Something to cheer you up, from a time when criminals had proper names…

ABC to XTC is next on @rtegold.bsky.social, with music from Madness, The Waterboys, Eurythmics and more. Listen via the RTÉ mobile app or stream the show at www.rte.ie/radio/gold/.

Now in Bulgarian: THE CHILDREN OF EVE, translated by Irina Manusheva and published by Prozoretz. prozoretz.com/bg/knigi-45/...

Also when the cat’s away, the mouse will stack outside the bathroom all the unread copies of The New Yorker, starting at November 24th 2025, in the hope of finishing them before the cat gets back.

When the cat’s away visiting the grandchild in South Africa, the mouse will turn the kitchen table into a makeshift office, rewrite one book, start another, and practice Spanish by painstakingly translating poetry and non-fiction. The mouse really doesn’t know how to play.

From In Another World, @graemethomson.bsky.social’s fascinating book about the group Talk Talk and its lynchpin, Mark Hollis..

ABC to XTC kicks off August with music from The Go-Go's, Prefab Sprout, The Blue Nile and more, next on @rtegold.bsky.social. Listen via the RTÉ mobile app or stream the show at www.rte.ie/radio/gold/

Another edition of ABC to XTC is next on @rtegold.bsky.social, with music from Toyah, The Smiths, Bruce Springsteen and more. Listen via the RTÉ mobile app or stream the show at www.rte.ie/radio/gold/

Check your inbox, check your spam folder: a newsletter went out overnight, announcing the UK publication date of THE CASTLE from @hodderbooks.bsky.social: hosted.verticalresponse.com/205621/949eb...

This week's ABC to XTC (next on @rtegold.bsky.social) features music from Madness, The Cure, The Smiths and more. Listen via the RTÉ mobile app or stream the show at www.rte.ie/radio/gold/

This was great fun. Well done, @joeabercrombie.com

ABC to XTC is next on @rtegold.bsky.social, with music from Darling Buds, Suzanne Vega, Talk Talk and more. Listen via the RTÉ mobile app or stream the show at www.rte.ie/radio/gold/.

Kazuo Ishiguro exercising his right to be wrong in @thetimes.com. Not sure how many films one could have seen to rate ‘Horror Express’ as the worst, but it can’t be many….

Puppycinos — hey, I didn’t invent the word — because heaven forbid we might forget the dogs…

A bonus hotel room, as we’ve run away with the dogs for a few days. There are cookies, but we ate them. One dog treat as yet uneaten (by dogs, obvs.) #HotelOdyssey

ABC to XTC is next on @rtegold.bsky.social, with music from Prince, @tmbg.bsky.social, @bryanferry.com and more. Listen via the RTÉ mobile app or stream the show at www.rte.ie/radio/gold/

Già in vendita in Italia! The Italian translation of THE REAPERS, from Fanucci TimeCRIME.

"A RIVER RED WITH BLOOD is a tireless read and easily might be one of the best Charlie Parker novels that John Connolly has written thus far." Thanks to @bookreporter.bsky.social for this review: www.bookreporter.com/reviews/a-ri...

The final hotel of this Spanish trip, with a balcony, Biscoff, a bottle of wine, and a very sweet note… #HotelOdyssey

¡Esta noche en Granada! Una conversación con Alfonso Salazar en La Madraza - Centro de Cultura Contemporánea, Granada, 19:00 H.

The second of the hotel rooms for this trip, in a lovely old building in Granada. Fresh fruit, a balcony, and a wardrobe so big, it almost qualifies as a second room. I think I’ll be okay here, thanks. #HotelOdyssey

Todavia en Madrid . . .

Tunes from Prefab Sprout, New Order, Madness and more up next on ABC to XTC on @rtegold.bsky.social. Listen via the RTÉ app or stream the show at www.rte.ie/radio/gold/.

At the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum, Madrid. Baranov-Rossine was just 24 when he painted this, and 56 when the Nazis killed him.

¡Hoy en Madrid! Signing tonight from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.; tomorrow from noon to 2:00 p.m. and again from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 2:00 p.m. and again from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

¡Información corregida sobre las apariciones de la próxima semana en España!

The first Spanish hotel room on this trip. I think I made it appear untidy just by entering, even before I set up a workspace — and should I bang my head and end up lying on the floor, the artwork will still look the same, which is nice. Strangely small biscuits. #HotelOdyssey

Thanks to @barryf48.bsky.social for calling A RIVER RED WITH BLOOD "as feverish and unsettling as ever" in his roundup for @financialtimes.com — www.crimetime.co.uk/ft-crime-fro...

Thanks to Declan Burke for choosing A RIVER RED WITH BLOOD as holiday reading in this weekend's @irishtimes.com: www.irishtimes.com/culture/book...

Para los eventos en España este mes, firmaré todos los libros que se quiere traer, incluido los libros antiguos…