Hacks (HBO Max)

A veteran comedian is about to lose her Las Vegas residency and so her agent hooks her up with a 25-year-old comedy writer, who has been cancelled, in a bid to revive both their careers. Deborah Vance lives in a palatial mansion and has an extensive staff; Ava has to take this job to avoid losing her recently purchased, overpriced LA condo. The two have little in common and clash at every turn, until they don’t. Each is intensely unlikeable in their own special ways – initially fulfilling the stereotypes of out-of-touch Boomer and entitled Millennial. As the series develops their rough edges rub off as we find out more about them, their back stories and their redeeming qualities. Slowly a relationship of trust builds as they learn from each other and make each other laugh. We also get a taste of the evolution of women in comedy and a glimpse of the challenges that have barely changed. It’s funny, smart, moving and so refreshing to see a show featuring two strong female leads as well as a diverse cast whose diversity is incidental to the plot. Jean Smart is simply wonderful as the irascible Deborah and Hannah Einbinder provides a great foil as Ava. A second season is out now; it will be interesting to see if it can sustain the excellence.

A Solitary Walk on the Moon, by Hilde Hinton

Evelyn runs a laundrette, with precision and attention to detail. She also pays attention to her customers and neighbours, going above and beyond to help them out, whether they want it or not. Observant and judgemental, Evelyn is something of a chameleon. She adapts her behaviour and language to remain largely unobtrusive to those around her, which allows her to overstep and get away with it. It soon becomes clear that Evelyn has a habit of reinventing herself; leaving her past behind to start fresh. When she intervenes in the lives of a troubled woman and her eight-year-old son there is a chance to change this pattern and build a rag-tag family – but can she take it? Although there are no supernatural elements in this tale, the writing holds a touch of magic. Evelyn operates as a kind of ephemeral fairy godmother, solving problems and making connections in her community to improve everyone’s lives. This includes her own, but there is a residual sadness as it seems she is unable to resolve her own issues and enjoy the benefits of her labours.

Brunswick Street Blues, by Sally Bothroyd

Brick Brown (yes really) is working in the PR department of an inner city Melbourne council (despite having no qualifications or experience). She aims to find out who is behind the endless series of complaints about her uncle Baz’s dive jazz bar in Fitzroy. When her investigations turn up the sleazy mayor’s decaying body in the archives, she reports it via an anonymous message on her boss’s phone. Then the body and her uncle both go missing. What follows is a fast-paced and sometimes confused mishmash of political corruption, underworld heavies, dodgy developers, media rivalry and determinedly colourful characters who make very questionable decisions. Set in 2007, the novel has a vibe more of the 1990s. Its depiction of a council PR department is ridiculous, but not in an amusing way. The wry tone takes too many cheap shots at easy targets. This seems to be intended as a romp in the vein of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum books, but it falls short on every level.

The Lost Daughter (2021), directed by Maggie Gyllenhall

A professor of Comparative Literature, Leda is holidaying alone in a quiet Greek coastal resort. Her idyllic break is marred by a series of disturbing events, at first small but soon escalating, which trigger flashbacks of her life as a young wife and mother and aspiring academic. Her troubling interactions with various members of a large and disruptive Greek-American family showcase all Leda’s qualities and faults and may end up threatening her life. Maggie Gyllenhall wrote and directed this thoughtful film that focuses on the push and pull of motherhood. Olivia Colman brings her usual charm and skill to the older Leda, while Jessie Buckley is luminous as the younger version., Dakota Johnson plays a strong hand as Nina, the young mother Leda identifies with and both helps and undermines. Sympathies ebb and flow for this very real character, whose story lingers long after the film ends.

Love Marriage, by Monica Ali

Apart from being junior doctors in the National Health Service Joe and Yasmin appear to have little in common. But they are engaged and it’s time for their families to come together. Outspoken, wealthy, dominating, body positive, Joe’s mother Harriet always seems to get what she wants. Yasmin is embarrassed about her uptight GP father and traditional religious mother. She can’t wait for she and Joe to get their own place and escape their parents. But Joe has a secret that could bring them undone. Yasmin’s brother Arif also has a secret that could shatter their family. As their worlds unravel Yasmin learns there are shades of grey in everyone, including herself. She will have to get to the bottom of the love marriage between her wildly mismatched parents to work out if she can achieve a love marriage of her own. Ali has a clever way of making the reader simultaneously sympathise with and despise her characters. Short, sharp chapters switch between their various points of view, exposing their strengths and weaknesses and carrying their complex stories lightly over the almost 500 pages. Every relationship is dysfunctional. No-one is honest about who they really are and what they really want. But openness and therapy are the cure for many ills and may help Yasmin and Joe come to terms with their cultural and emotional misconceptions to find a happy ending.

Foxglove Summer, by Ben Aaronovitch

Constable Peter Grant has been sent out of London to the Welsh border, ostensibly to follow up a magical lead but also for a change of scene, following the devastating betrayal by colleague Lesley May. But the countryside turns out to be not so peaceful as two young girls have gone missing and Peter stays to lend a hand. He soon discovers a magical element to the disappearance and is seconded to the taskforce searching for them. He has the assistance and consolation of river goddess Beverley Brook, as well as local copper Dominic Croft. In amongst dealing with the Fae, changelings and aggressive invisible unicorns, Peter has to deal with texts from Lesley, treading a fine line between the personal and professional. The danger is in the woods at night. Will this city boy be able to navigate the tricky trees and make it back to London? It’s good to see Peter’ character develop as this series continues. He is growing up and showing just why he is a cop – and a trainee wizard.