A quick meeting is usually a good meeting. St Johns Park, New Town, April 2011. A trip away does not stop the run of books. Mixed fortunes in my selections this week. The first, Double Indemnity is considered a genre – crime – classic by James M. Cain. The film is probably better known than the book, but both are excellent. A brief but complex novel captures beautifully the tale of ordinary-guy-gone-wrong-at-the-hands-of-a-woman . It’s a gripping read, and (if you’re lucky enough to have the luxury), the kind of novel that you could pick up and finish in one sitting. Highly recommended. Decidedly not recommended is James Buchan’s Heart's Journey in Winter . Another genre novel (spies, Cold War and whatnot), it’s a dull read, poorly told. I can’t summon up the effort to say any more about it…