Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s claustrophobic creep-fest is a treat for those who enjoy a dash of the supernatural in their domestic noir — Could there be a more straightforward title for a Gothic novel set in Mexico? If the title seems too on-the-nose, though, too baldly descriptive, don’t be fooled into thinking the novel might be a paint-by-numbers affair. Moreno-Garcia’s stylish novel is atmospheric, inventive, and a pleasure to read.

Fighting the novel and re-embracing the familiar It was a cold that brought me back to myself. I want to pin “in the end” onto the conclusion of that sentence, but it would be presumptive to say that we’re at the end of anything given, well, everything. Like so many…

Escape Room Edition Remember that Friends episode where Ross and Chandler try to cancel a gym membership? Well, escaping subscriptions – for products, places, or online services – remains one of the ultimate consumer challenges! We’ve all seen those Twitter threads and long rants about the hurdles subscribers have to jump to…

A detective story from the 1930s tells us more about modern politics than the news — I heard about The Division Bell Mystery fairly soon after arriving at the House of Lords to join the ranks of those who “have to be in the House but not of it”. …

He feels dull. Unable to achieve anything of merit. Pleasant but somewhat disappointing. Dull to speak to, even. Conversations often lapsed, but he had developed an extensive, almost self-generating, stream of patter and no one ever walked away. But he is dull. This self-perception is, you might be beginning to…

An occasional writer’s roadmap for taking editing from a white-knuckle experience to confidently throwing my arms in the air and enjoying the ride. — If you write anything that goes beyond your own desk, you’ll know this rollercoaster. Sometimes, maybe, it gives you a little thrill and you’re keen to jump on board. Mostly, you’re reluctant but resigned to it (‘Here we go again’). …

Accountability wanted? I’m part of several informal groups for what I’d call “chronic overachievers”. Alumni groups, coaching supervision groups, and one for Academia on the Side (for people who haven’t got research academic jobs but still want to do and publish academic research). …

We all work. In or out of the home, or both. Paid or unpaid work, or both. But why? Like a curious toddler, I’m asking an annoying, even banal question. And I know it’s not one that we can necessarily answer well. …

If you’ve been isolated from your colleagues during Covid, you might be climbing the walls desperate for social contact. Or you might be relishing the quieter work-life. Covid has made clearer how different people experience the workplace. In particular, let’s think about meetings. They’re seemingly always necessary, but not often…