The Merrily Watkins books

Yes, roses, that's the one. I haven't finished it yet. It requires a lot of concentration to work out who's who. The annoying thing about reading on a Kindle is that it's difficult to go back and check on the various identities.

anno 'The prayer of the night shepherd' is the last one I read, and actually I thought it was the best one.However, I often get the titles mixed up, so it was the one where Jane is working at a hotel with the haunted room and all the links to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle?
I actually think that the best book by Phil Rickman is The Man In The Moss and the next best Candlenight.I would love to see them all televised or made into films.

Link to Phil's interesting and informative website here...
www.philrickman.co.uk

There's a new Merrily 'novella' out.

I shouldn't have said that. Ignore it.

Jane is great. Nothing to worry about there!

I'm in the middle of 'The Prayer of the Night Shepherd' which is far from being a 'light' read! It's highly involved, and my concentration wanes when I read in bed! I have to recap the next morning. I'm a bit worried about the way Jane is developing!

I agree mollie65, that the first book really just sets the scene and the characters develop from there. I do think Anthea (or should I say Athena) White was right that the relationship between Merrily and Lol has reached a do or die point. In the last couple of books it just seems to be petering out; as does Merrily's belief in what she is doing to some extent but it only leaves me wanting to know what happens next.

am awaiting the arrival of 'the merrily watkins trail' wending its way around the mentioned places and locations in the Marches - shudder
did not enjoy the 1st book too much but went back to read it after I had read the others and found the characters were better defined.

The Wine of Angels by the sound of it and that is the first one. There are quite a few orchards in the books rosesarered as they move around the boarder towns so are often in Cider country . There is a book called "Merrily's Border: The Places in Herefordshire & the Marches Behind the Merrily Watkins Novels" also by Phil Rickman which I keep meaning to get - it's on my wish list.

I always forget the titles RoseQ, the orchard one I read a while ago and thought it was quite good.I have read most of them but not in sequence.

um, the first one I think. Merrily hasn't got the job yet. They are all in an orchard.

(I must note the title of the book I am currently reading )

Which one are you reading Rosequartz?

Yes Soutra it was me who told you about the books last year. I have always been a Phil Rickman fan, but have to 'buck the trend' and say that I have enjoyed the non Merrily books he writes much better , although of course, I still enjoy the Merrily ones as well.As time went on though , I wanted to say to Phil Rickman, please have Merrily enjoying herself now and then and also allow her to EAT as tea and toast seem to be the only things she consumes.Also buy her a few clothes so that she doesn't have to live in her daughter's old duffel coat [ a bit Jonathan Creek.]
I would like to see the series televised, I have Sky tv [did someone say it was on Sky?]

or it could have been GX3 grandfather!

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!

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

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!

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.

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?

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.

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

I'm on book 7!

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'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.

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