Reading for pleasure: August 2021

Denzil Meyrick (Polygon: £8.99; e-book £3.79)

It may have been said before, but is worth repeating, Denzil Meyrick writes fine crime novels and they get better with every outing. This story sees DCI Jim Daley and his trusted sidekick and friend, Acting DI Brian Scott, on the hunt to trace the whereabouts of the old fisherman, Hamish, who has gone missing while out in his boat. He and a hapless council employee have been abducted, having accidentally stumbled upon some treacherous individuals from Northern Ireland. However, is there a link between this random assault and the crash landing of a small aircraft with two dead men on board, the flight path of which appears to have been coordinated? Add to this rich mix the resurrection of a back story to the professional life of Superintendent Carrie Symington and the result is an engrossing read.

A friend who read the book said it is one of the few crime thrillers where the dialogue of a character makes them laugh out loud: DS Scott is a well crafted and clever foil for the DCI. The life of Kinloch also continues in the background, with the County Hotel under new ownership. Meyrick brings real life and depth to his fictional community. Compelling.

Pen Vogler (Atlantic Books: £8.99; e-book £7.47)

This is a tremendous book. Ms Vogler takes us through this smorgasbord of British food and eating. Drawing on old cookbooks, recipes, art and literature, the social history of everything from fish and chips, the sandwich for lunch, restaurants and oysters is delightfully and highly entertainingly laid out for us.   There are modern recipes with the original alongside.

We learn that the first recorded recipe for macaroni cheese dates from 1390; that the ploughman's lunch was a marketing exercise of the Milk Marketing Board to get us to eat more cheese; and that the mode for small plates or shared eating derives from the standard way of eating in Georgian times.

The book is divided into various subheads, beginning with an overview of the daily meals, moving through the influence foreign cooking brought to British food, to cutlery, napery and the foods which have re-emerged as fashionable. However, there are some hard truths. Food poverty is worse now than in 2008. Cheap processed food has led to an increase in obesity and diabetes. It's 2021 and people are increasingly reliant on food banks. Highly readable, dip in and snack on this enjoyable, yet thoughtful book.