Carol Naylor's REVIEW it...

               Murder at Channing Ponds Station by Darren Mark Wright. "They're all acting incredibly weird around each other. Do they know something that we don't know? How did we find ourselves in a place where every person that got off the train to come to this random small village is hiding something?" Think of Agatha Christie's Mousetrap or Cluedo and you're almost there! The scene is set in Channing Ponds, an underground station described as being dank and old. "The track doesn't even see the light of day between these hills." It's in the middle of nowhere. Some God-forsaken place. The drama begins with the arrival of a local Constable and a recently arrived London Detective, both perplexed. Why? Nine people have been killed. " This one is beyond our country experience and capabilities."   Unable to speculate on the perpetrator the Constable wished the Detective the best of luck adding: "You're going to ne...

  Dark shadows clouded my dreams of the sunny farm bright with geraniums and orange blossom. A valley teeming with murderous snakes guarding the entrance to a place of stones and scorpions.   Most of us can empathise with Chris and Ana for deciding to move to an idyllic but challenging life in the mountains of Andalucia. Isn't it everyone's dream perhaps? Or perhaps that should read nightmare. Chris found his paradise early on in his house-hunting days. La Herradura would have been his first choice but he was discouraged from purchasing it because of complications in multiple owners not wishing to sell. His second choice was El Valero set amongst orange and lemon trees, olives and blossoming almonds. What could be more Spanish or delightful to the eye? A mountain farm, just what he desired. My head was whirling with excitement; wild ideas and dreams pouring in. Once the excitement levelled, he then realised why Pedro Romero was so keen to sell-a dam was goi...