The Merrily Watkins books

Someone on GN mentioned them so thanks to whoever it was.

What are they about Petallus? I've not heard of them before.

Absolutely love them. The village I lived in before I left home was mentioned in the last one "The Magus of Hay". Written by Phil Rickman Crafting. I knew he had a website and was looking it up for you. This is the page about the Merrily books www.philrickman.co.uk/merrily/ and what did I then see but a page saying that "Midwinter of the Spirit" could be screened early next autumn on ITV Encore. I have a horrible feeling this channel is only available through Sky - I hope I'm wrong.

I have just downloaded "The House of Susan Lulham" - only available on Kindle. They say:

"... (a Kindle Single ghost story) was Amazon’s 2014 Christmas Number One crime and thriller short. It was developed from the story written for the international crime collection, Oxcrimes, published last May. The new novella, more than five times as long, is a part sequel and a response to readers who wanted to know what happened next. It now becomes Merrily 12 and a half. And you know what comes after number 12.5 in the average street…"

living in the area (herefordshire borders) it is very evocative of the place and its characters/stories. to my mind the Ludlow book is by far the best but they are much better to be read in sequence (nice long books too)
I would be reluctant to see televised versions of the books as so much is in the descriptive words and the characters

Agree that the "pictures are better in the mind" in this case mollie65 although I don't know if I could not watch just to see.

who could portray 'Gomer' - the picture of him in my mind is an old Herefordshire country man very rough and ready and sprinkling the unacceptable swear words in his conversation like my father would

gracegran I think ITV Encore is on Freeview if you have that

Thank you, Gracesgran I'd missed this one! Have you read the children's books about Marco and Glastonbury?

I knew Gomer! Prior to my marriage my OH lived in a house where he had "digs" with a lot of other young professionals. The house was owned by a lovely couple and was in a village just outside Hereford. He was a small man who had been involved with the land and horses all his life and was as knowledgeable about his love - horses, as Gomer is about plant hire. He was very much the "salt of the earth" and I picture him every time I read about Gomer.

Lilygran - no I haven't. I will look them up. Would love to share one of my favourite authors with the GCs.

One of the characters in the books describes Gomer as Bart Simpson grown into an old man.

Thanks Gracesgran nothing I like more than a good read. I will look out for the books on my next visit to the library on Monday.

Phil Rickman's latest (non-Merrily book), Night after Night is on offer today on Kindle and Nook, £2.09

I've read all Phil Watkins books and really enjoyed them especially the Merrily Watkins series.
This latest one Night after Night was good.
According to his website there is to be a TV version of one of the Merrily books.

Somebody on GN got me going on these last year(wasn't 't it you rosesarered?) and I devoured them! I found the level of "weird" grew as the books progressed and actually preferred the early books, but I was hooked too!

I'm on book 7!

I've read five Merrily books now and like the way the characters develop.

Edited due to typo...
I've read all Phil Rickman books and really enjoyed them especially the Merrily Watkins series.
This latest one Night after Night was good.
According to his website there is to be a TV version of one of the Merrily books.

Didn't like to point that out, Retired! I'm in two minds about TV adaptations. How can Merrily conform to the image I have of her?

Absolutely.
Whoever gets to play Merrily will in no wise look like my image of her.
Can't remember which of the books is being filmed but the news is on Phil's excellent website.

My ancestors are from Leintwardine - perhaps I should give the books a try.
The trouble is I always read the 1* reviews and get put off. Now, if it was a free download I would have no hesitation!

rosequartz - do try them - suggest you borrow one from the library and see whether you like it - I have read them all (sometimes more than once) - know Leintwardine very well as it is on my 'patch' and the countryside around the borders is lovely

I have just found one I downloaded on to my kindle a while ago and forgot about. I started it last night; so far we are still in the orchard ...

I have never been to Leintwardine, my Gx2 grandfather moved away from there in the 1850s!

or it could have been GX3 grandfather!