Before Call the Midwife

The popularity of Call the Midwife is astonishing but it’s only the most recent in a long line of TV medical dramas. Remember Emergency Ward 10? Dr Kildare? (You have to be old.) Most series involve hospitals and I don’t watch any of them. I have, however, read quite a lot of books about nursing. Most are romances in which Nurse marries Doctor and don’t interest me much. What I have read is a large number of nursing career books aimed at girls. Now, they’re a fascinating glimpse into how much nursing has changed over the years.

All this is merely to flag up Lucilla Andrews, doyenne of the hospital romance. I’ve never read any of her books but here’s good news for those who like her stories and have searched for them in vain: a few are now available for the Kindle, quite cheaply.
( pics of nursing stories )

Christopher Bush & the madness of book prices

I sometimes mention the enterprising Dean Street Press, who kindly send me the occasional ebook for review. I got another one yesterday because they’re bringing out the next batch of crime novels by Christopher Bush. I browsed their titles on Amazon and found Murder at Fenwold, which I quite enjoyed, listed at £1,049.00! I thought it must be a mistake and checked it again today. The same price and there are two copies on eBay, even more expensive. Why? And is this another tulip mania of the book world, where people will buy and get their fingers burnt?