A HYPOTHETICAL: what would make a good Christmas gift for an avid reader of crime fiction?  Faced by a pile of recent reads, I soon realised this was an almost impossible task. Too much choice; too many vying for the top spot. And such a broad range of  preferences among devotees of the genre. Much easier to choose a selection. A bit of an each way bet, perhaps, and a coward’s way out of making a decision. But slightly less stressful than whittling the pile down to a single choice. Also covering a wider range of  themes, locations and styles. Continue reading