Book Talk
with Smiffs book & card store, Nerja
The Costa del Sol’s darker side
never seems to lose its appeal
to crime writers. In Fight
Back, Scottish journalist and
author Anna Smith (l)
reintroduces us to gangster
Kerry Casey, who has fought
her way to the top of the
Glasgow crime scene in
Scotland. Kerry is now a fully-
fledged gangland boss; but can
she stay there? With her
business partner Sharon and
her wily lawyer Marty at her
side, she is busy ridding her
organisation of the drug-
dealing, people-trafficking
scum her dead brother Mickey
got them involved with. But her great dream is still to take the
Caseys straight. Her plan to turn her organisation around
hinges on building a property empire in Spain. But Kerry has
some deadly rivals in Glasgow, on the Costa del Sol, and even
further afield.
environmental, political, social, economic, cultural and artistic
elements, and is very open to regional variations and to the
extent that the history of the peninsula and of its political
groupings was far from inevitable. Its tone is accessible,
supported by boxes providing supplemental information, and
is perfect for travellers to Spain.
Gibraltar: The Greatest Siege
In British History (p), by Roy
Adkins, is an epic page-turner,
rich in dramatic human detail:
a tale of courage, endurance,
intrigue, desperation, greed
and humanity. The everyday
experiences of all those
involved are brought vividly to
life with eyewitness accounts
and expert research. For over
three and a half years, from
1779 to 1783, the tiny territory
of Gibraltar was besieged and
blockaded, on land and at sea,
by the overwhelming forces of
Spain and France. It became
the longest siege in British
history and was blamed for the
loss of the United Kingdom’s American colonies in the War of
Independence.
Fight Back leads off this
month’s Hotlist of titles, some
entirely new, others moving
into small paperback format
for the first time or being
reissued, sometimes after
years out of print. All are due
for publication on dates in
March, with availability in
print this month or in early
April. The Hotlist helps
readers to plan and budget for
book ordering.
Now here is something
different if you are looking
for an unusual gift for a
travelling foodie. In Europe’s
Best Bakeries (p), Sarah Guy
gives us an inspirational
illustrated guide ranging
from new sourdough
bakeries to centuries-old
grand cafe-patisseries. Baked
goods are embedded in
European culture; many of
the shops and cafes included
in this book have been
around for years and serve
long-perfected cakes in
historic premises. Others are
new discoveries in unexpected locations, staffed by young
bakers passionate about creating wonderful produce which is
also organic and eco-
friendly. This cooks up
a gorgeous list of
bakeries in Spain, the
UK, Scandinavia,
Eastern Europe, Italy,
Germany and France,
serving up plenty of
sumptuous photos and
profiles on the best
bakeries.
It is dominated this month by
non-fiction, but first, here is a
shout out to The Hideaway (p)
by Sheila O’Flanagan. A shocking news report shatters Juno
Ryan’s world. She suddenly finds herself without the man she
loves, and with no way of getting the answers she so
desperately needs. Distraught,
she flees to the enchanting
Villa Naranja in Spain. The
blue skies and bountiful
orange groves - along with
Pep, the winemaker’s
handsome son, begin to
soothe her broken heart, but
only Juno herself can mend it.
Just when she begins to feel
whole again, another
bombshell falls. Can she put
the past behind her?
A couple of history books
catch our eye. A Brief History
of Spain (p), by Jeremy Black,
is just what it says. This very
readable history covers
In Salsas and Tacos (l),
Susan Curtis unveils
New Mexican Cuisine
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