'Damn His Blood!' by Peter Moore

A Real Life Murder Mystery

....    The scent of garlic filled the air adding authenticity to a popular Italian Restaurant in  Corbridge, namely, Il Picolo. This quaint Northumbrian village features regularly in the lives of the Hadrians Hussies as, not only does it share our Roman roots,  but it also offers numerous quality restaurants and pubs for our monthly meetings. One great strength of this venue was that, for once in Corbridge, parking was easy.

....    We opted for starters and mains as the menu offered a wide variety of mouth watering dishes.

The portions were so generous that no one could find room for a pudding.  There are also half portions available for the smaller appetites!  The food was of a high standard and everyone enjoyed their meal. The final bill came to £25 per Hussie including tip, only slightly cheaper than Matfen Hall. The waitresses were friendly and attentive but in no way intrusive, leaving us with plenty of time to discuss last months book, 'Damn His Blood by Peter Moore.

...    This is Peter Moore's first novel, in which he recounts the dreadful events that occurred in the small village of Oddingley on midsummers day in 1806. It was chosen by a Hussie who spent many happy weekends in the village during her childhood, listening to  ghost stories about the poor deceased vicar. Now the story has been fleshed out, the vicar, namely Reverend George Parker so enraged the local farmers by demanding tithes that he met with  a violent and untimely death in his own glebe field. The author provides a rather extensive comprehensive picture of what rural life in late 18th and early 19th century England was like, offering interesting facts on local industry as well 

as law and order. It is quite a slow read and demands a lot of concentration to get to grips with the different characters as there are quite a few. This is more of a history textbook than a crime thriller, but its an interesting and informative read and lays to rest the myth of the village parson bricked up in the walls of the vicarage. A myth which entertained and enriched the formative years of many a child in 1970's Oddingley.

....  A little light relief is very welcome for next months read.  Join us early October and share our views on:

INSTRUCTIONS FOR A HEATWAVE  by  MAGGIE O'FARRELL





                                                                                                                              12th September 2013

The 5:2 Diet & The Confessions of Catherine De Medici

 

     Talking about diets beats doing them!

 

 

 

 

....   Having dedicated the last month to an in-depth study of the 5:2 diet, the Hussies felt they deserved the luxury of an up-market Country House Hotel in which to discuss the merits of  'The Fast Diet'  by Dr Michael Mosley and Mimi Spencer. Matfen Hall Hotel also offers spa facilities but exercise and dieting seemed a step too far for the ladies of Border Bookworms; something for the future, perhaps!

 

....    We all agreed that the Library Restaurant in the hotel offered luxurious surroundings in keeping with the history of the 19th century Country Mansion. Unfortunately our overall verdict 3:1 was that the food was over priced and under represented! We all chose the crab salad which was beautifully presented but rather small! The verdict on the main courses varied depending on the selection, the risotto failed to impress but the chicken was very tasty and quite  generous in size, good enough to tempt this Hussie back for more. We all decided to have a pudding which again were all very well presented and quite tasty. Coffee followed and rounded off the meal nicely, this may account for the hefty price tag as we don't usually have three courses and coffee.

 

                                           Crème Brulee Shown above, especially good!

                                               Crab Salad!  Zoom in to see Salad!!
 

....    And now to the book.  Interesting science; easy to follow; dramatic results.

If you want to go on a weight loss diet this is quite a good plan to follow however the draw backs are that for busy people fasting can be quite dangerous. Trying to drive whilst feeling light headed from hunger is not good!. Some of us felt that fasting led to feeling extremely ill whilst others clung to their long held belief that weight loss can only be achieved with strong will power and patience.  Mind you, one of the Hussies has lost 12 pounds which also proves all diets work when followed. 

 

 



 

 

 

 ....    As we were reviewing a diet book over the summer holidays we felt we needed some literary stimulation to go along side and so 'The Confessions of Catherine de Medici' by C.W. Gortner was chosen. This book fictionalises the life of one of histories most powerful women. Born into the powerful Medici family in Florence during the Renaissance she married  King Henry II of France in 1533, taking over the reigns of  power after his sudden death in 1559. The author offers us an alternative view of a character who is often seen as one of histories villans. The book is well written and informative, although it glosses over some interesting points in her life such as the reason for the royal couples infertility in the first ten years of their marriage. There are parallels between this book and the televised drama the White Queen, both telling the story of strong royal women embroiled in the struggle for power at court. It was agreed that reading this book expanded our knowledge of the period and prompted further study. One Hussie was so inspired by Catherine that she set off on her own voyage of discovery to the protagonists birth place in Florence.

 

....    Our next book continues in a historical vein :

 

                                       'DAMN HIS BLOOD by PETER MOORE

 



 

 

 



 

 

 

....    Join us next time for, what should be, a learned discussion!

 

 

 

                                                                                                                         12th September 2013