Shelf life: SIMON BRETT
The cosy crime king shares his top five reads with Judith Spelman
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To hear an extract from The Body on the Beach
Simon Brett has just published his 105th crime novel. Known in the business as cosy crimes (no blood and guts flying all over the place), they feature clever detective work leading to solving the crime. His books include The Feathering Mysteries, The Charles Paris Theatrical series and The Mrs Pargeter Mysteries as well as the bestselling How to be a Little Sod. Simon was a producer in radio and television and an actor so it is not surprising to learn he wrote the scripts for the television series After Henry and the radio series No Commitments and Smelling of Roses. Simon was chair of the Society of Authors from 1997 to 1999.
EMMA Jane Austen
‘Famously, Jane Austen wrote, “I am going to take a heroine whom no-one but myself will much like,” and for me Emma is one of her greatest characters. Some of the best humour derives from the difference between a person’s self-estimation and the way they are perceived by others. Emma is very clever, shrewd – and often cruel – in her judgement of others, but she is not clever enough to subject her own character to the same scrutiny. Emma sees herself as the great matchmaker but is in fact rubbish at the job. Add to this glorious central irony a matchless set of supporting characters – like the hypochondriac Mr Wodehouse, the social climbing Mr Elton or the vulnerable chatterbox Miss Bates – and you have the ingredients of the perfect novel. Jane Austen is one of those rare writers who can use humour to do a lot more than just be funny.”