Simon Willis

Mr Fratton's 'musings on language' are thought-provoking, although some parts of them I found too abstruse for me. I'm no linguist. The story about the daft, verbose lecturer in 'English Please' reminded me of a teacher I once had, so that stuck a chord with me. As for the two Egyptians who found themselves in a taxi several miles from London and not knowing where they were going, that took me back to a holiday experience in Portugal. Now that was funny. The author has a lively sense of humour and I can imagine him as an enthralling raconteur after a fine meal. The doll photos I found a bit silly, but I must confess, they are unusual. Otherwise, the murders are enjoyable, which sounds odd, but when you read these stories, you'll know what I mean.