Six Degrees of Separation: Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow

First Saturday of the month and new year too, time for the super monthly tag Six Degrees of Separation, which is hosted by Kate at Booksaremyfavouriteandbest, Six Degrees of Separation #6degrees picks a starting book for participants to go wherever it takes them in six more steps. Links to my reviews are in the titles of the books chosen.

This month our starting book is…

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

At the time of drafting this post, I haven’t finished reading this bestseller from last year, a novel about gaming and friendship and love. I’m loving it, but shall save my comments for my review.

However, it couldn’t escape my notice that the title is a quote from the Scottish Play (and I’m going to see Ralph Fiennes and indira Varma in an immersive production in docklands during half term – can’t wait!!!), so my first link is via that to…

Death of a Gossip by M C Beaton

This is the first novel in the Hamish Macbeth series, published in 1985 (there were 34 in total!), featuring a laid-back local policeman in a village on the west coast of Scotland. Cosy and fun, and the TV series with Robert Carlyle as Hamish was fab!

Fishing plays a big part in this mystery, so my next link is via that to …

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday

This is the story of a middle-aged govt agency scientist stuck in a rut, job-wise and marriage-wise, who gets assigned to feasibility study to bring salmon fishing to the mountain wadis of the Yemen. Torday’s first novel was a joy about following your dreams, and rediscovery.

My link from Yemen is via the Arabian peninsula to…

Our man in Kuwait by Louise Burfitt-Dons

Inspired by the true story of Ian Fleming visiting the Kuwait Oil Company to write it’s biography in 1960, Burfitt-Dons’ novel has a spy amongst the ex-pat community working for the KOC, coinciding with Fleming’s visit. Lots of ex-pats behaving very badly! This time I’m going to stay with the same Arabian link and go to…

City of Veils by Zoë Ferraris

The first detective novel I’ve read set in Saudi Arabia and a good one too. It gives a tantalising glimpse of life in Jeddah, particularly how men and women live and work, and combines that with a complex crime story. Part of it is set in a gated community, which will take me to…

Dirty Little Secrets by Jo Spain

Exclusive gated estates can be the equivalent of a locked room, so when a woman is found dead and already decomposing in her house, it has to be one of the residents, and just shows how they may be locked in together but aren’t necessarily neighbourly! Another take on how it can go even more wrong in such community leads me to…

Running Wild by J G Ballard

Always good to get Ballard in! His estate is gated, has state of the art security systems and discreet guards. It houses ten families from the aspirant middle classes, with good jobs that pay excellent salaries, they live in comfortable, safe, luxury – an ideal place to bring up their children. However, early one morning, in just ten minutes, thirty-two adults – all the parents, the guards, some of the helps – were murdered. The thirteen children are missing, presumed abducted. The police are at a complete loss as to what happened, and where to look for the children. 125 pages of pure superbness!

My six degrees today have taken me from the USA via Scotland to Arabia where we stayed for a bit, returning home to the UK via Ireland. Where will your six degrees take you?