Seeing as it’s now tradition, I thought I’d put together a big bumper selection box of books, TV, films and stand-up that I’ve enjoyed over the last year. Hopefully, they’ll provide some ideas to help you fill in that weird gap between Christmas and New Year when you’re not passed out in a food coma.
Books
Agatha Christie – And Then There Were None
To my great shame, I’d actually not read any Agatha Christie books until this point in my life. I thought I’d better change that before I got found out at one of the crime writing conventions and all the other scribblers started picking on me. I’m already on a warning from the union about the number of people who get walloped in the nuts in my books. Everyone tells you Christie was a genius and – brace yourself – she is! The interesting thing about reading her now is that I realise how many times I’d read other books that imitated her but rarely matched her style. The woman had a bigger impact on the crime writing genre than anyone ever has, and I’m pleased to report her writing stands the test of time. I shall be continuing my education in 2023.
Sally Green – Half Bad (The Bastard Son and The Devil Himself)
I have to confess; I didn’t know these books until the recent TV series popped up on Netflix and we gave it a shot. Wonderwife and I absolutely loved it and I’m now reading the books. A paranormal tale of a teenage boy caught between two warring factions of witches. It is utterly fantastic. It’s classified as YA which I have to admit I find confusing. It’s pretty dark stuff, and not for the faint-hearted, but it is a gripping tale for all ages. Reading the books so soon after watching the TV show is very interesting too. The essential story is the same but as books can do, it’s richer and more developed on the page. That’s no criticism of the TV show. They’re two different mediums with two different sets of needs. If Bunny or Banecroft ever make it to the screen, I’m happy for stories to be changed, I think the biggest thing is the characters remaining consistent and the tone being kept. They did that here so consider it a double recommendation for both the books and show.
John Connolly – The Furies
We had the pleasure of seeing John Connolly speaking at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival and he’s one of the most engaging interviewees you’ll ever see. Brimming with intelligence and charm. His writing has always been incredibly vivid and his ability to freak me out with words alone is impressive. I end up trying to avoid reading him right before bed as you do not want those characters wandering into your dreams.
JD Kirk – Eastgate
If you like your crime served with a dose of dark Scottish humour and inventive invectives then check these out. A spin off from his DCI Logan series, Hoon is at his festive finest in book four of the Robert Hoon Thrillers. JD Kirk’s books are often compared to mine and after reading a few, I’m truly flattered by the comparison. The tone is different but they’re a glorious load of fun.
TV
Bad Sisters – Apple TV
This is the best thing Wonderwife, and I have watched all year. A remake of a Belgian series, Clan (The Outlaws), it’s transposed to Ireland and given an absolutely stellar cast of Irish talent who utterly knock it out of the park. Everything about this is top-class. The writing, the acting, directing – even the music. I loved it all. It’s a wonderfully black comedy with a genuinely gripping story and you can’t help but get fully invested. No spoilers but every inch of the journey is absolutely worth it.
The Devil’s Hour – Amazon
The first I heard of this series were articles with people giving out about the finale. For some reason, that made me watch it and I’m really glad I did. It’s a cracking series, with a compelling story and, as long as you’re not welded to your preconceptions about the crime genre, personally, I think the ending is fantastic.
Andor – Disney
I’m not a massive Star Wars fan, but yes, I have still seen every one of the films and the TV shows. The films haven’t been doing much for me lately, but this show is an absolute cracker. The trick is, they kept the bare bones of the Star Wars universe, but used the medium of a longer series to tell a darker and much more fulfilling story than you can get in most films – even the bloated three-hour behemoths that Hollywood is increasingly giving us. This has got everything – a heist, a prison movie, a story of rebellion and a much more nuanced view on conflict than the goodies and baddies Star Wars typically deals in.
Stand-up
Rhod Gilbert – The Book of John
A cracking hour of stand-up from Wales’s favourite son. He’s an old mate of mine who is having some health troubles at the moment. Never has one man picking apart the idiotic things another person has said, been more entertaining. This show just highlights what a one-of-a-kind talent he is and why we all need his irascible charm in our lives.
Taylor Tomlinson
I didn’t know who Taylor was at the start of the year and wow, consider me a big fan now. I’ll be honest, as a former stand-up, I generally find comedy specials a little dull to watch. Maybe it’s because I know so much about how the sausage is made that it often doesn’t work for me. I prefer catching my comedy live. Having said that – Taylor Tomlinson absolutely blew the doors off for me. Intelligent stand-up that has some of the highest gag rates you will see anywhere, all while dealing with some weighty issues with the lightest of touches. A true superstar.
Sarah Millican and Gary Delaney
And, speaking of superstars…
While they both have comedy specials available to watch online that I highly recommend, the two acts I previously supported on tour are back on the road and if you can, you must catch them live. They’ve made up for my absence in the back seat of the car by delivering their strongest shows yet. They’re both playing to packed houses these days and in Sarah’s case, she’s also now touring America to great acclaim. Add that to her massive popularity in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Europe, the poor woman may never get a week off. For his part, Gary is rightly regarded now as one of the finest pure gag writers on the planet and his tour of the UK is storming it, despite the man himself breaking his foot after slipping on wet leaves while walking the dog. Luckily, he never did much dancing. I can’t recommend these shows highly enough. A guaranteed cracking night out.
Film
Brian and Charles
And finally, just a wonderful little film from Britain that’s simply sublime. It’s about an odd recluse who builds himself a robot to live with because he’s lonely. The biggest recommendation I can give you is that I remember us watching the two minutes before the opening credits and me pausing the film to comment that it already had more brilliantly funny lines in it than any other movie I’d seen this year. It’s got a tonne of charm and it shows what can be achieved with a modest budget when fantastic writing, strong performances and a wonderful imagination are combined. A pure light-hearted joy.
