loisco,
John Thaw was Inspector Morse. His last show before he died was titled, The Remorseful Day, and this is the Houseman poem:
Ensanguining the skies
How heavily it dies
Into the west away;
Past touch and sight and sound,
Not further to be found,
How hopeless under ground
Falls the remorseful day.

I always liked John Thaw and was so sad that he died. ( from smoking!)

Have you read Minette Walters book The Dark Room? I really enjoyed it.

I have been reading ( along with my husband) ALL of Daniel Silvas books.
The English Assassin took care of the flight from Paris to NY :)

Please!

I am still in mourning about John Thaw!So again please speak kindly and with great respect.

But thanks to whoever posted about the new Elizabeth George..Linley is a close second..but Morse is ans was my Main Man!

Jody that was me!! I also adored John Thaw. I was soo sad when he died. I felt I knew him. That's an actor right?..I wish they would show the Inspector MOrse shows again on BBC...

I just looked at our library reserve list. There are 20 people ahead of me for Elizabether George.

jsmith..I'm in San Diego. Don't know where you live but I would sure like to run over and borrow the book. Let me know how it is. Elizabeth george is a marvel.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being is a phenomenol book. It's written by Milan Kundera who is part French/part Czech, and it takes place in Prague and Switz, during WWII. It's truly great.

http://www.morsemania.co.uk/
Lois and jody, this is for you :)

How about Inspector Barnaby in the Midsomer mysteries by Caroline Graham? Really good, with an excellent sense of place.

Just last night openned 7 Ages of Paris... well, the prologue was good! <GRIN>

loisco, it's a long run from San Diego to central Mass. By the time you get here it will be due back. In fact, I hope I can finish it before it's due.

I'm reading Catherine de Medici : Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda.

The French have their cuisine, the use of the fork, and (some even say) fashion, because Catherine brought her chef, the fork, and her clothing to France as a young bride. Wife to one king and mother to 3 others, she became an interesting woman in an equally interesting period in history.
((S))((*))

"Stiff" by Mary Roach

Just back from library where I got Carol Connells new Winter House ( the stories of the NY detective Mallory)..

Just getting into "A Noble Radiance" by Donna Leon. I've read and enjoyed one previously, and plan to read others she has written. They're mysteries and take place in Venice. Her descriptions of Venice are wonderful, and so is Commissario Guido Brunetti who solves the crimes.

"Best of Gourmet - Paris", short stories from the magazine. "The Snows of Kilimanjaro" - Hemingway.

I too must chime in with a vote for Pillars of the Earth! It's fabulous and perfect for a trip to England/France.

Just finished-realize these are not "new" reads--
The Da VinciCode by Dan Brown. Also Brown's pre-quel to The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons.
They both pose very interesting ideas and I love the descriptions of various settings in the books---France, Italy, England.

Also read "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Frances Mayes. Even though the book is very unlike the
movie, I loved it too. She includes receipes of wonderful (at least they sound good)!) Italian dishes. It is a great and easy read.

I didn't care for The Shadow of the Wind either. It's well-written, but a bit too twisty and perverse for my tastes.

I've recently read the first book by Allan Mallinson, A Close Run Thing, about an cavalry officer in Wellington's army in the early 1800s. If you like Patrick O'Brian, you'll probably like these. I put the rest of the series on hold at the library.

Currently, I'm reading The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King. The heroine, Mary Russell, becomes Sherlock Holmes' partner. It's well-written, witty, and interesting.

Lee Ann

Scarlett...thank you so much. I remember when John Thaw died..I just was so devastated. It's almost as if I had lost a friend.

JSmith...I will be in Massachusetts in June. Have 2 sons and families there...so if I don't get the George book, I might be by.

Greendragon,

I loved Outlander--I was reading it as we drove across Scotland. My husband was reading A Painted House by Grisham at the time, and we'd share our novels with each other--his sounded really boring! Anyway, I loved the series too...

Underhill..I love the Midsomer series too. Haven't seen them for a while. Barnaby very interesting personality.

I went to the library...got Red Michelin, French Women Don't Get Fat and a bunch of Eyewitness Guide Books. Also got a few Deborah Crombie books because you all recommended them.