I’m just back from a
quick trip to – of all places – Africa. Morrocco, to be specific, and Marrakech
to be even more precise. It was really an impulse decision to go off for a long
week-end in search of a bit of sun before the run-in to Christmas, and very
enjoyable it was too. I’ve never been to Africa before, but I was very taken
with what I found.
I can’t recall ever
reading a crime story set in Marrakech, though I’m sure there must be some;
perhaps my memory is at fault. Any suggestions of titles? I’d really like to
try a book set there. And there are surely bound to be plenty of thrillers set in
Morocco. Certainly, it’s an atmospheric city; the souks are amazing, and I also
saw my very first snake charmer. Not that I took a photo of the snakes, mind;
you never know how they might react!
I read two contrasting
books on the trip. I’ll be reviewing both The Players and the Game by
Julian Symons and Tour De Force by Christianna Brand shortly. I’d read the
Symons before but admired it all over again. Both books were highly ingenious –
but Symons’ cleverness at plotting is sometimes overlooked by those who focus
mainly on his criticisms of some classic detective novelists.
As for Brand – my feelings
are mixed, in that I admire her work a good deal, yet find some of her writing
rather frustrating. She and Symons were friends and contemporaries, but she was
hurt when he gave one of her books a less than glowing review. He described her approach as “hectic”, which
isn’t the adjective I’d use, but there are, I think, reasons why she is much
less well remembered today than her talents would have justified. More of this
another day.
