Madame Will You Talk? by Mary Stewart

Some people do retail therapy. I do re-read therapy. I wanted a little mental break from things, so I picked up an old favorite. I've read Madame Will You Talk? many times, and enjoyed it every time. This was no exception.

I love Mary Stewart mysteries. They were among the first "grown up" mysteries I read, and I read every one of them several times. I collected all her books in paperback, and one time while on a declutter spree I decided to get rid of them, thinking I could always get them at the library. Wrong. Our library took them out of circulation. Then I tried to buy them again, and they were out of print. Yikes! I panicked for a few years and picked up some used copies as I could find them. Finally they came back in print and you can bet I bought them all again. Lesson learned: keep the books you love.

Stewart started writing in the 50's, and her books reflect the times. Lots of cigarette smoking, women wearing dresses all the time. It's kind of fun to have a reminder of what things were like. I'm sure they were very current when written. What will people say about our current books in 60 years?