Over the past few months I have not been using Headington Library as much as I did in the past. Out of the four days of the week when I work in Headington, it closes at 1pm (when I normally start thinking about a lunch break) on two of them and since I have been toting a laptop to and from work my bag space is limited for carrying a haul of books. I am still an avid library user but other branches fit more easily into my schedule at the moment.

I did have an opportunity to pop to Headington Library yesterday though and was rewarded by discovering new books by two of my favourite authors, Ruth Rendell (The Vault) and John Connolly (The Burning Soul). In the former, Reg Wexford has finally retired (time moves on for all, although, for Wexford, it seems to flow at the rate of about one year for every five experienced by normal mortals) but it does not take long for him to be called in as an advisor on another case. I am a few chapters in and it certainly seems to be living up to the legacy of the series. I haven’t started the other novel yet but it is billed as another in the Charlie Parker series; the poor guy still can’t find no rest.

Either find would have fully vindicated the visit; getting both is a double bounty.