Book binging

I never used to re-read books. My leisure reading of choice is detective novels, so there never seemed any point, once I knwe who done it.

Then I discovered Harry Bingham's Fiona Griffiths books (six so far), and they were so good I just had to re-read them. I think I read the fifth one first, and the first one last, and then went back and read the whole lot again. Originally borrowing them from the library, I loved them so much that I bought copies. Second hand, via Abe Books, they cost three or four pounds each, including postage.

I realised that I could enjoy re-reading. I often forgot who'd done it anyway, but even if not, that just added a new dimension. I found and appreciated so much more richness on a second reading. So I decided to do the same with another of my favourite series, Elly Griffith's Ruth Galloway books. After Fiona Griffiths, Ruth Galloway must be one of my favourite heroines, middle aged and overweight, a single parent with a very unrequited love life - and an academic as well! There are twelve of these, so I bought eleven second hand, read through them in order from start to finish, and then forked out a tenner for the twelfth and latest in hardback. Again, it was a brilliant in-depth escape into another world, and reading each book as a chapter of a ten year story gave each one a context that it didn't have on its own.

So I finished The Lantern Men last night and have now (over breakfast) embarked on my most ambitious box set yet - Christopher Fowler's Bryant and May series. There are fourteen of these, and I have acquired the first twelve for a little over £40 in total. Sad, funny and surreal, but always with a meticulously plotted mystery at their heart, these should make perfect reading for the next few weeks.