I suggested to my new girlfriend that she would greatly enjoy reading “A Crowning Mercy” but she lacked the motivation so, undaunted, I picked up the book and started reading it aloud to her. She was delighted by this and as the plot progressed she became ever more demanding resulting in marathon reading sessions of several hours at a time by the time we were finished. Fortunately the debilitating effect that this had on my vocal chords was more than offset by the affect that the voice I ascribed to Vavasour had on her. The line about Tyburn Crows making a tasty pie especially. Thank you, it was great fun. Andy Payne