The photo show me in Heathrow waiting for my flight to be called, reading the last item purchased on our trip.I traveled to the U.K. with carry-on luggage convinced that would limit my compulsion to buy books. That cunning plan did work, sort of, considering that I could have fit at least five more books into my suitcase. The customs agent at Heathrow was impressed at what I was carrying and asked if I was a librarian (I am).
Unfortunately, so convinced that I could restrain myself, I didn't have a list of titles with me and thus panicked when faced with shelves of books and forgot three quarters of the titles I wanted.
Here is what came back with me:
Winnings from the Crime Scraps Fiendish Quiz. The photo was taken at Greenway, Agatha Christie's summer home and shows me being congratulated by Norman, the perpetrator of the quiz.
Neon Mirage, Max Allan Collins
Diamond Dove, Adrian Hyland
A Deal with the Devil, Martin Suter
Books Purchased
Tally - 9 books, 1 hardback, 8 softcover.
The Body in the Library, Agatha Christie. How could I go to Greenway and not buy a book?
Mystery Man, Bateman. Waterson's at Picadilly Circus. I was talking to a lady just finishing this book in a
Hummus Bros restaurant (terrific place by the way) and she loves Bateman for his irreverent humor and the Northeren Ireland setting.The Ice Princess, Camilla Lackberg. Waterson's at Picadilly Circus.
Light Reading, Aliya Whiteley. WH Smith in Cheltenham. I chatted with Aliya on Crimespace and was happy to find a copy of her book. I'm 25 pages in and enjoying it.
The Dead and The Dark Eye, Ingrid Black. Hay-on-Wye, Wales. I got a copy of her third book, The Judas Heart, from Declan Burke and enjoyed the characters, the story, and the setting (Dublin) so coming across the first two books in the series was an excellent find.
Lonely Hearts, John Harvey. Hay-on-Wye, Wales. This is the first Charley Resnick story and I've been looking for it for a while.
King of the Streets, John Baker. Hey-on-Wye, Wales. I was looking for Winged with Death but couldn't find a copy anywhere. This is the third Sam Turner.
The First Detective: The Life and Revolutionary Times of Vidocq, Criminal, Spy and Private Eye, James Morton. Hay-on-Wye, Wales. I'm interested in the antecedents to crime fiction and Vidocq influenced Arthur Conan Doyle as he developed Holmes' methodologies. Vidocq helped found the Sureté, the French detective bureau.
Thanks for posting a better photo of me!
ReplyDeleteIf you walked through US immigration with that copy of the Daily Mail the GOP will be trying to recruit you. ;o)
Glad you got back safely.
Amazed a customs officer paid you any attention at all at LHR - while this might be tempting fate I've yet to have my bag even remotely glanced at, which is a direct contrast to the number of TSA 'notifications' I've found when unpacking.
ReplyDeleteThe fellow checking me seemed most interested in my laptop and Kindle though my wife had to crack open her bags as well and she had no electronics with her. Unfathomable.
ReplyDelete