are inextricably linked from the moment of birth. There is no escape. Emotions are heightened, mental ties are… Continue reading
So many books, so little time WITH more hours being expended on reducing the Bedside Reading Pile (BRP) even less time is free to deal with those consigned to the Books For Review (BFR) category. The BRP pile climbs relentlessly higher, while the BFR queue grows longer and longer. Far… Continue reading
MEMORIES never fade of taking the terrifying walk over the divide that once existed between East and West Germany . Trigger-ready guards at your back; trigger-ready guards ahead. One wrong move, however innocent or accidental, and . . . It didn’t bear thinking about. But, nevertheless, you did. Think about… Continue reading
Why would anyone want to risk living in the outwardly charming British village of Midsommer? The number of bizarre and sudden deaths that beset its residents must be an estate agent’s nightmare. The ultimate hard sell. Charming 18th century cottage for sale, all bloodstains removed, two previous owners shot, two knifed, one poisoned and another strung from magnificent oak beam in drawing room. No place nor activity within the bounds of this bucolic retreat from the brutish world of big city life is murder-free. And the years have shown there is no tool, implement, artistic device, machine, drink or food… Continue reading