Ever since an obscure Civil Servant called Stephen Summerchild fell to his death from a window in the Admiralty, rumours have circulated about a connection with some secret defence project. Now, as a television company reinvestigates the case, the Cabinet Office feels it may be prudent to make a reassesment of it's own, in case of any sudden alarm at Number Ten.

Having very much enjoyed Headlong (now on a BookRing *hint hint!*) I snapped this up when I spotted it going cheap today. It will be quite low down the TBR pile due to a pile of books I've promised to read soon, so I am sending it out on a short Ring before I get to it.

Participants are as follows:

Lady-mondegreen - UK
LeighBCD - UK
Nikel27 - Germany
Futurecat - NZ
Ladyofunicorns - US
Robbiesmum - UK
Redhouse - UK
Caro1
then home to me.

More welcome!! Please let me know if you'd like to be added to the list!

Book Ring Rules (Adapted from psychjo)
1) Everyody should leave a journal entry when receiving the book and after the read! Please let us all know what you think about it...
2) Also PM the next person on the list for a mailing address and when that person doesn't answer within 7 days MAX! please PM the one after...
3) Everybody should also try to read the book soon (max - one month?)- but in a joyful speed. It's not about how many books someone can read within a certain amount of time - it's about enjoying it...
4) You can send the book via surface mail or airmail - that is completely up to you.
5) If you find you don't have the time to read it when it's your turn please PM and I'll move you to a later slot.
6) Enjoy :-)

Celebrating the Bookcrossing Anniversary Challenge - this is book 128.

Released on Wednesday, April 07, 2004 at n/a in n/a, given to a friend Controlled Releases.

Heading off on the first stage of it's journey tomorrow.

I will try not to hold up the ring too long, being right at the start, but (not suprisingly)I have a couple of books on the go at the moment and really MUST Pompeii before next Thursday before my reading group meets!! However, this one is now on the must read very soon pile and I will definitely read within the month allowed, probably sooner as I read quickly! Happy BC anniversary kleptokitty and thanks for organising this ring.

This is another one of those books that I doubt if I would have read without bookcrossing. It is the first book I have read by Michael Frayn so I have no idea if it is typical of him, but I am eager to read the next one (Spies) which I have already been sent!

I have taken my time reading this - I usually read books far too quickly and then promptly forget most of the detail - and I think it is an excellent read. However the author manages to capture my imagination without prompting me to rush. The pace of this book is measured and I was more than happy to immerse myself with Jessel whilst he slowly unravels the circumstances of the event he has been asked to investigate. I love the way Jessel literally steps into Summerchild's shadow in order to discover what happened to him 15 years earlier. I did not feel at all impatient with the way the author slowly reveals things about his characters and their lives along the way. There are some tender and poignant moments plus some absolutely hilarious descriptions of some of the absurd and pointless workings of the civil service. A great read.

Thanks so much Lady M! I am so glad everyone before me has enjoyed the book so much, nothing induces a sense of anticipation more. I will add this novel to the top of the TBR pile and will read it next.

Michael Frayn is an extremely talented writer but I found I did not enjoy this book so much as others of his I have read. As a general rule, I find any novel written about the "suffering" English middle classes a really tough read and this book, which I have to say, brilliantly evokes the tepid suffocation of the Civil Service, was just not to my taste. Thanks so much though kleptokitty for starting this ring - the novel is a really excellent, quality choice of book. We should have more such bookrings on Bookcrossing!

I have nikel27's address so will mail this on to her within the next few days.

Released on Thursday, May 27, 2004 at to nikel27 in Ginsheim, Germany Controlled Releases.

I hope you enjoy the book! I know you are not expecting this package so hopefully it will be a nice surprise.

sorry for the delay, this book arrived during my vacation,

update:

What a good read, this is the second book I have read from this author and the books are getting better and better.
Maybe because I know now the writing style from the author.
Hope that the next member will also love to read this book.

Asked for address: June 2004

Release planned for Monday, June 28, 2004 at Post Office in Book Ring, Ginsheim Controlled Releases.

Goes to the next member together with "Headlong"

Arrived safely in New Zealand today, along with "Headlong" by the same author. I'd actually completely forgotten I'd signed up for these bookrings, so it was a nice surprise when they suddenly appeared in my letterbox. I'm in the middle of another book at the moment, but as soon as I finish it, I'll get on to these ones.

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Wonderful book, with characters that really draw you in. Strangely, though, I had the feeling all the way through the book that I'd already read it - I'm pretty certain I haven't, though - maybe it was just the feeling of inevitability to it, that there is only one possible path for the characters to take. Anyway, I greatly enjoyed it.

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Finally sending the book off to Ladyofunicorns - sorry about the delay - I haven't managed to get near a post office lately.

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Don't know why, and I guess who am I to ask why...this took a bit of time to get here and then I just found it today in a box of books that I didn't know I had. I am putting it in my tbr box and will get to it as soon as I can and after I have read it, I will make another journal entry. Sorry about that! What is really weird is the box had a mixture of read and unread books in it...

I enjoyed reading this book. Sorry it took so long for me to make another journal entry!

I sent it off today to caro1 in the UK!