I might have mentioned before that I enjoy a good thriller and at this time sinking into a tale of murder, mystery and mayhem offers a measure of reassurance that all is well with the world.
I have recently finished 'A Simple Story' by Leonardo Sciascia. Just 40 pages of pure joy. It is a tale of Sicily that manges to capture the land, the language, criminality and society without descending into excess or cliche. Andrea Camilleri has made a great job of writing about ordinary decent criminals with that backdrop. Sciascia nails it for ordinary decent organised criminals, and how the psychology of that thing of theirs denatures society just as the sulphurous atmosphere of the island corrodes the copper pans in a kitchen. Great stuff. Off you go then, order it from your local library!
