I was privileged this month to read an as yet unpublished novel, “The Architect,” by Ollie Dagois who co-wrote Gabrielle’s No 1 hit “Rise” in 2000 and has worked with artists such as Seal, Grace Jones, Mica Paris, ABC, Right said Fred and Frankie goes to Hollywood.  This is his first novel and very good it is, too.

Set in Venice in the 1400s, it is about revenge, self discovery and a spectacular heist. Written with wit and energy, it is a great read with a terrific story and a wonderful cast of characters, all set in Terry Gilliam-esque locations superimposed on the reality of the 15th century. The author has built intriguing back-stories for many of his characters and although the book is the length of a novella so much is packed in that you think you have read a much bigger book. I recommend it to publishers. You can see more about the book at http://www.thearchitectnovella.co.uk  - have a look at the trailer!.

On my reading list for this month are: The Marriage Market by Nisha Minhas, a local MK author and Julian Clary’s Murder most Fab – he was so lovely on Who do you think you are? that I thought I would give this a go, though it is not something I would normally have chosen. I am also going to try Kate Mosse’s Sepulchre [Amazon have an excellent video clip on the book’s page] and Christine Falls by Benjamin Black, set in Dublin which has had rave reviews elsewhere.