Dark Pines, by Will Dean

Journalist Tuva Moodyson works at the newspaper of a very small Swedish country town. She moved there from London a couple of years before to be near her ailing mother, but she doesn’t plan to be there forever and needs a big story to boost career options. This sees Tuva turn investigative reporter when a local man is found murdered in the woods; a case with disturbing similarities to unsolved serial killings two decades earlier. This has all the elements of a cracking crime thriller but somehow it doesn’t quite hang together. The stilted style is reminiscent of a poor translation, which is ironic as Dean is an English writer living in Sweden. He has an interesting take on Tuva’s deafness, touching on its advantages as well as disadvantages to her life and work. Unlikely plot elements stretch credulity and although Tuva is an interesting character, she is not a credible one. Her motivations, actions and decisions are often baffling, serving the plot rather than the overall story.

Eternals (2021), directed by Chloe Zhao

There is an awful lot going on in this latest iteration of the Marvel universe. The 10 Eternals have been around for 7,000 years, influencing human development and history. A worldwide earthquake triggers a crisis that makes the Eternals question their purpose on Earth. While there are many references to events and characters of previous movies, it is essentially a standalone story. It is however a very complicated tale, with many characters, requiring much explanation. This makes the running time of almost three hours both too long and not long enough. It’s a very long time to sit still for one story and not long enough to do it justice, with much skimmed over and not explained. It would have worked better as a six-part series, allowing the space to flesh out each character and their complicated skills and stories. There is a nice blend of action and drama, and a few laughs, with a truly diverse cast including Salma Hayak, Angelina Jolie, Gemma Chan, Richard Madden and Kumail Nanjani.

Triple Juniper Gin - Never Never Distilling Co

A neat sip of this McLaren Vale boutique gin is absolutely delicious. In a G&T with ice, lemon and bog standard tonic, at first the flavour gets a little lost, overtaken by sweetness. But the deep rounded juniper base persists and eventually shines through, making this a very pleasant aperitif. With a quality Mediterranean-style tonic it’s very good. Take care not to accidentally buy low-sugar tonic, because it’s horrible, with this or any other gin. Lemon only enhances the flavour.

The Octopus Man, by Jasper Gibson

Tom has been living with a schizophrenia diagnosis for more than 20 years, since a drug binge in his 20s. He doesn’t think he is ill – the voice that talks to him is the Octopus God, who is training him to help save the world. When Tom diverges from his God’s path he is punished and this can lead to a meltdown and hospitalisation. His devoted sister is literally at her wits’ end when she helps coerce him onto a drug trial that will silence the voice. But what next? Tom misses his God and it’s not like he is suddenly, magically cured of all his underlying problems. The story moves back and forth in time between Tom’s current predicament and episodes in his childhood and young adulthood that help to explain how he found this path. It is told with humour and empathy, which helps lighten an otherwise bleak tale of mental ill health and, despite some good people trying to help, the total inadequacy and often downright cruelty of mental health services. A somewhat unlikely ending was probably necessary to offer a note of hope, rather than the painful and heartbreaking reality for many people diagnosed with schizophrenia.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by VE Schwab

As a girl in 18th century France, Adeline LaRue’s options are limited and she longs for a wider world. Running from an unwanted marriage, she is offered an escape but gets both more and less than she bargained for. Addie has been cursed to never leave her mark and so can form no kind of relationship; she suffers but can’t die. It has been a hard, long and lonely 300 years, learning to survive while exploring the world, taking pleasure in art and music and books and stubbornly resisting handing over her soul. The story moves back and forth between 2014 and Addie’s past, detailing the early years of learning to adapt to her circumstances, her annual battle with the darkness that wants her soul and the loneliness of her life. Everything changes when she meets Henry, the first person in 300 years who can remember her. But is this real, or the latest in a long line of dark tricks? Although the novel is more than 500 pages the action never flags. The flashbacks, in mostly short sharp chapters, gradually build the reader’s understanding of both Addie’s and Henry’s lives, characters and decisions. Addie’s story mirrors how women have slowly and painfully educated and raised themselves by subverting the control of men. This makes the final twist in the tale all the more satisfying as patience and diligence pay off.

The Great (Hulu) Season 1

Catherine the Great ruled Russia for more than 30 years in the late 18th century, bringing the European renaissance to a country stuck in the medieval era. Billed as an occasionally true story, The Great takes some events, characters and the broad brush of history to create a story that reflects the spirit of the remarkable Empress. Naïve and optimistic Catherine, from a minor branch of German royalty, has an overly romantic idea of her marriage to Emperor Peter of Russia. He is a charming, spoiled and brutal tyrant, who can never live up to the legacy of his father - Peter the Great. His debauched and depraved court is tolerated by the church as a means of retaining its power by keeping Russia in the dark ages. The two form a brick wall against Catherine’s modern and progressive ideas of enlightenment and education. She has to find a way to survive and subvert the powers that be, but will the personal price of Greatness be too high? Production design and costumes perfectly complement the story, as history embellished. The magnificent ensemble cast of mostly British actors is led by Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult, who are indeed Great. The darkly comic tone is deepened by touches of philosophy and poignancy, providing a very entertaining account of the true cost of power. Here’s hoping for a second season that maintains the Greatness. Huzzah!