Today I’m delighted to welcome Carmen Radtke, writer of cozy historical mysteries. Her ‘Porridge & Cream’ read is Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett.

“Picking my “Porridge & Cream” book made me realise how many writers give me endless comfort and entertainment. In the end, Terry Pratchett prevailed (sorry, Georgette Heyer, Agatha Christie, Joan Hess and Bill Bryson). At least half a dozen of his witches and night watch novels have seen me through richer and poorer, sickness and health. But the one I reread most often is Carpe Jugulum, although The Fifth Elephant, Feet of Clay and Jingo come a close second.

“I discovered it aged twenty on my new boyfriend’s bookshelf. Two hours later he complained that I was still reading. Yeah, right … What makes this (and its companions) so irresistible is the sheer fun and inventiveness of the Discworld, its hilarious characters and madcap situations. But underneath the comedy lurks a darker side which itself contains a world of wisdom, a sense of justice and how life could be. In Carpe Jugulum, the witches of Lancre find themselves up against a new breed of vampires who’ve been invited by Lancre’s idealistic king. But once you have vampires – or vampyres – in the castle, they’re almost impossible to defeat. As with most of Terry Pratchett’s later novels, there is that sense of anger and despair underneath the funny façade. It’s the same kind of anger that propels most of my own writing, in the best possible way. I must have read this novel eight times or more and it still holds me spellbound. This isn’t just a book, it’s a treasure.”

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Carmen’s Bio
Carmen Radtke is a published novelist and short story writer. She writes mostly cozy historical mysteries, although she’s also working on a contemporary cozy.

Carmen’s links
Website
Twitter
Facebook
BookBub
Goodreads

Carmen’s latest book
1931. A sea voyage from Australia to England is a dream come true for Jack, Frances, and Uncle Sal – until murder most foul stirs up a storm.
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What is a ‘Porridge & Cream’ book? It’s the book you turn to when you need a familiar read, when you are tired, ill, or out-of-sorts, where you know the story and love it. Where reading it is like slipping on your oldest, scruffiest slippers after walking for miles. Where does the name ‘Porridge & Cream’ come from? Cat Deerborn is a character in Susan Hill’s ‘Simon Serrailler’ detective series. Cat is a hard-worked GP, a widow with two children and she struggles from day-to-day. One night, after a particularly difficult day, she needs something familiar to read. From her bookshelf she selects ‘Love in A Cold Climate’ by Nancy Mitford. Do you have a favourite read which you return to again and again? If so, please send me a message.

Discover the ‘Porridge & Cream’ books of these authors:-
Lizzie Chantree’s choice is ‘The Hobbit’ by JRR Tolkien
Rhoda Baxter chooses ‘Night Watch’ by Terry Pratchett
‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’ by Douglas Adams is chosen by Lexi Rees

And if you’d like to tweet a link to THIS post, here’s my suggested tweet:
Why does #cozymysteries author @CarmenRadtke1 re-read CARPE JUGULUM by Terry Pratchett? #books https://wp.me/p5gEM4-529 via @SandraDanby