The Fascination of Secondhand Books

Despite my house already being full of books, with multiple shelves in every room, I can never resist the draw of secondhand books, whether from a dedicated seller of used books or from a charity shop. Whenever I go on holiday, whether for a long or short break, there seems to be an unwritten rule that I must return with at least one book for every day spent away from home.

My recent trip to visit my aunt in London resulted in a five-book haul from charity shops, plus one volume purchased from a purveyor of new books, to salve my conscience for buying so many secondhand. It’s important to support independent booksellers too. (That’s my excuse, anyway.)

My new purchase from Wimbledon Books was an illustrated version of H G Wells’ The Invisible Man. Only as I write this does that strike me as an amusing contradiction in terms. No, the illustrations weren’t just blank pages.

Now you see him…

Since arriving home two days ago, I’ve already finished reading one of my new acquisitions: The End of the Affair, one of the few Graham Greenes that I hadn’t read before. Discovered in the ‘five books for a pound’ basket in Wimbledon Village’s British Red Cross shop, the edition didn’t match the old orange-spined Penguin paperbacks that make up the bulk of my Greene collection.

 

The only exception is a beautiful Folio edition of Travels with My Aunt, one of my favourite books of all time.

Despite my penchant for matching sets of books, three features persuaded me to buy it:

First, it was a vintage hardback from 1960 (the same vintage as me, in fact), and I love vintage hardbacks.

Second, a small green sticker on the inside cover showed it was originally sold by Dymock’s, the Australian bookshop chain. I couldn’t help wondering about the little book’s journey from Sydney to south London.

 

Third, pencil markings in the margins – usually a turn-off because I find them a distraction – intrigued me by being written in what I think is Chinese. These were translations of English words unfamiliar to the Chinese reader, such as ‘maliciously’, ‘pervert’, and ‘mortification’ (bless him!)

I think these are in Chinese – but you know different, please tell me!

When reading the novel I discovered a fourth unexpected charm. Towards the end comes a passage describing a key character’s collection of books. One of these is Scott’s Last Expedition, the diaries from the polar explorer’s ill-fated trek towards the South Pole.

 

Why did this startle me? One of the other four second-hand books I bought on this trip was Scott’s Last Expedition – a beautiful hardback, possibly even the same early edition referred to in Greene’s novel. When his narrator goes on to discuss at length the nature of coincidence, I was positively spooked.

All in all, I’m glad I splashed out in the British Red Cross shop that day – and that, unable to find four other books in the “five for a pound” basket that I wanted, I insisted on paying a pound for this one book. I’ve certainly had my money’s worth.

This post first appeared in the March 2025 edition of the Tetbury Advertiser.

IN OTHER NEWSLatest Novel is a Bestseller

Last Monday, 3rd March saw the publication of my latest novel, Death at the Village Chess Club, the second in my Cotswold Curiosity Shop series and the sequel to Death at the Old Curiosity Shop.

I’m thrilled to report that on the day of its launch, and subsequently, it has been flying the distinctive orange bestseller flag on Amazon’s UK store, reading #69 in the whole of the UK store, and #1 in the rather oddly named Cosy Crafts and Hobbies Mysteries category!

My publisher Boldwood Books sent it on a blog tour, run by Rachel’s Random Resources, which means that several bloggers a day have been sharing their reviews online, whether on their blogs, on Amazon, on social media, or on Goodreads. I’ll share the schedule below in case you would like to look any of them up.

I’ve been very touched by all the kind comments, including the following extract, which suggests I’m achieving exactly what I set out to do with this book:

“The story is compelling and exciting, with plenty of twists and turns. But I still get the cosy village feel -along with a hint of romance. Ultimately it’s the warmth and community feel that makes this story a touch above the rest for me. An addictive mystery with heart.” (Kitty Kat, book blogger and on Amazon)

Huge thanks to Kitty Kat, to all the bloggers on the tour, and to all who have read my new book so far, whether or not they choose to review it (although good reviews are always very welcome!)Tickets On Sale for My New Play

With rehearsals well under way for my first stage play, The Importance of Being Murdered, tickets are now on sale. Hawkesbury Drama Group is expecting to sell out on both nights, so book early to avoid disappointment! See images below for details of how to book and of the menus to be served at each performance.

The play is about an amateur theatrical group in the village of Bunbury preparing to stage a production of Oscar Wilde‘s The Importance of Being Earnest. Their plans are disrupted when a retired star of stage and screen moves the village, demanding a leading role, with deadly consequences…

Each night the audience is invited to play sleuth to solve the murder mystery. There will be a different killer in each performance, at the request of Hawkesbury Drama Group, so that they can run the show for two nights without any plot spoilers for the audience at the second performance!

The venue is Hawkesbury Village Hall, just off the Cotswold Way. Read more about its facilities and how to find it here.