Wrap Up: Typically British Reading Challenge

The 2010 Typically British Reading Challenge 2010 was hosted by Carolyn at Book Chick City. I signed up once I did realise that I had not read many British crime fiction books this year and I thought it was a nice opportunity to dust off some of the books that were sitting in my shelves waiting TBR. Voluntarily I limited my participation to my favourite genre, although the Challenge is not restricted to crime fiction books.

There were four levels:

• “Put The Kettle On” – Read 2 Typically British novels.
• “Gordon Bennett” – Read 4 Typically British novels.
• “Bob’s Your Uncle” – Read 6 Typically British novels.
• “Cream Crackered” – Read 8 Typically British novels.

My aim was to achieve ‘Bob’s Your Uncle’ level. For which I’ve read:

• The Coffin Trail by Martin Edwards
• The Birthday Present by Barbara Vine
• Raven Black by Ann Cleeves
• Resurrection Men by Ian Rankin
• Written in Bone by Simon Beckett
• A Certain Justice by PD James

It was great fun to participate, thank you Carolyn.

A Certain Justice by PD James

First published by Faber and Faber Ltd 1997

Published in Penguin Books 1998

Pages: 482

ISBN: 97880140274684

The blurb reads: ‘Venetia Aldridge QC is a distinguished barrister. When she agrees to defend Garry Ashe, accused of the brutal murder of his aunt, it is one more opportunity to triumph in her career as a criminal lawyer. But Regina v. Ashe initiates events both frightening and unpredictable. Just four weeks later, Miss Aldridge is found dead in her Middle Temple Chambers. Commander Adam Dalgliesh, called in to investigate, finds motives for murder among the clients Venetia has defended, her professional colleagues, her family – even her lover. As Dalgliesh and his team narrow the field of suspects, a second brutal murder draws them into greater complexities of intrigue and evil.’

A Certain Justice (1997), the tenth book in Inspector Adam Dalgliesh series, is the sixth book I’ve read to complete my participation on the 2010 Typically British Reading Challenge hosted by Book Chick City.

I have to admit that I found A Certain Justice quite irregular, and this despite my admiration for PD James, her brilliant prose, the details about the criminal justice system in England and the fine portraits of the characters developed in the book. I was very much interested in the plot but somewhere along the last chapters I lost interest and, finally, I found that the solution to the case was completely unsatisfactory. However up to that point it was rather a gratifying reading.

Read an excerpt HERE.

PD James Official Website

A Faber Podcast Special: An Interview with P D James at Bookdagger.com

Spanish Christmas Lottery

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The Spanish Christmas Lottery (Sorteo de Navidad or Lotería de Navidad) is a national lottery game organized every year since 1812 by a branch of the Spanish Public Administration, now called Loterías y Apuestas del Estado. The name Sorteo de Navidad was used for the first time in 1892. As measured by the total prize payout, the Christmas Lottery is considered the biggest lottery worldwide. In 2006, if all of the tickets were sold, the total amount payout of prizes would be worth more than €2.142 billion (70% of ticket sales). The total amount of all prizes of the first category called El Gordo ("the big one") was €540,000,000 which was distributed among 180 winning tickets (billetes) that won €3,000,000 each. (Taken from Wikipedia).

According to the tradition the drawings have begun today at 9:00 a.m. and it will last around three hours, thus marking the start of the Christmas holidays in Spain.

Click HERE to see some pictures.

I will take this opportunity to wish all my fellow bloggers and readers

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.